# SimplyKyra
> Indie Apple developer building calm, simple tools for everyday life... apps for reminders, reading, and reMarkable, made without the hustle.
Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts.
Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`).
## Pages
### About SimplyKyra
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/about-kyra/
Last updated: 2026-02-03T17:00:13.000Z
## Hi, I’m Kyra!

I’m an indie Apple developer creating calm, simple apps that help you forget less and remember what matters.

I build tools for real life. Made for people who feel overwhelmed, stretched thin, or just trying their best. My work is rooted in the belief that technology should reduce mental load, not add to it, and that gentle structure can feel supportive rather than demanding.

SimplyKyra helps you cut through the noise with thoughtful tools and cozy updates designed to fit naturally into everyday life

---

## How I Got Here

I started this site back in 2017 as a creative outlet while raising my kids. At the time, I shared everything from toddler crafts and sewing projects to personal experiments and reflections. Over the years, my focus slowly shifted from sewing and digital art, to tech tinkering, and now to building indie apps for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

That journey still shapes how I work today. I care deeply about kindness over pressure, simplicity over complexity, and creating tools that meet people where they are.

---

## What You’ll Find Here

Today, SimplyKyra is home to:

- Calm, purpose-built Apple apps
- Behind-the-scenes stories and reflections
- Gentle productivity ideas
- Ongoing blog posts alongside archives from my earlier creative days, [which I’ve kept live (and occasionally update)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/), because they’re still part of the story

---

[👉 Explore My Apps](https://www.simplykyra.com/myapplications/)

---

## Let’s Connect

If you’d like to reach out, you can email me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=From%20the%20About%20Page), leave a comment on any post, or find me on social (links in the footer).

I’m really glad you’re here.
### Recent Posts by Topic
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/categoryrecent/
Last updated: 2024-04-22T20:10:31.000Z
Here are all my blog posts organized by topic. My main ones ([Craftiness](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/craftiness), [Food & Dessert](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/food-and-dessert), [Sewing](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/sewing), [Science & Sensory Play](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/science-and-sensory-play), and [Technology](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/technology)) are shown first followed by the miscellaneous ones.

Enjoy!
### Hi, I’m Kyra.
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/social-links/
Last updated: 2026-03-09T16:41:14.000Z
If your brain keeps asking *when did I last…*?  
you’re in the right place.

![My Image looking down with trees behind me.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/04/compressed_IMG_6057.jpeg)

I build calm, flexible tools to help you remember what matters… without turning your life into a productivity system.

Everything you need is below.

---

## ⭐ Start Here

New to Simply Remember It?  
Start with the app free (8 events included).  
Or explore the Gentle Productivity system below.

### 🌊 **Simply Remember It**

**Track what matters. Forget less.** 
**Use it in whatever way fits your life right now.**

A softly structured place to store what matters, without guilt, chaos, or nagging. Built for real humans with real lives.

[⬇️ Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

Learn more [about *Simply Remember It* here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/). 

### 🌱Gentle Productivity System

[Why I Stopped Setting Resolutions and Started Doing Check-InsI didn’t need a better resolution. I needed a gentler way of staying connected to my life as it is. This is how I stopped tracking performance and started checking in instead.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-100.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Why-I-Stopped-Setting-Resolutions-and-Started-Doing-Check-Ins---Screenshot---Image---cover-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/why-i-stopped-setting-resolutions-and-started-doing-check-ins/)

[Things I Track That Don’t Belong on a To-Do ListNot everything in life belongs on a to-do list. Memory Parking Lot is a calm way to track what matters without habits, pressure, or constant reminders.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-101.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Things-I-Track-That-Don---t-Belong-on-a-To-Do-List---Screenshot---Image---cover.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/things-i-track-that-dont-belong-on-a-to-do-list/)

[Gentle Habit Support: How Habits Actually Take RootGentle Habit Support is a low-pressure way to build habits without guilt, streaks, or long-term tracking... and stop when support is no longer needed.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-103.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Gentle_Habit_Support---Screenshot---Image---cover-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/gentle-habit-support-how-habits-actually-take-root/)

[Friction Mapping: A Kinder Way to Understand Why Things Feel HardWhen everyday things feel harder than they should, it’s easy to assume we’re failing. But sometimes what looks like inconsistency is really just life pushing back. This is about noticing that difference.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-107.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_FrictionMapping---Screenshot---Image---cover.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/friction-mapping-a-kinder-way-to-understand-why-things-feel-hard/)

---

## 🖌️ Simply Customize It

### For reMarkable Users

Create stunning templates and pages for your Remarkable without code or complexity. Loved by thousands of calm-planners and digital journalers.

[⬇️ Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

Learn more [about *Simply Customize It* here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/). 

---

## 💌 Subscribe for Gentle Updates

Want early access to updates (like the Simply Remember It widget)? I send calm, kind emails when there’s something worth sharing.

[Subscribe for Emails](https://www.simplykyra.com/social-links/#/portal/signup/free)

---

## 📚Start Here: Favorite Blog Posts

[Start Here: My Favorite Posts to Explore, Create, and SimplifyNew here? This is your curated guide to SimplyKyra... whether you’re looking for DIY creativity, calm tech tips, real-life parenting hacks, or apps to make life simpler, it all starts here.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-60.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Image---Welcome-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/start-here/)

[Why I Build: From Personal Projects to Purposeful AppsOver the years, this space has shifted from tutorials and personal reflections to something more focused: building thoughtful, privacy-respecting apps under SimplyKyra LLC. I’m not just sharing ideas anymore... I’m designing calm, useful tools for real life. Here’s why.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-61.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Image---Why-I-Build-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/why-i-build/)

[Check out all the posts!](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/)

### 📝 Read about how to be prepared.

[Check it out.](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/a-calm-non-technical-guide-to-using-iphone-shortcuts-and-built-in-tools-for-preparedness-learn-what-works-reliably-what-can-fail-and-how-to-set-things-up-ahead-of-time-without-panic-or/)

---

## 🌿 Pause: Nature Reels

A short series of slow moments in nature: herons, wind, waves, and quiet breathers.

[See the playlist here!](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Axm89u3yOvJd%5FL8DZ93PevW8B6xTIZP&si=B-bzaz%5FcZG6XoCw0&ref=simplykyra.com)

I film them to slow down my own thoughts. Maybe they’ll help you too.

---

## ☕ Calm Things, Shared Gently

A quiet collection of tools I use in my own life.

[See My Favorite Calm Tools](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/calm-tools-things-i-actually-use/)

---

## 💕 **Want to Support?**

Like my work? Buy me a tea or leave a tip... it helps me keep building softly.

[💕 Buy me a coffee or tea! 💕](https://buy.stripe.com/bIY9EEaPE0ma4A84gg?ref=simplykyra.com)

## **🔗 Socials** 

[](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps?ref=simplykyra.com) [](https://github.com/SimplyKyra?ref=simplykyra.com) [](https://www.pinterest.com/simplykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com) [](https://www.youtube.com/@SimplyKyraApps?ref=simplykyra.com) [](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) [](https://x.com/SimplyKyraApps?ref=simplykyra.com) 

---

Hope you're having a great day!
### Topic Tagcloud
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/tagcloud/
Last updated: 2024-04-22T20:10:10.000Z
I had to include a tag cloud to browse throught all the topics listed on this site.
### Category Slideshow
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/categoryslideshow/
Last updated: 2024-04-22T20:10:23.000Z
All the posts are categorized under these five main headings: 

- [Craftiness](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/craftiness)
- [Food & Dessert](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/food-and-dessert)
- [Sewing](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/sewing)
- [Science & Sensory Play](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/science-and-sensory-play)
- [Technology](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/technology)

Here you can click through them in order of publication date.
### Simply Customize It! Mobile App Privacy Policy
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it-privacy-policy/
Last updated: 2026-06-03T23:14:52.000Z
Last modified: June 3rd, 2026

## Introduction

SimplyKyra LLC ("**Company**" or "**We**") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it through our compliance with this policy. This policy describes: 

- The types of information we may collect or that you may provide when you purchase, download, install, register with, access, or use the Simply Customize It App (the "**App**").
- Our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information.

This policy applies only to information we collect in this App, and in email, text, and other electronic communications sent through or in connection with this App.

This policy DOES NOT apply to information that:

- We collect offline or on any other Company apps or websites, including websites you may access through this App.
- You provide to or is collected by any third party (see [Third-Party Information Collection](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it-privacy-policy/#third-party-information-collection)).

Our websites and apps, and these other third parties may have their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to read before providing information on or through them.

Please read this policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your information and how we will treat it. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, do not download, register with, or use this App. By downloading, registering with, or using this App, you agree to this privacy policy. This policy may change from time to time (see [Changes to Our Privacy Policy](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it-privacy-policy/#changes-to-our-privacy-policy)). Your continued use of this App after we revise this policy means you accept those changes, so please check the policy periodically for updates. 

## Children Under the Age of 16

The App is not intended for children under 16 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16\. If we learn we have collected or received personal information from a child under 16 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child under 16, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy).

## Information We Collect and How We Collect It

We collect information from and about users of our App:

- Directly from you when you provide it to us.
- Automatically when you use the App.
- From you when you contact the Company via email or other means.

### *Information You Provide to Us*

When you download, register with, or use this App, we may ask you provide information:

- By which you may be personally identified, such as name, postal address, email address, telephone number, or any other identifier by which you may be contacted online or offline("**personal information**").
- That is about you but individually does not identify you, such as connection values for reMarkable.

This information includes: 

- Information that you provide by filling in forms in the App. This includes information provided at the time of registering to use the App and subscribing to our service. We may also ask you for information when you report a problem with the App.
- Records and copies of your correspondence (including email addresses and phone numbers), if you contact us.
- Details of transactions you carry out through the App and of the fulfillment of your orders. You may be required to provide financial information before placing an order through the App.

### *Information We Collect Through Automatic Data Collection Technologies* 

When you download, access, and use the App, it may use technology to automatically collect:

- **Device Information.** We may collect information about your mobile device and internet connection, including the device's unique device identifier, IP address, operating system, browser type, mobile network information, and the device's telephone number.
- **Location Information.** This App does not collect real-time information about the location of your device.

If you do not want us to collect this information do not download the App or delete it from your device. For more information, see [Your Choices About Our Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Your Information](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it-privacy-policy/#your-choices-about-our-collection-use-and-disclosure-of-your-information).

The technologies we use for automatic information collection may include:

- **Cookies (or mobile cookies).** A cookie is a small file placed on your smartphone. It may be possible to refuse to accept mobile cookies by activating the appropriate setting on your smartphone. However, if you select this setting you may be unable to access certain parts of our App.

### *Third-Party Information Collection*

When you use the App or its content, certain third parties may use automatic information collection technologies to collect information about you or your device. These third parties may include: 

- Apple Inc., Apple Subscriptions, Apple App Store, Apple iCloud and Apple CloudKit
- Your mobile device manufacturer.
- Your mobile service provider.
- reMarkable

These third parties may use tracking technologies to collect information about you when you use this app. The information they collect may be associated with your personal information or they may collect information, including personal information, about your online activities over time and across different websites, apps, and other online services websites. They may use this information to provide you with interest-based (behavioral) advertising or other targeted content. 

We do not control these third parties' tracking technologies or how they may be used. If you have any questions about an advertisement or other targeted content, you should contact the responsible provider directly.

## How We Use Your Information

We use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any personal information, to:

- Provide you with the App and its contents, and any other information, products, or services that you request from us.
- Fulfill any other purpose for which you provide it.
- Give you notices about your subscription, including expiration and renewal notices.
- Carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including for billing and collection.
- Notify you when App updates are available, and of changes to any products or services we offer or provide though it.
- Share newsletters from time to time.

The usage information we collect helps us to improve our App and to deliver a better and more personalized experience by enabling us to:

- Recognize you when you use the App.

## Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose aggregated information about our users, and information that does not identify any individual, without restriction. 

In addition, we may disclose personal information that we collect or you provide:

- To our subsidiaries and affiliates.
- To contractors, service providers, and other third parties we use to support our business.
- To a buyer or other successor in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of the Company’s assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which personal information held by the Company about our App users is among the assets transferred.
- To fulfill the purpose for which you provide it.
- For any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information.
- With your consent.
- To comply with any court order, law, or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request.
- To enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including the [Terms of Use](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it-terms-and-conditions/), and for billing and collection.
- If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of the Company, our customers, or others.

## Your Choices About Our Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Your Information

We strive to provide you with choices regarding the personal information you provide to us. This section describes mechanisms we provide for you to control certain uses and disclosures of over your information. 

- **Tracking Technologies.** You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable or refuse cookies or block the use of other tracking technologies, some parts of the App may then be inaccessible or not function properly.

## Accessing and Correcting Your Personal Information

You can review and change your personal information or connection values by logging into the App and visiting your account profile page.

You may also send us an email at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy) to request access to, correct, or delete any personal information that you have provided to us. We cannot delete your personal information except by also deleting your user account. We may not accommodate a request to change information if we believe the change would violate any law or legal requirement or cause the information to be incorrect.

Residents in certain states, such as California, may have additional personal information rights and choices. Please see [California State Privacy Rights](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it-privacy-policy/#california-state-privacy-rights) for more information.

## California State Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have specific rights regarding your personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). These rights include the ability to request more detailed information about how your personal information is shared with third parties for direct marketing purposes. Moreover, you have the right to control with whom we can and cannot share your personal information for these purposes. SimplyKyra LLC does not share your personal information with third parties for direct marketing purposes without your consent. If you wish to exercise any of your rights under the CCPA, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy). This includes your right to access the specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you and to request the deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions prescribed by law.

## GDPR Privacy Rights

If you are located in the European Union, you have certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regarding your personal data. These rights include:

1. Right to Access: You have the right to request access to your personal data that we hold.
2. Right to Rectification: You have the right to request correction of any inaccurate personal data.
3. Right to Erasure: You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data, subject to certain conditions.
4. Right to Restriction of Processing: You have the right to request restriction of processing your personal data under certain circumstances.
5. Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to transmit that data to another controller.
6. Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in certain situations, including for direct marketing purposes.
7. Right to Withdraw Consent: Where the processing of your personal data is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy). We will respond to your request within one month. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe that our processing of your personal data infringes upon your rights under the GDPR.

## Other State-Specific Privacy Rights

This App recognizes and will comply with all state-specific privacy laws that provide residents with privacy rights in addition to those outlined in this privacy policy. This includes, but is not limited to, the right to access personal information, the right to delete personal information, the right to opt out of the sale of personal information, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights under applicable state laws.

Residents of states with such privacy laws may exercise their rights in accordance with the specific procedures and limitations set forth by their state's law. To make such a request, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy), and include the state in which you reside so that we can respond accordingly with the specific rights and options available to you.

SimplyKyra LLC is committed to respecting the privacy and legal rights of all users, and we endeavor to comply with state-specific requirements where applicable. We encourage users to review the privacy policy periodically for updates regarding state-specific privacy rights.

## Data Security

We have implemented measures designed to secure your personal information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. 

The safety and security of your information also depends on you. Where we have given you (or where you have chosen) to provide passwords for access to certain parts of our App, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We ask you not to share your password with anyone. 

Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet and mobile platforms is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information transmitted through our App. Any transmission of personal information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures we provide.

## Changes to Our Privacy Policy

We may update our privacy policy from time to time. If we make material changes to how we treat our users' personal information, we will notify you by email to the email address specified in your account or through a notice on the Website home page.

The date the privacy policy was last revised is identified at the top of the page. You are responsible for ensuring we have an up-to-date active and deliverable email address for you and for periodically visiting this privacy policy to check for any changes.

## Contact Information

To ask questions or comment about this privacy policy and our privacy practices, contact us at: 

[mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy)

Phone: (360) 515-8767
### Simply Customize It! Terms of Use Agreement
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it-terms-and-conditions/
Last updated: 2024-08-30T16:15:17.000Z
This Terms of Use Agreement (**"Agreement"**) is a binding agreement between you (**"End User"** or **"you"**) and SimplyKyra LLC (**"Company"**). This Agreement governs your use of the Simply Customize It App (including all related documentation, the **"Application"**). The Application is licensed, not sold, to you.

BY INSTALLING THE APPLICATION YOU (A) ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS AGREEMENT; (B) REPRESENT THAT YOU ARE 16 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AND HAVE THE LEGAL CAPACITY TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT; AND (C) ACCEPT THIS AGREEMENT AND AGREE THAT YOU ARE LEGALLY BOUND BY ITS TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS, DO NOT DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION AND DELETE IT FROM YOUR MOBILE DEVICE.

1. Acceptable Use. You agree to use the Application solely for lawful purposes as intended through the provided functionality of the Application. You agree to use the Application only in compliance with this Agreement, and all local, state, national, and international laws, rules, and regulations.
2. Prohibited Conduct. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you agree not to:
  1. Use the Application in any manner that could interfere with, disrupt, negatively affect, or inhibit other users from fully enjoying the Application, or that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair the functioning of the Application in any manner;
  2. Compromise the security of the Application or attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Application, user accounts, system resources, or networks connected to the Application through hacking, password mining, or any other means;
  3. Use the Application for any illegal or unauthorized purpose, or engage in, encourage, or promote any activity that violates this Agreement;
  4. Modify, adapt, hack, or emulate the Application;
  5. Circumvent or attempt to circumvent any filtering, security measures, or other features designed to protect the Application or third-parties;
  6. Infringe upon or violate the rights of the Company, our users, or any third party;
  7. Upload, transmit, or distribute to or through the Application any viruses, worms, malicious code, or any software intended to damage or alter a computer system or data;
  8. Use the Application to harvest, collect, gather or assemble information or data regarding other users, including e-mail addresses, without their consent;
  9. Use the Application for any commercial solicitation purposes, spamming, or sending unsolicited emails;
  10. Impersonate another person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity;
  11. Bypass or ignore instructions that control all automated access to the Application;
  12. Use the Application to send, upload, download, use, or re-use any material which does not comply with the standards set out in this Agreement.

Violation of any of the foregoing may result in immediate termination of this Agreement and may subject you to state and federal penalties and other legal consequences. The Company reserves the right, but is not obligated, to investigate any violation of this Agreement or misuse of the Application. The Company may at its sole discretion remove, disable access to, or modify any content or resource that violates these provisions or any other provision of this Agreement

3. License Grant. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, Company grants you a limited, non-exclusive, and nontransferable license to:
  1. download, install, and use the Application for your personal, non-commercial use on a device(s) owned or otherwise controlled by you ("Mobile Device") strictly in accordance with the Application's documentation.
4. License Restrictions. Except as may be expressly permitted by applicable law or expressly authorized by the Application, you shall not:
  1. copy the Application, except as expressly permitted by this license;
  2. modify, translate, adapt, or otherwise create derivative works or improvements, whether or not patentable, of the Application;
  3. reverse engineer, disassemble, decompile, decode, or otherwise attempt to derive or gain access to the source code of the Application or any part thereof;
  4. remove, delete, alter, or obscure any trademarks or any copyright, trademark, patent, or other intellectual property or proprietary rights notices from the Application, including any copy thereof;
  5. rent, lease, lend, sell, sublicense, assign, distribute, publish, transfer, or otherwise make available the Application, or any features or functionality of the Application, to any third party for any reason, including by making the Application available on a network where it is capable of being accessed by more than one device at any time;
  6. use any robot, spider, or other automatic device, process, or means to access the Application for any purpose, including monitoring or copying any of the material on the Application;
  7. use any manual process to monitor or copy any of the material on the Application, or for any other purpose not expressly authorized in this Agreement, without Company's prior written consent;
  8. frame, mirror, or otherwise incorporate the Application or any portion of the Application as part of any other mobile application, website, or service;
  9. use the Application in any manner that could disable, overburden, damage, or impair the Application or interfere with any other party's use of the Application; or
  10. remove, disable, circumvent, or otherwise create or implement any workaround to any copy protection, rights management, or security features in or protecting the Application.
5. Reservation of Rights. You acknowledge and agree that the Application is provided under license, and not sold, to you. You do not acquire any ownership interest in the Application under this Agreement, or any other rights thereto other than to use the Application in accordance with the license granted, and subject to all terms, conditions, and restrictions, under this Agreement. Company and its licensors and service providers reserve and shall retain their entire right, title, and interest in and to the Application, including all copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights therein or relating thereto, except as expressly granted to you in this Agreement.
6. Collection and Use of Your Information. You acknowledge that when you download, install, or use the Application, Company may use automatic means (including, for example, cookies and web beacons) to collect information about your Mobile Device and about your use of the Application. You also may be required to provide certain information about yourself as a condition to downloading, installing, or using the Application or certain of its features or functionality. All information we collect through or in connection with this Application is subject to our [Privacy Policy.](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it-privacy-policy/). By downloading, installing, using, and providing information to or through this Application, you consent to all actions taken by us with respect to your information in compliance with the Privacy Policy.
7. Intellectual Property Rights. The Company retains all right, title, and interest in and to the Application, including all copyrights, trademarks, service marks, patents, trade secrets, and other intellectual property rights therein, notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary. The use of the Application by you does not grant you any ownership over any of the content or intellectual property therein except as expressly stated in this Agreement. The Company grants you a limited, revocable, non-transferable, and non-exclusive license to use the Application strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. You acknowledge and agree that the Application, including all associated intellectual property rights, is the exclusive property of the Company and its licensors. Except for the license granted under this Agreement, all rights not expressly granted to you are reserved by the Company and its licensors. You shall not use, copy, adapt, modify, prepare derivative works from, distribute, license, sell, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform, transmit, broadcast, or otherwise exploit the Application or any part thereof, except as expressly permitted in this Agreement or as enabled by a feature or service provided by the Company within the Application. Any unauthorized use of the Company's intellectual property rights is a violation of this Agreement as well as a violation of intellectual property laws and treaties.
8. Updates to the Application Content. The Company may from time to time update the content within the Application, but it is not obligated to keep the content current or to reflect the most current information available. Consequently, any content within the Application may at any time be out of date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any content in the Application, and it is the End User's responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, opinion, advice, or other content available through the Application.
9. Updates. Company may from time to time in its sole discretion develop and provide Application updates, which may include upgrades, bug fixes, patches, other error corrections, and/or new features (collectively, including related documentation, **"Updates"**). Updates may also modify or delete in their entirety certain features and functionality. You agree that Company has no obligation to provide any Updates or to continue to provide or enable any particular features or functionality. Based on your Mobile Device settings, when your Mobile Device is connected to the internet either:
  1. the Application will automatically download and install all available Updates; or
  2. you may receive notice of or be prompted to download and install available Updates.

You shall promptly download and install all Updates and acknowledge and agree that the Application or portions thereof may not properly operate should you fail to do so. You further agree that all Updates will be deemed part of the Application and be subject to all terms and conditions of this Agreement.

10. Third-Party Materials. The Application may display, include, or make available third-party content (including data, information, applications, and other products, services, and/or materials) or provide links to third-party websites or services, including through third-party advertising ("Third-Party Materials"). You acknowledge and agree that Company is not responsible for Third-Party Materials, including their accuracy, completeness, timeliness, validity, copyright compliance, legality, decency, quality, or any other aspect thereof. Company does not assume and will not have any liability or responsibility to you or any other person or entity for any Third-Party Materials. Third-Party Materials and links thereto are provided solely as a convenience to you, and you access and use them entirely at your own risk and subject to such third parties' terms and conditions.
11. Payment Terms. You agree that the Company offers its services, including the Application, through subscription-based payments facilitated via the Apple App Store. All payments for the use of the Application, including but not limited to subscription fees, shall be processed through Apple Inc. ("Apple") or any other third-party payment processor utilized by Company from time to time. By subscribing to the Application, you are agreeing to be bound by the payment terms and conditions of Apple or such third-party payment processor as may be applicable. You acknowledge and agree that Company is not responsible for the processing of payments and shall not be liable for any issues arising from payment transactions, including but not limited to transaction errors, payment failures, or unauthorized charges. It is your responsibility to review and understand the payment terms and conditions of Apple or the applicable third-party payment processor prior to engaging in any transactions. The Company reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Application, including any subscription offerings, at any time, with or without notice to you, and Company shall not be liable to you or any third party should it exercise such rights.
12. Term and Termination.
  1. The term of Agreement commences when you download the Application and will continue in effect until terminated by you or Company as set forth in this Section 9.
  2. You may terminate this Agreement by deleting the Application and all copies thereof from your Mobile Device.
  3. Company may terminate this Agreement at any time without notice if it ceases to support the Application, which Company may do in its sole discretion. In addition, this Agreement will terminate immediately and automatically without any notice if you violate any of the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
  4. Upon termination:
    1. all rights granted to you under this Agreement will also terminate; and
    2. you must cease all use of the Application and delete all copies of the Application from your Mobile Device and account.
  5. Termination will not limit any of Company's rights or remedies at law or in equity.
13. Disclaimer of Warranties. THE APPLICATION IS PROVIDED TO END USER "AS IS" AND WITH ALL FAULTS AND DEFECTS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, COMPANY, ON ITS OWN BEHALF AND ON BEHALF OF ITS AFFILIATES AND ITS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE LICENSORS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND WARRANTIES THAT MAY ARISE OUT OF COURSE OF DEALING, COURSE OF PERFORMANCE, USAGE, OR TRADE PRACTICE. WITHOUT LIMITATION TO THE FOREGOING, COMPANY PROVIDES NO WARRANTY OR UNDERTAKING, AND MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OF ANY KIND THAT THE APPLICATION WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, ACHIEVE ANY INTENDED RESULTS, BE COMPATIBLE, OR WORK WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE, APPLICATIONS, SYSTEMS, OR SERVICES, OPERATE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION, MEET ANY PERFORMANCE OR RELIABILITY STANDARDS, OR BE ERROR-FREE, OR THAT ANY ERRORS OR DEFECTS CAN OR WILL BE CORRECTED.

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF OR LIMITATIONS ON IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR THE LIMITATIONS ON THE APPLICABLE STATUTORY RIGHTS OF A CONSUMER, SO SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

14. Limitation of Liability. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL COMPANY OR ITS AFFILIATES, OR ANY OF ITS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE LICENSORS OR SERVICE PROVIDERS, HAVE ANY LIABILITY ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE APPLICATION OR THE CONTENT AND SERVICES FOR:
  1. PERSONAL INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE, LOST PROFITS, COST OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES, LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF GOODWILL, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, COMPUTER FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION, OR ANY OTHER CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, EXEMPLARY, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES.
  2. DIRECT DAMAGES IN AMOUNTS THAT IN THE AGGREGATE EXCEED THE AMOUNT ACTUALLY PAID BY YOU FOR THE APPLICATION.

THE FOREGOING LIMITATIONS WILL APPLY WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES ARISE OUT OF BREACH OF CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), OR OTHERWISE AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES WERE FORESEEABLE OR COMPANY WAS ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY SO SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

15. Indemnification. You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Company and its officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates, successors, and assigns from and against any and all losses, damages, liabilities, deficiencies, claims, actions, judgments, settlements, interest, awards, penalties, fines, costs, or expenses of whatever kind, including attorneys' fees, arising from or relating to your use or misuse of the Application or your breach of this Agreement, including but not limited to the content you submit or make available through this Application.
16. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is illegal or unenforceable under applicable law, the remainder of the provision will be amended to achieve as closely as possible the effect of the original term and all other provisions of this Agreement will continue in full force and effect.
17. Governing Law. This Agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Washington without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule. Any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of or related to this Agreement or the Application shall be instituted exclusively in the federal courts of the United States or the courts of the State of Washington. You waive any and all objections to the exercise of jurisdiction over you by such courts and to venue in such courts.
18. Limitation of Time to File Claims. ANY CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM YOU MAY HAVE ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE APPLICATION MUST BE COMMENCED WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE CAUSE OF ACTION ACCRUES OTHERWISE SUCH CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM IS PERMANENTLY BARRED.
19. Entire Agreement. This Agreement and our Privacy Policy constitute the entire agreement between you and Company with respect to the Application and supersede all prior or contemporaneous understandings and agreements, whether written or oral, with respect to the Application.
20. Waiver. No failure to exercise, and no delay in exercising, on the part of either party, any right or any power hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right or power hereunder preclude further exercise of that or any other right hereunder. In the event of a conflict between this Agreement and any applicable purchase or other terms, the terms of this Agreement shall govern.

Should you have any comments, questions, or concerns regarding this Agreement or the Application, please feel free to contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It!%20Terms%20of%20Use%20Agreement). We are committed to addressing your inquiries and strive to provide you with a satisfactory resolution. Your feedback is important to us, and we welcome your input on how we can improve our services and this Application
### Welcome to my little piece of the internet!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/homeblog/
Last updated: 2026-03-16T17:09:24.000Z
I’m Kyra, an indie Apple developer that loves simplifying processes and sharing it with you either through blog posts or with apps.

[👉 Explore My Apps](https://www.simplykyra.com/myapplications/)

This blog started in 2017 with everyday tips, crafts, and family life. Those posts are still here, but today you’ll mostly find behind-the-scenes app stories and reflections from my journey.

[💕 Buy me a coffee or tea! 💕](#/portal/support)
### Simply Customize It!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/
Last updated: 2026-07-30T13:57:54.000Z
**Simply Customize It** makes personalizing your reMarkable easy, safe, and terminal-free. 

Your device, your way! No SSH required.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/Copy-of-Simply-Customize-It--Headline.png)

Calm Tech for real life.

> Make Your reMarkable Work *Your* Way

Customize templates and screens with ease! Designed by a fellow reMarkable user to simplify what used to be a hassle. Theres no `SSH` and no coding required!

💡

****Ready to make your reMarkable feel like yours?** [Download now](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)!

Available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

[![Simply Customize It - Customize your reMarkable without the technical stress | Product Hunt](https://api.producthunt.com/widgets/embed-image/v1/featured.svg?post_id=1049977&theme=neutral&t=1765820724127)](https://www.producthunt.com/products/simply-customize-it?embed=true&utm%5Fsource=badge-featured&utm%5Fmedium=badge&utm%5Fsource=badge-simply-customize-it)

---

## Why I Built This

> Swapping out the default sleep screen was my first experiment. That led to custom templates, blog posts, answering community questions — and eventually realizing the process was just too complicated for something that should feel simple.  
>  
> Simply Customize It is the app I needed but couldn't find: one place to upload templates, set your sleep screen, and recover your entire setup after a firmware update — without ever opening a terminal.  
>  
> *I built it for myself. It turned out a lot of reMarkable users needed it too.*

[How a Sleep Screen Sparked an App: The Story Behind Simply Customize ItWhat started as a curiosity about changing my reMarkable’s sleep screen led to a rabbit hole of templates, blog posts, bash scripts, and eventually a full app. Here’s how Simply Customize It came to be... and why I’m still building it today.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-99.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/image.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-a-sleep-screen-sparked-an-app-the-story-behind-simply-customize-it/)

Here’s how Simply Customize It came to be... and why I’m still building it today.

> — Kyra*, indie developer & SimplyKyra LLC* 💕

---

## What Can I Do?

📥 

### Import & Manage Templates

Add PNG, SVG, or .template files without resizing, reformatting, or worrying about file paths. Simply Customize It stores everything safely so your work is never lost.

🖼️ 

### Custom Sleep Screens

Upload your own image as your reMarkable's sleep screen. Preview it before it goes on the device — no guessing, no surprises.

🔄 

### Survive Firmware Updates

reMarkable wipes custom templates with every firmware update. Simply Customize It stores your full setup re-syncing after an update takes seconds, not an afternoon.

📡 

### Wi-Fi or USB? Your Choice

Connect over your local network or via cable. Either way, one tap syncs everything to your device. Note: If WLAN is turned off you will need to connect with a cable but there's a button, once connected, to turn it on.

📱 

### Manage Multiple Devices

Have more than one reMarkable? Add each one and switch between them easily from the same app.

✅ 

### No SSH, No Terminal

The technical side (SSH connections, file paths, JSON registries) is handled completely. You just tap and it works.

---

## Use It For...

🗓️ 

### Designing Your Perfect Planner

Build a layout that fits your brain (weekly spreads, daily pages, habit trackers) and upload it in a few taps.

🌿 

### A Calming Sleep Screen

Replace the default screen with a photo that makes you smile every time you pick up your device.

🏥 

### Medical & Professional Templates

Nurses, therapists, researchers... anyone who takes structured notes benefits from custom page layouts built around their workflow.

📚 

### Homeschool & Study Setups

Create a distraction-free workspace with templates designed around the way you actually learn or teach.

🎨 

### Making It Feel Like Yours

Your reMarkable is a device you use every day. It should feel personal and not like it just came out of a box.

🔧 

### Recovering After Every Update

No more spending an afternoon rebuilding your setup. Simply Customize It remembers everything so you don't have to start over.

---

## Private by Design

**Your data stays yours.**

Simply Customize It uses your iCloud account to store your templates, screens, and connection details for secure syncing across Apple devices. No external servers. No analytics. No third-party tracking of any kind.   
  
Your customizations are yours.

---

## Plans

**Free to check. Unlock sections when you're ready.**

### Free

Get started, no commitment

---

- ✓ Add and manage devices
- ✓ Test your SSH connection
- ✓ Access onboarding
- ✓ Manage user profiles
- ✓ Unlimited devices

### All Access

Templates and screens. Monthly or yearly

---

- ✓ Everything in Free
- ✓ Upload and manage templates
- ✓ Custom sleep screens and groups of screens
- ✓ One click firmware update recovery
- ✓ Free trial. Yearly plan includes one free month.

### Just One Scetion

Templates-only OR Screens-only

---

- ✓ Everything in Free
- ✓ Choose the section that fits your workflow
- ✓ Upgrade to All Access anytime

Pricing shown in the App Store in your local currency · Prices may change; tiers won't. · Free trial available · [Full plan details in the FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-faqs/) · [Privacy Policy](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it-privacy-policy/) · [Terms of Use](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it-terms-and-conditions/)

[Available on the App Store for both macOS and iOS!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

## What People Are Saying

### 📱App Store Reviews for iOS

These reviews show up in the App Store in iOS:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/IMG_2628.PNG)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/IMG_2629.PNG)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/IMG_2630.PNG)

### 💻 macOS Feedback

I reached out to Apple and learned that macOS reviews need to reach a certain (unspecified) threshold before they appear publicly in the App Store.

That said, in the interest of full transparency, here are the reviews I’ve received for the Mac version of *Simply Customize It*, as seen in App Store Connect:

![Screenshot showing two five star reviews and two one star reviews. All with a reply.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/IMG_2631.PNG)

---

## Take a Peek Inside

I put together some quick videos to show how *Simply Customize It* works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac... plus a few short reels to highlight specific features.

[Click here for YouTube playlist.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijH8VIqm4Bk&list=PL0Axm89u3yOvjmdZp902O%5FldDeji8ez9y&ref=simplykyra.com)

Have a question or want to see a feature covered in a future video? [Let me know!](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It%20Video%20Request)

## Want More?

You can find all of [my reMarkable-related posts here](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/remarkable/).

---

### Ready to make your reMarkable feel like yours?

No SSH. No terminal. No guessing. Just a calm, simple tool built by a fellow reMarkable user... for all of us.

[Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com) 

[💬 FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-faqs/) [🛠️ Version history](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-changelog/) [✉️ Contact me](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It) [❤️ Email update](#/portal/signup)
### Simply Command It! Terms of Use Agreement
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-command-it-terms-and-conditions/
Last updated: 2024-08-30T16:15:57.000Z
This Terms of Use Agreement (**"Agreement"**) is a binding agreement between you (**"End User"** or **"you"**) and SimplyKyra LLC (**"Company"**). This Agreement governs your use of the Simply Command It App (including all related documentation, the **"Application"**). The Application is licensed, not sold, to you.

BY INSTALLING THE APPLICATION YOU (A) ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS AGREEMENT; (B) REPRESENT THAT YOU ARE 16 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AND HAVE THE LEGAL CAPACITY TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT; AND (C) ACCEPT THIS AGREEMENT AND AGREE THAT YOU ARE LEGALLY BOUND BY ITS TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS, DO NOT DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION AND DELETE IT FROM YOUR MOBILE DEVICE.

1. Acceptable Use. You agree to use the Application solely for lawful purposes as intended through the provided functionality of the Application. You agree to use the Application only in compliance with this Agreement, and all local, state, national, and international laws, rules, and regulations.
2. Prohibited Conduct. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you agree not to:
  1. Use the Application in any manner that could interfere with, disrupt, negatively affect, or inhibit other users from fully enjoying the Application, or that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair the functioning of the Application in any manner;
  2. Compromise the security of the Application or attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Application, user accounts, system resources, or networks connected to the Application through hacking, password mining, or any other means;
  3. Use the Application for any illegal or unauthorized purpose, or engage in, encourage, or promote any activity that violates this Agreement;
  4. Modify, adapt, hack, or emulate the Application;
  5. Circumvent or attempt to circumvent any filtering, security measures, or other features designed to protect the Application or third-parties;
  6. Infringe upon or violate the rights of the Company, our users, or any third party;
  7. Upload, transmit, or distribute to or through the Application any viruses, worms, malicious code, or any software intended to damage or alter a computer system or data;
  8. Use the Application to harvest, collect, gather or assemble information or data regarding other users, including e-mail addresses, without their consent;
  9. Use the Application for any commercial solicitation purposes, spamming, or sending unsolicited emails;
  10. Impersonate another person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity;
  11. Bypass or ignore instructions that control all automated access to the Application;
  12. Use the Application to send, upload, download, use, or re-use any material which does not comply with the standards set out in this Agreement.

Violation of any of the foregoing may result in immediate termination of this Agreement and may subject you to state and federal penalties and other legal consequences. The Company reserves the right, but is not obligated, to investigate any violation of this Agreement or misuse of the Application. The Company may at its sole discretion remove, disable access to, or modify any content or resource that violates these provisions or any other provision of this Agreement

3. License Grant. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, Company grants you a limited, non-exclusive, and nontransferable license to:
  1. download, install, and use the Application for your personal, non-commercial use on a device(s) owned or otherwise controlled by you ("Mobile Device") strictly in accordance with the Application's documentation.
4. License Restrictions. Except as may be expressly permitted by applicable law or expressly authorized by the Application, you shall not:
  1. copy the Application, except as expressly permitted by this license;
  2. modify, translate, adapt, or otherwise create derivative works or improvements, whether or not patentable, of the Application;
  3. reverse engineer, disassemble, decompile, decode, or otherwise attempt to derive or gain access to the source code of the Application or any part thereof;
  4. remove, delete, alter, or obscure any trademarks or any copyright, trademark, patent, or other intellectual property or proprietary rights notices from the Application, including any copy thereof;
  5. rent, lease, lend, sell, sublicense, assign, distribute, publish, transfer, or otherwise make available the Application, or any features or functionality of the Application, to any third party for any reason, including by making the Application available on a network where it is capable of being accessed by more than one device at any time;
  6. use any robot, spider, or other automatic device, process, or means to access the Application for any purpose, including monitoring or copying any of the material on the Application;
  7. use any manual process to monitor or copy any of the material on the Application, or for any other purpose not expressly authorized in this Agreement, without Company's prior written consent;
  8. frame, mirror, or otherwise incorporate the Application or any portion of the Application as part of any other mobile application, website, or service;
  9. use the Application in any manner that could disable, overburden, damage, or impair the Application or interfere with any other party's use of the Application; or
  10. remove, disable, circumvent, or otherwise create or implement any workaround to any copy protection, rights management, or security features in or protecting the Application.
5. Reservation of Rights. You acknowledge and agree that the Application is provided under license, and not sold, to you. You do not acquire any ownership interest in the Application under this Agreement, or any other rights thereto other than to use the Application in accordance with the license granted, and subject to all terms, conditions, and restrictions, under this Agreement. Company and its licensors and service providers reserve and shall retain their entire right, title, and interest in and to the Application, including all copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights therein or relating thereto, except as expressly granted to you in this Agreement.
6. Collection and Use of Your Information. You acknowledge that when you download, install, or use the Application, Company may use automatic means (including, for example, cookies and web beacons) to collect information about your Mobile Device and about your use of the Application. You also may be required to provide certain information about yourself as a condition to downloading, installing, or using the Application or certain of its features or functionality. All information we collect through or in connection with this Application is subject to our [Privacy Policy.](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-command-it-privacy-policy/). By downloading, installing, using, and providing information to or through this Application, you consent to all actions taken by us with respect to your information in compliance with the Privacy Policy.
7. Intellectual Property Rights. The Company retains all right, title, and interest in and to the Application, including all copyrights, trademarks, service marks, patents, trade secrets, and other intellectual property rights therein, notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary. The use of the Application by you does not grant you any ownership over any of the content or intellectual property therein except as expressly stated in this Agreement. The Company grants you a limited, revocable, non-transferable, and non-exclusive license to use the Application strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. You acknowledge and agree that the Application, including all associated intellectual property rights, is the exclusive property of the Company and its licensors. Except for the license granted under this Agreement, all rights not expressly granted to you are reserved by the Company and its licensors. You shall not use, copy, adapt, modify, prepare derivative works from, distribute, license, sell, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform, transmit, broadcast, or otherwise exploit the Application or any part thereof, except as expressly permitted in this Agreement or as enabled by a feature or service provided by the Company within the Application. Any unauthorized use of the Company's intellectual property rights is a violation of this Agreement as well as a violation of intellectual property laws and treaties.
8. Updates to the Application Content. The Company may from time to time update the content within the Application, but it is not obligated to keep the content current or to reflect the most current information available. Consequently, any content within the Application may at any time be out of date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any content in the Application, and it is the End User's responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, opinion, advice, or other content available through the Application.
9. Updates. Company may from time to time in its sole discretion develop and provide Application updates, which may include upgrades, bug fixes, patches, other error corrections, and/or new features (collectively, including related documentation, **"Updates"**). Updates may also modify or delete in their entirety certain features and functionality. You agree that Company has no obligation to provide any Updates or to continue to provide or enable any particular features or functionality. Based on your Mobile Device settings, when your Mobile Device is connected to the internet either:
  1. the Application will automatically download and install all available Updates; or
  2. you may receive notice of or be prompted to download and install available Updates.

You shall promptly download and install all Updates and acknowledge and agree that the Application or portions thereof may not properly operate should you fail to do so. You further agree that all Updates will be deemed part of the Application and be subject to all terms and conditions of this Agreement.

10. Third-Party Materials. The Application may display, include, or make available third-party content (including data, information, applications, and other products, services, and/or materials) or provide links to third-party websites or services, including through third-party advertising ("Third-Party Materials"). You acknowledge and agree that Company is not responsible for Third-Party Materials, including their accuracy, completeness, timeliness, validity, copyright compliance, legality, decency, quality, or any other aspect thereof. Company does not assume and will not have any liability or responsibility to you or any other person or entity for any Third-Party Materials. Third-Party Materials and links thereto are provided solely as a convenience to you, and you access and use them entirely at your own risk and subject to such third parties' terms and conditions.
11. Payment Terms. You agree that the Company offers its services, including the Application, through subscription-based payments facilitated via the Apple App Store. All payments for the use of the Application, including but not limited to subscription fees, shall be processed through Apple Inc. ("Apple") or any other third-party payment processor utilized by Company from time to time. By subscribing to the Application, you are agreeing to be bound by the payment terms and conditions of Apple or such third-party payment processor as may be applicable. You acknowledge and agree that Company is not responsible for the processing of payments and shall not be liable for any issues arising from payment transactions, including but not limited to transaction errors, payment failures, or unauthorized charges. It is your responsibility to review and understand the payment terms and conditions of Apple or the applicable third-party payment processor prior to engaging in any transactions. The Company reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Application, including any subscription offerings, at any time, with or without notice to you, and Company shall not be liable to you or any third party should it exercise such rights.
12. Term and Termination.
  1. The term of Agreement commences when you download the Application and will continue in effect until terminated by you or Company as set forth in this Section 9.
  2. You may terminate this Agreement by deleting the Application and all copies thereof from your Mobile Device.
  3. Company may terminate this Agreement at any time without notice if it ceases to support the Application, which Company may do in its sole discretion. In addition, this Agreement will terminate immediately and automatically without any notice if you violate any of the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
  4. Upon termination:
    1. all rights granted to you under this Agreement will also terminate; and
    2. you must cease all use of the Application and delete all copies of the Application from your Mobile Device and account.
  5. Termination will not limit any of Company's rights or remedies at law or in equity.
13. Disclaimer of Warranties. THE APPLICATION IS PROVIDED TO END USER "AS IS" AND WITH ALL FAULTS AND DEFECTS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, COMPANY, ON ITS OWN BEHALF AND ON BEHALF OF ITS AFFILIATES AND ITS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE LICENSORS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND WARRANTIES THAT MAY ARISE OUT OF COURSE OF DEALING, COURSE OF PERFORMANCE, USAGE, OR TRADE PRACTICE. WITHOUT LIMITATION TO THE FOREGOING, COMPANY PROVIDES NO WARRANTY OR UNDERTAKING, AND MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OF ANY KIND THAT THE APPLICATION WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, ACHIEVE ANY INTENDED RESULTS, BE COMPATIBLE, OR WORK WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE, APPLICATIONS, SYSTEMS, OR SERVICES, OPERATE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION, MEET ANY PERFORMANCE OR RELIABILITY STANDARDS, OR BE ERROR-FREE, OR THAT ANY ERRORS OR DEFECTS CAN OR WILL BE CORRECTED.

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF OR LIMITATIONS ON IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR THE LIMITATIONS ON THE APPLICABLE STATUTORY RIGHTS OF A CONSUMER, SO SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

14. Limitation of Liability. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL COMPANY OR ITS AFFILIATES, OR ANY OF ITS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE LICENSORS OR SERVICE PROVIDERS, HAVE ANY LIABILITY ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE APPLICATION OR THE CONTENT AND SERVICES FOR:
  1. PERSONAL INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE, LOST PROFITS, COST OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES, LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF GOODWILL, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, COMPUTER FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION, OR ANY OTHER CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, EXEMPLARY, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES.
  2. DIRECT DAMAGES IN AMOUNTS THAT IN THE AGGREGATE EXCEED THE AMOUNT ACTUALLY PAID BY YOU FOR THE APPLICATION.

THE FOREGOING LIMITATIONS WILL APPLY WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES ARISE OUT OF BREACH OF CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), OR OTHERWISE AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES WERE FORESEEABLE OR COMPANY WAS ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY SO SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

15. Indemnification. You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Company and its officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates, successors, and assigns from and against any and all losses, damages, liabilities, deficiencies, claims, actions, judgments, settlements, interest, awards, penalties, fines, costs, or expenses of whatever kind, including attorneys' fees, arising from or relating to your use or misuse of the Application or your breach of this Agreement, including but not limited to the content you submit or make available through this Application.
16. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is illegal or unenforceable under applicable law, the remainder of the provision will be amended to achieve as closely as possible the effect of the original term and all other provisions of this Agreement will continue in full force and effect.
17. Governing Law. This Agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Washington without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule. Any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of or related to this Agreement or the Application shall be instituted exclusively in the federal courts of the United States or the courts of the State of Washington. You waive any and all objections to the exercise of jurisdiction over you by such courts and to venue in such courts.
18. Limitation of Time to File Claims. ANY CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM YOU MAY HAVE ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE APPLICATION MUST BE COMMENCED WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE CAUSE OF ACTION ACCRUES OTHERWISE SUCH CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM IS PERMANENTLY BARRED.
19. Entire Agreement. This Agreement and our Privacy Policy constitute the entire agreement between you and Company with respect to the Application and supersede all prior or contemporaneous understandings and agreements, whether written or oral, with respect to the Application.
20. Waiver. No failure to exercise, and no delay in exercising, on the part of either party, any right or any power hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right or power hereunder preclude further exercise of that or any other right hereunder. In the event of a conflict between this Agreement and any applicable purchase or other terms, the terms of this Agreement shall govern.

Should you have any comments, questions, or concerns regarding this Agreement or the Application, please feel free to contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Terms%20of%20Use%20Agreement). We are committed to addressing your inquiries and strive to provide you with a satisfactory resolution. Your feedback is important to us, and we welcome your input on how we can improve our services and this Application
### Simply Command It! Mobile App Privacy Policy
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-command-it-privacy-policy/
Last updated: 2026-06-03T23:15:08.000Z
Last modified: June 3rd, 2026

## Introduction

SimplyKyra LLC ("**Company**" or "**We**") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it through our compliance with this policy. This policy describes: 

- The types of information we may collect or that you may provide when you purchase, download, install, register with, access, or use the Simply Command It App (the "**App**").
- Our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information.

This policy applies only to information we collect in this App, and in email, text, and other electronic communications sent through or in connection with this App.

This policy DOES NOT apply to information that:

- We collect offline or on any other Company apps or websites, including websites you may access through this App.
- You provide to or is collected by any third party (see [Third-Party Information Collection](#third-party-information-collection)).

Our websites and apps, and these other third parties may have their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to read before providing information on or through them.

Please read this policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your information and how we will treat it. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, do not download, register with, or use this App. By downloading, registering with, or using this App, you agree to this privacy policy. This policy may change from time to time (see [Changes to Our Privacy Policy](#changes-to-our-privacy-policy)). Your continued use of this App after we revise this policy means you accept those changes, so please check the policy periodically for updates. 

## Children Under the Age of 16

The App is not intended for children under 16 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16\. If we learn we have collected or received personal information from a child under 16 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child under 16, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy).

## Information We Collect and How We Collect It

We collect information from and about users of our App:

- Directly from you when you provide it to us.
- Automatically when you use the App.
- From you when you contact the Company via email or other means.

### *Information You Provide to Us*

When you download, register with, or use this App, we may ask you provide information:

- By which you may be personally identified, such as name, postal address, email address, telephone number, or any other identifier by which you may be contacted online or offline("**personal information**").
- That is about you but individually does not identify you.

This information includes: 

- Information that you provide by filling in forms in the App. This includes information provided at the time of registering to use the App and subscribing to our service. We may also ask you for information when you report a problem with the App.
- Records and copies of your correspondence (including email addresses and phone numbers), if you contact us.
- Details of transactions you carry out through the App and of the fulfillment of your orders. You may be required to provide financial information before placing an order through the App.

### *Information We Collect Through Automatic Data Collection Technologies* 

When you download, access, and use the App, it may use technology to automatically collect:

- **Device Information.** We may collect information about your mobile device and internet connection, including the device's unique device identifier, IP address, operating system, browser type, mobile network information, and the device's telephone number.
- **Location Information.** This App does not collect real-time information about the location of your device.

If you do not want us to collect this information do not download the App or delete it from your device. For more information, see [Your Choices About Our Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Your Information](#your-choices-about-our-collection-use-and-disclosure-of-your-information).

The technologies we use for automatic information collection may include:

- **Cookies (or mobile cookies).** A cookie is a small file placed on your smartphone. It may be possible to refuse to accept mobile cookies by activating the appropriate setting on your smartphone. However, if you select this setting you may be unable to access certain parts of our App.

### *Third-Party Information Collection*

When you use the App or its content, certain third parties may use automatic information collection technologies to collect information about you or your device. These third parties may include: 

- Apple Inc., Apple Subscriptions, Apple App Store, Apple iCloud and Apple CloudKit
- Your mobile device manufacturer.
- Your mobile service provider.

These third parties may use tracking technologies to collect information about you when you use this app. The information they collect may be associated with your personal information or they may collect information, including personal information, about your online activities over time and across different websites, apps, and other online services websites. They may use this information to provide you with interest-based (behavioral) advertising or other targeted content. 

We do not control these third parties' tracking technologies or how they may be used. If you have any questions about an advertisement or other targeted content, you should contact the responsible provider directly.

## How We Use Your Information

We use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any personal information, to:

- Provide you with the App and its contents, and any other information, products, or services that you request from us.
- Fulfill any other purpose for which you provide it.
- Give you notices about your subscription, including expiration and renewal notices.
- Carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including for billing and collection.
- Notify you when App updates are available, and of changes to any products or services we offer or provide though it.
- Share newsletters from time to time.

The usage information we collect helps us to improve our App and to deliver a better and more personalized experience by enabling us to:

- Recognize you when you use the App.

## Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose aggregated information about our users, and information that does not identify any individual, without restriction. 

In addition, we may disclose personal information that we collect or you provide:

- To our subsidiaries and affiliates.
- To contractors, service providers, and other third parties we use to support our business.
- To a buyer or other successor in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of the Company’s assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which personal information held by the Company about our App users is among the assets transferred.
- To fulfill the purpose for which you provide it.
- For any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information.
- With your consent.
- To comply with any court order, law, or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request.
- To enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including the [Terms of Use](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-command-it-terms-and-conditions/), and for billing and collection.
- If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of the Company, our customers, or others.

## Your Choices About Our Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Your Information

We strive to provide you with choices regarding the personal information you provide to us. This section describes mechanisms we provide for you to control certain uses and disclosures of over your information. 

- **Tracking Technologies.** You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable or refuse cookies or block the use of other tracking technologies, some parts of the App may then be inaccessible or not function properly.

## Accessing and Correcting Your Personal Information

You can review and change your personal information or connection values by logging into the App and visiting your account profile page.

You may also send us an email at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy) to request access to, correct, or delete any personal information that you have provided to us. We cannot delete your personal information except by also deleting your user account. We may not accommodate a request to change information if we believe the change would violate any law or legal requirement or cause the information to be incorrect.

Residents in certain states, such as California, may have additional personal information rights and choices. Please see [California State Privacy Rights](#california-state-privacy-rights) for more information.

## California State Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have specific rights regarding your personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). These rights include the ability to request more detailed information about how your personal information is shared with third parties for direct marketing purposes. Moreover, you have the right to control with whom we can and cannot share your personal information for these purposes. SimplyKyra LLC does not share your personal information with third parties for direct marketing purposes without your consent. If you wish to exercise any of your rights under the CCPA, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy). This includes your right to access the specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you and to request the deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions prescribed by law.

## GDPR Privacy Rights

If you are located in the European Union, you have certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regarding your personal data. These rights include:

1. Right to Access: You have the right to request access to your personal data that we hold.
2. Right to Rectification: You have the right to request correction of any inaccurate personal data.
3. Right to Erasure: You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data, subject to certain conditions.
4. Right to Restriction of Processing: You have the right to request restriction of processing your personal data under certain circumstances.
5. Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to transmit that data to another controller.
6. Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in certain situations, including for direct marketing purposes.
7. Right to Withdraw Consent: Where the processing of your personal data is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy). We will respond to your request within one month. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe that our processing of your personal data infringes upon your rights under the GDPR.

## Other State-Specific Privacy Rights

This App recognizes and will comply with all state-specific privacy laws that provide residents with privacy rights in addition to those outlined in this privacy policy. This includes, but is not limited to, the right to access personal information, the right to delete personal information, the right to opt out of the sale of personal information, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights under applicable state laws.

Residents of states with such privacy laws may exercise their rights in accordance with the specific procedures and limitations set forth by their state's law. To make such a request, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy), and include the state in which you reside so that we can respond accordingly with the specific rights and options available to you.

SimplyKyra LLC is committed to respecting the privacy and legal rights of all users, and we endeavor to comply with state-specific requirements where applicable. We encourage users to review the privacy policy periodically for updates regarding state-specific privacy rights.

## Data Security

We have implemented measures designed to secure your personal information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. 

The safety and security of your information also depends on you. Where we have given you (or where you have chosen) to provide passwords for access to certain parts of our App, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We ask you not to share your password with anyone. 

Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet and mobile platforms is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information transmitted through our App. Any transmission of personal information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures we provide.

## Changes to Our Privacy Policy

We may update our privacy policy from time to time. If we make material changes to how we treat our users' personal information, we will notify you by email to the email address specified in your account or through a notice on the Website home page.

The date the privacy policy was last revised is identified at the top of the page. You are responsible for ensuring we have an up-to-date active and deliverable email address for you and for periodically visiting this privacy policy to check for any changes.

## Contact Information

To ask questions or comment about this privacy policy and our privacy practices, contact us at: 

[mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy)

Phone: (360) 515-8767
### Simply Command It!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-command-it/
Last updated: 2025-02-04T22:03:31.000Z
Do you want to execute a command to an http endpoint without needing to turn on your computer and open the terminal? Or do you have an annoying cURL command or even a set of cURL commands that you want to execute with the simple satisfaction of pressing a button on your watch or phone? Simply Command It allows you to enter cURL commands, assign one or more of them to a simple button, and execute them with a quick tap.

## Currently in Development

**Update February 2025**: Still in development but temporarily *paused*. Let me know if you're interested in this and why. If there's interest I can see moving this up my list. Reach out through[mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It:%20Interest). 

This app is currently in development but I'm finalizing it now and hope to put it in the Apple App Store soon. If you want to be informed when it goes live sign up for the ***App Updates*** newsletter, by creating a [free account here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-command-it/#/portal/signup), you'll be emailed when it's released. More general information about [the newsletters here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/newsletters-and-account-settings/).

## Back Story 

A while back my husband made me two lights that went behind and above my computer monitor. Each light turned on with a simple cURL command over our home network and could be set to different colors by adjusting the red, blue, and green values. To turn them on I ran two quick commands through the terminal and repeated the same, with a brightness now 0, to turn them off. That said, I found sometimes I forgot to turn off the lights before leaving my computer and so this app idea was born allowing me to turn both lights on or off with the ease of a single simple button on my watch or phone. Over the years, despite going down to a single light and thus a single command, I’ve continued to really appreciate having this app and wanted to polish it up and share it with all of you. As such, I’ve increased its capabilities and made it a bit more user friendly with a query builder that takes the cURL command and inputs it quicker into the app for you.

## Questions?

If you have any questions I've created a FAQs for this app. Check it out and if you still need help don't hesitate to ask in the comments below or via email at: [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It).

[Simply Command It! FAQsIf a question you have isn’t here please comment below and/or reach out through mail@simplykyra.com. App Specific What devices are supported? I’ve developed Simply Command It specifically for iOS and have been using my phone, mainly, while developing. That said you can also use it on your![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/Simply-Command-It--FAQs.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-command-it-faqs/)

## Key Features

- Create commands that can be executed from your Apple devices.
- Attach one or more commands to buttons and have them show up on your watch for quick access.
- Add new cURL commands quicker with the query builder.

## Why Choose Simply Command It?

- User-Friendly: Designed for ease of use with intuitive navigation and clear instructions.
- Continuous Support: Learn more about each feature with in-app guides and access to continual updated [FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-command-it-faqs/) on our website. If there's something you'd love me to add to the app feel free to reach out to me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It%20-%20Request).

## Limited Access for Free With Added Premium Subscription

Once downloaded you will have access to every part of the app, but you will be restricted on the number of buttons and commands you can create. This gives you access to the app to see if it fits your criteria and, if it does, you can then purchase the subscription to remove the limits while knowing I'll continue to support the app. There are two premium subscription options: the monthly subscription if you don't want to commit while the yearly has a better price. Either one removes any limits on the app giving you a premium experience.

## Legalities

I've posted both a [privacy policy](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-command-it-privacy-policy/) and a [terms of user agreement](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-command-it-terms-and-conditions/) for this app.

##
### Simply Minesweeper! Mobile App Privacy Policy
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-minesweeper-privacy-policy/
Last updated: 2025-03-07T01:37:03.000Z
Last modified: February 4th, 2025

Rebranded. Please see updated policy at: 

[Simply Uncover It! Mobile App Privacy PolicyCreated under Minesweeper on: February 4th, 2025 Last Modified: March 6th, 2025 Introduction SimplyKyra LLC (“Company” or “We”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it through our compliance with this policy. This policy describes: \* The types of information we may collect or that you may provide when you![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-48.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/gradient-2-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it-privacy-policy/)

## Introduction

SimplyKyra LLC ("**Company**" or "**We**") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it through our compliance with this policy. This policy describes: 

- The types of information we may collect or that you may provide when you purchase, download, install, register with, access, or use the Simply Minesweeper App (the "**App**").
- Our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information.

This policy applies only to information we collect in this App, and in email, text, and other electronic communications sent through or in connection with this App.

This policy DOES NOT apply to information that:

- We collect offline or on any other Company apps or websites, including websites you may access through this App.
- You provide to or is collected by any third party (see [Third-Party Information Collection](#third-party-information-collection)).

Our websites and apps, and these other third parties may have their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to read before providing information on or through them.

Please read this policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your information and how we will treat it. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, do not download, register with, or use this App. By downloading, registering with, or using this App, you agree to this privacy policy. This policy may change from time to time (see [Changes to Our Privacy Policy](#changes-to-our-privacy-policy)). Your continued use of this App after we revise this policy means you accept those changes, so please check the policy periodically for updates. 

## Children Under the Age of 16

The App is not intended for children under 16 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16\. If we learn we have collected or received personal information from a child under 16 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child under 16, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy).

## Information We Collect and How We Collect It

We collect information from and about users of our App:

- Directly from you when you provide it to us.
- Automatically when you use the App.
- From you when you contact the Company via email or other means.

### *Information You Provide to Us*

When you download, register with, or use this App, we may ask you provide information:

- By which you may be personally identified, such as name, postal address, email address, telephone number, or any other identifier by which you may be contacted online or offline("**personal information**").
- That is about you but individually does not identify you.

This information includes: 

- Information that you provide by filling in forms in the App. This includes information provided at the time of registering to use the App and subscribing to our service. We may also ask you for information when you report a problem with the App.
- Records and copies of your correspondence (including email addresses and phone numbers), if you contact us.
- Details of transactions you carry out through the App and of the fulfillment of your orders. You may be required to provide financial information before placing an order through the App.

### *Information We Collect Through Automatic Data Collection Technologies* 

When you download, access, and use the App, it may use technology to automatically collect:

- **Device Information.** We may collect information about your mobile device and internet connection, including the device's unique device identifier, IP address, operating system, browser type, mobile network information, and the device's telephone number.
- **Location Information.** This App does not collect real-time information about the location of your device.

If you do not want us to collect this information do not download the App or delete it from your device. For more information, see [Your Choices About Our Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Your Information](#your-choices-about-our-collection-use-and-disclosure-of-your-information).

The technologies we use for automatic information collection may include:

- **Cookies (or mobile cookies).** A cookie is a small file placed on your smartphone. It may be possible to refuse to accept mobile cookies by activating the appropriate setting on your smartphone. However, if you select this setting you may be unable to access certain parts of our App.

### *Third-Party Information Collection*

When you use the App or its content, certain third parties may use automatic information collection technologies to collect information about you or your device. These third parties may include: 

- Apple Inc., Apple Subscriptions, Apple App Store, Apple iCloud and Apple CloudKit
- Your mobile device manufacturer.
- Your mobile service provider.

These third parties may use tracking technologies to collect information about you when you use this app. The information they collect may be associated with your personal information or they may collect information, including personal information, about your online activities over time and across different websites, apps, and other online services websites. They may use this information to provide you with interest-based (behavioral) advertising or other targeted content. 

We do not control these third parties' tracking technologies or how they may be used. If you have any questions about an advertisement or other targeted content, you should contact the responsible provider directly.

## How We Use Your Information

We use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any personal information, to:

- Provide you with the App and its contents, and any other information, products, or services that you request from us.
- Fulfill any other purpose for which you provide it.
- Give you notices about your subscription, including expiration and renewal notices.
- Carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including for billing and collection.
- Notify you when App updates are available, and of changes to any products or services we offer or provide though it.
- Share newsletters from time to time.

The usage information we collect helps us to improve our App and to deliver a better and more personalized experience by enabling us to:

- Recognize you when you use the App.

## Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose aggregated information about our users, and information that does not identify any individual, without restriction. 

In addition, we may disclose personal information that we collect or you provide:

- To our subsidiaries and affiliates.
- To contractors, service providers, and other third parties we use to support our business.
- To a buyer or other successor in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of the Company’s assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which personal information held by the Company about our App users is among the assets transferred.
- To fulfill the purpose for which you provide it.
- For any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information.
- With your consent.
- To comply with any court order, law, or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request.
- To enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including the [Terms of Use](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-command-it-terms-and-conditions/), and for billing and collection.
- If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of the Company, our customers, or others.

## Your Choices About Our Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Your Information

We strive to provide you with choices regarding the personal information you provide to us. This section describes mechanisms we provide for you to control certain uses and disclosures of over your information. 

- **Tracking Technologies.** You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable or refuse cookies or block the use of other tracking technologies, some parts of the App may then be inaccessible or not function properly.

## Accessing and Correcting Your Personal Information

You can review and change your personal information or connection values by logging into the App and visiting your account profile page.

You may also send us an email at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy) to request access to, correct, or delete any personal information that you have provided to us. We cannot delete your personal information except by also deleting your user account. We may not accommodate a request to change information if we believe the change would violate any law or legal requirement or cause the information to be incorrect.

Residents in certain states, such as California, may have additional personal information rights and choices. Please see [California State Privacy Rights](#california-state-privacy-rights) for more information.

## California State Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have specific rights regarding your personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). These rights include the ability to request more detailed information about how your personal information is shared with third parties for direct marketing purposes. Moreover, you have the right to control with whom we can and cannot share your personal information for these purposes. SimplyKyra LLC does not share your personal information with third parties for direct marketing purposes without your consent. If you wish to exercise any of your rights under the CCPA, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy). This includes your right to access the specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you and to request the deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions prescribed by law.

## GDPR Privacy Rights

If you are located in the European Union, you have certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regarding your personal data. These rights include:

1. Right to Access: You have the right to request access to your personal data that we hold.
2. Right to Rectification: You have the right to request correction of any inaccurate personal data.
3. Right to Erasure: You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data, subject to certain conditions.
4. Right to Restriction of Processing: You have the right to request restriction of processing your personal data under certain circumstances.
5. Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to transmit that data to another controller.
6. Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in certain situations, including for direct marketing purposes.
7. Right to Withdraw Consent: Where the processing of your personal data is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy). We will respond to your request within one month. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe that our processing of your personal data infringes upon your rights under the GDPR.

## Other State-Specific Privacy Rights

This App recognizes and will comply with all state-specific privacy laws that provide residents with privacy rights in addition to those outlined in this privacy policy. This includes, but is not limited to, the right to access personal information, the right to delete personal information, the right to opt out of the sale of personal information, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights under applicable state laws.

Residents of states with such privacy laws may exercise their rights in accordance with the specific procedures and limitations set forth by their state's law. To make such a request, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy), and include the state in which you reside so that we can respond accordingly with the specific rights and options available to you.

SimplyKyra LLC is committed to respecting the privacy and legal rights of all users, and we endeavor to comply with state-specific requirements where applicable. We encourage users to review the privacy policy periodically for updates regarding state-specific privacy rights.

## Data Security

We have implemented measures designed to secure your personal information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. 

The safety and security of your information also depends on you. Where we have given you (or where you have chosen) to provide passwords for access to certain parts of our App, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We ask you not to share your password with anyone. 

Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet and mobile platforms is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information transmitted through our App. Any transmission of personal information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures we provide.

## Changes to Our Privacy Policy

We may update our privacy policy from time to time. If we make material changes to how we treat our users' personal information, we will notify you by email to the email address specified in your account or through a notice on the Website home page.

The date the privacy policy was last revised is identified at the top of the page. You are responsible for ensuring we have an up-to-date active and deliverable email address for you and for periodically visiting this privacy policy to check for any changes.

## Contact Information

To ask questions or comment about this privacy policy and our privacy practices, contact us at: 

[mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy)

Phone: (425) 654-1615
### Simply Minesweeper! Terms of Use Agreement
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-minesweeper-terms-and-conditions/
Last updated: 2025-03-07T01:37:28.000Z
Rebranded. Please see updated policy at: 

[Simply Uncover It! Terms of Use AgreementThis Terms of Use Agreement (“Agreement”) is a binding agreement between you (“End User” or “you”) and SimplyKyra LLC (“Company”). This Agreement governs your use of the Simply Uncover It App (including all related documentation, the “Application”). The Application is licensed, not sold, to you. BY INSTALLING THE APPLICATION YOU![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-49.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/gradient-2-3.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it-terms-and-conditions/)

This Terms of Use Agreement (**"Agreement"**) is a binding agreement between you (**"End User"** or **"you"**) and SimplyKyra LLC (**"Company"**). This Agreement governs your use of the Simply Minesweeper App (including all related documentation, the **"Application"**). The Application is licensed, not sold, to you.

BY INSTALLING THE APPLICATION YOU (A) ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS AGREEMENT; (B) REPRESENT THAT YOU ARE 16 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AND HAVE THE LEGAL CAPACITY TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT; AND (C) ACCEPT THIS AGREEMENT AND AGREE THAT YOU ARE LEGALLY BOUND BY ITS TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS, DO NOT DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION AND DELETE IT FROM YOUR MOBILE DEVICE.

1. Acceptable Use. You agree to use the Application solely for lawful purposes as intended through the provided functionality of the Application. You agree to use the Application only in compliance with this Agreement, and all local, state, national, and international laws, rules, and regulations.
2. Prohibited Conduct. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you agree not to:
  1. Use the Application in any manner that could interfere with, disrupt, negatively affect, or inhibit other users from fully enjoying the Application, or that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair the functioning of the Application in any manner;
  2. Compromise the security of the Application or attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Application, user accounts, system resources, or networks connected to the Application through hacking, password mining, or any other means;
  3. Use the Application for any illegal or unauthorized purpose, or engage in, encourage, or promote any activity that violates this Agreement;
  4. Modify, adapt, hack, or emulate the Application;
  5. Circumvent or attempt to circumvent any filtering, security measures, or other features designed to protect the Application or third-parties;
  6. Infringe upon or violate the rights of the Company, our users, or any third party;
  7. Upload, transmit, or distribute to or through the Application any viruses, worms, malicious code, or any software intended to damage or alter a computer system or data;
  8. Use the Application to harvest, collect, gather or assemble information or data regarding other users, including e-mail addresses, without their consent;
  9. Use the Application for any commercial solicitation purposes, spamming, or sending unsolicited emails;
  10. Impersonate another person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity;
  11. Bypass or ignore instructions that control all automated access to the Application;
  12. Use the Application to send, upload, download, use, or re-use any material which does not comply with the standards set out in this Agreement.

Violation of any of the foregoing may result in immediate termination of this Agreement and may subject you to state and federal penalties and other legal consequences. The Company reserves the right, but is not obligated, to investigate any violation of this Agreement or misuse of the Application. The Company may at its sole discretion remove, disable access to, or modify any content or resource that violates these provisions or any other provision of this Agreement

3. License Grant. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, Company grants you a limited, non-exclusive, and nontransferable license to:
  1. download, install, and use the Application for your personal, non-commercial use on a device(s) owned or otherwise controlled by you ("Mobile Device") strictly in accordance with the Application's documentation.
4. License Restrictions. Except as may be expressly permitted by applicable law or expressly authorized by the Application, you shall not:
  1. copy the Application, except as expressly permitted by this license;
  2. modify, translate, adapt, or otherwise create derivative works or improvements, whether or not patentable, of the Application;
  3. reverse engineer, disassemble, decompile, decode, or otherwise attempt to derive or gain access to the source code of the Application or any part thereof;
  4. remove, delete, alter, or obscure any trademarks or any copyright, trademark, patent, or other intellectual property or proprietary rights notices from the Application, including any copy thereof;
  5. rent, lease, lend, sell, sublicense, assign, distribute, publish, transfer, or otherwise make available the Application, or any features or functionality of the Application, to any third party for any reason, including by making the Application available on a network where it is capable of being accessed by more than one device at any time;
  6. use any robot, spider, or other automatic device, process, or means to access the Application for any purpose, including monitoring or copying any of the material on the Application;
  7. use any manual process to monitor or copy any of the material on the Application, or for any other purpose not expressly authorized in this Agreement, without Company's prior written consent;
  8. frame, mirror, or otherwise incorporate the Application or any portion of the Application as part of any other mobile application, website, or service;
  9. use the Application in any manner that could disable, overburden, damage, or impair the Application or interfere with any other party's use of the Application; or
  10. remove, disable, circumvent, or otherwise create or implement any workaround to any copy protection, rights management, or security features in or protecting the Application.
5. Reservation of Rights. You acknowledge and agree that the Application is provided under license, and not sold, to you. You do not acquire any ownership interest in the Application under this Agreement, or any other rights thereto other than to use the Application in accordance with the license granted, and subject to all terms, conditions, and restrictions, under this Agreement. Company and its licensors and service providers reserve and shall retain their entire right, title, and interest in and to the Application, including all copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights therein or relating thereto, except as expressly granted to you in this Agreement.
6. Collection and Use of Your Information. You acknowledge that when you download, install, or use the Application, Company may use automatic means (including, for example, cookies and web beacons) to collect information about your Mobile Device and about your use of the Application. You also may be required to provide certain information about yourself as a condition to downloading, installing, or using the Application or certain of its features or functionality. All information we collect through or in connection with this Application is subject to our [Privacy Policy.](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-command-it-privacy-policy/). By downloading, installing, using, and providing information to or through this Application, you consent to all actions taken by us with respect to your information in compliance with the Privacy Policy.
7. Intellectual Property Rights. The Company retains all right, title, and interest in and to the Application, including all copyrights, trademarks, service marks, patents, trade secrets, and other intellectual property rights therein, notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary. The use of the Application by you does not grant you any ownership over any of the content or intellectual property therein except as expressly stated in this Agreement. The Company grants you a limited, revocable, non-transferable, and non-exclusive license to use the Application strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. You acknowledge and agree that the Application, including all associated intellectual property rights, is the exclusive property of the Company and its licensors. Except for the license granted under this Agreement, all rights not expressly granted to you are reserved by the Company and its licensors. You shall not use, copy, adapt, modify, prepare derivative works from, distribute, license, sell, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform, transmit, broadcast, or otherwise exploit the Application or any part thereof, except as expressly permitted in this Agreement or as enabled by a feature or service provided by the Company within the Application. Any unauthorized use of the Company's intellectual property rights is a violation of this Agreement as well as a violation of intellectual property laws and treaties.
8. Updates to the Application Content. The Company may from time to time update the content within the Application, but it is not obligated to keep the content current or to reflect the most current information available. Consequently, any content within the Application may at any time be out of date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any content in the Application, and it is the End User's responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, opinion, advice, or other content available through the Application.
9. Updates. Company may from time to time in its sole discretion develop and provide Application updates, which may include upgrades, bug fixes, patches, other error corrections, and/or new features (collectively, including related documentation, **"Updates"**). Updates may also modify or delete in their entirety certain features and functionality. You agree that Company has no obligation to provide any Updates or to continue to provide or enable any particular features or functionality. Based on your Mobile Device settings, when your Mobile Device is connected to the internet either:
  1. the Application will automatically download and install all available Updates; or
  2. you may receive notice of or be prompted to download and install available Updates.

You shall promptly download and install all Updates and acknowledge and agree that the Application or portions thereof may not properly operate should you fail to do so. You further agree that all Updates will be deemed part of the Application and be subject to all terms and conditions of this Agreement.

10. Third-Party Materials. The Application may display, include, or make available third-party content (including data, information, applications, and other products, services, and/or materials) or provide links to third-party websites or services, including through third-party advertising ("Third-Party Materials"). You acknowledge and agree that Company is not responsible for Third-Party Materials, including their accuracy, completeness, timeliness, validity, copyright compliance, legality, decency, quality, or any other aspect thereof. Company does not assume and will not have any liability or responsibility to you or any other person or entity for any Third-Party Materials. Third-Party Materials and links thereto are provided solely as a convenience to you, and you access and use them entirely at your own risk and subject to such third parties' terms and conditions.
11. Payment Terms. You agree that the Company offers its services, including the Application, through subscription-based payments facilitated via the Apple App Store. All payments for the use of the Application, including but not limited to subscription fees, shall be processed through Apple Inc. ("Apple") or any other third-party payment processor utilized by Company from time to time. By subscribing to the Application, you are agreeing to be bound by the payment terms and conditions of Apple or such third-party payment processor as may be applicable. You acknowledge and agree that Company is not responsible for the processing of payments and shall not be liable for any issues arising from payment transactions, including but not limited to transaction errors, payment failures, or unauthorized charges. It is your responsibility to review and understand the payment terms and conditions of Apple or the applicable third-party payment processor prior to engaging in any transactions. The Company reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Application, including any subscription offerings, at any time, with or without notice to you, and Company shall not be liable to you or any third party should it exercise such rights.
12. Term and Termination.
  1. The term of Agreement commences when you download the Application and will continue in effect until terminated by you or Company as set forth in this Section 9.
  2. You may terminate this Agreement by deleting the Application and all copies thereof from your Mobile Device.
  3. Company may terminate this Agreement at any time without notice if it ceases to support the Application, which Company may do in its sole discretion. In addition, this Agreement will terminate immediately and automatically without any notice if you violate any of the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
  4. Upon termination:
    1. all rights granted to you under this Agreement will also terminate; and
    2. you must cease all use of the Application and delete all copies of the Application from your Mobile Device and account.
  5. Termination will not limit any of Company's rights or remedies at law or in equity.
13. Disclaimer of Warranties. THE APPLICATION IS PROVIDED TO END USER "AS IS" AND WITH ALL FAULTS AND DEFECTS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, COMPANY, ON ITS OWN BEHALF AND ON BEHALF OF ITS AFFILIATES AND ITS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE LICENSORS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND WARRANTIES THAT MAY ARISE OUT OF COURSE OF DEALING, COURSE OF PERFORMANCE, USAGE, OR TRADE PRACTICE. WITHOUT LIMITATION TO THE FOREGOING, COMPANY PROVIDES NO WARRANTY OR UNDERTAKING, AND MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OF ANY KIND THAT THE APPLICATION WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, ACHIEVE ANY INTENDED RESULTS, BE COMPATIBLE, OR WORK WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE, APPLICATIONS, SYSTEMS, OR SERVICES, OPERATE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION, MEET ANY PERFORMANCE OR RELIABILITY STANDARDS, OR BE ERROR-FREE, OR THAT ANY ERRORS OR DEFECTS CAN OR WILL BE CORRECTED.

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF OR LIMITATIONS ON IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR THE LIMITATIONS ON THE APPLICABLE STATUTORY RIGHTS OF A CONSUMER, SO SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

14. Limitation of Liability. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL COMPANY OR ITS AFFILIATES, OR ANY OF ITS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE LICENSORS OR SERVICE PROVIDERS, HAVE ANY LIABILITY ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE APPLICATION OR THE CONTENT AND SERVICES FOR:
  1. PERSONAL INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE, LOST PROFITS, COST OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES, LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF GOODWILL, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, COMPUTER FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION, OR ANY OTHER CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, EXEMPLARY, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES.
  2. DIRECT DAMAGES IN AMOUNTS THAT IN THE AGGREGATE EXCEED THE AMOUNT ACTUALLY PAID BY YOU FOR THE APPLICATION.

THE FOREGOING LIMITATIONS WILL APPLY WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES ARISE OUT OF BREACH OF CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), OR OTHERWISE AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES WERE FORESEEABLE OR COMPANY WAS ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY SO SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

15. Indemnification. You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Company and its officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates, successors, and assigns from and against any and all losses, damages, liabilities, deficiencies, claims, actions, judgments, settlements, interest, awards, penalties, fines, costs, or expenses of whatever kind, including attorneys' fees, arising from or relating to your use or misuse of the Application or your breach of this Agreement, including but not limited to the content you submit or make available through this Application.
16. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is illegal or unenforceable under applicable law, the remainder of the provision will be amended to achieve as closely as possible the effect of the original term and all other provisions of this Agreement will continue in full force and effect.
17. Governing Law. This Agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Washington without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule. Any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of or related to this Agreement or the Application shall be instituted exclusively in the federal courts of the United States or the courts of the State of Washington. You waive any and all objections to the exercise of jurisdiction over you by such courts and to venue in such courts.
18. Limitation of Time to File Claims. ANY CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM YOU MAY HAVE ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE APPLICATION MUST BE COMMENCED WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE CAUSE OF ACTION ACCRUES OTHERWISE SUCH CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM IS PERMANENTLY BARRED.
19. Entire Agreement. This Agreement and our Privacy Policy constitute the entire agreement between you and Company with respect to the Application and supersede all prior or contemporaneous understandings and agreements, whether written or oral, with respect to the Application.
20. Waiver. No failure to exercise, and no delay in exercising, on the part of either party, any right or any power hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right or power hereunder preclude further exercise of that or any other right hereunder. In the event of a conflict between this Agreement and any applicable purchase or other terms, the terms of this Agreement shall govern.

Should you have any comments, questions, or concerns regarding this Agreement or the Application, please feel free to contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Minesweeper!%20Terms%20of%20Use%20Agreement). We are committed to addressing your inquiries and strive to provide you with a satisfactory resolution. Your feedback is important to us, and we welcome your input on how we can improve our services and this Application
### Simply Minesweeper!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-minesweeper/
Last updated: 2025-05-08T20:48:07.000Z
![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/02/simply-minesweeper-1-1.png)

**You've found the old page for Simply Minesweeper!** 🎉

The app has been rebranded as **Simply Uncover It** and you can check it out here: 

[‎Simply Uncover It!‎Simply Uncover It – Classic Fun, No Distractions! Unwind with a relaxing logic puzzle or challenge yourself with custom difficulty settings. Simply Uncover It keeps things clean and simple—no ads, no clutter, just pure gameplay. ▶ PLAY FOR FREE Enjoy a 9x9 game board with 10 hidden mines completel…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/faviconV2-5)App StoreSimplyKyra LLC![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/1200x630wa-4.png)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com)

For the latest info, head over to the **updated app page**:

[Simply Uncover It!Did you use to love Minesweeper or simply curious to try this classic game? Play for free on a 9x9 board—no ads! Want more? Customize board size, mines, and colors with a subscription!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-56.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Minesweeper--App-Page-1-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it/)

Thanks for stopping by, and have an awesome day!
### Simply Match It! Mobile App Privacy Policy
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it-privacy-policy/
Last updated: 2026-06-03T23:15:53.000Z
Last modified: June 3rd, 2026

## Introduction

SimplyKyra LLC ("**Company**" or "**We**") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it through our compliance with this policy. This policy describes: 

- The types of information we may collect or that you may provide when you purchase, download, install, register with, access, or use the Simply Match It App (the "**App**").
- Our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information.

This policy applies only to information we collect in this App, and in email, text, and other electronic communications sent through or in connection with this App.

This policy DOES NOT apply to information that:

- We collect offline or on any other Company apps or websites, including websites you may access through this App.
- You provide to or is collected by any third party (see [Third-Party Information Collection](#third-party-information-collection)).

Our websites and apps, and these other third parties may have their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to read before providing information on or through them.

Please read this policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your information and how we will treat it. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, do not download, register with, or use this App. By downloading, registering with, or using this App, you agree to this privacy policy. This policy may change from time to time (see [Changes to Our Privacy Policy](#changes-to-our-privacy-policy)). Your continued use of this App after we revise this policy means you accept those changes, so please check the policy periodically for updates. 

## Children Under the Age of 16

The App is not intended for children under 16 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16\. If we learn we have collected or received personal information from a child under 16 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child under 16, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy).

## Information We Collect and How We Collect It

We collect information from and about users of our App:

- Directly from you when you provide it to us.
- Automatically when you use the App.
- From you when you contact the Company via email or other means.

### *Information You Provide to Us*

When you download, register with, or use this App, we may ask you provide information:

- By which you may be personally identified, such as name, postal address, email address, telephone number, or any other identifier by which you may be contacted online or offline("**personal information**").
- That is about you but individually does not identify you.

This information includes: 

- Information that you provide by filling in forms in the App. This includes information provided at the time of registering to use the App and subscribing to our service. We may also ask you for information when you report a problem with the App.
- Records and copies of your correspondence (including email addresses and phone numbers), if you contact us.
- Details of transactions you carry out through the App and of the fulfillment of your orders. You may be required to provide financial information before placing an order through the App.

### *Information We Collect Through Automatic Data Collection Technologies* 

When you download, access, and use the App, it may use technology to automatically collect:

- **Device Information.** We may collect information about your mobile device and internet connection, including the device's unique device identifier, IP address, operating system, browser type, mobile network information, and the device's telephone number.
- **Location Information.** This App does not collect real-time information about the location of your device.

If you do not want us to collect this information do not download the App or delete it from your device. For more information, see [Your Choices About Our Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Your Information](#your-choices-about-our-collection-use-and-disclosure-of-your-information).

The technologies we use for automatic information collection may include:

- **Cookies (or mobile cookies).** A cookie is a small file placed on your smartphone. It may be possible to refuse to accept mobile cookies by activating the appropriate setting on your smartphone. However, if you select this setting you may be unable to access certain parts of our App.

### *Third-Party Information Collection*

When you use the App or its content, certain third parties may use automatic information collection technologies to collect information about you or your device. These third parties may include: 

- Apple Inc., Apple Subscriptions, Apple App Store, Apple iCloud and Apple CloudKit
- Your mobile device manufacturer.
- Your mobile service provider.

These third parties may use tracking technologies to collect information about you when you use this app. The information they collect may be associated with your personal information or they may collect information, including personal information, about your online activities over time and across different websites, apps, and other online services websites. They may use this information to provide you with interest-based (behavioral) advertising or other targeted content. 

We do not control these third parties' tracking technologies or how they may be used. If you have any questions about an advertisement or other targeted content, you should contact the responsible provider directly.

## How We Use Your Information

We use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any personal information, to:

- Provide you with the App and its contents, and any other information, products, or services that you request from us.
- Fulfill any other purpose for which you provide it.
- Give you notices about your subscription, including expiration and renewal notices.
- Carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including for billing and collection.
- Notify you when App updates are available, and of changes to any products or services we offer or provide though it.
- Share newsletters from time to time.

The usage information we collect helps us to improve our App and to deliver a better and more personalized experience by enabling us to:

- Recognize you when you use the App.

## Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose aggregated information about our users, and information that does not identify any individual, without restriction. 

In addition, we may disclose personal information that we collect or you provide:

- To our subsidiaries and affiliates.
- To contractors, service providers, and other third parties we use to support our business.
- To a buyer or other successor in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of the Company’s assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which personal information held by the Company about our App users is among the assets transferred.
- To fulfill the purpose for which you provide it.
- For any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information.
- With your consent.
- To comply with any court order, law, or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request.
- To enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including the [Terms of Use](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-command-it-terms-and-conditions/), and for billing and collection.
- If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of the Company, our customers, or others.

## Your Choices About Our Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Your Information

We strive to provide you with choices regarding the personal information you provide to us. This section describes mechanisms we provide for you to control certain uses and disclosures of over your information. 

- **Tracking Technologies.** You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable or refuse cookies or block the use of other tracking technologies, some parts of the App may then be inaccessible or not function properly.

## Accessing and Correcting Your Personal Information

You can review and change your personal information or connection values by logging into the App and visiting your account profile page.

You may also send us an email at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy) to request access to, correct, or delete any personal information that you have provided to us. We cannot delete your personal information except by also deleting your user account. We may not accommodate a request to change information if we believe the change would violate any law or legal requirement or cause the information to be incorrect.

Residents in certain states, such as California, may have additional personal information rights and choices. Please see [California State Privacy Rights](#california-state-privacy-rights) for more information.

## California State Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have specific rights regarding your personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). These rights include the ability to request more detailed information about how your personal information is shared with third parties for direct marketing purposes. Moreover, you have the right to control with whom we can and cannot share your personal information for these purposes. SimplyKyra LLC does not share your personal information with third parties for direct marketing purposes without your consent. If you wish to exercise any of your rights under the CCPA, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy). This includes your right to access the specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you and to request the deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions prescribed by law.

## GDPR Privacy Rights

If you are located in the European Union, you have certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regarding your personal data. These rights include:

1. Right to Access: You have the right to request access to your personal data that we hold.
2. Right to Rectification: You have the right to request correction of any inaccurate personal data.
3. Right to Erasure: You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data, subject to certain conditions.
4. Right to Restriction of Processing: You have the right to request restriction of processing your personal data under certain circumstances.
5. Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to transmit that data to another controller.
6. Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in certain situations, including for direct marketing purposes.
7. Right to Withdraw Consent: Where the processing of your personal data is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy). We will respond to your request within one month. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe that our processing of your personal data infringes upon your rights under the GDPR.

## Other State-Specific Privacy Rights

This App recognizes and will comply with all state-specific privacy laws that provide residents with privacy rights in addition to those outlined in this privacy policy. This includes, but is not limited to, the right to access personal information, the right to delete personal information, the right to opt out of the sale of personal information, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights under applicable state laws.

Residents of states with such privacy laws may exercise their rights in accordance with the specific procedures and limitations set forth by their state's law. To make such a request, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy), and include the state in which you reside so that we can respond accordingly with the specific rights and options available to you.

SimplyKyra LLC is committed to respecting the privacy and legal rights of all users, and we endeavor to comply with state-specific requirements where applicable. We encourage users to review the privacy policy periodically for updates regarding state-specific privacy rights.

## Data Security

We have implemented measures designed to secure your personal information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. 

The safety and security of your information also depends on you. Where we have given you (or where you have chosen) to provide passwords for access to certain parts of our App, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We ask you not to share your password with anyone. 

Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet and mobile platforms is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information transmitted through our App. Any transmission of personal information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures we provide.

## Changes to Our Privacy Policy

We may update our privacy policy from time to time. If we make material changes to how we treat our users' personal information, we will notify you by email to the email address specified in your account or through a notice on the Website home page.

The date the privacy policy was last revised is identified at the top of the page. You are responsible for ensuring we have an up-to-date active and deliverable email address for you and for periodically visiting this privacy policy to check for any changes.

## Contact Information

To ask questions or comment about this privacy policy and our privacy practices, contact us at: 

[mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Match%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy)

Phone: (360) 515-8767
### Simply Match It! Terms of Use Agreement
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it-terms-and-conditions/
Last updated: 2025-05-06T20:42:53.000Z
This Terms of Use Agreement (**"Agreement"**) is a binding agreement between you (**"End User"** or **"you"**) and SimplyKyra LLC (**"Company"**). This Agreement governs your use of the Simply Match It App (including all related documentation, the **"Application"**). The Application is licensed, not sold, to you.

BY INSTALLING THE APPLICATION YOU (A) ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS AGREEMENT; (B) REPRESENT THAT YOU ARE 16 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AND HAVE THE LEGAL CAPACITY TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT; AND (C) ACCEPT THIS AGREEMENT AND AGREE THAT YOU ARE LEGALLY BOUND BY ITS TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS, DO NOT DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION AND DELETE IT FROM YOUR MOBILE DEVICE.

1. Acceptable Use. You agree to use the Application solely for lawful purposes as intended through the provided functionality of the Application. You agree to use the Application only in compliance with this Agreement, and all local, state, national, and international laws, rules, and regulations.
2. Prohibited Conduct. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you agree not to:
  1. Use the Application in any manner that could interfere with, disrupt, negatively affect, or inhibit other users from fully enjoying the Application, or that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair the functioning of the Application in any manner;
  2. Compromise the security of the Application or attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Application, user accounts, system resources, or networks connected to the Application through hacking, password mining, or any other means;
  3. Use the Application for any illegal or unauthorized purpose, or engage in, encourage, or promote any activity that violates this Agreement;
  4. Modify, adapt, hack, or emulate the Application;
  5. Circumvent or attempt to circumvent any filtering, security measures, or other features designed to protect the Application or third-parties;
  6. Infringe upon or violate the rights of the Company, our users, or any third party;
  7. Upload, transmit, or distribute to or through the Application any viruses, worms, malicious code, or any software intended to damage or alter a computer system or data;
  8. Use the Application to harvest, collect, gather or assemble information or data regarding other users, including e-mail addresses, without their consent;
  9. Use the Application for any commercial solicitation purposes, spamming, or sending unsolicited emails;
  10. Impersonate another person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity;
  11. Bypass or ignore instructions that control all automated access to the Application;
  12. Use the Application to send, upload, download, use, or re-use any material which does not comply with the standards set out in this Agreement.

Violation of any of the foregoing may result in immediate termination of this Agreement and may subject you to state and federal penalties and other legal consequences. The Company reserves the right, but is not obligated, to investigate any violation of this Agreement or misuse of the Application. The Company may at its sole discretion remove, disable access to, or modify any content or resource that violates these provisions or any other provision of this Agreement

3. License Grant. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, Company grants you a limited, non-exclusive, and nontransferable license to:
  1. download, install, and use the Application for your personal, non-commercial use on a device(s) owned or otherwise controlled by you ("Mobile Device") strictly in accordance with the Application's documentation.
4. License Restrictions. Except as may be expressly permitted by applicable law or expressly authorized by the Application, you shall not:
  1. copy the Application, except as expressly permitted by this license;
  2. modify, translate, adapt, or otherwise create derivative works or improvements, whether or not patentable, of the Application;
  3. reverse engineer, disassemble, decompile, decode, or otherwise attempt to derive or gain access to the source code of the Application or any part thereof;
  4. remove, delete, alter, or obscure any trademarks or any copyright, trademark, patent, or other intellectual property or proprietary rights notices from the Application, including any copy thereof;
  5. rent, lease, lend, sell, sublicense, assign, distribute, publish, transfer, or otherwise make available the Application, or any features or functionality of the Application, to any third party for any reason, including by making the Application available on a network where it is capable of being accessed by more than one device at any time;
  6. use any robot, spider, or other automatic device, process, or means to access the Application for any purpose, including monitoring or copying any of the material on the Application;
  7. use any manual process to monitor or copy any of the material on the Application, or for any other purpose not expressly authorized in this Agreement, without Company's prior written consent;
  8. frame, mirror, or otherwise incorporate the Application or any portion of the Application as part of any other mobile application, website, or service;
  9. use the Application in any manner that could disable, overburden, damage, or impair the Application or interfere with any other party's use of the Application; or
  10. remove, disable, circumvent, or otherwise create or implement any workaround to any copy protection, rights management, or security features in or protecting the Application.
5. Reservation of Rights. You acknowledge and agree that the Application is provided under license, and not sold, to you. You do not acquire any ownership interest in the Application under this Agreement, or any other rights thereto other than to use the Application in accordance with the license granted, and subject to all terms, conditions, and restrictions, under this Agreement. Company and its licensors and service providers reserve and shall retain their entire right, title, and interest in and to the Application, including all copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights therein or relating thereto, except as expressly granted to you in this Agreement.
6. Collection and Use of Your Information. You acknowledge that when you download, install, or use the Application, Company may use automatic means (including, for example, cookies and web beacons) to collect information about your Mobile Device and about your use of the Application. You also may be required to provide certain information about yourself as a condition to downloading, installing, or using the Application or certain of its features or functionality. All information we collect through or in connection with this Application is subject to our [Privacy Policy.](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-command-it-privacy-policy/). By downloading, installing, using, and providing information to or through this Application, you consent to all actions taken by us with respect to your information in compliance with the Privacy Policy.
7. Intellectual Property Rights. The Company retains all right, title, and interest in and to the Application, including all copyrights, trademarks, service marks, patents, trade secrets, and other intellectual property rights therein, notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary. The use of the Application by you does not grant you any ownership over any of the content or intellectual property therein except as expressly stated in this Agreement. The Company grants you a limited, revocable, non-transferable, and non-exclusive license to use the Application strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. You acknowledge and agree that the Application, including all associated intellectual property rights, is the exclusive property of the Company and its licensors. Except for the license granted under this Agreement, all rights not expressly granted to you are reserved by the Company and its licensors. You shall not use, copy, adapt, modify, prepare derivative works from, distribute, license, sell, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform, transmit, broadcast, or otherwise exploit the Application or any part thereof, except as expressly permitted in this Agreement or as enabled by a feature or service provided by the Company within the Application. Any unauthorized use of the Company's intellectual property rights is a violation of this Agreement as well as a violation of intellectual property laws and treaties.
8. Updates to the Application Content. The Company may from time to time update the content within the Application, but it is not obligated to keep the content current or to reflect the most current information available. Consequently, any content within the Application may at any time be out of date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any content in the Application, and it is the End User's responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, opinion, advice, or other content available through the Application.
9. Updates. Company may from time to time in its sole discretion develop and provide Application updates, which may include upgrades, bug fixes, patches, other error corrections, and/or new features (collectively, including related documentation, **"Updates"**). Updates may also modify or delete in their entirety certain features and functionality. You agree that Company has no obligation to provide any Updates or to continue to provide or enable any particular features or functionality. Based on your Mobile Device settings, when your Mobile Device is connected to the internet either:
  1. the Application will automatically download and install all available Updates; or
  2. you may receive notice of or be prompted to download and install available Updates.

You shall promptly download and install all Updates and acknowledge and agree that the Application or portions thereof may not properly operate should you fail to do so. You further agree that all Updates will be deemed part of the Application and be subject to all terms and conditions of this Agreement.

10. Third-Party Materials. The Application may display, include, or make available third-party content (including data, information, applications, and other products, services, and/or materials) or provide links to third-party websites or services, including through third-party advertising ("Third-Party Materials"). You acknowledge and agree that Company is not responsible for Third-Party Materials, including their accuracy, completeness, timeliness, validity, copyright compliance, legality, decency, quality, or any other aspect thereof. Company does not assume and will not have any liability or responsibility to you or any other person or entity for any Third-Party Materials. Third-Party Materials and links thereto are provided solely as a convenience to you, and you access and use them entirely at your own risk and subject to such third parties' terms and conditions.
11. Payment Terms. You agree that the Company offers its services, including the Application, through subscription-based payments facilitated via the Apple App Store. All payments for the use of the Application, including but not limited to subscription fees, shall be processed through Apple Inc. ("Apple") or any other third-party payment processor utilized by Company from time to time. By subscribing to the Application, you are agreeing to be bound by the payment terms and conditions of Apple or such third-party payment processor as may be applicable. You acknowledge and agree that Company is not responsible for the processing of payments and shall not be liable for any issues arising from payment transactions, including but not limited to transaction errors, payment failures, or unauthorized charges. It is your responsibility to review and understand the payment terms and conditions of Apple or the applicable third-party payment processor prior to engaging in any transactions. The Company reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Application, including any subscription offerings, at any time, with or without notice to you, and Company shall not be liable to you or any third party should it exercise such rights.
12. Term and Termination.
  1. The term of Agreement commences when you download the Application and will continue in effect until terminated by you or Company as set forth in this Section 9.
  2. You may terminate this Agreement by deleting the Application and all copies thereof from your Mobile Device.
  3. Company may terminate this Agreement at any time without notice if it ceases to support the Application, which Company may do in its sole discretion. In addition, this Agreement will terminate immediately and automatically without any notice if you violate any of the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
  4. Upon termination:
    1. all rights granted to you under this Agreement will also terminate; and
    2. you must cease all use of the Application and delete all copies of the Application from your Mobile Device and account.
  5. Termination will not limit any of Company's rights or remedies at law or in equity.
13. Disclaimer of Warranties. THE APPLICATION IS PROVIDED TO END USER "AS IS" AND WITH ALL FAULTS AND DEFECTS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, COMPANY, ON ITS OWN BEHALF AND ON BEHALF OF ITS AFFILIATES AND ITS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE LICENSORS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND WARRANTIES THAT MAY ARISE OUT OF COURSE OF DEALING, COURSE OF PERFORMANCE, USAGE, OR TRADE PRACTICE. WITHOUT LIMITATION TO THE FOREGOING, COMPANY PROVIDES NO WARRANTY OR UNDERTAKING, AND MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OF ANY KIND THAT THE APPLICATION WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, ACHIEVE ANY INTENDED RESULTS, BE COMPATIBLE, OR WORK WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE, APPLICATIONS, SYSTEMS, OR SERVICES, OPERATE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION, MEET ANY PERFORMANCE OR RELIABILITY STANDARDS, OR BE ERROR-FREE, OR THAT ANY ERRORS OR DEFECTS CAN OR WILL BE CORRECTED.

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF OR LIMITATIONS ON IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR THE LIMITATIONS ON THE APPLICABLE STATUTORY RIGHTS OF A CONSUMER, SO SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

14. Limitation of Liability. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL COMPANY OR ITS AFFILIATES, OR ANY OF ITS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE LICENSORS OR SERVICE PROVIDERS, HAVE ANY LIABILITY ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE APPLICATION OR THE CONTENT AND SERVICES FOR:
  1. PERSONAL INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE, LOST PROFITS, COST OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES, LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF GOODWILL, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, COMPUTER FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION, OR ANY OTHER CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, EXEMPLARY, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES.
  2. DIRECT DAMAGES IN AMOUNTS THAT IN THE AGGREGATE EXCEED THE AMOUNT ACTUALLY PAID BY YOU FOR THE APPLICATION.

THE FOREGOING LIMITATIONS WILL APPLY WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES ARISE OUT OF BREACH OF CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), OR OTHERWISE AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES WERE FORESEEABLE OR COMPANY WAS ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY SO SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

15. Indemnification. You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Company and its officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates, successors, and assigns from and against any and all losses, damages, liabilities, deficiencies, claims, actions, judgments, settlements, interest, awards, penalties, fines, costs, or expenses of whatever kind, including attorneys' fees, arising from or relating to your use or misuse of the Application or your breach of this Agreement, including but not limited to the content you submit or make available through this Application.
16. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is illegal or unenforceable under applicable law, the remainder of the provision will be amended to achieve as closely as possible the effect of the original term and all other provisions of this Agreement will continue in full force and effect.
17. Governing Law. This Agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Washington without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule. Any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of or related to this Agreement or the Application shall be instituted exclusively in the federal courts of the United States or the courts of the State of Washington. You waive any and all objections to the exercise of jurisdiction over you by such courts and to venue in such courts.
18. Limitation of Time to File Claims. ANY CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM YOU MAY HAVE ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE APPLICATION MUST BE COMMENCED WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE CAUSE OF ACTION ACCRUES OTHERWISE SUCH CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM IS PERMANENTLY BARRED.
19. Entire Agreement. This Agreement and our Privacy Policy constitute the entire agreement between you and Company with respect to the Application and supersede all prior or contemporaneous understandings and agreements, whether written or oral, with respect to the Application.
20. Waiver. No failure to exercise, and no delay in exercising, on the part of either party, any right or any power hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right or power hereunder preclude further exercise of that or any other right hereunder. In the event of a conflict between this Agreement and any applicable purchase or other terms, the terms of this Agreement shall govern.

Should you have any comments, questions, or concerns regarding this Agreement or the Application, please feel free to contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Match%20It!%20Terms%20of%20Use%20Agreement). We are committed to addressing your inquiries and strive to provide you with a satisfactory resolution. Your feedback is important to us, and we welcome your input on how we can improve our services and this Application
### Simply Match It!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it/
Last updated: 2026-07-30T23:55:35.000Z
**Simply Match It** is a fast, family-friendly card game where you race to find the one emoji both cards share... before anyone else does.

My favorite part? Hearing the kids grumble when someone else beats them to it.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/Simply-Match-It--App-Page.png)

Calm Tech for real life.

> Quick to learn.  
> Hard to put down.

💡

****Free to play! No ads, no fuss.** [Try Simply Match It!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com)

Available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

---

## Why I Built This

> It started with a livestream. I watched [Paul Hudson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up6LpJOz5bQ&ref=simplykyra.com) build a two-player emoji matching game called *Twinmoji* during a Hacking with Swift birthday stream... and I couldn't stop thinking about how much my kids would love it.  
>  
> So I built my own version. Then I kept going.  
>  
> I wanted something colorful, fast, and satisfying that the whole family could pick up in seconds. No ads. No clutter. Just quick rounds of playful chaos and the very satisfying moment when you spot the match first.  
>  
> *— Kyra, indie developer & SimplyKyra LLC* 💕

---

## What Can I Do?

Whether you're playing solo or crowded around a screen with the whole family, Simply Match It adapts. Pick your emoji set, set your player count, and go.

🃏

### Race to the Match

Two emoji cards. One shared emoji. Spot it and tap before anyone else does... every round is a new scramble.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

### 1 to 4 Players

Play solo for a quick solo challenge, or crowd around one device with up to three other players.

🎨

### Make It Yours

Choose your emoji set, card grid size, player names and colors, win score, and timer speed.

☁️

### Saved Per Player

Each player keeps their own settings (name, color, and preferences) synced via iCloud across your devices.

📱

### iPhone, iPad & Mac

One game, every Apple device. The layout adapts so the board always looks right however you're playing.

🚫

### No Ads. Ever.

No interruptions. No tracking. Just the game! Free to play and calm by design.

---

## Use It For…

🏠

### Family Game Night

Everyone gets a corner. Fast rounds, good laughs, and zero setup time.

☕

### A Quick Solo Break

Two minutes between tasks. Solo mode keeps your brain sharp without the pressure.

✈️

### On the Go

Road trips, waiting rooms, or any moment when you need something fun in your pocket.

👶

### Kids & Toddlers

Colorful, visual, and fast to learn. Great for a parent who needs two minutes to breathe.

🎉

### Party Nights

Pass the device, pick your emoji set, and let the chaos begin. Easily replayable all evening.

🧠

### Practice Your Focus

Speed and pattern-spotting in one. Great for anyone who wants a gentle mental workout.

---

## Private by Design

**Your data stays yours.**

Simply Match It uses your iCloud account to sync game settings across your Apple devices. That's it. No analytics, no data collection, no tracking of any kind. Your game stays yours.

---

## Plans

**Free to start. Customize when you're ready.**

Always free

### Free

- Core gameplay
- 2-player mode
- Classic emoji sets
- iCloud settings sync
- No ads, ever

Monthly or yearly

### Premium

- Everything in Free
- Solo & 3–4 player modes
- All emoji image sets
- Custom board size
- Custom win score & timer speed
- Saved settings per player

One-time purchase

### Lifetime

- Everything in Premium
- Pay once, keep forever
- All future customization updates

Pricing shown in the App Store in your local currency · Free trial available · [Privacy Policy](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it-privacy-policy/) · [Terms of Use](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it-terms-and-conditions/)

---

## Let's Play

> Free to start. Customize when you're ready.

## Ready to find the match?

Free to download. No ads. Just one simple game the whole family can play.

[Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com) 

[💬 FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-match-it-faqs) [🛠️ Version history](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-version-history/) [✉️ Contact me](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Match%20It) [❤️ Email update](#/portal/signup)
### Simply Uncover It! Terms of Use Agreement
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it-terms-and-conditions/
Last updated: 2025-03-07T01:35:18.000Z
This Terms of Use Agreement (**"Agreement"**) is a binding agreement between you (**"End User"** or **"you"**) and SimplyKyra LLC (**"Company"**). This Agreement governs your use of the Simply Uncover It App (including all related documentation, the **"Application"**). The Application is licensed, not sold, to you.

BY INSTALLING THE APPLICATION YOU (A) ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS AGREEMENT; (B) REPRESENT THAT YOU ARE 16 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AND HAVE THE LEGAL CAPACITY TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT; AND (C) ACCEPT THIS AGREEMENT AND AGREE THAT YOU ARE LEGALLY BOUND BY ITS TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS, DO NOT DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION AND DELETE IT FROM YOUR MOBILE DEVICE.

1. Acceptable Use. You agree to use the Application solely for lawful purposes as intended through the provided functionality of the Application. You agree to use the Application only in compliance with this Agreement, and all local, state, national, and international laws, rules, and regulations.
2. Prohibited Conduct. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you agree not to:
  1. Use the Application in any manner that could interfere with, disrupt, negatively affect, or inhibit other users from fully enjoying the Application, or that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair the functioning of the Application in any manner;
  2. Compromise the security of the Application or attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Application, user accounts, system resources, or networks connected to the Application through hacking, password mining, or any other means;
  3. Use the Application for any illegal or unauthorized purpose, or engage in, encourage, or promote any activity that violates this Agreement;
  4. Modify, adapt, hack, or emulate the Application;
  5. Circumvent or attempt to circumvent any filtering, security measures, or other features designed to protect the Application or third-parties;
  6. Infringe upon or violate the rights of the Company, our users, or any third party;
  7. Upload, transmit, or distribute to or through the Application any viruses, worms, malicious code, or any software intended to damage or alter a computer system or data;
  8. Use the Application to harvest, collect, gather or assemble information or data regarding other users, including e-mail addresses, without their consent;
  9. Use the Application for any commercial solicitation purposes, spamming, or sending unsolicited emails;
  10. Impersonate another person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity;
  11. Bypass or ignore instructions that control all automated access to the Application;
  12. Use the Application to send, upload, download, use, or re-use any material which does not comply with the standards set out in this Agreement.

Violation of any of the foregoing may result in immediate termination of this Agreement and may subject you to state and federal penalties and other legal consequences. The Company reserves the right, but is not obligated, to investigate any violation of this Agreement or misuse of the Application. The Company may at its sole discretion remove, disable access to, or modify any content or resource that violates these provisions or any other provision of this Agreement

3. License Grant. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, Company grants you a limited, non-exclusive, and nontransferable license to:
  1. download, install, and use the Application for your personal, non-commercial use on a device(s) owned or otherwise controlled by you ("Mobile Device") strictly in accordance with the Application's documentation.
4. License Restrictions. Except as may be expressly permitted by applicable law or expressly authorized by the Application, you shall not:
  1. copy the Application, except as expressly permitted by this license;
  2. modify, translate, adapt, or otherwise create derivative works or improvements, whether or not patentable, of the Application;
  3. reverse engineer, disassemble, decompile, decode, or otherwise attempt to derive or gain access to the source code of the Application or any part thereof;
  4. remove, delete, alter, or obscure any trademarks or any copyright, trademark, patent, or other intellectual property or proprietary rights notices from the Application, including any copy thereof;
  5. rent, lease, lend, sell, sublicense, assign, distribute, publish, transfer, or otherwise make available the Application, or any features or functionality of the Application, to any third party for any reason, including by making the Application available on a network where it is capable of being accessed by more than one device at any time;
  6. use any robot, spider, or other automatic device, process, or means to access the Application for any purpose, including monitoring or copying any of the material on the Application;
  7. use any manual process to monitor or copy any of the material on the Application, or for any other purpose not expressly authorized in this Agreement, without Company's prior written consent;
  8. frame, mirror, or otherwise incorporate the Application or any portion of the Application as part of any other mobile application, website, or service;
  9. use the Application in any manner that could disable, overburden, damage, or impair the Application or interfere with any other party's use of the Application; or
  10. remove, disable, circumvent, or otherwise create or implement any workaround to any copy protection, rights management, or security features in or protecting the Application.
5. Reservation of Rights. You acknowledge and agree that the Application is provided under license, and not sold, to you. You do not acquire any ownership interest in the Application under this Agreement, or any other rights thereto other than to use the Application in accordance with the license granted, and subject to all terms, conditions, and restrictions, under this Agreement. Company and its licensors and service providers reserve and shall retain their entire right, title, and interest in and to the Application, including all copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights therein or relating thereto, except as expressly granted to you in this Agreement.
6. Collection and Use of Your Information. You acknowledge that when you download, install, or use the Application, Company may use automatic means (including, for example, cookies and web beacons) to collect information about your Mobile Device and about your use of the Application. You also may be required to provide certain information about yourself as a condition to downloading, installing, or using the Application or certain of its features or functionality. All information we collect through or in connection with this Application is subject to our [Privacy Policy.](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-command-it-privacy-policy/). By downloading, installing, using, and providing information to or through this Application, you consent to all actions taken by us with respect to your information in compliance with the Privacy Policy.
7. Intellectual Property Rights. The Company retains all right, title, and interest in and to the Application, including all copyrights, trademarks, service marks, patents, trade secrets, and other intellectual property rights therein, notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary. The use of the Application by you does not grant you any ownership over any of the content or intellectual property therein except as expressly stated in this Agreement. The Company grants you a limited, revocable, non-transferable, and non-exclusive license to use the Application strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. You acknowledge and agree that the Application, including all associated intellectual property rights, is the exclusive property of the Company and its licensors. Except for the license granted under this Agreement, all rights not expressly granted to you are reserved by the Company and its licensors. You shall not use, copy, adapt, modify, prepare derivative works from, distribute, license, sell, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform, transmit, broadcast, or otherwise exploit the Application or any part thereof, except as expressly permitted in this Agreement or as enabled by a feature or service provided by the Company within the Application. Any unauthorized use of the Company's intellectual property rights is a violation of this Agreement as well as a violation of intellectual property laws and treaties.
8. Updates to the Application Content. The Company may from time to time update the content within the Application, but it is not obligated to keep the content current or to reflect the most current information available. Consequently, any content within the Application may at any time be out of date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any content in the Application, and it is the End User's responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, opinion, advice, or other content available through the Application.
9. Updates. Company may from time to time in its sole discretion develop and provide Application updates, which may include upgrades, bug fixes, patches, other error corrections, and/or new features (collectively, including related documentation, **"Updates"**). Updates may also modify or delete in their entirety certain features and functionality. You agree that Company has no obligation to provide any Updates or to continue to provide or enable any particular features or functionality. Based on your Mobile Device settings, when your Mobile Device is connected to the internet either:
  1. the Application will automatically download and install all available Updates; or
  2. you may receive notice of or be prompted to download and install available Updates.

You shall promptly download and install all Updates and acknowledge and agree that the Application or portions thereof may not properly operate should you fail to do so. You further agree that all Updates will be deemed part of the Application and be subject to all terms and conditions of this Agreement.

10. Third-Party Materials. The Application may display, include, or make available third-party content (including data, information, applications, and other products, services, and/or materials) or provide links to third-party websites or services, including through third-party advertising ("Third-Party Materials"). You acknowledge and agree that Company is not responsible for Third-Party Materials, including their accuracy, completeness, timeliness, validity, copyright compliance, legality, decency, quality, or any other aspect thereof. Company does not assume and will not have any liability or responsibility to you or any other person or entity for any Third-Party Materials. Third-Party Materials and links thereto are provided solely as a convenience to you, and you access and use them entirely at your own risk and subject to such third parties' terms and conditions.
11. Payment Terms. You agree that the Company offers its services, including the Application, through subscription-based payments facilitated via the Apple App Store. All payments for the use of the Application, including but not limited to subscription fees, shall be processed through Apple Inc. ("Apple") or any other third-party payment processor utilized by Company from time to time. By subscribing to the Application, you are agreeing to be bound by the payment terms and conditions of Apple or such third-party payment processor as may be applicable. You acknowledge and agree that Company is not responsible for the processing of payments and shall not be liable for any issues arising from payment transactions, including but not limited to transaction errors, payment failures, or unauthorized charges. It is your responsibility to review and understand the payment terms and conditions of Apple or the applicable third-party payment processor prior to engaging in any transactions. The Company reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Application, including any subscription offerings, at any time, with or without notice to you, and Company shall not be liable to you or any third party should it exercise such rights.
12. Term and Termination.
  1. The term of Agreement commences when you download the Application and will continue in effect until terminated by you or Company as set forth in this Section 9.
  2. You may terminate this Agreement by deleting the Application and all copies thereof from your Mobile Device.
  3. Company may terminate this Agreement at any time without notice if it ceases to support the Application, which Company may do in its sole discretion. In addition, this Agreement will terminate immediately and automatically without any notice if you violate any of the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
  4. Upon termination:
    1. all rights granted to you under this Agreement will also terminate; and
    2. you must cease all use of the Application and delete all copies of the Application from your Mobile Device and account.
  5. Termination will not limit any of Company's rights or remedies at law or in equity.
13. Disclaimer of Warranties. THE APPLICATION IS PROVIDED TO END USER "AS IS" AND WITH ALL FAULTS AND DEFECTS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, COMPANY, ON ITS OWN BEHALF AND ON BEHALF OF ITS AFFILIATES AND ITS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE LICENSORS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND WARRANTIES THAT MAY ARISE OUT OF COURSE OF DEALING, COURSE OF PERFORMANCE, USAGE, OR TRADE PRACTICE. WITHOUT LIMITATION TO THE FOREGOING, COMPANY PROVIDES NO WARRANTY OR UNDERTAKING, AND MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OF ANY KIND THAT THE APPLICATION WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, ACHIEVE ANY INTENDED RESULTS, BE COMPATIBLE, OR WORK WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE, APPLICATIONS, SYSTEMS, OR SERVICES, OPERATE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION, MEET ANY PERFORMANCE OR RELIABILITY STANDARDS, OR BE ERROR-FREE, OR THAT ANY ERRORS OR DEFECTS CAN OR WILL BE CORRECTED.

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF OR LIMITATIONS ON IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR THE LIMITATIONS ON THE APPLICABLE STATUTORY RIGHTS OF A CONSUMER, SO SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

14. Limitation of Liability. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL COMPANY OR ITS AFFILIATES, OR ANY OF ITS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE LICENSORS OR SERVICE PROVIDERS, HAVE ANY LIABILITY ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE APPLICATION OR THE CONTENT AND SERVICES FOR:
  1. PERSONAL INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE, LOST PROFITS, COST OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES, LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF GOODWILL, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, COMPUTER FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION, OR ANY OTHER CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, EXEMPLARY, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES.
  2. DIRECT DAMAGES IN AMOUNTS THAT IN THE AGGREGATE EXCEED THE AMOUNT ACTUALLY PAID BY YOU FOR THE APPLICATION.

THE FOREGOING LIMITATIONS WILL APPLY WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES ARISE OUT OF BREACH OF CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), OR OTHERWISE AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES WERE FORESEEABLE OR COMPANY WAS ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY SO SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

15. Indemnification. You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Company and its officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates, successors, and assigns from and against any and all losses, damages, liabilities, deficiencies, claims, actions, judgments, settlements, interest, awards, penalties, fines, costs, or expenses of whatever kind, including attorneys' fees, arising from or relating to your use or misuse of the Application or your breach of this Agreement, including but not limited to the content you submit or make available through this Application.
16. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is illegal or unenforceable under applicable law, the remainder of the provision will be amended to achieve as closely as possible the effect of the original term and all other provisions of this Agreement will continue in full force and effect.
17. Governing Law. This Agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Washington without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule. Any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of or related to this Agreement or the Application shall be instituted exclusively in the federal courts of the United States or the courts of the State of Washington. You waive any and all objections to the exercise of jurisdiction over you by such courts and to venue in such courts.
18. Limitation of Time to File Claims. ANY CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM YOU MAY HAVE ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE APPLICATION MUST BE COMMENCED WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE CAUSE OF ACTION ACCRUES OTHERWISE SUCH CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM IS PERMANENTLY BARRED.
19. Entire Agreement. This Agreement and our Privacy Policy constitute the entire agreement between you and Company with respect to the Application and supersede all prior or contemporaneous understandings and agreements, whether written or oral, with respect to the Application.
20. Waiver. No failure to exercise, and no delay in exercising, on the part of either party, any right or any power hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right or power hereunder preclude further exercise of that or any other right hereunder. In the event of a conflict between this Agreement and any applicable purchase or other terms, the terms of this Agreement shall govern.

Should you have any comments, questions, or concerns regarding this Agreement or the Application, please feel free to contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Uncover%20It!%20Terms%20of%20Use%20Agreement). We are committed to addressing your inquiries and strive to provide you with a satisfactory resolution. Your feedback is important to us, and we welcome your input on how we can improve our services and this Application
### Simply Uncover It! Mobile App Privacy Policy
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it-privacy-policy/
Last updated: 2026-06-03T23:15:36.000Z
Last modified: June 3rd, 2026

## Introduction

SimplyKyra LLC ("**Company**" or "**We**") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it through our compliance with this policy. This policy describes: 

- The types of information we may collect or that you may provide when you purchase, download, install, register with, access, or use the Simply Uncover It App (the "**App**").
- Our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information.

This policy applies only to information we collect in this App, and in email, text, and other electronic communications sent through or in connection with this App.

This policy DOES NOT apply to information that:

- We collect offline or on any other Company apps or websites, including websites you may access through this App.
- You provide to or is collected by any third party (see [Third-Party Information Collection](#third-party-information-collection)).

Our websites and apps, and these other third parties may have their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to read before providing information on or through them.

Please read this policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your information and how we will treat it. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, do not download, register with, or use this App. By downloading, registering with, or using this App, you agree to this privacy policy. This policy may change from time to time (see [Changes to Our Privacy Policy](#changes-to-our-privacy-policy)). Your continued use of this App after we revise this policy means you accept those changes, so please check the policy periodically for updates. 

## Children Under the Age of 16

The App is not intended for children under 16 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16\. If we learn we have collected or received personal information from a child under 16 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child under 16, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Uncover%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy).

## Information We Collect and How We Collect It

We collect information from and about users of our App:

- Directly from you when you provide it to us.
- Automatically when you use the App.
- From you when you contact the Company via email or other means.

### *Information You Provide to Us*

When you download, register with, or use this App, we may ask you provide information:

- By which you may be personally identified, such as name, postal address, email address, telephone number, or any other identifier by which you may be contacted online or offline("**personal information**").
- That is about you but individually does not identify you.

This information includes: 

- Information that you provide by filling in forms in the App. This includes information provided at the time of registering to use the App and subscribing to our service. We may also ask you for information when you report a problem with the App.
- Records and copies of your correspondence (including email addresses and phone numbers), if you contact us.
- Details of transactions you carry out through the App and of the fulfillment of your orders. You may be required to provide financial information before placing an order through the App.

### *Information We Collect Through Automatic Data Collection Technologies* 

When you download, access, and use the App, it may use technology to automatically collect:

- **Device Information.** We may collect information about your mobile device and internet connection, including the device's unique device identifier, IP address, operating system, browser type, mobile network information, and the device's telephone number.
- **Location Information.** This App does not collect real-time information about the location of your device.

If you do not want us to collect this information do not download the App or delete it from your device. For more information, see [Your Choices About Our Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Your Information](#your-choices-about-our-collection-use-and-disclosure-of-your-information).

The technologies we use for automatic information collection may include:

- **Cookies (or mobile cookies).** A cookie is a small file placed on your smartphone. It may be possible to refuse to accept mobile cookies by activating the appropriate setting on your smartphone. However, if you select this setting you may be unable to access certain parts of our App.

### *Third-Party Information Collection*

When you use the App or its content, certain third parties may use automatic information collection technologies to collect information about you or your device. These third parties may include: 

- Apple Inc., Apple Subscriptions, Apple App Store, Apple iCloud and Apple CloudKit
- Your mobile device manufacturer.
- Your mobile service provider.

These third parties may use tracking technologies to collect information about you when you use this app. The information they collect may be associated with your personal information or they may collect information, including personal information, about your online activities over time and across different websites, apps, and other online services websites. They may use this information to provide you with interest-based (behavioral) advertising or other targeted content. 

We do not control these third parties' tracking technologies or how they may be used. If you have any questions about an advertisement or other targeted content, you should contact the responsible provider directly.

## How We Use Your Information

We use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any personal information, to:

- Provide you with the App and its contents, and any other information, products, or services that you request from us.
- Fulfill any other purpose for which you provide it.
- Give you notices about your subscription, including expiration and renewal notices.
- Carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including for billing and collection.
- Notify you when App updates are available, and of changes to any products or services we offer or provide though it.
- Share newsletters from time to time.

The usage information we collect helps us to improve our App and to deliver a better and more personalized experience by enabling us to:

- Recognize you when you use the App.

## Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose aggregated information about our users, and information that does not identify any individual, without restriction. 

In addition, we may disclose personal information that we collect or you provide:

- To our subsidiaries and affiliates.
- To contractors, service providers, and other third parties we use to support our business.
- To a buyer or other successor in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of the Company’s assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which personal information held by the Company about our App users is among the assets transferred.
- To fulfill the purpose for which you provide it.
- For any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information.
- With your consent.
- To comply with any court order, law, or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request.
- To enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including the [Terms of Use](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-command-it-terms-and-conditions/), and for billing and collection.
- If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of the Company, our customers, or others.

## Your Choices About Our Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Your Information

We strive to provide you with choices regarding the personal information you provide to us. This section describes mechanisms we provide for you to control certain uses and disclosures of over your information. 

- **Tracking Technologies.** You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable or refuse cookies or block the use of other tracking technologies, some parts of the App may then be inaccessible or not function properly.

## Accessing and Correcting Your Personal Information

You can review and change your personal information or connection values by logging into the App and visiting your account profile page.

You may also send us an email at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy) to request access to, correct, or delete any personal information that you have provided to us. We cannot delete your personal information except by also deleting your user account. We may not accommodate a request to change information if we believe the change would violate any law or legal requirement or cause the information to be incorrect.

Residents in certain states, such as California, may have additional personal information rights and choices. Please see [California State Privacy Rights](#california-state-privacy-rights) for more information.

## California State Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have specific rights regarding your personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). These rights include the ability to request more detailed information about how your personal information is shared with third parties for direct marketing purposes. Moreover, you have the right to control with whom we can and cannot share your personal information for these purposes. SimplyKyra LLC does not share your personal information with third parties for direct marketing purposes without your consent. If you wish to exercise any of your rights under the CCPA, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Uncover%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy). This includes your right to access the specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you and to request the deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions prescribed by law.

## GDPR Privacy Rights

If you are located in the European Union, you have certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regarding your personal data. These rights include:

1. Right to Access: You have the right to request access to your personal data that we hold.
2. Right to Rectification: You have the right to request correction of any inaccurate personal data.
3. Right to Erasure: You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data, subject to certain conditions.
4. Right to Restriction of Processing: You have the right to request restriction of processing your personal data under certain circumstances.
5. Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to transmit that data to another controller.
6. Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in certain situations, including for direct marketing purposes.
7. Right to Withdraw Consent: Where the processing of your personal data is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy). We will respond to your request within one month. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe that our processing of your personal data infringes upon your rights under the GDPR.

## Other State-Specific Privacy Rights

This App recognizes and will comply with all state-specific privacy laws that provide residents with privacy rights in addition to those outlined in this privacy policy. This includes, but is not limited to, the right to access personal information, the right to delete personal information, the right to opt out of the sale of personal information, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights under applicable state laws.

Residents of states with such privacy laws may exercise their rights in accordance with the specific procedures and limitations set forth by their state's law. To make such a request, please contact us at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Uncover%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy), and include the state in which you reside so that we can respond accordingly with the specific rights and options available to you.

SimplyKyra LLC is committed to respecting the privacy and legal rights of all users, and we endeavor to comply with state-specific requirements where applicable. We encourage users to review the privacy policy periodically for updates regarding state-specific privacy rights.

## Data Security

We have implemented measures designed to secure your personal information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. 

The safety and security of your information also depends on you. Where we have given you (or where you have chosen) to provide passwords for access to certain parts of our App, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We ask you not to share your password with anyone. 

Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet and mobile platforms is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information transmitted through our App. Any transmission of personal information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures we provide.

## Changes to Our Privacy Policy

We may update our privacy policy from time to time. If we make material changes to how we treat our users' personal information, we will notify you by email to the email address specified in your account or through a notice on the Website home page.

The date the privacy policy was last revised is identified at the top of the page. You are responsible for ensuring we have an up-to-date active and deliverable email address for you and for periodically visiting this privacy policy to check for any changes.

## Contact Information

To ask questions or comment about this privacy policy and our privacy practices, contact us at: 

[mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Uncover%20It!%20Privacy%20Policy)

Phone: (360) 515-8767
## Posts
### Simply TBR 1.2.0: Add It, Share It
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-2-0/
Last updated: 2026-09-07T21:31:01.000Z
Since the last update I'd started adding additional changes to the image you can share whee you finish a book.... then I realized what if the book had to cover and went to add a quick test book to check. This went fine but the process was clunkier than I remembered. Despite it being adequate it still bugged me and I thought of the search ability I added to the book display awhile back when my book was misidentified... so I combined that to add a new, free, way to add to your stack.

## Adding a Book by Search

You can now search for a book directly and add it to your stack with the cover and details set already. Like the others add methods, tap the plus button, choose Add by Search, type it in, and choose from the results. You can customize where it's from and what type of book it is (physical, ebook, or audiobook) but the rest of the details are filled in for you. 

## Libby Import Fix

This update actually started back on my way home from vacation when I checked out a new Libby book and realized it wasn't being recognized when I tried to import it into my stack. It was the first thing I did when got a chance to turn my computer on once I got home.

## More Share Cards

I really love the two share cards I added in the last update... and wanted more of them. And so I did that... which led to more choices including one with a note, several without, and two you can choose... plus each one can be shown in light or dark mode. 

### And Beyond

While working on the Share Cards I found myself bouncing between them, the *Your Choice* default settings, and the help pages. Each bounce added changes and in the end I removed *More Info* and moved it's contents up into *Help & Support*, combined the two widget pages, added images when setting the default card in *Your Choices* , and added a new help text section to explain the Exit Ceremony better.

---

And with that a new update was released.

[Update now in the App Store!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-tbr-tame-the-stack/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)

If anything's missing that you wish it pulled from, I'd love to hear from you. I'm always looking to improve *Simply TBR*.

— Kyra 💕
### Where Simply TBR Actually Pulls Your Books From
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/where-simply-tbr-actually-pulls-your-books-from/
Last updated: 2026-09-02T20:42:47.000Z
My books were everywhere... NetGalley, Amazon First Reads, Prime Reading, Kindle, library holds, and the actual stacks on my bookshelves. I could never answer one simple question: what do I actually have?

So I built something to pull it all into one place. And then I saw the number... 633.

> 633! Ughhhhh!

My first reaction was ughhh. Over 600 books I wanted to read and hadn't... many were from NetGalley but the cost of them hurt whether it was in actual money to buy them, the hit to my NetGalley feedback ratio, or even just the time it took thinking about them... and that all led to more guilt over a number. But... knowing that number was the first step. I may not read them all but now I know that they're there. I see what I have, shop from what I see, and choose if I want to add to my pile from a more informed place. This knowledge and visual all in one place is so freeing.

And that's the whole idea behind Simply TBR... instead of guessing, or half-remembering, or opening five different apps to check what you now know. You now see all the books in one stack. You can use filters to choose to show what you want to prioritize or simply browse all the covers in one place. 

Here's where that stack actually comes from.

## NetGalley

If you review electronic arcs you know the [NetGalley](https://www.netgalley.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) shelf problem. Once you're logged in whether it's to review a finished book, check a favorite author, or whatever... you easily get pulled into the pages and pages of amazing stuff and dramatically increase your TBR pile. That, at least for me, was a major way my pile got so big in the first place.

### Minimize the NetGalley Rabbit Hole

This started, like the other sources below, by simply importing the books directly so you could see them all in one place either in the app or, with the widgets, right on the home screen. I included archive dates both for display and filtering... or it can be turned off if you don't want to know. When you do finish a book and want to review it on NetGalley you can skip the homepage and instead tap a link to bring you directly to the book's review page with your notes, if you wrote any, and a customizable prefix in your clipboard ready to go. Write the review, return to Simply TBR, and tap complete. So much easier and less enticing... if you prefer. 

### Author Watch

I used to set a monthly phone reminder for every author I wanted to follow with a link to go check their NetGalley page so I wouldn't miss a release. Then the reminders got overwhelming. I missed some, I put things off, and I hated when the next reminder popped up too soon after I'd finally checked. Eventually, maybe, I'd find out anyway, if I was lucky, from a Goodreads email.

*Quick side note...* this is a big reason I calculated from when a task was last done and not from when it should be done in [*Simply Remember It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/). 

I wanted to bring this author reminder system into Simply TBR for me, and if I needed it then, also for you... so I added Author Watch. It's a single spot in the app where you can add any author you follow whenever you think of them. When you're curious tap a button and it checks NetGalley for each of the entered author for you. Want to confirm yourself? Each author page lets you re-check that author and offers a direct link to that particular NetGalley search if you want to be extra sure. Either way this gives you quicker checks and confirmations all in one spot. You don't have to hold it all in your brain anymore... you just need to enter the author at some point. 

[Watch the Author Watch Reel](https://youtube.com/shorts/%5F8hQL07MrNs?si=75fpDEsz7y93ip5V&ref=simplykyra.com)

### Feedback Ratio

And then I went further. Despite my feedback ratio being so low (57%... really want to bring it back up) I added a toggle to display it (or hide it) with a button to check and update it within the app. 

### Website Domains

Then I remembered that there are different NetGalley web domains so you could theoretical switch between *.com* and use multiple including, at this time, UK, France, Germany, or Japan. Feedback has been tested on all the current NetGalley domains... if you notice any issues please don't hesitate to ask. 

> Your stack, your choice.

It's still your NetGalley account. This just makes all of it a little more visible.

[Watch the NetGalley Reel](https://youtube.com/shorts/7M9O8fERFBM?si=ONYZ7uJs9E84OqwY&ref=simplykyra.com)

## Amazon

Kindle books, Prime Reading, Kindle Unlimited, ComiXology, and Audible. Five different places to check just to see what you might already own from Amazon.

Simply TBR pulls all of it into your stack: books you bought outright, what's in your subscription, and your audiobook library, with format tags so you always know what's an ebook and what's audio. 

**Amazon Purchase** opens your Digital Orders defaulting to the last 3 months. **Amazon Subscriptions** auto-opens Prime Reading, with a filter to switch to Kindle Unlimited, Comixology, or elsewhere. **Audible** works the same way but stays separate, in case you'd rather handle audiobooks on their own.

It's one import per source where you can set or change the filter, page through the content, and hit import when you're ready. You are in control of what it sees. When imported it shows you what it found and you choose what actually goes into your stack.

You already own all of these books. Now you can actually see them.

[Watch the Amazon Reel](https://youtube.com/shorts/ruY7pFwef3M?si=cD1RkJzAInk8U5BP&ref=simplykyra.com)

## Libby

A book sounds so amazing so I put it on hold through [Libby](https://libbyapp.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). Then I remember I don't actually have time right now so I suspend it and it sits there. Or it comes in, I take it out, maybe I start it, maybe I love it, maybe I don't even get a chance to open it. Either way, the loan comes due, the book disappears, and I tell myself I'll remember it later. I usually don't.

I have at least five suspended books waiting for me on Libby right now. So I made that Simply TBR checks both your loans and your holds, because both of them count. You want it, so it belongs on your stack.

When you do start a Libby book mark it as started in the app. If it gets returned before you finish that's okay... simply jot down a quick note so future you remembers why you loved it, what the storyline was, or whatever... then you decide later whether to put it back on hold, buy it, or call it a DNF. The book in the app can sit there, paused, set aside, whatever you need. When you're ready, set it back to reading and, when finished, go through the exit ceremony with a link to return the book early.

I'm juggling two cards and through Libby subreddits and Facebook groups it sounds like plenty of people are juggling more... and I noticed once my imported stack was missing some books. As such I've added an optional section to show and quickly check which cards the app can see. This way you can see which libraries Simply TBR is actually thinking you're a part of and it gives you an area to easily log into more. This way you're not left wondering why some holds aren't showing up when others are.

[Watch the Libby Reel](https://youtube.com/shorts/-LmT5SnyYcM?si=Jxhxfu4wS2RUcsjT&ref=simplykyra.com)

## More... By Request

I absolutely adore books and go through stages where I read a lot and stages where I barely open a book. Lately I've felt behind in reading with life, my apps, and more taking a priority. As such book tracking, beyond NetGalley and Goodreads, hasn't been prioritized. That's why I was overjoyed, not long after Simply TBR launched, to get an email asking about their self-hosted [Grimmory](https://grimmory.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) where OPDS was used to sync the books. They also wanted [StoryGraph](https://thestorygraph.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Hardcover](https://hardcover.app/home?ref=simplykyra.com) added for their reading stat entry.

I added both StoryGraph and Hardcover links to a book's exit ceremony and, beyond that, if you use your [Hardcover API access](https://hardcover.app/account/api?ref=simplykyra.com), you can import your books from there along with using it for your entire Simply TBR book stack metadata. Also, if you have a personal OPDS library, you can now use your connection details to connect, choose libraries, and import from there too.

## Other Sources

For all other sources like local library and/or physical books you can enter book data manually either one by one or multiple at a time. For me I have several books stored in [Apple Books](https://www.apple.com/apple-books/?ref=simplykyra.com) which doesn't have a public API... at least not one I know of and if I'm wrong about that, I'd genuinely love to hear about it. So, as it stands, there's no clean import but I did add in a workaround that works for this and potentially other apps. 

You can screenshot your Apple Books shel, and Simply TBR reads it with on-device OCR. It pulls out the titles and authors it sees and shows you what it thinks you have so you can confirm before it's added to your stack. It's not perfect... I'll admit. You may need to edit a book here and there to clean up extra words. But it works, and it means Apple Books, and potentially other apps like it, don't have to be the one place left out of your stack.

[Watch the Apple Books Screenshot Reel](https://youtube.com/shorts/-S7jjZse61M?si=LG-7MLacmmAVmfJZ&ref=simplykyra.com)

---

## Going Deeper

If you want to go deeper I have three older reels that show Simply TBR in action... 

[Watch App to Number Reel](https://youtube.com/shorts/euxYkZuFJJQ?si=Q8%5FbW3CrAM0jlIM8&ref=simplykyra.com)

[Watch Streamline NetGalley Access Reel](https://youtube.com/shorts/nOplEx1gAqM?si=VcY%5F87t6S8mjsG8b&ref=simplykyra.com)

[Watch Pick For Me Reel](https://youtube.com/shorts/w4Oks7S1R9s?si=Oqh1I5sL%5FXfUI9EV&ref=simplykyra.com)

or check out the [entire playlist here](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Axm89u3yOup5B6CpjWoxpIWyNA4JEwH&si=h-iUs%5Frv8AAvBCFM&ref=simplykyra.com). 

---

Six sources all put into one stack. That's the point of all of it. It's not one more app to manage instead it's simply a place that can finally show everyone in one tame-able stack.

If you want to add books manually either one by one or in batches Simply TBR is free. Try it out, browse your stack... and if you do want to import quicker you can try a free trial of *Connected* to give you access to all the Sources listed above.

[Try Simply TBR now!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-tbr-tame-the-stack/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)

If anything's missing that you wish it pulled from, I'd love to hear from you. I'm always looking to improve *Simply TBR*.

— Kyra 💕
### SimplyKyra Monthly Overview: August 2026
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/newsletter/simplykyra-monthly-overview-august-2026/
Last updated: 2026-08-31T16:48:39.000Z
I'm writing this a little earlier this month so it's ready to go without too much effort later. Tomorrow we're loading up the car for a road trip out to my sister's wedding and depending on when it actually gets sent... we're either almost back or still catching our breath from all of it.

> Welcome back to the SimplyKyra Monthly Overview!

I know inboxes can get crowded, so this one stays intentionally low-key. If you ever prefer only these monthly summaries (or want to adjust your subscriptions), you can update your settings at the bottom of this email.

---

## 🏡 This Month with Me

While creating this newsletter I realized how app heavy this month was with me. The whole time I was optimizing to get ahead of everything, both in life but mainly work, before leaving my computer. 

![Collage showing the (top row) night sky, two mountain goats, partial lunar eclipse, sunset in the mountains, (bottom row) two ravens in a parking lot, me at sunset in the mountains, and cheers with my sister at her wedding.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/08/August-Newsletter---Image---MyMonth.png)

So many photos the last week or so... before that so many screenshots.

Oh... and almost forgot as I recorded this last month, but I was a podcast guest on an episode of [The Boss Society Podcast with Megan](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-boss-society-podcast/id1800341833?i=1000780301915&ref=simplykyra.com) which went live on the 6th. It talks about simplicity, decision fatigue, and building calm technology. 

---

## 📱 App Updates

August started with a scare when first one person then another emailed about *Simply Customize It* crashing for them. During the process I realized I should catch the data loading error so the app doesn't crash and the error can be more easily emailed to me. This led to a series of updates in all my apps... and then later, after finding a Reddit thread sharing that subscription grace periods needed to be manually handled in my code, led to another round of update making this a very app-centric month. 

### [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)

*Make your reMarkable truly yours with custom templates and screens.*

[App Store: Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

During the chase to figure out *why* this crash happened and fix it I released two updates, [1.4.1](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-4-1/) and [1.4.2](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-4-2/), only to realize that it was caused by corrupted data that needed the app to be deleted and reinstalled. I immediately [shared this](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/a-heads-up-before-your-next-simply-customize-it-update/) on all my socials to give you advance notice. 

Can also read more about this [here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/a-heads-up-before-your-next-simply-customize-it-update/).

Afterwards someone else reached out with issues uploading a screen image that we assumed was because of the reMarkable Pure... but instead happened before that even mattered. [This update](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-4-3/) then went a bit further and also fixed a crash that only happened if the app was open on two synced devices at the same time. 

To better test *Simply Customize It* I have each reMarkable synced to several device accounts so I can test multiple times. Recently I noticed on one account, while using the Clean Up button, that my templates were all duplicated. Between this annoyance and the subscription fix I decided to dig in and both [fixed this](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-4-4/) and several other annoyances that popped up in testing. 

### [Simply TBR](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-tbr/)

*Your reading list, organized and visible so you always know what's next.*

[App Store: TBR](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)

I first rolled out [1.1.4](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-4/) so if there were ever any data issues it would be caught. Later on I released [1.1.5](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-5/) to share not only the subscription update but also better support for NetGalley and a more robust import process for when Open Library might go down. I thought that would be it but then I had an issue with my Libby import stalling out and felt the need to add more to justify the [1.1.6 ](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-6/)update so added the ability to save and share what book you just finished.

Quick aside: If you've been following along I also share [short reels](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Axm89u3yOup5B6CpjWoxpIWyNA4JEwH&si=hCnz1kzIt1s738NW&ref=simplykyra.com) showing *Simply TBR* if you want to check them out.

### [Simply Remember It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/)

*When did you last…? Now you know with no second-guessing required.*

[App Store: Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

Near the beginning of the month I noticed the *What Needs Attention* widget didn't work until the categories were updated. I bundled the fix with the data loading catch and shared it in [2.2.5](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-5/) and then, while waiting to be approved I found another issue with the widget which I shared in [2.2.6](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-6/). I next realized, when distracted by a kid, if you start logging a task and then force close the app the log remains and so the task disappeared from the widget. I switched it to a draft so that no longer happens then realized, when testing, that if you happened to have the same task open on two devices, deleted one, and then it synced the other app would crash. These fixes went out in [2.2.7](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-7/). Then I pushed one more update, [2.2.8](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-8/), for the subscription grace window recognition but added in fixes with sharing and two new shortcuts.

### [Simply Match It ](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it/)

*A fast-paced, multiplayer race to spot the match before your friends do.*

[App Store: Match It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com)

This game had much simpler updates than above with both the data loading handling in [1.1.2](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-1-1-2-catching-the-issues/) and then later, with [1.1.3](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-1-1-3/), handling the subscription grace period better along with fixing up the warning if you somehow signed up for both a subscription and lifetime access. 

### [Simply Uncover It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it/)

*A calm, intuitive twist on the classic Minesweeper puzzle.*

[App Store: Uncover It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com)

Like *Simply Match It* this game had similar [1.1.2](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-1-1-2-a-softer-landing/) and [1.1.3](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-1-1-3/) updates though the first included a board size cap as my daughter found she could push the game board size beyond its safe limits.

---

## 📚On the Blog

During the chase to figure out *why* Simply Customize It was crashing back at the beginning of August I learned that the CloudKit database had to be manually deployed to production. The development version updates without us needing to do anything and I erroneously assumed production did too when an app update was approved. As such, this month's two blog posts came out of that same *Simply Customize It* scare... one gave everyone [a heads up on the fix](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/a-heads-up-before-your-next-simply-customize-it-update/), and the other went deeper for other developers on the [manual CloudKit deployment step](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/cloudkit-syncing-working-in-development-but-not-production-heres-what-to-check/) I'd missed

---

## 💻 Coming Up Next. 

Going forward I'd love your input on what you want to see. Currently I'm working (or.... more like procrastinating) on converting two of my current apps to Android while also playing with a hobby app similar to TBR along with two ideas from recent Hacking with Swift livestreams. On the blog side I snapped some photos when hemming two of the dresses for my sister's wedding and although it's in no way professional I keep meaning to write it up to share before I forget completely what I did. 

---

## 🌿 Something Extra

A few calm nature Pause videos from this month, if you'd like a minute to breathe: [two small otters on the Salish Sea](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhTIa1g8qJM&ref=simplykyra.com), [a heron from back in December](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97UPk3E17mA&ref=simplykyra.com), [Canadian geese at Marathon Park](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nBrMNaYF9M&ref=simplykyra.com), and this: 

---

## **💌 A Note on Preferences**

You’re receiving this email because you signed up for **Monthly Overview** a once-a-month roundup that highlights what’s new, what I’ve been working on, and a little extra behind-the-scenes.

I also offer **App Updates** and **Blog Updates** if you prefer more frequent notes. You can manage what you receive anytime through your [account page](#/portal/account).

---

Thanks for being here 💕 I’m so grateful for your support as I keep building, learning, and sharing.

Until next month,

— Kyra
### Simply TBR 1.1.6: Something to Share
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-6/
Last updated: 2026-08-21T19:15:52.000Z
Libby kept stalling out mid-import and it took me a bit to track down why. Once I fixed it, and added a fail safe so it can't happen again, the update felt too small on its own but I knew I needed to share it soon... so rather than but it off I added something I'd been wanting for a while: the ability to share a book when you finish it.

## Fixing the Libby Stall

Imports from Libby were hanging partway through, no error, just stuck. I found the cause, fixed it, and added a fail-safe so if anything goes wrong with a future import it'll stop cleanly instead of stalling on you.

## Sharing What You've Read

When you finish a book, you can now share it. In Settings under Your Choices you can choose between using the page view, with or without notes, or a cleaner a simple book cover. It's simple, but it's nice to have a way to show off what you just finished. Let me know if there's something specific you want to see here!

---

[Update Simply TBR!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-tbr-tame-the-stack/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)

If anything feels off, I'd love to [hear from you](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20TBR%20Update). And like always... I hope you're having a wonderful day!

— Kyra 💕
### Simply Remember It 2.2.8: Logging Without Opening the App
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-8/
Last updated: 2026-08-20T22:14:25.000Z
This one started with the same subscription update you've been emailed about before... but it worked its way up from there and ended with adding a couple of new ways to log a task without opening the app at all.

## New Shortcuts

You could already use Shortcuts to check your last log or log a task with one tap. Now there are two more options. *Log Task With Details* lets you add a note while you log, right from the Shortcuts app or your Home Screen while *Update Last Log* lets you go back and add to the comments on that task's most recent log. I'm hoping as Siri's capabilities grow this makes it easier to log without needing to go into the app as much.

## Sharing Fixes

While working on the shortcuts I wanted to test out shared tasks. I noticed if you were already added to an existing group other people's logs were mislabeled as your own on your device only. This is now fixed with the new entries landing in Settings and, if unknown, leaving the name empty... plus these blanks names now show as '*Someone*' rather than simply looking like sentences were missing something. As always you can go into Sharing and rename how they appear. 

In addition share links created on a Mac weren't being shared properly and, when tapped, were saying access was removed. That's now fixed and we can share from the Mac. 

## And Beyond

In a previous update I added a count for the number of days between entries. I both realized it needed to be bumped down and, more importantly, switched it so whether it's your task (worked before) or a task shared with you (new) you can toggle it on or off regardless. 

I also realized if a task was set to have a calculated due date but the repeat wasn't entered it thought it was due regardless of how many times you logged it. Now it warns you in several ways that it's missing that information... and the Task Ideas library has been updated so that issue won't happen the same way again. 

Beyond these...like the other apps, subscription handling is steadier with a grace period fix making this the last of my published apps to get this fix.

---

This was a smaller update in the sense that nothing too major got added, but it touched more than I expected once I started pulling the thread. If anything still feels off, I'd genuinely love to [hear from you](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It%20Update).

[Click to update now!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

— Kyra 💕
### Simply Customize It 1.4.4: A Lot of Small Things
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-4-4/
Last updated: 2026-08-19T16:54:50.000Z
This one is a patch, but it's a fuller one than usual. A handful of small things were behaving differently than they should have, and once I started pulling on one thread... more came out.

## Fixing the Clean Up Button

The clean-up button is meant to clear out excess template images from your app using your just reset reMarkable to see what it needs to keep. It only cleans up matched templates keeping your custom ones safe. That still worked but I recently noticed that some of my templates duplicated when I imported... so I'd clean them up, try again, and they'd be added again. I traced this back to an icon code mismatch that snuck in with an earlier update. That's fixed now, so clean up should behave the way it was always meant to.

## Smoother Group Upload & Imports

I noticed when uploading or importing a group of screens sometimes there'd be a hiccup during the process or an issue with a single screen. I confirmed it had a single connection used throughout and then passed on the right error or warning to you if something does go wrong instead of leaving you guessing.

## Center Crop on iOS

While testing I picked a landscape image expecting the sides to be cropped off with center cropping. That was the case on my Mac but on my phone it looked off. I've since corrected it so both work as expected.

## Photo Picker on macOS

Right before uploading the new build I realized my photo picker wasn't working on Mac. Not sure if this applies to everyone or if it just happened as my computer storage was full... but I switched up the process, it asked me for permission, and I was able to pick... screenshots. Another update to attempt to download the picked photo from iCloud... tries for 30 seconds then lets you now if it can't, and it was golden. 

## And Beyond

I updated the tooling used to connect and transfer images to and from your reMarkable, noticed that the test connection banner was hidden behind the form when editing the device, and included the subscription and grace period fix that's been rolling out across all of my apps this week.

---

If anything feels off or isn't working the way you'd expect, please [reach out](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It). I'd love to hear from you.

[Update now on the App Store!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

Until next time, Kyra 💕
### Simply Uncover It 1.1.3: A Quiet One
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-1-1-3/
Last updated: 2026-08-19T12:31:51.000Z
A super small updated that I wanted you to have sooner than later. This is rolling out to all my apps so it may have already crossed your inbox. 

## Getting Subscriptions Right

I recently found a gap in how grace periods and downgrades were being detected and fixed it so now subscription status should be recognized correctly across the board.

## And Beyond

In addition to this I also simplified a few processes and added few small layout tweaks along the way.

---

  
Thanks so much for playing. If you have any ideas, suggestions, or just want to say hi... I'd love to hear about it. Simply [reach out](mailto:mail@simplyKyra.com?subject=Uncover%20It%20Update).

[Update Now](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com)

Happy gaming! And I hope you're having a great day. 

Kyra 💕
### Simply TBR 1.1.5: Small Fixes, Better Bones
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-5/
Last updated: 2026-08-18T22:50:30.000Z
This one grew bigger than I expected. I started consolidating code then a subscription fix... then that turned into making imports more robust, checking on NetGalley, and some other small updates. 

## Getting Subscriptions Right

I recently read a post on Reddit that pointed out something I'd missed. I'd added grace periods into App Store Connect... but I didn't realize that the app itself still needed to check for it properly. So I dug into my subscription handling, realized that the duplication in each app could be consolidated and shared, and hooked it all back up. With this update Simply TBR goes beyond subscription statuses to include downgrades, grace period when a subscription lapses, messaging when expired, and includes links so you don't need to look up how to find Apple's billing.

## NetGalley

### Multiple Logged in Accounts

I'd added the ability to switch between different NetGalley domains but realized if you do that the saved login stomps the previous one. It's now saved per domain so you could, if needed, swap easily between them. 

### Archive Date on Book Covers

If you toggled archive dates on they already showed up in your book lists but now they also show on your books covers. Don't like seeing it? It's still controlled by the same toggle and you can easily hide them all. 

### Warning for Non-English Domains

I'd tested out the feedback ratio for each of the possible domains... but realized unless I want my TBR to be even bigger, and maybe impossible to read, I can't test all the domains properly for author watch. You can still access everything for each domain... but I've added a warning with a handy link so if you find anything wrong, especially the non-English ones, please reach out. 

## Fable

When exporting your reviews to Fable it attempts to open your book directly but only truly works if I have the ISBN. For other books it now takes you to the homepage rather than a placeholder book. 

## Open Library

Recently (currently?) Open Library went down and the import took forever as it kept waiting for a reply that wasn't coming. At first I didn't know what was wrong but after heading to diagnostics I realized... and used it to my advantage. I reordered the imports, added more ways to bring in data, and overall it’s more robust. Also now if Open Library doesn't return a result it stops trying and gives you a warning so you know what's happening. 

## And Beyond

Along with this I fixed some slight UI issues like the buttons on the Mac overlapping with the numbers when fetching book covers and metadata along with a few other small layout tweaks along the way.

---

[Update Simply TBR!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-tbr-tame-the-stack/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)

If anything feels off, I'd love to [hear from you](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20TBR%20Update). And like always... I hope you're having a wonderful day!

— Kyra 💕
### Simply Match It 1.1.3: A Simple One
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-1-1-3/
Last updated: 2026-08-18T20:35:33.000Z
A small update to Simply Match It that's also rolling out to all my apps. Most of the work here was making sure subscriptions behave the way they're supposed to.

## Getting Subscriptions Right

Recently I noticed a post that mentioned how despite the App Store side having a grace period set their app didn't recognize it. As such I dived into my process, found the same thing, and fixed it. The code is now shared between my apps (so an update to one will help all) and has been tested to recognize grace periods and expired subscriptions with a link shared to make it easier for you. 

## And Beyond

Along the way, as always, I noticed minor annoyances and updated them for our enjoyment. 

---

As always, if anything feels off, I'd love to hear about it. Just [reach out](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Match%20It%20Update).

[Get the update now!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com)

Happy gaming! Until next time, Kyra 💕
### Simply Remember It 2.2.7: Catching Up on Sharing
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-7/
Last updated: 2026-08-14T15:31:44.000Z
This update started when I realized if I tapped on a task in my widget to open my app... but then a kid came and I force closed my app to deal with it later the log was kept. I'd then have to go looking for the task to delete but it would be harder to find because it was no longer due. Despite this being functionally expected, I realized it could work better...

## Logged Tasks

To get around this I treated logging like what I already do when we add a new task and switched to using a draft. It's created but nothing is truly saved until you hit save. Thus it stays on the widget and on Today, if due, and nothing is changed until you choose to hit save. It's a small thing, but something I wanted to get right.

## Multiple Categories

You can still default new tasks to a single category or no category at all... but the tasks themselves can now be assigned to multiple categories. I realized that despite the system working fine people may have want a task under multiple categories (say like home and kids for example) and may want to engineer their own default views with grouping, sorting, and filtering. Now you can. 

## Sharing Records

When looking over my code commits I remembered the cross-device syncing I'd already cleaned up in Simply Customize It where deleting a shared item on one device could crash the app on another once the data synced. That had already been shared with my other apps including Simply Remember It, but I realized I should check for the same issue with shared tasks between multiple people. While there, I also went through a few other things that weren't working the way they should have been like... 

- History wasn't always coming along when you shared a task, so the other person could see something that looked brand new even if you'd been logging it for months.
- Updates from people you share with weren't always showing up on their own either, so you'd have to reopen the app or pull to refresh to catch anything new.
- And if a task stopped being shared, it could stick around as a copy on the other person's device that never updated again.

All of this was cleaned up. 

## And Beyond

While working on the above I also noticed several other things including fixing up the grouping *Share By* to separate your shared task from your private ones, confirming deletion when a task has several logs, and fixing the sort and filtering persistence on both the iPad and Mac.

---

This was a smaller update in the sense that nothing too major got added, but it touched more than I expected once I started pulling the thread. If anything still feels off, I'd genuinely love to hear from you.

[Click to update now!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

— Kyra 💕
### Simply Customize It 1.4.3: Tracing a Crash
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-4-3/
Last updated: 2026-08-11T20:47:42.000Z
A few days ago someone emailed me about a reproducible crash. Every time they tried to upload a custom sleep screen to their reMarkable Paper Pure it would crash right after confirming it. 

At first I assumed it was something specific to the Pure... but once I got the crash reports I realized the crash happened before the app even connected to the reMarkable... which was even stranger as this was the first time I heard of this issue. And this was the reason for update 1.4.3.

## The Upload Crash

Using the crash report I was able to trace where the crash happened and it's now fixed. At least I'm 99% sure it is until I get confirmation it's no longer happening. 

## Multi-Device & Deletions

Several days before this email I realized while testing the app that if I had a screen, group, whatever open on my Mac... and left it open while working on my phone... and deleted it on my phone the Mac would crash when it synced. That was no good so I made sure it would switch out the display once it realized it was deleted.

## And More

While digging into the crash and testing it I noticed some more issues that I needed to fix too. These seemed to mostly be for Mac and included:

- A `PNG` appeared to be in portrait mode on the Mac but uploaded in landscape. This led to the Mac now having two resize options, like iOS, and fixing up the messaging when the wrong size *or* simply rotated the wrong way.
- Importing a group works but the confirmation after was supposed to show the new group. This didn't happen if you still had the Profile device details open... so I updated the navigation using my other apps as examples so now it auto-opens when imported regardless what's in the third pane.
- For some reason the text in the screen import and upload dropdown wasn't showing text when closed making it a really confusing button to use. That's now been updated.
- And more minor updates.

---

If anything feels off or isn't working the way you'd expect, please [reach out](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It). I'd love to hear from you.

[Update now on the App Store!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

Until next time, Kyra 💕
### Simply Uncover It 1.1.2: A Softer Landing
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-1-1-2-a-softer-landing/
Last updated: 2026-08-09T14:32:29.000Z
A user's data container wasn't opening in one of my other apps a week ago and while debugging that I realized I should build a proper safety net... so now... rolling out to all my apps if an app's data ever fails to load you now get a clear window with a button to email me the error instead of the app just closing on you. 

## A Safety Net

If the app's data ever fails to open, you'll now see a message along with a button that emails me the error directly. No more guessing what went wrong or losing your place without knowing why.

## A Cap on the Board

My daughter found she could push the game board size well past where it should reasonably stop. There's a cap now, with a warning before you hit it.

## Image Sharing

There was issues, on macOS, sharing your finished game result... so I tracked it down and it's fixed.

## Faster Subscriptions Recognition

I noticed, in another app, there was a delay in recognizing a purchased or changed subscription. So I audited this app for the same. 

## And Beyond

Along with a batch of smaller things mostly behind the scenes: I moved more shared logic (menus, settings, some review and device-related code) into a base package that all my apps pull from, which should make future updates smoother across the board. The keyboard dismiss button, in iOS, is now available more broadly. Alert buttons on the Mac now show the correct accent color. Plus I added an acknowledgement for where the original idea behind this game came from... it was already shared on the landing page but now it's in app too.

---

[Update here!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com)

Thanks so much for playing *Simply Uncover It*! If you have any ideas, suggestions, or just want to say hi, I’d love to hear from you whether by comment below, email at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplyKyra.com?subject=Uncover%20It:%201.1.1%20Update), or with a [review on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/6741166529?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com).

Happy gaming! And I hope you're having a great day. 

Kyra 💕
### Simply Remember It 2.2.6: Continuing the Tasks
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-6/
Last updated: 2026-08-07T21:05:04.000Z
I was still waiting for the [last update](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-5/) to be approved when I found another small and annoying bug. Editing a widget's categories was throwing an error which was affecting how the widgets were shown while adding a widget, editing, and when showing the tasks that need attention. Any *loading* widgets clicked into the app but showed a "Task Not Found" message once you were in. 

That felt like the kind of thing worth fixing right away so I fixed it and the second 2.2.5 was accepted I submitted this update. 

---

If anything feels off... please reach out. I'd love to hear from you.

[Click to update now!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

— Kyra 💕
### CloudKit Syncing Working in Development But Not Production? Here's What to Check
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/cloudkit-syncing-working-in-development-but-not-production-heres-what-to-check/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T22:33:20.000Z
If your app's CloudKit sync works perfectly in Xcode and Simulator, but real users are stuck with their sync failing then there's a good chance it's not a code bug and might instead be a deployment step almost nobody talks about... and the bonus is, fixing it doesn't require shipping an app update.

I ran into this off and on with several of my apps where I had some people email me, I tracked down what I thought it was, pushed an app update, and radio silence... so I thought it had been fixed. And why wouldn't I as everything looked fine on my end in Development. More recently on the last email I stumbled across this.. and can't believe I never knew about this before and wish I had known it years ago... as such I'm sharing it here in the hopes it can help someone else. 

---

## TL;DR 

- CloudKit has two environments (Development and Production) and they don't share schemas automatically.
- Shipping to the App Store does **not** deploy your schema to Production. That's a separate manual step.
- The fix: CloudKit Dashboard → your container → Development → **Deploy Schema Changes** → review → confirm.
- See *No Containers*? Check the team switcher top-right before assuming nothing's set up.
- TestFlight connects to Production by default... not Development.
- This fixes sync going forward. It won't repair a local store that's already corrupted. More on that below.

---

![Title of the post with two images shown below for easy Pinterest pinning.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/08/compressed_CloudKit-Syncing-Working-in-Development-But-Not-Production---Pinterest.png)

💕 **Pin this post to come back to later.*

---

## Looking Back

I knew that CloudKit runs two separate environments, **Development** and **Production**, and that they don't share *data* with each other. That part seemed like common sense. 

What I didn't realize was that they also don't share *schema* automatically. **Development**'s schema changes are just-in-time so you can add a new field, run the app, CloudKit creates it on the server for you with no extra step. *Production*'s aren't. I'd assumed that once my update cleared App Review and went live, whatever schema changes I'd made in Development would also go out with it. Turns out deploying your app and deploying your schema are two completely separate actions... and only one of them happens automatically when you ship.

**Production** doesn't auto-create schema... and the failure can be sneaky. Someone's app still has its local data store so it looks fine on their end. But when it tries to sync, CloudKit doesn't have the record type or field your code expects, rejects it outright, and the sync silently fails.

Submitting to the App Store doesn't push your schema to Production. That's a separate, manual action, sitting quietly in the CloudKit Dashboard.

## Why Is That?

I have to ask... Why isn't this advertised more? It's not in the Xcode archive/upload flow. There's no warning in App Store Connect. Nothing nags you before you submit. And yet it's common enough that there are multiple Stack Overflow threads and dev blog posts all describing the identical symptom: works in Development, breaks the moment it's live. It's a known gotcha that stays under the radar because it isn't part of the workflow anyone actually walks you through.

## Checking CloudKit Database

To check go to [CloudKit Database](https://icloud.developer.apple.com/dashboard/database/?ref=simplykyra.com) and log in.

If you land on a page that says ***No Containers*** you either haven't uploaded an app with CloudKit... or you need to toggle the team selector in the top-right corner first. For me I started as a personal account and switched to an LLC before publishing my first app... I've discovered it defaults to my personal account. Once I switch teams my containers appear.

![Image shows the No Containers empty state.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/08/compressed_2026-08-05-at-1.16.40---PM.png)

When no containers are found this will appear. 

Right under the CloudKit Database header you can toggle between your CloudKit containers and, next to it, toggle between Development and Production. Going to Record Types will show you the tables and fields you use. 

![Empty state before paging around.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/08/compressed_2026-08-05-at-1.17.41---PM.png)

Development view of Simply Customize It has the Deploy button on the bottom left.

If you look all the way down on the left pane you can see the choice **Deploy Schema Changes...**. This is only active on your Development page *and* this is what you want to tap to push those changes to your Production schema. Don't worry about tapping this. Before it does anything there will be a dialog with two tabs.

If there are no changes (Production schema is already current) all the counts shown in the dialog will be zeros with nothing pending. In this case it would look something like this: 

![Under Changes each section (Record Types, Indexes, and Security Roles) all have 0 changes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/08/compressed_2026-08-05-at-1.17.55---PM.png)

When there's no changes you see this as the confirmation dialog. 

If there are changes, like when I was working on a sample project a bit ago, you will see them listed in this sheet and can tap *Diff View* so you know exactly what's about to change for real users... 

![You can see all 6 Record types and optionally (not here) expand them. At the bottom you can see 5 indexes and would need to scroll down to see more. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/08/compressed_2026-02-24-at-16.13.56.png)

Here there are copious amounts of changes to deploy.

![Window now shows the diff view with the green additions taking most of the screen. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/08/compressed_2026-02-24-at-16.13.49.png)

Going to the Diff View shows even more to examine it differently before deploying. 

That's it. That single click, plus confirmation, is the piece the App Store submission never does for you.

## TestFlight isn't Development either

A quick aside... ish... TestFlight isn't Development and instead connects to Production. I may have realized this months ago when testing task sharing in *Simply Remember It.* At that time I needed two accounts running on the same database... and so needed to switch my old iPad to a test account... and switch my phone from the Xcode build to the TestFlight one. Once done I needed to do the above steps and deploy the Development changes. Once all the steps were in I could share tasks between different Apple users! 

Looking back I should've looked into deploying more and looked into my other apps. At the time I thought there were two... hmmm... deployment levels of Production. I assumed when an App was approved by App Store the production schema was updated. Thus I only needed to deploy because I was testing with TestFlight before it went *Live*. I was wrong and left my other apps in limbo longer than I should've. 

Aside: I haven't looked into it as I'm now on Production with that app... wanted to share tasks with my family and theirs is from the App Store... too far in now. But if you want to test Development-environment behavior through TestFlight I recently came across an entitlements override for that with [Fatbobman's *Fixing CloudKit Sync in Production: Deploying Schema*](https://fatbobman.com/en/snippet/why-core-data-or-swiftdata-cloud-sync-stops-working-after-app-store-login/?ref=simplykyra.com).

## One Thing This Won't Fix

Deploying your schema fixes sync going forward, but it won't undo damage that already happened before you deployed it. My case involved a data mismatch that broke the local data container and since it couldn't be opened there was no way to migrate the existing data. The only fix was deleting and reinstalling the app, which meant losing all local data in the process. Had the schema been deployed ahead of time, CloudKit might have been able to re-sync that data afterwards which is exactly why this is now a standing step, not an afterthought.

## Going Forward

I plan to deploy to production each time I push an update to the App Store. CloudKit syncing is a great way to back up local data and I'm glad it's now in place to help mitigate future issues. 

![You can see the six, currently in August 2026, options. In addition to CloudKit Database there's also Push Notifications, Dashboards, Identity & Trust, Discussion Forum, and Documentation.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/08/compressed_2026-08-05-at-3.38.16---PM.png)

I also plan to look deeper into Dashboards!

---

Hope this saves you the weeks it cost me and I truly hope you're having a good week.
### Simply Match It 1.1.2: Catching the Issues
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-1-1-2-catching-the-issues/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T21:36:57.000Z
While working on a fix for *Simply Customize It*, I noticed a gap: if the data container failed to open the app would just crash instead of showing a clear error. That sent me back to add the same check to my other apps... and that combined with the minor changes since the last update created this version.

---

## A Softer Landing

If *Simply Match It*'s data container ever fails to open, the app no longer just crashes. You'll see a window with a button to email me the error directly, so instead of a frustrating dead end, you get a way to actually tell me what happened.

## And Beyond 

A handful of smaller things had be fixed along the way:

- Subscription and lifetime purchase status sometimes was delayed. It's now recognized right away, matching how another app of mine already handled it.
- Shared logic across my apps (menus, user settings, subscriptions, etc) got moved into one place which should make future updates smoother.
- The button to dismiss the keyboard, which only lived on one form in another, is now available everywhere it's needed.
- Alert buttons now use the correct accent color.
- Added an acknowledgement for where the original game idea came from, something I'd already shared on the landing page but hadn't credited in the app itself.

---

[Get the update now!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com)

Thanks so much for playing *Simply Match It*! If you have any ideas, suggestions, or just want to say hi, I’d love to hear from you whether by comment below, email at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Match%20It:%201.1.1), or with a [review on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6741166537?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com).

Happy gaming! Until next time, Kyra 💕
### Simply Remember It 2.2.5: Getting the Tasks
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-5/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T20:37:36.000Z
The other day I realized my main widget showing the tasks due that day was no longer loading. No idea when it happened or why... so I went digging and realized editing the widget fixed it. I then noticed the same when adding a new widget... until I went in and manually selected something. That felt like the kind of bug worth fixing on its own, and while I was in there I cleared out a few smaller things too.

### Next Due Widgets

I've made it so when you add a Next Due widget it now defaults to a "Show All" for the categories... and shows results instead of looking like it still needs to load.

### A Few Smaller Things

I also fixed the days between entries count so it's no longer is accidentally deletable... something I was surprised to see and centered the *No Tasks* view on Today. 

Also, when working in Simply Customize It, I realized I needed to catch when, and if, your data ever has trouble loading and now, instead of crashing the app, it shows a message with an easy button to email me. 

---

If anything feels off... please reach out. I'd love to hear from you.

[Click to update now!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

— Kyra 💕
### Simply TBR 1.1.4: Catching a Crash
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-4/
Last updated: 2026-08-03T13:28:52.000Z
This one started somewhere else entirely... a user in one of my other apps ran into an issue with their data not loading right, and it crashed. Chasing that down led me to a shared piece of code behind several of my apps, Simply TBR included, so I figured it was worth fixing here too.

## When Something Breaks

Before this, if the shared data container failed to open for some reason the app would just crash. Something I set up with my first app and never questioned again. Not very helpful for you and honestly not helpful for me either since I'd have no idea it happened. Now there's a catch in place. If it ever does fail, you'll see a window explaining what happened with a button to easily email me the details. No more silent crash, and hopefully less guessing on my end.

## And Beyond

Between the last update and this one I'd noticed the alert buttons on the Mac weren't using the app's accent color the way they should. Small thing, but it bugged me every time I saw it, so it's fixed now too.

---

It's a small one, but the kind of fix that matters more.

[Download Simply TBR!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-tbr-tame-the-stack/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)

If anything feels off, I'd love to hear from you. And like always... I hope you're having a wonderful day!

— Kyra 💕
### A Heads Up Before Your Next Simply Customize It Update
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/a-heads-up-before-your-next-simply-customize-it-update/
Last updated: 2026-08-03T13:27:41.000Z
Two people emailed me recently about Simply Customize It suddenly not opening. I dug into it and it turned out to be a local data corruption bug... one I can't fix. The only path forward, if it hits you, is deleting the app and reinstalling it.

Here's the part that matters most: your templates and screens live beyond the app.... on your reMarkable itself. The app just manages them. So even in the worst case, nothing you've built is gone... it's just a matter of reconnecting.

I know I'm not always great about opening the app regularly myself. When there's no code upgrade it's usually only when my reMarkable updates and I need to upload my favorite sleep screen and fix my templates. So before your next update, or even right now, take a second to make sure your templates and screens are currently showing up on your device... then go ahead and update the app as usual.

If you do hit this bug, you'll see a screen like this:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-02-at-3.52.38---PM-1.png)

If that ever shows up unexpectedly... not right after this post, but down the road... feel free to email me anyway. It's worth ruling out that something else isn't going on. But if it's this known issue, the fix is simple: delete the app, reinstall from the App Store, and re-import your templates and screens straight from your reMarkable. Since your device already has everything, that re-import should be quick.

For most of you, this will just be a two-minute check and nothing more. I just wanted you to have the heads up before it caught you off guard.

— Kyra 💕

If you prefer a video version:
### Simply Customize It 1.4.2: A Quick Fix
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-4-2/
Last updated: 2026-08-03T13:26:05.000Z
Back before the last update I'd heard from someone whose app wouldn't open at all. I'd hoped this last update had fixed the issue and, if not and for the future, I had added a way to stop the app from crashing outright and instead give a way for the error to get emailed to me. 

Something I'd removed in that update turned out to still be needed under the hood for some users. I've added it back and the app should open normally again.

If you were affected please update to 1.4.2 and if your app is still not opening, please [reach out](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It). I'd love to hear from you. I'd love to hear from you and get it sorted.

[Update now on the App Store!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

— Kyra 💕
### Simply Customize It 1.4.1: A Crash Report Comes In
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-4-1/
Last updated: 2026-08-01T17:05:24.000Z
I had an email come in this week about *Simply Customize It* crashing. Not a great feeling especially when I can't duplicate it on my side, but I'm glad someone lets me know when something is wrong so I can fix it. I started with the crash report, realized it had something to do with loading the data container, and worked my way from there. Though... the app crashed full stop with no explanation. As such... the following updates are now in place. 

---

## No Data No Longer Crashes

When the app first loads it loads your data... but if that container can't load it crashes the app. This no longer happens. I now catch the error, show a screen letting you know it happened, and offer a button to email me. Despite the *oh no* feeling that hits me I do want to know when something is wrong. 

## Data Schema Changes

While digging into the crash, I found something. Turns out my development database updates automatically whenever I make a change, but production doesn't... it needs a manual button press on my end. This discovery explains a few odd syncing emails I've gotten in the past. I'd fix something, push an update, stop hearing about it, and assume it was solved. I'm now wondering if it wasn't actually fixed at all... simply quiet.

So I pressed the button. And now syncing between your production devices should be working properly now. Let me know if that is or isn't the case.

## Data References

I thought the schema push would fix it, but the crash report came back identical telling me it was something similar yet not solved. Digging further, I found my code still referenced a Library feature I'd started building months ago but never finished. The database itself doesn't have it, but the code was still looking for it. Instead of trying to add it back to the database, I commented out every reference to it in the code. I won't know for sure until this update is out, but I'm hopeful that's the last piece.

---

This is the tricky part of maintaining an app on your own. You're troubleshooting things you can't see without someone else to bounce ideas off of... and you may miss something simple that makes a big deal. 

I hope this update solves the problem (*and let me know if it doesn't*) and makes it easier in the future to [reach out](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It) if anything does go wrong. 

[Update now on the App Store!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

Until next time, Kyra 💕
### SimplyKyra Monthly Overview: July 2026
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/newsletter/simplykyra-monthly-overview-july-2026/
Last updated: 2026-07-31T13:40:02.000Z
Welcome to the July SimplyKyra Monthly Overview. A once-a-month roundup of app updates, blog highlights, and a few extras from behind the scenes. Nothing too serious, just a cozy way to stay connected. 💕

I know inboxes can get crowded, so this one stays intentionally low-key. If you ever prefer only these monthly summaries (or want to adjust your subscriptions), you can update your settings at the bottom of this email.

---

## 🏡 This Month with Me

The kids' summer vacation is in full swing here which means my schedule looks less like a schedule and more like whatever window I can find. Which, as they're getting older, is somehow easier to find... and much harder. 

This month included fireworks, one on one time with one kid when the other was in a camp, killing time in Olympia while the second one had a class, and navigating that murky area of the kids want to vibe, sleep in, Perler beads, and bake.... but we should really be taking advantage of the summer doing things outdoors and hanging out. 

![Collage of eight images: tree, sand dollar at the beach, me in Spiderman pose, heron, moth, fireworks, frozen yogurt cheers, and otter sculpture.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/07/July-Newsletter---Image---MyMonth.png)

Walks, fireworks, noticing, dessert hangs, and attempting to do the Spiderman pose. 

I've been working out less... mornings are for getting coding done before they're up with the rest of the day more interruptible but I'm still working through them. But I've still been finding time here and there. Currently discovered I can watch a show while going through pincha and handstand drills so taking it easier but still moving.

---

## 📱 App Updates

This month I spent most of my working time on my three main non-game apps and did more updates than I had realized... but I need to bump one thing to the top. 

> I found and fixed a backend issue that could have affected data syncing across my apps... if anything ever seemed to crash on open or stop syncing between your devices this should be the actual fix. And I'm currently working on a way to catch any fatal crash and easily one-click share it with me so we can catch and fix things faster going forward. And like always if you're still seeing any of that, please reply and let me know... I'd genuinely like to hear either way.

### [Simply TBR](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-tbr/)

*Your reading list, organized and visible so you always know what's next.*

[App Store: TBR](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)

Last month I [announced Simply TBR](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-0-0-read-your-way-out/)... this month I updated it. I started by [answering an email](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-0-more-ways-in-more-ways-out/) (*thanks for reaching out*) and added OPDS and Hardcover as connected sources to import more books... then linked StoryGraph and Hardcover to log a finished book. Then continued on to [update the onboarding flow](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-1-seeing-it-for-the-first-time/), sped up [NetGalley's Author Watch](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-2/), [Genre filtering](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-3-still-within-reach/), and, through all these updates, many other minor adjustments and optimizations. 

### [Simply Remember It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/)

*When did you last…? Now you know with no second-guessing required.*

[App Store: Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

I started the month with a [quieter update](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-3/) as I shared code with my other apps behind the scenes and fixed up some minor issues. Then my kid had an orthodontist expander that went from weekly expansion to twice a week... and I was tired of counting backwards to see if it had been three or four days... And added [a day count between the entries](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-4/). The app now counts for me.

### [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)

*Make your reMarkable truly yours with custom templates and screens.*

[App Store: Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

Added the ability [to default what and how](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-2-0/) you see in your browse views, fixed up [multi-select deletion](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-3-0/), and then added [true one tap reMarkable recovery](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-4-0/)... with it you can toggle on and off recovery steps so when your reMarkable updates you can recover it with one button click... and a confirmation. 

### Games

There were **no new updates** for my other apps, [Simply Uncover It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Simply Match It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com), this month but I have been eyeing them critically so there may be something soon. As always I keep an eye on [emails](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=SimplyKyra%20Games) and questions coming in… so feel free to keep them coming!

---

## 📚On the Blog

Nothing published this month. Nothing called to me to write, and I'd rather wait for the real thing than force one out. That said, I started a new kind of video content for [Simply TBR](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Axm89u3yOup5B6CpjWoxpIWyNA4JEwH&ref=simplykyra.com) this month and realized my reel editing process was more onerous than it should be... so I started a side journey in hopefully speeding up that process. It involves using a Bash script to combine two different tools and I'm still figuring it out... but let me know if you want to know more let me know and I can write it up. 

---

## 💻 Coming Up Next

I started this month continuing to analyze the apps and started looking and creating an Android version of Simply Customize It. I'm also thinking about what content I can put out to help more people see my apps. 

Let me know if you have any ideas or something you want to see!

---

## 🌿 Something Extra

A handful of nature clips made it out this month: [a foggy January morning](https://youtube.com/shorts/nFEq-D9I5gY?feature=share&ref=simplykyra.com) that finally saw daylight, a short walk at [Tumwater Falls from last winter](https://youtube.com/shorts/IBCV2nuvHs0?feature=share&ref=simplykyra.com), [trees with sunligh](https://youtube.com/shorts/muwQsYj2DpM?feature=share&ref=simplykyra.com)t coming through, and an [unexpected deer at a flower farm with the kids](https://youtube.com/shorts/e2rMvHecRlQ?feature=share&ref=simplykyra.com). None of it is filler. Same thing every time... pause, notice, breathe. 

The most enjoyable one was when I was killing time in Olympia during Lakefair. I went to check it out... and then kept on walking around the lake. The dichotomy of hearing the loudspeaker, music, and screams of fun with the quiet lake and wildlife was sublime. I shared a quick reel... but also recorded so many clips of the herons that I really need to edit at some point. 

---

## **💌 A Note on Preferences**

You’re receiving this email because you signed up for **Monthly Overview** a once-a-month roundup that highlights what’s new, what I’ve been working on, and a little extra behind-the-scenes.

I also offer **App Updates** and **Blog Updates** if you prefer more frequent notes. You can manage what you receive anytime through your [account page](#/portal/account).

---

Thanks for being here 💕 I’m so grateful for your support as I keep building, learning, and sharing.

Until next month,

— Kyra
### Simply Remember It 2.2.4: Counting the Days Between
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-4/
Last updated: 2026-07-28T16:51:37.000Z
My daughter's orthodontist gear used to be expanded once a week. And *Simply Remember It* was perfect at helping us remember. Then the orthodontist switched it to twice a week and I didn't want to overcomplicate the app for one simple edge case... so I switched the task to once every three days knowing every second time we'd need to let it go overdue one day... so ideally expanding every three days, four days, three, four... and on. I then found myself repeatedly opening her entry history just to count backward and check... and realized I should add that in as that's something general enough to be helpful for more than just me. 

## Days Between Entries

You can now see the number of days between each entry. No more scrolling to check and counting backward in your head. I first added it to show when metrics were turned on, but I realized plenty of people who don't track metrics might still want this so it's now available on its own. If you don't want to see it you can toggle it off per task.

## A Few Smaller Things

Beyond the entry count I also updated categories for a bit more clarity when filtering and organizing tasks, refined the dark mode alert accent color, cleaned up delete all and multi-select behavior, and included a fix where a purchase wasn't showing as *seen* right away.

---

If anything feels off... please reach out. I'd love to hear from you.

[Click to update now!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

— Kyra 💕
### Simply Customize It 1.4.0: One Button Recovery Is Here
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-4-0/
Last updated: 2026-07-31T20:25:58.000Z
I'd been wanting to say ***one-tap button recovery*** for a while now but kept stopping myself... there were still several buttons needed in the Template and Screen area first. This update, once set up, finally makes it true.

---

## Post-Update Recovery

Every time reMarkable pushes a software update it forgets your custom templates, sets its own screens, and turns the sleep screen overlay back on.

This update adds a recovery flow that you can set up once (per device) and from then on you have a one-tap button restore when an update wipes your changes. Toggle on or off each step and choose whether you want to upload a single screen or a group of screens. 

It does need a subscription for either templates, screens, or both to access. If you have templates you can clean up your templates and then sync with one button. With Screens you can import the current screens, disable the overlay, upload your chosen screen or group. If you have *All Access* it does the template steps then the screen ones. In all cases your reMarkable won't restart until the end. 

Once you're set up one button now really does mean one button.

## Catching PNG Images Before The Upload

When you set a template or screen PNG that's the wrong dimensions for your device the app now warns you so you can catch the issue before uploading to your reMarkable saving you time. You still want to upload it... that's fine. It's not a stopping step simply a *just-in-case it's needed* message.

## Sorting, Filtering, and a Few Visual Fixes

I spent some time looking over filtering, sorting, and grouping across the app and tightened up some inconsistent issues I noticed along with the accent color usage along the way.

## And Beyond

I also fixed the reMarkable Paper Pro Move using the wrong custom onboarding image for the black template (the new warning text is actually what tipped me off), corrected the default categories that get wiped during onboarding, and made sure those categories now carry over properly when a device is duplicated. I also added a note in the *About Us* section thanking Citadel the open-source project that handles the app's secure connection to your reMarkable.

---

If anything feels off or isn't working the way you'd expect, please [reach out](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It). I'd love to hear from you.

[Update now on the App Store!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

Until next time, Kyra 💕
### Simply TBR 1.1.3: Still Within Reach
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-3-still-within-reach/
Last updated: 2026-07-22T15:55:10.000Z
This one came out of actually using the app this week... finishing a book, reviewing my NetGalley queue, and adding a new author to watch. During which I noticed a few things that needed fixing along the way.

## Finishing a Book

While going through exit ceremony there's a list of places you can log your books. I noticed once you clicked one (which takes you to their page in your browser) and returned you couldn't click it again when it was checked off. That wouldn't do... what if you got distracted or whatnot. Life. So now, even when crossed out, you can still tap it to see the book again. Additionally, after looking at those other steps, I realized with life you may want to copy the notes again and so made the first step, with the addition of a copy button, tappable too. No need to go digging anymore.

## Genre Filtering

I was so excited to share the Exit Ceremony with you but had pushed the last update, at that time, just the day before... so started looking at what else I could do... and found Genre. The list, with all my books, was incredibly long as it's based on book metadata so I updated it to be easier to select and deselect along with searching through the genres. 

Then I luckily tested it in dark mode and realized the selected drop down text was hard to see on first load and spent the rest of the day attempting and finally solving that for you!

## NetGalley Author Watch

I went to add a new author to my author watch ([Felicia Day](https://www.instagram.com/feliciaday/?ref=simplykyra.com)... [the Guild Kickstarter](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/feliciaday/watchtheguild?ref=simplykyra.com) just dropped, I realized there was [Guild the Musical](https://www.instagram.com/theguildmusical/?ref=simplykyra.com), and then discovered a new book) but saw checking my authors didn't see me logged in so of course how would it know which books I had or needed! I went to check my feedback and I was already logged in. So I attempted to import my NetGalley books and it worked too... 

An earlier [update](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-0-more-ways-in-more-ways-out/#netgalley) had started using cookies for your NetGalley sessions so you didn't have to repeatedly log in all the time. Somehow Author Watch, despite being sped up on the [last update](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-2/#author-watch), had stayed logged in and I hadn't realized it didn't share its cookie with the other NetGalley windows. I was logged out *only* in Author Watch and so couldn't log back in. 

This is now fixed. Author Watch now shares access with the other NetGalley points so if you're ever logged out in one you can easily log in and it will work everywhere. And then just in case I added a way to log in through Author Watch so you can easily log back in there rather than getting blocked and needing to try other ways like I did. 

## And Beyond

Beyond that there's been minor updates with accent color fixes, default preferences, and a new "Show All Books" button if your filtering gets too extreme.

---

It's a smaller update, but each piece came from actually running into it this week. 

[Download Simply TBR!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-tbr-tame-the-stack/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)

If anything feels off, I'd love to hear from you. And like always... I hope you're having a wonderful day!

— Kyra 💕
### Simply Customize It 1.3.0: Easier to Keep Tidy
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-3-0/
Last updated: 2026-08-10T23:54:01.000Z
This one's a smaller update, but it came out of actually using the app more than usual lately. A handful of things had been bugging me, so I sat down and worked through them.... and then they grew. 

---

## Easier Cleanup

I'd been playing around and let my own templates pile up. When I went to clean them out, one at a time, I found it quite tedious. And so I added multi-select delete both for templates and across all the browse forms. While in the template browse I also added more information like date created, date last modified (if different), and included the portrait (or landscape) icon making it much easier to find what you're looking for and clear out what you don't need.

During this I also noticed new templates weren't picking up the default template you'd set for your reMarkable and that your browse view was resetting more often than it should. Both are fixed now... your default view only resets if you fully close and reopen the app.

## Keyboard Dismiss

Tapping outside a text field in iOS wasn't always closing the keyboard the way it should and I had fixed it, with a button, in some spots. I've now added the button to all textfields so that shouldn't be an issue again.

## Device and User Handling

I've recently been adding new devices to the app to test the flow and noticed it would be so much easier if it was automatically selected when adding them. I also added a test connection button right to the edit form so you can check things are working without leaving the screen. And I then updated my reMarkable and noticed OCR (text recognition) wasn't working when taking a photo of your credentials anymore and updated that too.

## Trusting a New Device Identity

A recent fix from a code audit meant the app got stricter about verifying your reMarkable's identity before connecting... which is a good thing.

It can also be annoying and unexpected, like when the reMarkable itself updates and changes its identity. So I've also added a proper confirmation step, so if your device's identity changed because of a legitimate reMarkable update you can simply press a button to trust it and continue. And if something actually looks off, you'll know.

## And Beyond 

I noticed deleting an item from Group Display wasn't always working right so I tracked that down and got it working properly again. Along with that there's always minor fixes that hopefully make your experience better.

---

If anything feels off or isn't working the way you'd expect, please [reach out](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It). I'd love to hear from you.

[Update now on the App Store!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

Until next time, Kyra 💕
### Simply TBR 1.1.2: Reaching the Right Network
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-2/
Last updated: 2026-07-19T18:22:58.000Z
I bought an ebook Humble Bundle the other day and immediately tested out the screenshot import in *Simply TBR*... then realized I needed to put the books somewhere. I loaded them onto my reMarkable then remembered I had Grimmory... and then realized I should test out the OPDS import in *Simply TBR.* I'm so glad I did... as this update was the result of it!

---

## OPDS (Grimmory) Connecting

When trying to import the purchased ebooks from my Grimmory collection I realized my phone had somehow switched to a demo link at some point, so I wasn't seeing my new books despite having imported test books before. Long story short while getting that going I also realized, when importing on my phone, it needed to be able to connect to other networks since Grimmory was on my Mac. I've since added networking to the app. The first time you'll import it will ask you to confirm. If you don't give permission and later change your mind just go to Settings, search for Simply TBR, and toggle Local Network on again. 

## Author Watch

Over the last while I became annoyed at how slow the NetGalley Author Watch was running... I may have over 50 names... most for me and some simply testing if it worked. I realized if I was annoyed you may be too and looked into speeding it up. I'm happy how it turned out! And then applied the fix to both *Refresh All Metadata* and *Fetch Missing Covers* too. 

## And Beyond

I've been working on taking shared code repeated in my apps and putting them in a shared code repository I can import in. This way if I upgrade it for one app they're all upgraded. I figure this will save time down the road... my latest was adding a keyboard dismiss button and there were a few edge cases along the way. 

---

A smaller one but hopefully still a meaningful fix if you use OPDS or NetGalley Author Watch.

[Download Simply TBR!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-tbr-tame-the-stack/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)

Thanks for following along. And like always... I hope you're having a fantastic day.

— Kyra 💕
### Life Snapshot: I Finally Saw My Whole Reading Pile
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/life-snapshot-i-finally-saw-my-whole-reading-pile/
Last updated: 2026-07-16T12:00:08.000Z
Last time I told you how I became an [ebook phone reader](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/life-snapshot-when-books-became-too-unruly/). Here, though, is the part I left out... once reading moved onto my phone the books all scattered. My go-to app is Kindle as so many services feed into it. Library e-loans... I used Overdrive then later switched to Libby. Years ago I discovered NetGalley and though I prefer Kindle some books are understandably only available on their NetGalley app. Then came Amazon First Reads and Prime Reading... all through Kindle. The odd book lived on Audible... an Instagram ad once got me a three-month trial with a couple of those are still in my library. Recently, after another round of ads, I used Apple Books to buy a Patrick Stewart audiobook collection of Shakespeare's sonnets... and found a few already sitting there from ages ago. Plus, of course, I still have physical books either on my shelves or shared with my kids. So my books are really everywhere and yet somehow and sometimes... nowhere.

I knew it was a lot. But I didn't truly know how much.

Long story short one thing led to another and I ended up building an app that allowed me to use website access to import my books from several websites, added a screenshot reader to add books from apps, and a barcode scanner for my physical books. The end result? My TBR pile materialized in a single spot... and I was shocked!

NetGalley gave me a current count on their website so between audiobooks and the ebooks I knew I had 535 books before I ever added it. But the others... 26 Apple Books, eight Audible audiobooks, currently 14 Kindle ebooks (need to scan more... First Reads adds up), five Libby books (mainly suspended holds), six Prime Reading books, and 50 physical books just in my office alone (read many of them but also shared probably that much with my kids over the years)... I saw the whole picture and was shocked at the 644 books that day... then by the time I sat down to write this, it was already different and had gone up!

![Grid of 150 book covers with the top and bottom rows cut off hinting at many more above and below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/06/compressed_Life-Snapshot---I-Finally-Saw-My-Whole-Reading-Pile---Screenshot---Image-.png)

Despite, or because of, the high number I'm glad I built the app and can see all the books in one place allowing me to make a better decision on what I should read next and shop from what I already have. That said... the NetGalley number has risen since the first NetGalley import attempt... it's the emails. They all sound so good and I try not to add to it, but then I do. 

And yes, I thought I'd be feeling dread at such a large pile... but surprisingly it's more a relief. I can't shrink a pile I don't fully know exists and now that invisible pile is available for me to search through when I hear about a new book, filter by what I want when I want it, meander through a scroll when I don't, and easily see everything and where it's from when I want. 

> Seeing all these books in one place didn't make the pile bigger. It made it, for the first time, something I could actually start to tame.

That said, I just noticed another email from NetGalley... and that Libby Facebook group is sharing epic finds... ooh notification from Kindle about three months free of Unlimited... maybe I need to ignore them and simply open *Simply TBR* and browse what I have instead... anyway... that's what I've been building. It's out now, and you can find it and the whole backstory over on its[ landing page](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-tbr/#why-i-built-this).

— Kyra 💕
### Simply Remember It 2.2.3: Small Fixes, Bigger Foundation
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-3/
Last updated: 2026-07-27T23:49:36.000Z
This one's small, but a lot of little things have happened behind the curtain and I wanted to pass it onto you. Since [2.2.2](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-2-the-quiet-fixes/) went out a month ago a lot of my time has gone into consolidating shared pieces of my apps into a shared base package. 

---

## Shared Foundation Work

Simply Remember It now shares more of its groundwork with Simply Customize It through an updated base package covering things like grouping, filtering, and sorting. It's not something you'll see directly, but it means fixes in one app can now catch issues in the other. That's actually how [a subscription bug](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-2-0/) in Simply Customize It where a second device wasn't being recognized as having an active subscription got caught. That fix is now passed onto this app too.

## Keyboard and Layout Fixes

I've moved over the close button on the keyboard, in iOS, to make annoying keyboards easier to get rid of. Also, on macOS, a few sheets that were stretching too wide have been reined in.

---

Nothing dramatic this time, just steady upkeep so the next bigger update has a cleaner foundation to build on. If anything feels off, I'd love to hear from you.

[Click to update now!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

— Kyra 💕
### Simply TBR 1.1.1: Seeing It for the First Time
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-1-seeing-it-for-the-first-time/
Last updated: 2026-07-10T18:20:32.000Z
The other day I installed *Simply TBR* on my kids phone in case they want to use it (they're great quality assurance testers) and noticed the sheet I use to share the [last major update](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-0-more-ways-in-more-ways-out/) was showing on new installs which makes sense given why it showed, but could be confusing for someone new to the app.. That needed to change!

---

## What Changed

### A Proper First Hello

I created a short welcome flow with five slides and two spots to jump out and start adding your own books to your stack. If you install the app on a new device it should show up for you... and if you're already using Simply TBR you can find it under Settings under More Information. 

### Settings, Reorganized 

That leads to settings itself. With the addition of the Welcome Tour I realized it needed a bit of tidying up. I moved Reading Stats under *Manage*, both Welcome Tour and What's New into *More Information* at the bottom so *Help & Support* feels less mixed up, 

### Accent Color, In More Places 

When your book doesn't have a cover I've been showing a variety of shades of my base accent color. I realized if you change your accent color you may want the book covers to be updated too. As such, both in app and on the widgets, your books will reflect the accent color you want. It's a small thing, but it makes your stack feel a little more like yours.

### One Less Confirmation

Editing a book and backing out right away used to trigger a "confirm changes" prompt even though you hadn't changed anything. That's annoying... and so that's now fixed... cancel with no changes now simply cancels.

---

All small things, but they add up to a better first impression, and a calmer everyday one too.

[Download Simply TBR!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-tbr-tame-the-stack/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)

Thanks for following along. And like always... I hope you're having a fantastic day.

— Kyra 💕
### Simply TBR 1.1.0: More Ways In, More Ways Out
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-0-more-ways-in-more-ways-out/
Last updated: 2026-07-06T21:12:57.000Z
Simply TBR had barely been out a week when someone replied to my announcement post with a question I hadn't planned for. They self-host their ebooks with Grimmory and wanted to know if there was a way to bring those books into the app... plus they mentioned tracking their reading on StoryGraph and Hardcover. I've only heard of some in passing but that one email sent me down a path... here's what happened.

---

## Bring in More Books

***Connected Features***

### Your Home Library

A lot of readers keep their books in a self-hosted library like Grimmory or Calibre-Web. I use [Grimmory](https://grimmory.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) on my computer, and *Simply TBR* can now connect to its OPDS catalog so those books sit in your stack right alongside your other books.

Connecting your OPDS catalog is part of *Connected* and sits at the bottom of Source Settings if you want to try it out. 

### Your Hardcover Account

When looking at tracking on [Hardcover](https://hardcover.app/?ref=simplykyra.com) I realized they made their API accessible which means, as part of *Connected*, Hardcover has been added to Source Settings too. You will need to go [onto your account, under API Access,](https://hardcover.app/account/api?ref=simplykyra.com) to find your token and enter it in the app. 

If connected it will be used in two ways. The first is when you press the button to import your books. Just like the other import methods. Secondarily, if hooked up, it will be used to fill in the extra information for books already in Simply TBR including moods, tropes, and content warnings.

![Collage of three phones showing the updated Source Settings (center) surrounded by the OPDS and HardCover entry sheets.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/07/compressed_More-Ways-In--More-Ways-Out---Screenshot---Image---More-Books-In-.png)

---

## Log Finished Books In More Places

***With Free Access***

The Exit Ceremony already offered quick links back to wherever your book came from. Now, along with Goodreads, it offers both [StoryGraph](https://thestorygraph.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Hardcover](https://hardcover.app/?ref=simplykyra.com) available for all accounts paid and free. Simply toggle it on in *Your Choices* and see the link appear when you finish a book.

This isn't a deep integration. It's simply a quick search for your completed book on their site... but it does save you a step, and it copies your notes over so handing off your thoughts is easier.

![Collage of the Your Choices with the new destinations and a "You Finished It" sheet showing the links.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/07/compressed_More-Ways-In--More-Ways-Out---Screenshot---Image-.png)

---

## Many Smaller Fixes

### Better Covers and Details, Quietly

Some of this update happened under the hood. I now pull more metadata about your books from Open Library than I was before so covers and details fill in better. I also realized the Google Books weren't working with my free account and after looking into it realized since I charge for a subscription for importing I shouldn't connect to it... so that's been removed. Additionally, if you have *Connected* and connect your Hardcover account that can be used to pull in more information about your books too. 

You shouldn't notice anything except more books showing up with the right cover.

### NetGalley

NetGalley updated their sign in process at the end of June to use email addresses and not a username to log in. I thought nothing of it but then realized I needed to log in much more frequently in *Simply TBR* on my phone. I've fixed it so the NetGalley login session now stays signed in across app restarts.

### Libby

When using Libby I realized both *Simply TBR* and my browser saw fewer books then when using Libby itself... then realized that's because some of my holds were on my second library card and only the Libby app saw it. I've updated the Libby flow to feel a little steadier now with clearer status while a shelf loads and a gentle nudge if there's no library card set up yet. Additionally, in Source Settings, you can check which library cards are being seen right now. Small but they're the kind of thing you feel every time you open the app.

### And More

And like always while I use this app I try to notice little friction points that can be improved. 

---

None of this was on my list a month ago... it came from one reader's question (*thank you*), me using the app, and everything grew from there... which is honestly my favorite way for an update to happen. If you use a source I still don't cover, or something feels off, please reach out. I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks for following along. And like always... I hope you're having a fantastic day.

[Download Simply TBR!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-tbr-tame-the-stack/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)

— Kyra 💕
### SimplyKyra Monthly Overview: June 2026
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/newsletter/simplykyra-monthly-overview-june-2026/
Last updated: 2026-06-30T12:00:46.000Z
Welcome to the June SimplyKyra Monthly Overview. A once-a-month roundup of app updates, blog highlights, and a few extras from behind the scenes. Nothing too serious, just a cozy way to stay connected. 💕

I know inboxes can get crowded, so this one stays intentionally low-key. If you ever prefer only these monthly summaries (or want to adjust your subscriptions), you can update your settings at the bottom of this email.

---

## 🏡 This Month with Me

This last month somehow felt way too short and zipped by. Summer break started here and my schedule feels all shifted and somehow like there's tons of time and yet still none at all.... and yet we go to bed later. I thought *Simply TBR* would be released the first couple weeks of the month and looking back I laugh at that expectation. 

Favorite memory from this month was attending the Shoestring Circus. We heard about it last year for their Art Museum theme and this year's Dreamland was even better. Here's [a review](https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ27JmQpqWm/?ref=simplykyra.com) by [heal.oly.project](https://linktr.ee/healolympia?ref=simplykyra.com), 

[Shoestring Circus I Big Top Circus in Washington StateStep inside the big top. Acrobatics, comedy, and a little bit of chaos - touring Washington this summer.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Shoestring Circus![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ec6f03_8ea1675c6dc54323b09204c620d1e56b~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_2500,h_1592,al_c/ec6f03_8ea1675c6dc54323b09204c620d1e56b~mv2.jpg)](https://www.shoestringcircus.com/?ref=simplykyra.com)

It's touring Washington state and going to Puyallup, Vancouver, Seattle, then Port Townsend next if you're close to any of those area. If so check [it out here](https://www.shoestringcircus.com/?ref=simplykyra.com)!

---

## 📱 New App!

### [Simply TBR: Tame the Stack](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-tbr/)

One calm place to see every book you actually have access to... your NetGalley shelf, Kindle library, Audible audiobooks, Libby loans, physical books, all of it. One stack. Real covers. No more switching between apps to figure out what you own.

[App Store: TBR](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)

![Collage says "See your books all in one place" with the app view on the Mac, widgets on iPad in dark mode, and two views of the phone one with the app and one with widgets.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/06/compressed_Simply-TBR-1.0-Read-Your-Way-Out---Screenshot---Image--See-Your-Books-1.png)

This one has been building for a while. I kept bouncing between apps to piece together what I actually had to read... until I realized I needed everything in one visible place.

[*Simply TBR*](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com) is now live on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Main app and widgets are free with an optional Connected subscription that unlocks importing from NetGalley, Amazon, Audible, and Libby. The free tier is genuinely useful on its own... Lucky Spin, widgets, notes, Exit Ceremony, all included.

[Try it Today!](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)

For more information check out the [landing page](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-tbr/) or [FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-faqs/).

## 📱 App Updates

### [Simply Remember It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/)

*When did you last…? Now you know with no second-guessing required.*

[App Store: Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

What started as an accessibility audit checklist item turned into a deeper look at the whole codebase leading to [update 2.2.2](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-2-the-quiet-fixes/) with formal accessibility support along with a handful of fixes that came along for the ride.

### [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)

*Make your reMarkable truly yours with custom templates and screens.*

[App Store: Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

Early in the month an email from one of you lead to fixing a crash ([1.1.1](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-1-1-answering-an-email-2/)). I then worked on switching over the current sort, group, and filtering available on the browse forms so you could set default values for each time the app opens. I debated waiting until there was something else but a second email pushed the update sooner leading to [1.2.0](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-2-0/). 

## Games

There were **no new updates** for my other apps, [Simply Uncover It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Simply Match It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com), this month, but I always keep an eye on [emails](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=SimplyKyra%20Games) and questions coming in… so feel free to keep them coming!

---

## 📚On the Blog

With the new app released and my kids out of school I did't publish very many posts this month. That said I did share [a life snapshot looking back at when my physical books became a bit too unruly](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/life-snapshot-when-books-became-too-unruly/). This is the quiet start of the origin story for Simply TBR and ends right at the edge of the problem, with books scattered across apps and a pile that's hard to see.

![Collage showing the cover of that blog post article.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/06/Life-Snapshot-When-Books-Became-Too-Unruly-1.png)

---

## 💻 Coming Up Next

I'm already working on an update for Simply TBR to bring in books from OPDS-supported libraries. Beyond that I'm not quite sure... and I’d love your input. What do you enjoy most about the apps or website? And what would you like to see improved or added? Just hit reply and let me know!

---

## 🌿 Something Extra

---

## **💌 A Note on Preferences**

You’re receiving this email because you signed up for **Monthly Overview** a once-a-month roundup that highlights what’s new, what I’ve been working on, and a little extra behind-the-scenes.

I also offer **App Updates** and **Blog Updates** if you prefer more frequent notes. You can manage what you receive anytime through your [account page](#/portal/account).

---

Thanks for being here 💕 I’m so grateful for your support as I keep building, learning, and sharing... one calm step at a time.

Until next month,

— Kyra
### Simply Customize It 1.2.0: From Reading to Writing
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-2-0/
Last updated: 2026-06-28T00:15:11.000Z
I've been finalizing a new app, released this last week, that tracks my TBR (to be read) book piles whether electronic or physical. With space while waiting for the app to be approved I started thinking what from *Simply TBR* might be helpful to my other apps. And that's the heart of this update. Then a user email came in and I decided to push it out a little sooner.

## Profile Settings

This is what was moved over from the *Simply TBR.* The templates browse still has sorting, grouping, and filtering while the other browses still have sorting. But they've been updated and you can now set your custom choices as default right from the sheet (button *Save as Default* right at the bottom). You choose how the Simply Customize It lists look when you load it. And if you change it that's okay... it's remembered as you tap through the app. Close and return... your defaults and not mine will be used. 

And if you want to see all your defaults at a glance go to Profile and look in the Settings section. It now has collapsible sections for each browse: Templates, Categories, Screens, Groups, and Devices. No more needing to reset your view every time you launch.

## A Subscription Fix

One of you reached out (*thank you*) to mention their subscription on one device wasn't being recognized on another. The fix is in this build and I've added better handling so it's more reliable going forward.

## A Few Smaller Things

Recently a 2-star review came in which mentioned app crashes and although specific feedback was limited it prompted me to do a sweep anyway. A few other small fixes made it in too including realizing the scroll area might be too small on phones using dynamic text so I made onboarding steps 2 and 4 fully scrollable.

---

[Update now on the App Store!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

As always, if something feels off or isn't working the way you'd expect, please [reach out](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It). I'd love to hear from you.

Until next time, Kyra 💕
### Simply TBR 1.0.0: Read Your Way Out
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-0-0-read-your-way-out/
Last updated: 2026-06-26T02:19:44.000Z
A while back I got a Goodreads email about a new release by an author I'd read often before... Exciting!... until I realized it was book three of a series I love and I'd somehow missed book two entirely. What??? 

So I went looking. And found the second book in the series already sitting in my Kindle library. I'd added it from NetGalley already... months ago. Right next to book three, which I *also* already had. Between that and going onto Goodreads to check the series I'd needed to use three apps just to piece together what I actually owned. 

That was the moment that sparked something... but I'd been needing something for a while. Over the last several years life had gotten busier and my feedback ratio had quietly slid from somewhere over 80% to down in the mid-fifties... some of it was completely valid... I'd started SimplyKyra, moved two times, and life got busier... but I'd also started feeling disconnected to the books. 

With the spark above I knew I needed to make what had become invisible and keep it available... I'd been attempting this on a smaller level over the years by moving and reorganizing the Kindle, Libby, and Audible app icons on my phone screen and then adding their widgets to show my actual books but it wasn't working and my TBR stack was getting bigger. 

So I built the thing I needed. And was surprised by just how many books I had. 

It's live! **Simply TBR: Tame the Stack** is now on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

[](APP%5FSTORE%5FLINK)

[Download Simply TBR!](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

## What It Is

One calm place to see every book you actually have access to right now... your NetGalley shelf, Kindle library, Audible audiobooks, Libby loans and suspended holds, the physical books on your shelf, all of it. One stack. Real covers. No switching between apps to remember what you own.

It makes that invisible pile fully available and helps with the question that comes next: *what should I read?*

### See Your Entire Stack

**Import your books**

Connect the sources you use and the app pulls everything together. Books you add by barcode, ISBN, file, or screenshot sit right alongside the imported ones. Covers are fetched automatically... which matters more than it sounds because a wall of real covers is what makes the pile feel like books again instead of a list of forgotten titles.

**Widgets** 

Keep the stack visible without needing to open the app with two widgets... *From Your Stack* surfaces unread TBR books on your home screen while *Continue Reading* keeps your in-progress books in sight. Both let you choose how you see your books whether that's in a list, book covers, or a little bookshelf of spines. *From Your Stack* lets you customize by format or source so you can add multiple widgets all showing different book subsets.

![Text: "See your books all in one place". Images left to right: open laptop showing the books with one open, iPad with widgets in dark mode surfacing books, iPhone with books showing in a grid, and another iPhone with widgets in light mode.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/06/compressed_Simply-TBR-1.0-Read-Your-Way-Out---Screenshot---Image--See-Your-Books.png)

### Start Reading

**Read**

Start as many books as you want. Started books show up in the *Reading* section and appear in the *Continue Reading* widget allowing you to be reminded of them and have easy access to add notes as you read keeping track of your thoughts as you go. 

**Pause or Set Aside**

If you aren't feeling the book, easily *pause* without guilt. Debating making it a DNF (did not finish) but waffling on your choice? There's also a *set aside* option in case you want to differentiate two types of pauses. 

Perfect also if you ran out of time on a library book. Jot your notes down, pause the book, and it's waiting for you when the hold comes in again.

**Lucky Spin**

Can't decide which book to read? Beyond browsing and widgets there's *Lucky Spin*. Tap it and the app fans out a random handful of books from your stack... choose from three, five, or seven books making the selection simpler. Still not sure? *Pick One* chooses for you or try another roll of the books. 

![Text: "Pick and book and start reading". Images left to right: Open laptop showing three books fanned out, iPad with dimmed books in a row and one open in front, and phone showing a set of five books. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/06/compressed_Simply-TBR-1.0-Read-Your-Way-Out---Screenshot---Image----Choose-Your-Book.png)

### Finish the Book

**DNF**

Pause or set aside the book if you're unsure. When you're ready to be done simply delete the book. It leaves your stack without any ceremony. And if you change your mind? You can add it as a fresh book. No notes. Blank slate. And get back to reading. 

**Exit Ceremony**

Finishing a book deserves a moment. When you mark a book as *Finished* an exit ceremony pops up with any notes recorded ready to copy. There's a list, based on where your book came from, offering quick links to any potential steps you may want to take including: opening your NetGalley review page, returning your Libby loan, handing your thoughts off to Goodreads. When *Complete* the book leaves your stack for good. Confetti optional but highly recommended.

![Text: "Finish it. Notes ready. Stack shrinks". Images left to right: iPad showing a book in progress and Finish button, Exit Ceremony sheet on the iPhone, and same sheet display on the open laptop.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/06/compressed_Simply-TBR-1.0-Read-Your-Way-Out---Screenshot---Image----Decrease-Your-Stack.png)

---

## What It Is Not

There are tons of book trackers out there already. Everyone has their favorite one. Simply TBR is not a reading tracker, a wishlist, or a social app. No judgment about how long a book has been sitting there and when you finish a book it doesn't join a trophy shelf... it simply leaves. The whole point is a visible *storefront* you can shop from and a, potentially, shrinking pile.

If you want to celebrate your reading history other apps do that beautifully. This app is for the books you *haven't* read yet.

---

## Free and Connected

The free tier is genuinely useful... add books by barcode, ISBN, file, or by hand, with Lucky Spin, notes, the Exit Ceremony, and both widgets all included. The Connected subscription ($1.99/month or $14.99/year) unlocks one-button importing from NetGalley, Amazon, Audible, and Libby, plus screenshot import, Author Watch, and the bulk metadata tools.

Free or Connected... either way your books stay in your stack. Always.

---

## Ready to Tame the Stack?

[**Download Simply TBR*](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)**! Available on* iPhone, iPad, and Mac**.*

I built this for my own overwhelming shelf first, and it's already changed how I read... I can finally see what I have. I hope it does the same for your pile.

And if you have any questions feel free to check out the [FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-faqs/) or [main page](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-tbr/). 

Thanks for following along. And like always... I hope you're having a fantastic day.

[Download Simply TBR!](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)

— Kyra 💕
### Life Snapshot: When Books Became Too Unruly
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/life-snapshot-when-books-became-too-unruly/
Last updated: 2026-06-23T14:02:08.000Z
I used to be a physical book person. Spent my childhood reading... the smell of a book, its weight in your hands, and the feeling of turning a page. I'd attempted ebooks and even owned a pretty purple Kobo later on, but I barely touched it and didn't understand why people would want to read them that way. 

Then I had my first kid.

Back then I owned a Windows Phone and downloaded an app, I can't remember its name, that I used to track everything. This meant between tracking and the absolute need to take photos of my baby I was constantly holding my phone all day. I missed reading and quickly realized, when nursing, a physical book is extremely unruly. Though I may have attempted it a couple times. Sorry. 

Then my phone broke, I couldn't stay Windows, switched to Apple, and realized although I kept my photos (*thankfully*) I lost all of my apps' data including the year of tracked data... and then learned I didn't need it so barely logged anything for my second kid. Over that time, and beyond with life on the go, with both a baby and toddler, the ebooks kept getting used more and more. First I had my phone with me whether I was at home or at a playground and could easily read on the go. Plus there was no obvious questionable covers or images easily seen. And I could read and flip pages with a single hand making it easier to find a moment or two amidst a busy day... I ended up completely switching over to ebooks. 

Here's the part I didn't notice until much later: 

> Reading ebooks wasn't a preference I picked.  
> They were how reading *survived* that season. 

The physical books didn't fit my life anymore and instead of stopping it morphed to fit the shape that did. With it I was able to take advantages of the couple of minutes here or there. And as they got older and more independent I spent hours at playgrounds reading if we weren't hanging with friends. Once we went home when my phone hit 10% battery. 

Now they're older, the youngest just hit double digits, and I'm still reading ebooks. Somehow I feel I have less time and my own apps have taken over. I still turn to ebooks. Back in California I *loved* that I could read them in the dark with a tea outside. Now I appreciate that despite the kids reading over my shoulder it's more mine on my phone... and still darker rooms are fine. I do buy a physical book sometimes... but I find them harder to read as they're never where they need to be when I want them. I know this stage may change... but for now it works. 

Here's the funny part though... I realized despite reading being *simpler* on my phone somehow it became cumbersome when I realized I had books across many different apps: Kindle, NetGalley, Libby, Audible, and Apple Books. I have no physical stack to trip over (wait... I do have some of those too)... and yet the pile's still somehow hard to see. Just scattered across screens instead of stacked on the floor.

But that's a story for another post.

— Kyra 💕
### Simply TBR: Version History
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-changelog/
Last updated: 2026-08-19T13:36:53.000Z
Each version lists its release date, a short summary, and a link to the full post where you can read more about that update.

---

## App Versions 

**Version 1.1.5**: August 18th, 2026 - What started as a subscription fix turned into a wider pass through imports, NetGalley, and a few small layout things along the way.

[Simply TBR 1.1.5: Small Fixes, Better BonesWhat started as a subscription fix turned into a wider pass through imports, NetGalley, and a few small layout things along the way.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-452234f5-2625-4e62-9c8b-28920c83f74e.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---TBR-It---1.1.5----Screenshot---Image-1738bbaf-9726-47fa-a8f1-a93bc8c92d7b.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-5/)

**Version 1.1.4**: August 2nd, 2026 - Started with another app crashing... now I added a catch here too.

[Simply TBR 1.1.4: Catching a CrashStarted with anther app crashing... now I added a catch here too.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-c6be893a-3c4f-4dfe-871d-920dfdaca526.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of-App-Update---TBR-1.1.3---Screenshot---Image--2-6fbc159c-21b5-43e7-b0b5-89d2e4f80f5d.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-4/)

**Version 1.1.3**: July 22nd, 2026\- A patch born from actually using the app: Exit Ceremony links that stay tappable, Author Watch that finally shares your NetGalley login, and genre filtering that's easier to search and select.

[Simply TBR 1.1.3: Still Within ReachA patch born from actually using the app: Exit Ceremony links that stay tappable, Author Watch that finally shares your NetGalley login, and genre filtering that’s easier to search and select.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-13212d82-2d79-4ca8-8424-fcee1241a465.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---TBR-1.1.3---Screenshot---Image--4fd2efc1-a01a-4254-9a5a-e3915721422a.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-3-still-within-reach/)

**Version 1.1.2**: July 19th, 2026 *\-* A Humble Bundle purchase led to testing OPDS import, which led to fixing a demo-link mix-up and adding local network permission, plus a speed boost for NetGalley Author Watch.

[Simply TBR 1.1.2: Reaching the Right NetworkA Humble Bundle purchase led to testing OPDS import, which led to fixing a demo-link mix-up and adding local network permission, plus a speed boost for NetGalley Author Watch.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-dad0a7d1-ec75-4d43-b8ed-a8cb46db7150.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---TBR-1.1.1---Screenshot---Image--3bdf99b9-f51f-4f86-b2a7-630c742413df.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-2/)

**Version 1.1.1**: July 10th, 2026 - A proper welcome flow for new installs, book covers that follow your accent color, a tidier Settings menu, and a fix for a false "confirm changes" prompt.

[Simply TBR 1.1.1: Seeing It for the First TimeA proper welcome flow for new installs, book covers that follow your accent color, a tidier Settings menu, and a fix for a false “confirm changes” prompt.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-1b762780-31b5-4b23-9fbe-9c44d82708f3.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of-Copy-of-App-Update---TBR-1.0.0---Read-Your-Way-Out---Screenshot---Image--773bc6f8-2990-48e0-8b38-91282ef9ddc3.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-1-seeing-it-for-the-first-time/)

**Version 1.1.0**: July 6th, 2026 - This update grew out of one reader's question about importing their self-hosted library. It adds OPDS and Hardcover as Connected sources, StoryGraph and Hardcover as free places to log finished books, and steadier NetGalley and Libby imports along the way.

[Simply TBR 1.1.0: More Ways In, More Ways OutThis update grew out of one reader’s question about importing their self-hosted library. It adds OPDS and Hardcover as Connected sources, StoryGraph and Hardcover as free places to log finished books, and steadier NetGalley and Libby imports along the way.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-8f71e0b8-4c98-4265-9460-902a4e3f2d20.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Copy-of-App-Update---TBR-1.0.0---Read-Your-Way-Out---Screenshot---Image--86b8f0bb-f20b-4de5-893f-2c5f6f6315fa.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-1-0-more-ways-in-more-ways-out/)

**Version 1.0.0**: June 25th, 2026 - I found out I'd missed book two of a series I love... then discovered I already owned it. It had been sitting unread for months. So I built an app to make the pile visible.

[Simply TBR 1.0.0: Read Your Way OutI found out I’d missed book two of a series I love... then discovered I already owned it. It had been sitting unread for months. So I built an app to make the pile visible.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-c5f15081-2989-444f-a896-5b0ffc4588b2.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_App-Update---TBR-1.0.0---Read-Your-Way-Out---Screenshot---Image--d6f8aa2b-0aac-4684-b575-f6297fd46df8.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-1-0-0-read-your-way-out/)

---

## **Quick Links**

- 🛒 [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)
- 🌐 [Website](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-tbr/)
- 💬 [FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-faqs/)
- 🛠 [Version History](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-changelog/)
- ⭐ [Leave a Review](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6770712702?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com)

## Help or Updates?

- 💌 [Subscribe for App Updates](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-changelog/#/portal/signup)
- 📧 [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20TBR:%20Version%20History)
### Simply TBR! FAQs
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-faqs/
Last updated: 2026-07-01T13:25:11.000Z
Got questions? You’re in the right place.

*Simply TBR* helps you keep track of your books so you can jump into reading quicker. 

---

If a question you have isn't here please comment below or reach out through [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20TBR:%20FAQs).

---

## App Specific

### App Store Page

[Simply TBR: Tame the Stack App - App StoreDownload Simply TBR: Tame the Stack by SimplyKyra LLC on the App Store. See screenshots, ratings and reviews, user tips, and more apps like Simply TBR: Tame the…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-180-76981d45-0adf-4c79-90e9-701a2804b463.png)App StoreSimplyKyra LLC![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/1200x630wa-242dd6ea-0dab-4f0b-8180-895f6c0547c9.jpg)](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)

### App Website

[Simply TBR: Tame the StackSee every book you have access to right now. Simply TBR brings your NetGalley shelf, Kindle library, Libby loans, and more into one calm place so you can stop second-guessing and start reading.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-2e49a51b-a2e9-48af-b7cf-39b7d0a07eab.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of-Simply-Remember-It--App-Page-a2d923ca-ad2c-4dd2-a607-d65ff5bda2b1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-tbr/)

### Email Updates

[Sign Up Here!](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-tbr-faqs/#/portal/signup)

### Supported Apple Devices

*Simply TBR* works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac (*coming soon)* working beautifully across all with iCloud sync keeping everything in harmony. 

If you'd like to see more platform-specific features let me know at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=SimplyTBR:%20FAQs) or in the comments below!

### App Versions (Change Log)

[Simply TBR: Version HistoryA chronological list of all Simply TBR updates with short summaries.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-42736193-4547-48e6-a62e-6f27c97c2886.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Cover---Simply-TBR---Versioning-1-01c7fc4c-1c57-4e1d-8828-77c62f4b3018.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-tbr-changelog/)

### Legalities

I've posted both a [privacy policy](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-tbr-privacy-policy/) and a [terms of use agreement](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-tbr-terms-and-conditions/) for this app.

### Need Help?

If you encounter an error that can't be fixed here feel free to reach out! You can leave a comment here or email me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20TBR:%20FAQs%20Issue) and we’ll troubleshoot it together. 

---

## General

### What belongs in my stack?

Simply TBR is for books you can actually read *now or soon*: books you own or have access to. It's intentionally not a wishlist... if a book is just "someday, maybe," it doesn't belong in the stack. That's what keeps the pile honest and tame-able.

### Is this a reading tracker?

No, and that's on purpose. Simply TBR manages your *backlog*. When you finish a book it goes through the Exit Ceremony and then leaves your stack permanently... the goal is a shrinking pile and not a growing history. If you want to catalog and celebrate what you've read other apps do that well. That said, Exit Ceremony will happily link to some of your book sources (Goodreads, NetGalley) so you can hand your notes off on your way out.

### What's the difference between Pause and Set Aside?

In the reading area you can pause, set aside, or finish a book. 

**Pause** is for books you fully intend to come back to... they stay in your Reading tab with notes preserved, and resume right where they were. 

**Set Aside** acts the same but is essentially a soft exit for books that aren't working for you right now. No shame, no "abandoned" label... the book just steps out of the way and stays in the Reading tab until you decide to delete it. 

Both options are there in case *you* want to differentiate two cases. 

### Mac, iPad, or iPhone... which is better?

Both get the full feature set, but they shine differently. The Mac's larger screen makes bulk ingestion easier (syncing, file imports, cleanup), while the iPhone is lovely for the everyday parts... checking widgets, spinning, reading, and the Exit Ceremony. iCloud keeps them in step so regardless which one you go to the other one is up to date.

---

## Getting Books In

### How do I add a single book?

When adding a book you can choose to scan the barcode, enter the ISBN number, or add it manually. 

### Can I add multiple books at once?

Yes. You can scan barcodes back to back perfect when going through your physical shelves. If going through a list of books virtually you can enter a list of ISBN numbers or choose a file with title, author, and ISBN columns in it. 

### What about if I use another app to track my books?

***Connected Feature***

*Simply TBR* can connect to the website version of some apps. This means when you tap *Import* it opens the real website in a secure web view on your device... you log in directly and Simply TBR reads your shelf to pull your books into your stack. These include:

- [NetGalley](https://netgalley.com/member/shelf/give%5Ffeedback?ref=simplykyra.com): Will open the *Give Feedback* shelf for your selected region (.com, .co.uk, .de, .jp) and automatically pages through your shelf.
- [Amazon Digital Purchases](https://www.amazon.com/your-orders/orders?orderFilter=digital&ref=simplykyra.com): Once logged in you check the date range shown, hit *Start Importing* when ready, and repeat after changing the time and/or page.
- [Amazon Subscriptions](https://www.amazon.com/hz/mycd/digital-console/contentlist/primeAll/dateDsc/?ref=simplykyra.com): Like above it doesn't start until you're ready. Use filter to switch between Prime Reading, Kindle Unlimited, comiXology, or others. Show Results to use the filter and *Start Import* to start. Repeat as needed.
- [Audible](https://www.amazon.com/hz/mycd/digital-console/contentlist/audiobooks/dateDsc/?ref=simplykyra.com): Like Amazon, it waits for you to start the import.
- Libby: Like NetGalley it automatically starts first checking your [holds](https://libbyapp.com/shelf/holds?ref=simplykyra.com) (waiting and suspended) before switching to your current [loans](https://libbyapp.com/shelf/loans?ref=simplykyra.com).

Your passwords are never seen, stored, or transmitted by *Simply TBR*. The app only reads your shelf to see what books are there and displays them to you to add to your stack. The books you choose stay on your device and in your iCloud while anything beyond that is forgotten.

### My import didn't find everything. What should I do?

***Connected Feature***

First, try the import again from **Settings > Source Settings** or through the **Add** button on the Stack... sometimes the source site simply loads slowly. Make sure you're fully logged in when the web view appears. If a specific book is still missing you can always add it by ISBN in seconds. And if something seems consistently wrong, there's a **Diagnostics** option under **Maintenance**, and I'd genuinely like to hear about it at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com) so I can fix it for everyone.

### What if I want to import from an App not in that list?

***Connected Feature***

Take a screenshot of your reading app's library (Apple Books, Kindle, anything you can see on screen) and *Simply TBR* reads the titles using on-device text recognition. The text needs to be legible for best results. There is a review step to confirm before anything is added, and metadata and covers are fetched automatically. It's the answer for apps that don't offer any way to connect. 

### How do I import from Hardcover?

***Connected Feature***

To read from Hardcover\* *Simply TBR* needs your API access. To find it tap your profile image to see the menu, hit Settings, and at the bottom tap [*Hardcover API*](https://hardcover.app/account/api?ref=simplykyra.com). There you can see your Bearer token. That can be used in *Simply TBR* but, in case you want, you can confirm it works using [GraphQL](https://cloud.hasura.io/public/graphiql?endpoint=https://api.hardcover.app/v1/graphql&ref=simplykyra.com)

[](https://cloud.hasura.io/public/graphiql?endpoint=https://api.hardcover.app/v1/graphql&ref=simplykyra.com)

1. Tap the text *Enter Key* under *Request Headers* to start a new line.
2. With it focused type in *"authorization"* (a) and then move to the value (b) and paste in the text on the [*Hardcover API page*](https://hardcover.app/account/api?ref=simplykyra.com)
3. In the left box (3) paste the sample query also found on the [*Hardcover API page*](https://hardcover.app/account/api?ref=simplykyra.com)*.*
4. Press the play button to run it.
5. See the values on the left side (5a) and your username (5b) confirming it's seeing the right person.
6. With it confirmed go into Simply TBR, settings, Source Settings, Hardcover, and Configure. There you can paste the token in, test the connection, and save.

\* Coming Soon

### Can I import from my personal OPDS\* digital library?

***Connected Feature***

If you self-host your ebooks using an OPDS-compatible server you can connect it under **Settings > Source Settings > Personal OPDS Library** to import your books straight into your stack.

OPDS is a standard that lets reading apps connect to personal library servers... *Simply TBR* uses it to import your books straight into your stack. You'll need your server's OPDS catalog URL and an OPDS username and password to get started. These are often separate from your main login.

Not sure where to find those? Here's where to look for the most common servers:

**Grimmory:** Go to **Settings > OPDS**, enable the OPDS server, copy the catalog URL, and add an OPDS user. Full details in the [Grimmory OPDS docs](https://grimmory.org/docs/integration/opds?ref=simplykyra.com).

**Kavita:** OPDS is enabled by default on all Kavita installs. Find your personal OPDS URL and API key under your user settings. Full details in the [Kavita OPDS docs](https://wiki.kavitareader.com/guides/features/opds/?ref=simplykyra.com). 

**Calibre-Web:** OPDS is built in. Your catalog URL is your server address followed by `/opds` and your regular Calibre-Web login works. See the [Calibre-Web FAQ](https://github.com/janeczku/calibre-web/wiki/FAQ?ref=simplykyra.com#which-opds-readers-work-with-calibre-web) for more.

Not on that list? Check your server's settings for an OPDS section... if it's there, *Simply TBR* should work with it.

\* OPDS Coming Soon

### If I delete a book in Simply TBR does it affect my Kindle/NetGalley/Libby/OPDS\* library?

No. Simply TBR is a *view* of your reading life and not a remote control for it. Deleting a book here only removes it from your TBR stack... your actual libraries are untouched. 

The only time TBR *sees* those sources are when you choose to import. In the Exit Ceremony links are shown to open the right pages for you so you can return a Libby loan or leave a NetGalley review, but you complete those actions yourself on the service's own site. 

\* Coming Soon

---

## Getting Books Out

### What happens when I finish a book?

When you mark a book as done it kicks off the *Exit Ceremony*... a send-off that surfaces your notes, opens the right pages for you to leave a review or return a loan, and then removes the book from your stack with a little celebration. The pile actually gets smaller.

### What is the Exit Ceremony?

The *Exit Ceremony* is the flow that runs when you finish a book. It shows your notes so you can copy them, then offers links to wherever you track or return books... Goodreads, StoryGraph*,* Hardcover\*, NetGalley, Libby, or Amazon depending on your settings and where the book came from. You can customize exactly what shows up under **Settings** \> **Your Choices** \> **Exit Ceremony**.

\* Coming Soon

### Where can I send my notes when I finish?

Your notes are copied to your clipboard automatically on exit. You can also choose which review destinations appear: Goodreads opens directly to the book while StoryGraph\* and Hardcover\* open to a search result so you can find and mark it there yourself.

\* Coming Soon

### What's the NetGalley Review Prefix?

If you read NetGalley ARCs you can set a disclosure prefix (like *Ebook received for free through NetGalley*) that gets added to your notes automatically when copying for any review app you have enabled... so you never forget to include it.

### What is Closing Pizazz?

It's the celebration when a book leaves your stack... confetti, sparkles, a haptic tap, your choice of closing animation. You can tone it all the way down or turn it off entirely under **Settings** \> **Your Choices** \> **Closing Pizazz**. No judgment either way.

### Does deleting a book in the Exit Ceremony affect my actual library?

No. Marking a book done removes it from your TBR stack only... your Kindle, NetGalley shelf, Libby loans, and everything else are completely untouched.

---

## Subscription

### Plans

I use an Apple subscription group with Family Sharing enabled, so you can upgrade, downgrade, or switch plans anytime under **Settings > Subscriptions** or, if active, [check out your subscriptions through Apple](https://apps.apple.com/account/subscriptions?ref=simplykyra.com).

Free

Free to start, always

- Add books manually, by barcode, or by ISBN
- Filtering, sorting, and grouping
- View by list or book covers
- Take simple notes
- Lucky Spin
- Exit Ceremony
- Both widgets with lists, covers, or bookshelf
- Find Duplicates
- Minimal Reading Stats
[Download free](APP%5FSTORE%5FLINK) 

Connected

$1.99/month · $14.99/year

- Everything in Free, plus:

Unlocks

- Import from NetGalley, Audible, Libby, & Amazon
- Import from Booklist Screenshot
- Author Watch (NetGalley)
- Bulk Refresh All Metadata
- Bulk Fetch Missing Covers
[Start free trial](APP%5FSTORE%5FLINK) 

3-day free trial (monthly) · 7-day free trial (annual)  
Your books stay in your stack even if your subscription lapses.  
Pricing shown in the App Store in your local currency

[Try it out today!](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)

### What happens to my books if my subscription lapses?

Nothing. Every book stays in your stack, fully usable... you can read, take notes, spin, and finish them like always. A lapsed subscription only pauses the Connected features themselves (button to import via web views or screenshots, author watch, and bulk metadata tools) until you resubscribe.

### 

### Why don't some of my books have covers?

Covers come from book databases using each book's ISBN, and a few categories are genuinely hard to match: audiobooks (different ISBNs than print editions), comics and graphic novels (series ISBNs that don't map to one cover), pre-publication NetGalley ARCs (no cover uploaded yet), and books added without a clean ISBN. I've added custom covers in case you want one or don't like the fetched cover. To set it go into the book's detail view and simply tap the image button. When set the button switches to an x (to remove). The custom covers sync across your devices

Connected subscribers can also run **Fetch Missing Covers** to retry the whole stack at once. This doesn't remove the custom covers as they are saved separately. 

---

## Widgets

### What widgets are available?

*Simply TBR* includes two widget types:

- **Continue Reading Widget**: Start lots of books at once? Forget what you started? Keep them front of mind with a widget hightlighting one (small) or more of your started books. See it in a list, as book covers, or all laid out on a bookshelf with book spines showing.
- **From Your Stack Widget**: Show a subset of your TBR right on your Home Screen. Same sizes and layout as continue reading... then goes beyond with Today's Pick (stays all day) or randomize, or show a particular source or type of book.

### How do I add a widget?

Just update the app. Then:

**On iPhone or iPad (Home Screen):**

1. Long-press your home screen
2. Tap the + button in the top corner
3. Search for "Simply TBR"
4. Choose your widget and size
5. Tap "Add Widget"

**On iPhone (Lock Screen):**

1. Long-press your lock screen
2. Tap "Customize"
3. Tap the widget area you want to fill (above or below the time)
4. Search for "Simply TBR"
5. Choose the type and size of widget
6. Tap outside to save

**On Mac:**

1. Right-click your desktop
2. Choose "Edit Widgets"
3. Search for "Simply TBR"
4. Drag the widget to your desktop

### Do widgets update automatically?

Yes! Widgets refresh throughout the day to your books. When you change the status or cover of a book through the app, Siri, or Shortcuts the widgets update immediately. That said there's also a button on the top of Settings if you prefer to check.

### Do I need Connected for widgets?

No! They all work with the base version of the app. 

---

## Shortcuts

### How do I use Shortcuts?

You can create custom Siri shortcuts to access your books instantly with voice commands or automation:

### Setting up a Shortcut:

1. Open Apple's Shortcuts app
2. Tap + to create a new shortcut
3. Search for and add "Simply TBR" actions
4. Choose an option and if needed select which book to use. If Add a note leave it blank to be asked
5. Name your shortcut something simple
6. Tap Done

### Using your Shortcut:

- With Siri: "Hey Siri, name"
- From widgets: Add the Shortcuts widget to your home screen
- From Apple Watch: Use Siri on your watch to trigger any shortcut
- With automation: Set shortcuts to run automatically based on time, location, or other triggers

### Note

You can always edit the details laters.

---

## Privacy & Data

### How is my data stored? Is it private?

Your data stays within Apple’s ecosystem and syncs through your iCloud account. Simply TBR does not use external servers, trackers, or third-party analytics. Your data stays private and under your control.

### Why does the App Store show a 16+ age rating?

Simply TBR uses secure web views showing external services (NetGalley, Amazon, Audible, and Libby) so you can log in and import your shelves. Because those are real websites you can navigate within, Apple classifies the app as having unrestricted web access, which automatically produces a 16+ rating regardless of the app's actual content.

The app itself contains no mature content just the help pages along with your added book covers, metadata, and notes. The rating reflects the web access classification.

---

## Offline & Sync

### Does Simply TBR work offline?

You will need internet to import your books from other sources, access the metadata and book cover fetches, and access the exit ceremony links to return your book and/or review it. 

That said, the basic functionality with widgets, starting your books, or even exit ceremony with no added steps all work without internet. You can access your added books whenever, mark your notes, and go about your day and any changes you make will sync automatically through iCloud once you’re back online. 

## Accessibility

### Is Simply TBR accessible?

Simply TBR is designed with accessibility in mind and supports Dynamic Type and system accessibility settings. If you encounter any barriers or have suggestions for improvement, please reach out at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20TBR%20Accessibility).

## Localization

### Does the app support multiple languages?

Simply TBR is currently available in English. Additional language support may be added in the future based on interest and feedback. That said, it is available in all countries offered in the App Store. 

---

## Connect With Me

### Future Updates

If you sign up for the ***App Updates*** newsletter, by creating a [free account here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-tbr-faqs/#/portal/signup), you'll be messaged whenever there's an update pushed to the app store. More information about [the newsletters here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/newsletters-and-account-settings/).

![Image shows a screenshot of the top of the homepage once the manage your emails button was clicked. Here there are three toggles. One for the blog updates, one for the app updates, and one to be notified by comments.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_2024-04-23-at-15.15.20.png)

Once you create an account the top right "Subscribe" button becomes "Account". Click on it, then Manage your Emails, and then toggle which newsletter(s) you want. Since this photo was taken the "Simply Customize It" newsletter was renamed to "App Updates" to encompass all app updates.

### How to get it?

[Click here for the App Store link!](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com)

### Can I suggest a feature?

Yes, please! I’d love to hear what you want to see next. Drop me a message at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20TBR%20Feature%20Request) or DM me on social (links in the footer). Popular suggestions help shape future updates.

### Want updates?

Join my email list and choose whether you’d like blog posts, app updates, or both. You’ll always stay in the loop (and you can opt out anytime).

[Join Here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-tbr-faqs/#/portal/signup)

[Or Email Me](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20TBR%20Question)

If you want to stay connected in another way all my social accounts are listed along the footer of this website although some are updated more frequently than others.

### Additional Questions?

If you have a question that isn’t answered here, feel free to reach out at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20TBR:%20FAQs). I try to keep this page updated with real questions from real users.

---

Feel free to comment below if you have any additional questions or reach out through [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20TBR:%20FAQs). And if you want feel free to...

[💕 Buy me a coffee or tea! 💕](https://buy.stripe.com/bIY9EEaPE0ma4A84gg?ref=simplykyra.com)
### Simply Customize It 1.1.1: Answering an Email
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-1-1-answering-an-email-2/
Last updated: 2026-06-10T16:41:25.000Z
This morning I noticed an email where someone had encountered the app crashing twice... once when going through the walkthrough and another when saving the new device. I'm so glad they reached out and supplied me with crash reports as I was able to track down the issue to syncing which was quietly affecting all of you. 

---

## What Changed

### The Crashes

The crashes traced back to a conflict in how the app was syncing data through CloudKit. The fix involves deleting the conflicted CloudKit zone on first launch after updating and re-exporting everything cleanly. For existing people this happens automatically so you won't notice a thing. Sync will just start working properly.

### Uploading Templates

A while back I locked out the upload button until you had first synced or imported your reMarkable templates. I did this as uploading before syncing would have overwritten everything on your device with *nothing* thereby essentially losing all of default templates.

I realized while walking through the reported crash and onboarding again that syncing or importing from the onboarding flow didn't unlock the button so going to the templates tab you'd still see the *upload* button locked. This has been updated so going through onboarding now means, to you, the button will never be locked.

---

To you who emailed in... thank you. It's so much easier to track something down when you have the actual stack trace rather than just a description.

[Update now on the App Store!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id1636763558?ref=simplykyra.com)

If you ever run into something that doesn't seem right, [reach out](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It). I do read everything.

Until next time, Kyra 💕
### Simply Remember It 2.2.2: The Quiet Fixes
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-2-the-quiet-fixes/
Last updated: 2026-06-06T23:44:40.000Z
This update started as a simple checklist item. I'd been working on accessibility audits across all my apps and wanted to focus on Simply Remember It. That audit, over the month, turned into a deeper look at the code overall, and a few things that needed fixing came along for the ride.

---

## What Changed

### Accessibility

If you use VoiceOver, prefer larger text, or rely on reduced motion, Simply Remember It works with that... and now that's officially documented on the App Store page so you can know before you download.

### Daily Summary Toggle

Realized there was a bug in a simple *Daily Summary* toggle when counting metrics. It counted each logged event as a separate day rather than bundling all the day's entries into one. That's fixed now so if you track something like water intake, or really, any habit where repeating in a day genuinely matters the toggle behaves as it should.

### Crash and Widget Fixes

Some crash reports came in so I used them as a starting point for a full pass through the app and widget extension to address each risk.

### Widget Updates

Then, on the widget side, I continued on and fixed the pie chart display, the next due alignment, and the extra large size on Mac and iPad.

### Freemium Fix

While running the app on my phone I realized there was a path, through the widget, where tapping the due task could still open the log sheet past the 80-entry free limit. That's now closed. The limit works consistently now whether you're coming in from the app or from a widget.

### A Few Smaller Things

A couple smaller things too. The header in the subscription store view was getting cut off on iPad depending on which plan was displayed. When editing a task the chosen accent color sometimes switched back to the default blue when opening sections with a toggle. Additionally when testing larger fonts the charting time interval was cut off. 

All small things, but it looked wrong. And it's now fixed.

---

As always, if anything feels off or you notice something I missed, I'd love to hear from you. You can reach me through the app or over at the App Store.

[Click to update now!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

— Kyra 💕
### SimplyKyra Monthly Overview: May 2026
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/newsletter/simplykyra-monthly-overview-may-2026/
Last updated: 2026-05-29T17:00:36.000Z
My sister's bachelorette is this weekend (I'll be hanging with them when this lands in your inbox) so I'm writing it a bit early and scheduling it so the month can finish off without me.

> Welcome back to the SimplyKyra Monthly Overview!

I know inboxes can get crowded, so this one stays intentionally low-key. If you ever prefer only these monthly summaries (or want to adjust your subscriptions), you can update your settings at the bottom of this email.

---

## 🏡 This Month with Me

I've been enjoying the warmer weather while attempting to not get burned. I'm officially a winter person (the PNW was a very intentional choice) but I've been loving the sweater weather mornings and all the blooming flowers, baby birds, and frolicking squirrels that come with it. I've even recorded a splashing bird and some squirrels I'm hoping to turn into a nature video soon.

![Collage of five images. Four on the left shot blooms and a mushroom while on the right the sun through the trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Newsletter---Monthly---2026---May---Screenshot---Image-Landscape.png)

The flowers, trees, and new growth!

![Image shows a ladybug on a daisy, a bird in the water, and a spider climbing. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Newsletter---Monthly---2026---May---Screenshot---Image-Animal.png)

Insects, birds, and (not pictured) frolicking squirrels!

---

## 📱 App Updates

### [Simply Remember It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/)

*When did you last…? Now you know with no second-guessing required.*

[App Store: Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

No new build shipped for Simply Remember It this month. There's been quiet work accumulating behind the scenes but it's not quite ready.

That said, if you've ever wondered whether it might work for you, I recently put out four short videos showing how I actually use it... [kickstarting habits](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/B7%5Ff7btvTRo?ref=simplykyra.com), [remembering appointment details](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FyoG-ZwPtr0?ref=simplykyra.com), [tracking tasks I'm working through less often](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zmxMz-0vc5I?ref=simplykyra.com), and [check-ins... recurring or just because](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SxHfE%5FAS-aI?ref=simplykyra.com). If you prefer [Instagram check the main reel is here](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYzznt0Sf-v/?igsh=MWxsaWpyYjZmMGE2Mw==&ref=simplykyra.com)!

### [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)

*Make your reMarkable truly yours with custom templates and screens.*

[App Store: Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

One update... that started as an accessibility audit and turned into something bigger. [More information here](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-1-0/) but now onboarding is shorter, browse views have new image toggles, accent colors behave everywhere, and the reMarkable Paper Pure is on the device list. 

Plus... I realized this month was two years in the App Store! That combined with some early photos I found became [this lookback post: *Two Years on the App Store: Where Simply Customize It Started*](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/two-years-on-the-app-store-where-simply-customize-it-started/). 

## Games

There were **no new updates** for my other apps, [Simply Uncover It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Simply Match It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com), this month, but I always keep an eye on [emails](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=SimplyKyra%20Games) and questions coming in… so feel free to keep them coming!

---

## 📚On the Blog

If you're ever up in the PNW, in particular Washington state, Thomas Dambo's trolls are always fun to check out. I finally wrote up a post showing all fives in Washington with a quick note of the Portland Oregon one still on my list. Watch the video or check out [my post, with photos, here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/thomas-dambos-pnw-trolls/).

My family has also been embracing make your own ramen night lately... shared [this life snapshot](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/life-snapshot-pick-your-own-ramen-night/) if you want the details.

---

## 💻 Coming Up Next

I've been playing with an Android version of Simply Remember It, though I'll be honest... it's been tough to get into a rhythm with it.

I'm also turning over two other app ideas, both built around doing more of what you actually want to do. One is focused on your TBR (to be read) stack while the other is on a broader hobby library. Still early, but they're rattling around.

If any of those sound interesting, just hit reply and let me know. I'd love to add you to an early list. 

And as always, if there's something you love about the apps or something you'd like to see improved or added, reach out. I read every reply.

---

## 🌿 Something Extra

We had babies birds at the beginning of the month! I'd been hoping to catch them learning to fly or something but one morning they were just gone... nest is still there just in case, and we still need to clean it up. 

Plus I have the odd later video I should really combine into a new video. And iif you want some quicker videos recently I caught a [ladybug on a flower](https://youtube.com/shorts/GU-7MS1o6Bs?feature=share&ref=simplykyra.com) and shared some [rain in the trees](https://youtu.be/7xsxKZ4VrGw?ref=simplykyra.com) and this [heron from back in December](https://youtube.com/shorts/18Ord%5F0uYoU?feature=share&ref=simplykyra.com). 

---

## **💌 A Note on Preferences**

You’re receiving this email because you signed up for **Monthly Overview** a once-a-month roundup that highlights what’s new, what I’ve been working on, and a little extra behind-the-scenes.

I also offer **App Updates** and **Blog Updates** if you prefer more frequent notes. You can manage what you receive anytime through your [account page](#/portal/account).

---

Thanks for being here 💕 I'm so grateful for your support as I keep building, learning, and sharing... one calm step at a time.

Until next month,

— Kyra
### Two Years on the App Store: Where Simply Customize It Started
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/two-years-on-the-app-store-where-simply-customize-it-started/
Last updated: 2026-05-21T12:00:32.000Z
A month or so ago I was going though old photos and stumbled across a shared album called *SimplyKyra Device App* (a really great name huh).. and discovered several photos of *Simply Customize It* ranging mostly from October 2021 to June 2022\. Looking through them was a weird sort of time capsule.

Once I started looking at dates I realized I didn't even release the app until May 2024 making these images two to three years pre-release... then I realized it's been almost two years in the App Store! Happy Birthday (*now belated*) to *Simply Customize It*!

Considering I'm currently now typing... with no photos decided and no plan... and it's already May 7th... and the bus alarm just went (*let's pause*) I don't think I'll make this post in time for *Simply Customize It's* birthday tomorrow. That said.. I may make it this month. So let's go! 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Pinterest.png)

💕 **Pin this post to come back to later.*

Just a heads up. All app-related photos are showing the iPhone version of this app... that said it is available on both the iPad and Mac as well. 

---

## Before It Went Live

Last year I shared a post on [how a sleep screen image on my reMarkable sparked *Simply Customize It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-a-sleep-screen-sparked-an-app-the-story-behind-simply-customize-it/)... though it ignored the coding side of the project and instead focused on the reMarkable tutorial blog posts and how their feedback created this app.

[How a Sleep Screen Sparked an App: The Story Behind Simply Customize ItWhat started as a curiosity about changing my reMarkable’s sleep screen led to a rabbit hole of templates, blog posts, bash scripts, and eventually a full app. Here’s how Simply Customize It came to be... and why I’m still building it today.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-131.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/image-5.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-a-sleep-screen-sparked-an-app-the-story-behind-simply-customize-it/)

If you want the general blog-side of the story check it out here! I just realized it was published about a year ago. 

That said, there was a development side to the process where I took years getting up to speed on Apple development first with books, then 100 day challenges, and then finally purchased a membership with Hacking with Swift in November of 2021\. That said, I'm not patient with long tutorials... and so quickly turned to what would become *Simply Customize It* first to see if it was possible and then later to share with you all. 

Those found images made me realize I wanted to share this journey with you. A journey where I created ugly lists just to see if I could get *SSH* working, confirmed the `SCP` was possible, and then watched the new Apple announcements at WWDC just to rewrite the whole thing... this rewrite happened two or so times. But each time I rewrote I was able to take what I learned, combine it with what I now knew I wanted, and create something better kind of like a phoenix. Though eventually I realized I couldn't keep doing that... I wanted it in your hands.. and so I polished it up, created an LLC, and finally released it to the world. 

### Starting

The start was messy. It consisted of figuring out if the individual elements I needed to be successful to justify making this app could in fact be done. I created quick and ugly lists to easily navigate each puzzle piece as I built it. I hardcoded terms to speed up the testing. Muddled through trying to figure out how to connect to the reMarkable and luckily found [Citadel](https://github.com/orlandos-nl/Citadel?ref=simplykyra.com) (an API built around [NIOSHH](https://github.com/apple/swift-nio-ssh?ref=simplykyra.com) making it much more accessible) to both connect, execute commands, and transfer the images. I figured if I couldn't get this part working then the app itself wouldn't work and there was no point making it look pretty. 

### Getting Going

My earliest images I found were from July 2021... I'm assuming these were the result of a June WWDC let's start over session after that messy earlier start. Here I was still working on a main list backbone while testing the bare functionality letting me quickly add new test cases and pivot more quickly. 

By this time my husband had bought himself a reMarkable 2 too so I realized that although all the reMarkable interactions needed to be connected to a single reMarkable... I (and you) might want to switch whose reMarkable it connects to. So I'd changed the main entry of the app... it depended on a user (a reMarkable) and, at this point, you could change the user from an optional list of people. 

![Image collage of how the app looked in July of 2021.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---2021-July.png)

Mainly still a basic list to quickly pivot and test but the device selection is sketched in... though at this point still thought of as a person and not a device... that came after publishing the app when the reMarkable Paper Pro came out. 

### The Spark

A full circle moment was being able to go from an image on the iphone simulator to that very image being on the reMarkable as a custom sleep screen image and seeing it there in black and white. The custom sleep screen was what made me first customize my reMarkable and now I could do it from a *simulated* app!

![Two images showing the sleep screen image on both the iphone simulator with the reMarkable showing the black and white version in front of it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---2022-August.png)

From August 2021 I have these two images taken 10 days apart showing first the default simulator photo and then later my kids playing with LEGO. It was so exciting being able to do it at a touch of a button!

![The reMarkable 2 on its side on my desk showing my kids on swings.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_IMG_0389.jpeg)

Later I was still using photos... first of my kids and later I switched it to landscapes I loved. Some worked better on the black and white reMarkable 2 and some were perfect for that pop of color the Paper Pro provided! I then set it up as a photo frame when I wasn't using it.

Plus this proved I could connect and transfer data from one to another. Next... more complicated things... like templates!

### Planning the Next Steps

While coding this I'd sometimes need to take a moment, step back, and write out what I was thinking so I had a clearer vision when I went back to the computer. I found at the keyboard I'd get into the small minutia or be stuck in the big idea but miss the other side of it. This way I could take whatever started feeling fuzzy and jot it down so I didn't miss it later. Often it was raw steps, sometimes a simple todo note, and sometimes what I wanted the app to actually look like. 

![Collage of the steps for custom templates (on reMarkable) and interesting questions I felt I needed to solve.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---Tracking-TODO.png)

I'd sometimes grab paper or a post-it note but often I snagged my reMarkable.

![Photo of my computer showing my todo notes and console logs when walking through. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_IMG_9397.jpeg)

And the odd time. When it felt overwhelming and my kids and life often interrupted... I started taking advantage of the TODO and FIXME tags I'd just read about and would write them directly in the code so I couldn't miss it when I returned.

Instead of spending time making things look good for the user interface (UI) I'd instead confirm using quick print statements to write out what the computer knew and get a picture of what I had and needed to know to continue. Once I had that I then spend the time adding it to the UI, removing the print statements, and then make it look nicer. 

While coding I found myself manually typing in the connection credentials for my reMarkable so many times that I paused the main work to play with image processing and see if I could add something for both me while testing and for anyone in the future to get it filled out faster. It worked! And I added a photo to my iPhone simulator for quicker entry. 

![Collage of three images of the phone screen showing dark mode and the image processing for the username, password, and IP address.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---Image-Processing.png)

Snapped the photos while testing dark mode and image processing for the credentials.

### Redesigning 

At least two or three times I virtually attend the yearly WWDC talks and decided, with all the new features, to completely redo my app.... starting fresh and manually moving over the code I still needed while building it up... again. These photos are from the redesign back in June of 2022 already showing bare bones of the future app coming through. 

![Collage of two side by side pages exported from my reMarkable 2. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---WriteItOut.png)

Used the reMarkable to both jot down the overall design while adding in simple squares to show what I was thinking and designing a simplistic ER diagram showing how the data worked together. 

![Four pages from my reMarkable 2 showing my sketches. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---Layout.png)

Along with the text layout I sketched out a phone and kept duplicating it to show how different aspects of the app could look.

### Letting Go

Not everything was constant growth. Several times I added in features both larger and smaller before deciding it worked best to remove. 

During this whole time I had a more complicated picture in my head on how templates would work. In addition to the categories (this was kept) I also pictured directories allowing people to dictate where their template's `PNG` images would be saved on their reMarkable. I also, while making the app, allowed the file name to be edited while also changing out the template's icon image.

Before publishing *Simply Customize It* I realized just how complicated the process had become and so simplified it so the templates would be easier to edit and harder to mistakenly change their name and disconnect their reMarkable notebook pages. I also wanted to make sure everything was above board so I removed anything that might be considered proprietary leading to the blank icon codes that are now shown for the custom templates. 

Other directions I chose to explore but didn't seem feasible to keep were: 

![Screenshots of the views of the older pre-published app. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---Backup.png)

I dabbled with a backup and restore system but between trying to track what was a custom template and what wasn't I realized it was too complicated for what I was picturing and didn't want to offer any guarantees on edge cases that may not hold up. 

![Image shows the template library with four solid templates next to the example of the solid black one.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---TemplateLibrary.png)

I also considered adding a template library and even created four custom templates to play around with. I then realized all the templates I used were from purchased PDF files and with all the cool templates on Etsy realized it might not be worth keeping. That said, the black template wasn't forgotten and was instead moved to the later created onboarding flow so you can still get that one while testing out the app. 

Not all things removed stayed removed. One example are the `SVG` images that I was having trouble displaying at the time and thought we wouldn't need... [in a future update](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-update-now-with-svg-support/) I realized they were needed and added them back while also making them viewable and editable.

---

## The Last Two Years

Two years ago I realized rather than continue the dance of fixing *Simply Customize It* up, watching WWDC, and then redoing it all again... I needed to simply publish it. 

Over the years of developing the app I'd stopped using the manual way I'd been sharing in my blog posts and wanted to share this simpler way of updating the reMarkable rather than just the blog post themselves. I'd been feeling that way for a while... and so I distributed the [iOS version](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/announcing-simply-customize-it/) of *Simply Customize It* on the App Store the second it was approved and then shared the [macOS version](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-macos-edition/) eight days later. And then, just when I took a breath, the reMarkable Paper Pro was announced... and the updates began. With my Paper Pro purchased I was able to release an update that worked on both devices by [October 15th](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-update-now-works-with-your-remarkable-paper-pro/). The following two years then consisted of updates responding to your emails (*thank you)*, reMarkable updates, and fixing friction I noticed while using my app. 

In case you're curious and want more I've linked [the entire version history](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-changelog/) and the ever constantly updating [FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-faqs/).

---

## A Look Back

With each iteration I was able to pin down how *Simply Customize It* should look and simplified the app to make it, hopefully, easier to use. Looking back at all the images I realized it would be fun to compare the earlier 2021/2022 images with today's 2026 version. 

### App Entry

At the beginning I used lists to easily access each aspect of the app I wanted to get working. This changed over the years as I added more and it became more and more complicated. 

![Collage of the main entry from July 2021, November 2021, and June 2022. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---Home-Screen.png)

The main entry was first made for quick checks and turnabouts. 

Now it's been split into three tabs: templates, screens, and profile (general settings).

### Templates 

As mentioned above in *Letting Go* the template and the entire section used to be more complicated with directories that had been set up similarly to categories. 

![Two screenshots on the left showing the pre-published way and four on the right showing how it now looks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---CategoriesDirectories.png)

The category and directory views simply wrote out all the templates assigned to it. Although we no longer have directories the categories have been updated so you can more easily add templates from it. 

In addition the template display and editing system was more customizable but also way more complicated making it easier to mistakenly disconnect a custom templates from all the notebook pages it had been used in.

![Screenshots of the template view over the pre-published years from October 2021 to June 2022.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---Template.png)

Over the year more functionality was added as I tested what was possible.

![Four screenshots from 2022 showing how the template browns, new template, and editing a template used to look. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---OldTemplates.png)

At this time, with all the functionality added (and shown here), I next tried to simplify it to make it easier regardless of whether you'd previously customized your reMarkable's templates or not.

![Image shows a collage matching the one before but now showing what the app looks like two years after publishing and updating.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---NewTemplates.png)

There are now more ways to filter, group, and sort the templates in the browse while also keeping the template editing itself simple yet still adding functionality of going beyond PNGs to also include SVG or .template files too. 

### Screens

The screen process is simpler than the templates with simple download or upload from or to the reMarkable. That said, when designing *Simply Customize It*, several people were designing sets of screens at the same time and sharing them to Facebook. As such, both then and now, you can choose to work with individual screens or create groups of screens for quicker uploads. 

![Two screenshots on the left showing the pre-published way with screen browse and screen edit... and four on the right showing how it now looks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---Screens.png)

Back then I still had quick debug features like delete all and button permissions. Now it's hopefully simpler while also more navigable. 

![Two screenshots on the left showing the pre-published way with group browse and screen edit...  and four on the right showing how it now looks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---Groups.png)

Going beyond screens you can also set a group of screens and upload it all at once making recovering from a reMarkable update much quicker. 

### Profile & Settings

The profile area became both a place to see if the app is right for you while also offering customizations and tutorials. Here at the top you can see your devices (used to be called users), onboarding, new information, settings, and support. 

![One screenshot on the left showing the pre-published way and four on the right showing how it now looks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---UserDevice.png)

I started out with allowing multiple people then later renamed it to devices once the Paper Pro came out. Regardless you can still connect with ease... and I've since added more help and customizations. 

![One screenshot on the left showing the pre-published way and four on the right showing how it now looks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---Settings.png)

Settings started out simple with accent colors and color schemas and then slowly got more and more customizations added over the years.

### And More

From the very beginning I added a learn more to the bottom of each tab explaining how that section all worked and linking back to my website if needed. The profile section also had an added onboarding and a bit more information for anyone needing it. 

![One screenshot on the left showing the pre-published way and four on the right showing how it now looks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---LearnMore.png)

The learn more used to be simple text which I upgraded with photos and learn more sheets before publishing. The onboarding was added to walk you through the process and the FAQs post on my website is ever evolving. 

![One screenshot on the left showing the pre-published way and four on the right showing how it now looks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_Two-Years-on-the-App-Store-Customize-It---Screenshot---Image---Device-Updated.png)

Early on I started a simple set of tasks with links... then before finalizing the app I moved all the buttons you needed to the top of each tab for easy access. Now when your reMarkable updates it's simple to go in and return your device to how you want it. Let me know if you want this more streamlined in the future. 

---

I loved stumbling across these photos that I forgot I took and loved being able to share them with all of you. I hope you enjoyed this story whether you've enjoyed *Simply Customize It* in the past, are now looking to check it out now, or are simply looking into other apps' journeys.

 And, like always, I hope you’re truly having a great day!

I'm Kyra. An indie Apple developer and founder of SimplyKyra where I build calm tools that reduce mental load. If you want to check out all my Apple apps [click here](https://apps.apple.com/us/developer/simplykyra-llc/id1650115619?ref=simplykyra.com)! If you’d like to keep up with future posts like this I usually share them on my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). 

Plus, if you become a free member on the site you can sign up for my newsletters and join the conversation on any of my posts.
### Life Snapshot: Pick Your Own Ramen Night
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/life-snapshot-pick-your-own-ramen-night/
Last updated: 2026-05-19T14:49:50.000Z
The other night I called everyone to the table and realized I'd completely forgotten to steam the bok choy. I'd bought a Costco-sized amount of it four days before and figured the simplest and best way to use it would be a simple Ramen supper and didn't want to put it off any longer. With the addition of bok choy to the routine I'd always steamed it but the kids were coming up the stairs... I was out of time. 

So I pulled out my deep frying pan, poured some sesame oil in, and started adding bok choy to the pan. There was so much I could only do half and wait for it to get smaller before carefully adding more. But it worked! And by the time the kettle had come to a boil our bowls were prepped! We poured the water in, moved the bok choy to the table, and food was served!

![Table with two different bowls of ramen and a pan of bok choy between.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/compressed_IMG_6245.jpeg)

It worked out better than original the plan would have.

## Wait What?

We've been doing pick your own ramen night for a while now and it's one of those meals that just keeps delivering. Everyone picks their package, we add whatever makes sense that's in the house, it comes together in maybe ten minutes, and potentially (depending how you do it) no or less dishes that whatever else I would've made. 

The girls love it. Additionally my eldest now has a microwave at school and loved the microwavable bowl containers so we ended up getting her a microwave-safe glass container so she can choose whichever kind of ramen she felt like. Making the packets (and add-ins) simpler to do. 

## Customizations 

My contribution to the *protein requirement* is usually soft boiled eggs... it used to be hard boiled but a friend gifted us [a Dash egg cooker](https://bydash.com/products/rapid-egg-cooker?ref=simplykyra.com) which makes it much simpler. The kids tolerate this with varying enthusiasm. 

Sometimes I require adding some frozen corn or peas for some vegetable content and sometimes I turn a blind eye to it. For me... I normally load mine with frozen veggies before adding the boiling water and then pivot to the microwave when the noodles aren't cooked enough. 

Depending on how we feel or which kind we chose cheese is then added. We normally add cheddar or pepper jack cheese... or both. The other day it was just me that added cheese.

If you want a bit more gourmet sometime in the last year or so I bought [a steamer basket](https://www.costco.com/p/-/miu-10-2-tier-bamboo-steamer-basket/4000353975?ref=simplykyra.com) from Costco... we we can steam potstickers and other frozen foods... and discovered that steaming bok choy or mushrooms is fantastic! Or you can cook it in oil and it's quicker. Either way it tastes great, changes it up, and... this time... there's leftover in the fridge I might fry up with eggs for breakfast later. 

---

That's kind of how this meal has always gone, honestly. It just keeps adapting.

And if you want a batch version that's quick... my kids loved the gluten free ramen rice noodles from Costco in my [Ramen and Egg Chicken Soup](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/eggy-ramen-and-egg-chicken-soup-kids-top-five-meal-and-gluten-free/). It was our go to toddler quick meal though made way less often lately... and also amazing with cheese.
### Thomas Dambo's PNW Trolls: Five in Two Years with Revisits
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/thomas-dambos-pnw-trolls/
Last updated: 2026-07-15T13:41:25.000Z
Back when we decided to move to Washington State I never would've thought I'd start collecting trolls... but here we are and... 

> I've Been Collecting Trolls

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Thomas-Dambo-s-PNW-Trolls-Five-in-Two-Years-with-Revisits---Pinterest.png)

💕 **Pin this post to come back to later.*

The last spotting was over a year ago but ever since the last one I'd been meaning to share these online for you. Going forward I'm not going out of my way to find them... I do however plan to check the [troll map](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) before any future vacations.

## Backstory

We moved to the Issaquah area a couple of years ago and soon after we arrived I heard something about trolls... 

*Side Story:* In advance of the move I'd joined several Facebook mom groups (perfect when looking for a new dentist, orthodontist, or whatever) and people were talking about [Thomas Dambo](https://www.thomasdambo.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) installing Jakob Two Trees one city over and it sounded amazing. 

I'd never heard of Thomas Dambo before but it sounded like we needed to see it so I took my family over soon after it opened. Jakob was incredible! 

[*Thomas Dambo*](https://www.thomasdambo.com/?ref=simplykyra.com): The artist lives and works near Copenhagen, Denmark and uses reclaimed wood to create large trolls tucked into the landscape like they had always been there. 

At the time it was hard to pinpoint where the trolls were, from what I remember, and I heard he wanted people to stumble across them. That said, I got pulled, heard about other Trolls in Washington, found both his website and troll map, and then despite vaguely wanting to see them... but didn't. 

[![Screenshot of the Washington/Oregon section of the Troll Map show 5 Xs in Washington and 1 in Oregon.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Screenshot-TrollMap.png)](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com)

All the PNW trolls are clustered in the north. The lone southern pin is Ole-Bolle in Portland. Screenshot from [trollmap.com](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), April 2026.

## It Begins

In the meantime I had joined several hiking Facebook groups as I wanted to explore the area but then no meetups seemed to be at the right time and I kept putting it off. That said, through one of the groups I met someone that also wanted to hike during the day, while our kids were in school, and this ended up continuing my troll story...

Despite me wanting to see all the trolls I had added it to a *for later* list in my head and didn't push any visits. But this friend, despite not seeing the nearby Jakob Two Trees yet, had seen two others... and she wanted to see the last two and so, while our kids were in school, we went together and saw two in one day. 

## Completion

From there, having seen three, and knowing only two more trolls were left in the area I knew I needed to see them. Over two separate outings with my family I managed to add both to my list! And with that all five in the area were spotted within the two years I lived there. 

## Slow Discovery

During the second visit of the first troll I happened to notice a really neat bird house on our way to the troll and snapped a few photos of it thinking it was an Issaquah thing. To be fair it was still a bit away from Jakob Two Trees and I assumed it had been a part of the neighborhood for a while.

As such I have to admit it took me awhile longer to learn that the birdhouses are actually a signal that you're on the right track showing that a Thomas Dambo troll is nearby. And with the subsequent trolls I kept an eye out... though I only snapped three of the five potential signs. 

![Collage showing the birdhouses signaling (from left to right) Jakob, Pia, and Oscar.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Thomas-Dambo-s-PNW-Trolls-Five-in-Two-Years-with-Revisits---Screenshot---Image---Birdhouse.png)

Although I'm missing two I'm so glad I snapped these. 

## The Trolls

### [Jakob Two Trees](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com#/jakobtwotrees) • Issaquah 

**September 2023 - 2024** • **Four Visits**

We moved to the Sammamish area mid-Summer of 2023 and that fall I heard there was a troll nearby. It wasn't anything simple... it was actually a proper [Thomas Dambo](https://www.thomasdambo.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) sculpture which meant it was massive, made from reclaimed wood, and tucked into the landscape like it belonged there.

I took my family one of the first weekends after it opened and it was so crowded but oh so amazing. Something about him just got me.

![Collage of three views of Jakob Two Trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Thomas-Dambo-s-PNW-Trolls-Five-in-Two-Years-with-Revisits---Screenshot---Image---Jakob.png)

Hello [Jakob Two Trees](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com#/jakobtwotrees)!

We went back three more times after that. It became a thing we did when our extended family visited. Though by the third visit the kids were more interested in the nearby bench... though to be fair it was novel and really neat matching the troll in wood with resin poured into the holes hiding little treasures. 

The troll did his job. He got us out there. And once I found out there were more I wanted to find them all.

### [Bruun Idun](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com#/bruunidun) • [Lincoln Park, Seattle](https://www.seattle.gov/parks/parks/lincoln-park?ref=simplykyra.com) 

**February & May 2024** • **Two Visits**

My hiking friend and I left right after bus drop-off with [Lincoln Park](https://www.seattle.gov/parks/parks/lincoln-park?ref=simplykyra.com) being the first place we stopped so we could see [Bruun Idun](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com#/bruunidun). We got there sometime after 9 and it was a lovely quiet weekday for the walk. What I hadn't realized until I arrived is that Bruun Idun's purpose is to call the whales. I hadn't been to the park before but found a Whale Trail sign nearby showing that whales may show up. Bruun stands near to the water's edge, arms raised to her instrument, and her whole purpose is to summon them. 

![The sign stands near to the Troll letting the reader know more.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Bruun_2091.jpeg)

She stands tucked in the trees looking towards the water. 

![View of the water, rocks, and the sign. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Bruun_7756.jpeg)

Close by is a "Welcome to The Whale Trail sign with metal bleachers to sit at. 

![Collage of seven photos. Two fell ones on either side with five in the middle.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Thomas-Dambo-s-PNW-Trolls-Five-in-Two-Years-with-Revisits---Screenshot---Image---Bruun-First.png)

I think I have more photos of Bruun than any other troll. Love all the details from her toes to her hair to her jewelry.

My one sister absolutely adores whales. When she came to visit later that year I knew she needed to see the whale sign and [Bruun Idun](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com#/bruunidun). It felt so obvious. And so after a stop at Pike Place we detoured over to the park on the way home to my house. I was surprised to see a flower LOVE message nearby on one of the rocks (though looking back I have a photo from my first visit too) and after snapping some photos with Bruun we sat on the metal bleachers nearby, snacking, visiting, and keeping an eye out for those elusive whales.

![Back view of the troll showing her hair and the water beyond.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Bruun_7677.jpeg)

Bruun looks out at the waters while playing her music. 

![Collage comparing the February and May 2024 Love letters laid out on the rock.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Thomas-Dambo-s-PNW-Trolls-Five-in-Two-Years-with-Revisits---Screenshot---Image---Love.png)

I was surprised by the flowers but curating these images made me realize a rock version (sans flowers) was in the same spot last time. Now I wonder if it's still there now.

![Collage showing three front views of Bruun with me in the far right for sizing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Thomas-Dambo-s-PNW-Trolls-Five-in-Two-Years-with-Revisits---Screenshot---Image---Bruun-Second.png)

And I needed more photos of her. 

Unfortunately, we didn't see any whales but the possibility was alive that day. 

### [Oscar the Bird King](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com#/oscarthebirdking) \- Vashon Island

**February 2024** • **One Visit**

[Oscar the Bird King](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com#/oscarthebirdking) lives on Vashon Island which meant a ferry trip! Since [Bruun Idun's](link) park sits right next to the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal, we combined them... Bruun while we waited for the next ferry and Oscar after crossing the water.

Once arriving on Vashon island it took about a half hour drive going from the north tip down to the south end where [Point Robinson Park](https://vashonparks.org/point-robinson?ref=simplykyra.com) was. That said, once there we quickly found [Oscar the Bird King](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com#/oscarthebirdking) and then, since we had some time, walked down to the lighthouse before passing Oscar again on the walk back to the car. 

![The king points to the bench logs from behind the sign.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Oscar_7771.jpeg)

Like the other trolls there's a sign for more information.

![Collage of three images showing then back side of the throne, the whole scene, and his height next to me.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Thomas-Dambo-s-PNW-Trolls-Five-in-Two-Years-with-Revisits---Screenshot---Image---Oscar.png)

Loved his thrown and the birdhouse decorations both around his neck and around his locale.

![Collage of the light house and the beach.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Thomas-Dambo-s-PNW-Trolls-Five-in-Two-Years-with-Revisits---Screenshot---Image---Lighthouse.png)

And a quick walk over shifting rocks to see the lighthouse and more... since we technically go for the walk.

We did not have time for the lighthouse though. We were cutting it pretty close the whole drive back and although we may have arrived in time the super long roadside line waiting for the ferry once we got there said otherwise. So ended up waiting in line for the next ferry. That said... two trolls, one ferry (both ways), one lighthouse, and one weekday morning while the kids were in school. It was busy but we did it... though I can't remember if Matt had to get the kids from the bus in the end or if we made it just in time... assuming it was the first... but if we had made that ferry it would have been different.

### [Pia the Peace Keeper](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com#/piapeacekeeper) • Bainbridge Island

**March 2024** • **One Visit**

With three trolls spotted I knew I needed us to find the last two trolls. That spring I also kept hearing about the [blooming cherry blossoms at the University of Washington](https://www.washington.edu/cherryblossoms/?ref=simplykyra.com)... and apparently we either stay home or go big so we decided we might as well combo them up in one day. 

That wasn't the day we should've gone though. This day the university was hosting a race, we missed the turn off for public parking, and got stuck driving around the quad in a super slow single lane of traffic for an hour to get back to the parking. By the time we found the really busy cherry blossoms we were tired... and looking back maybe we should've enjoyed the race-related stands and music, stayed a bit, gone home, and tried to visit Pia another day... 

Instead we rushed the blossoms (though I did find a Magnolia tree!) and we set off for Bainbridge Island. The plan was to park in a parkade nearby, walk down to the ferry terminal (or power walk... ferry was taking off soon), and do ride on. Once we got to Bainbridge Island we found a kids-approved pizza restaurant, recovered, and then walked off to find [Pia the Peace Keeper](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com#/piapeacekeeper). She was gorgeous! And in case you're curious it's about 31 minutes to walk from the ferry to Pia ignoring any stops on the way.

![Collage of the back of Pia and her front with me and my girls showing her size.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Thomas-Dambo-s-PNW-Trolls-Five-in-Two-Years-with-Revisits---Screenshot---Image---Pia.png)

Hello [Pia the Peace Keeper](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com#/piapeacekeeper)!

With our goal accomplished we walked back to the ferry with a stop to grab some coffees and juice to drink on the way. Once back in Seattle we grabbed our car and headed home. Looking back, and in the moment, I vaguely wanted to stay longer but our parking was expiring, the next ferry would be too late, and everyone was getting tired. 

It was a full day... but doable if you choose to do the same.

### [Frankie Feetsplinter](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com#/frankiefeetsplinters) • Ballard, Seattle

**September 2024** • **One Visit**

This was the last of the five trolls I wanted to see. But first some side stories:

- Issaquah has [a Salmon Fish Hatchery](https://www.issaquahfish.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) which we'd visited several times by this point including just a week or so before. I'd also kept hearing it compared to and mentioned with the [Ballard Locks](https://ballardlocks.org/fish-salmon-ladder.html?ref=simplykyra.com) in Seattle. The first time it was too late but salmon were still currently jumping and I wanted to go before this season ended.
- At the same time I'd also heard about [the year round farmer's market](http://www.sfmamarkets.com/visit-ballard-farmers-market?ref=simplykyra.com) in Ballard and I was missing the [Mountain View market](https://www.cafarmersmkts.com/mountain-view-farmers-market?ref=simplykyra.com) I used to go to all the time.
- [Frankie Feetsplinter](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com#/frankiefeetsplinters) is in Ballard... and oh look right between Ballard Locks and the farmer's market...
- Plus I absolutely love sour beers and back in June after sight seeing in Seattle with the family I finally got to try [Urban Family Brewing](https://urbanfamilybrewing.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and adored them. They're in Ballard too and I was missing them... especially the sour beer slushie!

So we put all of that together to do an epic Ballard Seattle trip. And with the salmon season we couldn't put it off so let's go!

*Funny story*: We started at the farmer's market, had a bite to eat, and then I kind of forgot about the troll as we walked towards Ballard Locks... and then somewhere along the way we just happened upon it tucked right into the path we were already on. 

![The sign is tucked in the plant while es stands before you in front of a building. Less nature and of his Troll-like. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Frankie_8252.jpeg)

Like the other trolls there's a sign for more information.

![Collage showing three front views of Frankie Feetsplinters.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Thomas-Dambo-s-PNW-Trolls-Five-in-Two-Years-with-Revisits---Screenshot---Image---Frankie.png)

Again here's me in the far right photo to show his height.

Which was awesome and I'm so glad as it would've been so sad to miss Frankie after all of that. Then after seeing him we visited the Locks, walked back to the car, and visited [Urban Family Brewing](https://urbanfamilybrewing.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). 

Overall I recommend a walk around. We saw so many cool statues and it was a great trip. 

![Collage showing the statues where we ate lunch, a really cool bike holder, and the crocheted (knitted?) origami wall.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Thomas-Dambo-s-PNW-Trolls-Five-in-Two-Years-with-Revisits---Screenshot---Image---Frankie-Sculptures.png)

We parked by ["Be Like Lotus" by Lin-Lin Mao Mollitor](https://www.mao-arts.com/linlinmao.html?ref=simplykyra.com) which was an amazing display and my youngest (loves origami was thrilled)... then we ate food at the farmers market under some cool sculptures, and meandered by even more. Love the functional bike rack.

## In the Future

I considered leaving the post at this as I've seen all the [Thomas Dambo](https://www.thomasdambo.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) trolls in Washington state... but I wanted to mention two more trolls I came across while researching.

### [Ole-Bolle](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com#/ole-bolle) \- Portland

There is one more Thomas Dambo troll in the PNW I haven't seen. Back when I'd only seen Jakob Two Trees and was researching more I kept seeing a really neat image online and discovered [Ole-Bolle](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com#/ole-bolle) in Portland. It's been years since I've been through Portland but if we find ourselves there again I definitely want to make a stop for this troll. 

[![Screenshot showing Ole-Bolle on the troll map.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Screenshot-OleBolle.png)](https://trollmap.com/?ref=simplykyra.com#/ole-bolle)

Isn't this Troll epic? So many neat photos online. Screenshot taken from the Troll Map on April 27th, 2026.

### Fremont Troll - Fremont, Seattle

Although not a Thomas Dambo troll while attempting to research more I kept coming across the Fremont Troll that lived under a bridge. Not wood... concrete. Way more city-esque and living under the Aurora bridge is an 18 foot tall stone troll from 1990\. Here's a link to the [Yelp page](https://www.yelp.com/biz/fremont-troll-seattle?ref=simplykyra.com) if interested.

[![Collage of many images on Yelp showing the troll.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Screenshot-Fremont-Troll.png)](https://www.yelp.com/biz/fremont-troll-seattle?ref=simplykyra.com)

So many photos of this epic giant. Screenshot taken from yelp on April 27th, 2026.

---

And with that there's all the trolls of the PNW. I hope you enjoyed this foray into the Seattle area with the epic trolls. I love how there's a mix of planned, slightly surprised, and revisited. All the PNW trolls here were worth the trip... they're large and strange and a little magical and they each have names and stories which I love more than I expected to.

Have you visited the trolls? If so which ones? What would you recommend doing before or after visiting each? Which was your favorite?

Like always I hope you’re having an epically great day.

---

I'm Kyra. An indie Apple developer and founder of SimplyKyra where I build calm tools that reduce mental load. If you’d like to keep up with future posts like this, I usually share them on my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). If you become a free member on the site you can sign up for my newsletters and join the conversation on any of my posts.
### Simply Customize It 1.1.0: Following the Thread
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-1-0/
Last updated: 2026-05-07T19:07:14.000Z
Simply Customize It hasn't had an update since [March 26, 2026](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-25/). Not because nothing was happening, but because I kept doing the kind of work that feels more like maintenance than a moment. Accessibility passes. Code audits. Small things that grated at me. I kept waiting for a bug to be reported to push everything to the App Store... then at some point I realized I should update the App Store, that needed a new build, and I realized just how much had quietly accumulated... and then worked a bit longer on *one more thing* first.

---

## What Changed

### App Store Data

Although not shown in the app I finally updated the App Store images for iPhone, iPad, and the Mac along with removing the out of date video. Hopefully this helps on first downloads so the old information doesn't conflate with the newer app. 

### Onboarding... Simplified

The onboarding flow in Simply Customize It used to be eight steps. It's now five.

I had started noticing how much heavier onboarding felt than it needed to be. Two similar sections were combined while a few others that weren't pulling their weight got removed. The result isn't dramatically different, but it does move a bit faster, and that matters when someone is trying to get their reMarkable set up.

### Settings and Accent Colors

While working on other ideas I'd updated some shared code. I figured with the update planned why not hook up the new accent color section in settings and that, while looking over everything with fresh eyes, led me back to redesigning the profile settings. This was a back and forth process that led to the next section which led to let's make it optional and/or add ways to auto-select on load. 

### Browse... Your Way

While playing with the color scheme and accent colors I realized the placeholder for the templates without a PNG or SVG image may look out of place. So I redesigned them to be a drawn document style using the accent color so they could tie in better with your aesthetics. Then I missed the original asset and made it accessible via a toggle in settings.

From there I realized most of my templates were default and I might not want the images to show sometimes. So from there both the templates and screen browse list gained a button to switch between showing and hiding the images. This also became a toggle in settings. 

Then I noticed when browsing screens in the group display or templates in the category display maybe the images should be optional there too. I added the button but decided to skip the settings there. Let me know if you want that added. 

### And Many Others

During this whole process I kept finding other minor issues that surfaced including a subscription button that wasn't behaving, accent colors that weren't propagating correctly, some off-center text, and a banner that wasn't tapping through correctly. Some such stuff that came together over the course of this update includes:

- Filtering and sorting in the browse view now remembers how you had it set as you move in and out, rather than resetting each time... if you close the app it will go back to defaults
- The new template and current screen display adjusts correctly based on device size
- SVGs were appearing landscape instead of portrait in some contexts which is now fixed
- The about page was updated to match the current shared project style

---

## reMarkable Paper Pure

While finishing up the update the reMarkable Paper Pure was announced (today based on when I started typing this). I already own the reMarkable 2, then Paper Pro, and finally the Paper Pro Move so I could test this app. That said, based on the specs I'm thinking it's going to be similar to the reMarkable 2 (screen dimensions and black/white) but maybe be more Paper Pro in OS. As such I don't currently plan to get one.

That said, I'm not ignoring it. I'm not sure when all of you will start buying and/or receiving them but I plan to support it for now. This morning I added the Paper Pure to the device list using the Paper Pro screen types and the reMarkable 2 screen sizing as a starting reference. If you use it every section device specific includes a note reminding you that it hasn't been tested with an actual device and shows a link so it's easy to reach out if something looks off. If you have one and find anything that needs adjusting, please let me know.

If you don't have one nothing will change for you beyond seeing a new device added to which device type you have when editing it. 

---

As always, if anything feels off or you notice something I missed, I'd love to hear from you. You can reach me through the app or over at the App Store.

[Update now on the App Store!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id1636763558?ref=simplykyra.com)

As always, thank you for the emails, messages, and quiet *hey, something feels off here* notes... they genuinely help make the app better.

Until next time, Kyra 💕
### SimplyKyra Monthly Overview: April 2026
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/newsletter/simplykyra-monthly-overview-april-2026/
Last updated: 2026-05-01T05:00:23.000Z
Welcome to the April SimplyKyra Monthly Overview. A once-a-month roundup of app updates, blog highlights, and a few extras from behind the scenes. Nothing too serious, just a cozy way to stay connected. 💕

I know inboxes can get crowded, so this one stays intentionally low-key. If you ever prefer only these monthly summaries (or want to adjust your subscriptions), you can update your settings at the bottom of this email.

---

## 🏡 This Month with Me

April felt full in a good way. Looking back through my photos I can't believe Spring break was this month as it felt way longer ago. Nothing epically amazing happened.. let the kids sleep in while I worked then took them out the odd afternoon and fit in orthodontist appointments (they were thrilled). 

I did give my first presentation at a Moms in Tech event on the 17th walking a virtual room through Apple development from idea to App Store. I wasn't sure how it would land, and it went really well. It's the kind of thing that still feels a little surreal once it's over.

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/Demystifying-Apple-Development---Screenshot---Image---cover.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/demystifying-apple-development/)

If you're currently developing apps or interested at a peek behind the curtain I shared it all in [this write up](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/demystifying-apple-development/). 

---

## 📱 App Updates

### [Simply Remember It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/)

*When did you last…? Now you know with no second-guessing required.*

[App Store: Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

With shared tasks now out I started testing it with my family and seeing exactly what might be less than ideal. This patch, [2.2.1](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-1-understandable-sharing/), was the result.

### [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)

*Make your reMarkable truly yours with custom templates and screens.*

[App Store: Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

No new release this month, but some minor updates are in progress. I keep an eye on everything coming in, so feel free to keep messages coming. 

### Games

I looked over both games checking for accessibility over the last month or so and both apps were updated as a result... funnily both are on 1.1.1 now. Both games got updates this month, with a focus on accessibility and some additional polish. If at any point you see something that needs updating please feel free to reach out. 

### [Simply Uncover It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it/)

*A calm, intuitive twist on the classic Minesweeper puzzle.*

[App Store: Uncover It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com)

[This update](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-1-1-1/) mainly just updated accessibility including fixes for better VoiceOver and reduced motion. 

### [Simply Match It ](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it/)

*A fast-paced, multiplayer race to spot the match before your friends do.*

[App Store: Match It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com)

While [this update](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-1-1-1/) went beyond accessibility and also added onboarding and a sample board for new players making it feel more complete.

---

## 📚On the Blog

There was more than normal this month... 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Building-Rocky-from-Project-Hail-Mary---Screenshot---Image---cover-1.png)

Last month I was fully into Project Hail Mary and near the end came across a LEGO version of Rocky and barely finished it before the month was out. I considered waiting until after April Fools... and decided why not kicking off the month with both [a post](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/project-hail-mary-rocky-moc/) and [a short video](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tvjM4N01aqI?ref=simplykyra.com) featuring it. 

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Consistency-Over-Perfection-Fitness-Spin---Screenshot---Image---cover-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/consistency-over-perfection-fitness-spin/)

I'd been working out consistently but at different levels over the past years and shared it here under a [Consistency Over Perfection angle](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/consistency-over-perfection-fitness-spin/)... and shared [a quick reel here](https://youtube.com/shorts/-T2qEZ1acrA?feature=share&ref=simplykyra.com). The base logic can be applied to anything and expanded to a gentle check-in process. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/Life-Snapshot-Screenshot-Newsletter-April-Overview-Image.png)

Started a mini blog series of bite-sized content I called **Life Snapshot*. Started with [an attempt and moving quicker in the morning](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/life-snapshot-the-post-it-that-actually-helped/) and then followed that up with [Zoey's Contacts](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/life-snapshot-zoeys-contacts/). Let me know if you have any requests!

---

## 💻 Coming Up Next

[Simply Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com) is next up for a small update... nothing dramatic, just some things I've been wanting to tighten.

I'm also exploring a few personal projects that aren't quite ready to talk about yet and looking back at the paused apps I dabbled in before [Simply Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com). Mulling over what I should share, pause, and continue. 

As always, I'd genuinely love your input: 

- What do you enjoy most about the apps or the site?
- What would you like to see supported more gently or more clearly?

Just hit reply. I read every note.

---

## 🌿 Something Extra

I quietly pushed out a few nature videos this month... no talking, no agenda. Just a slow moment to pause. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_IMG_5258-2.jpeg)

Plus we got neighbors! A robin decided the spot right under our eaves was the ideal place to set up this spring. Hard to argue with the location, honestly. Attempting to capture and edit a nature reel or two. 

As always any nature videos are shared on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com) (reels/portrait only) and [Youtube](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Axm89u3yOvJd%5FL8DZ93PevW8B6xTIZP&si=gYSrpqUU50Ilh%5Fqo&ref=simplykyra.com) (both types). 

---

## **💌 A Note on Preferences**

You’re receiving this email because you signed up for **Monthly Overview** a once-a-month roundup that highlights what’s new, what I’ve been working on, and a little extra behind-the-scenes.

I also offer **App Updates** and **Blog Updates** if you prefer more frequent notes. You can manage what you receive anytime through your [account page](#/portal/account).

---

Thanks for being here 💕

I'm so grateful for your support as I keep building, learning, and sharing... one calm step at a time.

Until next month,

— Kyra
### Life Snapshot: Zoey's Contacts
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/life-snapshot-zoeys-contacts/
Last updated: 2026-04-23T15:34:57.000Z
My youngest has to wear contacts at least six days a week, eight or more hours a day, so her myopia doesn't get worse while her eyes are still growing. She's nine.

[Working With Myopia Management: What We’ve Learned So FarWhen my youngest started wearing contacts for myopia management, I quickly realized the hardest part wasn’t the prescription it was building a routine that worked in real life. This post shares what helped us, what we learned, and the small tricks that made mornings calmer.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Working-With-Myopia-Management---Screenshot---Image---setup-3.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/myopia-management/)

If you want the backstory on why or debating management for your own kids I wrote a longer post here. 

The school week had a natural rhythm. Her sister has an earlier bus, so when I got back from that first run I'd queue everything up and we'd do contacts before the second bus. It worked... until the weekend came and we'd forget until the afternoon. Too late to get eight hours in.... maybe even too late to try.

So I added her contacts to Simply Remember It. My own app. I hadn't planned to use it for this but it made complete sense. I made it a habit that was due daily. Set up the task and then took it to her where she okayed my monocle emoji and wanted magenta for the color. Obviously.

At first it was just simple logging. Log if she wore them that day. Skip if she didn't. The widget sat on my home screen and reminded me every morning. I logged it when it was done and it disappeared until tomorrow. I didn't have to carry it in my head anymore.

On Saturdays, in particular, the rhythm broke and I started feeling the pressure of what would happen if I wasn't available. I was the one putting them in every morning and she'd gotten comfortable with that. So I added a measurement. Did Zoey try herself?

She didn't care about that one at all... I kept putting them in each morning. But she did see the measurements screen and wanted her own. With a grin she asked me to track how many times I failed before getting the contact in. One number for the left eye and another for the right one. Completely her idea. I'd been having her take ownership by using my phone to log when done and she enjoyed breaking it, my QA tester, by adding extra numbers after the decimal point and more decimal points. Also her idea.... she was disappointed I fixed it. 

The day she got them in herself we cheered and high fived and I added a new measurement on the spot. "Zoey succeeds!" The note I wrote says "6 7 Zoey is awesome" because she's awesome, I wanted her to remember it, and 6 7 because of course. My version of rick-rolling her when she saw it. 

But even then she still defaulted to me most mornings. So we made a deal. Put your own contacts in for six days... and then you can skip one.

That one shift changed everything.

Over the last couple weeks I've only stepped in once or twice. The measurements are sitting mostly empty now. I had assigned defaults to them so they were auto-logged or not based on what we cared about. The habit had landed.

Her max streak is saved at 55 days, which we won't hit again with the six on and one off. But that's okay. I still check the widget every morning, just quietly, so I don't have to wonder. We're nudging toward her logging it herself now... the ownership slowly shifting from me to her.

Tracking isn't pressure. Sometimes it's just remembering for the people you love, until they can remember for themselves. 💕

Curious, whether contacts or something else, what's a habit you're trying to get your kids to land? 

---

[Want to try Simply Remember It? It's free to start.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

---
### Simply Match It 1.1.1: A Better Welcome
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-1-1-1/
Last updated: 2026-04-18T21:55:30.000Z
This past month I've been looking more into whether my games supported accessibility and I'm glad I did. The closer examination brought forward some minor issues I'd missed.

## Onboarding

Somehow my onboarding screens, for new users, weren't hooked up properly. Additionally, for in-game settings, the sample board wasn't being shown. Now both are there, which changes the first impression significantly.

## Accessibility

This one took a few passes. VoiceOver support itself was fine... but for the menu it went through several iterations until I realized the issue was the menu button was on the right and accessibility saw it last on two of the screens. Meaning you couldn't use the menu to get back. Once I switched the side the menu was on it worked properly.

### Menu Toggle

That said, in case you don't use VoiceOver and want it on the right, I added a toggle in App Settings so you can choose which side you prefer.

### Game Feedback

Beyond VoiceOver I also added toggles in App Settings so you have more control over the haptic feedback (vibrations on correct and wrong answers) and the scoring animation.

## Visual Polish

Beyond that it was just general small things that add up to an experience that feels more finished.

---

[This update is now live for iPhone, iPad, and Mac!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com)

Thanks so much for playing *Simply Match It*! If you have any ideas, suggestions, or just want to say hi, I’d love to hear from you whether by comment below, email at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Match%20It:%201.1.1), or with a [review on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6741166537?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com).

Happy gaming! Until next time, Kyra 💕
### Simply Uncover It 1.1.1: Built for Everyone
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-1-1-1/
Last updated: 2026-04-17T20:17:20.000Z
I ran an accessibility audit on Simply Uncover It this month which I'm really glad I did as there were gaps I didn't expect. The return-to-game flow wasn't properly flagged for VoiceOver which wasn't too surprising... what did surprise me was the onboarding flow had somehow gotten loose at some point and needed re-hooking and there were a couple of spelling mistakes that I'm choosing not to dwell on.

Going through the app screen by screen with accessibility in mind changed how I saw it. It's a calm, simple game, and it should feel that way for everyone who uses it.

## VoiceOver

VoiceOver was the biggest check with support now woven through more of the app, including the game board interactions and the return-to-game button. 

## Mac Sharing

In the last update I'd added sharing to the game result and had since noticed, when AirDropping to my Mac it didn't see it as an image. I switched the share type and it now works.

## Accessibility Page

Right after sharing this post I plan to publish the accessibility support details on the App Store page for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. VoiceOver, Voice Control, Dark Interface, Larger Text, Differentiate Without Color Alone, Sufficient Contrast, and Reduced Motion will now all be listed officially. 

If you notice anything off please reach out by either replying to this email, commenting on this post, or emailing me at [mail@SimplyKyra.com](mailto:mail@simplyKyra.com?subject=Uncover%20It:%201.1.1%20Update).

---

[This update is now live for iPhone, iPad, and Mac!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com)

Thanks so much for playing *Simply Uncover It*! If you have any ideas, suggestions, or just want to say hi, I’d love to hear from you whether by comment below, email at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplyKyra.com?subject=Uncover%20It:%201.1.1%20Update), or with a [review on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/6741166529?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com).

Happy gaming! And I hope you're having a great day. 

Kyra 💕
### Demystifying Apple Development: What It Actually Takes to Ship an App
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/demystifying-apple-development/
Last updated: 2026-04-19T14:34:11.000Z
*This post grew out of a talk I gave for Moms in Tech in April 2026\. I figured if it was worth saying out loud, it was worth writing down and sharing with all of you too. Plus... curating this was a "productive" way to procrastinate the talk.* 

---

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Demystifying-Apple-Development---Pinterest.png)

💕 **Pin this post to come back to later.*

---

## Background

I didn't grow up knowing I wanted to go into software development. I loved science and math in school so I chose a general science degree at the local college and randomly chose a Java class to break up the organic chemistry and genetics I thought would be needed for whatever I chose... and thus, almost by accident, I found out computing science was an option and ended up with a university degree in bioinformatics that I promptly never used the biology half of. My internship and then first official job was building enterprise software in VB.NET and SQL and I loved being able to work on everything from the front end all the way to the back.

Then I had kids... two of them 22 months apart with a move from Canada to the U.S. right in the middle so, for a while, that was the whole job. Once I surfaced from the newborn fog I started finding my way back to myself. A blog I'd always meant to start. Sewing. Fitness. And then an ad for a reMarkable, an e-paper tablet, that pulled me back into tech before the device had even arrived.

[How a Sleep Screen Sparked an App: The Story Behind Simply Customize ItWhat started as a curiosity about changing my reMarkable’s sleep screen led to a rabbit hole of templates, blog posts, bash scripts, and eventually a full app. Here’s how Simply Customize It came to be... and why I’m still building it today.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-128.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/image-4.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-a-sleep-screen-sparked-an-app-the-story-behind-simply-customize-it/)

The full story of how Simply Customize It started is here if you want it.

While waiting for the reMarkable to arrive I browsed Facebook user groups, discovered you could switch out the sleep screen image to something else, and that became the first thing, after onboarding the new device, that I wanted to do. Naturally, with my website started, I wrote first [one](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/), then [two](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/), and finally [three](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/) posts.... and people started reaching out. One person paid me $50 for a Zoom walkthrough. Someone else wanted me to just do it for them entirely despite the fact they were hours away from me.

And I thought... what if I could make this simpler for them...

I dove into learning Apple development, built [the app](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com) through several complete restarts (thanks WWDC and updates), and eventually... when I felt it was ready created an LLC and shipped it. My mindset going in: 

> Let's see how it goes. At worst it's a portfolio and I learned something.

And that's how I got here... with [that app](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com), then two games (a [minesweeper](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com) and [matching](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com) one), and finally with [Simply Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com). And the whole time I kept the idea of helping and simplifying at the core along with *at worst it's a portfolio* as a fallback plan.

---

## What Nobody Tells You About Building Apps

There are a lot of tutorials out there. There are also AI tools now that will spin up a starting project for you in minutes. And thus also tutorials on how to use the AI tools to create the project. 

What's harder is finding someone to show you what happens *after* that. The configuration, signing, permissions, and the part where you try to upload your first build and have absolutely no idea where it goes or why it's mad at you. 

That's what I want to walk through here. Not syntax and not how to write a SwiftUI view. But what the whole thing actually *looks like* so if you're curious about building an app, or you've started and hit a wall you didn't expect, this might help. 

I did write this back in March and April of 2026 and this stuff can change. If you're reading this months or even years in the future this may not (probably not) look the same but hopefully seeing how it was can get you going again. 

---

I think it's easiest to think about Apple development in three layers:

## Layer 1: Build

This is the part tutorials cover well. Writing the app itself, Swift and SwiftUI, features and logic. There's a lot of great material out there for this part so I'm not going to attempt to reinvent it.

Instead I'm going to recommend Paul Hudson at [Hacking with Swift](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). His free 100 Days of Swift is a genuinely good starting point. If you decide to go deeper his membership includes monthly livestreams where he builds something from scratch in real time and you try to keep up. There's something satisfying about solving a bug in your own version of the project while still keeping up with the livestream he's still working through. That said, he also shares the text version after the fact if you do get lost. There was also [a free session he did on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc6pvW6vQzA&ref=simplykyra.com) that's great if you're interested in AI tools.

The number one thing about this I've learned:

> Your own project, regardless what it is, will teach you way more than any tutorial could.

When you're following a tutorial there's steps, trust, and if something is outdated and hard it's easy to walk away... I did several times. When it's your own project it's *yours* so you care way more about it and if something breaks it's on you to figure it out... and that process (through similar tutorial, breaking it down, asking questions, and even getting angry) makes it so much more exhilarating when it's solved. That's the part of coding I truly love.

> There's always the choice to walk away but that friction of it being yours is where the real learning lives.

When I get stuck on something (and I definitely still do) I find the best way to solve it is to create a small separate project just to reproduce the bug. This isn't in my main app. Instead it's a tiny, isolated project that has just enough to recreate the problem. Sometimes I solve it in the process of setting it up and then I simply delete the project. If I don't I have something clean and contained to work on that's quicker to iterate on and, worst case, is easier to share and ask for help with. 

> If you see people online ask for the mvp (minimal viable project) this is what they're asking for so they can see the problem and what might be causing the issue without the excess stuff. 

I've done this with [navigation issues](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-17-smoother-navigation-and-macos-improvements/), [a multi-choice picker](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-make-a-custom-picker-with-multi-selection-in-swiftui/), and most recently a [CloudKit sharing problem](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-1-0-remember-it-together/) I couldn't crack until I pulled it out into its own project and really looked at it. AI tools, in the last project, have made spinning up these minimal sample projects so much faster which has made the whole debugging process less painful.

---

****Prefer a PDF?** The slides used in this post are available on [my downloads page](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/)... much easier to zoom in and reference as you read along. You will need a free SimplyKyra account to download, but it also unlocks comments so you can join the conversation below!

---

## Layer 2: Configure

This section is more an aside in tutorials and can be the most annoying part of the process too. I've split it up below but for a brief overview when you open a project in Xcode the left side panel is your navigator. At the very top is your project file. Click that and you get a settings editor and from there can see your package dependencies. Beyond that you'll need to click on your *target* (for the actual app and not the overall project) for the target-specific stuff. When I first started macOS and iOS were separate targets but now it's all in one. That said when adding widgets, watchOS, or tests you'll need to add a new target. 

### Package Dependencies

Let's start out on the main project and check out the package dependencies. If you're creating a simple app this might not matter but it's where you go if you want some other code used in your app. This can be someone else's (make sure you trust it) or your own that you separated out. 

For my first published app, [Simply Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com), I needed to be able to use `SSH` and `SCP` with my reMarkable and rather than code the logic from scratch I chose to use [Citadel](https://github.com/orlandos-nl/Citadel?ref=simplykyra.com). As such I needed to add it as a package dependency to my app. 

Later, after having started and stopped a couple more projects (let me know if you want to hear about them!), I decided to streamline the start process by learning how to make my own packages to store shared base views, simple standalone views, and user settings. 

To import these you'll need to click on your project and go to Package Dependencies and, for me, I used GitHub to grab the code... then in your target (for each target you want to use it in) you'll find each individual one under Frameworks, Libraries, and Embedded Content. You can add and remove individually from here. 

![Shows Project Overview with the package dependencies. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/DemystifyingAppleDev_SimplyKyra.011.png)

On the right you can see the imported code attached to the project while on the left it shows the pieces of those projects added to your targets. 

And be warned if you removed your derived data you may need to reattach the dependency to your project which (*sarcastically*) is always fun. 

### Signing

At the top of the target's Signing & Capabilities tab you'll see your bundle identifier... something like `AccountName.AppName`. It's just a unique string, usually your domain name backwards and then your app name. I wanted to mention it as it isn't a secret but simply an identifier for your app. 

Additionally, in this section, I always use automatic signing by keeping it checked off which means Xcode handles the provisioning certificates for me. 

If you're working from someone's sample code this is normally where it breaks since you're not authorized as them. When that happens go here and select your team from the dropdown and maybe uncheck and re-check **Automatically manage signing* and it'll, mostly, sort itself out then.

If you have multiple targets (say an app, a widget, and an extension) each one needs its own unique bundle ID and its own signing configuration. They're each on their own island.

### App Sandbox

Essentially Apple sandboxes everything. This is done for your own safety in case an app wants to access something you don't want it to have. But when developing this can be frustrating. 

Sandboxing means your app lives on its own island. If it needs to reach outside that island whether it's to access photos, make a network connection, or talk to another target like a widget you have to explicitly say so.

![Signing and Capabilities with the sandbox view and checked off outgoing connections. The difference between read only files and read/write is shown.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/DemystifyingAppleDev_SimplyKyra.012.png)

If you scroll down from signing and you'll see the App Sandbox section. This is where you declare what your app is allowed to do.

In the above examples, with [Simply Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com), I need outgoing network connections because the app makes `SSH` connections to the reMarkable. I also need access to the user's photo library so they can pick an image to upload (read access) and when I later [added the ability](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/big-update-support-for-rmpp-move-editable-templates-and-asset-downloads/) to download the images I needed to switch it to both read and write access. 

When asking for permission you'll need to write a reason on why you need it. If it's vague or missing Apple will reject your app. On my first app I was rejected as I said why I wanted it (to read and write photos) and was told you need to say why your users would want to give you permission.... so what's in it for them.

![Info and Permissions can show up in many different places. This shows some along with where ti change the info.plist name.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/DemystifyingAppleDev_SimplyKyra.014.png)

All these reasons can live in several places in your project. When I started out they lived in the ****Info.plist** but I've also seen them added to the target's Signing & Capabilities, Build Settings, and Info. 

Whether you're using your *Info.plist* explicitly or using one of the other ways instead you should still be aware of the plist. If you move the file elsewhere and/or rename it Xcode will freak out until you update the Target's *Build Settings,* under *Packaging,* so it knows where to find it. This is shown in the bottom left of the above image.

One small thing I wish someone had told me earlier: in ****Build Settings**, any value that isn't the default seems to show up in bold. So if something's been changed from what Xcode set, it stands out. Really useful when something's behaving unexpectedly.

### Capabilities

Staying in Signing & Capabilities, at the very top, you can see a plus next to *Capability*. Here is where you add the capabilities (the app services) you want your app to have. Most are good as is but some, like purchases, will need additional setup using App Store Connect.

In my case, since my apps are Multiplatform with both iOS and macOS support I always make sure to add iCloud as my capability from the get go so I can get CloudKit syncing between my devices. To handle the syncing I need to check off Remote notifications so their app can be notified when the synced data changes.

![Pressing the plus lets me search through the capabilities and, in this case, I chose iCloud, added a CloudKit container, and checked off Remote Notifications so it knows when the data changed.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/DemystifyingAppleDev_SimplyKyra.013.png)

Signing and Capabilities with the iCloud CloudKit container shown and the remote notifications checked off.

If you do the same you will need to create a CloudKit container. If you create a new one, instead of using an already existing one, it will be shown in red. Don't panic and give it a few minutes. This means it still needs to be propagated and isn't ready yet to use.

I also wanted to mention App Group capabilities. Recently, when [adding widgets](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-0-quicker-access-gentler-check-ins/) to [Simply Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com), I realized that a widget can't directly read your app's iCloud or CloudKit data. To have it use your app's data you will need to create an *App Group*, another shared container both the main app and the widget target can access, with its own identifier (usually `group.com.yourcompany.yourapp`). Instead of reading from CloudKit directly, the widget reads from the shared App Group container, and your main app is responsible for keeping the data between the two synced and current.

![Beyond CloudKit shows the widget extension with the app group selected and where you can find the deploy button on the website. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/DemystifyingAppleDev_SimplyKyra.015.png)

Don't forget to add `CKSharingSupported` to true in your ****Info.plist**. For Simply Remember It it wasn't added automatically and it took me some time to realize that was missing. 

TestFlight uses a production version of your data. If you switch to using it for development rather than just Xcode you may need to manually deploy schema changes through the [CloudKit Console](https://icloud.developer.apple.com/dashboard/?ref=simplykyra.com). Hitting deploy, shown above, will push these changes after a quick confirmation.

### StoreKit Configuration

I want to take a brief foray into a helpful way to test your purchases when you choose to add them. Beyond the added *In-App Purchase* capability and App Store Connect setup (will touch on that below), you can right click your project and add a template for *StoreKit Configuration File* that allows you to use local data rather than calling the *StoreKit APIs*.

Rather than filling the file out I instead create the subscriptions in *App Store Connect* first, since that's where it'll be anyway, and then use the sync button in the *StoreKit* config fileto populate the file. This way, through Xcode, I can confirm what Apple sees and if I missed something. It's a good sanity check to make sure everything is wired up correctly before you submit.

![When using subscriptions the config file is handy. Here you can see the sync button along with the schema place to add the config to the build. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/DemystifyingAppleDev_SimplyKyra.016.png)

After syncing the file I create a new schema and how it up so I don't need to repeatedly log into my account while testing the app. If you use the schema approach make sure to remember to switch back to the non-config schema before uploading your final builds.

I used this method recently in a TestFlight build. Just be aware if the subscription isn't approved by Apple yet you may have difficulties "purchasing" it. 

---

## Layer 3: Ship

At some point in this process you will need to log into App Store Connect. If doing a free app this can be later on but I do an upload when I'm ready to start working on purchases so I can set it up online. 

This is where you can see all your uploaded apps and can be accessed from [the website](https://appstoreconnect.apple.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) or [an app](https://appstoreconnect.apple.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) though the app has limited functionality but keeps you logged in for longer. I love how with the app, if out and about, I can push an approved build to the App Store but, if your app is rejected, you do need to go through the website to access the messages to find out *why* it was rejected.

![When you go to App Store Connect whether website or app you can see all your uploaded apps.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/DemystifyingAppleDev_SimplyKyra.018.png)

The App Store Connect website has way more than the app (and they just added analytics March 2026) but I love being able to use the app to check my trends and I turned on all the review notifications.

### Upload to Apple

Before your app shows up in App Store Connect you'll need to upload it to Apple. To do this, in the Xcode menu, go to *Product > Archive*. This builds your app, in whichever selected run destination you have, and adds it to your *Archives* list. From there you click *Distribute App* and it uploads to [*App Store Connect*](https://appstoreconnect.apple.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). 

![Collage showing where to go and the steps to upload to App Store Connect.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/DemystifyingAppleDev_SimplyKyra.017.png)

Archiving your build can complain if you don't change the version since the last published app. The build number seems to auto-increment for iOS but macOS can sometimes be finicky so I normally upload that one first and then do iOS if it succeeds.

Normally, if my upload fails, it's because the version or build number hadn't been increased. To update them go under your target's *General* tab under *Identity*. And when you do get a failed upload make sure to read it before closing it out... a couple times I closed the alert and then couldn't remember which build number it actually wanted. 

That uploaded build, whether you send it to TestFlight or publish it to the store, will have a ****compliance question** about encryption before you can do either. For most apps, the answer is that you're using standard HTTPS and don't need an export compliance exemption. Worth reading so you know what it's asking though and whether you do need to do more. This part shows up every time. 

### TestFlight

TestFlight is less onerous and you may want to test your app with friends and family before releasing so let's go over that area first. 

Here you can set up *internal groups* for your team (I hear no review is required) or *external groups* (which is what I use). The external group allows for more open testing and you can easily add to you group with public links. I've heard online with Android there's specific test requirements (both in number and amount) before a build can go into the Play Store. Regardless, with Apple there's no such requirements to use TestFlight at all. 

![TestFlight section shows the uploaded builds by target. After marking encryption level you can assign it to groups and say what they should test. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/DemystifyingAppleDev_SimplyKyra.019.png)

The builds can be accessed at the top and, once processed, needs to have the encryption questions checked off before you can use the plus sign to select a testing group. From there add a quick message letting them know what to test and it might be available right away... or you need it to be approved first. 

From the left side you can switch between your targets, create new testing groups, or click an already created group to see information about who's in the group or use one of the methods included to add more people. In the past I just use the copied public link to share with others.

![If you go into the group you can see your testers including what device they're using and how many sessions. Inviting more testers can be done in several ways. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/DemystifyingAppleDev_SimplyKyra.020.png)

For the group on the left I messaged the public link...while above I specifically added my test accounts. I later tried this with an internal group but my test account includes a plus sign and so cannot be used.

### Your First Submission

When you go to *Distribution* for your first time it may seem like a lot... just take it in pieces if you feel overwhelmed. Further down in this post you can see there's *way* less stuff you'll need to fill in when submitting updates... unless you want to change something. 

![Collage showing the upper and lower portion of the iOS target all not filled in... marked sections on the left show the other places needing attention. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/DemystifyingAppleDev_SimplyKyra.021.png)

The marked areas on the left show the most important sections with the main image showing the iOS specific fields. Distributing your app the first time can feel like a lot.

**Target Specific Information**

Each target (iOS, macOS, etc) can have a build submitted individually and has information specific to that build. If you scroll to the bottom, when reviewed and approved, you can choose when the build will be released (manually, right away, or after a specific date). 

My [first update](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/minesweeper-update-smarter-loading-and-quicker-navigation/) for my [Minesweeper game](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com) had iOS approved (with it automatically released) and macOS was rejected as they wanted me to [rebrand it](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/reintroducing-simply-uncover-it/). Since then I've set all my submissions to be manually released and wait for both to be approved before I manually release them for distribution.

At the top of this section you can add your App Store images and Preview videos. For each device type (iPad and iPhone for iOS) there are several devices sizes shown but you only need to submit one set for each device type. The other sizes automatically use the main one. My first time I uploaded to one of the sizes I didn't need and then had to resize for the main. Just glad I realized before making all the other sizes. Just a warning to check what you need first. 

Also, when uploading the image or video, it will tell you if it isn't right size or right in other ways... that said, some errors are a bit obscure and the *keep the app preview under 30 seconds* got me both times I attempted to upload a video. 

[Steps My App Needed To Get into the Apple App StoreWith my first app officially in the App Store I wanted to share what I now know in case it can help you too!![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/Screenshot-App-Review-Tips---Image.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/steps-needed-to-get-into-the-apple-app-store/)

I started noticing what I had trouble with the first time I did this process and once the app went live I wrote out this post.

Later on, I had my app rejected as I showed footage that didn't include my app for a bit of the video. That time I switched out that section and it was good to go.

After the media section you'll need the promotional text, app description, keywords, support URL, marketing URL, version, copyright, build, and app review information. Most of these fields have a max character limit. 

For the App Review information it asks for any sign-in information the reviewer may need to review your app... I don't have a required sign in so I've started using that field for additional information that I needed to provide in the last to pass reviews like sharing where my privacy policy and terms of service links are located.

![Adding the build to the distribution is easy. Once it's available the button appears, you pick your build, and, lately, it mentions this countries it's going out to. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/DemystifyingAppleDev_SimplyKyra.024.png)

For the build area the button appears once there's a processed build ready (you can go to TestFlight for better feedback on if one is there already and just in processing). Recently they've started showing the countries this will be made available to. 

Although you can make these fields unique to each build I find I keep the same information between both my iOS and macOS app. 

**App Information**

The app information is in the next section under General. Here you set the information that's shared between each of your app's target. Again, once filled in you don't need to change it, unless you want to. This includes the app's name, subtitle, category, and, if applicable, documentation, regulation, and permits. 

**Monetization**

If you jump further down you'll find Monetization. 

The first section here is called *Pricing and Availability*. This goes beyond just the prices and also dictates where people can download your app. If your app is free or freemium you'll simply choose $0\. 

Below that is *In-App Purchases*where you can add consumables (think tokens to pass levels or coins to purchase things... I haven't used these) or non-consumables (that don't disappear like lifetime subscription access). 

After that is *Subscriptions* for reoccurring purchases. This area has a subscription group lets you set tiers or alternate subscriptions by using numbered levels. The subscription group is handy as it stops your users from mistakenly signing up for two levels at once and allows for upgrades or downgrades if they move up or down the tiered rungs. 

![You will need to set the app prices whether paid or free. The in app purchases and subscriptions are optional. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/DemystifyingAppleDev_SimplyKyra.022.png)

My games have a lifetime in-app purchase while all my apps have monthly or yearly. There is no oversight on having both a subscription and lifetimes so I check in my code and alert the user to cancel the subscription.

For all of these when you set the price for one country Apple can set the comparable price for the others... and if you want you can go in and override it. Additionally, if you go into the subscription pricing, you can set free trials. 

As mentioned in the [StoreKit Configuration](#store-configuration) section above I sync my configuration file with this so I can test what Apple will show when my app is live. 

**Submit For Review**

During the above process every time you made a change a little save button in the top right enables allowing you to save as you go. When you're ready to submit your build hit the button next to it, it will think (checking if anything obvious is missing), and ask you to confirm. Lately this shows in a pane on the right side but previously it was an alert. This needs to be done for each target and then you wait for review and approval for each. 

I've noticed sometimes approval and rejections can change based on the reviewer. For Simply Remember It I somehow forgot the *privacy policy* and *terms of service* links in the app description when I redid it's App Store meta data and both builds passed... then a later update was rejected for one target until I fixed it while the other target was still approved. 

Also if and when rejected you can always reply to clarify or ask for more information. The worst they can say is no. Additionally, my first app was going through the review process during WWDC and kept being rejected. I ended up booking a *one-on-one* with an Apple developer through their events page and although he flagged me for something else (the permission text) he passed me for whatever I was held up for. Since then I've seen more [App Store reviews](https://developer.apple.com/events/?ref=simplykyra.com) listed between [WWDC](https://developer.apple.com/wwdc26/?ref=simplykyra.com) events and, with your developer account, there's also [2 free technical reviews](https://developer.apple.com/support/technical/?ref=simplykyra.com) you can use each year too.

![Image shows the approved builds on website and phone with the release button and way shown. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/DemystifyingAppleDev_SimplyKyra.025.png)

Once approved you'll get a notification, and you can push to distribute. I prefer manual release ever since the Minesweeper situation.. this way iOS and macOS go out at the same time. 

### Submitting Updates

Once an app is distributed to the App Store you won't be able to make changes to any of the App Store information unless you press the plus sign next to the target and add a new app version. Like before this has to be done with each version. 

![Future updates save all the previous information so if you don't want to change it it's only the promotional text, what's new (new to future builds), and the build itself. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/DemystifyingAppleDev_SimplyKyra.023.png)

If you put the wrong version number you can scroll lower down on the page, right above where the build upload goes, to change it.

When the new version is created most of the information from before is copied over letting you keep it or updated it. That said the promotional text is kept blank (I normally copy and paste it from an earlier build) and you'll see a new section called *What's New in this Version*where you can put your version update message. Everything else stays the same unless you choose to change it and, over time, it all starts to feel easier and even mundane.

---

****Prefer a PDF?** The slides used in this post are available on [my downloads page](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/)... much easier to zoom in and reference as you read along. You will need a free SimplyKyra account to download, but it also unlocks comments so you can join the conversation below!

---

## Where To Start

If you want to get into Apple development simply start. 

Download [Xcode](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/xcode/id497799835?mt=12&ref=simplykyra.com)... it's completely free. You don't need a paid developer account to start. There is a Apple Developer account that costs $99 a year which does give you longer-lasting builds on your own device and access to App Store Connect when you're ready to ship, but you can still get surprisingly far without it.

Play around. If it looks too complicated there is a [Swift Playground](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/swift-playground/id1496833156?mt=12&ref=simplykyra.com) app that you can do entire builds on or start with tutorials. I tried to get my kids interested in Swift development a couple years ago and found an adorable how to code section with a monster that needed to be told how to get the gems. 

You can start with a tutorial online if you want a bit of hand holding. I've recently started doing Android development as I want to port an app over and ended up finding an Android tutorial so I'd start understanding how the files were structure Android Studio along with how to build the project and and setup the emulator. When the tutorial got to a part that used to be free and now I found was paid I paused for a bit and instead, later, jumped back in with my own project and Claude to ask questions.

On that note you can now use an AI, whether [ChatGPT](https://chatgpt.com/download/?ref=simplykyra.com) or [Claude](https://claude.ai/download/?ref=simplykyra.com) or something else, to help you understand what you're doing. If I come across something I don't understand I can take a screenshot of it (ctrl+shift+F4 to lasso it), drag it over to the app, and ask it my how or why or what's next question. 

That said, if you have a project idea go for it! Jump in. I find I learn way more that way... and if you don't know find a tutorial that sound interesting. You can stick it out and find another after or drop it when you have an idea. 

On that note... find resources you trust. For me that's [Hacking with Swift](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). I started on his free 100 Days of Swift and when Unwrapped came around (full day livestream) I realized his membership was only twice the cost of the event and jumped it. I find it's genuinely a good starting point and wish I knew a comparable person for Android development (let me know if you know!)

As mentioned above, when you do hit a bug you can't seem to solve, spin up a small separate project to isolate and reproduce. Lately for help getting unstuck quickly I use Claude Code with the [Cupertino MCP](https://github.com/mihaelamj/cupertino?ref=simplykyra.com) which gives Claude better access to Apple's documentation. I shared how I [currently use AI here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-im-actually-using-ai-as-a-solo-developer-still-figuring-it-out/) and this has saved me more hours than I can count.

And join something. I found a monthly [iOS Dev Happy Hour](https://www.iosdevhappyhour.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) group that has a two hour virtual session most months that includes a presentation (maybe) and always has breakout rooms to chat. It's a good place to ask questions, commiserate, and remember you're not alone in the weeds.

Essentially the thing I want you to take away from all of this: it's more learnable than it looks. The configuration stuff is confusing the first time you hit it, but once you know where things live it stops being mysterious and simply becomes that thing you do before you ship... unless Apple changes it up. 

---

I'm Kyra. An indie Apple developer and founder of SimplyKyra where I build calm tools that reduce mental load. If you’d like to keep up with future posts like this, I usually share them on my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). If you become a free member on the site you can sign up for my newsletters and join the conversation on any of my posts.
### Life Snapshot: The Post-It That Actually Helped
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/life-snapshot-the-post-it-that-actually-helped/
Last updated: 2026-04-14T16:22:05.000Z
Yesterday was Monday... and not just any Monday but the day after the kids had spring break, which somehow hits differently.

I couldn't quite name it at the time. Some mix of wishing I'd been more productive over the break combined with wishing I'd done more fun things with the kids and also just... Monday. That particular flavor of should-have that doesn't really point anywhere useful.

Also that morning my eldest asked me to eat cereal with them which was so cute and awesome... but not as filling as my normal fare.... which probably didn't help. 

And coffee... my friend gifted me a mug warmer which I'm absolutely adoring as I'm a sipper while I do stuff and not a guzzler. My husband makes the coffee before he starts work... so I've been keeping it on the warmer, sipping it between bus runs, and savoring it while working after the last kid gets on the bus. So of course I can't work out immediately while it's still hot on the warmer. 

I also went into the day without a default fitness plan picked out and so when I got sucked into work I didn't fight it... and suddenly it was past noon, I was hangry, hadn't moved, and felt like I'd accomplished nothing. 

It sucked. And I realized something had to change. Not dramatically. Just... something small and concrete.

I'd been looking at a MadFit morning yoga program... it had started that day and promised 30 minutes or less, six days a week, for two weeks. It wasn't hardcore. I'd been meaning to try it all day but it's called Rise... and by afternoon that felt a little beside the point. So right after lunch, I wrote myself a post-it note... and stuck it on top of the workout clothes I already laid out in the bathroom. Just a little reminder not to dilly-dally on my phone when I wake up the next morning. To just get going.

This morning I moved quicker and managed to get the 30 minute flow before the kid-time. It wasn't hard. It wasn't strenuous. No sweat. Part of me still has that voice that says that doesn't really count. But I've now moved my body already today. 

And after the rainy bus run morning I'm sitting at my computer with a third of the cup of coffee left and I can already tell myself: *I already moved today.* If I get pulled into the work, it's okay. If I take a break later to move again, that's bonus.

I didn't use an app for this. I used a sticky note and a low enough bar that I could actually clear it. Let's see if it holds for the rest of the two weeks.
### Consistency Over Perfection: Fitness Spin
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/consistency-over-perfection-fitness-spin/
Last updated: 2026-04-08T02:58:49.000Z
A month ago I came across one of those exercise videos where they showed an epically amazing move saying something like:

> Before I could do this...

And then they switched to the warm up exercises you needed to do before you could would be able to do that move. I thought this was fantastic and, I believed, saved it for later... as I realized I could do something similar but instead of the warm up show the consistency it took to get there over the years. Then I postponed it a bit, couldn't find any video similar to what I remembered, and kindof lost my motivation... but figured let's push through.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Consistency-Over-Perfection-Fitness-Spin---Pinterest.png)

💕 **Pin this post to come back to later.*

---

## Before Consistency

Back before kids I signed up for a cardio kickboxing class at the end of university and a FemSport class after (both with a friend *hi*!) but both classes were limited to a weekly schedule and had breaks between sessions... including over the summer. At home I loved the Xbox Kinect justifying games as exercise and binging all the Zumba related ones... I tried to work out harder once with TurboFire (through Groupon) but my knees told me to stop by one month in. 

[![Screenshot of my first official thread: simplykyraapps 11/27/24 When you go to a y2k themed Pilates Power Party and the whole time "Hollaback Girl" played you were distracted trying to remember the words to the Star Wars version you used to listen to WAY more.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-07-at-3.10.51---PM.png)](https://www.threads.com/@simplykyraapps/post/DC5klAQJYo6?xmt=AQF0v3Qtv6uggjsr2TPgvTa3ZvOzfNjC6FTJn3APxlRtoQ&ref=simplykyra.com)

My favorite part of the Star Wars Kinect game was the dancing section leading to my first Thread post when I couldn't not think of it.

Overall my workouts were mainly when the mood struck and not really consistent. I wanted to do more but also was fine not. 

## Starting Simple

### 2014-2017

I then had two kids 22 months apart with an international move from Canada to the United States in between. At times, with my first in Canada, I started walking outdoors but the weather would shift and the area itself wasn't really walkable. After the move I lived in a much more walkable area... in fact within a 15 minute walk from downtown... so I started using nearby parks, the library, and maybe a quick lunch as an excuse to get out and about. 

![Collage of me pregnant with a toddler holding onto the hook on the stroller and later with two in the stroller.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Consistency-Over-Perfection-Fitness-Spin---Screenshot---Image---Before-Consistency.png)

When pregnant and later with two (for a while with a baby in the carrier and a toddler holding the carabiner attached to the stroller) I chose to walk over drive to where I wanted to go... if it was within half an hour.

At this time I wasn't thinking of it as exercise but more getting out of our apartment, getting some sun, and mainly hoping to meet other people. 

## Finding Consistency

### 2018

After getting out of the baby fog I started trying to find myself both with friends (playdates), my own project (started this website as a blog), and with [an ad I saw for a Balanced Life Pilates (now called Lindywell)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pilates-with-robin-long/). I did the challenge, joined the yearly membership, and started working out consistently. This started with simply finishing the calendar (5 days a week with a 10-15 minute workout Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and a longer one on Tuesdays and Thursdays). This gave me consistent movement beyond the daily schedule without the guilt of skipping if life got too busy. It gave me a valid base which I'm still grateful for.

![Side planking at the beach on vacation.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_2018.JPG)

The Facebook group had the sisterhood of the traveling plank... while taking photos of my new sew I decided to attempt a plank in the sand. 

## Keeping Consistency

### 2019

With consistency found I started realizing I felt better whenever I had a chance to workout which fed back into me making more time for it. On days we stayed home I found the first open time the kids were happy to do my workout. On days we had a playdate or outing I made it the priority when we first got home giving them a snack at the table (something I knew they'd play with and could handle eating) and did my workout nearby. Yes the workout was often interrupted and yes potty training made it more complicated... but I found my consistency and recognized I felt better for it. 

![The tools laid out for a photo on the car mat... pictured if thick pilates mat, foam roller, foam yoga block, magic ring, and two sets of weights: 3 and 5 lbs.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_IMG_4900.jpeg)

I started working out on the car mat, remembered I had yoga blocks and a yoga mat from when I was pregnant, and then added more over time like the weights, magic ring, and foam roller.

This realization affected our vacations. I had always woken up early to have a shower before my family got up and found I tried to get up a bit earlier so I could get a standing workout done in the hallway (once) or in the bathroom (hence standing workout) right before or after my shower. If I didn't get a chance (Legoland for instance) I might optimize a stretch when we had some quiet time mid-day.

When we were in the middle of a move I made sure to keep my pilates mat handy and a space open to lay it out. My kids had dropped their naps early but in the midst of chaos I implemented a half hour quiet time. They got a moment of quiet and I got time on my mat. If I lingered a bit past that half hour mark they got mad... but looking back that time was precious and needed.

![Screenshot shows four versions of the calendar... all from later on... but still indicative of following it per month.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Consistency-Over-Perfection-Fitness-Spin---Screenshot---Image--Calendar.png)

When starting out I printed the calendar so I could mark what I did. Later (pictured here) I used the reMarkable to mark it and the new upgraded app keeps track of which days I used it too.

## Listen & Increase

I continued to be consistent with [Lindywell](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822) and although I may shuffle up the workouts found myself completing the monthly scheduled workouts while also looking for more. At this time, in their Facebook group, I heard about Sarah Beth Yoga and tried first her Youtube page and then later her app for a year or two. I also enjoyed FitOn (app was free but later I dropped it because of the ads) and PopSugar on Youtube. And if that week I was tired... I defaulted to only [Lindywell](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822). If I was full of energy... I added more. 

In the [Lindywell](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822) Facebook group there was a sisterhood of the traveling plank... and several people had included their version on paddleboards. I'd been seeing it for a bit so this summer I decided to break out and signed up solo for a class at our local lake. It was a blast! So the following winter, when they had an advent calendar contest, I signed up every week hoping to win more lessons or, preferably, a paddle board rental to help justify going. I didn't win that... but I did win a year of windsurfing BUT I needed to first sign up for a two day class... 

![Used two kitchen baskets from Costco to organize the extra tools when I wasn't using them.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_IMG_8027.jpeg)

As I added to my workout collection I experimented with ways to organize it that looked neat but was still easily accessible. Most of my stuff was store in the living room but around this time started putting overflow in my shared office.

### 2020-2021

I figured why not I can do this... and signed up for the first class they had available in early February of 2020\. And I was the only person who had signed up in the cold. It was fun, cold, and tough. But the instructor was impressed I kept getting up and I knew I could credit pilates for my strength. The second day was supposed to be even windier so we started an hour earlier and I ended up passing with a higher level on my card than the default when done. That said, I never tried it again. I kept second guessed each weekend when Matt was home with the kids on whether I should go or not and whether the wind was too strong or too light that day... and then the pandemic hit and I never did use that free year. But I can say I did try windsurfing... and he did take a short video and a couple photos for me that first day. 

![Image of me on a blue surfboard wearing a borrowed wetsuit and sunhat.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_IMG_3433.JPG)

Attempting windsurfing... what scared me the most was the warning about the corner of the lake you'll get pushed in... it was close to the gulf course and stray golf balls.

During the rest of 2020 and 2021 I turned to at home workouts exploring what was available and used its movement along with sewing, friend text groups, and bubbled with another family for playdates to get me through. I continued my consistency with [Lindywell](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822) while layering it with what I felt like in that time which included more weights and a spin bike. Movement became more about survival than optimization and I'm glad I had it. 

[Free At Home Workouts To De-StressAre you looking for a way to let off steam but you’re stuck inside? Are you feeling antsy. Why not look into one of these free online workouts?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-130.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_4890-scaled-4.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/free-at-home-workouts-to-de-stress/)

I shared who I worked out with here and after the post went live I found cardio dance workouts with MadFit and loved it enough to go back and edit it into this post.

### 2022

With Zoey entering kindergarten and schools being in person again I could find myself again. I'd started to really focus on [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-a-sleep-screen-sparked-an-app-the-story-behind-simply-customize-it/) but also wanted to meet more people while getting out more and found [Bay Area Adventure Gals (B.A.A.G.)](https://www.facebook.com/groups/bayareaadventuregals/). This was a general meetup group but I chose to optimize the exercise-based ones (mainly hikes and in hindsight had started off with [the biggest one](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/almaden-quicksilver-county-park-in-san-jose-california/)) while still keeping [Lindywell](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822) for my consistent base movement. 

![Collage of the view on the hike. Two of landscapes, one of knit-bombed face on tree, and far right of me standing leaning against the fence. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Consistency-Over-Perfection-Fitness-Spin---Screenshot---Image---2022.png)

Loved getting out more to see the area and meetup with other people.

### Early 2023

At the beginning of this year we debated moving away from the Bay Area. I recognized time was limited so alongside [Lindywell](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822), packing, and my app I put my time and exercise towards more hikes, scootering or walking to the farmers market almost weekly, and bought a blowup paddleboard from Costco. While choosing where to move to I'd pointed out I'd love to paddleboard and decided to buy it early so I could explore [the local reservoir](https://parks.santaclaracounty.gov/locations/stevens-creek-county-park?ref=simplykyra.com) and although I'd hoped to explore the bay I didn't feel confident by myself and didn't find anyone to go with in time. Plus now my paddleboard has a little California license plate on it!

![Collage of me on the water, breakfast one day, me loaded down about to go back, and me with flowers and the sheep yogurt popsicle I discovered right before moving.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Consistency-Over-Perfection-Fitness-Spin---Screenshot---Image---2023.png)

I'd load myself with my backpack and some extra bags and head to the farmers market solo each weekend hoping to get tired of Ginger Labs before the move while savoring the flowers and people. I also went solo to the reservoir to paddleboard.

### Late 2023

Once we moved we spent the rest of the summer unpacking, got the kids to walk to our local swimming lessons, and I found any excuse to go paddleboarding... and loved that the kids were just small enough that I could take them to one of the local ponds and get buy with one kid on the front and one on the back while still getting us to move slowly but surely. By the end of the summer we'd add a family "party" board but by then my youngest decided she hated paddleboarding along with hikes. 

Before moving and knowing that groups like [B.A.A.G.](https://www.facebook.com/groups/bayareaadventuregals/) existed I'd gone looking for local hiking groups. I never did join one of the group events but through a group I found a mom (*hey*!) that also wanted weekday hikes and understood canceling because of a sick kid. Together we explored some bucket list day hikes (previously shared [Tolmie Peak](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/tolmie-peak-trail-on-mount-rainier-tahoma/) and [Cascade Pass](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/cascade-pass-trail-in-the-north-cascades-national-park/)) and, in the winter, met up for other smaller walks close by and as far as Seattle and, once, Vashon island for the [Northwest Trolls](https://www.nwtrolls.org/?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Four images with me in 3 of them all showing the epic landscape of Washington.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Consistency-Over-Perfection-Fitness-Spin---Screenshot---Image--2023.png)

Loved exploring the epic places further from home and wondered about the places closer too.

By October I wanted more... at this time everyone online and in person seemed to have tried Poo Poo Point but no one wanted to go. It was close and finally I figured *why not* and headed out myself. I'm so glad I did because it's populated enough to feel safe and became my solo happy place where I first started going on weekdays after the bus run, then moved it earlier to attempt the sunrise (Matt can you do bus?) and then (next year) on weekends before the parking lot got full. In my entire time I only went there once with someone else (*hi!*) and the remaining 20 times over the next two years by myself. 

### 2024

I branched out at the beginning of the year and joined [an REI Snowshoeing trip](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/snowshoeing-in-the-lowlands-of-mount-baker/) so I could enjoy the snow and be taught how to use them. It was incredible. I kept hiking (previously shared [Emmons Moraine](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/emmons-moraine-trail-on-mount-rainier-tahoma/), [Blanca Lake](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/blanca-lake-in-the-mt-baker-snoqualmie-national-forest/), and [Silver Peak](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/silver-peak-trail-near-snoqualmie-pass/)), did the odd spin bike, and kept consistent with pilates. Then close to the summer a Pilates studio opened near me with a pre-opening unlimited discount... I'd been wanting to try reformer but it always seemed out of reach and so I took a chance... gave myself permission to go all in and absolutely loved it. It had community and with my own business I could technically make my own hours and started out going when the kids were in school, weekends when we had no plans as I could just walk over, and then all their 6 am classes (they started with three a week then upped to five) which gave me just enough time to get home and wake the kids up freeing the school hours to code. I quickly realized it was too much with [Lindywell](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822) and gave myself grace to drop the schedule and I could always open the app up when I wanted it which I did when we lost power, I went on vacation, or I was sick (stretch pilates then). Hiking became less often but I still enjoyed it... while paddleboarding was mostly dropped. 

![Image shows a collage of four images of me with a great view behind.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Consistency-Over-Perfection-Fitness-Spin---Screenshot---Image---2024.png)

The snowshoeing got me close to snow and then later I was able to find it again hiking higher elevation near me. Loved being close to some epic views and went a bit further for some other ones.

## Return To Simplicity

### 2025

This year we chose to move again so I upped how much I was going to Aya to fully take advantage of it before leaving... I knew I'd miss it. By the end I was going 7+ times a week and the Friday before moving went four times that day alone. This was not planned and happened because I loved the 6am class, scheduled my first private that ended up that day, and there was an evening class and social hour that I couldn't miss when it was my last... and then I figured if I'm there for the private anyway there's that other class right before that I want to go to too. 

During this time I also started going more to Poo Poo Point, when time allowed both, to say goodbye and breathe amidst the packing. I still miss it and want to share about it but not sure how to organize all the photos or justify the time.

![Collage of an image from the Aya post, me at the south viewpoint of Poo Poo point in the fog, and leaning against the West trail sign for Tiger Mountain. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Consistency-Over-Perfection-Fitness-Spin---Screenshot---Image---2025.png)

Poo Poo point by myself, got some friends to do a nearby hike, and fully enjoyed living close to Aya. 

From the activeness of both [hiking](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/hiking/) and [Aya](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/aya-pilates/) I next found myself in a new place and returned to the simplicity and consistency of the [Lindywell](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pilates-my-favorite-thing/) calendar while unpacking.

This move gave me my own office so I mindfully left half open for coding breaks and turned the unfinished part of the basement into a workout zone putting the equipment we already owned down there... with consistency reset I started thinking about what else? I knew even if I bought a reformer it wouldn't be the same and instead started to notice calisthenics online. We bought some [outdoor calisthenics equipment](https://www.kengurupro.us/?ref=simplykyra.com), I found [ShellyFLEX](https://www.shellyflex.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) online and tried a trial but they weren't up front with the pricing so I left and later found [Yogi Flight School](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/calm-tools-things-i-actually-use/) for live Saturday classes. It's yoga based and focused on arm balances. 

![First configuration had my desk at an angle with my workout stuff gathered around it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_IMG_6235.jpeg)

Felt splurgy putting my desk at an angle when I moved it but found it hard to workout around.

![Collage showing part of my desk system on the left and my headstand practice boards against an empty wall on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Consistency-Over-Perfection-Fitness-Spin---Screenshot---Image---2026-Office.png)

I later moved it against the wall, added another mini desk with walking pad, and left the reverse wall empty for workouts.

## Listen & Increase

### 2026

But with the new year I found myself diving into a [MadFit](https://maddielymburner.co/?ref=simplykyra.com) four-week program while keeping on top of the weekly [Yogi Flight School](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/calm-tools-things-i-actually-use/) classes and decided to once again drop the Lindywell schedule. Doing all of it felt like too much while trying to keep on top of SimplyKyra too. The [Lindywell app](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822) is there when I want it and I keep renewing so I have my default to go back to. 

Recently I found a [Calisthenics with Kaylee program](https://www.instagram.com/calisthenics.withkaylee/?ref=simplykyra.com) with exercises focused on what I want to learn that I'm excited about... but I've also learned that I prefer following workout with videos I can follow over a set of exercises. That said, she has a lot of what I want to learn so we'll see how that goes. 

![Image shows a collage of my Home Screen and some of my main apps including Yogi Flight School, Calisthenics with Kaylee, MadFit, and Lindywell.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Consistency-Over-Perfection-Fitness-Spin---Screenshot---Image---2026.png)

I've optimized my phone to show all my workout programs (and safari... I got lost when I moved it) from any spot on my phone making it easy to access when I want... and remind me that they're there. 

## Now

Some days I feel on fire and able to do it all! While other, most, days I question it all. Today I'm continuing this blog post idea I had when I was on fire. Right now I feel out of sorts, tired, feel like I'm backtracking... but also knowing there is progress there. The funny thing is this sentiment could be said for other things too like friendships, family, work, hobbies, or whatever. 

I've realized my workouts change based on how I feel... so I've started to use [Simply Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) to hold my progress. No analytics... I have my Apple Watch for that. Simply irregular check-ins seeing where I'm at. Not daily. Maybe not even weekly. And no alarms. Simply noticing. If you want to try your own version, the [Gentle Check-Ins](https://simplykyra.gumroad.com/l/gentle-check-ins?ref=simplykyra.com) is a good place to start, or you can build your own Fitness Rhythm task inside the [app](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com). No pressure on either. 

And like always I hope you’re having a great day. 💕

---

I'm Kyra. An indie Apple developer and founder of SimplyKyra where I build calm tools that reduce mental load. If you’d like to keep up with future posts like this, I usually share them on my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). If you become a free member on the site you can sign up for my newsletters and join the conversation on any of my posts.
### Simply Remember It 2.2.1: Understandable Sharing
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-1-understandable-sharing/
Last updated: 2026-04-03T15:09:19.000Z
Back in [2.1.0](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-1-0-remember-it-together/) I mentioned I was going to test sharing with my own family before making any noise about it. This update is what came out of that... it's a smaller one, a simple patch rather than a feature release, but it's full of things that matter. The kind of things you only find when you actually use something.

---

## Renaming Shared People

I shared some chore tasks out in a group text. My husband Matt logged one. Then my kids and I each logged it too.

I was able to see who everyone was but my husband was only able to see my name and the other three entries were labeled "Me". This made the entries tab, which is supposed to show *who* logged *what*, way less useful than it should've been.

I had already added the ability to rename people but had restricted it to people who were able to share (higher tier) because I assumed the original naming would be valid... as it had been up until then. This wasn't the case and now that's fixed. Anyone, free account or not, can go in and rename a person they share a task with. Plus I added that person's last three logs to the display making it easier to figure who is who. 

---

## Receiving Tasks

I had been testing sharing and receiving tasks with the received end having a free or unlimited account. I wanted to go beyond that and test the other way so my family now have a paid subscription tier and I used my husband's phone to share a task with me. 

I had made it that tasks shared with you could have some elements customized to your wants without affecting other people. This means you can toggle whether metrics are seen (or not), change the assigned category, and alter the appearance with the emoji and color. That way someone can have a magenta theme going and still share tasks with someone who loves blue. 

To streamline that I had set an area in sharing, if you have the paid tier, to set the defaults when a new task was shared with you, that's now been tested and updated to fully work. If you want all incoming tasks to go into a pending category or have a particular color or emoji that now happens. Keep it nil to use the passed in task's value.

---

## Widget Update

After adding the chores to my app I realized I didn't want to see them in my widget so I updated it. Now in addition to show all or a single particular category you can set the widget to show tasks in multiple categories and exclude others. Now my widget excludes the Chore category letting it feel a bit more curated and less frantic in the morning. 

---

## And Beyond

In addition to this several minor additions were noticed and fixed including the preset tab loading properly, color normalization across the app, updated text in a couple of places, and the shared section now has its own dedicated spot with a custom lock so it feels more intentional.

---

Everything else is the same. If you've been using Together, Unlimited, or the free version and something still feels off, please reach out. I'm actively paying attention to how sharing in particular is working in the real world but any [feedback is welcome](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It%202.2.1) and I'd genuinely love to hear from you.

[Click to update now!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

— Kyra 💕
### Building Rocky from Project Hail Mary (And Why I Couldn't Not)
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/project-hail-mary-rocky-moc/
Last updated: 2026-04-01T20:26:50.000Z
So... I hadn't planned to blog this but I keep seeing Project Hail Mary videos and photos online (my algorithm knows what I'm liking right now)... then I found the most adorable LEGO MOC and I had an idea for a reel... then decided it needed to be a post. Currently LEGO Rocky lives on my desk and he's the perfect companion for rubber duck debugging. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Building-Rocky-from-Project-Hail-Mary---Pinterest.png)

💕 **Pin this post to come back to later.*

  
Prefacing this by saying I'm a huge sci-fi fan. I absolutely adored Michael Crichton books in high school and am living the dream as so many of my favorite authors are recently doing tv shows... if you want recommendations Dark Matter, Silo, and Foundation. 

## Background

### The Book

Back when I read The Martian in 2016 I couldn't put it down... though I realize when writing this that I apparently still haven't watched the movie... I guess add to the list. Which is why when Andy Weir next came out with Artemis I jumped onto Goodreads to add it to my list and noticed something odd. There were already reviews. A lot of them. And they all mentioned NetGalley. I had no idea what that was, so I looked into it, created an account, requested Artemis, and got approved. That was how I discovered book ARCs... and got to read Project Hail Mary back in February 2021 before it was officially released. Looking back I had declared in my review that it was my favorite book of that year. Without sinking time into seeing what else I read that year I'll simply go with let's say that. 

### The Science

As an aside I needed to share the science of Andy Weir. I absolutely love how every aspect of his books brings it in. Artemis seems to be less regarded than the other two but looking back at my review for it I had mentioned the "random interesting facts spread throughout the book \[like that\] coffee and tea are an acquired taste on the moon as water boils at 61 degrees Celsius so your drinks don't get as hot as on Earth." 

### The Movie

I somehow didn't realize there was a movie until shortly before it came out... but when I did it was so obvious and I quickly fell down the Instagram algorithm well. So much content! Which I'm fine with as I mad the connection that my mother-in-law was staying with us over opening weekend and so Matt and I should go see it. We chose the Saturday matinee, adored it, and found a burger place after for supper.

![Collage of the display at the theater, Matt and I in front of it, and the restaurant food after. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Building-Rocky-from-Project-Hail-Mary---Screenshot---Image---Movie.png)

We snapped photos before (in case it got busy) and leaving I saw there was an actual seat... more disappointed there wasn't an option to sit/stand with Rocky. 

It had been a while since I read the book, and I did wander into comparison posts on Instagram ahead of time... which is always a risky move. That said, I loved the movie. It absolutely lived up to the book, and where it differs it does so in ways that work on screen. My one thing, and a lot of people seem to agree, is that I really miss the science. The original cut was apparently longer and I would be totally fine streaming the entire thing at home. 

### The Algorithm

After, and honestly before, the algorithm did its thing and my Instagram feed filled up with Project Hail Mary content and then focused on Rocky... and I let it. Before the movie I had ordered the official LEGO Hail Mary set but it's backordered and the wait is unbearable. I then came across [Jordan DeVries @theastralbricks](https://www.instagram.com/theastralbricks/?ref=simplykyra.com) on Instagram who took the [LEGO Creator Cute Bunny set](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/cute-bunny-31162?ref=simplykyra.com) and turned it into Rocky! I saw he sold it on Rebrickable so I checked online for the bunny set and saw, at that time it wasn't on LEGO or Amazon but it was on Target. I thought about it for a hot second then immediately made a reBrickable account so I could buy [the instructions ($3)](https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-256214/The%5FAstral%5FJ/rocky-space-friend/?ref=simplykyra.com#details). 

### The Audiobook

With the movie hype the audiobook is also being pushed. That said, over the years, I've repeatedly heard it being recommended and it seemed to be the number one rated audiobook. I'd ignored the hype as I normally don't re-read books but after the movie I wanted to and figured this way I can listen to Rocky sing. So before building I had to buy it. 

---

## The Build

I had planned to wait and build Rocky at the same times as the official set while listening to the audiobook... but my algorithm knew what I wanted and LEGO listed it as a 60 day backorder (just checked and same with the bunny) and I couldn't resist. So I bought the audiobook, broke into the kit, poured a drink, and made my Rocky. 

[![Screenshot showing the original kit and views of the build. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Screenshot-IMG_4381.jpeg)](https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-256214/The%5FAstral%5FJ/rocky-space-friend/?ref=simplykyra.com#details)

Photo from PDF and shown on [reBrickable](https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-256214/The%5FAstral%5FJ/rocky-space-friend/?ref=simplykyra.com#details). Screenshot taken March 2026\. Or check him out on [Instagram @theastralbricks](https://www.instagram.com/theastralbricks/?ref=simplykyra.com).

### Let's Go

Since it was a MOC (My Own Creation versus official LEGO) I realized the bag ordering didn't matter and opened all three bags at once which felt a little chaotic. 

![Flat lay of open box, instructions books spread and set aside, three paper bags, instructions on the reMarkable Paper Pro, and my headphones.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_IMG_4378.jpeg)

All ready to get started... listening and about to break into the bags. 

For the instructions I started reading it on my reMarkable since it was an electronic PDF download... but then I realized the e-ink colors were faded and I was having trouble telling beige, white, and two shades of grey apart. The green made my decision. So I switched to my phone which helped a bit and then, when almost done, I realized I had Accessibility Color Filters turned on (Grayscale, 60%). Once I turned that off the instructions were easy to follow.

![Flat lay showing the loose extra pieces, turned off reMarkable, paper off to the side, and a finished Rocky.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_IMG_4383.jpeg)

And Rocky was complete!

The build itself was surprisingly simple and satisfying. The only issues (see above) where on my side) My girls love Rocky, despite not having watched him yet, and he now has a permanent spot on my desk, which I did not plan but also did not resist. He's become my rubber duck for debugging sessions which somehow feels right.

![Rocky on a slightly messy desk. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_IMG_4401.jpeg)

And onto my desk he goes!

### Cute Bunny

Figured I should mention that the box and instructions for the [original 3-in-1 creator kit](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/cute-bunny-31162?ref=simplykyra.com) (bunny, seal, and deer) are adorable in their own rights... I almost felt bad for ignoring them.... almost. Also just realizing I didn't use any of the plant-related pieces (I think) so I could go back and make accessories. 

### LEGO & Beyond

Plus quick aside... this isn't my first LEGO related blog post. Those can be [found here](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/lego/) and range from birthday party themes, sewn projects, crayons, and even three versions of a Bonsai tree. 

![Collage of the crayons, lego on backpack, duple bag, bonsai variations, and clothing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_Building-Rocky-from-Project-Hail-Mary---Screenshot---Image---LEGO-Past.png)

Some photos taken from those posts.

---

## What's Next

I plan to make the audiobook last (Matt recommended I decrease the speed down to 1x) and although I'm only in Chapter 4 (making myself wait for the official set to return to the book) I'm already rediscovering details I'd forgotten. Like the fact that to get the astrophage sample to Grace three countries worked together to land in Saskatchewan and fly it directly to San Francisco. As a Canadian (now living in the US) finding Canada unexpectedly in a book I love is always a small delight.

I can't wait for the official kit to arrive so I can dive into the LEGO details while enjoying whatever detail I'll be delighted to rediscover this time.

If you haven't read the book yet... it's a good one. The movie is worth seeing... debating streaming it with the family when it comes out. And so far the audiobook is good too. 

And with that I bid you an epic day... and leave you with some photos of Rocky... 

![Rocky pruning my off brand mini bonsai.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_IMG_4419.jpeg)

![Jazz hands for coding progress!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_IMG_4417.jpeg)

... me and Rocky... 

![He's supporting my fitness journey.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_2026-04-01-at-12.57.23---PM.png)

![Jazz hands together!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/04/compressed_2026-04-01-at-12.57.03---PM.png)

... and this reel.
### SimplyKyra Monthly Overview: March 2026
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/newsletter/simplykyra-monthly-overview-march-2026/
Last updated: 2026-03-31T15:55:13.000Z
Welcome to the March SimplyKyra Monthly Overview. A once-a-month roundup of app updates, blog highlights, and a few extras from behind the scenes. Nothing too serious, just a cozy way to stay connected. 💕

I know inboxes can get crowded, so this one stays intentionally low-key. If you ever prefer only these monthly summaries (or want to adjust your subscriptions) you can update your settings at the bottom of this email.

---

## 🏡 This Month with Me

This month everyone seems to be getting excited for the summer while I instead paused and savored the frosty mornings, enjoyed the new flowers blooming, but also still love the jacket-ish weather. 

![Collage of four images: frosted weed, ice encased leaf from a puddle, frosted sunrise, and leaves in weeds all frost tinged.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/03/compressed_Screenshot-March-Newsletter---Image---Frost.png)

Our area didn't get the snow that others had but the frost was gorgeous in the grass, leaves, and weeds. 

![Collage of sunrises, clouds, and blooms.Ten images in all.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/03/compressed_Screenshot-March-Newsletter---Image---Nature.png)

Loved the sunrises on the walk to the bus and all the blooms more recently.

Also timing worked well this month and I was able to see Project Hail Mary in theaters (we normally stream movies so it's been the first time since taking the kids to Frozen 2 years ago). I'd read the e-arc years ago, absolutely loved it, and love that my algorithm is continuously feeding me more content about it. Waiting for the LEGO kit to ship (backordered), finally justified creating a [rebrickable account](https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-256214/The%5FAstral%5FJ/rocky-space-friend/?ref=simplykyra.com#details), ordered a bunny kit, and bought the audiobook. 

![My desk has a Rocky cheering me on. Please ignore the lack of ball around him. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/03/compressed_IMG_4416.jpeg)

Jazz hands cheer me on from my desk now.

---

## 📱 App Updates

March was a busy one on the app side. It started out simple enough with tackling a user email on Simply Customize It before finalizing the first version of shared tasks on Simply Remember It. I've also been using Claude Code alongside [Hacking with Swift resources](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc6pvW6vQzA&ref=simplykyra.com) to audit my code more carefully lately and it's been sending me into corners I wouldn't have looked at otherwise. That's what kicked off the cascade later this month which resulted in all four apps being submitted to the App Store within 24 hours from each other. 

![Screenshot of the App Store Connect showing Simply Match It Ready for Distribution. Simply Remember It and one target of both Simply Uncover It and Simply Customize It waiting for review and their other target Pending Developer Release. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/03/compressed_2026-03-26-at-4.11.08---PM.png)

### [Simply Remember It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/)

*When did you last…? Now you know with no second-guessing required.*

[App Store: Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

- [A Together plan](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-1-0-remember-it-together/) was quietly released so I could start testing shared tracking with my family. It's early but it's there.
- I've been [rethinking my onboarding](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-0/) switching the original way to an optional choice and instead showing a library of examples making it a little easier to understand what the app can hold for you right from the start.

### [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)

*Make your reMarkable truly yours with custom templates and screens.*

[App Store: Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

In case you missed it a while back I quietly worked on a [template builder](https://www.simplykyra.com/template-builder/) to create `.template` custom templates you can upload to the reMarkable. I've noticed some traffic from the page and decided to audit the code to confirm everything still works as expected and the created templates still show up on my reMarkable. 

That audit mindset carried into the app itself:

- Near the start of the month I tackled [an orientation issue](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-23-image-orientation-fix/) where metadata wasn't being read correctly making it look like an uploaded template was rotated when it wasn't. Thanks for reaching out!
- Later on I made [several changes](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-24/) through an audit pass that helped uncovered a circular navigation path on the Screen tab (screens → group → back) that caused a crash. There's now a two-level limit in place, and it no longer crashes.
- Then, in the middle of the other app's updates, another email (thank you) discovered a button was no longer working resulting in [another quick update](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-25/).

### [Simply Uncover It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it/)

*A calm, intuitive twist on the classic Minesweeper puzzle.*

[App Store: Uncover It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com)

- I forgot how much I loved [Minesweeper](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-something-new-to-share/) when going over the audit. In addition to the backend updates you can now share your final result when the game ends!

### [Simply Match It ](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it/)

*A fast-paced, multiplayer race to spot the match before your friends do.*

[App Store: Match It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com)

- The audit led here too. [Simply Match It](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-smoother-sharper-and-now-it-can-brag-for-you/) got smoother, sharper, and now has a way to share your score which I think is a nice touch for a multiplayer game.

---

## 📚On the Blog

Two really different posts this month so figured I'd share them both.

[Friction Mapping: A Kinder Way to Understand Why Things Feel Hard](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/friction-mapping-a-kinder-way-to-understand-why-things-feel-hard/) started with a simple reframe: *friction isn't a character flaw, it's information*. It walks through what friction mapping actually looks like in practice, and there's a free example on the [Downloads page](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/) if you want to try it.

[How I'm Actually Using AI as a Solo Developer (Still Figuring It Out)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-im-actually-using-ai-as-a-solo-developer-still-figuring-it-out/) is the more personal one. It shows where it genuinely helps, where I'm still working out what I think, and why I don't want to automate me out of the system.

---

## 💻 Coming Up Next

I'm currently keeping an eye on Simply Remember It's task sharing (while typing this I'm waiting on a TestFlight build to confirm a change) and keeping a close eye on my emails. 

I've also purchased an android phone and started spending some of my time learning the new system so if you have any requests on Android support let me know. I'm figuring it out. Beyond that if there's something you'd love to see, whether it's a blog topic, a feature idea, or something you've been wondering about, hit reply and let me know... I'd love to hear from you.

---

## 🌿 Something Extra

This month I came across the idea that we should bloomscroll rather than doomscroll which stuck with me... so I used a template I had saved from Instagram and the copious amount of flowers on my camera roll to throw this together... these blooms are just from the last one or two years.

A bit ago I tried to record a nature reel.with birds in the background... then this noisy squirrel showed up... thus resulting in this 5+ minute video listening to him squeak. I ended up editing this one and created a slightly different cut with [a portrait sized one here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWPZNcZTsyM&ref=simplykyra.com).

---

## **💌 A Note on Preferences**

You’re receiving this email because you signed up for **Monthly Overview** a once-a-month roundup that highlights what’s new, what I’ve been working on, and a little extra behind-the-scenes.

I also offer **App Updates** and **Blog Updates** if you prefer more frequent notes (it changes each month). You can manage what you receive anytime through your [account page](#/portal/account).

---

Thanks for being here 💕

I'm so grateful for your support as I keep building, learning, and sharing... one calm step at a time.

Until next month,   
— Kyra
### Simply Uncover It: Something New to Share
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-something-new-to-share/
Last updated: 2026-03-28T00:27:04.000Z
This one snuck up on me a little. I've been working on other things lately and [*Simply Uncover It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it/)has been quietly sitting there... stable and working.

But a few things were bugging me. So I took some time with Claude to audit my code and in doing so started playing the game again and analyzing how everything looked on both my Mac and my phone. 

None of it was breaking anything.... but all of it was worth fixing.

---

## Small Updates

Once I started noticing things I couldn't stop so the settings picker got a refresh, the timer on the macOS now shows a black background (had the accent color), and the board is now pushed to the top of the screen. Even the subscription view got some attention and the about page became a bit cleaner. 

It's the kind of update that doesn't make for a dramatic changelog... but makes the whole thing feel tighter.

---

## The Fun Part

So I was about to submit this to the App Store and I saw something on Reddit about sharing your result... and I started thinking about my game. So here's something new, that almost didn't get added, but I'm the most proud of right now. 

When you finish a game, whether you win or (like me, more often than I'd like) hit a mine, you can now share a snapshot of your results.

It shows your board size, mine count, time, and whether you made it. Clean and simple.

It's not a leaderboard. It's not competitive. It's just a small way to share the moment with someone who might appreciate it.

---

You can [grab the update on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com)! It's live now on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

And as always, if something feels off or you have feedback, I'm just [an email away](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Uncover%20It%20Feedback). And if you play a game (or more) and want to share your score with someone, I'd genuinely love to see it. [Tag me](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com) or send it my way... it would make my day.

Hope your day is a calm one. 💕

— Kyra
### Simply Remember It 2.2.0: A Better First Hello
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-0/
Last updated: 2026-03-27T14:55:25.000Z
The first thing someone does in [*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) matters more than almost anything else. If they get it and if something clicks they start logging. They come back. The app quietly does its job. But if they don't, they leave. And the tool that might've helped them never gets the chance.

I've been thinking about that moment for a while... which led to this update.

---

## What Changed

The old onboarding walked you through the app step by step. It was fine and offered more support than going through the main app which is what you want the first time... but I kept wondering if it was asking too much too soon before anyone was able to see what was possible.

So I rethought it.

Now, the first thing you see is **Task Ideas** offering you a browsable collection of real tasks you can add directly to your app, organized by category. Things like:

- 🏠 Home Safety Check
- 🐛 Spot the Pest
- 🧹 Deep Clean
- 👶 Pediatric Visit
- 🍼 Last Feed

Each one comes with a description of what it tracks including additional information so you can see the whole picture before committing to anything.

You can browse and add tasks yourself, or if you'd prefer to be guided, the original walkthrough is still there... now tucked under **Walk Me Through It**.

The idea is simple: instead of being told how the app works, you get to see what it can actually *do for you*. That felt like a kinder place to start.

---

## Why This Felt Important

[*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) is one of those apps that's hard to explain in the abstract. The quick:

> it tracks when you last did things

... is technically accurate. But it doesn't tell you anything about the relief of never wondering *when did we last change the water filter?* again. Of finally having a record of your kid's last pediatric visit measurements in one place. Or confidently answer your toddler when asked how many nights they've been dry. Spotting your daughter's task disappear as they take initiative and record their own habits. 

The **Task Ideas** screen tries to bridge that gap. Not by explaining the concept... but by showing you a version of your own life that you might recognize.

If you see *Last Feed* and you're nursing a newborn... you get it immediately.

---

Everything else in the app is the same. Like always there was slight polishing here and there but the main bit was the quiet but intentional shift in how new users first find their footing.

If you haven't tried *Simply Remember It* yet nows the time. Try it out for [free here](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)! And, as always with any of my apps, if something feels off reach out. And if you'd love to see a specific task idea that isn't there yet let me know that too! [I'd love to hear from you](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It%202.2.0).

Here's to fewer *wait, when did we last...?* moments.

— Kyra 💕
### Simply Customize It 1.0.25: The Fix That Needed Fixing
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-25/
Last updated: 2026-03-26T23:26:17.000Z
This one's small but it's the kind of small that matters.

A user emailed me letting me know that uploading a single sleep screen wasn't working. They could see the button, tap it, and… nothing. Once I looked into it, I also caught that downloading a single screen had the same problem.

**Deep Dive:** The culprit was a change I made in a previous audit. I switched a warning from a dropdown to a sheet, which looked and felt cleaner... but it quietly broke both of those flows. SwiftUI has a timing quirk where updating a binding value and immediately dismissing a sheet can race each other, which meant the parent view wasn't catching the selection reliably. The buttons worked. The result didn't follow through.

It's now fixed.

Recently I also did a small handful of improvements... nothing dramatic, nothing that merited an update on its own, nothing you'd notice in a single tap, but the kind of thing that adds up to a smoother experience over time.

Thanks for emailing when something feels off. That's genuinely how these things get caught.

— Kyra 💕
### Simply Match It: Smoother, Sharper, and Now It Can Brag For You
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-smoother-sharper-and-now-it-can-brag-for-you/
Last updated: 2026-03-26T17:45:27.000Z
This one snuck up on me a little.

I wasn't planning a big update for [*Simply Match It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com), but I decided to audit my code using Claude and started looking around the game more. And with that I started to notice some small things that were bugging me... things like a Mac accent color that wasn't quite right, a subscription button that was misbehaving, some animations that felt flatter than they should. So I started fixing them... and then I added something simple I didn't expect to love as much as I do.

---

## Small Updates

While going through my app I noticed lots of minor changes. 

The player buttons are more noticeable than the others. I fixed them up and added a secondary timer (an outline along the edge) that shrinks as the time runs out. On the phone Reduce Motion is also noticed so the animation is a bit more subtle, but still present, when it's turned on.

Other updates are less noticeable but include a button centering in the subscription screen, accent colors not paying attention on Mac, and a handful of smaller things (names, messaging, button layouts) all tidied up.

---

## The Fun Part

The best part... right after I uploaded the new build I saw someone's post on reddit and realized I should add the ability to share when you win... So now when a game ends you can send your results (including player names, final scores, and a link to the App Store) straight to someone. It sends as text so feel free to text it or share in whatever way. It was one of those features that felt obvious once it existed. Winning is more fun when you can rub it in a little. 😄

---

This wasn't a dramatic release, but it's one of those updates that makes the whole thing feel more intentional. And sometimes that's enough.

As always, if something feels off or you have feedback, I'm just [an email away](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Match%20It%20Feedback). And if you play a game and share your score with someone I'd really love to see it. [Tag me](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com) or send it my way... it would make my day.

Happy matching! 💕 

— Kyra
### Simply Uncover It: Version History
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-version-history/
Last updated: 2026-08-19T13:35:57.000Z
## **Quick Links:** 

- 🛒 [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com)
- 🌐 [Website](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it/)
- 💬 [FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-faqs/)
- 🛠 [Version History](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-version-history/)
- ⭐ [Leave a Review](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6741166529?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com)

## Need Help or Want Updates?

- 💌 [Subscribe for App Updates](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-version-history/#/portal/signup)
- 📧 [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It:%20Version%20History)

---

Originally I had the changelog showing a chronological list of all the *Simply Customize It* updates on the FAQ page. 

It was getting a bit long so I pulled it out to have its own page. 

Each version lists its release date, a short summary, and a link to the full post where you can read more about that update.

---

## App Versions 

**Version 1.1.3:** August 19th, 2026 - A quiet one that fixes how Simply Uncover It detects subscription status including grace periods and downgrades.

[Simply Uncover It 1.1.3: A Quiet OneA quiet one that fixes how Simply Uncover It detects subscription status including grace periods and downgrades.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-fe040252-168f-4022-a7ec-4b26067b6ccb.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Uncover-It---1.1.3----Screenshot---Image-1f0b36a1-99f8-4c7c-8fb0-da849cc43196.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-1-1-3/)

**Version 1.1.2:** August 9th, 2026 - A safety net, a cap, and a warning... minor issues all fixed.

[Simply Uncover It 1.1.2: A Softer LandingA safety net, a cap, and a warning... minor issues all fixed.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-1e319a93-6897-489c-8864-2b86e8610ef8.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of-App-Update---Uncover-It---1.1.1---Built-for-Everyone---Screenshot---Image--1-50a5bf26-ba1c-4e70-a426-86025343cf21.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-1-1-2-a-softer-landing/)

**Version 1.1.1:** April 17th, 2026 *\-* What started with an accessibility audit turned into a more complete pass than I expected. I already had dark mode toggle-able but now we have VoiceOver and reduced motion.

[Simply Uncover It 1.1.1: Built for EveryoneWhat started with an accessibility audit turned into a more complete pass than I expected. I already had dark mode toggle-able but now we have VoiceOver and reduced motion.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_App-Update---Uncover-It---1.1.1---Built-for-Everyone---Screenshot---Image-.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-1-1-1/)

**Version 1.1.0:** March 28th, 2026 *\-* What started as a code audit turned into a round of quiet fixes... plus a new way to share your results when you finish a game.

[Simply Uncover It: Something New to ShareWhat started as a code audit turned into a round of quiet fixes... plus a new way to share your results when you finish a game.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-126.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Uncover-It---1.1.0---Something-New-to-Share---Screenshot---Image-.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-something-new-to-share/)

**Version 1.0.5:** September 22nd, 2025 - A quiet update for Simply Uncover It... removing a potential bug and giving you more control in settings. No big changes, just a little polish and peace of mind.

[Simply Uncover It Update: A Quiet Fix for Peace of MindA quiet update for Simply Uncover It... removing a potential bug and giving you more control in settings. No big changes, just a little polish and peace of mind.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-117.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Simply-Uncover-It-105---Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-update-a-quiet-fix-for-peace-of-mind/)

**Version 1.0.4:** August 27th, 2025 - Sometimes the smallest bugs can ripple into the biggest updates. After discovering a crash in Simply Remember It on the iOS 26 beta I fixed it quickly and although un-replicable on other apps chose to update all my other Simply apps with the same protection.

[From One Small Bug to an Update EverywhereSometimes the smallest bugs can ripple into the biggest updates. After discovering a crash in Simply Remember It on the iOS 26 beta I fixed it quickly and although un-replicable on other apps chose to update all my other Simply apps with the same protection.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-124.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of---Image-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/from-one-small-bug-to-an-update-everywhere/)

**Version 1.0.3**: July 8th, 2025 - Simple update including a pause button during game play and a helpful guide shown the first time you open the app. 

[Uncover It Update: Pause Button and First-Time GuideSimple update that adds a pause button and adds a simple first time guide.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-109.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Uncover-It-Update-Pause-Button---First-Time-Guide---Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/uncover-it-update-pause-button-and-first-time-guide/)

**Version 1.0.2:** March 8th, 2025 - We’ve rebranded! Simply Minesweeper is now Simply Uncover It to better reflect the gameplay while keeping the same smooth, ad-free experience you love.

[Reintroducing Simply Uncover It! (Previously Simply Minesweeper)We’ve rebranded! Simply Minesweeper is now Simply Uncover It to better reflect the gameplay while keeping the same smooth, ad-free experience you love.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-55.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/SimplyUncoverIt-Minesweeper-Announcement--Instagram-3.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/reintroducing-simply-uncover-it/)

**Version 1.0.1:** March 6th, 2025 - *Only on iOS* \- This update improves performance for premium users with large boards. A new loading screen lets you manually create oversized boards while game settings now load faster by skipping previews for big grids. Plus, resetting to default now correctly applies settings for a smoother experience!

[Minesweeper Update: Smarter Loading and Quicker NavigationThis update improves performance for premium users with large boards. A new loading screen lets you manually create oversized boards while game settings now load faster by skipping previews for big grids. Plus, resetting to default now correctly applies settings for a smoother experience!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-50.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Minesweeper-101---Cover---Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/minesweeper-update-smarter-loading-and-quicker-navigation/)

**Version 1.0.0**: February 7th, 2025 - Original app came out to both the macOS and iOS. 

[Announcing Simply Minesweeper!Announcing a new app! Love Minesweeper or curious to try this classic game? Play for free on a 9x9 board—no ads! Want more? Customize board size, mines, and colors with a subscription!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-45.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Minesweeper--App-Page-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/announcing-simply-minesweeper/)

---

## 📬 Stay in the Loop

  
💌 [Subscribe for App Updates](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-version-history/#/portal/signup)

💬 [Return to FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-faqs/)

🛒 [Download from App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com)
### Simply Match It: Version History
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-version-history/
Last updated: 2026-08-19T13:34:55.000Z
## **Quick Links:** 

- 🛒 [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com)
- 🌐 [Website](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it/)
- 💬 [FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-faqs/)
- 🛠 [Version History](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-version-history/)
- ⭐ [Leave a Review](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6741166537?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com)

## Need Help or Want Updates?

- 💌 [Subscribe for App Updates](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-version-history/#/portal/signup)
- 📧 [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It:%20Version%20History)

---

Originally I had the changelog showing a chronological list of all the *Simply Customize It* updates on the FAQ page. 

It was getting a bit long so I pulled it out to have its own page. 

Each version lists its release date, a short summary, and a link to the full post where you can read more about that update.

---

## App Versions 

**Version 1.1.3:** August 18th, 2026 - A simple update that affects how subscription status is detected, including grace periods and downgrades, along with a few small layout improvements.

[Simply Match It 1.1.3: A Simple OneA simple update that affects how subscription status is detected, including grace periods and downgrades, along with a few small layout improvements.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-e7f5ae03-086c-425a-9ab2-97f88ff4e444.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Match-It---1.1.3----Screenshot---Image-4136846f-8570-402d-9b4b-05f7636cb742.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-1-1-3/)

**Version 1.1.2:** August 6th, 2026 - A soft landing and a myriad of minor updates.

[Simply Match It 1.1.2: Catching the IssuesA soft landing and a myriad of minor updates.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-dc2ae432-1d1c-42b7-bba7-ae3dec9ad5ce.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of-App-Update---Match-It---1.1.1---A-Better-Welcome----Screenshot---Image-f0f565da-2bab-465c-ab00-4aa32c04d35d.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-1-1-2-catching-the-issues/)

**Version 1.1.1:** April 18th, 2026 - This update brings proper onboarding, a sample board for new players, VoiceOver accessibility fixes, and a handful of polish updates that make Simply Match It feel more complete.

[Simply Match It 1.1.1: A Better WelcomeThis update brings proper onboarding, a sample board for new players, VoiceOver accessibility fixes, and a handful of polish updates that make Simply Match It feel more complete.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_App-Update---Match-It---1.1.1---A-Better-Welcome----Screenshot---Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-1-1-1/)

**Version 1.1.0:** March 26th, 2026 - A code audit turned into a quiet round of polish and one small feature I almost didn't add but I'm most glad I did.

[Simply Match It: Smoother, Sharper, and Now It Can Brag For YouA code audit turned into a quiet round of polish and one small feature I almost didn’t add but I’m most glad I did.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-119.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Match-It---1.1.0---Smoother--Sharper--and-Now-It-Can-Brag-For-You---Screenshot---Image-.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-smoother-sharper-and-now-it-can-brag-for-you/)

**Version 1.0.3:** September 20th, 2025 - Curved corners, smarter settings, and one determined kid trying to crash the game (she didn’t).

[Simply Match It Update: Curved Corners and Calm ConfidenceCurved corners, smarter settings, and one determined kid trying to crash the game (she didn’t).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-115.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Match-It-103---Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-update-curved-corners-and-calm-confidence/)

**Version 1.0.2:** August 27th, 2025 - Sometimes the smallest bugs can ripple into the biggest updates. After discovering a crash in Simply Remember It on the iOS 26 beta I fixed it quickly and although un-replicable on other apps chose to update all my other Simply apps with the same protection.

[From One Small Bug to an Update EverywhereSometimes the smallest bugs can ripple into the biggest updates. After discovering a crash in Simply Remember It on the iOS 26 beta I fixed it quickly and although un-replicable on other apps chose to update all my other Simply apps with the same protection.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-114.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of---Image-2-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/from-one-small-bug-to-an-update-everywhere/)

**Version 1.0.1:** July 8th, 2025 - Simple update including a helpful guide shown the first time you open the app along with a shift in the menu chevron size to be easier to tap on the iPad. 

[Match It Update: Small Fix, Big DifferenceSimple update that increases the menu button size and adds a simple first time guide.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-113.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Match-It-Update-Small-Fix--Big-Difference---Image-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/match-it-update-small-fix-big-difference/)

**Version 1.0.0:** May 9th, 2025 - Announcing a new app! Love fast-paced games or matching challenges? Try Simply Match It! Play for free with two players and no ads! Want more? Go premium to unlock extra players, bigger boards, and fun emoji themes!

[Announcing Simply Match It!Announcing a new app! Love fast-paced games or matching challenges? Try Simply Match It! Play for free with two players and no ads! Want more? Go premium to unlock extra players, bigger boards, and fun emoji themes!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-112.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-Announcing-Simply-Match-It----Image-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/announcing-simply-match-it/)

---

## 📬 Stay in the Loop

  
💌 [Subscribe for App Updates](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-version-history/#/portal/signup)

💬 [Return to FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-faqs/)

🛒 [Download from App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com)
### How I'm Actually Using AI as a Solo Developer (Still Figuring It Out)
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-im-actually-using-ai-as-a-solo-developer-still-figuring-it-out/
Last updated: 2026-04-01T21:23:25.000Z
I want to be upfront here... this isn't a hot take. 

I'm not here to tell you whether or not AI is going to save indie development... or destroy it. Whether it's something you should be excited about or worried... and I'm definitely not here to tell you that I've solved it all and figured out the right way to use it. I haven't. I'm writing this because the conversation out there feels very loud in both directions, and my actual experience has been... quieter than that. And I wondered if I should share...

So here's what it's actually looked like for me.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/03/compressed_How-I-m-Actually-Using-AI-as-a-Solo-Developer---Pinterest-.png)

💕 **Pin this post to come back to later.*

## The Beginning Was... Kind of Casual

When ChatGPT first came out I used it the way a lot of people probably did. Day to day stuff that used to be a Google away became a ChatGPT question.

For one... cooking stuff. Taking a photo of the bag of froze dumplings with directions on boiling and frying... and asking how long to steam it. Sharing my leftovers and produce in the fridge and asking if they'd work together... and wait you're offering a recipe? Sure let's do it and use it as a guideline. In these cases I used to Google that and if there was at least one recipe that existed online that confirmed my combination would be decent I'd charge ahead... and if there were a bunch of recipes meander through several and combine tow or three of them together into... again... my concoction. You liked it? Great... not sure how I'd create it again. So this felt like the same thing but faster. And maybe even easier to duplicate... if requested.

I started on the lowest plan... and discovered research mode. Research mode was cool once I realized if I kept seeing an ad for a particular product... whether a Panadrum, skip.dev, exercise class on a Trybe.fit platform, Foton candles, or whatever... I could ask it to research it, find third party reviews, similar products, and maybe apply it to my use case. Quick first round vetting felt attainable.

I also dabbled with projects using one for each of my apps so if I had an idea about an app I could go to that particular project and drop it in. It was partially organizational and partially just working through ideas. Back in December when the reMarkable 3.25 beta dropped I shared [the overlay with you all](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/remarkable-os-3-25-beta-a-quick-heads-up-about-sleep-screen-behavior/), opened a new chat thread, and started exploring while typing up what I saw while connected to the reMarkable. Some ChatGPT replies where maybe helpful while others weren't... but I solved the problem, added [an update to Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-21-small-fix-for-sleep-screen-overlay-toggle/), and then went back to the thread to play a *what if* game pushing the envelope further, sharing what I saw on the reMarkable, and then getting a vague draft for [an exploration post](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/exploring-the-remarkable-sleep-screen-overlay-and-how-to-tinker-with-it-yourself/) that I re-wrote sharing what I found with all of you. Did I use it as a draft and change it up... yes... but it's easier to critique, judge, and change sometimes than staring at a blank page. 

[Exploring the reMarkable Sleep Screen Overlay (and How to Tinker with It Yourself!)A quiet change in reMarkable OS 3.25 added a rotating illustration overlay to the sleep screen on Paper Pro devices. I went digging to see how it works, how to turn it off, and what happens if you start poking around yourself.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-108.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Exploring-the-reMarkable-Sleep-Screen-Overlay----Screenshot---Image--2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/exploring-the-remarkable-sleep-screen-overlay-and-how-to-tinker-with-it-yourself/)

Since I had a ChatGPT membership anyway I dipped into it for code help occasionally when I was stuck... but it was sometimes more frustrating than helpful. That said, overall, it was useful, low stakes, became an idea graveyard, and was not very transformative.

---

## Learned About an Apple Doc MCP

Over the last year I started attending iOS Dev Happy hours and back In November Mihaela shared her [Cupertino MCP project](https://github.com/mihaelamj/cupertino?ref=simplykyra.com). If you're not familiar with MCPs, they're essentially a way to give AI tools access to things like documentation, frameworks, and context beyond just a simple chat window. At the time I'd been fighting with a coding issue for the last couple weeks and it sounded genuinely useful... which led me to Claude. 

Around this same time, Matt and I had one of those rare mornings where the kids were at school and we both happened to have time. We'd gotten our own offices about a year ago and when I shared that I was debating Claude he decided we needed to both try it.... and we had a FaceTime date morning with both of us setting up and trying Claude in our own way while sharing as we went. 

It sounds small but it was genuinely fun. One we hadn't experienced since we moved but missed from sharing an office. It was one of those "let's figure something out together" mornings.

At the time we both paid for Claude. Him for one month as he's more terminal and keyboard guy and wanted Claude Code... and me for one year because Cupertino sounded that good. I stuck with the app, immediately added the filesystem so Claude could see where my code was, and got down to getting the Cupertino MCP hooked up properly. With all that done I got to work. 

My problem was [a widget issue in Simply Remember It](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-0-quicker-access-gentler-check-ins/). I had gotten the first two widgets to work but had grand visions for the charting widget so you could essentially duplicate the charting tab with heatmaps, pie charts, and numerical charting. This meant I needed to be able to show and filter drop-down menus, when editing the widget, with dynamic information and filter by previous choices. Getting all those conditional parameters to behave correctly, passing the right data, filtering based on other selections... was tough and I had been fighting it for a week or so. Within an hour of working through it with Claude I had the minimal version working. 

![Image shows 8 screenshots of the edit screen showing how many different selections you could do.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/03/compressed_How-I-m-Actually-Using-AI-as-a-Solo-Developer--Screenshot---Image---SimplyRememberIt---Widget.png)

After proving I could do it I cleaned it up but this shows how configurable I wanted the widget's edit screen to be.

Although I had bought the lowest annual plan I chose not to upgrade and see if it continued to be helpful. As such the token limit was repeatedly hit over the next couple months as I experimented over Christmas break with the odd idea (they got paused indefinitely) and finally shifted all my coding over to Claude Code in the terminal.

---

## What My Setup Looks Like Now

I recently canceled my ChatGPT account... and I still haven't intentionally upgraded my Claude plan. I've started using the token limit as a kind of natural boundary. It makes me think about what I actually want to work on before I start. How do I want to use this session? What's the most useful thing I could do right now? It's a small thing, but I feel it helps to keep me from just throwing everything at a problem and hoping.

I hear people talking about maximizing agents, automating content, letting multiple AI systems run in parallel. That might be right for some people. For me, I want to build mindfully and learn as I go. I'm a solo developer with SimplyKyra being small by design. Although I want to accomplish so many things automating myself out of the loop isn't the goal.

---

## **What Claude Has Helped**

Beyond the widget fix, a few things stand out from over the last month.

I recently used [Paul Hudson's SwiftUI-Pro skill](https://github.com/twostraws/SwiftUI-Agent-Skill?ref=simplykyra.com) in Claude Code to audit my code. If you're an Apple developer and curious about AI tools, [his free AI-centered livestream](https://www.youtube.com/live/sc6pvW6vQzA?ref=simplykyra.com) on the topic is worth your time. I'm a member of his membership and his monthly livestreams have been one of my favorite ways to see new ideas as I focus on my apps.

The audit surfaced things I might not have gone looking for on my own. While going over recommendations and code changes I found a separate navigation issue in Simply Customize It. On the Screens tab you can look at the Screens or the Groups and both link to each other letting you go in circles if you want. I realized that if you went deep enough through that navigation path on macOS (and sidebar view on the iPad) the app crashed. I hadn't noticed because I've been defaulting to using my phone to navigate and it's setup different. Some back and forth managed to fix it though I couldn't keep that deep path, there's a two-level limit now, it doesn't crash. Being stable and not broken is definitely progress there.

![Image shows the screen view for a tree image and a group that contains the same. Arrows show you going in circles between them.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/03/compressed_How-I-m-Actually-Using-AI-as-a-Solo-Developer--Screenshot---Image---SimplyRememberIt---Circle.png)

The limit exists on all devices now but we no longer have a crash when you go in circles.

Over the last month or two I grappled with getting task sharing working between different Apple device and in doing so I needed to learn a bit more about CloudKit and deploy schema changes from development to production. Being able to take screenshots of what I was looking at and getting walked through it, step by step was amazing. I loved the support, not just because it was faster, but because I could ask questions and dig into the why without feeling like I was bugging someone.

---

## Still Figuring Out

Right now Claude fits the way I work. It's a way to hold quick ideas throughout the day, organize my thinking, move through planned work faster, and get a second opinion on my code. I'm not using it to write my blog posts or draft my social captions or replace the parts of this work that feel like me.

There's a lot of noise about AI right now. People are strongly in favor, strongly against, or somewhere in the middle... and all sides have points worth hearing.

My honest take is that I'm somewhere in the middle, still watching, still adjusting. I don't try to learn it all, pay for the lowest plan, and use my limits thoughtfully. I'm learning more than I expected to. Yet also attempting to stay in the loop on everything it touches.

Right now that feels good for where SimplyKyra is. Small, intentional, and mine.

If you're curious about any of it, I'm happy to talk through it. You can always reply to this post or find me on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com).

**If you want to see the widget fix and navigation changes in action the latest versions of* [**Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) *and* [**Simply Customize It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com) *are in the App Store now.*
### Simply Customize It 1.0.24: A Quiet One
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-24/
Last updated: 2026-03-19T00:53:35.000Z
This update is a behind-the-scenes release... no new features, nothing you'd notice in your day-to-day use.

## What Changed

I ran my code through an analysis pass and cleaned up a handful of things: deprecated APIs, layout patterns that newer versions of SwiftUI handle differently, and some console warnings that had been quietly sitting there.

I also fixed a crash on macOS and iPad sidebar navigation. If you went deep enough into the screen and group display screens (clicking from one to the next) it would hit a circular reference and go down. Navigation is now practically limited to two layers deep on the sidebar. If you're on iPhone or using the tab view on iPad, nothing changes for you.

As always. Thank you for using the app. 💕

— Kyra
### Simply Remember It 2.1.0: Remember It... Together
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-1-0-remember-it-together/
Last updated: 2026-03-13T14:28:09.000Z
This update has been in the back of my mind for a while and I'm proud to say that version one of it feels ready. 

[Simply Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) has always been about lightening your mental load. But some of the things we track aren't just ours... they belong to a whole household.

Who last gave the dog their medication?  
When did we last change the furnace filter?  
Has anyone rotated the car seats lately?

With 2.1.0, you don't have to carry those questions alone anymore.

---

**2.1** is out live on iPhone and iPad. If you use *Simply Remember It* on Mac, don’t worry... the update was submitted at the same time to Apple and is currently in review.

---

## What's New?

### Introducing Together

Together is a new subscription tier that includes everything you already had with Unlimited (all your charting, widgets, and history) plus the ability to share tasks with other Apple devices. All kept within Apple's infrastructure.

When you share a task, whether it's with one person or several, you stay in control of the task itself. But anyone in the group can log it. The entries tab now shows who logged what, so nothing falls through the cracks, and no one has to ask.

Logged something wrong? The task owner can edit or delete any entry. People you've invited can edit or delete only their own.

And your personal preferences stay yours:

- Have a color scheme you love? Keep it.
- Prefer to see metrics or skip them? You choose.

When a task is shared with you, the category, metrics toggle, and summary icon can all be customized on your device... without changing anything for anyone else.

It's designed the same way everything else in this app is: no pressure, no noise, no judgment. Just a shared record that's there when you need it.

### Renaming Premium 

With the new tier in place, we've renamed Premium to **Unlimited** because that's what it actually is. If sharing isn't something you need, it stays exactly what it's always been.

---

## Expected Questions

*If I want to share with someone who doesn't have a subscription… can I?*  
Definitely. Only the person sharing the task needs the Together subscription. If your friend has no subscription, they can still see and log shared tasks... and those don't count toward their free limits. They won't have access to the Charting area unless they have Unlimited, but they can log.

*A task was shared with me. What can I do with it?*  
You can customize how it looks in your app, but you can't change the task itself unless you're the owner. Other than that, use it just like your own: log it, add it to widgets, and view charts (Unlimited required for charting).

*How do I share a task?*  
Upgrade to Together in Settings. Once you have it, a Share button will appear at the bottom of any task detail you own.

*What gets shared?*  
The task itself, including its tracked measurements and full history. When you share, you share the full picture.

*I shared a task and no longer want to.*  
You can stop sharing at any time from the bottom of the task detail using either "Stop sharing this task" or "Adjust Sharing." Existing entries will remain under your Entries tab. It may still appear briefly if someone's app is open, but it'll be gone once it syncs.

*I joined a shared task and want to leave.*  
You can leave anytime from the Sharing section at the bottom of the task detail.

*I left (or stopped sharing) and changed my mind.*  
If a task was shared with you, check your original link to rejoin. If it's expired, ask for a new one. If you stopped sharing, you can send a new link anytime.

Nothing is permanent. You can adjust as life changes.

---

## A Quiet Launch

I'll be honest... I'm rolling this out slowly.

Before I make any noise about it, I'm planning to test this with my own family on the App Store build. Sharing features have a lot of moving parts, and I want to make sure it feels as calm in real life as it does in my head.

I'm looking forward to Zoey marking her own contacts as done. And sharing cleaning tasks and chores. I genuinely can't wait to see how we end up using it.

So consider this a soft hello. If you've been waiting for a way to loop someone else in, it's here. And if something feels off, [I genuinely want to know](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It%202.1.0).

---

Most of what makes [Simply Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) useful is invisible.

You log something. You stop wondering. You move on.

My hope is that Together feels exactly the same.... with just a little more company.

[Update now on the App Store!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

💕 Kyra
### Simply Customize It 1.0.23: Image Orientation Fix
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-23-image-orientation-fix/
Last updated: 2026-03-10T02:25:38.000Z
This update fixes an issue where `PNG` images imported from files could appear sideways on your reMarkable... even when they looked perfectly fine within Simply Customize It on your Mac, Phone, or iPad.

## The Discovery

Some `PNG` files carry hidden rotation metadata essentially a small flag that tells apps to `display this rotated`. Most apps read that flag and show the image correctly so visually everything looks fine. Yet when it goes on your reMarkable it's read by it's raw pixel data directly and any rotational metadata is lost... hence why this came up when someone used a template `PNG` that had been exported from a rotated `PDF`. It looked correct everywhere except on the reMarkable. By the way *Thank you so much* for bringing it to my attention. 

## The Fix

When you import a `PNG` via the folder/file picker, whether on phone, iPad, or Mac Simply Customize It now checks for this rotation metadata. If it finds any, it normalizes the image automatically, baking the correct orientation into the pixels before saving, and lets you know it did so.

If your images have been displaying correctly nothing changes for you. If you've ever had a sideways template and couldn't figure out why this is likely what was causing it.

## Anything Else?

Simply a couple of quiet internal fixes that don't affect anything you'd notice day to day.

---

As always, thank you for the emails, messages, and quiet *hey, something feels off here* notes... they genuinely help make the app better.

💕 Kyra
### Friction Mapping: A Kinder Way to Understand Why Things Feel Hard
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/friction-mapping-a-kinder-way-to-understand-why-things-feel-hard/
Last updated: 2026-03-09T14:00:48.000Z
A while back I wanted to add collagen to my daily supplements. After a couple of attempts I realized the trick was to attach it to my husband Matt's coffee routine. He makes us both a coffee every morning without fail and with that he had one more step... adding a single scoop of collagen to mine. It's a simple addition, I drink it, and done. Collagen became consistent and worked really well... 

At least it does until he goes away for a work trip. Suddenly there's no coffee routine at all. And regardless whether I make my own coffee or not the collagen just... didn't happen. I decided it's fine and when he leaves I simply don't take collagen until he's back... I assumed that some things just don't survive disruption.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/03/compressed_FrictionMapping---Pinterest.png)

💕 **Pin this post to come back to later.*

This may be an extreme example of an interrupted habit, but friction exists in all routines and habits. 

## Friction? What's That?

Friction is anything that makes a task harder than expected.

Most friction isn't as dramatic of an example like with my collagen routine. It's simply the quiet resistance that shows up in real life. Things like:

- needing groceries you didn't have time to buy
- a meeting that ran long
- low energy after a bad night of sleep
- kids waking up early or staying up too late
- a missing tool
- a body that just didn't cooperate today

I started noticing this pattern in my own life when I realized how often I blamed myself for things that were really about timing, energy, or context. 

None of those things mean you're lazy or unmotivated. They simply mean life pushed back.

## The Difference Between Failure and Friction

When we only track outcomes we get stories where we failed. Take working out as an example... here we may say:

> I meant to do a workout today but I skipped it again.   
> I never keep with this.   
> I always fall off. 

When we track friction instead of the outcome the story changes... some examples are: 

> My workouts were skipped on mornings after late nights.   
> or  
> My whole routine falls apart when it requires too many steps to get going. 

It's looking at the same behavior but seeing the friction that gives it a *verydifferent* meaning. 

The first example leads to shame....   
While seeing the friction often leads to understanding. 

Looking back at the collagen example that habit had been sitting on a very specific set of conditions and when those conditions changed the whole thing shifted. It wasn't that I'd failed. There was friction in Matt being gone. 

## Real World Examples 

Here are a few ways friction shows up... quietly, predictably, and often invisibly:

### Meal Planning

Not because you don't care, but because the grocery run didn't happen, a meeting ran late, the food you expected was already eaten, or decision fatigue hit at exactly the wrong time.

### Movement & Exercise 

Not because you lack discipline, but because kids didn't sleep when planned, your body felt off, plans fell through, or the time window simply just disappeared.

### Supplements & Medications

Not because you forgot but because they upset your stomach, you didn't eat when you expected to, schedules shifted, or they weren't near the place you needed them when you needed it.

### Housework

Not because you're messy, but because a tool was missing, you were interrupted halfway through, something took longer than expected, or something more important came up.

### Any Routine Really

Kids get sick... heck we all get sick. Guests arrive. School breaks change everything. What was in the fridge went bad. Sometimes life just pivots and the habit you built for normal life doesn't survive the it.

## Why This Matters

### Especially When You're Overwhelmed

When you're already stretched thin systems that demand reflection, action, or improvement can feel like more pressure. At this point it's too much... but friction mapping asks for something much smaller.

> Simply notice.

There's no streaks... no plans... no to do tasks. There are absolutely no requirements to do anything with what you find. Just notice when there's friction and often that's enough. 

Later... when you have a moment to spare the information is there and waiting for you. 

## If This Resonates

The simplest place to start is with a single-page *Friction Mapping* freebie designed to help you notice the friction in your own life. 

### Get the Sample Page

You can print the page out as many times as you want or use it on a tablet and keep duplicating the page each time you want to notice friction in a new spot in your life. 

[Go to Downloads](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/) 

**If you want to go deeper** I turned this into a small collection of pages called *Friction Mapping: A Gentle Overview.* It's for people who want a calm, non-demanding way to explore this on paper, at their own pace. 

### Friction Mapping: A Gentle Overview

If you want a calm non-demanding way to explore this, you can find it on: 

[Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/listing/4468615847/friction-mapping-a-gentle-way-to?ref=simplykyra.com) [Gumroad](https://simplykyra.gumroad.com/l/friction%5Fmapping?ref=simplykyra.com) 

Paper is enough.

That said, **if you prefer a digital place** the [*Simply Remember It* app](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) pairs naturally with this concept allowing you to check in with yourself and give your memory somewhere kinder to live. 

****This isn’t about choosing the** ***best** **tool.**  
It’s about finding what works best for you.

## Before You Try To Fix Anything

You don’t need a reset.  
You don’t need a new system.  
You don’t need to optimize your life.

Sometimes, you just need a kinder explanation for why things feel so hard.

And sometimes, that explanation changes everything.
### SimplyKyra Monthly Overview: February 2026
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/newsletter/simplykyra-monthly-overview-february-2026/
Last updated: 2026-03-01T14:30:53.000Z
Welcome to the February SimplyKyra Monthly Overview. A once-a-month roundup of app updates, blog highlights, and a few extras from behind the scenes. Nothing too serious just a cozy way to stay connected. 💕

I know inboxes can get crowded, so this one stays intentionally low-key. If you ever prefer only these monthly summaries (or want to adjust your subscriptions), you can update your settings at the bottom of this email.

---

## 🏡 This Month with Me

February felt deeper and, once I started pulling everything together, realized it was much less visible than expected as it had more foundation-building energy.

I spent time working behind the scenes refining [Simply Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com), creating reels to better showcase it, exploring new possibilities, and finishing a post that’s been sitting with me for a while.

February also included a small milestone with my first paid website supporter. Thank you! Moments like that remind me that this little ecosystem is growing in sustainable ways, and I’m incredibly grateful.

I also refined my welcome email system. If you signed up within the last several months you may have received a really simple welcome note. Ghost recently added improved welcome email tools so now all new subscribers receive a more thoughtful introduction directly from me.

---

## 📱 App Updates

### [Simply Remember It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/)

*When did you last…? Now you know with no second-guessing required.*

[App Store: Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

- [Version 2.0.3](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-0-3-task-creation-smoothed-out/) smoothed out task creation and made a handful of subtle adjustments to improve the overall flow. Nothing flashy... just thoughtful refinements.

Behind the scenes, I’ve also been exploring two early ideas:

- what an Android version of [Simply Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) might look like. It’s still in the very early stages, but if that would interest you, feel free to let me know.
- the possibility of sharing tasks between people within Apple devices something I know many of you would find helpful.

Both are still in the thinking-and-testing phase, but they’re quietly in motion.

### [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)

*Make your reMarkable truly yours with custom templates and screens.*

[App Store: Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

No new features this month, but I continue to test everything whenever reMarkable pushes an update and keep an eye on messages coming in. Stability and reliability still matter just as much as new releases.

## Games

There were **no new updates** for my other apps, [Simply Uncover It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Simply Match It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com), this month, but I always keep an eye on [emails](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=SimplyKyra%20Games) and questions coming in… so feel free to keep them coming!

---

## 📚On the Blog

This month I published one post and it's a big one. It’s personal, practical, and written slowly. If it’s relevant to you or someone you love, I hope it helps.

[Working With Myopia Management: What We’ve Learned So FarWhen my youngest started wearing contacts for myopia management, I quickly realized the hardest part wasn’t the prescription it was building a routine that worked in real life. This post shares what helped us, what we learned, and the small tricks that made mornings calmer.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-105.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Working-With-Myopia-Management---Screenshot---Image---setup-3.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/myopia-management/)

This post shares what helped us, what we learned, and the small tricks that made mornings calmer.

---

## 💻 Coming Up Next

I’ll continue refining [Simply Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) and exploring what expansion might look like... both across devices and between people.

As always, I’d genuinely love your input:

- What do you enjoy most about the apps or the site?
- What would you like to see supported more gently or more clearly?

Just hit reply. I read every note.

---

## 🌿 Something Extra

February had a strong video rhythm. 

There were more nature pauses ([birdsong](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3iLKHrXMxEc?ref=simplykyra.com), [sunset](https://youtu.be/Gw-f3d8AuDE?si=fRLUhYPdfMGjmP9h&ref=simplykyra.com), and even a slow moving [slug](https://youtu.be/GhBoOQL9VaY?si=GLbZAdDLVdQ-8-XG&ref=simplykyra.com)) alongside Simply Remember It tips and a bit of behind-the-scenes business sharing.

I’ve started thinking of it as building the ecosystem: the apps, the writing, the calm visuals, the small lessons... all supporting each other.

If you ever want more frequent updates between newsletters, I share those moments on [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/@SimplyKyraApps/videos?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

## **💌 A Note on Preferences**

You’re receiving this email because you signed up for **Monthly Overview** a once-a-month roundup that highlights what’s new, what I’ve been working on, and a little extra behind-the-scenes.

I also offer **App Updates** and **Blog Updates** if you prefer more frequent notes. You can manage what you receive anytime through your [account page](#/portal/account).

---

Thanks for being here 💕

I’m so grateful for your support as I keep building, learning, and sharing... one steady step at a time.

Until next month,

— Kyra
### Simply Remember It 2.0.3: Task Creation, Smoothed Out
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-0-3-task-creation-smoothed-out/
Last updated: 2026-02-21T04:11:46.000Z
This update isn’t flashy.

While using the app myself, I noticed a few small friction points and I wanted the entire task creation process to feel smoother for you.

The biggest one?

You could edit a task to add measurements… but I realized you couldn’t add them while creating the task.

Looking back, I remember running into issues while building that screen. I temporarily left it out... and then, while recording a recent screen demo, I caught myself thinking:

> Wait… why isn’t this here?

So I fixed it.

Now, when creating a task, you can add your measurements right from the start whether that’s:

- temperature
- counts
- yes/no flags
- or any custom measurement you like to track

And just like in edit mode, you can:

- reorder
- fine-tune
- organize

…all from the add screen.

No extra steps later.  
No break in your flow.

---

Most of the time, [*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) should fade into the background.

You log something.  
You move on.  
You trust it’ll be there later.

My goal is to keep that process clear, smooth, and intuitive.

If you ever notice something that feels off, I’m always listening.

You can comment here or [email me](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It%202.0.3) anytime.

Here’s to remembering more and stressing less!

— Kyra

[Update now on the App Store!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

*Technology that makes space for what matters.*

---
### Working With Myopia Management: What We’ve Learned So Far
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/myopia-management/
Last updated: 2026-02-04T14:00:53.000Z
This past Summer my youngest started wearing contacts. Although I saw some videos online on how to put in contacts I figured I'd share what worked with us and what we learned in the process in case you're looking for more information too. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Working-With-Myopia-Management---Pinterest-1.png)

💕 **Pin this post to come back to later.*

---

***A quiet note before we start** **:** This is not medical advice. It’s just one family’s experience shared in case it helps someone else feel a little less alone... or a little more prepared.

## Backstory

I first got glasses when I was in 2nd grade and although I don't remember my prescription I apparently read every sign we passed on the way home from getting them. My husband has better eyesight and didn't get glasses until sometime after we had kids so I hoped the kids would average out to an older age when and if they started going nearsighted. That said, I wasn't surprised years ago when our optometrist cautioned my eldest might be going nearsighted over the next year or so. 

Looking back, I realize these moments were a series of small signals that slowly added up. At the time, I didn’t know how much they’d matter.

### A Playground Comment

The same year I was cautioned by the optometrist, later in the summer right before moving away from the Bay Area, we met up with a new family for a playground playdate and when nearsightedness came up I kept the conversation going. Apparently her son had hard contacts he wore in the night to help him see during the day. Not sure what his prescription was but when the contacts were forgotten during a weeklong vacation his eyesight started blurring by the end of it.

### Lingering Thought

This idea of slowing nearsightedness stayed with me, so while I was finishing packing and moving (and later unpacking), I started looking into it. Although I don't remember the name, I do remember listening to a podcast around that time where a researcher talk about being told nearsightedness was genetics, noticed all their classmates went nearsighted despite differing family history, her time at Stanford, and looking into hard contacts to solve myopia (nearsightedness). 

### Being Prepared

All this made me filter any potential optometrists by whether or not they offered **myopia management** for kids before making my decision. I wanted options ready even if we never needed them. 

### Surprises

The funny bit here was despite being warning about my eldest before we moved the first time it wasn't until moving again that my youngest, Zoey, and not my eldest, needed glasses. At this point she was a -1 and we decided to start management now, when she still says it looks the same with or without correcting lens, with the hope she stays at -1 rather than waiting until the difference is bigger. 

---

## What is Myopia?

Myopia (nearsightedness) happens when the eye grows a little too long from front to back, causing light to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it. This means you can see things clearly up close while things further away look blurry.

In kids, myopia often progresses as the eye continues to elongate and although glasses and contacts correct the blurry vision they don't change how the eye grows. Myopia management focuses on slowing that growth while the eye is still developing... not promising perfect vision, but reducing how much it might worsen over time. Plus severe myopia increases the number of eye problems you can have as you get older. 

[![Collage of images from Wikipedia showing how the image is in front of the retina and an example of blurriness. Click the image to go to the source.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Working-With-Myopia-Management---Screenshot---Image---cover-1.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myopia?ref=simplykyra.com)

Images sourced from [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myopia?ref=simplykyra.com) and collaged on January 1st, 2026\. 

[What is Myopia? | My Kids VisionMyopia is an eye condition that causes blurry long-distance vision, often called ‘short-sighted’ or ‘near-sighted’. A person with myopia can see clearly up close – when reading a book or looking at a phone – but words and objects look fuzzy on a blackboard, on television or when driving.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/apple-icon-180x180-1.png)MyKidsVision![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Hero.png)](https://www.mykidsvision.org/what-is-myopia/?ref=simplykyra.com)

More background on myopia from My Kids Vision.

---

## Myopia Management Options

*Not a promise. A possibility.*

When I first looked into myopia management on my own I had early heard about the hard nighttime contacts before looking into optometrists who handled myopia management for me. With Zoey's new diagnosis we quickly learned from the optometrist that there wasn't just *one* approach. 

Instead there are apparently different tools all trying to solve the same problem in slightly different ways helping you manage myopia in your growing kids. They all attempt to **slow** how **quickly the eye gets more nearsighted as it grows**.

### Overnight Hard Contacts 

**Orthokeratology / Ortho-K**

This is what I had originally heard about. They're rigid contacts worn **only at night** while sleeping and removed in the morning. They work by gently reshaping the surface of the eye overnight so their vision is clearer during the day *without* glasses or contacts. When worn consistently, they also change how light hits the peripheral retina, which can **help slow eye elongation**.

Although this was the one I expected I worried it might complicate bedtime routines for us. Also the same set of contacts are worn over many nights (can't remember if it's 30 days or longer) and I worried about it's cleanliness and potential infections while also wondering about time and cost of replacements if broken or lost. 

### Eye Drops 

**Low-Dose Atropine**

This option was mentioned by our optometrist but wasn't expanded on too much as she **didn't recommend them**. I appreciated that she shared the option in case I chose to go that route.

That said, looking them up now, they don't replace regular glasses or contacts and are actually used alongside them. These prescription eye drops are used once daily often before bed. The drops don’t correct vision. Instead, they help **slow the biological signals that tell the eye to keep growing longer**.

### Soft Myopia Control Contact Lens 

**MiSight and many others brands**

This is the route we ended up going. The only brand offered at our optometrist was *MiSight*.

This soft *target-style* daily disposable contactlense is designed specifically for myopia management while also doing vision correction when worn during the day. 

The optometrist explained that these are designed a bit like a **target** alternating prescription zones with special focusing zones to allow Zoey to see clearly while also **slowing her eye elongation**. They're highly recommended to be worn, at a minimum of, **6 days** a week for **8+ hours** a day at a time. 

What I loved about this option is that it's a daily disposable which felt simpler and lower-maintenance for us. 

[![Collage of images from myKidsVision.org showing how the contacts work. Click the image to go to the source.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Working-With-Myopia-Management---Screenshot---Image---contacts-1.png)](https://www.mykidsvision.org/knowledge-centre/how-do-myopia-control-soft-contact-lenses-work?ref=simplykyra.com)

Images saved from [MyKidsVision](https://www.mykidsvision.org/knowledge-centre/how-do-myopia-control-soft-contact-lenses-work?ref=simplykyra.com) on December 31st, 2025\. 

### Myopia Control Glasses

At the time of our original appointment, summer of 2025, only contact lens were available but our optometrist told us that Canada had approved a glasses version with the same target mechanism. One of her clients with a young daughter had chosen that route and she shared in case we wanted to do the same. 

That said, when we returned 6 month later, December 2025, to check Zoey's progress (*no prescription change!*) we were told that the FDA now approved the glasses. As such, both options may be available to you. When asked Zoey chose to stay with contacts as there was less worry about them falling off her face when playing. Our other daughter, if and when needed, currently thinks the glasses are better. 

---

## Our Choice

Looking back, and at the time, I love that there were so many choices but also our optometrist gave us no pressure to choose one now or even choose one at all. That said, with my prescription, I wanted to get ahead of this now. 

At the initial appointment Zoey wanted to wear the nighttime hard contacts and, since this was affecting her, I wanted her to be a major part of the decision making process but I also worried about potential infections if the nighttime ones didn't get properly cleaned. When talking with her and Matt at home I realized Zoey was most concerned about people seeing them, hence the night ones, so we looked up videos online, mainly demonstrating how to put them in, and I pointed out how invisible contacts actually are when you're wearing them. 

With *MiSight* lens the winner all around it was time to go back and figure out how to put them in. When returning people seem surprised that Zoey hadn't had glasses yet suggesting that jumping to contact lens may sometimes be a later step in the process. Additionally, the optometrist shared later, when talking about my other daughter at our 6 month checkup, if the prescription is really low there's no point doing glasses, contacts, or even managing the myopia yet as there'd be no reason for her to want to wear them yet. 

💕 Every family is different, and you know your kids best.

---

## First Attempt

Not sure if every optometrist office is the same but wanted to share our experience in case it helps you know what to expect when you go in. 

I vaguely knew what to expect going in. Years ago, in high school, I tried contacts for a month, had trouble putting them in that whole time, and gave up. That said, at the time I was warned to only wear them for up to 8 hours (can't do both school **and* after school) and now that time limit was Zoey's daily minimum. 

### Preparing

After Zoey's first appointment and before she tried on her contacts I bought new glasses and, when trying them on, realized the optician (the person who fits glasses and teaches contact lens use) helping me was also booked with Zoey. From her I learned I'd need lint free towels to dry our hands before putting the contacts in. Additionally, she told me to buy some saline drops/contact lens solution, have Zoey wash her hands, drip a drop on her pointer finger, and have her practice touching her eyeball. This way Zoey would be more comfortable putting the lens in when it was time. 

### Trying Them On 

At the first fitting appointment you have to be able to put the contacts in before you can leave with them. We knew that going in. We started with the optometrist who put the lens in Zoey's eyes and chatted with her. We then went over to the optician who was amazing. She talked Zoey through taking them out and then talked her through the steps before coaching Zoey as she put them back in. Zoey got both in and we went home with a weeks worth of contacts and an appointment to return.

Although Zoey's supposed to wear them for at least 8 hours a day 6 days a week we were supposed to ramp up over a couple days to the 8 hours amount. Can't remember exactly the numbers. 

### Second Appointment

At the time I just moved with the flow, once everything was decided, and it felt weird leaving the first appointment without paying. Looking back I realize that first week was the trial run. We returned a week later where they checked everything was good and seemed fine that I was putting them in for Zoey.

### Getting the Contacts

The plan was to mail us a full year of contact lens so we left that second appointment with a couple of small boxes to tide us over until they came. That said it took longer than expected and we ran out, but we were able to drive over and pick up some more samples to tide us over. Going forward we were told if her prescription changed at the six month we'd just trade them in for the new one. That said, I didn't need to test it out as her prescription didn't change and I hadn't even brought them if they did. 

---

## Establishing a Routine 

### Setting Up the Space

Leading up to the appointment, in the kitchen, I separated out my kitchen towels in a more obvious manner for Zoey so it's easier for her to grab a non-linty one in the morning. Over time I moved them to a separate drawer as she still sometimes grabs a fuzzy one, but we haven't had an issue.

We also designated the main bathroom as the *contacts* bathroom. There we have a drawer filled with the current set of contact packages and, during the try-on appointment, I ordered a small freestanding mirror so Zoey can have the mirror up close and personal. We also keep a collapsable stool nearby for Zoey to grab along with contact lens solution in case we dumped the solution out too early from the packaging and needed to try again. 

![Collage of our setup in the bathroom along with a closeup of the contact when one popped out in the car. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Working-With-Myopia-Management---Screenshot---Image---setup-2.png)

Here's our setup. The odd time when done I've been dumping out the solution and using it and the towel to wipe up everything. Me bringing the lazy hacks to you!

After talking about this with her teacher (she wears contacts too!) and others at her school Zoey started worrying her eyes would be dry. We haven't used them yet but I bought a box of [individual drops from Costco](https://www.costco.com/p/-/refresh-plus-preservative-free-lubricant-eye-drops-100-single-use-containers/11318658?langId=-1&ref=simplykyra.com) and keep them in the bathroom along with a couple in her backpack and desk... after I showed her how to open one. She's never needed them since but figured for the peace of mind and knowing the capsules will stay sealed and thus clean until needed.

### The First Mornings

The first morning Zoey quickly got frustrated putting the contacts in so I stepped in and succeeded after a couple of attempts on each eye. For a while, I became the one putting them in as I simply wanted them to be worn every day.

### What Helped the Contacts Set Properly (Parent View)

There are tons of tutorials online but I found the best way to do it is to put the contact on the eye and then let Zoey's eye itself do all the work. This means I prep the contact (make sure it's not inside out and in a bowl shape), place on my *really* dry pointer finger, use my other hand to help hold Zoey's top lid open, balance the palm of my first had (with the contact) against her face to aim, and use my pointer to place the contact on her eye ball. Then I simply get Zoey to look around (mainly down and back and forth). This way her pupil moves under the contact and they connect. Before/while/(it's complicated to explain) letting go of her lid and closing her eyes I try to push the contact up a tad to help it go under the lid and not be pushed out. 

This technique led to little ditties being sung when it was time for her to *look around* based on what was stuck in my head in the moment or what the words *Look around* led to. Around Christmas I vaguely remember using *snow is glistening* but can't remember if that was just the tune or also the words. 

### When Something Felt Off

Sometimes her contacts slip out as we go about the day. Then one day she randomly complained about seeing double... I immediately started worrying what was wrong and debating reach out to the optometrist. Then the contact fell out. After a bunch of back and forth we realized *seeing double* may mean the contact wasn't in correctly hence why it may have fallen out more easily. To minimize that, as only *letters* worked, I wrote a message on the mirror so we could add to the process, for a bit, by asking if she saw double and then checking if so. 

### Learning to Step Back

Over time, when I was tired, I worried what would happen if I was away for a day or longer as I was needed to put her contacts in and Zoey expected my help. That said, when I had Zoey try we both got frustrated and I felt I should step in even though I knew she had to learn. 

As such, starting on weekends where we weren't rushed, Matt stepped in to help. He hasn't worn contacts but sits with her, helps her frustration, and helps by holding her eye open so she can put it in. Together they succeeded... while I hovered out of sight but nearby *just in case.* 

One time, while listening, I heard her tell him: *Next time I want (the contact) good on my finger and then you hold my eye.* I also heard Matt reminding her several times to look at the contact as she puts it in.

After Zoey succeeded with Matt we started having her try on her own more and more before we stepped in to help. Can't remember if it was over Christmas break or one of those weekends but Zoey was able to put them in herself for the first time!

Sure it doesn't happen every day but knowing she is capable (as I knew eventually would happen) feels so liberating. That said I still step in, Matt still helps, and it depends on schedule... but it's working. And she's wearing them almost every day.

### Zoey Tips

I wanted to get some tips from Zoey to your little (or big) one: 

**Getting Them In**

First you set it up right on your finger (looks like a bowl on a DRY finger tip), then push it onto your eye. Next you shove it down with your finger and then shove it up with your bottom eyelid. Then blink a lot to make sure it's not sliding. *She's gotten pretty good at troubleshooting.*

**Getting Them Out**

Open your eye and pinch the contact out. Another method, Zoey thinks I came up with it but may have been the optician, is to simply rub your eye until it comes out. 

### Helpful Tracking

Recently I created a post and accompanying printable PDF to help kickstart habits. In it I included Zoey's contacts as an examples. 

[Gentle Habit Support: How Habits Actually Take RootGentle Habit Support is a low-pressure way to build habits without guilt, streaks, or long-term tracking... and stop when support is no longer needed.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-99.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Gentle_Habit_Support---Screenshot---Image---cover.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/gentle-habit-support-how-habits-actually-take-root/)

Whether you print it out for you or your kid, I wanted to share it and the idea behind it in case it helps. I’ve also shared the tools that helped us most... feel free to take or leave whatever’s useful.

At the time I hadn't set out to use my app [*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) for the contacts but I realized we can track when Zoey wore contacts for a gentle way to make the routine visible since the app had the ability to keep track of streaks (if wanted) and a heatmap (easy way to see when you did or didn't do it). Zoey loved it and it helped me remember too if she forgot. Once we had that down added a check *Yes/No* to see if Zoey had tried to put the contacts in herself hoping it would give her a gentle push. At the time she didn't want to try and I felt slightly mocked when she chose to add two new counts for how many times I failed before getting the contact into her right and her left eye. Later, once she did succeed, I celebrated with her and added another *Yes/No* that we called *Zoey success*!

![Image shows screenshots of how we tracked which days we put in the contact lens.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Working-With-Myopia-Management---Screenshot---Image---SimplyRememberIt.png)

She chose the emoji and the color... and enjoyed marking it off!

---

## Where We Are Now

She's doing it! Sure I help when she's tired but when I do she already got one in and I'm just stepping in for the second. 

Looking back, I think the general tracking helped more than I expected. She wanted to mark it off each day, and it helped us stay consistent while reminding me we still needed to do it too. We've stopped tracking all the minor metrics (*set default values and ignored them rather than deleting)* and I later check it off just to keep the streak going in case she asks. And I'm so happy to say the habit has landed and as I write this addition we're at a 46 day daily streak!

Currently, my other daughter is thinking glasses if her eyesight goes more nearsighted over the contacts, but when asked Zoey still wants to wear contacts over glasses and loves that they offer more freedom of movement. 

We're still showing up, singing less songs as the [habit has landed](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/gentle-habit-support-how-habits-actually-take-root/), and I'm so grateful for options that didn’t exist when I was a kid.

---

****Just a reminder:** I’m sharing this not as medical advice, but as one parent navigating something new and learning as we go.

Have you tried one of these solutions? If so did it help? Were there problems? Do you have any tips or tricks with any of the above solutions? Has this helped you? 

I'd love for you to share in the comments below!

And like always I hope you’re having a great day. 

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### SimplyKyra Monthly Overview: January 2026
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/newsletter/simplykyra-monthly-overview-january-2026/
Last updated: 2026-02-01T14:00:42.000Z
Welcome to the first **SimplyKyra Monthly Overview** of 2026! 💕

I started this newsletter back in September and it feels exciting to cross into a new year together.

If this is your first one, *welcome!* And if not *welcome back!* These are nothing too serious, just a cozy way to stay connected.

I know inboxes can get crowded, so this one stays intentionally low-key. If you ever prefer only these monthly summaries (or want to adjust your subscriptions), you can update your settings at the bottom of this email.

---

## 🏡 This Month with Me

January started as a month of *settling in*... though it’s also felt surprisingly long. It feels like forever since I wrote the last email.

I’ve been trying to notice more and thinking a lot about how I actually use my own tools day-to-day, especially now that the [*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) widget update is out. I’ve been thinking about what genuinely helps life feel a little lighter instead of more structured-for-the-sake-of-it.

That theme quietly shaped most of what I shared this month.

---

## 📱 App Updates

### [Simply Remember It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/)

*When did you last…? Now you know with no second-guessing required.*

[App Store: Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

January was a big one here:

- [Version 2.0.0](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-0-quicker-access-gentler-check-ins/) launched with *widgets* making check-ins available right from your home screen. No pressure, just quick visibility.
- Follow-up updates [2.0.1](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-0-1-a-small-calmer-update/) and [2.0.2](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-0-2-small-fixes-that-help-things-stay-put/) focused on calm refinements and small fixes that help things stay put and feel smoother.

The widget update really marked a shift toward *glanceable support* letting the app work quietly in the background instead of asking for attention.

### [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)

*Make your reMarkable truly yours with custom templates and screens.*

[App Store: Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

This month consisted of a [simple stability-focused update](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-22-small-stability-fix/). Nothing major. Just calm upkeep to keep things running smoothly.

### Games

There were **no changes** for my other apps, [Simply Uncover It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Simply Match It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com), this month. They’re in a quiet maintenance phase for now, but I always keep an eye on [emails](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=SimplyKyra%20Games) and questions coming in, so feel free to keep them coming.

---

## 📚On the Blog

If you like reading I started the month sharing [my favorite books from 2025](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-favorite-books-from-my-2025-reads/). 

From there, I focused on how I used [*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) and began sharing [*gentle systems*](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/gentle-productivity/)I’ve noticed actually work... on their own, on paper, or with the app:

- [Why I Stopped Setting Resolutions (and Started Doing Check-Ins)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/why-i-stopped-setting-resolutions-and-started-doing-check-ins/): A softer way to reflect and adjust, without the all-or-nothing mindset.
- [Things I Track That Don’t Belong on a To-Do List](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/things-i-track-that-dont-belong-on-a-to-do-list/): A look at the kinds of life details that matter... yet shouldn’t live in task managers.
- [Gentle Habit Support: How Habits Actually Take Root](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/gentle-habit-support-how-habits-actually-take-root/): Why consistency doesn’t have to mean rigidity.

Toward the end of the month, I also started thinking about preparedness especially for solo hikes and unpredictable weather. That led to a [calm, non-technical guide to iPhone Shortcuts and built-in tools for preparedness](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/a-calm-non-technical-guide-to-using-iphone-shortcuts-and-built-in-tools-for-preparedness-learn-what-works-reliably-what-can-fail-and-how-to-set-things-up-ahead-of-time-without-panic-or/), written with reliability, clarity, and *no panic* in mind.

---

## 💻 Coming Up Next

I keep having requests for an Android version of [*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) and now that widgets are out I've started to set aside time to explore what that might look like. 

As always, I’d genuinely love your input:

- What do you enjoy most about the apps or the site?
- What would you like to see supported more gently or more clearly?

You can just hit reply... I read every note.

---

## 🌿 Something Extra

January's nature videos included a [foggy landscape](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU72R3-eEek&ref=simplykyra.com) and a [heron landing](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ef5Hq3XBcl4?ref=simplykyra.com)... quiet pauses that fit the same philosophy as the apps: reminders that not everything needs optimizing. 

That said, I wanted to pass along a small iPhone tip in case you didn’t realize it:

You can temporarily ****turn off Face ID** when you need a little extra control or privacy.

---

## **💌 A Note on Preferences**

You’re receiving this email because you signed up for **Monthly Overview** a once-a-month roundup that highlights what’s new, what I’ve been working on, and a little extra behind-the-scenes.

I also offer **App Updates** and **Blog Updates** if you prefer more frequent notes. You can manage what you receive anytime through your [account page](#/portal/account).

---

Thanks for being here 💕 

I’m so grateful for your support as I keep building, learning, and sharing... one calm step at a time.

Until next month,

— Kyra
### A Calm Guide to iPhone Shortcuts for Preparedness
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/a-calm-non-technical-guide-to-using-iphone-shortcuts-and-built-in-tools-for-preparedness-learn-what-works-reliably-what-can-fail-and-how-to-set-things-up-ahead-of-time-without-panic-or/
Last updated: 2026-01-29T21:44:58.000Z
Recently, I’ve seen posts online about turning off Face ID and other worries. Talking with my husband made me realize there’s a quick way to turn off Face ID... and that some of the other things I’d want in a pinch might be streamlined using Shortcuts.

I’m by no means an expert. I’ve just dabbled on and off over the years, but I wanted to share what I learned in case it helps you feel a little safer or more prepared.

This isn’t a solution. It’s just a *set it up ahead of time while you’re calm* idea so your phone can help a little faster if you ever need it.

For example, imagine you’re hiking and you spot a bear, or you come across a really icy hill you’re not comfortable going down. If I have signal, I’d love to be able to:

- text one or more people letting them know where I am
- maybe play a loud sound
- open my camera so I can record what I’m seeing more quickly

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_A-Calm--Honest-Way-to-Use-iPhone-Shortcuts-for-Preparedness---Pinterest.png)

💕 **Pin this post to come back to later.*

This post walks through a **simple, reliable way** to use iPhone Shortcuts to send a quick message, capture context, and understand where iOS helps and where it very intentionally draws boundaries. 

It’s written for **non-technical iPhone users**. You don’t need to know how Shortcuts work under the hood just what’s dependable, what’s optional, and what can fail.

---

## Backstory

Shortcuts can feel overwhelming when you start… then quickly feel easy… then make you feel powerful (and maybe a bit magical).

Over the years, I’ve tried a few shortcuts here and there. Looking back through my messy list, some early ones included:

- turning on lights and playing an intercom message to wake my kids (this broke after a move and system change)
- sending my husband a text with my estimated driving time home and opening Maps with the destination entered (I updated it after we moved 2½ years ago, but stopped using it and now I just use Maps and ETA sharing)

Repeatedly, I've forgotten about Shortcuts… and then an idea pops up and I come back to see if it might work. Some of it feels magical, some is tied to automations (like turning on/off color filters when I’m working out), and some were recently created so I can ask Siri to log something in my app, [*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com).

Heck, after creating the demo shortcut but before typing this out I saw an Instagram post for a shortcut to clean up screenshots when opening Instagram… and that sounds interesting too.

---

## How iPhone Shortcuts Behave

An Apple shortcut:

- runs step by step, in order
- can’t multitask
- can’t recover if it’s interrupted
- stops if the phone locks or the app loses focus

Some actions run instantly and reliably. Others take over the phone and, if stopped, can stop the whole shortcut process. This is how iOS is designed to protect user control and privacy.

Understanding this upfront helps you design something that’s honest and dependable so you know what will actually happen under stress.

---

## Actions: What to Do First, Second, and Last

When I experimented with what I might include in a preparedness shortcut, I realized there are essentially three *levels* of actions. The first are simple and quick (you can trust they will work). The next level up has more chances to get interrupted, so we order those based on what we most want to succeed.

> In short. **order matters more than features**.

### Fast & Reliable 

**(Do These First)**

These actions usually complete immediately and don’t require leaving the Shortcuts app:

- Getting the current **date and time**
- Creating the **message** text

Even if everything else fails, these steps can normally still run. 

This is the *core* of the shortcut. The part I want to happen quickly and reliably every time.

### Lower Reliability 

**(Do Only If You Can Complete Them)**

These actions often work, but are more dependent on signal, permissions, or user interaction:

- Getting the current **location**
- Taking a **photo**
- Sending the **message**

**Location** almost felt like it belonged in the reliable category… until I tested in Airplane Mode and it failed before even reaching the next step. If location is important to you, consider having a backup plan... or a second, stripped-down shortcut that works without it.

**Photos** work well once finished, but you need to adjust a toggle. Otherwise, the process can leave the Shortcuts app and be interrupted. Once I realized I needed to explicitly **save (and optionally send)** photos *before* moving on, I stopped having issues. After that, photos reliably stayed in my library even if something later failed.

I’ve included **sending the message** here because it depends on connectivity. I’m also not certain whether a message will quietly wait and send later once signal returns, or fail outright so I treat it as *likely, but not guaranteed* and, with photos and videos, I saved before attempting.

### Blocking / Stoppable

**(Always Optional, Always Last)**

These actions take over the phone until you end them, but they can be canceled or retaken, meaning they may never save (either by you or someone nearby):

- Recording **video**
- Recording **audio**

iOS will always allow these to be stopped or canceled. There’s no way around that, and it’s intentional.

Because of this, I treat recording as a **best-effort extra**, not a guarantee. Any steps before this are saved and sent so if recording gets stopped, I still have what happened earlier.

****Note:** Since it can be canceled (by you or someone nearby), I treat this like the proverbial icing on the cake after the **must-have* steps have already happened. ****Alternatively**, I could see ending the shortcut before this and relying on a quick-access camera method from the lock screen instead.

---

## Build It: A Simple Preparedness Shortcut

When creating open the Shortcuts app, click all Shortcuts, and click the plus in the top corner to get started. Apple gives it a default name that might update after you add the first thing. That said, at any point, you can rename by tapping the arrow beside its name at the top. 

At the bottom of your screen you'll see a sheet and through it you can search for actions you might want to include from any of your installed apps. For this purpose I'll use built-in options but any app can open itself to this process. For instance in [*Simply Remember It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/) you can create a shortcut to quickly log something either by itself (what I do so I can use Siri) or combine it with more steps and/or automations if you really wanted to. 

![Image shows me searching for "Senn" and seeing Send Message in many apps along with sending payments and check ins. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_IMG_0415.PNG)

The bottom will always have the sheet to search and if needed a keyboard. Here I searched for "Send" and can see all the apps that include that in it's name.

I will **break down each section (and its components)** I experimented with showing both what it does well and where I had issues. 

---

### Step 1: Getting Needed Values 

**Date and *Optional* Location**

I figured I'd most want to share my location and then realized a timestamp might be handy in case the text message was delayed or something. As such I started by searching for my **current location** and the **current date**. These were left as is as that's exactly what I wanted but you can adjust the date and potentially other changes if you'd like.

![The search sheet now has "Get Current Location" and "Get Current IP Address" showing as I searched for "Current loca".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_IMG_0461-1.PNG)

I searched for Current Location as I wanted my phone to know where I was. And yes I realized after taking these screenshots I named "emergency" wrong.

![Image shows the settings sheet for the date when using it in a message below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_IMG_0384.PNG)

When using the date later on you can format to say exactly what you want (here's when I added it to Text below). At the very bottom of the sheet you can see its example based on what you picked. 

****Note:** When testing the shortcut with airplane turned on (in case there's no cell reception) I noticed location the failed and stopped my shortcut at the next step. ****Alternatively**, if location is critical you could create two shortcuts with one streamlined to work without a location. Or you could rely on other tools like **Share My Location* or **Find My* when going on your hike which are designed specifically for that purpose. I've also heard of **Check-In* and saw you can add it to your shortcut but when I tested (may have been with location off) it added it to an unsent text message... and would need cell connectivity too. 

![Collage showing the location issue when airplane mode is on. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Shortcut---Image---LocationAirplane.png)

This is what happened when I had airplane mode on so running the shortcut (right) gave me a warning and when I tapped on "Show" I got the left error on text. The Text message shown is in the next section.

---

### Step 2: Using Those Values

**Create & Send Text Message**

Once we have the values we can use all of them or simply parts of them going forward. For this case I wanted to construct a message I can send to someone. 

A simple message might include:

- what’s happening (briefly)
- when it was sent (figured if there's a delay or simply peace of mind)
- what to expect next (if you can estimate in this creation stage)

For example:

> Quick check-in.  
> Sending at \[time\].  
> My estimated address is \[address\] but if that didn't work here's my latitude and longitude (\[latitude\], \[longitude\]).   
> I’ll follow up when I can.

When searching for text messages I saw you can send in other apps too like WhatsApp and Messenger and include more than one recipient for the message. I tried this through text messages and sent it to myself and one other person and saw it used two individual messages (not a group text). Additionally, sometimes it works and other times it asked who I meant to choose (with a selection popup) so I highly recommend you test this out ahead of time to be sure what you get and what it actually knows to do. 

💡

When simply getting the structure down you can get it to text yourself... then when you're ready to go switch it to the people you want it to go to. **Don't forget to warn them!*

Also, if you do message a group of people it’s a good idea to also create a **separate “I’m safe” shortcut** so you have a fast, low-effort way to let them know you're okay later. If simply sending to one person it's easier to update manually when you're okay. 

![Image shows the variables, text message field, and the send message taking the text below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_IMG_0462.jpeg)

Here I chose a message that included the address of the current location then added additional information along with the date. For each of the blue arrows the information came from the current location and you can simply tap it and set. ****If you leave the recipient blank it will set up the message and not send it.** 

![Images shows the empty "to:" field for the recipients to send the Text to.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_IMG_0463.PNG)

Tapping on any field let's you set or delete what's there. Here it shows recipients where you can enter one or several before hitting the checkmark. 

****Note:** Depending on the contact you choose and potentially the app to send the message... I sometimes had a popup when running the shortcut to confirm which phone number it should use. Not sure if this was a one time thing but I'd test and run several times to make sure it's as hands-off as you want it to be. 

---

### Step 3: Take and Save Photos

**Snapshot Documentation**

Photos can be useful context especially if taken quickly. Important things to know:

- Be sure to turn off the **Show Camera Preview** otherwise it will open the camera app.
- Photos must be **explicitly saved** or **used** in the shortcut or will be lost
- Saved photos persist even if later steps fail

Photos are more reliable than video in shortcuts. Here I took a simple approach: take a photo (choose front or back camera), made sure to turn off the preview, saved it to my photo library under *Recents*, optionally texted it to someone, and moved on to the next item.

![Process is shown for taking a photo and saving and/or texting it. This involves take photo with (front) camera, toggle off camera preview, save (photo) to (recents), and optionally send (photo) to (persons)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/2UuhE-1.jpeg)

When you see the down arrow always expand it to see what you can do. Here I was annoyed at the camera opening until I realized you can turn it off. I also chose both cameras and made sure to save and optionally text before continuing on with the shortcut.

---

### **Step 4: Optional Extras**

**Speech, Volume, and Flashlight**

At this point I was curious what else might be helpful before we started the video. I saw there was **Play Sound** but couldn't see how to choose what to play. I ended up turning up the volume, playing **Speak** while making it play over whatever I did next, turned on the **Flashlight**, and then turned the volume back down as the first time it surprised me when I later went on to do something else on my phone. 

![Image shows set media to 100%, Speak "Help! Fire! Bear! Ahhh! Go away!", turn flashlight on, and turn down media to 19%.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_IMG_0467.jpeg)

Here's some other examples I found when browsing. If you turn off "Wait Until Finished" the sound will play while the subsequent steps are executing... in which case it may have been turned down before I heard it. 

---

### Step 5: Video and Audio

**Best-Effort and Leave for Last**

Recording video or a voice memo I left for last as it's:

- ongoing and obvious on the screen
- can always be stopped by you or someone else
- will not save if interrupted

That said you set it up the same way as the photo process above with added settings if you toggle the blue arrow. 

![Image shows the three step process I used in the Shortcuts app. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_IMG_0468.jpeg)

In this case I took the video with back camera, made sure to save to recents, and then text it to someone who can help you. 

These restraints don't make the camera useless... just optional in this process. Think of recording as:

> If it works, great. If not, the important part already happened.

In addition to video proof I thought about using voice memo but found it also seemed obvious and I wasn't sure. Maybe with more testing it might work better.

![Image shows the bottom of the screen with the camera once you stop it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_IMG_0394.PNG)

When using the shortcut with the camera it shows on the screen and the first two times I pressed the X which cancelled it. Finally I thought to press the square to stop it but then I could retake or use. Use continues the shortcut (save and send) but retake would wipe it and restart the recording process. 

![Collage showing how it looked when recording and when stopped for both locked and unlocked screens.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Shortcut---Screenshot---Image---Voice-note.png)

When I tried the voice recorder I saw it was active when unlocked (top) but didn't show the speech bubble when locked (bottom) so I'm unsure if it was recording or not. I tried this before I understood I needed to manually save it so not sure how much was truly recorded.

### Step 6: Optional Alternative Ending

**Quick Access** 

I edited my lock screen years ago to have the camera available for quick kid photos and landscapes when hiking. My husband uses a button press for his access and I think you can use triple tap too. If you have a quick way that already works for you I could see ending the shortcut with something far simpler. 

On my walk home from the bus I realized turning *Do Not Disturb*might be handy if you don't want text message replies to pop up while recording. Additionally if you have it lock the screen you'll know better when the Shortcut has finished executing. This might then be a good time to hold onto the lock and volume button to turn off Face ID and then use your preferred method to start the video. 

![Image shows "(turn) (do not disturb) (on) until (turned off)" and "Lock the screen".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_IMG_0498.jpeg)

I could also see turning on do not disturb and locking the screen so you know everything is done.

---

### Common Issues and Limitations

An iPhone shortcut:

- cannot force recording to continue
- cannot run invisibly
- cannot continue once the phone locks
- cannot protect against someone physically stopping it

That’s by design. Preparedness here means **speed, clarity, and realistic expectations** but not control.

### A Simple, Reliable Shortcut Structure

If you want something you can trust, keep it simple:

1. Get the current date/time.
2. Send the text message.
3. Take and save photos (optional).
4. Do location now (if worried about cell reception) and send.
5. Then attempt video or audio (optional, last) or end it in another way with another way to grab video or audio.

Ask yourself while building:

> “If this stops right here, am I okay with what already ran?”

If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track.

### Troubleshooting

Feel free to move sections around, watch it break, and fix it again. If you like how it is and want to try something else you can duplicate it first and rest easy knowing there's a working copy regardless if your idea works or not. 

While deleting previous steps I noticed the blue working pieces turn red if it's no longer available. Additionally, with back to back sections you can see a vertical grey line showing the previous step is connected to the next one. 

At the bottom hit play to test it out (in the below photo I texted it to myself so it didn't bug anyone) or hit share to send to someone, copy the link, or add to your Home Screen. 

![Image shows a possible order using location at the top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_IMG_0430-1.PNG)

While building it you can search and browse from the bottom, press play to try it. If something goes red (Saved Photo Media in this case) that means it's no longer hooked up properly (I had deleted the previous step). A vertical grey line between sections shows the connection. 

If you're wanting to use it with voice command pick a name that's unique and easy to say. I do this with [*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) and just tested this on the "Alls Well" shortcut which doesn't have a recipient set. Here Siri asked me who I wanted to sent it to and then showed me the text I could hit send on. Not sure if it would've auto-worked without input so be sure to test in case in case there's steps you need to be involved with. 

---

## Practice Before You Need It

This matters more than people realize. 

Before relying on any shortcut:

- warn the people you’re testing it with
- test in Airplane Mode (if worried about cell signal)
- avoid actions that ask for confirmation (if hands-off is required)
- practice until it feels boring

If a shortcut requires pop-ups or decisions it will slow you down later.

---

## Alternatives Worth Knowing About

**Shortcuts aren’t the only tools you have.**

Depending on your needs, you might also explore (all links here go to Apple):

- Sharing your location. [More info](https://support.apple.com/en-us/105104?ref=simplykyra.com) from Apple.
  - Once with a pin in Messages
  - ETA in Maps (replaced my earlier shortcut with this)
  - Check In (location not shared unless delayed from expected)
  - Share ongoing location in real time with:
    - Find My
    - Messages
  - To stop sharing in any of these way check [the bottom of the link](https://support.apple.com/en-us/105104?ref=simplykyra.com) I shared above.
- Allow quick access to the camera or other apps you feel safer with:
  - Add to the [contrls (when locked)](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/turn-on-lock-screen-features-iph9a2a69136/ios?ref=simplykyra.com) on your [custom lock screen](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/create-a-custom-lock-screen-iph4d0e6c351/26/ios/26?ref=simplykyra.com)
  - Configure [back tap](https://support.apple.com/en-us/111772?ref=simplykyra.com) when double or triple tapping
  - Set your [Action Button](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/use-and-customize-the-action-button-iphe89d61d66/26/ios/26?ref=simplykyra.com)
- Disable Face ID temporarily using the hardware buttons by pressing the power button and volume button at the same time. Same method to turn off your phone. This one has a [Reddit link](https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/9i246c/quickly%5Fdisable%5Fface%5Fid%5Fby%5Fholding%5Fpower%5Fand%5Fa/?ref=simplykyra.com) with more information.

💡

If you want to see who or what has access to your location you can do a Safety Check with [more information here](https://support.apple.com/guide/personal-safety/safety-check-iphone-ios-16-ips2aad835e1/web?ref=simplykyra.com) or at [the bottom of this](https://support.apple.com/en-us/105104?ref=simplykyra.com).

Years ago I added my camera to the lock screen for quick nature and kid photos. I find I can open it even when locked (even with no Face ID... just checked). Just be aware any photos or videos you *just took* can be accessed unless you press the lock button again (close camera and go back to lock screen). In this case it's an empty photo library until you take more. 

Unlocking your phone will give you access to your photos once more from this way or through your photos. 

![Image shows my lock screen with the digits open saying "Your passcode is required to enable Face ID"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_IMG_0489.PNG)

If you hold down on the power and volume button it goes in emergency mode where you can choose to shut down your phone. If you press cancel you will need to enter you passcode before Face ID works. Simply pressing cancel again locks your phone until you finally enter the password. From here, for me, I can still take photos and videos. Simply lock it again to make them inaccessible. 

These can all work **alongside** a shortcut, not instead of one.

---

## These Shortcuts

It's just a quick attempt and not perfect *at all*but I wanted to share this base idea with a plug and play starting point you can add/edit/delete from. Use them, update them, make them work for you. 

💡

These are iCloud links and you will need to be on your iPhone to access these. I left the message recipient blank and added everything in this post so you will need to customize it to your preferences. 

[Emergency Broadcast Shortcut](https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/888255d99e5040c8b19c3ad7240deab6?ref=simplykyra.com)

[I'm okay... if sending a group message above.](https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/3028ca19664f4bebb3fb812933a0c44a?ref=simplykyra.com)

If you do use them and find another way to customize it that works better (I'm sure you will) feel free to share in the comments below. I'm sure it would help others too. 

---

You don’t need a perfect system. There is unfortunately no such thing. But I hope this gives you a simpler, understandable way to help. 

Set it up while you’re calm. Keep it boring.

Preparedness isn’t panic... it’s peace of mind.

I hope this helps 💕

---

I normally share about my apps but if you want to keep up with future posts, I usually share them on my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also welcome to join my email list, which you’ll find right under the search bar or beneath this post.

*\--- Site footer below ---*
### Gentle Habit Support: How Habits Actually Take Root
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/gentle-habit-support-how-habits-actually-take-root/
Last updated: 2026-01-27T03:44:48.000Z
Most habits don’t fail because we don’t care. 

They fail because they’re easy to miss before they become automatic.

Early on, habits are easy to forget. That's not because they’re unimportant, but because they don’t have a place in our day yet. Remembering when to do them competes with everything else that’s already happening in our lives.

When that happens, many systems respond by asking for more effort: more reminders, more tracking, more consistency.

*Gentle Habit Support* offers something else.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Gentle_Habit_Support---Pinterest.png)

💕 **Pin this post to come back to later.*

---

## Why So Many Habit Systems Feel Heavy

### The Assumption Most Habit Systems Make

A lot of popular habit advice starts from a similar assumption: that once you begin, you’ll need support forever.

More tracking.  
More consistency.  
More systems layered on top of your life.

Some of these approaches work... at least for a while. But they’re often built in a way where stopping feels like failure. Where consistency becomes the goal, instead of support quietly doing its job and stepping back.

Real life rarely works that way.

Most habits don’t need permanent scaffolding. They need **temporary help while they’re fragile**, and permission to fade once they’ve found their place.

*Gentle Habit Support* starts from a different assumption.

### When Tracking Becomes Heavier Than the Habit

Years ago, I decided I needed to drink more water but I kept forgetting. Eventually I downloaded a water-tracking app. Some days this was easier than others and I kept my water at a steady level while other days life got in the way and I found myself drinking a lot in the evening to catch up. The system wasn't perfect but I steadily met my goal and might've increased it a time or two. It was working!

Until one day I realized something surprising. Tracking water felt more annoying than simply just drinking the water. I found myself forgetting to log it and then analyzing what I drank that day hoping that my streak continued and prepared to guzzle if not. When I diversified what I drank I felt punished as I then had to spend more time setting the new drink up. The very act of tracking had become an annoyance but losing my streak kept me continually opening the app and logging it when I could and feeling guilty if I hadn't. 

Finally I gave myself permission and stopped tracking.

And I kept drinking the water. Not because I was disciplined, but because the habit had already landed. When I feel sluggish now, my first thought is water... and not an app.

This shows up again and again.

### **When Support Is Treated as Permanent**

Something similar happened when I tried using a food-tracking app.

Mixing random foods together was no longer joyous as I found myself first analyzing what went into the pot so I could recreate it in the app then went on to analyze how much I ate, how much was packed away, and how much of the leftovers I ate the next day.

The intuitive flow was gone. Meals turned into math problems.

In this case, the support became an annoyance *before* any new habit had a chance to form and I went back to what I’d been doing before.

The system didn’t fail. It was simply too heavy too early in the process.

## Another Way

### What *Gentle Habit Support* Assumes

That’s the pattern *Gentle Habit Support* is built around.

Not permanent systems.  
Not discipline for its own sake.  
Not tracking as an identity.

*Gentle Habit Support* assumes that habits are fragile at first and that they deserve help while they’re learning.

It offers:

- temporary structure
- reduced remembering
- gentle visibility
- and an intentional exit

Support exists as long as you need it *but* only as long as it’s helpful.

When support starts to feel annoying, confusing, or heavy that’s not a moral failure. That's simply information.

### Support Based On What You Want

When you try to take on too much *and* track too much starting a new habit becomes harder not easier. Exactly what happened with food tracking above.

The system asked for more attention than the habit itself. Cooking stopped feeling intuitive. Meals turned into analysis. Before any habit could form the support had already become an annoyance.

Looking back, the issue wasn’t motivation. It was that I hadn’t clearly named what I wanted. Was my habit:

- adding more vegetables?
- eating vegetables first?
- reducing desserts?
- filling up on grains, protein, and vegetables before other foods?

What exactly did I want?

If I had started there, I could have chosen what the *minimal* support was that actually matched the habit I wanted to build.

When support doesn’t fit the habit, or the person, it can become an annoyance *before* it ever becomes useful.

### Support That’s Allowed to Fade

Sometimes, support becomes annoying because it arrived too early. Other times, it becomes annoying because it’s done its job.

When a habit is landing that irritation is often telling you that the support is no longer needed.

That’s not failure.  
That’s graduation.

Back to the water example. The annoyance I felt with tracking simply meant I no longer needed help remembering to do what I was tracking. Looking back I wish I’d given myself permission to stop sooner because I kept drinking water anyway. Not because I was disciplined, but because the habit had already landed.

Now, when I feel sluggish, my first thought is water.  
Not an app.  
Not a streak.  
Not how to track it.  
Simply water.

That’s the pattern *Gentle Habit Support* is built around.  
Temporary support.  
Low pressure.  
Then stepping back once the habit no longer needs help.

It doesn’t assume every system should last forever. It assumes support should exist *only* as long as it’s helping and that stopping the support can be a sign something worked.

## In Real Life

Here’s what this looks like when the goal is consistency but the work is removing the need to remember.

### Let One Habit Carry Another

Habits stick more easily when they’re attached to something that already exists. Some people call this habit stacking. 

Several years ago my husband and I decided we should take vitamin D but kept forgetting to take it. Then we realized coffee happens every day so we tied it to that. Now it has momentum as my husband makes us coffee, hands out the vitamin D, and if he forgets it once or twice I realize it's forgotten as it throws off my routine. Now we take it every day... at least everyday until the coffee routine disappears (he travels, we're on vacation, whatever) but then we either choose to skip it or I temporarily move it to another habit to let it carry through until our schedule returns

### Make It Visible Enough to Start

Years ago when I started working out consistently I managed because we set up the area in our living room. It was visible back when it was just a simple yoga mat in the corner and even more so now that we've upgraded with more props and weights. Later on when I wanted more quiet workouts I started getting up earlier and laying out my workout-ish clothing the night before. It was simpler to get dressed and go do the workout then pick out something else to wear and/or try to fit in later. Both techniques helped me get going when the habit was harder by making it more visible and easy. That said marking off the exercises on the calendar printout also helped which brings me back to tracking again. 

### Track It Briefly

Sometime in the last year I decided I wanted to take creatine every day. It was easy when I tied it to a morning smoothie but then summer ended, routines changed, and I let myself fall out of it for a bit. But it was one those *I want to do this, but I don’t really want to think about it* habits. So I decided to track it. Not forever. Not a lot... simply did I take it or not... and I plan to continue to track just long enough that I hope it becomes automatic.. then I'll let it go. That’s not failure. That’s information.

### When More Data Helps

Some habits can get started easier but sometimes you need to go beyond the training wheels and get a little push to get going. I saw this clearly when my daughter started wearing daily contacts. When we first started I put them in for her and during the school week the routine was built in. Weekends and holidays were different. She slept in, the schedule was off, and it was so easy to forget and, when remembered, it was sometimes too late to do so. 

So I added gentle tracking. Not to be perfect but to stay connected. 

It worked great. I noticed if we forgot and the tracking gave us a streak count that my daughter loved. Over time I added whether she tried to put them in, she added a *failed count* for each eye when I had trouble, then she started trying and the first time she succeeded we added a *Zoey tried* metric. It was great! Now we still track, I sometimes still put them in, and she succeeds most days. We've stopped adding the additional metrics as it's no longer serving us... but the nudge and streak is still very much appreciated. 

### What Made Consistency Possible

In all of these examples *consistency was the goal*.

I wanted to take creatine every day.  
My kid needed to wear contacts every day.  
Vitamin D worked best when it happened daily.

What made that consistency possible wasn’t willpower or vigilance.  
*It was removing the need to constantly remember.*

Once remembering was handled whether by momentum, visibility, tracking, or feedback consistency naturally followed.

Not because I tried harder.  
But because the habit had a place to live.

The real shift was aiming at the right problem.

---

## **Gentle Habit Support**

### **What Is It?**

It’s a way to help a habit take root without alarms, guilt, or long-term tracking.

It’s about:

- offloading remembering
- leaning on routines you already have
- using visibility gently
- and letting support fade when it’s no longer needed

Stopping isn’t quitting.  
Stopping is often the point.

### Where to Start 

**(if you want to)**

If this idea resonates, there are a few ways to explore it... and it's all optional.

The **simplest place to start** is with a single-page *Gentle Habit* freebie designed to help you make one small shift. No system. No commitment. Just a calm place to start.

You can print the page out as many times as you want or use it on a tablet and keep duplicating the page each time you want to track something new. One page is enough to feel the difference.

#### Get this Gentle Habit Page

All my templates and printables, including this one, live in one easy member hub. 

[Go to Downloads](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/) 

**If you want to go deeper** I turned this into a small collection of pages called *Gentle Habit Support* that walks through the four principles with gentle explanations and worksheets. Designed to be used as much as you want for as many habits as you want. But used temporarily per habit and not forever.

#### The full Gentle Habit Support

If you want a little more support, the full set is available here: 

[Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/listing/4447713546/gentle-habit-support-temporary-habit?ref=simplykyra.com) [Gumroad](https://simplykyra.gumroad.com/l/GentleHabitSupport?ref=simplykyra.com) 

Paper is enough.  
This works as-is. 

That said, **if you prefer a digital place** the [*Simply Remember It* app](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) works especially well for this approach because it:

- remembers for you
- adapts to real-life timing
- doesn’t punish missed days
- and lets habits fade out naturally

It can act like training wheels and be removed when you’re ready.

That said: everything here works without an app. Use whatever tool feels kindest to you.

---

## Before You Try To Fix Anything

You don’t need a new you.  
You don’t need a reset.  
You don’t need perfect habits.

You need a way to stay connected to your life as it is.

Notice what helps.  
Adjust gently.  
Continue, or restart, when it makes sense.

And if you forget?

That’s okay too.

---

I plan to add more examples and variations to this idea over time. This post is just the starting place.

And if there's something you feel should be included or something you hope to see explored you’re welcome to reach out at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Gentle%20Habit%20Support).

---

If you’d like to keep up with future posts like this, I usually share them on my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also welcome to join my email list, which you’ll find right under the search bar or beneath this post.
### Simply Remember It 2.0.2: Small Fixes That Help Things Stay Put
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-0-2-small-fixes-that-help-things-stay-put/
Last updated: 2026-01-19T23:31:55.000Z
## Why This Update Exists

Most of the time, [*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) should fade into the background. You log something, move on, and trust it’ll be there later.

This update focuses on a few places where that trust could wobble slightly... especially when logging multiple tasks at once or reviewing patterns over time.

Nothing new to learn. Simply some quiet fixes so things behave more consistently.

---

## What Changed

### Smoother Grouped Logging

If you log multiple tasks at once (on the Today tab) due dates are now recalculated the way you’d expect. Default details are applied correctly and tasks that were temporarily overridden return to their usual rhythm afterward.

### Charts That Remember Your View

When you adjust the date range in charts, that choice now sticks. No more resetting when you didn’t ask it to.

### Small bug fixes and refinements

A handful of under-the-hood issues were cleaned up to make everyday use feel steadier and less surprising.

---

## A Quiet Theme

This update wasn't about adding more.  
It’s about making sure what’s already there feels dependable.

Less second-guessing. Fewer *wait, why did that change?* moments.  
More confidence that things will stay where you left them.

---

If you notice anything that still feels off, I’m always listening. You can comment here or [email me](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It%202.0.1) anytime. 

[*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) grows best when it stays quiet, useful, and out of your way.

Here’s to remembering more and stressing less!

— Kyra

[Update now on the App Store!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

*Technology that makes space for what matters.*

---
### Things I Track That Don’t Belong on a To-Do List
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/things-i-track-that-dont-belong-on-a-to-do-list/
Last updated: 2026-01-16T20:21:43.000Z
There are a lot of things in life that don’t fit on a to-do list.

Not because they don’t matter... they do.  
But because they don’t require effort or motivation.  
They just need to be remembered.

I used to try to squeeze those things into systems that weren’t made for them: planners, reminder apps, notes… and a lot of mental reminders I was convinced I wouldn’t forget.

What I really needed was simpler.

A place to put what I didn’t want to carry around in my head anymore.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Things-I-Track-That-Don---t-Belong-on-a-To-Do-List---Pinterest.png)

💕 **Pin this post to come back to later.*

---

## What Is This?

A habit assumes consistency.  
A post-it is easy to lose.  
A goal assumes progress.  
A calendar is often too specific.  
A to-do creates urgency.  
A note disappears into everything else.

But that's not how most of life works.

Some things happen now and then.  
Some things come and go on their own timing.  
Some things only matter because future-me will want to know.

This isn’t about building habits.  
It’s about letting go of things I’m tired of trying to remember.

So I stop trying to remember them.   
I track them instead.

For me, tracking isn’t about doing more.   
It’s about thinking less.

---

## What Belongs Here?

If you keep wondering:

> *When was the last time…?*

or

> *I can cobble together the when...* 
> *but the who, what, why, etc... that's way harder?*

…it probably belongs here.

Some examples from my own life and ideas I have from prior stages include:

### Haircuts

- Helpful when booking your next one:
  - who you booked with
  - what you asked for
  - what worked or didn’t
  - notes for next time

### Medical Visits

- What you might want to remember:
  - what was said
  - what to follow up on
  - what to watch for
  - notes for next visit
- *examples*: dentist, optometrist

### Measurements

- Goals aren't the point. Track just enough details to know
  - size chosen last time
  - avoid re-measuring
- *examples*: shopping online or picking sewing patterns

### Maintenance & Cleaning

- When the *when* matters:
  - add details for shared chores so future you knows *who* did *what*
- *examples*: water filter, smoke detector, changed sheets, vacuuming

### Pest Sightings

- Track so you know if it's a one-off or a problem:
  - when
  - where
  - what
  - how many

### Avoidance & Support Tracking

- Especially during tired or stretched-thin seasons:
  - potty training accidents for noticing gaps
  - illness periods for temperature, meds, and symptoms
  - track when relevant and ignore once resolved

***None of these are tasks I need to stay on top of.***  
They’re just facts about my life that I don’t want to second-guess later.

If you don’t want to make space for something in your head, but might want it later, it deserves a place to live.

---

## The Only Rule

There’s really just one question that matters:

> ***When did this last happen?*** 
> ***And what might I want to know next time?***

That’s it.

There's no cadence.   
No reminders required.   
No *should*.

You don’t need to track everything.  
You don’t need to track consistently.  
You don’t need to track forever.

Simply use it when it helps.  
Ignore it when it doesn’t.

---

## A Simple Place to Start

If this idea resonates, the simplest way to try it is with a single page. I created a single page [**Simple Memory Log**](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/) that gives you a calm space to:

- jot down what happened
- add context if it feels useful
- note when it last occurred

That’s all.

You can print the page as many times as you want. Use it on a tablet and keep duplicating it each time you want to track something. One page is enough to feel the difference.

### Get this Simple Memory Log

All my templates and printables, including this one, live in one easy member hub. 

[Go to Downloads](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/) 

---

## If You Want to Go Deeper

As I kept using this idea, I noticed something interesting:

> Different kinds of *memory* want different containers.

Sometimes I want history.  
Sometimes I want context first.  
Sometimes I just want a quick note.  
Sometimes a deeper reflection is needed... and sometimes it isn't.

That’s why I eventually turned this into a small collection of pages called **Memory Parking Lot** that offers a gentle system of containers you can choose from depending on what fits.

### The full Memory Parking Lot

If you want more structure without pressure, you can find it on: 

[Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/listing/4440636207/memory-parking-lot-a-gentle-way-to-track?ref=simplykyra.com) [Gumroad](https://simplykyra.gumroad.com/l/MemoryParkingLot?ref=simplykyra.com) 

---

## And If You Prefer Digital

Paper is enough.  
This works as-is.

But if you ever want a digital place where:

- timing is handled for you
- notes live together
- patterns appear over time

This way of thinking also shaped [*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) a calm app designed to store the things you don’t want to hold in your head anymore.

Again, optional. Different seasons call for different tools.

****This isn’t about choosing the** ***best** **tool.**  
It’s about giving your memory somewhere kinder to live.

You don’t need a reset.  
You don’t need a perfect system.  
You don’t need to optimize your life.

You need a way to stay connected to your life as it is.

This isn’t about fixing yourself.

It’s about noticing:  
What’s working.  
What’s asking for adjustment.  
What can be held more gently next time.

And if you forget? That’s okay too. 

---

I plan to add more examples and variations to this idea over time... different ways memory shows up, and different containers that fit. This post is just the starting place.

And if there's something you feel should be included or something you hope to see explored you’re welcome to reach out at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Memory%20Parking%20Lot).

---

If you’d like to keep up with future posts like this, I usually share them on my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also welcome to join my email list, which you’ll find right under the search bar or beneath this post.
### Simply Customize It 1.0.22: Small Stability Fix
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-22-small-stability-fix/
Last updated: 2026-01-13T18:14:02.000Z
This update fixes a rare crash that could occur when deleting templates within *Simply Customize It.*

In one specific case, templates with an attached `.template` file could cause the app to stop unexpectedly during deletion. This was brought to my attention via email (*thank you!*), and I was able to reproduce it, track down the issue (the attachment wasn’t being cleaned up correctly), and fix it.

No new features, no UI changes.... I simply wanted to get this small stability fix out as quickly as possible so things continue running smoothly.

As always, thank you for the emails and quiet “*hey, something feels off here*” notes. They genuinely help make the app better.

💕 Kyra
### Simply Remember It 2.0.1: A Small, Calmer Update
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-0-1-a-small-calmer-update/
Last updated: 2026-01-12T01:25:20.000Z
As I continue using [*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) day to day, I keep finding small ways to make it clearer and calmer. This update reflects a few of those adjustments that make logging feel smoother and less distracting. 

Nothing new to learn. Just a few things that were getting in the way.

---

## What changed

### Clearer logging

When logging a task from the Home screen, it’s easy to forget what you were working on... especially if you’re multitasking. The task name is now shown while logging, so it’s easier to stay oriented.

### Measurements, tidied up

Measurement values are now cleared when switching between measurement types, making it easier to adjust without friction.

If you log multiple measurements in a row, you may have noticed they didn’t always appear in the same order. Measurements now have a default order and and you can reorder them to match what feels right for you. That order is used consistently when logging and viewing.

### Less friction in setup

Onboarding text and section names were updated to feel calmer and clearer, especially when starting fresh.

### iPad polish

I primarily test on iPhone and Mac, and recently noticed that buttons on the task screen felt a little too close to the main tab bar on newer iPads. Spacing has been adjusted so everything feels more comfortable and easier to use.

---

## Why this update exists

As I use the app myself, I keep noticing small moments where something feels slightly harder than it needs to be. This update is about removing those moments.

No new pressure.

No new expectations.

Just fewer distractions when you’re trying to remember something.

---

If you notice anything that still feels off, I’m always listening. You can comment here or [email me](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It%202.0.1) anytime. 

[*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) grows best when it stays quiet, useful, and out of your way.

Here’s to remembering more and stressing less.

— Kyra

[Update now on the App Store!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

*Technology that makes space for what matters.*

---
### Simply Remember It 2.0: Quicker Access, Gentler Check-Ins
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-0-quicker-access-gentler-check-ins/
Last updated: 2026-01-05T13:28:53.000Z
This update has been quietly in the works for a while... and today it’s ready.

Version **2.0.0** introduces widgets to [*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com), letting you check what’s due, see patterns, and keep streaks going without needing to open the app. It also includes a handful of behind-the-scenes changes that make the app feel faster, more natural, and better integrated across your devices.

This is the first time I’ve bumped the major version number and not because everything changed, but because how the app *fits into your day* has.

[Now Available in the App Store! Update Today.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

## Home Screen Widgets

### Right Where You Need Them

Widgets are the heart of this update.

They’re designed to offer **quiet awareness**, not interruptions. Giving you a way to check in without being pulled into an app or a list.

### Tasks Due Widget

![Tasks Due widget shown in small, medium, and large sizes. As tasks are completed, fewer tasks appear until a ‘No more tasks due’ message is shown.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/12/compressed_Quicker-Access--Gentler-Check-Ins---Image---Screenshot---Tasks-Due.png)

Tasks Due widget in small, medium, and large sizes.

This widget shows what needs attention by displaying up to one, two, or four tasks at a time depending on its size. As you complete tasks, the widget quietly updates to show what still needs attention or lets you know when you’re caught up.

It’s not a to-do list. It simply surfaces what’s overdue or coming up soon. Once you’re fully caught up it shows a calm reassurance instead.

You can customize:

- how far ahead it looks (today, a few days, or further)
- whether habits appear (so completed daily habits don’t reappear immediately for tomorrow)
- whether it shows all tasks or only tasks from one category

Available in small, medium, and large sizes on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro.

### Task Streak Widget

![Task Streak widgets shown in small and medium sizes, displaying habit and avoidance streaks with days between completions for different tasks.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/12/compressed_Quicker-Access--Gentler-Check-Ins---Image---Screenshot---Task-Streak.png)

Task Streak widget examples for habits and avoidance tasks.

This widget focuses on **one task at a time**, showing your current streak and giving you quick actions right from your home screen. Mark it done or reschedule it, and you'll jump straight to the right spot in the app. No distractions on the way.

It isn’t about perfection. It’s a small nudge to keep going, when you want it.

Available in small and medium sizes.

### Task Chart Widget 

![Task chart widgets showing different chart types and widget sizes, including heatmaps, yes/no charts, and numeric trends for individual tasks.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/12/compressed_Quicker-Access--Gentler-Check-Ins---Image---Screenshot---Task-Charting.png)

Task Chart widgets showing different chart types and sizes. **Available with Simply Remember It Premium.*

This widget brings charting to your home screen, so you can see patterns at a glance.

It can display:

- heatmaps for frequent tasks
- numeric trends
- yes/no summaries
- or automatically choose what’s most useful for that task

Tap the chart to see the full view inside the app.

This widget is designed to feel **informative, not demanding**.

Available in small, medium, and large sizes.

---

## Beyond the Home Screen

### Lock Screen: What's Next

![Lock screen widgets shown in different styles, with one view showing a task due next and another showing an all-clear message when no tasks are due.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/12/compressed_Quicker-Access--Gentler-Check-Ins---Image---Screenshot---Task-Lock-Screen.png)

Lock screen widget shown in three styles displaying the next task due or a gentle all-clear message.

A new lock screen widget keeps things especially simple.

It shows the **single next task** that’s overdue or due today. When nothing is due, it displays a gentle reassurance instead.

No configuration. No buttons. Just a quiet answer to *“What needs attention next?”*

---

### Faster Logging with Shortcuts & Siri

[*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) now supports **App Intents** which means faster logging through Shortcuts and, once set up, easy access through Siri.

You can now set **default measurement values** for a task inside the app. When you log that task through a shortcut, it’s completed instantly and any attached measurements are filled in automatically. No need to open the app or step through extra screens.

You can always go back later to adjust or add details when you have the time.

This makes it easier to:

- log something before you forget
- avoid being slowed down by extra steps
- fill in details when it works for *you*

Because this runs through **Shortcuts** you can also include it in your own automation flows if you want [*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) to fit even more seamlessly into your day.

---

## Navigation & Architecture 

### Quiet but Important

To support widgets and deep linking, some navigation behavior has been simplified.

- macOS continues to use a sidebar
- iPad lets you choose between sidebar and tabs
- iPhone now uses tabs only

Most people won’t notice much difference, but these changes made widgets simpler to support while making the app more reliable and easier to extend going forward.

---

## Vision Support 

### Small, but Supported

[*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) now runs as an iPad app on Vision with widgets fully supported.

While I don’t currently have a Vision device to test extensively I wanted you to be able to switch between devices and keep your tasks up to date with minimal fuss. I can’t promise a fully polished spatial experience yet, but the core app and widgets should work as expected. If you try it, I’d love [to hear](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It%20Vision) how it feels!

---

## Polishing & Fixes

This update also includes:

- fixed cut-off text
- corrected button actions
- layout and interaction refinements
- general stability improvements

Nothing flashy... simply smoothed some edges.

---

## Why 2.0?

This update doesn’t change what [*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) is.

It changes how easily it fits into real life.

With widgets and faster access, the app becomes something you don’t have to remember to open. It’s simply there when you need it and invisible when you don’t.

That felt meaningful enough to mark with a major version bump.

---

## **A Quick Thank You**

Thank you for your patience while this foundation came together, and for trusting [*Simply Remember It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) with the small details of your life.

As always, if something feels off or you have questions, you can comment or [email me](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It%202.0) anytime.

Here’s to remembering more and stressing less.

— Kyra

[Update now on the App Store!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

*Technology that makes space for what matters.*

---
### Why I Stopped Setting Resolutions and Started Doing Check-Ins
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/why-i-stopped-setting-resolutions-and-started-doing-check-ins/
Last updated: 2026-01-16T20:22:04.000Z
The space between Christmas and New Year’s has always felt different to me.

Slower.   
Quieter.   
Full of possibilities.

But the resolutions you plan in that quiet space don’t always survive once life starts moving again. This is where my relationship with resolutions started to change.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Why-I-Stopped-Setting-Resolutions-and-Started-Doing-Check-Ins---Pinterest.png)

💕 Pin this to come back to later. I stopped setting resolutions when I realized they only worked on good weeks.What helped instead was a gentler way of checking in, even when life got messy.

---

## Backstory

I’ve always loved the stretch of time between Christmas and New Year’s. When I was in school, it felt like a pause, a chance to put homework and tests on hold, even though you knew they were waiting for you on the other side. That feeling only grew once I went to college and university. Later, depending on the job I, or my husband, had it often stayed that way. Quieter. Slower. Less rushed.

Anything you did during that time felt like a bonus. No matter how small, it counted. You could rest without guilt, or you could start thinking about what you wanted next. Sometimes you could even switch back and forth without the guilt of not doing the other.

By the time January 1st came around you felt ready. Ready to go. Ready to take it on. Ready to ride the wave of resolution energy everyone else seemed to be feeling. At some point, though, that wave started to carry a different expectation.

I’m not sure if it was the resolutions themselves, if it was just me, or if it was the fact that my birthday falls one week into January when:

- everyone else is going strong
- when you can’t quit now
- when the momentum is already set
- when you feel like you shouldn't falter

After having two kids and coming back up, around 2018, I tied my focus to the [52-week sewing challenge](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/52-weeks-of-sewing/) that had just started on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1GWBrMwd3Z/). During [2020](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/), when everything slowed down, I actually finally managed to stick with it sewing the specified challenge each and every single week. But that consistency came mostly from letting go of a lot of other things that year.

Around the same time, [Lindywell’s](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pilates-my-favorite-thing/) influence introduced me to the idea of *grace over guilt* and slow, steady progress. It started with workouts, but eventually spread including, even, to how I build my apps.

I learned that when life gets messy and habit streaks break, that doesn’t erase the progress you’ve already made. We don’t live in a *Duolingo* simulation where missing a day (or more... hello streak freeze) resets everything. What you’ve done still counts. You can pick things back up when you’re able.

Eventually, it clicked.

I didn’t need a better resolution. 

I needed a gentler way of staying connected to myself.

---

## The Thinking Shift: From *Tracking* to *Checking In*

For a long time, I treated change like something you either powered through or failed at.

If you were lucky, you set a goal, checked the boxes, and ended up where you wanted to go. More often, though, progress required stopping, looking at where you were, and adjusting along the way. It was less like charging forward and more like balancing. Lean too far and you overcorrect and fall. 

That’s where tracking started to feel limiting for me as it tends to focus on outcomes. Did you do the thing or not. Did you stay on track. Did you keep the streak alive. When life cooperates, this can work. When it doesn’t, tracking often turns into a quiet record of everything that went wrong.

Checking in is different. Instead of measuring performance, a check-in is about noticing patterns. It creates a moment to pause and ask what actually happened during this stretch of time. Not just what you planned, but what reality allowed.

You’re not collecting data to prove anything. You’re looking for one useful insight. Something you can carry forward. 

That’s why check-ins still work when nothing goes according to plan. A check-in doesn’t ask whether you succeeded. It asks where you landed, whether that felt supportive, and what might help next time. That’s the core of it:

- Orientation. Where did this period land.
- Support. Did it support how you want to live.
- One small adjustment. Not a restart, just a shift to go where you want to go.

This approach works whether you’re building a skill, changing a habit, or simply trying to stay connected during a busy season. Learning a headstand asks for something different than training for a marathon. Learning a language reshapes your time differently than picking up an instrument. The direction matters, but also how your life is actually unfolding around it matters too.

Check-ins give you a way to respond to that reality instead of fighting it.

---

## What a Check-In Actually Looks Like

### Download a free one-page check-in

If you want something simple to try right away I made a one-page gentle weekly check-in you can download and use on paper or digitally. 

[Go to Downloads](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/) 

At its simplest, a check-in is just a short pause with a few questions. I come back to the same three every time:

1. **Where did this last period land?** Was is structured and expected? Or was it more reactive and chaotic?
2. **Did it support me?** No sentence. Simple yes or no.
3. **One thing to carry forward or adjust.** Based on how the last period was and my plans going forward what is one thing I can add or remove to make it better.

That’s it.   
No scoring.   
No fixing everything.   
One moment of noticing.

To make this more concrete, here are a couple examples:

### Meal Planning

Meals are a good example because they change so much with time and energy.

When there’s room to think and plan cooking can be genuinely fun. When the time isn’t there you’re cobbling something together quickly and later staring at the sad lettuce in the fridge thinking *next time*.

For a while, I tried to solve this with very detailed meal plans. Every meal mapped out. Leftovers scheduled. In theory, it looked great. But in reality, it didn’t work. I bought ingredients that only got used once. I overcooked. I ran out of freezer space. Food went bad before we had time to eat it.

Now, instead of trying to plan perfectly, I do a check-in.

How did last week land? Did meals feel supportive or stressful? What’s one thing (*based on last week, fridge contents, and our upcoming schedule*) that would help next week?

Sometimes that looks like buying more spinach and keeping things simple. Sometimes it’s using up something specific in the freezer. Sometimes it’s focusing on that older container of cottage cheese before it expires. Occasionally, when there’s more energy, it’s choosing one new recipe to try.

The point isn’t to create the perfect plan. It’s to respond to what actually happened.

### Fitness 

Fitness is another place where check-ins have been surprisingly helpful.

My general goal is simple. I want to get stronger and keep up with my kids without having to say no because my body can’t handle something. More specifically, I’d like to be able to do a handstand someday. Lately, that’s meant focusing more on calisthenics but that's the general direction and what sense to do changes week to week.

A fitness check-in for me looks like this:

Where did last week land? Did my workouts support how I wanted to feel? What’s one thing (*based on how my body feels or our schedule is)* to carry forward or adjust?

Sometimes the answer is switching from one app to another because there’s a challenge that sounds extra motivating. Sometimes it’s doing less because I’m tired. Sometimes it’s leaning in because I feel energized.

Alongside that, I have one simple reference point. Every few months, I come back to the same Joseph Pilates mat flow in my [Lindywell](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pilates-my-favorite-thing/) membership to notice how it feels now. I’m not trying to *pass it*... though that would be cool. I’m just paying attention. Over time, the progress shows up.

### Why This Works

What I love most about check-ins is that they work regardless of how things went.

They work if the last week or month was great and everything felt aligned. They also work if it was complete chaos and you barely remember what happened. Plus in that chaos if you skip a week or a month or whatever nothing breaks. When you come back, if it's easier, you can ignore the looking back entirely and just answer that one question that might get you going and help you for the next bit.

There isn’t a right way to do this or a perfect cadence. It’s simply a way to stay connected, even when life doesn’t cooperate.

---

## How I Use This in *Simply Remember It*

I’ve realized that [*Simply Remember It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/) is a good fit for this kind of check-in.

I use [*Simply Remember It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/) because it lets me log without pressure, reschedule when life happens, and notice patterns over time instead of focusing on isolated weeks.

This works just as well on paper or in a notes app. [*Simply Remember It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/) is just the tool I happen to use. Each check-in becomes a simple task. Sometimes that task is broad like a general fitness check-in. Other times it’s specific like revisiting a particular workout flow. I can keep it minimal, with just a name to log against, or add a little more context if it helps me remember what I’m paying attention to.

When I want a simple check-in I add a few optional measurement details:

- a scale for structured to reactive
- a simple yes or no question about support
- a short note about what to adjust the next time

When I notice a new area I want to check-in with I create a new task... then either check in right then and there or leave it for when I have a second. I know I won't remember to do it so I choose to schedule them to repeat monthly or weekly so when it pops up I simple check-in and go about my day... or reschedule it if I'm busy.

Because everything is logged in one place, I can look back at my history, notice how often something came up, and see patterns emerge without having to analyze anything in the moment.

## Using This on Paper or e-Ink

Some people think better with a pen in hand and I do too depending on the season. Because of that, I turned this check-in system into a printable so it isn’t tied to a single app.

The printable shows how I structure these check-ins and includes example pages for:

- Scheduling
- Fitness
- Meal Planning
- Pace & Presence
- Creative Flow
- A Monthly Touch Base

There’s one page for each check-in. You can use all of them... or simply the ones that feel useful right now. Print the pages you want when you want them, or duplicate the pages you need on a reMarkable. Nothing is meant to be completed or finished.

### The full Check-Ins

If you want to check out these gentle check-ins for real life you can find them on: 

[Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/listing/4434835647/gentle-check-ins-for-real-life?ref=simplykyra.com) [Gumroad](https://simplykyra.gumroad.com/l/gentle-check-ins?ref=simplykyra.com) 

Or you can try out a one page sample to see what you think.

### Try a free one-page sample.

If you’d like to try this on a smaller scale there’s also a **free one-page sample** available in my downloads. 

[Go to Downloads](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/) 

---

As the new year mantras start circulating, I want to offer a quiet reminder.

You don’t need a new you.   
You’re already enough.

What helps more than a reset is a way to stay connected to your life as it is. A way to notice what’s working, gently adjust what isn’t, and return to yourself when it makes sense.

Whether you’re starting fresh, picking something back up, or simply pausing, that connection is always available.

Notice.   
Adjust gently.   
Repeat when it makes sense.

If a gentle check-in feels useful right now, you can find the free one-page version, along with other calm printable pages, on my [downloads page](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/).

---

If you’d like to keep up with future posts like this, I usually share them on my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also welcome to join my email list if that feels like an easier way to stay in touch.
### My Favorite Books From My 2025 Reads
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-favorite-books-from-my-2025-reads/
Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:03:28.000Z
I’ve done a *books in review* post for the last two years and, after seeing all the books I read in one place for 2023 and 2024, I knew I wanted to do the same again this year. I really love having a snapshot of what I read, what stuck with me, and what that season of life looked like through books.

Looking back on 2025, I realized the trend I noticed last year continued... I read less than I used to. This year I recorded 42 books and 14,942 pages and, as I scrolled through the list, it felt like there were fewer books jumping out at me, yelling *remember me!* That part was a little disheartening.

That said, while I do wish I’d read more this past year, I don’t begrudge how I spent my time. As I sit here writing this post, it’s clear that reading was often put off for a lot of very real reasons:

- my brain being tired from the day
- spending time with my family
- working out
- coding *just one more feature* for my apps
- networking with OBS and iOS Dev Happy Hour
- writing blog posts and creating other content for SimplyKyra

That said, I do miss reading but overall I'm happy with how I've been spending my time... though maybe I could do with less social media. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_My-Favorite-Books-From-My-2025-Reads---Pinterest.png)

A cozy, honest look at my favorite reads of 2025... categorized, spoiler-free, and perfect for future TBR inspiration.

---

Looking over my **Goodreads 2025 Year in Review** I pulled together the books that really stood out to me this year... in no particular order. This isn’t meant to be an in-depth review (there are plenty of those out there already). Instead, it’s simply a curated list of the books I remember loving, grouped into categories that felt right for this year.

Each book title and author is linked to its corresponding Goodreads page if you’d like more details, summaries, or additional reviews.

Also, I wanted to add that many of these books were provided to me electronically through [NetGalley](https://www.netgally.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) to read and review, but whether or not a book appears here, and everything I’ve shared about them, reflects my own thoughts and opinions after reading.

And now… onto the books 📚💕

---

## Devoured: Epic Worlds and Incredible Characters

### [Heavenly Tyrant](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52934483-heavenly-tyrant?ref=simplykyra.com) by [Xiran Jay Zhao](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20132644.Xiran%5FJay%5FZhao?ref=simplykyra.com)

**Series:** [**Iron Widow**](https://www.goodreads.com/series/285277-iron-widow?ref=simplykyra.com)

I read the first book in this series back in September of 2021 and had the dilemma where you *needed* to finish it but put it off to savor. When I saw this book I worried it would let me down... it didn't. 

The world, the characters, the story... it was all so good and I had so much trouble putting it down for real life. Like before I can't wait for the next one!

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Screenshot-52934483.jpg)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 29th from Goodreads.

### [The Jasad Heir](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60581370-the-jasad-heir?ref=simplykyra.com) by [Sara Hashem](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22288022.Sara%5FHashem?ref=simplykyra.com)

**Series:** [**The Scorched Throne**](https://www.goodreads.com/series/360077-the-scorched-throne?ref=simplykyra.com)

I'm not quite sure how I came across this book but I'm so glad I did. This was an incredible world that sucked you in and made you feel for everyone. And then ended in a gasp. I cannot wait to find out what happens next and am currently number 29th in line (from 49th originally) to find out... so don't give it away!

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Screenshot-80341061.jpg)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 29th from Goodreads.

# [](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62047984-the-jasad-heir?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [The Shattered King](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220667263-the-shattered-king?ref=simplykyra.com) by [Charlie N. Holmberg](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7801879.Charlie%5FN%5FHolmberg?ref=simplykyra.com)

**Series:** [**The Shattered King**](https://www.goodreads.com/series/419505-the-shattered-king?ref=simplykyra.com)

I've read many books by Charlie N. Holmberg and they never let me down. Another epically created world that I'm so happy I had the pleasure of joining. Just a heads up it leaves on a point that makes sense but you *wish* there was more pages so make sure the next one is queued up to go. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Screenshot-220667263.jpg)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 29th from Goodreads.

# [](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62047984-the-jasad-heir?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [The Half-Hearted Queen](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239422480-the-half-hearted-queen?ref=simplykyra.com) by [Charlie N. Holmberg](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7801879.Charlie%5FN%5FHolmberg?ref=simplykyra.com)

**Series:** [**The Shattered King**](https://www.goodreads.com/series/419505-the-shattered-king?ref=simplykyra.com)

As the second book in this series was just as amazing as the first. It will not let you down. I finished it soo quickly but also wanted to savor it. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Screenshot-239422480.jpg)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 29th from Goodreads.

# [](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62047984-the-jasad-heir?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

## Mind-Bending Standalone-ish Reads

### [Hive](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203436811-hive?ref=simplykyra.com) by [D.L. Orton](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8496831.D%5FL%5FOrton?ref=simplykyra.com)

**Madders of Time #1**

I absolutely loved this book when I read it and whole heartedly recommend. That said, there's several spinoffs of this that I jumped into for audio books. Don't want to give too much away but they dealt with alternative reality versions plus I listened to them, audiobook, and the many same, repeating, now different was a bit too much on my tired brain to track all the variations and they became DNF. That said, I do want more.... just of future progression and not alternatives until I can devote more mindspace. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Screenshot-222567665.jpg)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 29th from Goodreads.

# [](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62047984-the-jasad-heir?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [The Graceview Patient](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222376946-the-graceview-patient?ref=simplykyra.com) by [Caitlin Starling](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17122287.Caitlin%5FStarling?ref=simplykyra.com)

I'm at that point where I start forgetting about how books end... so I guess I can't give this on away. That said I found the book both terrifying and epic while hard to read but also so hard to put down (appreciating my original review right now). At points it reminded me vaguely of The [Sourdough](https://goodreads.com/book/show/33916024.Sourdough?ref=simplykyra.com) trilogy by [Robin Sloan](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2960227.Robin%5FSloan?ref=simplykyra.com) I came across last year (but different!) and yet, when looking over Goodreads to remind me, the aptly named psychological horror seems the most apt... could see reading this again just to remember better.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Screenshot-222376946.jpg)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 29th from Goodreads.

# [](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62047984-the-jasad-heir?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [The Elsewhere Express](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/231681790-the-elsewhere-express?ref=simplykyra.com) by [Samantha Sotto Yambao](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4681279.Samantha%5FSotto%5FYambao?ref=simplykyra.com)

I read her earlier book [Water Moon](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211479192-water-moon?from%5Fsearch=true&from%5Fsrp=true&qid=Vt2I0q0AV1&rank=1&ref=simplykyra.com) several years ago and absolutely adored it so I jumped at the chance to read it. This year my mind was more tired and although I did love it and the mind bending-ness it did take a bit for me to get in. That said, I truly love both the books I read and look forward to any future books.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Screenshot-231681790.jpg)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 29th from Goodreads.

---

# [](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62047984-the-jasad-heir?ref=simplykyra.com)

## Page-Turners & Thrillers

### [The Medusa Protocol](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/219520679-the-medusa-protocol?ref=simplykyra.com) by [Rob Hart](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6525349.Rob%5FHart?ref=simplykyra.com)

[**Assassins Anonymous #2**](https://www.goodreads.com/series/411059-assassins-anonymous?ref=simplykyra.com)

So disclaimer I absolutely love all books I've read by Rob Hart. That said, although I loved both this and the first book in his [Assassins Anonymous](https://www.goodreads.com/series/411059-assassins-anonymous?ref=simplykyra.com) series I do adore the other mind bending just a bit more. That said, this series can't let you down and both were so amazing. Perfect combo and look forward to reading the third when it's available!.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Screenshot-219520679.jpg)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 29th from Goodreads.

# [](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62047984-the-jasad-heir?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Detour](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/235699937-detour?ref=simplykyra.com) by [Jeff Rake](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/45207013.Jeff%5FRake?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Rob Hart](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6525349.Rob%5FHart?ref=simplykyra.com)

[**Detour #1**](https://www.goodreads.com/series/420185-detour?ref=simplykyra.com)

This was another great book full of edge-of-your-seat tension, aww moments, and oh-crap twists. Definitely ends on a cliffhanger and I can't wait for the next one.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Screenshot-235699937.jpg)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 29th from Goodreads.

---

# [](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62047984-the-jasad-heir?ref=simplykyra.com)

## Comfort Reads

### [The Fourth Daughter](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222795065-the-fourth-daughter?ref=simplykyra.com) by [Lyn Liao Butler](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20805694.Lyn%5FLiao%5FButler?ref=simplykyra.com)

This was the first book I read by this author and loved the family interaction and it felt like a happy warm balm after the sci-fi I also read. Was the perfect book and looking forward to reading more by her in the future. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Screenshot-222795065.jpg)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 29th from Goodreads.

# [](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62047984-the-jasad-heir?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/219875705-a-fellowship-of-bakers-magic?ref=simplykyra.com) by [J. Penner](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/42549148.J%5FPenner?ref=simplykyra.com)

[**Adenashire #1**](https://www.goodreads.com/series/381011-adenashire?ref=simplykyra.com)

This was an epically adorable book and the perfect feel good feeling I wanted right then. Had trouble putting it down and happy I came across it now so I can put the next book in the series on hold. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Screenshot-195213451.jpg)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 29th from Goodreads.

---

# [](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62047984-the-jasad-heir?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [The Chemistry of Love](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61375528-the-chemistry-of-love?ref=simplykyra.com) by [Sariah Wilson](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6471623.Sariah%5FWilson?ref=simplykyra.com)

If you want a feel-good romance with just enough science to make it interesting, this is it. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/01/compressed_Screenshot-61375528.jpg)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 29th from Goodreads.

# [](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62047984-the-jasad-heir?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

## Update: Simply TBR

Since writing this, I've built an app so I can see all my ebooks, audiobooks, and physical books in one place. Simply TBR makes it so much easier to see my TBR, browse it, and keeps track of what's next without turning it into another list I lose. [Learn more about it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-tbr/), or [check it out on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com) directly.

---

And with that, my personal favorite books from this past year are done. I’ll leave you with a question… what book (or books) have you read that you can’t stop thinking about? And which ones on this list have you already read and loved? I’d love to hear so feel free to share in the comments below. And regardless of anything, I hope you’re having a great day.

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### SimplyKyra Monthly Overview: December 2025
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/newsletter/simplykyra-monthly-overview-december-2025-2/
Last updated: 2025-12-31T23:18:40.000Z
This has been a year of quiet building. 

Of responding to what people needed.

Of learning new things ... and sometimes flipping upside down just to meet a stand goal. 

Thank you for being here for all of it. 💕

---

## 🏡 This Month with Me

December was good... a slightly strange mix of relaxing, working, and realizing I didn’t actually do much resting at all. I didn’t finish any books this month, but there were lots of short bursts of productivity layered on top of a steady, quiet pace of progress.

Somewhere in the middle of it all, I noticed I need to slow down and breathe more often. I’ve felt the pull to learn *everything* at once (debating Android development, marketing, and how to make sense of the constant fire hose of information I want to learn) without yet finding the right way to fit that learning into the time I actually have.

It’s something I’m still figuring out, but noticing it feels like an important first step.

---

## 📱 App Updates

### [Simply Remember It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/)

*When did you last…? Now you know with no second-guessing required.*

[App Store: Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

I spent much of December finishing the **2.0.0** update for[Simply Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) and I’m so excited to share it with you on **January 5th**. As I was writing this I hit submit to the App Store!

This update focuses on making [Simply Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) feel more present in your day, without demanding more attention. It includes:

- **Widgets** — three Home Screen widgets and one Lock Screen widget, designed for quiet awareness at a glance
- **Shortcuts & Siri** — default measurement values and faster logging through Shortcuts, with support for automations and Siri requests across devices
- **Vision support** — the iPad version now runs on Vision, so widgets are available no matter which device you’re using
- **Polish and refinements** — small feature additions and behind-the-scenes improvements that make everything feel smoother and more natural

This is the first major version bump for [Simply Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com), and not because everything changed, but because how it fits into real life.

### [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)

*Make your reMarkable truly yours with custom templates and screens.*

[App Store: Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

December brought an unexpected surprise with the reMarkable 3.25 beta on both my Paper Pro and Paper Pro Move. After sharing [an initial reaction](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/remarkable-os-3-25-beta-a-quick-heads-up-about-sleep-screen-behavior/), I dug into what had changed, specifically around the new rotating sleep screen overlay, and explored how to turn it off safely.

That exploration resulted in [two quick updates](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-21-small-fix-for-sleep-screen-overlay-toggle/) to [Simply Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com), followed by a step-by-step post showing how to [disable the overlay yourself](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/exploring-the-remarkable-sleep-screen-overlay-and-how-to-tinker-with-it-yourself/) if you prefer to tinker directly. I also finally updated my long-standing tutorial on [uploading custom templates](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-upload-custom-templates-to-your-remarkable-2025-update/), bringing it in line with the latest reMarkable changes.

### Games

There were **no new updates** for my other apps, [Simply Uncover It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Simply Match It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com), this month, but I always keep an eye on [emails](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=SimplyKyra%20Games) and questions coming in… so feel free to keep them coming!

---

## 💻 Coming Up Next

Once [Simply Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) 2.0 is live, I plan to spend some time figuring out how best to share it (thoughtfully and without noise) with the people it might genuinely help.

Beyond that, I’m standing at a small crossroads. I’ve been debating whether to start learning how to build Android apps or to let something entirely new take shape. I don’t have answers yet, and that feels okay.

Looking ahead, I’d love your input. What do you enjoy most about the apps or website? And what would you like to see improved or added? Just hit reply and let me know. I always love hearing from you.

---

## 📚On the Blog

With the holidays, I’ve seen a lot of gift guides and productivity lists floating around. Earlier this month, I shared a post that offered something quieter:

[Calm Tools & Things I Actually UseA small collection of tools and everyday things that have genuinely supported me.... shared as they are, without pressure.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-90.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Calm-Tools---Things-I-actually-use---Screenshot---Cover.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/calm-tools-things-i-actually-use/)

A living list of tools, resources, and everyday things I’ve used and loved over the years... shared honestly, without pressure.

Some are part of my daily rhythm, others I return to in waves, and a few are simply favorites that made life feel a little easier or calmer at the time. It felt like a gentle way to close out the year and a place I’ll continue updating as seasons change.

---

## 🌿 Something Extra

December’s videos were mainly quiet nature moments ([herons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt6gn13MA-c&ref=simplykyra.com), [streams and waves](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XJgMT3vyhc&ref=simplykyra.com), [woodpeckers](https://youtube.com/shorts/nAKZsTgUtxA?ref=simplykyra.com), and [sea anemones](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ-AzIf%5FMWU&ref=simplykyra.com)) offering small pauses during a busy season.

That said, I couldn’t miss sharing how [*one tiny stand goal* turned into a full mini spiral](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/one-tiny-stand-goal-one-mini-spiral/)… and a reminder of why I care so much about building calm tools in the first place.

---

## **💌 A Note on Preferences**

You’re receiving this email because you signed up for **Monthly Overview** a once-a-month roundup that highlights what’s new, what I’ve been working on, and a little extra behind-the-scenes.

I also offer **App Updates** and **Blog Updates** if you prefer more frequent notes. You can manage what you receive anytime through your [account page](#/portal/account).

---

Thanks for being here. 💕

Your support, patience, and trust truly mean the world.

Here’s to 2026.... and to remembering more while stressing less.

Until next month,

— Kyra
### How to Upload Custom Templates to Your reMarkable: 2025 Update
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-upload-custom-templates-to-your-remarkable-2025-update/
Last updated: 2025-12-27T02:33:19.000Z
If you’ve ever wanted to add your own planner pages, custom layouts, or handwritten-style designs as templates on your reMarkable you’re in the right place.

Whether this is your first week with a reMarkable or something you’ve been wanting to customize for a while, I hope this helps.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/12/compressed_How-to-Upload-Custom-Templates-to-Your-reMarkable---Pinterest.png)

💕 **Pin this post to come back to later.*

---

## Backstory

I first wrote about custom templates back in early 2021, and since then a *lot* has changed... especially with the release of the reMarkable Paper Pro in 2024.

When the Paper Pro came out, I created a new version of [*How to Access Your ReMarkable*](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/) to account for Developer Mode and disabled WLAN access. After that, I was asked to update my [*Sleep Screen*](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/switch-out-your-remarkable-paper-pros-sleep-screen/) post as well. At the time, I considered rewriting my template posts too, but once you were connected to your device, the older instructions were still technically accurate.

That said, templates continue to be my most popular post, and between Developer Mode, WLAN changes, new screen resolutions, and internal template changes, it felt like the right time for a **cleaner, simpler, more up-to-date guide**.

This post is that refresh.

---

## Before You Start 

This post walks you through how to upload templates yourself and works across the **reMarkable 1**, **2**, **Paper Pro**, and **Paper Pro Move**. Once you’re connected to your device the actual template process is the same across all models.

I’ll also add links to my older, deep-dive posts when helpful along with mentioning my app, [*Simply Customize It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com), as an easier alternative if you don’t want to do this manually every time.

Some screenshots referenced in linked posts are from 2024 (or even earlier) so the UI may look slightly different depending on your current software version.

### Important Notes

• This is not officially supported by reMarkable

• Custom templates will be removed during system updates

• You’ll need to reapply the templates after each update

• Creating a backup first is highly recommended

That said, if you follow the steps carefully this process is very safe and widely used.

---

## Connection

Everything starts with connecting to your reMarkable. This is the only part of the process that differs slightly depending on your device and software version.

### Step 1: Developer Mode

To upload templates, you'll need command-line `SSH` access to your device so the first step is to turn on developer mode, if needed, so you can find your credentials: username, password, and IP address.

**reMarkable Paper Pro & Paper Pro Move**

The credentials are hidden unless you enable **Developer Mode**. Doing so will factory reset your device (your notes will re-sync if you use reMarkable Connect). Once enabled **Developer Mode** will need to stay on as long as you want access to the credentials. If you change your mind you will need to disable it manually.

[Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Paper Pro Through the Command LineWith the new reMarkable Paper Pro out I realized I needed to update my How To Connect post... here it is!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-71.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_9201-1-12.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/)

Full walkthrough for this and the next several steps can be found here.

**reMarkable 1 & 2**

Developer Mode is not required. `SSH` access is already available by default.

### Step 2: Login Details

  
To find your login credentials you'll need to open **Settings**, **Help**, and **Copyrights and Licenses**. Then scroll down to **GPLv3 Compliance**.

[![Image shows the General Public License version 3 compliance paragraphs written out below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_8826.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/#find-the-gplv3-compliance)

Here you'll see your username (`root`), password (unique to your device), and your IP addresses (may change later). Write these down. You’ll need them.

### Step 3: Enable WLAN

This step may not apply to you. Starting with the reMarkable **Paper Pro** and **Paper Pro Move** (and on newer **reMarkable 2** versions) `WLAN` is turned off. This means you can't access your reMarkable wirelessly, over WiFi, by default. 

To turn on `WLAN` you'll need to first connect your reMarkable to your computer with a cable. Once connected a new IP address will appear (mine starts with a `10`). Use this to do step 4 and connect via `SSH`. 

Once connected go to your terminal and run:

```bash
rm-ssh-over-wlan on
```

This will turn `WLAN` on and then you won't need to connect via cable again. You can simply use the other IP address (mine starts with `192`) to `SSH` over Wi-Fi as long as your device is awake and on the same network as your computer.

[Simply Customize It: Update for WLAN SupportAnnouncing the Simply Customize It update (version 1.0.2) that includes support to run the WLAN command for you.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-73.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_1155-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-update-for-wlan-support/)

If you use [**Simply Customize It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com) you can connect your reMarkable to your Apple device with a cable and, once you enter the credentials, use a button in your device settings to turn it on.

[Simply Customize It: Smoother WLAN Connections for reMarkable 2WLAN turned off in reMarkable 2 with the 3.22 beta? This update adds an alternate host field, a smart toggle to switch between host addresses, and makes the WLAN button available for all devices.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-72.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-Smoother-WLAN-Connections-for-reMarkable-2---Image-3.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-smoother-wlan-connections-for-remarkable-2/)

I went on to add the ability to enter a primary and secondary IP address so you can switch easily between cabled and wifi IP addresses OR two different connection points if needed. 

### Step 4: Connect via SSH

If this is your first time you may need to plug your reMarkable into your computer using a USB cable so a new IP address pops up (see step 3 above) otherwise you can use your regular host.

> Note: You will need to be on the same network and your reMarkable needs to be awake.

On your computer, open a terminal and connect using `ssh root@YOUR_DEVICE_IP` so something like this: 

```bash
ssh root@10.11.99.1
```

Once entered, you’ll be prompted for your password. If the connection succeeds, you’re in!

The first time you connect, you may be asked to confirm the host. If you’ve connected to this reMarkable before and run into a warning, you may need to remove the old entry from your `.ssh/known_hosts` file before trying again.

[Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Paper Pro Through the Command LineWith the new reMarkable Paper Pro out I realized I needed to update my How To Connect post... here it is!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-71.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_9201-1-12.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/)

This and more information can be found in this post here!

## Preparation

Next, let’s get your reMarkable ready (if needed) and make sure your template image is set up correctly.

### Step 5: Writable File System

**reMarkable Paper Pro & Paper Pro Move**

On the Paper Pro devices the **templates** directory is read-only by default. To make it writable, so you can upload files or edit the `templates.json` file, you will need to first run this command:

```bash
mount -o remount,rw /
```

There's more information about this in both my [*How to Connect*](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/#getting-past-the-readonly) and [*Sleep Screen*](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/switch-out-your-remarkable-paper-pros-sleep-screen/#5-issue-with-readonly-directories) posts (these links go directly to that section).

### Step 6: Template Image

> *TL;DR*:** `PNG`\-only templates still work perfectly... as long as they’re the correct resolution for your device.

When I first bought my reMarkable 2 templates were simpler with each one was just being a `PNG` image. Over time, reMarkable added `SVG` files, then `.template` files backed by `JSON`, and eventually moved many built-in templates to an internal system.

I’ve experimented with all of these formats, and the good news is that **`PNG`\-only templates still work perfectly**. I find reMarkable checks for templates in a specific order: it prefers its internal templates first, then `.template` files, then `SVG` files, and finally `PNG` images. As long as your\` PNG\` is present and the correct resolution for your device, it will work.

**Device Resolutions**

- reMarkable 1 & 2: **1404 × 1872** pixels
- reMarkable Paper Pro: **1620 × 2160** pixels
- reMarkable Paper Pro Move: **954 × 1696** pixels (official)
- Note: some people have reported better results using 814 × 1454 for templates depending on how the template is rendered; if 954×1696 looks off on your device try **814×1454.**

[Simply Customize It 1.0.18: Updated Template Dimensions for reMarkable Move SupportThanks to some feedback I found templates rendered slightly differently on the reMarkable Move. With this update Simply Customize It now resizes to 814 × 1454 pixels so templates display correctly on the Move.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-86.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Updated-Template-Dimensions-for-reMarkable-Move-Support---Screenshot---Image--1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-18-updated-template-dimensions-for-remarkable-move-support/)

Officially the Move is listed at 954 × 1696 pixels but recently it seems 814 x 1454 pixels is better for templates, 

## On The ReMarkable

Now for the fun part! We’re going to upload your template, tell the reMarkable where to find it, and restart your device so it all shows up.

### Step 7: Upload to Your reMarkable

Now that your image is ready it's time to upload it to your reMarkable! On your reMarkable all your template images live in the `templates` directory here: `/usr/share/remarkable/templates/`.

That said you don't need to go that directory right now. You can simply upload your template file using `SCP` from your computer. To do this open the terminal where your image file is stored (let's call it `MyTemplate.png` in this example) and use `scp` to copy your file and move it onto your reMarkable specifically into that directory by typing: 

```bash
scp MyTemplate.png root@YOUR_DEVICE_IP:/usr/share/remarkable/templates/

```

You can confirm it worked by using `ssh` to access your reMarkable, `cd` into the directory, and use `ls` to see what's there. 

### Step 8: Edit JSON

So now your image is on the reMarkable but it doesn't quite know it. To have your reMarkable recognize it we need to edit the `templates.json` file in that same directory. So again `ssh` into your reMarkable and you'll need to use `vim` to edit the file. To open in `vim` type in: 

```bash
vim /usr/share/remarkable/templates/templates.json
```

**Note: Vim**

Once in [vim](https://www.vim.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) it's easiest to navigate with shortcuts on the keyboard and/or a variation of that and arrow keys (what I do) so if this is new I recommend looking up tutorials. Essentially it's a text editor that starts you out in navigation mode, press `i` to enter insert/edit mode, and `esc` to return to navigation. Some helpful commands (in navigation mode so `esc` first) are:

- `:w` to save
- `:q` to quit
- `:q!` to force an unsaved quit (this saved me a lot at first)
- `:wq` to save and quit

This looks intimidating at first, but once you’ve done it once it’s very repeatable.

**Warning**

Always back it up first. `JSON` files are picky on how you format so if you miss a bracket, comma, or something else it can *break* and reMarkable won't see any of your templates. If this happens there's a lot of `JSON` formatters online, like [jsonformatter.org](https://jsonformatter.org/?ref=simplykyra.com), but it's simpler to have a backup to go back to. One way I backup this file is by copying it to a backup `cp templates.json templates_backup.json` and I can always copy it back, to replace the broken file, when needed. 

**Editing**

You can edit it directly on the device or copy it to your computer, edit, and upload it back. Whichever way you do it when you look at the file you'll see:

```bash
{
  "templates" : [
    {
      "categories" : [
        "Creative",
        "Planners",
        "Grids",
        "Lines"
      ],
      "filename" : "Blank",
      "iconCode" : "\ue9fe",
      "landscape" : false,
      "name" : "Blank"
    },
... CONTINUED ....
    {
      "categories" : [
        "Creative",
        "Planners",
        "Grids",
        "Lines"
      ],
      "filename" : "Blank",
      "iconCode" : "\ue9fd",
      "landscape" : true,
      "name" : "Blank"
    },
    {
      "categories" : [
        "Planners"
      ],
      "filename" : "LS Checklist",
      "iconCode" : "\ue9ab",
      "landscape" : true,
      "name" : "Checklist"
    }
  ]
}
```

What you want to do is create a `JSON` snippet matching that exact layout. With it in this file the reMarkable will see your new template, show it under the category you included it (can be in multiple), use the listed `name` and `iconCode` to display it on your reMarkable, use `landscape` to know if the template is in landscape `true` or portrait `false` mode, and use filename to look for the matching file you uploaded (don't include the extension here). An example is:

What you want to do is create a **`JSON` snippet that matches this exact layout** and add it to this file.

Once it’s there, the reMarkable will:

- Use the filename to locate the matching image you uploaded (do **not** include the file extension)
- Use landscape to determine whether the template is landscape `true` or portrait `false`
- Use the name and iconCode to display it in the list of templates
- Show your new template under the category (or categories) you specified

Below is a simple example you can copy and customize. You’ll need one entry for each custom template you want to add and be sure to separate each entry with a comma.

```bash
    {
      "categories" : [
        "Custom"
      ],
      "filename" : "Filename",
      "iconCode" : "\ue9fe",
      "landscape" : false,
      "name" : "DisplayName"
    }
```

[![Image is a collage showing the image of the possible icon codes and the json. Above it says: "The template JSON file matches your template with its icon from a preset list of options stored within the Xochitl binary."](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/01/compressed_Screenshot-Post---Image-Template-Icon-Code-JSON.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-faqs/#blank-image-icon)

Here's another example (icon code related) I created for [Simply Customize It's FAQs.](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-faqs/#blank-image-icon)

**Tips**

Each of these fields can be in different order BUT they must be in the right format within the curly brackets `{}`. Some important notes (from top to bottom) are:

- Categories:
  - can be anything you want
  - can have multiple categories (see *blank* above)
  - square brackets `[]` signify an array and you need a comma between each item inside it
- File Name:  
  - does NOT include any extension (example `.png` )
  - **must** match your file's name
  - if your file is in a folder use `FolderName/FileName` otherwise it won't find it
- Icon Code:
  - can be copied from an existing template
  - more information can be found in [Simply Customize It's FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-faqs/#blank-image-icon).
- Landscape:
  - landscape mode uses `true` and portrait needs to still be labeled `landscape` but set to `false`
  - if you can't find your template on your reMarkable check if it's filtered by landscape/portrait and thus excluded from being shown
- Name:
  - can be different from your file's name
  - what the reMarkable shows you for the name

### Step 9: Restart 

All the steps are done... but you need to restart so your reMarkable sees the changes. This can be done normally or you can run this command to restart `xochitl`:

```bash
systemctl restart xochitl
```

Once restarted your new templates should appear.

### More Information?

[How to Make Template Files for Your reMarkableDo you have a reMarkable device? Have you thought about creating a template file of your own for it? Do you have a PDF page or PNG image you want to use as a template? Here’s how I made my template file for my reMarkable 2.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-76.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_How-to-Make-Templates-Files-for-Your-reMarkable-Image-5.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/)

Here was my original post detailing how to do this with the reMarkable 2\. Once you turn on Developer Mode and WLAN it should be the same process for the newer devices too. 

## System Updates

When your reMarkable updates it will lose your custom template files and any `templates.json` edits. 

You’ll need to reapply them. This is normal.

Your notebook pages using the custom templates will still be in your notebooks but will have a blank page as they can't be found. If you keep the same filename when you re-apply your templates they will reconnect automatically. If you use a different name you'll need to manual set the template for each of those pages. 

[My reMarkable2 Updated! This Is What I Did NextDo you have a reMarkable device? Were your custom changes wiped in the last update? Are you wondering what other people did? Here’s how I weathered the update if you’re interested.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-79.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_2636-2.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-remarkable2-updated-this-is-what-i-did-next/)

Here was my process back in 2021 when my reMarkable 2 updated.

When I started out I kept a folder of my custom templates' `PNG` files and a `JSON` file with the needed snippet to display all of them. That way I could easily upload the batch of files, using `*` to get all the file names, and simply copy and paste the entire snippet at once into the `templates.json` file. 

## Going Farther

I found the above process annoying and although I ultimately replaced this whole thing with [*Simply Customize It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com), before that, I sped this process up using a bash script resulting in a two part post on my new process.

[Quickly Generate a JSON Template Code Snippet for Your reMarkableDo you find it troublesome and bulky to edit your JSON code when uploading custom templates to your reMarkable? Why not speed up your process by generating the needed JSON snippet yourself? You’ll still need to edit the templates.json file but now you just need to paste the code snippet in!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-77.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-02-05-at-4.42.53-PM-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/quickly-generate-a-json-template-code-snippet-for-your-remarkable/)

This dealt with the layout of the files before sharing the script.

[Quickly and Easily Upload Template Images to Your reMarkableHave you uploaded a PNG to your reMarkable? Do you now want to upload several different images at once and want the task to be easier? I created a bash script to speed up my template uploading process and share it with you here!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-78.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_1195-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/quickly-and-easily-upload-template-images-to-your-remarkable/)

While this part came after and included making the template.

Next I added a few supporting posts including:  

[Watch How I Upload Custom Templates to My reMarkableI’ve had some question about my template process so I recently spent some time creating a video walkthrough, thus combining my blog posts together, to show you how I upload my custom templates. Here’s the embedded YouTube video and its transcript. Hope it helps!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-80.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Watch-How-I-Upload-Custom-Templates-to-My-reMarkable-Instagram-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/watch-how-i-upload-custom-templates-to-my-remarkable/)

 A video on how to do this (embedded Youtube) but used the captions to create a transcript for easy search ability.

[Simple Script to Help Backup Your reMarkableBack when I first bought my reMarkable I realized there might come a day when I’d need to recover the files on it. Luckily, I haven’t needed to yet... but that precaution led to creating this script which makes backing it up so much easier.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-81.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_backup-remarkable-2021-10-21-at-10.41.55-AM-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-script-to-help-backup-your-remarkable/)

A way I backed up the files on my reMarkable. Note: Never needed to recover so not sure if complete but good way to start.

[How I Solved My SSH Connection Error: No Matching Host Key Type FoundAfter a computer update I could no longer connect to my reMarkable via SSH as I had an error saying: “unable to negotiate with host: no matching host key type found”. This is how I fixed the issue.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-82.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_2022-09-15-at-7.32.46-AM-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-solved-my-ssh-connection-error-no-matching-host-key-type-found/)

What happens when there was **No Matching Host Key Type Found.*

[Frequently Asked Questions I’ve Seen Around About the reMarkableOver the last year or I’ve seen several reMarkable template related questions popup on Facebook user groups and each time I debate creating a post that answers all those questions. I finally decided to just make it and here’s the result!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-83.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_4839-3.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/frequently-asked-questions-ive-seen-around-about-the-remarkable/)

FAQs I've seen about the reMarkable 2 all in one post.

[Removing Stains from My reMarkable Folio: What Actually WorkedHave you ever noticed a mark on your reMarkable folio and worried how to clean it? Me too! Here’s what happened and how I fixed it!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-85.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Cleaning-My-reMarkable-Folio-What-Worked-for-Me----Cover-Image-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/removing-stains-from-my-remarkable-folio-what-actually-worked/)

And even how I cleaned my case earlier this year.

## Prefer the Easy Way? 

If you don’t want to:

• `SSH`

• Edit `JSON`

• Reapply templates after updates

I built [*Simply Customize It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)to handle all of that for you.

It came about after a couple of requests for more help. I wanted there to be an easier way for both me and you. Added benefit... when reMarkable updates you can easily fix it regardless if you're at your computer or on vacation with your phone or iPad. 

[Try it out today!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

It lets you:

• Upload templates

• Manage sleep screens images

• Restore everything after updates

• Avoid manual file editing

You still need Developer Mode if you're on a Paper Pro or Paper Pro Move but after that it’s smooth sailing.

[How a Sleep Screen Sparked an App: The Story Behind Simply Customize ItWhat started as a curiosity about changing my reMarkable’s sleep screen led to a rabbit hole of templates, blog posts, bash scripts, and eventually a full app. Here’s how Simply Customize It came to be... and why I’m still building it today.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-84.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/image-2.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-a-sleep-screen-sparked-an-app-the-story-behind-simply-customize-it/)

I shared the backstory here!

## Final Thoughts

This post exists because templates are still one of the most requested and most-used customizations and because my original posts are still being referenced years later.

Whether you do it manually or use the app customizing your reMarkable is incredibly rewarding. If you choose to jump in I hope this guide makes the process clearer, calmer, and a lot less intimidating.

If you want up to date reMarkable-related tutorials, deep dives, video walkthroughs, or whatever might come next you can find them [all here](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/remarkable/)! Or you can sign up for [future updates here](#/portal/subscribe/)!

And like always I hope you’re having a great day and happy templating!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Exploring the reMarkable Sleep Screen Overlay (and How to Tinker with It Yourself!)
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/exploring-the-remarkable-sleep-screen-overlay-and-how-to-tinker-with-it-yourself/
Last updated: 2025-12-21T00:58:40.000Z
When the reMarkable 3.25 beta rolled out I quickly went through my app tests by cleaning up my app, downloading the current set of screens, uploading my favorite sleep screen, and then syncing the templates. I was excited everything was working perfectly and then noticed something new on my **reMarkable Paper Pro and Paper Pro Move**. This didn't appear on my **reMarkable 2**.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/12/compressed_Exploring-the-reMarkable-Sleep-Screen-Overlay---Pinterest.png)

💕 **Pin this post to come back to later.*

---

**Note:* Right now (3.25 beta), I’m only seeing this overlay on the reMarkable Paper Pro and Paper Pro Move. My reMarkable 2 doesn’t have it. Just in case that changes down the line, the instructions below assume the overlay exists.*

---

## The Overlay

When locking my reMarkable, I started seeing a white square illustration layered on top of my sleep screen image. Each time I unlocked and re-locked the device, that illustration changed.

![Photo shows the Move and PP side by side both with differing sleep screen images and the overlay image on top.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/12/compressed_IMG_8242.jpeg)

After a bit of digging, it became clear this was new behavior. On both the reMarkable Paper Pro and Paper Pro Move, the device cycles through three built-in illustrations. The effect is subtle on the default sleep screen, but once you use a custom image behind it, the overlay becomes much more noticeable.

[reMarkable OS 3.25 Beta: A Quick Heads Up About Sleep Screen BehaviorA quick heads up for reMarkable beta users about a change in sleep screen behavior observed on Paper Pro devices in OS 3.25 beta.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-66.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Customize-It---3.25---Cover-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/remarkable-os-3-25-beta-a-quick-heads-up-about-sleep-screen-behavior/)

I shared a quick heads up about this when I first noticed it here.

At the time, I only had about an hour before I had to grab my kid from the bus, but after a quick Reddit check I realized others were running into the same thing. I threw together [a short reaction reel and shared it](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/remarkable-os-3-25-beta-a-quick-heads-up-about-sleep-screen-behavior/) so people wouldn’t be caught off guard.

Once I had more time, I started digging into *how* this behavior worked. My goal was simple:

- Could I disable it without breaking anything else?
- Could it be undone easily?
- Would it survive without needing a firmware update?

The answer turned out to be yes on all three counts so I next added the fix directly into [*Simply Customize It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com) so it’s easy to use with a simple button. That said, if you prefer doing it yourself keep reading as this post walks through what I found, how the overlay appears to work under the hood, and how you can experiment with it on your own reMarkable if you’d like.

---

## A Quick Note Before We Start

This guide assumes you’re comfortable using the command line, have **Developer Mode** enabled on your reMarkable, and understand that reMarkable does **not officially support** modifying system files.

If `SSH`, `SCP`, or hands-on experimenting isn’t your thing and you just want the overlay gone you can check out [*Simply Customize It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)*.*

---

## How to Disable the Overlay

### Connect to Your reMarkable

You’ll first need to connect to your reMarkable over `SSH`. To do this you need to find the username (`root`), password, and I.P. address.

![Photo shows the updated General Public License version 3 compliance paragraphs including the login credentials and the SSH over WLAN is disabled by default paragraph shown below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_8848.jpeg)

To find your credentials go to menu -> `Settings` \-> `?` \-> `Copyrights and licenses`. This will be hidden on the Paper Pro and Move unless you've turned on developer mode.

[Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Paper Pro Through the Command LineWith the new reMarkable Paper Pro out I realized I needed to update my How To Connect post... here it is!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-67.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_9201-1-11.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/)

I’ve written a full walkthrough here with added steps for the Paper Pro and Move users.

By default the reMarkable Paper Pro and Move have `WLAN` turned off and back with the [3.22 Beta](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/wlan-disabled-in-remarkable2-3-22-beta-heres-the-fix/) I noticed the same with my reMarkable 2\. To connect the first time you'll need to use a cable to connect and a new I.P. address will pop up. Once you know which address to use you can connect by typing in `ssh [username]@[host/ip address]`. Once on, if needed, you can turn on `WLAN` by typing in `rm-ssh-over-wlan on`. 

### Locate the Sleep Overlay Images

Once connected via `SSH` you can go to where the images live by typing in:

```bash
cd /usr/share/remarkable/carousel
```

This changes your directory to the new reMarkable `carousel` one that stores the three rotating images. If you have changed out your default sleep screen before you'd find it up one directory at `/usr/share/remarkable/suspended.png`. 

[Switch Out Your reMarkable Paper Pro’s Sleep ScreenWith the reMarkable Paper Pro out I figured it was time to share an updated post on how to switch out your screen images! Come check it out.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-68.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Switch-Out-Your-reMarkable-Paper-Pro-s-Sleep-Screen----Image-4.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/switch-out-your-remarkable-paper-pros-sleep-screen/)

Check this out for more information about switching out the default sleep screen!

Once there you can list the contents with `ls` and, at this time, I see three files:

```bash
❯ ls
sleep_Illustration_01.png
sleep_Illustration_02.png
sleep_Illustration_03.png
```

Which, when downloaded from the reMarkable using `scp` match what I see rotated through when I repeatedly lock and unlock my reMarkable.

![Image shows three square white backed images all called sleep_Illustration followed by 01, 02, and 03.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-19-at-21.00.46.png)

Took a quick screenshot of my file folder so it's a bit small.

If you run `file` on them you'll see this information:

```bash
❯ file *
sleep_Illustration_01.png: PNG image data, 776 x 776, 8-bit/color RGBA, non-interlaced
sleep_Illustration_02.png: PNG image data, 776 x 776, 8-bit/color RGBA, non-interlaced
sleep_Illustration_03.png: PNG image data, 776 x 776, 8-bit/color RGBA, non-interlaced
```

### Readonly

At this time I want to do a quick aside and warn you this directory may be readonly. Back when I first tried to [add custom templates and sleep screen images to the Paper Pro](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/big-update-support-for-rmpp-move-editable-templates-and-asset-downloads/) I quickly realized making changes didn't work and to get past this, after every update (and maybe restart?) when you `SSH` in and want to make changes, you will need to first type in: 

```bash
mount -o remount,rw /
```

### Disable the Overlay

In pursuit of disabling the overlay I tried to rename the files and alter their extensions. Neither seemed to work. What did work; however, was creating a new directory in `carousel` and moving all the images into it. I'm sure deleting them would've worked too but I wanted a method that could easily be undone. 

To do this first make sure you're in the `carousel` directory and create a backup folder (I chose `backupIllustrations`) by typing:

```bash
mkdir backupIllustrations
```

Then move all the current images within `carousel` to your newly created subdirectory `backupIllustrations` with:

```bash
mv * /backupIllustrations/
```

With that the images will be hidden the next time you lock the device and so the overlay will no longer appear. Your **actual sleep screen image remains unchanged**.

If you know you never want the overlay, until maybe the next update, you can instead ignore making the backup directory, make sure you're still in `carousel`, and delete all the images with:

```bash
rm sleep_Illustration_*
```

![Image shows the non-overlaid paper pro beside the water stashed covered Move.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/12/compressed_IMG_8232.jpeg)

Here I tested theories out on my Paper Pro and was super excited to see all the leaves again. I left my Paper Pro Move with it's overlay on until I could accomplish the same through [**Simply Customize It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)**.*

![Image shows both Paper Pro devices with no overlay covering up the sleep screen image.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/12/compressed_IMG_8245.jpeg)

With [**Simply Customize It*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com) hooked up both my reMarkable devices were once again gorgeous!

### Reenable the Overlay

If you used the backup directory and didn't delete the images you can later restore the overlay default behavior by moving the files back into the `carousel` directory so your reMarkable will once again find them. First go into `carousel` and type in

```bash
mv backupIllustrations/* .
```

Once you use `ls` to confirm they're there you could next cleanup the empty backup directory by deleting it with

```bash
rmdir backupIllustrations
```

---

## A Simpler Option

I originally shared guides like this years ago for my reMarkable 2 which led me to building [*Simply Customize It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/). As such I wanted to let you know that if you’d rather not run commands or dig through system folders I’ve added tools that let you both **turn off** the overlay and **restore** it again... all without touching the command line. If that sounds more your speed it might be worth [checking out](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com).

[![Image shows the Simply Customize It title to the right of the app icon's drawing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/12/image.png)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

## Going Further

### Playing Around

At first, I only tested a couple of small changes: renaming one of the files and changing the file extension on another. In both cases, the images still appeared when locking the device. One image changed position, but the overall behavior stayed the same and all of the images were still shown.

Once the app update was out, I gave myself permission to play around a bit more.

If this kind of tinkering is your jam and you want to go deeper, here’s what I learned from experimenting further.

### Adding Your Own Images

I want to preface this by saying this was only about an hour or so of experimenting before I turned the overlay back off again.

That said, once I noticed the reMarkable overlay images were square, I got curious. I wondered whether I could add my own images and, more specifically, whether a full reMarkable-sized image would fill the screen. I had hoped this might open the door to rotating custom sleep screens.

It didn’t quite work out that way… but the behavior itself was still interesting.

If you want to try this yourself, you can upload images directly into the `carousel` folder using `SCP`.

First, open a terminal in the directory on your computer that contains the image(s) you want to upload. Then run:

```bash
scp * root@IPaddress:/usr/share/remarkable/carousel/
```

This uploads a copy of **all files in your current directory** to the `carousel` folder on your reMarkable.

If instead you want to download a copy of the existing overlay images to your computer you can run:

```bash
scp root@IPaddress:/usr/share/remarkable/carousel/* .
```

In both cases, simply replace the `*` with a specific file name if you only want to upload or download a single file.

[How to Make Template Files for Your reMarkableDo you have a reMarkable device? Have you thought about creating a template file of your own for it? Do you have a PDF page or PNG image you want to use as a template? Here’s how I made my template file for my reMarkable 2.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-69.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_How-to-Make-Templates-Files-for-Your-reMarkable-Image-4.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/#upload-the-template-image)

If you want more background on working with images and system files, I go into much more detail in my reMarkable 2 template guide here.

### What I Learned

After testing different file names, formats, and even invalid files, here’s what seems to be happening behind the scenes.

The reMarkable does **not** appear to hardcode which images are used. Instead, it attempts to load **every file** in the `carousel` directory. Subdirectories are ignored entirely which is why moving the images into a backup folder effectively turns the overlay off.

Files that aren’t valid images (such as text files or empty files) are still iterated over, but they appear as *nothing* on screen. When watching the logs with `journalctl` these images cause errors that are logged quietly in the background.

I also learned that file names and extensions don’t seem to matter. The images are **not shown alphabetically** and the order appears to follow filesystem order instead. Both `PNG` and `JPEG` images worked, and orientation metadata `EXIF` was respected, which is why one of my photos initially appeared sideways.

Finally, the device automatically scaled every image I tested. Each overlay sat on top of my existing sleep screen rather than filling the display, which dashed my hopes of a true full sleep screen rotating system.

![Collage of four photos showing different custom overlays on my reMarkable Move shown over my custom screen.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/12/compressed_Exploring-the-reMarkable-Sleep-Screen-Overlay---Image.png)

Four views of custom overlays on my reMarkable Move shown over my custom screen.

One important confirmation: this overlay behavior is **completely separate from your actual sleep screen image**. Disabling or modifying the overlay does not reset or replace the sleep screen you’ve already chosen.

---

## Where This Might Go Next

Right now, reMarkable doesn’t seem to expose any user-facing settings for this behavior. Everything appears to be driven entirely by what exists in the `carousel` folder.

When I first noticed the overlay, I briefly considered whether it might be possible to fully customize the images *and* control their order from within [*Simply Customize It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/). In theory, that could be interesting especially if the overlays could be made full-screen.

That said, I’m not convinced this is realistically achievable. Even if I did manage to make it work, there’s a good chance a future reMarkable update would change the underlying behavior and make it no longer applicable.

If you end up experimenting with this yourself and uncover more details, I’d genuinely love to hear about it. Feel free to leave a comment below or [email me](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=reMarkable%20Overlay%20Customization). And if there’s enough interest, I’d be open to adding this to the roadmap and continuing to explore what’s possible.

And like always, I hope this helped and you’re having a great day! 💕

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com) pages. You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simply Customize It 1.0.21: Small Fix for Sleep Screen Overlay Button
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-21-small-fix-for-sleep-screen-overlay-toggle/
Last updated: 2025-12-19T21:48:21.000Z
This is a very small update, but an important one if you’re using the new **Disable Overlay** button that was added recently.

That button disables the rotating sleep screen overlay that was introduced on the **reMarkable Paper Pro** and **Paper Pro Move** in the reMarkable **OS 3.25 beta**. 

---

## What happened

After releasing version **1.0.20** I received an email that made me realize I’d missed a critical step in one specific case.

If you tried to disable the rotating sleep screen overlay **before** the reMarkable filesystem had been remounted as writable, the command would fail as the device was still in **read-only mode**.

In other words:

- The button existed
- The logic was correct
- But the underlying command couldn’t complete unless the device was explicitly remounted first

That’s on me. 

---

## What’s fixed in this update

In **1.0.21**, I’ve updated the button execution so that it now:

1. Ensures the reMarkable filesystem is mounted as writable
2. Then runs the command (added in the last update) to disable the rotating sleep screen overlay

This makes the button reliable and safe to use, regardless of the device’s current mount state.

No new features. No UI changes. Just a correction to make sure the tool does what it says it does.

## Why this matters

Technically, you *could* work around this by syncing, importing, or uploading templates or screens first (which would remount the filesystem as writable), and then disabling the overlay.

But I wanted this to work **regardless of the order** you use things in.

*Simply Customize It* is designed to remove friction and guesswork; not add to it. When something doesn’t behave as expected, even in a narrow edge case, it’s worth fixing quickly and cleanly.

## What was the 3.25 beta update?

If you missed it, here’s the context:

[reMarkable OS 3.25 Beta: A Quick Heads Up About Sleep Screen BehaviorA quick heads up for reMarkable beta users about a change in sleep screen behavior observed on Paper Pro devices in OS 3.25 beta.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-64.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Customize-It---3.25---Cover-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/remarkable-os-3-25-beta-a-quick-heads-up-about-sleep-screen-behavior/)

This update introduced a ****rotating set of images layered over the sleep screen image**. This behavior currently ****does not affect the reMarkable 2**.

Following that, I released:

[Simply Customize It 1.0.20: Turn Off The Rotating Sleep Screen OverlayA new update to Simply Customize It adds a safe way to disable the rotating sleep screen overlay introduced in reMarkable OS 3.25 beta. This post explains what changed, how the new tools work, and includes a quick note on pricing going forward.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-65.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_App-Update---Customize-It---Turn-Off-The-Rotating-Sleep-Screen-Overlay---Screenshot---Image--1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-20-turn-off-the-rotating-sleep-screen-overlay/)

I was able to figure out how to turn off the overlay and shared the ability with you.

### **Updating**

This update is being submitted as a standalone patch.

If you’re already on 1.0.20 and using the sleep screen overlay toggle I recommend installing **1.0.21**.

---

As always, thank you for the emails, messages, and quiet *hey, something feels off here* notes... they genuinely help make the app better.

💕 Kyra
### Simply Customize It 1.0.20: Turn Off The Rotating Sleep Screen Overlay
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-20-turn-off-the-rotating-sleep-screen-overlay/
Last updated: 2025-12-18T13:49:02.000Z
## What’s New

Recently, I noticed that my **reMarkable Paper Pro** and **Paper Pro Move** (running the **3.25 beta**) were showing *rotating system illustrations* overlaid on top of my sleep screen image when locking the device.

This didn’t appear to affect my **reMarkable 2**.

[reMarkable OS 3.25 Beta: A Quick Heads Up About Sleep Screen BehaviorA quick heads up for reMarkable beta users about a change in sleep screen behavior observed on Paper Pro devices in OS 3.25 beta.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-62.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Customize-It---3.25---Cover.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/remarkable-os-3-25-beta-a-quick-heads-up-about-sleep-screen-behavior/)

I shared a quick heads up and my initial reaction here in case you missed it.

## The Fix

After some testing, I found a way to **turn off the rotating overlay behavior** on devices that support it without changing or resetting your actual sleep screen image.

I’ve added this directly into **Simply Customize It** so you don’t need to run any commands yourself.

## New Tools

You’ll find a new section in **Screens**, just below **My Groups**, with three buttons:

- **Disable Overlay** – Turns off the rotating system illustrations so your sleep screen remains fully visible.
- **Restore Overlay** – Restores the default behavior by undoing the change made when disabling the overlay.  
  - This won’t force the feature on devices like the reMarkable 2\. It simply restores the original state.
- **Check Status** – Runs a quick check (without changing anything) to see whether the overlay behavior is currently enabled.

## Good to Know

- This only affects the **overlay behavior**. It does **not** replace or reset your chosen sleep screen image.
- If you’re using the default sleep screen, it will remain set. If you’re using a custom image, it won’t revert back.
- If your device doesn’t support this feature, these tools won’t visibly change anything. That said, they’re safe to run.
- I’ve noticed that after restoring the overlay and restarting the reMarkable, it may not appear until you **unlock the device once**.

## A Quick Note on Pricing

As *Simply Customize It* continues to grow and adapt quickly to reMarkable updates and new devices pricing for **new subscribers** will be increasing. If you’re already subscribed **your current pricing is not changing at this time**.

This update helps support ongoing development, device testing, and timely updates when reMarkable makes system-level changes. Thank you for being here. Your support truly makes this work possible.
### reMarkable OS 3.25 Beta: A Quick Heads Up About Sleep Screen Behavior
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/remarkable-os-3-25-beta-a-quick-heads-up-about-sleep-screen-behavior/
Last updated: 2025-12-21T01:31:19.000Z
Today I updated all of my reMarkable devices to the **OS 3.25 beta**, including:

- reMarkable 2
- reMarkable Paper Pro
- reMarkable Paper Pro Move

Overall, the update itself went smoothly. Notes, syncing, and general usage all behaved as expected. However, I did notice a **change in sleep screen behavior** on the Paper Pro models that I wanted to share early, just as a heads up for anyone considering the beta.

This post is informational only (**no panic needed**) but if you care deeply about your custom sleep screen, it’s something worth being aware of.

If you prefer a visual walkthrough, here’s a short video showing what I observed shortly after updating.

> *This video was recorded quickly to share early observations. Additional details and context are included below.*

## Update: December 18th 2025

Just released an update with [Simply Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com) that, at this time, lets you turn off the rotating sleep screen overlay. This was tested on both my reMarkable Paper Pro and Paper Pro Move. At this time the overlay doesn't appear on my reMarkable 2 but in case it does in the future the fix isn't locked to the Paper Pro.

[Simply Customize It 1.0.20: Turn Off The Rotating Sleep Screen OverlayA new update to Simply Customize It adds a safe way to disable the rotating sleep screen overlay introduced in reMarkable OS 3.25 beta. This post explains what changed, how the new tools work, and includes a quick note on pricing going forward.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-63.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_App-Update---Customize-It---Turn-Off-The-Rotating-Sleep-Screen-Overlay---Screenshot---Image-.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-20-turn-off-the-rotating-sleep-screen-overlay/)

## Update: December 20th, 2025

I went down a bit of a rabbit hole after this and have now shared what I found, how the overlay works, and a couple of ways to handle it whether you have my app or not. 

[Exploring the reMarkable Sleep Screen Overlay (and How to Tinker with It Yourself!)A quiet change in reMarkable OS 3.25 added a rotating illustration overlay to the sleep screen on Paper Pro devices. I went digging to see how it works, how to turn it off, and what happens if you start poking around yourself.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-70.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Exploring-the-reMarkable-Sleep-Screen-Overlay----Screenshot---Image-.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/exploring-the-remarkable-sleep-screen-overlay-and-how-to-tinker-with-it-yourself/)

---

## **What I Observed**

### **reMarkable 2**

On reMarkable 2, everything works as expected.

- Custom sleep screens remain in place
- No visible changes from previous behavior
- *Simply Customize It* works normally for sleep screen images

No issues to report here.

---

### **reMarkable Paper Pro & Paper Pro Move**

On both the Paper Pro and the Move, the behavior is slightly different.

- You **can still replace the sleep screen** with a custom image
- However, there appears to be a **new system-level sleep screen behavior** layered on top
- The device looks like it may be **cycling or rotating through multiple sleep screens**

After updating to OS 3.25 beta on the Paper Pro devices I originally imported the default sleep screen and it was simply a white image with text only at the very top.

After uploading my custom sleep screen image I noticed what appears to be a **system overlay** layered on top of the custom image. This suggests that if I *had not* changed the sleep screen, the behavior would likely have appeared as the default sleep screen updating or changing in the background, rather than as a visible overlay on a custom image.

---

## What This Is (and What It Isn’t)

At this point, I **cannot confirm** whether this behavior is:

- a beta-only bug
- a new default behavior for Paper Pro devices (assuming)
- or a feature that will eventually be optional or configurable (hoping)

What I *can* confirm:

- This **shows** above your custom sleep screen images
- This is **limited to sleep screen presentation**
- This behavior was observed on **beta software**, which is unfinished by design

---

## Others Are Seeing This Too

I’m not the only one noticing this behavior. A Reddit thread discussing the **OS 3.25 beta** was posted earlier today, and other users are reporting similar sleep screen updates:

> [3.25 Beta is out](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/1poaxu4/325%5Fbeta%5Fis%5Fout/?ref=simplykyra.com)  
> by [u/elmwn](https://www.reddit.com/user/elmwn/?ref=simplykyra.com) in [RemarkableTablet](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/?ref=simplykyra.com) 

---

## What This Means for *Simply Customize It* Users

If you use **Simply Customize It** primarily to set a custom sleep screen image:

- Your images are still safe
- Uploading and replacing sleep screens still works
- You may see additional system behavior layered on top on Paper Pro devices while on the beta

If you prefer a **completely static sleep screen**, you may want to:

- wait for the stable release
- or keep an eye on how this behavior evolves during the beta period

As always, beta software can change before release.

---

## Final Thoughts

This post is simply meant as an **early heads up**, not a warning or alarm.

The update otherwise appears stable, and it’s very possible this behavior will be refined or clarified before the stable release.

I’ll continue testing and will share updates if anything changes or becomes clearer.

If you’ve noticed this behavior as well or if your experience differs feel free to [reach out](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=reMarkable%203.25%20update) or comment. Shared observations help everyone navigate beta updates more confidently. 

And like always I hope you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Calm Tools & Things I Actually Use
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/calm-tools-things-i-actually-use/
Last updated: 2026-05-04T17:29:08.000Z
With the holiday season approaching, I’ve seen a lot of *products I love* lists showing up on my socials. I recently updated my own social entry page and realized that having a static place to share tools, resources, and everyday things I’ve used and loved over the years might be helpful.

Some I use daily, some I return to in waves, and a few are loved but not used right now. That said, all are shared honestly, without pressure, and not with promises of future productivity or goal setting.

Note: Some links are referral or affiliate links. Yet many things here are simple favorites shared because they’ve been genuinely helpful.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/12/compressed_Calm-Tools---Things-I-actually-use---Pinterest.png)

💕 **Pin this post to come back to later.*

---

## Movement & Body

*Ways of moving that feel supportive, not punishing.*

### Lindywell Pilates 

**Referral**

Lindywell (started by Robin Long and previously called The Balanced Life) has been part of my life for a long time. I first shared [Lindywell back in 2018](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pilates-with-robin-long/) when she announced her *Mind Body Pilates* challenge, then again during the pandemic when I shared [my favorite at home workouts](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/free-at-home-workouts-to-de-stress/), and then recently created a post again [(this one has the most information)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pilates-my-favorite-thing/)! 

What kept me coming back and working out consistently was her *Grace over Guilt* mindset along with loving the message in the videos making me feel confident participating in front of my kids hoping they take it in. There’s no punishment for inconsistency, just encouragement to keep showing up in whatever way you can. Over time they’ve added more instructors, more programs, and even recipes (which I fully intend to use… and then forget about again).

It’s gentle, grounding, and very aligned with how I want movement to feel.

[Check Out Lindywell Pilates](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822)

*Refer a Friend: We both get $20 off. You on your initial membership and mine towards my renewal.*

---

### MadFit

**Simply a Favorite**

I found MadFit’s YouTube dance workouts during the pandemic and immediately loved them. Actually loved them enough to go back and [edit her into the at home workout post](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/free-at-home-workouts-to-de-stress/). The dancing felt joyful and stress-relieving in a way my body really needed at the time. When her app launched I bought a lifetime membership that first day.

Since then, she’s added more instructors and programs. There’s less of a focus on dance within the app but they've added embedded [YouTube workouts](https://www.youtube.com/@MadFit?ref=simplykyra.com) so you can still access everything in a single spot. It’s been a solid, no-pressure option that I can pick up here and there.

[Explore MadFit](https://madfit.co/?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

### Yogi Flight School

**Affiliate**

I found Yogi Flight School at the beginning of the school year after trying a different inversion program but not feeling it. What I love most are the weekly two-hour live sessions, but not in a high-pressure way but simply as a gentle anchor. If I miss one, I usually try to watch it later that week before the next one airs so I don’t feel behind.

It’s helped me feel more confident kicking up into pincha against the wall although I’m still working toward a handstand. Crow? I can sometimes get it for a second, which feels like a win.

Yogi Flight School periodically opens registration during live sessions events which I'm supposed to get affiliate links for as they come up. If there's a currently opened program feel free [to message me and I'll look the code up for you](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Yogi%20Flight%20School%20Affiliate%20Link). Or message me at anytime and I can create a note/reminder to let you know the next time it opens. 

---

## Community & Connection

*Spaces that prioritize belonging over performance.*

### Olympia Boss Society (OBS)

**Affiliate**

I’m increasingly drawn to spaces that reduce mental load and add connection, and both of those are present when attending an OBS event. It’s a women-led community centered on conversation, support, and being in rooms that don’t feel intimidating or transactional.

I’ve personally found OBS events to be thoughtful, welcoming, and genuinely supportive. These are in-person gatherings so if you’re local and interested in a women entrepreneur networking space that feels more human and less performative, this might be a good fit.

If you’re interested in membership, I have affiliate links for both options here:

[Monthly Membership](https://bosssocietycollective.circle.so/checkout/society-collective-monthly-membership-2025?affiliate%5Fcode=ddd504&ref=simplykyra.com)

[Annual Membership](https://bosssocietycollective.circle.so/checkout/2025-annual?affiliate%5Fcode=ddd504&ref=simplykyra.com)

I do receive a small commission if you join through these links, but there’s absolutely no pressure.

Event tickets are shared individually as they come up. If you’re curious about an upcoming Connection Night or want help finding the right event link feel free to [email](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=OBS) or [message me on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). I’m always happy to share my honest experience.

---

### iOS Dev Happy Hour

**Simply a Favorite**

For a non-local option, I recommend iOS Dev Happy Hour. I finally attended this last year (2025) and found it to be a low-pressure space for current and aspiring iOS developers to connect, share experiences, ask questions, and simply hang out.

It’s usually held once a month (there wasn’t one this past December) and offers a casual and welcoming two-hour Zoom that’s intentionally not about showing off or performing expertise.

I appreciate that it creates room for learning, curiosity, and community without hierarchy. Most events include a short presentation and/or breakout rooms, giving you the option to listen quietly or participate more actively... whatever fits the season you’re in. It’s a nice reminder that development doesn’t have to be solitary to be meaningful.

[Check when the next one is here.](https://www.iosdevhappyhour.com/?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

## Learning & Curiosity

*Resources for learning at your own pace.*

### Hacking with Swift

**Simply a Favorite**

When I was actively learning Apple development, this was one of my core resources. I started with Paul Hudson’s *100 Days of Swift* and *SwiftUI* before eventually becoming a subscriber as I wanted access to his live events. The explanations are clear, encouraging, and designed for real humans rather than assuming prior knowledge.

I’ve been a member for years and now try to join each of the monthly live sessions, mostly because I almost always learn something new. There’s a lot of depth here, and I often feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface, which I actually appreciate.

If you’re curious about Swift or Apple development, it’s a solid place to explore at your own pace.

[Learn Here](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/plus?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

### NetGalley

**Simply a Favorite**

I came across NetGalley back in 2017 when looking at reviews for a pre-released Any Weir book *Artemis* and noticed the reviews all mentioned NetGalley. I decided to look it up, signed up, requested the book, and got it! I was hooked ever since. 

Time feels more fleeting now and they keep sending out cool books that I don't want to miss so my approved books have gone up and my feedback rate has gone down. That said, the ability to request advance copies of books in exchange for reviews if amazing and I’ve used it as a low-pressure way to explore new reads and follow my curiosity without adding to physical clutter.... although now my virtual TBR pile is another matter. 

I use the [English *.com* version](https://www.netgalley.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) but it's also available in [Français](https://www.netgalley.fr/?ref=simplykyra.com), [Deutsch](https://www.netgalley.de/?ref=simplykyra.com), [日本語](https://www.netgalley.jp/?ref=simplykyra.com), and in [English with the UK](https://www.netgalley.co.uk/?ref=simplykyra.com)*.* They've also kicked off [a Booktrovert website](https://booktrovert.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) that I've gotten emails about but haven't had the time to indulge in yet.

[Explore NetGalley](https://www.netgalley.com/?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

## **Everyday Calm & Home**

*Small comforts that soften everyday life.*

### **Tea Spot**

**Referral**

I found *The Tea Spot* when I was experimenting with intermittent fasting and wanted something other than water during my fasting window. At the time we drank David’s Tea but were looking for something with without added sprinkles or sugar.

The fasting didn’t stick. The tea absolutely did.

My current go-to is *Black Pearls* with added cinnamon sticks and dried ginger. It’s become a small daily ritual... one in which I feel the need to get experimental with and so I just ordered a few new blends to try. It’s simple, grounding, and something I genuinely look forward to.

[Discover the Selection](https://prz.io/BGqobP6il?ref=simplykyra.com)

*Referral link: you’ll get $10 off your first order and I’ll receive points if you spend over $30.*

---

### LOKA Chai

**Affiliate**

I go through phases where I absolutely love tea and phases I prefer icy water. Over the years I've loved chai whether purchased at farmer's markets or brewed in a pot on the stove. I loved being able to customize it at home but hated the mess and didn't like how sweet the syrups were. As such when I came across the LOKA kickstarter I jumped on it. 

I do have the earlier version and put off using it as cleaning the stainless steel strainer is a bit annoying (kettle, teapot, and mug is simpler but less special) but they've since come out with a silicone version I haven't tried yet. Other than the strainer it's simple to brew and really easy to clean. And find it perfect if you want to make tea part of a ritual. 

I've heard the Starter Kit is a good entry as it comes with a chai blend. That said, I'm not the biggest fan of cardamom and prefer the black pearl from Tea Spot above combined with milk, ginger, and cinnamon.

[Get $15 off.](https://www.weareloka.com/KYRA79342?ref=simplykyra.com)

*Affiliate link: you’ll get $15 off your first order and if you love it and keep it past the 30 days return window I receive $15.*

---

### Ginger Labs

**Simply a Favorite**

Back when I lived in the Mountain View, California I absolutely loved Ginger Labs non-alcoholic ginger beer. Back then Zoey was strapped in the stroller and we made Ada sit in the back while the girls carefully held their sample cups. At that time they liked and were excited for ginger beer... but only chose to drink it at the farmers market so any purchases were mine! 

That last summer before we moved I walked to the farmers marked almost every week coming home with two refilled growlers for the family... I had hoped we'd get sick of it and miss it less... that never happened.

Now we live two states away and it’s still a treat we get excited about when I order a box of four growlers. It tastes amazing by itself, okay with alcohol, and sublime as floats... especially if it forms little ice crystals on the vanilla ice cream. 

[Check Which Flavors Are On Tap](https://drinkgingerlab.com/collections/brews?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

### Lume Deodorant

**Referral**

I know deodorant isn't fun but figured I'd share my go to brand. I found this aluminum-free brand years ago, had a bit of trouble switching (felt super smelly for about a week), but haven't had an issue since. I make sure to stock up whenever there's a sale.

[Explore Lume](https://prz.io/E15690nUKsktN8diV?ref=simplykyra.com)

*Referral link: you’ll receive $10 off when you create an account and I may receive the same.*

---

### Stasher Bags

**Referral**

I absolutely adore Stasher Bags. I usually wait for sales to buy, and I honestly haven’t disliked a single thing I’ve purchased. This includes the plastic-wrap replacements I picked up on Black Friday after being disappointed by different brand's version.

Stasher Bags have become part of our everyday kitchen rhythm and have popped up several times on my blog including [storing leftover frozen sheet pan pancakes](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-changed-up-my-sheet-pan-pancakes-to-make-them-more-exciting/) along with a plethora of produce over the years. Practical, durable, and a swap that truly stuck.

[Get the Coupon](https://oken.do/qwlbrbaf?ref=simplykyra.com)

*You get a coupon for 20% off and I get credit for my next set.*

---

### Mason Jar Lifestyle

**Simply a Favorite**

When sharing Stasher bags I natural also think about my mason jars. They're perfect when storing [homemade yogurt](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-make-my-own-yogurt-for-my-simple-breakfast/), chicken broths, and leftover soups in the fridge or freezer (don't forget to leave some headspace!). Sometimes I even use them for dry goods (kids' candy corn from the fall right now). I was never a mason jar as decor person but years ago I came across this website and loved the reusable stainless steel lids with silicone liners. From there I expanded to a cherry picker and several other speciality lids. They sell everything you could need... except for the glass jars themselves! Overall they're simple, functional, and easy to integrate without a full kitchen overhaul.

[See the Storage Lids I Use](https://masonjarlifestyle.com/collections/mason-storage-lids/products/stainless-steel-storage-lids-caps-with-silicone-seals-for-mason-jars?variant=46983403766041&ref=simplykyra.com)

---

## Making & Slow Projects

*Creative tools for slower, hands-on seasons.*

### Girl Charlee Fabrics

**Referral**

I found Girl Charlee back when I was sewing more regularly and my website made at most $10 a year from sewing pattern referrals. Most of the sewing pattern companies and fabric stores seem to have since gone away but Girl Charlee is still here. I loved them for their discounted Friday (I think?) emails as those fabrics had less stress to practice with. My sewing pace has dramatically slowed, and my stash is… generous... so I haven’t justified any recent purchases but I keep looking at the emails when they arrive in my inbox. 

[Browse the Fabrics](https://i.refs.cc/lODYAR7T?smile%5Fref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjoyNzczNzE1MDI3fQ%3D%3D&ref=simplykyra.com)

*Referral link: you’ll receive $5 off when you create an account and I may receive the same.*

---

## Workspace Comfort

*Quiet support for long hours and tired bodies.*

### Ikaria Soul Seat

**Simply a Favorite**

I came across this chair during the pandemic and almost didn't buy it... and I'm so glad I did. Though I do think it's ruined me for normal chairs. 

My soul seat has made a real difference for my body during long stretches at the computer allowing me to switch positions and posture in a way that feels more intuitive than a standard desk chair. It’s one of those background things that quietly helps... not exciting, just genuinely supportive.

Additionally, I really love the company itself. Once the spring in the perch broke and I emailed them just to find out the design had changed and was immediately shipped a replacement. This last year the wool started wearing and before deciding to [patch with wool roving](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/a-cozy-repair-mending-my-soul-seat-with-wool-roving/) I messaged them for ideas... and they later followed up. 

Recently the plastic in a wheel started breaking and I was pleased to see they sold both individual wheels and sets of 5 (I bought the five just in case). They also followed up asking how a free sewing pattern they released to make your own slip cover was... I hadn't sewn it yet but had downloaded just in case... that reminds me I should print it. 

[Soul Seat Computer Chair](https://www.ikariadesign.com/shop/chairs?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

This list will be updated over time with things added, paused, or quietly removed. Everything here is shared as it is, not as a promise of future productivity.

This page will change as seasons do, and that’s part of the point.

I hope something here made your day feel a little lighter. If it did, feel free to share in the comments below for others.
### One Tiny Stand Goal. One Mini Spiral.
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/one-tiny-stand-goal-one-mini-spiral/
Last updated: 2025-12-02T19:37:02.000Z
Ever have one of those *accidentally ridiculous* moments where one tiny thought unravels into a whole mini adventure?

![Smiling woman next to upside-down poses. Text reads: One Tiny Stand Goal. One Mini Spiral.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/12/compressed_One-Tiny-Stand-Goal.-One-Mini-Spiral.---Pinterest.png)

💕 Save this story for when you need a soft laugh (or a calm tech reminder).

Yesterday, after lunch, I was sitting comfortably back at my computer when my brain reminded me: 

“You’re taking the kids to Costco after school… you should charge your watch.”

But… I couldn’t... because I hadn’t hit my stand goal yet.

Earlier, although I had put it off as *just one more thing first*, I had technically already worked out and changed for the day. Still, that stand goal needed to be achieved.

So naturally, I did the only logical thing:

I flipped myself upside down on my feet-up trainer, started a core workout (so the watch would register the movement and give me that stand credit), and opened my current go to Apple Arcade game since… well… I was already there. Simply trying to earn one stand hour and a little dopamine.

Somewhere between the feel-good stretches and firing fuzzy piffle balls at digital obstacles, I realized… *this could be content!*

Watch the moment unfold... upside down and all.

A blog post. Maybe a reel. Maybe both.

Then at six minutes in I thought, *yes… maybe?*

Then debated it some more before deciding it was valid.

Then debated filming it another time because my phone was currently busy being my gaming console... but by 10 minutes in I’d convinced myself: *this deserves documentation.*

So I hopped down, walked straight into my husband’s office (he was mid-meeting), slowly reached under his monitor, *snagged his phone*, returned to my setup, set it up, hit record on a time-lapse, and got back to it like nothing unusual was happening.

I even threw in a pincha at the end because once you’ve committed to chaos why stop early?

Just under nineteen minutes total... with the final eight recorded.

I texted the time-lapse to myself, deleted the video, returned his phone, and sat back at my computer to jot down the whole experience before it evaporated into the afternoon… feeling somewhat delighted by the entire saga. Then I glanced down at my wrist (*still not charging, of course)* and finally, finally plugged it in.

> **One tiny reminder. One mini spiral. One quiet reason I build calm tools.**

Because I’d gotten my stand goal… and thankfully hadn’t yet crossed into the next hour to repeat the whole process again. 

And days like this remind me why I build calm, simple tools: because tech should support our lives, not send us spiraling (or physically flipping) just to meet a goal.

****Feeling over-reminded by your tech?** I built [**Simply Remember It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it) to offer a softer way to keep track of what matters... no spirals, no guilt, no streaks to protect.

[→ Get the App ](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) 

> **One tiny reminder. One mini spiral. One quiet reason I build calm tools.**
### SimplyKyra Monthly Overview: November 2025
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/newsletter/simplykyra-monthly-overview-november-2025/
Last updated: 2026-01-31T14:54:06.000Z
I started today proud of myself... the night before I remembered to share my weekend recap to Instagram Stories, pulled out the kids’ advent calendars, and felt surprisingly organized… right up until I remembered I never wrote the November recap email. 

I’d planned to finish some widget testing first (making sure [*Simply Remember It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/)*'s* metrics were behaving!) but decided this was more immediate. So in between bus runs and then in that calm quiet afterward I sat down to get this one ready for you.

> ***Welcome back to the SimplyKyra Monthly Overview!***

I know inboxes can get crowded, so this one stays intentionally low-key. If you ever prefer only these monthly summaries (or want to adjust your subscriptions), you can update your settings at the bottom of this email.

---

## 🏡 This Month with Me

After October’s chaos, I found myself leaning into simple progress, family time, and small wins that helped rebuild momentum. November had a quieter rhythm with savoring time with my family over Thanksgiving break, feeling the quiet expectation of Christmas settle in, and finding small wins in my workout routine.

Combined with rediscovering my excitement for [*Simply Remember It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/) after last month’s data issue this month felt reflective but determined... a gentle, steady forward motion.

---

## 📱 App Updates

### [Simply Remember It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/)

*When did you last…? Now you know with no second-guessing required.*

[App Store: Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

This month brought [version 1.0.4](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-1-0-4/), a small but meaningful update for me because it confirmed that the foundation for widget development is solid and moving in the right direction.

If you’ve updated then your data is already migrated so it can be shared between the app and its upcoming widgets. Your tasks, measurements, and history remain exactly the same (private and fully under your control) just stored in a smarter place.

Like with last month with [*Simply Customize It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) I also used this update to move its [changelog](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-version-history/) out of the [FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-faqs/).

There were **no new updates for my other apps this month**, though I always keep an eye on emails and questions coming in… so feel free to keep them coming!

[Explore all SimplyKyra apps!](https://apps.apple.com/us/developer/simplykyra-llc/id1650115619?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

## 📚On the Blog

November ended up being shaped by mindset work with a pair of posts that reflect resilience, rebuilding, and that indie-dev emotional rollercoaster:

[When the Fix Isn’t in the CodeWhen you’re stuck (whether in code, creativity, or life) the fix isn’t always about pushing harder. Sometimes it’s about stepping sideways and seeing it differently.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-56.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_When-the-Fix-Isn---t-in-the-Code---Screenshot---Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/when-the-fix-isnt-in-the-code/)

A look at the moments where debugging your **mindset* becomes just as important as debugging your code.

[The Month I Lost My Data… and Found My Spark AgainA behind-the-scenes look at a real indie dev moment: losing my data, fixing the data migration, and rediscovering why I built Simply Remember It.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-57.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_The-Month-I-Lost-My-Data----and-Found-My-Spark-Again---Screenshot---Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/the-month-i-lost-my-data-and-found-my-spark-again/)

**A vulnerable retelling of losing data… and how it led to feeling more sure of what I am building.*

To balance the introspection I also finally finished a long-overdue post with photos I took back in September of 2024!

[Silver Peak Trail Near Snoqualmie PassA scenic photo guide to Silver Peak Trail near Snoqualmie Pass with tips on road conditions, parking passes, trail turn-offs, and epic views from the talus field!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-58.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Silver-Peak-Trail-Near-Snoqualmie-Pass---Image-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/silver-peak-trail-near-snoqualmie-pass/)

A photo-filled hike from **over a year ago* that I’d touched here and there. It felt good to finally give it space and share it.

---

## 💻 Coming Up Next

I’m continuing to work on **widgets for** [***Simply Remember It***](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/) along with more detailed debugging, with the plan to release everything together on **January 5th**. I'm part testing, part refining, part dreaming about where this could grow. Now that the foundation feels steady again I’m even more excited about the possibilities. 

If there’s anything you’d like improved in this next update, please reply and let me know.

On the [***Simply Customize It***](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) side, I’ve been thinking through a requested idea about transferring templates between devices. Nothing concrete yet, but it’s on my radar... and if that would be helpful for you, I’d love to hear it.

If there’s anything else you’d love to see next (a feature, tutorial, or blog topic), just hit reply. I always love hearing from you.

---

## 🌿 Something Extra 

With Thanksgiving and quieter family days this month, I’ve been grateful for simple moments... small walks, frozen dew in fog, and tiny daily pauses.

![The foreground is blurred offering a mid-ground of focused spider webbing on branches with frozen dew drops. The background has fog hidden silhouettes of trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/12/compressed_IMG_6758.jpeg)

My nature reels this month were recorded earlier (the one below at the end of October) but I continued capturing little moments for future calm-tech content.

---

## **💌 A Note on Preferences**

You’re receiving this email because you signed up for **Monthly Overview** a once-a-month roundup that highlights what’s new, what I’ve been working on, and a little extra behind-the-scenes.

I also offer **App Updates** and **Blog Updates** if you prefer more frequent notes. You can update what you receive anytime through your [account page](#/portal/account) by tapping *update your preferences*.

---

Thanks so much for being here and supporting SimplyKyra. It truly means the world. 💕

See you next month,

— Kyra
### The Month I Lost My Data… and Found My Spark Again
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/the-month-i-lost-my-data-and-found-my-spark-again/
Last updated: 2025-11-24T14:04:42.000Z
I wanted to share a small indie dev moment from this last month. A few weeks ago, I hit a moment most indie developers eventually run into… even if we hope we never do.

I was coding on my personal iPhone, trying to wrap my head around widgets, making little chunks of progress here and there… and I completely misunderstood how CloudKit treats local data when paired with a (widget-required) App Group.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/11/compressed_The-Month-I-Lost-My-Data----and-Found-My-Spark-Again---Pinterest.png)

💕 **Pin this post to come back to later.*

## The Moment Everything Disappeared

I accidentally wiped all of *my* data. Everything I had logged for months... gone.

Not yours! Just mine... and only because of how I was testing locally.

It was one of those quiet heartbreaks where you stare at your screen thinking,

> That… can’t be right.

Hindsight is always clear and now I know I wouldn’t make the same mistake and even how I could've recovered the data but... in the moment, all I knew was that I needed to pause.

## The Honest Frustration

At first it felt awful, frustrating, and so very draining. The kind of moment where you keep coding, but your heart isn’t really in it. I kept going… but something in me shut down, and I stopped caring just a little bit.

I still knew, however, that widgets were the next step for *Simply Remember It*. So I let myself step away from the *why* of what happened, added new sample data, and moved on to connecting the widgets properly... fetching tasks, showing them, and making everything look pretty again. 

Just realized while writing this that this... along with the navigation rewrite is what led to my last post [When the Fix Isn’t in the Code](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/when-the-fix-isnt-in-the-code/).

## Why It Hit So Hard

The whole goal of *Simply Remember It* is to make life feel a little lighter with those micro-moments:

> Oh yeah... it’s been two months since I replaced that.

> Pight... I changed my sheets Tuesday... I can wait a bit longer.

> Oh wow, I didn’t realize this was happening so much. Look at the pattern!

It’s simple, gentle clarity. And losing my own data reminded me just how comforting that clarity really is.

## The Turning Point

Between cooling down, creating the widgets, and seeing how my data *could* look again, the spark came back. I decided it was time to finally tackle *why* my data disappeared and then *how* to solve it safely.

> And I did... and suddenly the entire puzzle clicked. 

Once I understood the *why* and *how* I was able to test the migration process properly... first on one simulator, then more, and more. There was even a moment where I tested it on my phone, hoping I could get my old data back. I couldn’t... but only because earlier, when the widgets weren’t updating, I had deleted and reinstalled the app a few times which meant Apple had already cleared the old data.

But the migration process itself was solid. I finally borrowed my husband’s phone, *an untouched real-world test*, and confirmed I had a solution I trusted.

## A Fresh Update (Your Data)

[**Version 1.0.4**](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-1-0-4/) **of *Simply Remember It* is out now!**

With the safe path figured out, I released the update so everyone can move to the new shared data system and have the foundation the upcoming widgets need.

Your data remains private, safe, and fully in your control… just stored in a smarter place that your widgets can also access.

As of **November 20, 2025**, if you’re on [**version 1.0.4**](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-1-0-4/), your data already migrated quietly and automatically. New installs since then have used the new location from the start.

## The Unexpected

With the migration solved I could finally keep building the widgets without worrying about data safety. And with that I suddenly remembered exactly why I built *Simply Remember It* in the first place.

> Those tiny moments. 

> Those little patterns. 

> That quiet feeling of life making more sense. 

> It all came back.

## Video: A Little Indie Dev Moment

I recorded a short video about this tiny reset. It's raw, honest, and hopefully encouraging for anyone building things slowly and quietly in real life.

## Going Forward

Even though everyone else’s data is already safe, I’m adding optional backup and import tools to the app’s roadmap, *just in case*, for extra reassurance for both you and me.

But first… widgets!

## A Quiet Reset

Losing my data ended up being a small gift, though definitely not in the moment, but in hindsight.

It reminded me that tiny, personal tools can make life feel steadier.

It reminded me that slow progress still counts.

And it reminded me that even when things break, there’s always a path back to clarity.

Thank you for being here.

More coming soon.

💕 Kyra
### Simply Remember It: Preparing for Widgets (and Keeping Your Data Safe!)
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-1-0-4/
Last updated: 2025-11-20T03:18:30.000Z
Today’s update is a small one on the surface, but an important one behind the scenes... especially as *Simply Remember It* gets ready for the new **widgets coming in January**!

This release lays the technical foundation the widgets need so they can show your upcoming tasks, let you quickly log completions, reschedule with a tap, and give you charting at a glance. Nothing about how you use the app changes today, but this update makes everything that comes next possible.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/11/compressed_Preparing-for-Widgets--and-Keeping-Your-Data-Safe-----Pinterest.png)

---

## What's New

## Smarter, Safer Data Storage

*Simply Remember It* now uses a more secure storage system that is **shared** between the app and its upcoming widgets.

Before, your data lived in the default iCloud location Apple assigns to every app. That worked great for the app alone, but widgets need a shared, central data store to stay fast and accurate. So this update quietly moves your data into a protected **App Group container** that both the app and widgets can access safely.

Your tasks, measurements, and history remain exactly the same, private and fully under your control, just stored in a smarter place.

### One-Time Automatic Migration

If you’ve used *Simply Remember It* before this update, the app will **automatically and quietly** move your existing data into its new shared space.

It takes just a moment.

You won’t see a popup.

And you don’t need to do anything at all.

If you’re installing the app for the first time, you won’t notice anything... you’re already set up in the new system.

### iCloud Sync Works the Same

Your data will continue syncing through iCloud just as before. Nothing about your syncing, sharing, or device behavior changes.

This update simply prepares the app for what’s coming next.

If you use **Simply Remember It* on multiple devices, please update your other devices so you’re not working from two different data locations. 

This is a one-time step. After updating, everything stays in sync as usual.

---

## Why This Matters

I’m building a set of new widgets for January so you can see at a glance:

- see what’s due at a glance
- quickly log something done
- or simply reschedule it
- view charts without opening the app

For widgets to be **reliable, fast, and safe**, the app and widgets must share the same data store. This update puts that foundation in place so everything feels seamless when the new widgets arrive.

A quiet but important update.

---

## A Quick Thank You

Thank you for using *Simply Remember It* and for sticking with me as I continue polishing and expanding the app. I know this release looks simple, but it unlocks a lot of exciting improvements coming very soon.

As always, if anything feels off or you have questions, you can reach me anytime by commenting below or tapping [email me here](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It%201.0.4). 

And, as always, wishing you a wonderful day… and more soon.

— Kyra
### Simply Remember It: Version History
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-version-history/
Last updated: 2026-08-13T22:28:58.000Z
Originally I had the changelog showing a chronological list of all the *Simply Remember It* updates on the FAQ page. 

It was getting a bit long so I pulled it out to have its own page. 

Each version lists its release date, a short summary, and a link to the full post where you can read more about that update.

---

## App Versions 

**Version 2.2.7**: *Coming Soon* \- What started with a small widget annoyance quickly turned into a deeper look at sharing along with a few other things that needed tidying up along the way.

**Version 2.2.6**: August 7th, 2026 - Fixed a bug where some widgets would fail to load their categories, which could cause the widget to stop loading tasks or show 'Task Not Found' when tapped.

[Simply Remember It 2.2.6: Continuing the TasksFixed a bug where some widgets would fail to load their categories, which could cause the widget to stop loading tasks or show ‘Task Not Found’ when tapped.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-0f57dba5-529b-499c-8b66-b1f9e63c0cf6.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Remember-It---2.2.6----Screenshot---Image-9811e3c9-456e-494c-9f69-425bfe90e51e.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-6/)

**Version 2.2.5**: August 6th, 2026 - This is a patch that started with a new widget showing up empty but included a catch for a crash.

[Simply Remember It 2.2.5: Getting the TasksThis is a patch that started with a new widget showing up empty but included a catch for a crash.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-c0e3257d-6f61-4e48-ab2a-2d11b2e519b6.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Remember-It---2.2.3----Screenshot---Image-93621e52-7a02-4e2b-9378-56e924958b86.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-5/)

**Version 2.2.4**: July 28th, 2026 - This update came from a very specific problem: an orthodontist expander on a twice a week schedule and me counting backward every time. Now the app counts for me.

[Simply Remember It 2.2.4: Counting the Days BetweenThis update came from a very specific problem: an orthodontist expander on a twice a week schedule and me counting backward every time. Now the app counts for me.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-3d3fae9f-be08-46c1-a816-634666077707.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Remember-It---2.2.4----Screenshot---Image-4708e29c-1877-40c1-9bfa-e6da2ef3bcd5.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-4/)

**Version 2.2.3**: July 15th, 2026 - Small but passing on some fixes sooner rather than later.

[Simply Remember It 2.2.3: Small Fixes, Bigger FoundationSmall but passing on some fixes sooner rather than later.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-2eed2916-8628-451a-b1d3-e931d59d982e.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Remember-It---2.2.3----Screenshot---Image-f903583f-7b9b-40fa-b4d6-f4f4e5a2a978.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-3/)

**Version 2.2.2**: April 1st, 2026 - What started as an accessibility audit checklist item turned into a deeper look at the whole codebase. Formal accessibility support is now listed on the App Store product page plus a handful of fixes that came along for the ride.

[Simply Remember It 2.2.2: The Quiet FixesWhat started as an accessibility audit checklist item turned into a deeper look at the whole codebase. Formal accessibility support is now listed on the App Store product page plus a handful of fixes that came along for the ride.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-6ea4ffe6-8834-4f0f-8f2d-eab1c772eba3.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Remember-It---2.2.2----Screenshot---Image-2-1-d76ca032-10d8-4fd9-8336-cbed19dc4ba9.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-2-the-quiet-fixes/)

**Version 2.2.1:** April 1st, 2026 - 2.2.1 came from something real: testing sharing with my own family and seeing exactly what needed fixing. This patch includes ability to rename people, widget filtering, incoming task defaults, and a few quieter things that are just better now.

[Simply Remember It 2.2.1: Understandable Sharing2.2.1 came from something real: testing sharing with my own family and seeing exactly what needed fixing. This patch includes ability to rename people, widget filtering, incoming task defaults, and a few quieter things that are just better now.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-125.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Remember-It---2.2.0---Understandable-Sharing---Screenshot---Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-1-understandable-sharing/)

**Version 2.2.0:** March 27th, 2026 - Instead of explaining what Simply Remember It does, the new onboarding shows you what it can do for you. That's a small shift that changes everything.

[Simply Remember It 2.2.0: A Better First HelloInstead of explaining what Simply Remember It does, the new onboarding shows you what it can do for you. That’s a small shift that changes everything.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-122.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Remember-It---2.2.0---A-Better-First-Hello---Screenshot---Image-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-2-0/)

**Version 2.1.0:** March 13th, 2026 - The biggest update since 2.0... and the one I've been quietly building toward.

[Simply Remember It 2.1.0: Remember It... TogetherThe biggest update since 2.0... and the one I’ve been quietly building toward.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-110.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Simply-Remember-It-Update-1.1.0---Screenshot---Image-.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-1-0-remember-it-together/)

**Version 2.0.3:** February 21st, 2026\-Simply Remember It 2.0.3 focuses on reducing small friction points I've noticed recently including making the task creating simpler. 

[Simply Remember It 2.0.3: Task Creation, Smoothed OutSimply Remember It 2.0.3 focuses on reducing small friction points I’ve noticed recently including making the task creating simpler.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-106.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_App-Update---Remember-It---2.0.3---Clearer-Beginnings---Screenshot---Image-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-0-3-task-creation-smoothed-out/)

**Version 2.0.2:** January 19th, 2026\-Simply Remember It 2.0.2 focuses on reliability, with smoother group logging, more predictable due dates, and steadier chart views.

[Simply Remember It 2.0.2: Small Fixes That Help Things Stay PutSimply Remember It 2.0.2 focuses on reliability, with smoother group logging, more predictable due dates, and steadier chart views.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-96.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_App-Update---Remember-It---2.0.2---Small-Fixes-That-Help-Things-Stay-Put---Screenshot---Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-0-2-small-fixes-that-help-things-stay-put/)

**Version 2.0.1:** January 7th, 2026 - As I keep using Simply Remember It day to day, I notice small places where things can feel lighter. This update removes a few of those moments. Nothing new to learn, just less getting in the way.

[Simply Remember It 2.0.1: A Small, Calmer UpdateAs I keep using Simply Remember It day to day, I notice small places where things can feel lighter. This update removes a few of those moments. Nothing new to learn, just less getting in the way.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-93.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_App-Update---Remember-It---2.0.1---A-Small--Calmer-Update---Screenshot---Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-0-1-a-small-calmer-update/)

**Version 2.0.0:** January 5th, 2026 - Simply Remember It 2.0 introduces widgets, quicker access, and gentler check-ins making it easier to see what’s due, notice patterns, and move on.

[Simply Remember It 2.0: Quicker Access, Gentler Check-InsSimply Remember It 2.0 introduces widgets, quicker access, and gentler check-ins making it easier to see what’s due, notice patterns, and move on.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-94.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_App-Update---Remember-It---2.0.0---Quicker-Access--Gentler-Check-Ins---Screenshot---Image-.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-2-0-quicker-access-gentler-check-ins/)

**Version 1.0.4:** November 20th, 2025 - A small behind-the-scenes update that prepares Simply Remember It for the new widgets arriving in January. Your data is now stored in a safer, shared location so everything stays quick, reliable, and in sync across devices.

[Simply Remember It: Preparing for Widgets (and Keeping Your Data Safe!)A small behind-the-scenes update that prepares Simply Remember It for the new widgets arriving in January. Your data is now stored in a safer, shared location so everything stays quick, reliable, and in sync across devices.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-87.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Preparing-for-Widgets--and-Keeping-Your-Data-Safe-----Screenshot---Image-.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-1-0-4/)

**Version 1.0.3:** September 18th, 2025 - Keep habits realistic and momentum flowing. Streaks now respect your repeat settings with grace windows to give you flexibility.

[Simply Remember It Update: Smarter Streaks, More GraceToday’s update focuses on keeping Simply Remember It rock-solid while making streaks feel more realistic for weekly, monthly, and even yearly habits.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-237.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Remember-It-103---Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-update-smarter-streaks-more-grace/)

**Version 1.0.2:** August 27th, 2025 - Sometimes the smallest bugs can ripple into the biggest updates. After discovering a crash in Simply Remember It on the iOS 26 beta I fixed it quickly and although un-replicable on other apps chose to update all my other Simply apps with the same protection.

[From One Small Bug to an Update EverywhereSometimes the smallest bugs can ripple into the biggest updates. After discovering a crash in Simply Remember It on the iOS 26 beta I fixed it quickly and although un-replicable on other apps chose to update all my other Simply apps with the same protection.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-124.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of---Image-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/from-one-small-bug-to-an-update-everywhere/)

**Version 1.0.1:** August 26th, 2025 - Large upgrade to offer another tracking option (yes/no measurement) and charting to spot trends better.

[Simply Remember It: Update with Smarter Charting for Clearer HistoryForget less, stress less. The latest Simply Remember It update adds yes/no tracking and smarter charting so you can focus on life while still keeping a clear view of your progress.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-123.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Simply-Remember-It-Update-with-Smarter-Charting-for-Clearer-History---Image-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-remember-it-update-with-smarter-charting-for-clearer-history/)

**Version 1.0.0:** August 8th, 2025 - Track what matters without the mental math.

[It’s Live! Simply Remember It Is Now in the App Store!Track what matters without the mental math![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-122.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Remember-It-Announcement---Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/its-live-simply-remember-it-is-now-in-the-app-store/)

---

## **Quick Links**

- 🛒 [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)
- 🌐 [Website](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/)
- 💬 [FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-faqs/)
- 🛠 [Version History](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-changelog/)
- ⭐ [Leave a Review](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6749085897?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com)

## Help or Updates?

- 💌 [Subscribe for App Updates](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-changelog/#/portal/signup)
- 📧 [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It:%20Version%20History)
### Silver Peak Trail Near Snoqualmie Pass
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/silver-peak-trail-near-snoqualmie-pass/
Last updated: 2025-11-10T15:00:13.000Z
Back in September 2024, I hiked most of Silver Peak Trail (which traces the southern wall of Snoqualmie Pass) with a friend. It was too beautiful not to share!

The trail took longer than expected, so we stopped for a snack before turning back just shy of the final ascent. Even without summiting, the views were incredible, and I thought you might enjoy coming along for this photo adventure.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Silver-Peak-Trail-Near-Snoqualmie-Pass---pinterest.png)

---

*Note: This hike was from September 2024\. Trail and road conditions can change. Always check current reports before heading out!*

---

## Good to Know

### Road 

The final few miles are extremely bumpy, with potholes and narrow sections that add to the challenge. Choose your vehicle wisely.

### Parking Pass

You will need a [Northwest Forest Pass](https://www.wta.org/go-outside/passes?ref=simplykyra.com#northwest-forest-pass-details) or [America the Beautiful Pass](https://store.usgs.gov/recreational-passes?ref=simplykyra.com) to park. From what I remember there wasn’t a payment station so plan ahead.

### Facilities

There’s no toilet at the trailhead or along the trail so make a stop beforehand.

### Trail Awareness

We downloaded the trail ahead of time but still almost missed a turn. The trail starts out on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) then about 1.7 miles from the trailhead it turns off. I saw several reviews mentioning piled rocks there and we still almost missed it. 

![Image shows a pile of rocks to the right of the trail showing the turn off from the PCT trail and up to Silver Peak.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8483.jpeg)

### Activity Burn

In case you're curious here's the AllTrails activity burn overview.

![In 5.37 hours we did 5.79 miles with an elevation gain of 1812 feet.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/07/compressed_IMG_8752.PNG)

### Map

We turned back before what I'm assuming is the final ascent so if you look close you can see the green ending before the peak's tip. 

![Sceenshot of the hike from AllTrails showing where we started and turned back. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Screenshot-2024-09-14-at-19.39.45.png)

I love switching to map in the Photos app and being able to pick out the trail based on the photo history.

![Collage showing the photo app's map.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/07/compressed_Screenshot-Silver-Peak-Trail-Near-Snoqualmie-Pass---Image-Map-Photos.png)

### Plan Ahead

This hike was done back in September of 2024\. Be sure to check out more up to date information. Two good sources can be found through [Washington Trail Association](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/silver-peak?ref=simplykyra.com) or [AllTrails](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/silver-peak-trail?ref=simplykyra.com) which includes a downloadable map and more information like whether the road is closed or not. 

[Silver PeakAt 5605 feet of elevation, Silver Peak is the tallest mountain guarding the southern wall of Snoqualmie Pass. Silver Peak has more than 2000 feet of prominence and provides commanding, panoramic views of the eastern end of Snoqualmie Pass and the surrounding mountains and lakes.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-5.png)Washington Trails AssociationHike Description Written by Maxwell Krem, WTA Correspondent![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/DSCN7811_rev-1.jpg)](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/silver-peak?ref=simplykyra.com)

### Berries

We saw dark stains on rocks (maybe from berries and critters) though no actual berries during our hike. Later I found several reviews mentioning them earlier in the season.

![Berry stains on the rocks.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8707.jpeg)

## Silver Peak Trail

This is a there and back hike so be sure you have enough food, energy, and time to return. We ran out of time and so turned back before getting to the very end. 

### Pacific Coast Trail

The first bit of the trail was the easiest bit. It was also shared with the famous Pacific Crest Trail so you may pass other longer term hikers.

![Light through the trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8440.jpeg)

![Mossy rocks.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8441.jpeg)

![View of the valley in the tree break.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8447.jpeg)

![Moss and flowers on a rock.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8453.jpeg)

![Tree break with hills and sky!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8454.jpeg)

![Dew on the leaves.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8463.jpeg)

![Mushroom of some type?](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8471.jpeg)

![Rocky dirt trail amongst the trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8473.jpeg)

![The mountain peaking above the trees with cloud cover.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8476.jpeg)

![The trail was smooth with roots.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8481.jpeg)

### Turn Off!

About 1.7 miles from the trailhead there's a pile of rocks at the side of the trail. When you see it be sure to turn off the path, go past the rocks. rather than walking straight past them to the left.

![Image shows a pile of rocks to the right of the trail showing the turn off from the PCT trail and up to Silver Peak.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8483.jpeg)

### Heading Up

From there you start heading up seeing epic sights on the way. Several times I noticed trails that had been closed with logs and/or rocks blocking the path. Be sure to keep an eye on your map to confirm you're going the right way.

![End of a log.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8487.jpeg)

![Sunbeams in the trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8492.jpeg)

![Path and trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8495.jpeg)

![Sunbeams through the tall trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8496.jpeg)

![The shaded and sun hewed path.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8499.jpeg)

![The blue with the green.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8501.jpeg)

![The root system in the trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8503.jpeg)

![Trees against the sky.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8506.jpeg)

![The destination peaks through. First glimpse of the far talus field.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8510.jpeg)

![More dew on leaves.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8512.jpeg)

![Rocks sometimes in the path I'd imagine that help erosion.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8514.jpeg)

![Image from above showing a blocked off path.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8515.jpeg)

![The trail weaving under the sunbeams.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8517.jpeg)

![The hills in the tree break.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8523.jpeg)

### Quick Climb

After awhile you'll need to scramble up a small section. It's scarier going down and not too bad.

![A steep-ish rock we climbed.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8525.jpeg)

### Continuing Up

And on we go!

![Trees and sun and sky.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8526.jpeg)

![Love the view!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8528.jpeg)

![The talus peaks through.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8529.jpeg)

![Trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8533.jpeg)

![Path!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8534.jpeg)

![A spot of red in the trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8536.jpeg)

![The mountains and hills spread out.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8537.jpeg)

![Trees and trunks!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8540.jpeg)

![Love the branches against the trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8541.jpeg)

### Approaching Talus Fields

At this point you start seeing the hint of the talus field through the trees... and if you look close you can see the trail in the rocks. Still a bit to go. It kept appearing and disappearing in the trees. 

![The talus field is visible.. I didn't realize what was coming.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8544.jpeg)

![A section of curved trunks.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8553.jpeg)

![Rock and dirt!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8555.jpeg)

![You can see the weaving trail in the rocks. The ones walked on aren't the teal color and stand out showing the way... more obvious from a distance.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8557.jpeg)

### Talus Slope

I thought the path would be easy to spot once on it, but up close the color differences between rocks were subtle... it’s easy to lose your way. When I paused, I couldn’t help switching between snapping photos of the views and the patterns in the rocks.

![The view!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8563.jpeg)

![The rock color difference between path and non-path.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8569.jpeg)

![More view!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8570.jpeg)

![It takes your breath away!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8572.jpeg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8577.jpeg)

Another view of the rock difference.

### Top of the Talus Field

The views were incredible!

![The view of the mountains, the rock, and the vegetation!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8590.jpeg)

![Found some flowers amidst the green and blues.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8593.jpeg)

![It was so amazing!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8594.jpeg)

![And gorgeous!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8596.jpeg)

![And incredible!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8598.jpeg)

![Pano of the view trying to capture it all.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8616.jpeg)

![The reds, greens, and blues!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8619.jpeg)

![It was all amazing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8622.jpeg)

### Onward

And then we continued on...

![And then back to the regular trails.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8623.jpeg)

![And the views!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8626.jpeg)

![All the views were amazing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8629.jpeg)

![The path sometimes grew rocky.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8630.jpeg)

![And the view!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8631.jpeg)

### Mini Talus

This field was downright simple after the larger one!

![A quick jaunt through a mini talus field. This time straight across.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8636.jpeg)

![With more views.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8637.jpeg)

![And more hills.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8638.jpeg)

![It looked amazing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8647.jpeg)

![So I tried to capture it with another pano.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8648.jpeg)

![You can see the cloud obscuring the top.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8650.jpeg)

![And the view.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8654.jpeg)

### Food Break

The food break had such epic views!

![Another pano to capture the view along the path.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8655.jpeg)

![It was so amazing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8656.jpeg)

![And the view as we ate our meal.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8657.jpeg)

### Turnaround Point

We were so close to the top! Part of me wanted to keep going, but it was getting late and we still had the hike and drive back. Looking back, I’m glad we turned around when we did.

![Screenshot of the AllTrails app 3.1 miles in at 3 hour in after we stopped for food. We were so close but decided to turn around so we didn't need to drive (or hike) in the dark.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8659.PNG)

### Heading Back Down

And on our way back down with a few more pauses for photos along the way. 

![Looking back the way we came was amazing. You could see the trail.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8660.jpeg)

![The moss against the rocks and view.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8661.jpeg)

![Quick pose for the camera.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8681.jpeg)

![And then more views!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8691.jpeg)

![The trees, the clouds, and the view through the talus in the distance.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8693.jpeg)

![Loved the framing of the mountain inside the trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8696.jpeg)

![More path in such an epic undulating scene.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8697.jpeg)

![Gorgeousness.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8699.jpeg)

![Breathtaking.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8701.jpeg)

![Epic-ness.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8702.jpeg)

![More paths and colors.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8704.jpeg)

![The sky was so blue and showed off the clouds well.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8736.jpeg)

### Talus Field Going Down

Let me tell you going down seemed almost scarier than going up. Not sure if what ratio was being tired and what ratio was having to look down.

![Had a photo taken of me while taking photos.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_f4420e2d-4f3b-47a9-9e41-86f42ad16812.jpg)

![And paused on the way down to snap a few more. Can you see me on the rocks?](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_35b22fca-f9bf-466d-af88-3baf750a4e04.jpg)

![And another!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_5310b227-caa4-4c01-8881-244b55cac957.jpg)

![And more!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_82e1f506-7120-485b-9c28-6ffaef4b8982.jpg)

![The rocks looked cool as a I paused for a moment.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8739.jpeg)

### Talus is Done! Onward and Down

![Trees and hills.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8743.jpeg)

![A large mossy rock.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8744.jpeg)

![The trail amongst the trees!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_8749.jpeg)

Every hike teaches me something new and Silver Peak was a reminder that turning back can still mean a perfect day! I hope these photos bring a bit of that calm mountain air your way and that you’re having a wonderful day wherever you are.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### When the Fix Isn’t in the Code
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/when-the-fix-isnt-in-the-code/
Last updated: 2025-11-04T13:46:35.000Z
As much as I don’t want to admit it, I’ve learned that whenever I’m stuck on something, be it coding, creative, or life... the trick isn’t to push harder.

It’s to step sideways and look at it differently. To reframe it. 

![Kyra smiling in a plaid dress with the blog title “When the Fix Isn’t in the Code – Just something I’ve been reminded of lately.”](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/11/compressed_When-the-Fix-Isn---t-in-the-Code---Pinterest-1.png)

---

## In Coding

In coding, I’ve found what helps most is taking the problem I’m having and trying to replicate it in a standalone project.

At first, I started doing this so I could ask for help on Stack Overflow and similar communities. I needed to show a clean, reproducible version of what was going wrong to (hopefully) get help. But I started to notice something: many times, the very act of *extracting* the problem helped me realize what the issue actually was. I solved it myself!

Lately, I find it easier to create what I’m attempting in a new blank project, free from all the little connections and dependencies that can hide the real cause. Once I’ve figured it out, it’s much easier to apply the fix back into the main project and weave it in cleanly.

This happened earlier last month when I was working on multiplatform navigation... things finally clicked once I rebuilt it in isolation. Plus I had a working version I could look back on when the threads I used to weave it in weren't working as expected.

And again this past weekend, when I was trying to get *SwiftData* and *CloudKit* syncing to play nice with the widget data. I’d been having issues with it for weeks and was so frustrated. Once I recreated it in a small, simple project and realized how straightforward it could be... it was so exciting! That one I’m still weaving in, but this time around, I’m approaching it with more hope and excitement than frustration.

---

## In Life

Outside of coding, it’s the same idea... but that *test project* looks different.

Sometimes reframing comes from simply taking a break and coming back with a new mindset. Yesterday, for example, I took a live online workout class, but my head just wasn’t in it. I was going through the motions and feeling stuck.

Today, I tried a recording on the same subject from a different coach and somehow, that shift in approach made something click. Same topic, same general lesson, but a completely different experience because of where my mind was and how I approached it.

---

## The Shift

Sometimes the fix isn’t in the code... it’s in how you’re *looking at* the code. 

So… and I’m talking to me too... the next time you’re stuck try stepping sideways and see what changes. Maybe that new vantage point will be what you need to see how everything fits together… or at least get you a bit closer!

---

## Want to hear this?

> 🎥 *Want to hear the reflection instead?* Watch the quick reel version: 

And like always I hope you’re having a great day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### SimplyKyra Monthly Overview: October 2025
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/newsletter/simplykyra-monthly-overview-october-2025/
Last updated: 2025-10-31T17:23:17.000Z
Welcome back to the SimplyKyra Monthly Overview! Your once-a-month peek at what’s new across apps, blog posts, and a few personal highlights. Whether you’re here for creative reMarkable tools, cozy DIYs, or a calm dose of tech inspiration, I’m so glad you’re here. 💕 

I know inboxes can get crowded so this one’s intentionally low-key and *just once a month*. If at any time you’d rather only get these summaries (or adjust what else you’re subscribed to) you can update your settings at the bottom of this email. 

---

## 🏡 This Month with Me

October felt like equal parts cozy and busy... a month I’d planned for quiet behind-the-scenes app tinkering that somehow turned into Halloween costume chaos and two separate power outages in the final week.

![Collage of some trees with text over it, a lit up vinegar bottle next to food, an SK carved pumpkin, a leaf next to it's wet stamp, and me next to a concrete and glass snail.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-October-Newsletter---Image---Me-and-Prep.png)

**Started the month with content (top photo), purchasing an adorable discount summer snail, and pausing on the way home to make leaf stamps. Ended the month with two power outages (hiking light on a water filled vinegar bottle for the win) and some pumpkin carving.*

---

## 📱 App Updates

### [Simply Remember It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/)

*When did you last…? Now you know with no second-guessing required.*

[App Store: Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

- I’ve been diving into **widgets** so your tracked tasks can appear right on your Home Screen. No updates this month but I've been making steady progress.

### [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)

*Make your reMarkable truly yours with custom templates and screens.*

[App Store: Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

- The work on *Simply Remember It* led to updated navigation flow in both it and *Simply Customize It*. This update went live [on the 20th with version 1.0.17](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-17-smoother-navigation-and-macos-improvements/).
- Thanks to community feedback I realized templates on the reMarkable Paper Pro Move needed new dimensions (814×1454 px) while screen images still use the official size. [Version 1.0.18](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-18-updated-template-dimensions-for-remarkable-move-support/) went live on the 28th.
- This last week I received both an email and a 1-star review for the same issue. Default templates were lost when the *Upload* button was pressed before importing. I quickly pushed [version 1.0.19](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-19-why-the-upload-button-just-got-smarter/) and it went live on the 31st! It locks the button until your first import or sync successfully completes with your reMarkable.
- In addition, I moved the [changelog](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-changelog/) out of the FAQs (it was getting long!) and refined the [FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-faqs/) to make it clearer.

---

## 🎃 On the Blog

It was definitely a Halloween month! I don’t usually dress up, but this year I joined a local business meetup group that hosted two themed events. This led to two unplanned posts featuring my [Ada Lovelace costume](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/becoming-ada-my-diy-ada-lovelace-costume-for-an-iconic-night/) and [a spider themed Tech Witch look](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/when-you-overthink-the-witchy-coffee-meetup/). 

![Collage of sunrises, skies, frost, fog, and the moon.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-October-Newsletter---Image---Nature.png)

**October light, fog, and first frost... loved the quiet nature moments the bus stop brings me.*

For my planned content, I revisited [last year’s kid costumes](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-2024-halloween-costumes/) and realized it was time to create a full, ever-updating [Halloween Costume Roundup](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/halloween-costume-roundup/) post. 

[Halloween Costume RoundupA full roundup of DIY, handmade, and store-bought Halloween costumes from over the years... from sewing-heavy creations to simple store-assembled looks all built around creativity and fun.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-52.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-Halloween-Roundup---Cover-Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/halloween-costume-roundup/)

---

## 💻 Coming Up Next

With the latest *Simply Customize It* updates wrapped, I’m shifting focus back to *Simply Remember It* and aiming to add Home Screen widgets with streak counts and quick-completion buttons. Once widgets are dialed in I can expand the system to other apps more easily if there’s interest.

I’ve also had a request to add the ability to transfer templates between devices in *Simply Customize It* something I plan to explore further.

If there’s something you’d love to see (a blog topic, feature, or even a tutorial idea), [hit reply](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=October%20Newsletter) and let me know... I’d love to hear from you!

---

## 🌿 Something Extra

This month’s calm-tech moment: a reel featuring **pelicans floating on and flapping over the ocean waves**. 

![Collage of birds and bugs... grasshopper, spider, heron, and worm.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-October-Newsletter---Image.png)

A quiet pause from the end of the summer and a reminder to breathe, slow down, and take in the small moments of beauty around you.

---

## **💌 A Note on Preferences**

You’re receiving this email because you signed up for **Monthly Overview** a once-a-month roundup that highlights what’s new, what I’ve been working on, and a little extra behind-the-scenes.

I also send **App Updates** and **Blog Updates** separately if you prefer more frequent news. You can update what you receive anytime through [your account page](#/portal/account) and tapping *update your preferences*.

---

Thanks so much for reading and for continuing to support SimplyKyra. It means the world. 💕

I had planned to share this tomorrow, but with Halloween tonight, a rainstorm on the way, and the fear of the possibility of another power outage… I think I’ll hit publish now and let myself sink into some code.

Hope you have a wonderful Halloween... and until next month,

— Kyra
### Simply Customize It 1.0.19: Why the Upload Button Just Got Smarter
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-19-why-the-upload-button-just-got-smarter/
Last updated: 2025-10-31T12:11:44.000Z
One of the most common questions I’ve received lately comes from new users who create their first custom template, tap **Upload**, and then realize their built-in reMarkable templates have vanished.

It’s an easy mistake to make and a stressful one to experience. When you uploaded without importing or syncing first *Simply Customize It* assumes your custom templates were the *only* ones you wanted. In doing so, it removes the reMarkable-only templates, causing all the defaults to disappear.

When you get both an email and a one-star review mentioning lost templates in the same week you definitely know it’s time to do something… so I did. There’s now a safeguard in place that, hopefully, fixes this for good. 💕

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Simply-Customize-It-1.0.19-Why-the-Upload-Button-Just-Got-Smarter---Pinterest.png)

---

## 🧩 What Was Happening

When you tap **Import** *Simply Customize It* first reads in your reMarkable’s existing `templates.json` file: the one that lists every template on your device. It compares that list to what’s in the app, adds any missing templates, and then downloads any missing or mismatched files (`PNG`, `SVG`, or `.template`). This makes sure everything stays up to date with your device.

When you tap **Sync** the process starts the same way. *Simply Customize It* reads your reMarkable’s `templates.json` file, adds any missing templates to the app, and then backs up the existing `JSON` file (just in case). It builds a new combined file from what’s in the app, writes that back to your reMarkable, and checks that both sides have matching template images. If an image differs, the reMarkable version is kept and imported into the app.

The **Upload** button works differently. It’s designed for when you’ve changed a template’s image or data inside the app and want to push that update to your reMarkable.

In this case *Simply Customize It* doesn’t read from your device first. Instead, it builds a fresh `templates.json` file based on the app’s contents and, after creating a quick backup, uploads it to your reMarkable. It then checks each image file and assumes the app’s version is the correct one removing any default template images that aren’t in the app.

If your built-in templates haven’t been imported or synced yet, they’re left out of the process and that’s why they disappear.

---

## **🔒**The New Safeguard

Starting in this update the **Upload** button is automatically disabled for everyone by default and any newly created devices going forward. 

But don't worry! Simply **importing** or **syncing** successfully once with your reMarkable re-enables it and, after that, everything works exactly as before.

This ensures that *Simply Customize It* already knows about *all* your templates (both built-in and custom) before it can ever overwrite them. 

When locked, you’ll now see a short message below the button explaining why:

> **Upload is locked until you import or sync once. This keeps your built-in templates safe.**

It’s a small change, but it prevents the single most common (and painful) new-user issue I’ve seen since launch.

---

## **💡** Why This Approach

I wanted a solution that protects new users without frustrating those who’ve already been using the app for a while.

I considered a few alternatives:

- A **double confirmation** felt repetitive and didn’t actually solve the issue as people often click through “Yes” buttons without reading. Adding a “disable warning” toggle would just create extra steps for anyone already familiar with the app.
- **Rewording** the alert wouldn’t help users who skim or skip reading it.
- **Guessing** who had already imported or simply created many custom templates risked false positives (and negatives).

Instead, the one-time safeguard felt simplest and most reliable: 

> If the app hasn’t imported or synced from your reMarkable yet, **Upload** stays off. Once it’s been done successfully, everything works normally again.

It’s a gentle reminder for existing users, a learning safeguard for new ones, and invisible for those who imported during onboarding... protective without being restrictive.

---

## **🧹** While I Was Here…

This update inspired me to polish the confirmation messages for **Import**, **Sync**, **Upload**, and **Clean Up** so each button clearly explains what it does.

Here’s a quick summary:

| Action       | What It Does                                                                                                                              |
| ------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Import**   | Reads your reMarkable’s templates into the app so nothing is lost later.                                                                  |
| **Sync**     | Updates both ways. If an image differs the version on your reMarkable is kept.                                                            |
| **Upload**   | Replaces templates on your reMarkable with those in the app. **Caution:** templates not in the app are removed.                           |
| **Clean Up** | Run after a reMarkable update (before importing) to remove old PNG, SVG, or .template files no longer needed. Custom templates stay safe. |

These alerts now use shorter sentences and simpler phrasing, making them easier to understand for everyone.

I also refreshed the alerts for importing and uploading screen images (and groups of screens). During testing, I realized auto-navigation wasn’t working in the tab view on iPhone and iPad... so I fixed that too.

---

## 💬 Wrapping Up

This small safeguard should make *Simply Customize It* even safer and easier to use... especially for first-time users or anyone setting up a new reMarkable device.

If you’ve already been using the app all you’ll need to do is import or sync successfully once, and everything will continue to work exactly as before.

As always, thank you for the feedback and bug reports that help me keep improving *Simply Customize It*. Please keep [reaching out](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It%201.0.19%20feedback)... I truly appreciate how the community continues to shape the app for the better. 💕

If you’ve found *Simply Customize It* helpful a quick [**App Store review**](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6443862161?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com)makes a huge difference and helps others discover it too.

And, as always, I hope you’re having a great day! 

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simply Customize It: Version History
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-changelog/
Last updated: 2026-08-19T13:38:37.000Z
## **Quick Links:** 

- 🛒 [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)
- 🌐 [Website](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)
- 💬 [FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-faqs/)
- 🛠 [Version History](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-changelog/)
- ⭐ [Leave a Review](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6443862161?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com)

## Need Help or Want Updates?

- 💌 [Subscribe for App Updates](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-changelog/#/portal/signup)
- 📧 [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It:%20Version%20History)
- 💻 [More reMarkable Posts](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/remarkable/)

---

Originally I had the changelog showing a chronological list of all the *Simply Customize It* updates on the FAQ page. 

It was getting a bit long so I pulled it out to have its own page. 

Each version lists its release date, a short summary, and a link to the full post where you can read more about that update.

---

## App Versions 

**Version 1.4.4:** *Coming Soon* \- A simple batch that contains a myriad of small things. Fixed Photos not working on Mac with a new iCloud download attempt before giving up. The clean-up button that potentially mismatched icons... along with an updated SSH backend and centered iOS crop.

**Version 1.4.3:** August 11th, 2026 - Someone emailed about a crash that hit every time they tried uploading a custom sleep screen... which turned out to be the reason for this update, plus a handful of other fixes along the way.

[Simply Customize It 1.4.3: Tracing a CrashSomeone emailed about a crash that hit every time they tried uploading a custom sleep screen... which turned out to be the reason for this update, plus a handful of other fixes along the way.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-5b566092-532a-4e5d-a6d2-d5b2ef2f594b.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Customize-It---1.4.3-Simply-Customize-It-Available-in-the-App-Store.-Update-1.4.0----Screenshot---Image-1e15d4df-cd86-40b8-ad6b-63a20bbfb60d.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-4-3/)

**Heads Up:** August 2nd, 2026 - Your templates and screens live on your reMarkable, not just in the app... which matters if you ever hit this bug. Here's what happened, and what to do before your next update.

[A Heads Up Before Your Next Simply Customize It UpdateYour templates and screens live on your reMarkable, not just in the app... which matters if you ever hit this bug. Here’s what happened, and what to do before your next update.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-36d9c782-d0e6-48d7-b1fa-8f0296c01e77.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Customize-It---Heads-Up----Screenshot---Image-2-1-4b6086b1-9751-4e8a-9ba9-4273698db9f3.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/a-heads-up-before-your-next-simply-customize-it-update/)

**Version 1.4.2:** August 1st, 2026 - A quick patch fixing an issue that caused the app to fail to open for some users, tracked down thanks to error reporting added in the last update.

[Simply Customize It 1.4.2: A Quick FixA quick patch fixing an issue that caused the app to fail to open for some users, tracked down thanks to error reporting added in the last update.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-4cde48d1-b3cf-4f93-85da-8757a80f0e9e.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Customize-It---1.4.2----Screenshot---Image-fc115c39-5dca-44d7-bfb9-722051c653ef.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-4-2/)

**Version 1.4.1:** August 1st, 2026 - An email about a crash led me down a rabbit hole this week... a data container issue, a syncing fix I didn't know I needed, and some old code still looking for a feature that never made it to the database. Here's what changed and why.

[Simply Customize It 1.4.1: A Crash Report Comes InAn email about a crash led me down a rabbit hole this week... a data container issue, a syncing fix I didn’t know I needed, and some old code still looking for a feature that never made it to the database. Here’s what changed and why.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-17286122-cbdd-4d10-9028-df84f51f08be.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Customize-It---1.4.1----Screenshot---Image-252794e6-4cf7-45b9-89db-6153b169d56d.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-4-1/)

**Version 1.4.0:** July 28th, 2026 - 1.4.0 finally makes 'one button recovery' true: set it up once per device and let it clean up, sync, and restore everything reMarkable's updates undo.

[Simply Customize It 1.4.0: One Button Recovery Is Here1.4.0 finally makes ‘one button recovery’ true: set it up once per device and let it clean up, sync, and restore everything reMarkable’s updates undo.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-c2683083-2f75-443d-a4a2-caed5edae2c2.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Customize-It---1.4.0---Screenshot---Image-7b35f3e5-bc14-488b-bfde-3ab8cecb8be6.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-4-0/)

**Version 1.3.0:** July 20th, 2026 - A pile of my own templates finally pushed me to add multi-select delete and better browse info, and along the way I fixed a handful of other things worth sharing, including a smoother way to trust your reMarkable when it updates.

[Simply Customize It 1.3.0: Easier to Keep TidyA pile of my own templates finally pushed me to add multi-select delete and better browse info, and along the way I fixed a handful of other things worth sharing, including a smoother way to trust your reMarkable when it updates.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-db745dd8-b964-4dd3-99e3-7f9b1417f703.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Customize-It---1.3.0---Screenshot---Image-5a68e2ca-85b5-4bf7-b38e-5af365ef0dd5.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-3-0/)

**Version 1.2.0:** June 27th, 2026 - Working on [Simply TBR](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com) left me thinking about what Simply Customize It was missing and the answer turned out to be saved defaults. This update brings that over along with a subscription fix and a handful of smaller improvements.

[Simply Customize It 1.2.0: From Reading to WritingWorking on Simply TBR left me thinking about what Simply Customize It was missing and the answer turned out to be saved defaults. This update brings that over along with a subscription fix and a handful of smaller improvements.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-470b0be7-1a7b-421b-bf4c-9bf3625a3252.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Customize-It---1.2.0----Screenshot---Image-3496245c-7859-46e1-bb5f-f27a2df90d6c.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-2-0/)

**Version 1.1.1:** June 10th, 2026 - An email from a new user led me to a crash that was quietly affecting everyone... along with some minor fixes.

[Simply Customize It 1.1.1: Answering an EmailAn email from a new user led me to a crash that was quietly affecting everyone... along with some minor fixes.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-22cfb92d-ac32-425d-9f62-82e19582b1b4.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Customize-It---1.1.1----Screenshot---Image-2-6656b551-b4e7-429a-bd42-86f058921101.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-1-1-answering-an-email-2/)

**Version 1.1.0:** May 7th, 2026 - This started as an accessibility audit and turned into something bigger. Onboarding is shorter, browse views have new image toggles, accent colors behave everywhere, and the reMarkable Paper Pure is now on the device list.

[Simply Customize It 1.1.0: Following the ThreadThis started as an accessibility audit and turned into something bigger. Onboarding is shorter, browse views have new image toggles, accent colors behave everywhere, and the reMarkable Paper Pure is now on the device list.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Customize-It--1.1.0---Following-the-Thread---Screenshot---Image-.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-1-0/)

**Version 1.0.25:** March 26th, 2026 - Thanks to an email I realized my previous audit quietly broke both upload and download for single screens. That's now fixed in 1.0.25 along with a handful of small polish improvements.

[Simply Customize It 1.0.25: The Fix That Needed FixingThanks to an email I realized my previous audit quietly broke both upload and download for single screens. That’s now fixed in 1.0.25 along with a handful of small polish improvements.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-120.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Customize-It---1.0.25--The-Fix-That-Needed-Fixing---Screenshot---Image-.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-25/)

**Version 1.0.24:** March 19th, 2026 - A quiet maintenance release... internal code cleanup and a crash fix for macOS and iPad sidebar navigation.

[Simply Customize It 1.0.24: A Quiet OneA quiet maintenance release... internal code cleanup and a crash fix for macOS and iPad sidebar navigation.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-109.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/App-Update---Customize-It---1.0.24---A-Quiet-One---Screenshot---Image-.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-24/)

**Version 1.0.23:** March 10th, 2026 - A PNG image can look perfectly upright on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad... and still appear sideways on your reMarkable. This update fixes that, quietly and automatically, the moment you import the file.

[Simply Customize It 1.0.23: Image Orientation FixA PNG image can look perfectly upright on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad... and still appear sideways on your reMarkable. This update fixes that, quietly and automatically, the moment you import the file.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-111.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_App-Update---Customize-It---1.0.23---Image-Orientation-Fix---Screenshot---Image-.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-23-image-orientation-fix/)

**Version 1.0.22:** January 13th, 2026 - This is a very small update, but an important one if you’re using templates with the newer .template attachment and have run into issues deleting them.

[Simply Customize It 1.0.22: Small Stability FixThis is a very small update, but an important one if you’re using templates with the newer .template attachment and have run into issues deleting them.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-95.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_App-Update---Customize-It---1.0.22---Small-Stability-Fix---Screenshot---Image-.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-22-small-stability-fix/)

**Version 1.0.21:** December 19th, 2025 - Version 1.0.21 is a small patch that improves the reliability of the Disable Overlay button introduced in the last update. The app now ensures the reMarkable filesystem is writable before applying the change, making the toggle work consistently without requiring any extra steps.

[Simply Customize It 1.0.21: Small Fix for Sleep Screen Overlay ButtonVersion 1.0.21 is a small patch that improves the reliability of the Disable Overlay button introduced in the last update. The app now ensures the reMarkable filesystem is writable before applying the change, making the toggle work consistently without requiring any extra steps.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-88.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Simply-Customize-It-1.0.21-Small-Fix-for-Sleep-Screen-Overlay-Button---Customize-It---Screenshot---Image-.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-21-small-fix-for-sleep-screen-overlay-toggle/)

**Version 1.0.20:** December 18th, 2025 - A new update to [Simply Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com) adds a safe way to disable the rotating sleep screen overlay introduced in reMarkable OS 3.25 beta. This post explains what changed, how the new tools work, and includes a quick note on pricing going forward.

[Simply Customize It 1.0.20: Turn Off The Rotating Sleep Screen OverlayA new update to Simply Customize It adds a safe way to disable the rotating sleep screen overlay introduced in reMarkable OS 3.25 beta. This post explains what changed, how the new tools work, and includes a quick note on pricing going forward.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-89.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_App-Update---Customize-It---Turn-Off-The-Rotating-Sleep-Screen-Overlay---Screenshot---Image--2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-20-turn-off-the-rotating-sleep-screen-overlay/)

**Version 1.0.19:** October 31st, 2025 - Ever lost your built-in reMarkable templates after uploading? This update fixes that. Simply Customize It 1.0.19 protects your templates with a new upload safeguard and polished alerts that make every action clearer.

[Simply Customize It 1.0.19: Why the Upload Button Just Got SmarterEver lost your built-in reMarkable templates after uploading? This update fixes that. Simply Customize It 1.0.19 protects your templates with a new upload safeguard and polished alerts that make every action clearer.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-51.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Why-the-Upload-Button-Just-Got-Smarter---Screenshot---Image-.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-19-why-the-upload-button-just-got-smarter/)

**Version 1.0.18:** October 28th, 2025 - Thanks to some feedback I found templates rendered slightly differently on the reMarkable Move. With this update Simply Customize It now resizes to 814 × 1454 pixels so templates display correctly on the Move.

[Simply Customize It 1.0.18: Updated Template Dimensions for reMarkable Move SupportThanks to some feedback I found templates rendered slightly differently on the reMarkable Move. With this update Simply Customize It now resizes to 814 × 1454 pixels so templates display correctly on the Move.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-38.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Updated-Template-Dimensions-for-reMarkable-Move-Support---Screenshot---Image-.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-18-updated-template-dimensions-for-remarkable-move-support/)

**Version 1.0.17:** October 20th, 2025 - Navigation just got smoother... with polished visuals on macOS, fixed small layout quirks, and subtle refinements that help *Simply Customize It* feel more natural everywhere you use it.

[Simply Customize It 1.0.17: Smoother Navigation and macOS ImprovementsSimply Customize It 1.0.17 improves navigation reliability across devices, fixes blank image previews on macOS, and updates reMarkable picker labels for better clarity on smaller screens. This release also includes onboarding refinements, layout polish, and minor stability improvements.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-31.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Customize-It-1.0.17-Smoother-Navigation-and-macOS-Improvements---Screenshot---Image-.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-17-smoother-navigation-and-macos-improvements/)

**Version 1.0.16:** September 12th, 2025 - This update brings full support for `.template` files (edit, upload, and validate), new reMarkable Paper Pro Move compatibility, easier asset downloads (`PNG`, `SVG`, and templating), plus key bug fixes... giving you more control and flexibility than ever.

[Big Update: Support for rmPP Move, Editable Templates, and Asset DownloadsThis update to Simply Customize It brings full support for .template files (edit, upload, and validate), new reMarkable Paper Pro Move compatibility, easier asset downloads (PNG, SVG, and template), plus key bug fixes... giving you more control and flexibility than ever.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-Big-Update-Now-You-Can-Upload--Edit--and-Explore-.template-Files-in-Simply-Customize-It---Image---cover-image-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/big-update-support-for-rmpp-move-editable-templates-and-asset-downloads/)

**Version 1.0.15:** September 8th, 2025 - A small but important update! This release fixes a bug that prevented the "Update Name on Device" button from working when editing templates. 

[Simply Customize It: Rename Fix and Clearer File InfoA small but important update! This release fixes a bug that prevented the “Update Name on Device” button from working when editing templates. It also introduces a new display that shows the name and filename used on your reMarkable so you can better understand how templates are stored and synced.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-1.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Customize-It-Rename-Fix-and-Clearer-File-Info---Image-Blank-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-rename-fix-and-clearer-file-info/)

**Version 1.0.14:** August 27th, 2025 - Sometimes the smallest bugs can ripple into the biggest updates. After discovering a crash in Simply Remember It on the iOS 26 beta I fixed it quickly and although un-replicable on other apps chose to update all my other Simply apps with the same protection.

[From One Small Bug to an Update EverywhereSometimes the smallest bugs can ripple into the biggest updates. After discovering a crash in Simply Remember It on the iOS 26 beta I fixed it quickly and although un-replicable on other apps chose to update all my other Simply apps with the same protection.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-124.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of---Image-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/from-one-small-bug-to-an-update-everywhere/)

**Version 1.0.13:** *A*ugust 11th, 2025 - Smoother edits, clearer onboarding, and up-to-date reMarkable guidance. 

[Simply Customize It: Updated Backend for Edit Forms and Onboarding RefreshSmoother edits, clearer onboarding, and up-to-date reMarkable guidance. See what’s new in Simply Customize It.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-121.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Customize-It-Updated-Backend-for-Edit-Forms-and-Onboarding-Refresh---Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-updated-backend-for-edit-forms-and-onboarding-refresh/)

**Version 1.0.12:** *A*ugust 1st, 2025 - `WLAN` turned off in reMarkable 2 with the 3.22 beta? This update adds an alternate host field, a smart toggle to switch between host addresses, and makes the `WLAN` button available for all devices.

[Simply Customize It: Smoother WLAN Connections for reMarkable 2WLAN turned off in reMarkable 2 with the 3.22 beta? This update adds an alternate host field, a smart toggle to switch between host addresses, and makes the WLAN button available for all devices.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-116.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-Smoother-WLAN-Connections-for-reMarkable-2---Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-smoother-wlan-connections-for-remarkable-2/)

**Version 1.0.11:** May 24th, 2025 - A critical bug is now fixed! When selecting an image from your Photo Library the app will no longer get stuck in a loop caused by the Apple permissions alert. And as a bonus Photo Library support now works on Mac Catalyst too. 

[Simply Customize It Update: Photo Library Bug Fixed and Mac Catalyst Can Browse Photos Too!A critical bug is now fixed! When selecting an image from your Photo Library the app will no longer get stuck in a loop caused by the Apple permissions alert. And as a bonus Photo Library support now works on Mac Catalyst too.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-117.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-Update-Photo-Library-Bug-Fixed-and-Mac-Catalyst-Can-Browse-Photos-Too----Cover-Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-update-photo-library-bug-fixed-and-mac-catalyst-can-browse-photos-too/)

**Version 1.0.10:** May 1st, 2025 - This update introduces `Clean Up` for reMarkable 3.19, new template filtering options, and onboarding improvements... So you can keep your templates tidy and your syncs smooth.

[Simply Customize It Update: Smart Clean Up and 3.19 SupportSupport for reMarkable 3.19 is here! This update adds a Clean Up tool to help manage storage and introduces new filters to organize your templates more easily.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-67.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-IT-Update-1.0.10---Assets-1-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-update-smart-clean-up-and-3-19-support/)

**Version 1.0.9:** March 14th, 2025 - Running Out of Space? This update lets you check your reMarkable’s available storage and easily free up space by removing duplicates or moving images to alternate storage. Plus, enjoy clearer error messages and a refined macOS help menu for a smoother experience!

[Simply Customize It Update: New Tools to Manage Template StorageRunning Out of Space? This update lets you check your reMarkable’s available storage and easily free up space by removing duplicates or moving images to alternate storage. Plus, enjoy clearer error messages and a refined macOS help menu for a smoother experience!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-58.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Simply-Customize-It-Update-New-Tools-to-Manage-Template-Storage---Image-Cover.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-update-new-tools-to-manage-template-storage/)

**Version 1.0.8:** February 25th, 2025 - This update adds support for version 3.18 including working with its updated `JSON` structure and saving the new templating file. Plus you can now duplicate devices with a single tap!

[Simply Customize It Update: Fix Template Syncing for Version 3.18This update ensures seamless template syncing with reMarkable version 3.18 adding support for the new .template files and refining import logic. Read on for all the details!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-47.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-3.18---Image-Cover-Image--1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-update-fix-template-syncing-for-version-3-18/)

**Version 1.0.7:** December 18th, 2024 - Fixed an issue when adding a new template from the browse view. This update also includes an added "delete all" button to the browse views for macOS (moved the already existing one in iOS) and added the ability to set/change the default category of any newly created template.

[Simply Customize It Update: Bug Fix and Small AdditionsFixed an issue when adding a new template from the browse view. This update also includes an added “delete all” button to the browse views for macOS (moved the already existing one in iOS) and added the ability to set/change the default category of any newly created template.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-24.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_3931.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-update-bug-fix-and-small-additions/)

**Version 1.0.6:** December 14th, 2024 - Mainly minor fixes with the biggest update being for macOS which now has a fix on the calculated dimensional string which led to PNG resizing! On both versions there's several small changes like putting SVG before PNG when editing templates and adding the ability to add a template directly to a category.

[Simply Customize It Update: PNG Image Resizing on macOSMainly minor fixes. The biggest update is for macOS which now has a fix on the calculated dimensional string which led to PNG resizing. On both versions there’s several small changes like putting SVG before PNG when editing templates and adding the ability to add a template directly to a category.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-23.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_2024-12-13-at-17.22.03-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-update-png-image-resizing-on-macos/)

**Version 1.0.5**: November 26th, 2024 - Added support to see, remove, and add `SVG` images to the templates. The reMarkable software version of 3.16 (tested on beta) removes `PNG` images and only used `SVG` images. Both still work but this update allows you to use one or both. Also took the opportunity to split up the `PNG` resize button to be more useable.

[Simply Customize It Update: Now With SVG SupportAdded support to see, remove, and add SVG images to the templates. Also split up the resize button to be me more understandable.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-19.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IKPur.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-update-now-with-svg-support/)

**Version 1.0.4**: November 10th, 2024 - Update required if connecting to a reMarkable Paper Pro with a software version of 3.15 or later; otherwise, any template syncing will attempt to connect with the wrong file. Also took the opportunity to make the app easier to navigate.

[Simply Customize It Update: Fix Template Syncing for reMarkable Paper Pro 3.15Update required if connecting to a reMarkable Paper Pro with a software version of 3.15 or later; otherwise, any template syncing will attempt to connect with the wrong file. Also took the opportunity to make the app easier to navigate.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-13.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_1460.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-update-fix-template-syncing-for-remarkable-paper-pro-3-15/)

**Version 1.0.3**: November 9th, 2024 - Original added for <see version 1.0.4>. Realized it showed the template's filename from debugging after iOS was approved. Canceled for macOS. See below for what was included.

**Version 1.0.2**: November 1st, 2024 - Added more help for people attempting to connect to a reMarkable Paper Pro for the first time including a button to turn on WLAN. 

[Simply Customize It: Update for WLAN SupportAnnouncing the Simply Customize It update (version 1.0.2) that includes support to run the WLAN command for you.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_IMG_1155-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-update-for-wlan-support/)

**Version 1.0.1**: Update that included support for the reMarkable Paper Pro. Minor changes included to help support that. 

[Simply Customize It Update: Now Works With Your ReMarkable Paper ProAnnouncing the Simply Customize It update (version 1.0.1) that supports connecting to the reMarkable Paper Pro in addition to the older reMarkable devices.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_9201-3.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-update-now-works-with-your-remarkable-paper-pro/)

**Version 1.0**: Original app came out to both the macOS and iOS but was announced separately ahead of time.

[Announcing Simply Customize It!Back when I first bought my reMarkable e-paper device I hopped onto Facebook and through several user groups fell into the world of custom templates and sleep screen images. Right after opening it I needed to figure out how to connect so I could change out its sleep screen with![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/1024---Icon.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/announcing-simply-customize-it/)

[Announcing the MacOS Version of Simply Customize ItEarlier I announced my new app Simply Customize It and shared that it’s currently listed on TestFlight in case any of you want an early look at it! Since then I’ve gotten the macOS version of the app functional and uploaded so you can test one or both! Warning: This![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_Screenshot-2024-05-16-at-13.26.47-copy.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-macos-edition/)

---

## 📬 Stay in the Loop

  
💌 [Subscribe for App Updates](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-changelog/#/portal/signup)

💬 [Return to FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-faqs/)

🛒 [Download from App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)
### Simply Customize It 1.0.18: Updated Template Dimensions for reMarkable Move Support
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-18-updated-template-dimensions-for-remarkable-move-support/
Last updated: 2025-10-28T18:41:36.000Z
A huge thank you the person that reached out about template sizing on the **reMarkable Paper Pro Move**! I really appreciate the heads-up. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Simply-App-It-1.0.18-Updated-Template-Dimensions-for-reMarkable-Move-Support----Pinterest.png)

---

## The Update

Until now, templates were resized using the Move’s official resolution (954 × 1696 px), which ended up appearing slightly oversized when viewed on-device. After testing and confirming the issue across multiple devices, it turns out the Move renders template images at a slightly different scale than expected.

Additional shoutout to [this Reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/1o7tri7/template%5Fdimensions%5Ffor%5Fmove/?ref=simplykyra.com) (posted just 12 days ago at the time of writing this fix) for helping confirm the correct working dimensions for the Move:

[![Screenshot of the Reddit conversation.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-2025-10-27-at-11.06.32.png)](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/1o7tri7/template%5Fdimensions%5Ffor%5Fmove/?ref=simplykyra.com)

Through this post I now know the correct working dimensions for templates on the Move is currently:

> **814 × 1454 pixels**

This small but pivotal update adjusts *Simply Customize It*’s **Resize to Fit** and **Center Crop** tools to automatically use these dimensions whenever your device is set to **rmPPM (reMarkable Paper Pro Move)**.

If your `PNG` templates previously appeared too large or cropped incorrectly, try resizing them again using the new version. They should now display properly on your Move.

---

## Quick Visual

I took the image sketched out from my [comparison post](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/comparing-all-three-remarkable-devices-size-sync-and-surprises/), cropped the bottom, and uploaded it as a template so I could resize and upload it to each device using the official reMarkable screen sizes. As expected the Move originally had its sides cut off.

![Image shows the three devices with the sides cut off on the reMarkable Paper Pro Move.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_IMG_4189.jpeg)

After updating my code to the new dimensions and uploading the resized template the full image now appears correctly across all devices.

![Now they all show the same contents. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot--IMG_4195.jpeg)

---

## Screen Images

Because device dimensions affect both templates and screens I quickly tested one of my go-to sleep images before submitting the update fully expecting to see a bit *more* of the image visible. Instead, the image appeared *much smaller*, confirming that **screen images should still use the Move’s official resolution (954 × 1696 px)** rather than the optimized template dimensions.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-IMG_4200.jpeg)

After seeing that the new dimensions made the screen images much too small I decided to quickly split the logic to ensure **screen images use the official reMarkable resolution** while **templates use the new optimized dimensions.** This will make future updates easier if either needs adjustment again. And from your perspective nothing appears to have changed with the screen images!

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot---IMG_4183.jpeg)

---

## reMarkable 1, 2, and Paper Pro 

This update only affects the **template**'sresizingdimensions for the **reMarkable Paper Pro Move**. It does not impact any of the other reMarkable devices nor the Move’s screen images.

---

As always, if you notice anything odd or have screenshots that help replicate an issue, please [feel free to reach out](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It%201.0.18%20feedback). I’d love to fix it for you plus your feedback really helps refine the app so others can enjoy smoother updates too. 💕

And if you’ve been finding *Simply Customize It* helpful a quick [App Store review](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6443862161?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com) makes a huge difference and helps others discover it too.

And, as always, I hope you’re having a great day! 

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### When You Overthink the Witchy Coffee Meetup
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/when-you-overthink-the-witchy-coffee-meetup/
Last updated: 2025-10-28T13:00:08.000Z
I don’t normally dress up for Halloween, but when [the Olympia Boss Society](https://olympiabosssociety.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) announced a witch-theme for the coffee morning meetup I planned to attend I realized that I should do something.

At first I debated which type of witch might be best...

- Earth witch? Tempting but my green thumb is more greyscale than anything. I’m honestly amazed my gifted office plant is still alive.
- Cozy book witch? Maybe... but I want something more fun, more obvious, and lately it's been hard to sit and read.

So I instead leaned into my actual current magic and decided to show up as a **tech witch**. This choice felt modern, playful, and had just enough Halloween energy to feel festive without feeling like a costume. Plus, I could interpret it however I want! 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_When-You-Overthink-the-Witchy-Coffee-Meetup---Pinterest.png)

## My Outfit

Planning ahead, I chose a dress I’d bought recently paired with thin leggings and, for finishing touches, chose my star jewelry as a small nod to the magical celestial (*STEM*) side of things. I even decided the night before to generate a themed image and used [*Simply Customize It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) to set my reMarkable Move’s sleep-screen... a little digital magic to tie it all together.

![Collage of generated image, idea, and jewelry... the setup.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_When-You-Overthink-the-Witchy-Coffee-Meetup---Screenshot---Image-1---Setup.png)

## Hair Plans

The morning of I was ruminating on the fact that each update about the event mentioned hats and I didn't have a witch's hat. My bun that morning was pulling and I considered just leaving my hair loose but then it always snags on these particular earrings... Then, after taking Ada to the bus, inspiration hit on the walk back. Why not do my hair with braids and fashion a web-like look... plus I remembered unpacking plastic spider rings just the week before and I could maybe run a braid or two through them to add spiders to my hair. This was an on-theme hairstyle that could double as a pun (*World Wide Web* baby)... so I went with it! Although it didn't turn out as I pictured (*spoilers: skipped the spiders... ideas below*) I'm glad I did this as it may help me out closer to Halloween.

That said, my get ready time was limited (attempted to do it between the two bus runs) and it felt a bit non-web-like compared to what I had planned. I'll walk you through what I did (in case you want to do the same) and I'll add a couple sketches so you can see my original plan. 

### The Plan

1. Take the outer hair in the front and sides and section it into smaller bits.
2. Once sectioned pull each section back while braiding it into a long cornrow before tying it off and going onto the next section.
3. Use a ponytail on the remaining loose hair. Options:  
  1. Pull the remaining loose hair back into your favorite style of pony.
  2. French braid the remaining hair back and then ponytail it.
  3. Multiple French braids: I did one center and two smaller side ones.
  4. *Idea*: French braid weave... somehow.
4. With the rest of the hair out of the way criss cross each small braid creating a weaved pattern over the top of your head. End each one on or near the pony. I left them there for step 5 but you could pin them in place.
5. *Optional:* Thread one or more spider rings onto the braids before the next step.
6. Use another ponytail tie to collect all the braids' ends into the pony.
7. Voila! Web hair!

![Image shows a legend showing front, back, and sides of the diagram, the diagram showing the section and braided hair, and a front view with the braids and loose hair. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Diagram-Prep.png)

Step 1 and 2: Section the front and sides and braid each section to be used in your spider web weave. I only did the blue sections though curious what it would look like with more. 

![Image shows the braids and the ponytail.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Diagram-Pony.png)

Step 3: Ignoring the sectioned braids create a ponytail with the loose remaining hair. I ended up French braiding the center until I reached where I wanted the pony then loosely braided the rest temporarily. I then French braided the sides only taking in hair on the bottom side. I brought them to the pony area and then loosely braided them too. Once done I used a pony tail to combine the three braids then let the braid unravel beyond the pony on it's own time. 

### The Execution

The execution of this plan was a bit lacking as I was time limited and my arms started getting sore. 

![Collage of my hair in progress. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_When-You-Overthink-the-Witchy-Coffee-Meetup---Screenshot---Image-Hair-Creating.png)

Started with the front braids, tossed them aside, braided and ponied the rest, then attempted to weave and pony the smaller braids. 

![Selfie in the mirror to see the front and back. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_IMG_3668.jpeg)

Here's after the original ponytail before weaving the littler braids over my head.. 

### The Errors

Of course, like any good experiment, execution varied slightly from theory… I was rushing, my hair was damp and I didn't braid the hair all the way down before I loosely tied them off. I also only made five small braids before creating the pony with the remaining hair.... so my web was less web-like though I could see if I was taking my time, used bobby pins, and... especially if I was working on someone else's hair maybe making it more web-like.

![Diagram sketch or vision-ish and reality. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Diagram-Webbing.png)

### The Spider Saga

By this point, the hairstyle had become a full-blown engineering project. Enter: the **spiders**.

### Idea 1: Rings

My original idea was to use Halloween spider rings and thread the small braids through them so they were loose on the head but secure. Figured maybe use one ring but having all three, or more, would look cute too. That said, I had trouble finding the rings and when asked Zoey informed me that the Halloween rings I’d unpacked weren’t spiders at all... but bats. That idea was rejected.

### Idea 2: Pipe cleaner Spider

But that was okay as Zoey, once she was ready for school, could make me a pipe cleaner spider. It was so adorable and I could see with a hot glue gun, googly eyes, and a bobby pin it would be perfect but... 

![Collage of Zoey making the spider, me with it propped on my head, and it sitting on my hand.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_When-You-Overthink-the-Witchy-Coffee-Meetup---Screenshot---Image---Spider---Zoeys.png)

The adorable spider. Zoey snapped it on my head and after she was off I paused to take a photo of it on my hand... apparently it caused a jump scare after school.

it was time for the bus let's go!

### Idea 3: Store-Bought Spider

Back when I went to the Dollar Tree for [my Ada Lovelace costume](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/becoming-ada-my-diy-ada-lovelace-costume-for-an-iconic-night/) I picked up an adorable spider with the idea of somehow adding it to my hair... as a maybe plan. When I got back from the bus and headed to my office to work I noticed it sitting there and figured *let's try it*!

![Collage of the turning the spider into a hair attachment!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_When-You-Overthink-the-Witchy-Coffee-Meetup---Screenshot---Image---Spider---Dollar-Tree.png)

It worked! And looked amazing and wasn't too hard. It was huge, sparkly, and, unfortunately, had a bit too much main character energy. I worried it would get in the way of driving to the event plus since the event was more lowkey chatting with coffee it was a bit much. As such I snapped some photos quick (*see below*) before taking it off. 

### Idea 4: Bun and Pipe Cleaner Spider

Back in 2022 I created a bun spider on my head using pipe cleaners, googly eyes, hot glue, a clip, and many bobby pins. I realize now this would be incredible if my hair was only a spider (bun) and webbing (little braids). May be too complicated to combine on my own head though.

[Our Amazing Halloween Costumes: Costumed Hairstyle Ideas: SpiderLast year I made an adorably cute spider on my head that my girls absolutely adored! I had to share it with you in case you’re looking for a last minute costume idea.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-30.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_5926-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-costumed-hairstyle-ideas-spider/)

Loved the reaction from the kids when I picked them up from school.... if I repeated it I'd be sure to change into my actual top first as it was hard to get it over my head with the spider there!

## The Final Outfit

In the end I decided to forgo the spider and my hair ended up looking fancy... maybe... and not very spider-web like but that's just as well as one member, [Sarah](https://www.instagram.com/moonstruck.by.sarah/?ref=simplykyra.com), was kind enough to bring a pile of hats to the meetup. 

[Olympia Boss Society | Networking Without The “Ick” on Instagram: “This morning’s Coffee & Convos had a little extra magic✨🖤 We swapped strategy for intuition, pulled cards to guide our reflections, and talked about what it really means to trust your inner magic in business and life. Because sometimes the best strategy isn’t another to-do list..: it’s that quiet gut feeling reminding you that you already know what to do. These mornings are where connection meets alignment, and they’re just one of the many member-only experiences inside Olympia Boss Society. 🖤Join the Collective and come be part of the magic✨Comment COLLECTIVE for more info!”In this special episode of Coffee & Convos, learn how to trust your intuition and inner magic in business and life. Get access to exclusive member-only experiences and join the Olympia Boss Society collective for like-minded individuals.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/De-Dwpd5CHc-5.png)Instagram![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/570713277_799343826317076_6076033055525338698_n.jpg)](https://www.instagram.com/p/DQKsMRAEk9S/?ref=simplykyra.com)

And now onto the photos! The spider photos (underneath) were taken first before I decided to downgrade by removing the spider, adding a sweater, and grabbing my reMarkable. Thus the *no spider* photos were taken. Personally I'm loving the spider ones more!

### No Spider

![Collage of four full body looks. From the side and one from the back looking up to show the hair. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_When-You-Overthink-the-Witchy-Coffee-Meetup---Screenshot---Image---Final-Photos.png)

![Side photo looking back while holding the e-ink pad.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_IMG_3937.JPG)

![From the back looking up to show the top of my head while holding up the screen-replaced reMarkable,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_IMG_3927.JPG)

![Photo from the side as I jotted a quick note. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_IMG_3892.JPG)

### With the Spider!

![Collage of three views showcasing the spider on my head.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_When-You-Overthink-the-Witchy-Coffee-Meetup---Screenshot---Image---Final-Photos---Spiders.png)

![View from the back with the spider facing the viewer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_IMG_3804.JPG)

![Forward shot showing the spider with my head to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_IMG_3767.JPG)

![View from the front smiling while the spider peaks over my head. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_IMG_3749.JPG)

In the end, between the second bus run and heading out for the event, I didn’t actually get a chance to code... but honestly, the break felt right. Dreaming up this look, tweaking details, and listening to a [Swift podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/under-the-radar/id1055685246?i=1000731655546&ref=simplykyra.com) while hunting for a matching necklace filled my cup more than any quick debugging session could have.... and right now I'm still trying to solve the issue to this break may be what I need. 

*Side note: While listening to* [*Under the Radar*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/under-the-radar/id1055685246?i=1000731655546&ref=simplykyra.com) *I learned that you can hide work apps when you’re on vacation by tucking them into a hidden folder. I’d heard of the hidden folder when it was introduced but didn't think about using it for vacation mode. Good to know so I had to share.*

[Lock or hide an app on iPhoneLock or hide or an app on iPhone so that others can’t see it or view the information in it.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-24.ico)Apple Support![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/610900798ec772fa266e98f9f6042807.png)](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-or-hide-or-an-app-iph00f208d05/ios?ref=simplykyra.com)

Haven't tried it yet... but figured I'd link this "how to" for both future me and you!

Sometimes the most productive thing isn’t shipping code... it’s refueling the creative energy that makes the next build possible!

## *Your Turn!*

> *If you’ve ever woven a hair web I’d love to see it! Never thought that would come out of my fingers. If the comments allow photos (haven't tried yet), share yours below. Otherwise, feel free to* [*email me a picture*](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Halloween%20Spider%20Webbing%20Hair)*, and I can feature a few here later (with credit, of course) if you'd like me too. Bonus points if you give me an idea I can use before Halloween!*

Until then... may your bugs be expected, your hair stay perfectly coifed, and you stay strong enough to power whatever magic you’re working on next. Have a great day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Our 2024 Halloween Costumes
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-2024-halloween-costumes/
Last updated: 2025-10-24T11:22:27.000Z
Last year’s Halloween was another mix of imagination, secondhand finds, and a little creative change along the way. Both kids went in knowing what they wanted... then ideas shifted a bit as new pieces came together which honestly always feels like half the fun.

![👑🎃 Two creative sisters built their own Lion Princess and Demon Werewolf Cat Princess costumes using thrifted finds, old accessories, and a little imagination. Handmade trick-or-treat bags, rainy night memories, and plenty of sparkle.... a cozy family Halloween recap from SimplyKyra.com](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-Halloween-2024----pinterest.png)

---

## Why I Keep Sharing

Sharing Halloween costumes started years ago when one or all parts were handmade by me. More recently, as the girls have gotten older, things have become simpler with this year’s being, I think, the easiest overall (at least for me).

I still wanted to share, though. These posts are part memory-keeping, part inspiration (in case our choices might spark ideas for you) and I love being able to scroll back through the years and see what we came up with.

## From Thrift Store Finds to Fantasy Characters

### The Idea

We came up with both costumes early on during a visit to a kids’ consignment shop. The girls each fell in love with a fancy dress which I was planning to buy them anyway... but I took a second to ask where they might wear them and their response created their costume!

At that point, Ada picked *Lion*, while Zoey, holding a red Christmas dress, chose *Demon*. Then we browsed a bit more and Zoey found a fur vest instantly upgrading her idea to *Demon Werewolf* (because then of course we had to get it... she hasn't worn it since).

### The Lead Up

Once we got home Zoey kept evolving her look. Over time, she rediscovered her [princess crown](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/zoeys-shelter-in-place-fourth-birthday-party/), [cat ears, and tail](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-zoeys-black-cat/) thus transforming her costume into a *Demon Werewolf Cat Princess*. 

For Ada, we ordered a [lion costume set on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNXMPRBG?ref%5F=ppx%5Fhzsearch%5Fconn%5Fdt%5Fb%5Ffed%5Fasin%5Ftitle%5F1&ref=simplykyra.com) that included ears, fingerless gloves, and a tail. She skipped the crown in favor of the ears but decided to upgrade her name to *Lion Princess* to match Zoey's royal title. 

With comfy leggings, shoes, and watercolor pencil crayons for whiskers and noses we were ready to go!

### The Final Look

I waited until after Halloween to sketch out their costumes (just in case of any last-minute changes) but I couldn’t resist capturing how it all came together.

![Side by side sketches of the costumes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Sketchbook-2024---page-8.png)

Adore the costumes together.

As an aside I added a mannequin outline `PNG` image to my reMarkable as a custom template so I could trace and refine it before hiding the base layer and exporting the final sketch. I used [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) to make the entire process smoother. 

## Lion Princess

Ada combined a yellow dress with the lion costume set and added her own face paint using watercolor pencils. This was the first year she wanted to handle it completely on her own (nose, whiskers, and all) and she nailed it! 

![Ada's Lion Princess croquis with labels showing each piece.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Sketchbook-2024---page-10.png)

Final look showing what we combined to make it happen!

![Collage of four images. There showing the final look and one of here applying water color pencil crayons to her face herself for whiskers and a nose.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-Halloween-2024----Image-Ada.png)

Absolutely love how it turned out!

## Demon Werewolf Cat Princess

Zoey kept adding to her costume as she spotted pieces she liked and didn’t want to buy anything new. Unlike Ada, I got to help her with the whiskers and nose but the rest was all her.

![Zoey's Demon Werewolf Cat Princess croquis with labels showing each piece.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Sketchbook-2024---page-9.png)

Final look showing what we combined to make it happen! 

![Collag of three photos of the final costume!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-Halloween-2024----Image-Zoey-Dress-2.png)

I love how a Christmas-themed dress somehow became such an epic Halloween costume.

[Our Amazing Halloween Costumes: How I Made a Custom Cat TailFor Halloween last year Zoey wanted to be a black cat. To pull off the costume I knew we needed to include a proper cat tail. This is how I made it!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-26.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_5657-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-how-i-made-a-custom-cat-tail/)

In case you're curious the tail was sewn years ago from a spool of two inch fur I found at Joanns when Zoey was a black cat for Halloween.

## Trick-or-Treat Bags and Sign

Years ago I'd made the girls their own trick-or-treating bags that had turned into library book bags and one had since been lost. 2023's last minute glow-in-the-dark bucket purchase quickly ran out of room so this year I splurged on some glow-in-the-dark skeleton fabric from Joann’s to make some dedicated bags! These didn’t glow quite as brightly as I’d hoped, but I love how they turned out... and I’m so happy we can use them again this year... if we can find them after this last move.

[Halloween Trick-or-Treating BagsAre you looking for a really cool trick or treating bag? After Halloween it also makes a great laundry or grocery shopping bag too. Love the pattern.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-28.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_1880-1.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/halloween-trick-or-treating-bags/)

If you’re interested, I shared our previous version here though the pattern itself is **Stitch Upon a Time’s Market Bag*, which unfortunately isn’t available anymore, but the company still has an [Etsy shop here](https://www.etsy.com/shop/StitchUponaTime?ref=simplykyra.com).

And for fun, last minute, I used the leftover fabric's center cardboard to draw a quick ***Happy Halloween*** sign to leave out with the candy. It looked a bit like a tombstone... perfectly on-theme! 

![Collage showing the sign, the final bags (with glow basket inside), and the sign with the candy buckets before we trick or treated. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-Halloween-2024----Image-Evening-2.png)

I loved how both the bags and the sign came together and plan to use them again this year.

## The Week of Halloween

The week leading up to Halloween included a school event where the girls test-drove their costumes before the big night.

![Collage showing three images. Two from the school event day and one the night of next to glowing orange lights. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-Halloween-2024----Image-Kids-2.png)

Photos from the school event and trick or treating on Halloween. Adore how they turned out!

On Halloween evening we went trick or treating in the rain! Despite only living there for two years both Halloweens were incredible: full of friends, fog machines, and the best kind of cozy chaos. 

![Awesome look at the streetlight through a tree, rain, and fog.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_IMG_1197.jpeg)

The drizzle made everything shine under the streetlights, and the fog machines in nearby yards made it all feel cinematic... almost magical. A complete turnaround the previous year's nice weathered Halloween.

## Looking Ahead

This year Ada has been inspired by *K-Pop Demon Hunters* and chose to be *Rumi* while Zoey spotted a white dress that became an *Angel Cat* after combining it with her ears again. I’ll likely share that next year unless you’d like me to post it sooner.

---

Both costumes in 2024 were a collaboration of what we already had, what they found, and what they imagined. I love that they’re getting old enough to plan their own ideas and even do their own face paint... though I do miss the younger, craft-heavy years too. It’s bittersweet.

If your kids also combine every theme imaginable (princess, demon, werewolf, and cat) my advice is simple: let them. It’s more fun that way (even if it’s harder to remember the full costume title later). And if you can, jot the details down... or sketch them later. It’s such a lovely way to watch how their imaginations evolve year after year.

Hope you all have a wonderful Halloween! 🎃 

And if you're still looking for a costume I shared a Halloween roundup last week of [all our past costumeshere](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/halloween-costume-roundup/)*.*

And as always, feel free to share below if this inspired you and thanks for following along. Have a great one!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Halloween Costume Roundup
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/halloween-costume-roundup/
Last updated: 2025-10-28T14:58:50.000Z
Since starting this website I've shared the girls' Halloween costumes sometimes the year we did it but, more often, the following October.

Those posts began not long after Zoey came along when I found the perfect costume for Ada, upgraded it a little, and then customized a matching onesie for Zoey. Over the years, I’ve sometimes gone all out while other times I've kept things simpler and always within their vision. More recently, time has felt more fleeting, and we’ve leaned toward simpler ideas... but as my kids grow and become more independent, I can already see them taking over and adding their own epic touches to their costumes.

This year, while writing last year’s Halloween post (*coming soon!*), I realized I wanted to look back at all our past creations. But adding them all there would’ve been way too much (and a little off-topic). So instead, I decided to create this **Halloween Costume Roundup**... a single place to gather all our costumes throughout the years plus add any future ones as they go live.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-Halloween-Roundup----pinterest.png)

Quick aside: If you prefer you can see see all the [costumes](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/costume/) in chronological order or even all the costumes mixed in with other [Halloween](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/halloween/)\-related stuff like [pumpkin explosions (volcano style)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pumpkin-explosions-sensory-play/) to [a footprint ghost sign](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/halloween-ghosts-footprint-door-sign/) and even [a cheese ball pumpkin](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/convert-a-classic-cheese-ball-recipe-into-a-holiday-pumpkin/)!

---

## Sewing-Heavy Costumes

Projects where my sewing machine did most of the work... from handmade leggings and dresses to fully custom designs. These are the years I went all in on fabric, thread, and late-night creativity.

[Zoey’s Simple Jack-O-Lantern Costume From Store-Bought and Sewn ItemsAre you looking at creating a simple jack-o-lantern costume? Zoey wanted to be a pumpkin for Halloween that changed to a jack-o-lantern after a trip to Walmart. Here’s how I finished this adorable costume.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-9.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_9537.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/zoeys-simple-jack-o-lantern-costume-from-store-bought-and-sewn-items/)

A mix of store-bought and handmade.... the hat was hardly used but the rest became everyday favorites long after Halloween.

[Zoey’s Simple and Updated Pumpkin CostumeAre you looking at creating a simple pumpkin costume? Last year Zoey wanted to be a jack-o-lantern but this year she chose to be a ‘pumpkin with no face’. Here’s how I made her dreams a reality.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-10.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_5498.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/zoeys-simple-and-updated-pumpkin-costume/)

After last years Jack-o-lantern Zoey wanted a pumpkin with "no face" costume. Can you spot her in the pumpkin patch?

[Firetruck Halloween CostumeWhen Ada chose to be a firefighter for Halloween Zoey decided she wanted a firetruck. This was my attempt at making this happen. Tire tread leggings, shirt with a ladder and fire hose for arms, red dress overtop, and red firefighter accessories.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-5.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0645.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/firetruck-halloween-costume/)

A red outfit, some quick DIY touches, and a tiny firefighter kit turned Zoey into the cutest **firetruck* sidekick. That spray-bottle extinguisher? It became a favorite toy for years.

[Create a Doc McStuffins CostumeAre you wanting to make your child a Doc McStuffins outfit? Do you like sewing and want to use fabric markers? I wanted to share this costume with you in case you too want to draw the details in too.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-6.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_2415.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/create-a-doc-mcstuffins-costume/)

I completely loved how this came together. I only wish I'd tucked it into her regular wardrobe instead of the dress-up bin.

[How I Planned and Sewed Ada’s Simple Skeleton CostumeAre you looking for skeleton Halloween costumes? Are you having trouble planning on how to make your own? Last year I made Ada’s dream of being a skeleton come true and this is how I did it!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-8.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_9552.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-planned-and-sewed-adas-simple-skeleton-costume/)

I combined knit fabric, our favorite clothing patterns, and an educational skeleton printable to create this costume! My biggest regret is the pelvis on the shirt and pants didn't fully overlap!

[Our Amazing Halloween Costumes: Zoey’s Black CatLast year when I asked the kids what they wanted to be for Halloween Zoey thought about it for a second and then immediately told me a black cat. I’m so glad she did as I absolutely adored how her costume turned out! Check it out here.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-14.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_5666-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-zoeys-black-cat/)

I absolutely loved Zoey's black cat costume. Both the homemade tail and store-bought ears are still being pulled out for costumes.

[Our Amazing Halloween Costumes: Ada’s Carmen SandiegoLast year Ada knew early on that she wanted to be Carmen Sandiego for Halloween and she didn’t waver so when I decided to tackle costumes I knew that I needed to make it happen. Here’s what I did to turn her into Carmen!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-19.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_5673-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-adas-carmen-sandiego/)

This is my absolute favorite Ada costume! I'm so happy I pulled off the iconic jacket and hat... plus it made her easy to spot.

## Creative Builds & Crafts

Costumes that leaned more on crafting, sketching, or reimagining materials than on sewing... a mix of glue guns, cardboard, and pure imagination.

[Check Out Zoey’s Epic “Princess Skateboarder” Halloween CostumeThis year for Halloween Zoey chose to be Princess Skateboarder to save the town! As she’s loved the video of Princess Skateboarder for several years I knew I needed to make it happen. Here’s the last post showing the entire costume with links to how each part was made.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-12.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0479-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/check-out-zoeys-epic-princess-skateboarder-halloween-costume/)

By far my absolute favorite Zoey costume and took long enough that I split this into several posts!

[Halloween Costume - Chuggington OnesieAre you looking for a matching costume for your baby? Why not grab a onesie and fabric markers to create your own costume. Simple and comfortable!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-4.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Compressed-ChuggintonOnesie-11-1.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/halloween-costume-chuggington-onesie/)

I took a simple onesie and traced a coloring page on the butt and sketched out the face on the front with fabric markers to make the girls match and turn Zoey into Koko.

## Costco Finds & Simple Buys

The easy wins: store-bought costumes with a few personal tweaks, add-ons, or accessories that made them uniquely ours.

[Ada’s Epic Wonder Woman Halloween CostumeAre you looking to purchase a costume, make your own, or a bit of both? I came across this Wonder Woman costume at my local Costco and added pants and a cape to it. Come check it out and let me know what costume you might be planning!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-7.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_3078.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/adas-epic-wonder-woman-halloween-costume/)

This costume started with Costco and was upgraded and worn for years!

[Our 2023 Halloween CostumesI realized I was running out of time to share last year’s costume before this Halloween rolled around and so... Here’s to last year’s simple-ish and adorable costumes: Elsa and Rainbow Unicorn!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-17.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Halloween-2023----Image-Kids-2.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-2023-halloween-costumes/)

Both Elsa, with her 3D printed crown, and Rainbow Unicorn turned out adorable.

## Store-Assembled Magic!

Outfits pulled together from what we had or found... sometimes as simple as mixing and matching while sometimes upgraded with a quick handmade detail.

[Check Out Ada’s Amazing “Pretty Pink Princess” Halloween CostumeThis year for Halloween Ada chose to be a pink princess. This turned out to be an incredibly simple costume that I wanted to share.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-13.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0446.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/check-out-adas-amazing-pretty-pink-princess-halloween-costume/)

A store-assembled princess look that sparkled... simple to put together, but such a hit that year.

[Becoming Ada: My DIY Ada Lovelace Costume for an Iconic NightFor an iconic-themed event, I chose Ada Lovelace: mathematician, visionary, and often called the first computer programmer. With bun makers, scarves, old socks, and plenty of hairspray, I pieced together a DIY costume that paid tribute to her spirit.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-18.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-Becoming-Ada-My-DIY-Ada-Lovelace-Costume-for-an-ICONIC-Night---Cover-Image-1-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/becoming-ada-my-diy-ada-lovelace-costume-for-an-iconic-night/)

I wasn't sure where to post this. The hair made the character! But it was mainly assembled with a touch of crafting.

[Our 2024 Halloween CostumesFrom thrift store treasures to handmade accessories both our Lion Princess and Demon Werewolf Cat Princess costumes grew piece by piece... proving that the best Halloween costumes evolve as kids do.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-29.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-Halloween-2024---Cover-Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-2024-halloween-costumes/)

Last year was started with a swift store find then created with one lion kit and stuff around the house. Introducing Lion Princess and Demon Werewolf Cat Princess!

## Accessories & Add-Ons

Extra pieces and DIY details that helped pull everything together from custom tails to glowing props and handmade jewelry. 

*Side note:* I linked to a how to video for a glowing lasso of truth in the above [Wonder Woman post](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/adas-epic-wonder-woman-halloween-costume/).

[Halloween Costume Hack - Adding a Light to a CostumeHow to use a floral light to customize a Halloween costume.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-3.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Compressed-HackingTheChuggingtonCostume-1.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/halloween-costume-hack-adding-a-light-to-a-costume/)

Years ago I added a floral light to an amazing Chuggington hat we found at the local kid's consignment shop to take it the extra mile!

[Our Amazing Halloween Costumes: How I Made a Custom Cat TailFor Halloween last year Zoey wanted to be a black cat. To pull off the costume I knew we needed to include a proper cat tail. This is how I made it!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-15.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_5657.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-how-i-made-a-custom-cat-tail/)

This tail was the result of a spool of two inch fur trim, a bit of shaping wire, and plush elastic. Simple but surprisingly durable.

[Our Amazing Halloween Costumes: How I Made a Custom Carmen Sandiego NecklaceFor Halloween last year Ada wanted to be Carmen Sandiego. I knew immediately that I needed to figure out her distinctive necklace (along with her red jacket and hat) to truly make the costume apparent. Here’s how I made the necklace!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-20.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_5860.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-adas-carmen-sandiego-necklace/)

In case you're looking for a specific shape this pendant was simply wire folded into a triangle, masking tape, and yellow acrylic paint sewn to 1/4 inch elastic.

## Hair & Final Touches

The finishing details that completed the look... clever hairstyles, last-minute bobby-pin hacks, and the occasional historical updo.

*Side note:* if you're looking for how to buns and the like check out [the Ada Lovelace](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/becoming-ada-my-diy-ada-lovelace-costume-for-an-iconic-night/) recreation above.

[Our Amazing Halloween Costumes: Costumed Hairstyle Ideas: SpiderLast year I made an adorably cute spider on my head that my girls absolutely adored! I had to share it with you in case you’re looking for a last minute costume idea.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-16.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_5926.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-costumed-hairstyle-ideas-spider/)

I used pipe cleaners, a black clip, googly eyes, ponytails, and some bobby pins to make the most adorable spider before picking the kids up from school (elementary) and all the kids loved it!

[When You Overthink the Witchy Coffee MeetupHow a simple “witchy-themed coffee meetup” turned into World Wide Web hair, a sparkly spider prototype, and an accidental deep dive into my inner tech witch.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-32.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_When-You-Overthink-the-Witchy-Coffee-Meetup---Screenshot---Image---Cover-Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/when-you-overthink-the-witchy-coffee-meetup/)

The French braid web didn't look too web-like but the spider addition from the Dollar Tree was too epic. Ended up taking it off for the coffee meetup but had to share here.

---

I love looking at all the awesome costumes over the years and *had* to create an overview post to make it easier to find them. Please let me know in the comments if you use any of these ideas and, like always, I hope you’re having a great day

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simply Customize It 1.0.17: Smoother Navigation and macOS Improvements
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-17-smoother-navigation-and-macos-improvements/
Last updated: 2025-10-20T14:32:07.000Z
This update focuses on making navigation feel more natural whether you’re importing new screens, exploring your templates, or onboarding for the first time.

## Smarter Navigation Across Devices

I hadn’t noticed anything major with navigation myself, but I realized that directing to a specific screen sometimes didn’t work quite right. So I overhauled the system to adapt better to how you use the app:

- **iPhone:** Now uses the simpler **tab layout** making it easier to move between sections.
- **iPad:** You can still **switch between sidebar and tabs** depending on your preferred layout.
- **Mac:** Remains **sidebar-only** for a clean, native experience.

When you **import a screen or screen group** the app now consistently and automatically takes you to the right place.

Onboarding links and macOS help menus have also been refined so new users can find guidance faster.

## Visual Fixes on macOS 

If you've noticed **blank images** on the center pane that’s now fixed!

While debugging navigation I discovered, only on macOS, that the template and screen images in the center pane showed only rectangles in whatever accent color I selected instead of the images themselves. This was due to delayed loading, so to save space and confusion, I’ve removed those previews from the Mac version.

You’ll still see the correct image (whether `PNG`, `SVG`, or placeholder) in the **browse**, **display**, and **edit** views where they matter most.

I also added a bit more **padding and layout polish** so everything feels more at home on the Mac.

## Visual Fixes on All Devices

On the iPhone I noticed the **full reMarkable model name** was getting cut off when editing device details.

To make things clearer and more consistent, the picker now uses **reMarkable abbreviations** (*rm1, rm2, rmPP,* and *rmPPM*) while still showing the **full name once selected** for easier viewing.

## Under the Hood

Behind the scenes, I:

- Simplified how onboarding appears on new installs.
- Unified color and accent handling.
- Tidied up a few files.

These aren’t flashy changes, but they make the app feel smoother and more reliable overall.

---

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/Simply-Customize-It-1.0.17-Smoother-Navigation-and-macOS-Improvements----Pinterest.png)

Thanks as always for your feedback and patience as I keep refining *Simply Customize It!*

If this update made things easier or fixed something for you, I’d really appreciate [a quick review on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6443862161?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com). It helps other reMarkable users find the app and means a lot to me as a solo developer!

As always, I hope you have an awesome day and if you notice anything off you can reach me directly through the in-app feedback link or emailing me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It%201.0.17%20Update).
### Becoming Ada: My DIY Ada Lovelace Costume for an Iconic Night
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/becoming-ada-my-diy-ada-lovelace-costume-for-an-iconic-night/
Last updated: 2025-10-18T20:04:12.000Z
When [the Olympia Boss Society](https://olympiabosssociety.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) announced that our October event would be costumed with a theme of ***iconic women*** my first thought went to the women who shaped science and technology. Names like: 

- Ada Lovelace: translated and expanded on a paper about Babbage’s theoretical engine, envisioned future uses for computers, and is often considered the world’s first computer programmer
- Grace Hopper: coined the term *computer bug* and developed the first compiler, paving the way for English-like programming languages
- Hedy Lamarr: film star and inventor, helped invent frequency-hopping technology that laid the groundwork for today’s Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS
- Margaret Hamilton:led NASA’s Apollo software team and popularized the term *software engineer* to describe her work

…and the list could go on.

In the end, I chose **Ada Lovelace** an incredible mathematician, namesake of one of my daughters, and, with her distinctive hairstyle, someone I thought might be a little easier to portray than the others.

This post is a DIY breakdown of how I built my Ada Lovelace costume... using scarves, bun makers, headbands, a few of my kids’ old socks, and a lot of hairspray.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_compressed_ScreenshotBecoming-Ada-My-DIY-Ada-Lovelace-Costume-for-an-ICONIC-Night---Pinterest.png)

---

## Inspiration

My main inspiration was using the images found when searching for Ada Lovelace online. 

![Collage of phone and computer image results of Ada Lovelace.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-Ada-Lovelace---Image-Ideas---Search-Result.png)

After the first bit of research I mainly just returned to image searches to check if an idea worked or not. 

I saw a really cool reel that I tracked down to Engineering Knits. Must admit I was more interested in her hair (it goes by quick) and scanned quickly over the rest.

While creating this post I decided to track down some of the other costumes I saw pictures of online like this one shared in [a historical costuming subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/HistoricalCostuming/comments/dtkmlp/my%5Ffirst%5Fhistorical%5Fcostume%5Fi%5Fwas%5Fada%5Flovelace/?ref=simplykyra.com) who mentions using a Princess Leia wig for Halloween night. I also found two different adorable Ada Lovelace kid costumes on roundup posts on both [A Mighty Girl](https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=13340&ref=simplykyra.com) and [Cool Mom Picks](https://coolmompicks.com/blog/2017/10/19/empowering-girl-halloween-costumes-real-life-heroes/?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

## Creating the Costume

I knew I didn’t have time to dive back into sewing so instead I leaned on creativity, improvisation, and a lot of trial and error. Since the hair was the centerpiece, I built the rest of the look around it. The final outfit is shown below, but let’s first take it apart step by step in case my process (or missteps!) help you with your own. Without further ado, here’s how I created my Ada Lovelace costume.

## Outfit

Like all costumes I held up the photos and browsed through my closet for inspiration which included a black tank top, the below linked top, and several scarves.

[Getting Comfortable with Rebecca PageOverview of several of the comfortable patterns offered through Rebecca Page. Part of a blog tour so there’s links to other people’s definition of comfortable.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-242.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_3579.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/getting-comfortable-with-rebecca-page/)

I had noticed lots of the photos online had puffy sleeves so I immediately knew this shirt needed to be used layered underneath something else. 

With a default option in mind and armed with photos on my phone I next browsed a second hand clothing stores to see what might work better. I ended up buying several black skirts and a purple dress I loved but later realized the open lacework combined with the opening in the black top and my mismatching scarves looked a bit too... something... so I decided to go back to layering with a simple fitted black tank paired with a long black skirt. That with a purple scarf used as a shawl gave it the nod I wanted towards a Victorian silhouettes.

![Collage of three mirror selfies showing the options, the back of the tree, and the selection of scarves and skirts.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-Ada-Lovelace---Image-Ideas.png)

Far left was a sparkling purple tank I realized didn't fit the bill. Far right is the open back situation that helped make me return to a black tank (second from the left) and skirt seem better.

After the event I sketched a croquis of the two main variations to capture how the choices may look side by side.It was a fun way to see although the scarf doesn't stand out too much against the colored dress.

![Collage of both final versions with and without the scarf. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-Ada-Lovelace---Image-Croquis.png)

**I used* [**Simply Customize It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) *to upload a croquis I found years ago online as a custom template then* sketched *it out. Before exporting the PNG I hid the template so the final image has no mannequin* outline**.*

## Hair

I knew going in that the hair would be most time consuming part while also making or breaking the entire costume. Most of Ada's portraits show her with side rolls and a low bun all decorated with lace and flowers. This area is thus the biggest part of my post so let's break this down a bit:

### Flowers

What would the hair be like without the flowers! I wasn't quite sure how to do the lace but knew I needed the flowers to make the hair work. To do it I bought a single bunch of sunflowers from the local Dollar Tree... and there had some indecision when I saw more choices in the flower aisle... but I kept the fall sunflowers and left the summer ones behind. 

![Collage of the flower process. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-Ada-Lovelace---Image-Flowers.png)

I already had a lot of bobby pins so I plugged in my hot glue gun, pulled the tops off of the flowers, trimmed the plastic stems, and glued each flower to the end of the bobby pin. 

![Closeup of the upside down flower with glue and the bobby pin in the back with the green base.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_IMG_1903.jpeg)

Some stems were cut short enough that the green part completely fell off. I simply glued the base to the bobby pin, glued the flower, and pressed it all together. 

![Closeup of the process some with leaves. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_IMG_1904.jpeg)

Although there were no leaves in the photos I say I decided to take the four sets of three leave and combine them to make two six leafed flowers. The rest were left with simply the flowers.

During this process I worried the flowers would fall off so I didn't try them on until I did the final hair and they stayed on the whole time! Zoey helped take them out when I got home and only one flower ended up being pulled off of its pin. 

### Lace and Ribbons

Early on I decided to forego the lace but I did buy some ribbon. That said, later at home I realized the ribbon was way brighter than the flowers I bought plus I wasn't quite sure how to attach it to my head. As such I raided the headbands I had recently bought for my girls and used the yellow and orange one to give the appearance of strips of ribbons. 

***Just a heads up:*** When I first tried to put the headbands on after the buns they ended up being pushed too far away from each other. Thus, for the big day, I decided to put the headbands through my ponytails before fully tightening them and making the buns so they'd better stay in place.

### Buns

I don’t usually make buns (other than the rushed morning kind) so I ended up buying two kinds of bun formers and tried several times to get it to work before switching the side buns to using a sock each.... something I had never tried before. For these buns I raided my own sock drawer (which didn't work great) before going through our fabric recycling bag and cutting the toes off of both my husband's and kid's socks... The kid socks won for the side buns! And now I have several sock options in the future.

**Tip:** If you're buying your own I found the foam ones tricky and preferred the sock method for the side buns.

This was the sock bun tutorial I followed and it stayed in! Highly recommend this one and wanted to share both for you and future me. 

I also bought a simple black version of this (figured it would suggested lace) and this was helpful figuring out how to use it. 

I ended up trying the store-bought products about a week before the event, pivoted to sock buns, tried again the morning of the event, and then finalized everything right before going. Current advice:

- Let your hair fully dry. I'm a shower daily person and if I keep my hair up it stays damp all day.
- I changed into my tops before doing my hair so I didn't take a chance messing it up when getting dressed. I later had trouble with my lanyard so I'm really glad I did this.
- Section your hair using ponytails before starting.
- If using headbands stick them into the pony before tightening them and making your buns. They stayed in place with the buns keeping them in.
- Sock Bun:
  - See above video!
  - I found it simplest to start by dividing the hair sticking out from the sock into two, twisting each one, and tucking that twist into the sock. I then tried to keep both sections tucked while rolling the sock up.
  - When rolling up keep the hair out from your head and not dangling directly below otherwise it will start going crooked.
  - If the hair gets twisted let the bun go and let it untwist before continuing.
  - If pieces get loose I gently pull the partial bun further away from my head while holding it firmly to tighten everything up.
- The back bun wasn't a sock so once the front was done I removed the back ponytail before creating this version of the bun.
- *Hair spray, bobby pins, hair spray, and more bobby pins!*

Some images from this process:

![Collage of the tools and attempts.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-Ada-Lovelace---Image-Prep-Buns.png)

Sectioned my hair to start each time both trial and final. My normal twist method for buns didn't work for these smaller ones and the foam tools didn't work as I couldn't cover It up.

![Hair partially in sock dangling. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_IMG_2199.jpeg)

If twisted I let the partial bun drop and unravel on its own. If loose sometimes it was best just to pull on it to tighten the whole thing up. 

![Collage of the partial before bun hair (sectioned and headbanded), the socks, and the split and twisted hair.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-Ada-Lovelace---Image-Ideas---Starting-Bun-Prep.png)

On the event night I made sure to change my shirt first, realized I needed to split and twist the hair (right image) into the sock, and the hair stayed up with the help of plenty of hairspray and lots of bobby pins.

Once the buns were in I sprayed them with hairspray, added bobby pins (plain and flowered), and then sprayed them some more. 

![Collage of the final buns and the flower pins!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Copy-of-Screenshot-Ada-Lovelace---Image-After-Buns.png)

It was frustrating but I got it in the end!

## Accessories

### Earrings

Years ago I bought a pair of trilobite fossil earrings and I *knew* I had to wear them with this costume. They felt like the perfect nod to the fossil craze of that century with a subtle tribute to Mary Anning the English fossil collector, dealer, and pioneering paleontologist.

![Close up of a pair of silver edged fossils on hook earring ends. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_IMG_2514.jpeg)

My absolute favorite earrings earned their place with this costume. Their cameo-like shape echoed the jewelry styles of the era while the trilobite fossils offered a perfect nod to Mary Anning and the fossil craze of the time.

[Rocks and Gems Canada; Jewellery, Meteorite, Fossil, Mineral RetailerEstablished in 1976, this family-run company, located in Banff & Whistler, has an unparalleled selection of Gemstone Jewellery, Meteorites, Fossils, & Minerals. FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $75.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/R_G_Logo_Leaf_2020_32x32.png)Rocks and Gems Canada![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Logo_2019_WHITE.png)](https://www.rocksandgemscanada.com/?ref=simplykyra.com)

My favorite of their stores is Rock, Paper, Silver but they have two locations I love in Banff, Alberta and one in Whistler, BC that I haven't checked out yet.

### Purse

Closer to the event I realized that my normal cross body purse would not have worked with the time period so I went looking for my old drawstring bags. I considered [the pouches I made for the kids' face masks and later turned into snack bags](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-daughters-mask-command-center-and-how-i-made-it/) but Spookley the square pumpkin, cars, and dinosaurs don't really fit the theme of this party. In the end I found a larger one I made back [in February of 2019 to hold my sewing clips](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/52-weeks-of-sewing-in-2019/) that was perfect to use as a clutch. 

[I Love My Reusable Fabric Gift Bags... That I Made Years Ago!Back in 2019, right before Christmas, I sewed up some fabric cinched sacks to use as reusable wrapping paper for the girls. It was so easy to do and looking back I’m so glad I did! Here’s how I did it in case you’re interested in the same.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-243.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_2809.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/i-love-my-reusable-fabric-gift-bags-that-i-made-years-ago/)

Here are some simple drawstring bags (I made various sizes) that also link to the bag pattern I used for the clutch I brought as Ada Lovelace. H

### Gloves

Less than a week before the event I hopped onto Amazon and bought some white gloves to help complete the look. That said, when they came they were so bright white and I quickly noticed a loose seam by the thumb. I ended up wearing them for photos and then tucked them into my pouch making sure one stuck out as a display piece. 

### My reMarkable

I planned to bring my reMarkable Paper Pro Move to take notes and had planned to add paper to the pen to turn it into a quill but worried tape residue or sticky tack would stay behind. After looking online I realized the pens of the 1800s looked more like calligraphy pens and were no longer quill-based pens. As such I gladly skipped it but then decided to look online to see if I could find any examples of Ada's notes I could use as a sleep screen image. I downloaded an image (the one stating *Notes by the Translator*) from the [Mathematical Association of America](https://old.maa.org/press/periodicals/convergence/mathematical-treasure-ada-lovelaces-notes-on-the-analytic-engine?ref=simplykyra.com) and used [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) to crop the image to size and upload it as my sleep screen image. 

![Here you can see the sleep screen image and the pouch I used as the purse.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_IMG_2220.jpeg)

I later added my gloves and purse to this bag but it was perfect to hold all the accessories I needed... or didn't.

## The Costume Reveal

And now for the final costume!

![Smiling satisfied.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_IMG_2294.jpeg)

![Draping open the shawl and looking down showing the headbands.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_IMG_2281.jpeg)

![Grinning at the camera showing a closeup of my upper half.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_IMG_2325.jpeg)

![Leaning at the top of the stairs.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_IMG_2354.jpeg)

![Various other photos including closeup of the back of my head and the buns.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-Ada-Lovelace---Image-Final-Outfit-More.png)

---

Dressing as Ada felt like stepping into history for a night, while also standing alongside today’s iconic women in our [Olympia Boss Society](https://olympiabosssociety.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) community. I loved seeing all the costumes! Near the end of the evening we filmed a reel, and later [OBS](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPXEJpOAeet?ref=simplykyra.com) shared the final result... a room full of iconic women.

[Olympia Boss Society | Networking Without The “Ick” on Instagram: “Still not over last night🖤 Our Halloween Connection Night was filled with iconic women, show-stopping costumes, and the reminder that running a business is its own kind of performance. We’re the ones who step into the spotlight, set the stage, and keep showing up with resilience and sparkle✨ And the best part? In this community, you don’t have to do it alone. Can we get a round of applause for this iconic lineup 🤩✨🖤”Discover how our community of women is redefining the business landscape with their unique style and resilience. From iconic women to business hacks, get ready to step into the spotlight and take your career to the next level.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/De-Dwpd5CHc-4.png)Instagram![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/559490734_3131176603711611_4296991485987817119_n.jpg)](https://www.instagram.com/p/DPXEJpOAeet/?ref=simplykyra.com)

In the end, this wasn’t a perfect historical reproduction but it was a blend of history, DIY, Ada’s spirit, and a nod to all the other women in computing whose stories inspire me. And that, to me, felt ***iconic***! 

I hope this helps you out whether you're also recreating Ada Lovelace or coming up with something similar. And if it does I'd love to hear about your costume! Please share in the comments below or send me an email at [mail@SimplyKyra.com](mailto:mail@SimplyKyra.com?subject=Ada%20Lovelace%20Costume).

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-Ada-Lovelace---Image-Goodbye.png)

And like always I hope you’re having a great day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### SimplyKyra Monthly Overview: September 2025
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/newsletter/simplykyra-monthly-overview-september-2025/
Last updated: 2026-01-31T14:53:48.000Z
Welcome to the very first **SimplyKyra Monthly Overview**! 💕 A once-a-month roundup of app updates, blog highlights, and a few extras from behind the scenes. Nothing too serious, just a cozy way to stay connected. 

I know inboxes can get crowded so this one’s low-key and just *once a month*. If at any time you’d rather only get these summaries (or adjust what else you’re subscribed to) you can update your settings at the bottom of this email. 

---

## 🏡 This Month with Me

This past month brought back-to-school chaos with my kids now at two different schools so I’m logging even more walks to the bus stop. My phone roll shows it: bugs galore (mostly… partially… for them) and sunrise shots for me!

![Collage of caterpillar, polly polly, slugs, and a mushroom.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-September-2025-Image---Bugs.png)

![Collage of three sunrises against a purple background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/10/compressed_Screenshot-September-2025-Image---Sunrises.png)

We also boarded the same K-Pop Demon Hunters train that’s taking over the internet. We’re not usually a rewatch-movie family, but one kid has watched it several times and still has the soundtrack on repeat… while the other is officially over it. After Halloween, I can share how our Rumi costume turns out. 

---

## 📱 App Updates

### [Simply Remember It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/)

*When did you last…? Now you know with no second-guessing required.*

[App Store: Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

- When first released, streak logic defaulted to daily. That worked fine for avoidance tasks (things you *don’t* want to complete) but not for habits. [Now streaks for habits and monitored tasks respect your set repeat window with an added grace period](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-update-smarter-streaks-more-grace/). That means your “twice a week,” “every 49 days,” or even yearly tasks can keep the streak going.

### [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)

*Make your reMarkable truly yours with custom templates and screens.*

[App Store: Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

- With the launch of the reMarkable Paper Pro Move I [finalized an update that added support for templating files **and** the ability to download both **PNG** and **SVG** images too](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/big-update-support-for-rmpp-move-editable-templates-and-asset-downloads/).
- I wrote [a comparison post](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/comparing-all-three-remarkable-devices-size-sync-and-surprises/) for anyone considering the Paper Pro Move.
- I also quietly launched [a simple template builder](https://www.simplykyra.com/template-builder/) to generate grid, lined, or dotted templating files. It’s still in development, but live if you’d like to try.

[Restoring My Custom reMarkable Setup After an UpdateBoth my reMarkables recently updated which meant my custom sleep screen and templates were wiped. Thankfully, restoring everything with my app Simply Customize It took just a few steps and felt surprisingly calm. Here’s exactly what I did, plus a full walkthrough video so you can follow along.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-239.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/How-I-Reapplied-My-reMarkable-Customizations-After-an-UpdateHow-I-Reapplied-My-reMarkable-Customizations-After-an-Update---Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/restoring-my-custom-remarkable-setup-after-an-update/)

[I walked through the full restore process](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/restoring-my-custom-remarkable-setup-after-an-update/), after the last major reMarkable update, and made sure to record it in case you prefer the video format. including a video tutorial.

### [Simply Uncover It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it/)

*A calm, intuitive twist on the classic Minesweeper puzzle.*

[App Store: Uncover It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com)

- [Added an **Apply** button to the game settings](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-update-a-quiet-fix-for-peace-of-mind/) so you can switch between game setting setups without resetting the board (unless you want to).

### [Simply Match It ](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it/)

*A fast-paced, multiplayer race to spot the match before your friends do.*

[App Store: Match It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com)

- In addition to adding the same **Apply** button as in Simply Uncover It I also [improved the board with clearer button text across chosen colors and updated the corner button animations (in 3- and 4-player games) with smoother curved countdowns](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-update-curved-corners-and-calm-confidence/).

---

## 💻 Coming Up Next

This month I’m diving into **widgets for** [**Simply Remember It**](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/) so the task you’re tracking is just a quick glance away... right from your home screen.

I’ve also had a couple of requests for **Android versions** so I’ve started setting aside time to explore tutorials and see what might be possible. 

Looking ahead, I’d love your input. What do you enjoy most about the apps or website? And what would you like to see improved or added? Just hit reply and let me know!

---

## 🌿 Something Extra

Not everyone is on social media, but over the past couple of months I’ve been [more active on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com)... and I’ve wanted to create a little *pause + breathe* moment, away from the busy.

That’s how the **weekly Calm Nature Reset** was born. Each week I share a short video to help you take a breath and reset.

You can catch up anytime with the full [YouTube playlist](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Axm89u3yOvJd%5FL8DZ93PevW8B6xTIZP&si=04WzE1jr7L4sFj1E&ref=simplykyra.com) of everything that’s live so far.

---

## **💌 A Note on Preferences**

You’re receiving this email because you signed up for one (or both) of my other newsletters: **App Updates** and **Blog Updates**.

I’ve now added a third option (**Monthly Overview**) a once-a-month roundup that highlights what’s new, what I’ve been working on, and a little extra behind-the-scenes.

If you’d like to change what you receive, you can always manage your subscriptions anytime on your [account page](#/portal/account) by tapping *update your preferences*.

---

Thanks for being here 💕 I’m so grateful for your support as I keep building, learning, and sharing.

Until next month,

— Kyra
### Simply Uncover It Update: A Quiet Fix for Peace of Mind
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-update-a-quiet-fix-for-peace-of-mind/
Last updated: 2025-09-22T13:09:57.000Z
This update to *Simply Uncover It* is a quiet one... but an important one.

While I didn’t see any bugs in the app myself, I made two small changes behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly and to stay consistent with updates across my other apps.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_Simply-Uncover-It-105----Pinterest.png)

---

## Removing the App Icons (Just in Case)

I’d been hearing about a crash that could happen in some apps when trying to display the app icon *inside* the app itself. It didn’t happen in *Simply Uncover It* (and no one reported it), but it *did* pop up in both *Simply Customize It* and *Simply Remember It*... and that was enough for me.

Just to be safe, I removed any internal references to the app icon.

You probably won’t notice the difference… and that’s the goal.

---

## Game Settings: Now With a Friendly Apply Button

The game settings screen still works the same way letting you create multiple game configurations, auto-saving changes, and switching between them easily.

That said, now when you go in to view or tweak your settings, **your current game won’t reset automatically**.

Instead, I added a new **Apply** button that activates only when your current settings differ from the ones in use. Tap it when you’re ready to start fresh with the new setup. Ignore it if you’re just poking around and want to return to your current game unchanged.

And yes. It does confirm with you before it resets your game… because no one likes to lose progress mid-match.

---

## Try It Out

You can [download *Simply Match It* on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com) or update it if you already have it installed. 

[This update is now live for iPhone, iPad, and Mac!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com)

No big feature drops here. Simply a little polish and peace of mind.

As always, I’d love to hear what you think. If you’re enjoying the app, feel free to reach out through the below or [email me directly](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Uncover%20It%20Feedback). 

Loving the game? Please consider leaving a quick [App Store review](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com) to help more people discover it. It means a lot!

And like always.... I hope you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simply Match It Update: Curved Corners and Calm Confidence
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-update-curved-corners-and-calm-confidence/
Last updated: 2025-09-20T12:56:54.000Z
When I first launched *Simply Match It*, I wanted it to feel fun, colorful, and intuitive... something you could pick up and play with your kids or challenge your friends to a quick emoji showdown.

This week’s update isn’t a huge overhaul, but it brings a few thoughtful improvements I wanted to share. As always, your feedback and your gameplay experiences continue to shape how this app grows.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_Simply-Match-It-103----Pinterest.png)

---

## Why I Removed the App Icons (Even Without a Bug)

Both *Simply Customize It* and *Simply Remember It* ran into an issue where the app would crash when the app icon was displayed *inside* the app. I never experienced this problem with *Simply Match It* or *Simply Uncover It* (and no one reached out about it), but I didn’t want to take any chances.

Especially if it could affect your experience.

So I decided to remove the app icon from in-app use altogether.

It was one of those *just in case* changes that felt worth doing now rather than risking problems later.

---

## Side Note: “Break the Score” Stress Test 

**(Thanks Zoey!)**

While testing the update, my youngest jumped in to help when we had a few minutes to kill before school. Her self-assigned mission? Try to get to a **–100 score** on the iPad version and see if the game would crash.

Spoiler: it didn’t.

So if you’ve ever wondered whether the score system can handle wildly negative numbers… now we know.

---

## Game Play for 3 and 4 Player Games

The rectangular animation that appeared when playing from a corner button (used by all players in 4-player mode and two of the three players in 3-player mode) always bugged me a bit. So I took the opportunity to smooth it out.

Now, the visual timer animation has a **curved edge** that better matches the button it’s coming from.

The gameplay logic hasn’t changed—but now the visual transition feels smoother and more in sync with the rest of the design.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_Screenshot---Simply-Match-It-103---Image-Animations.png)

---

## Clearer Button Text (Across All Player Colors)

Another small improvement: I adjusted the text color on player buttons so it’s easier to read, no matter what background color is used.

This was especially important in multiplayer games where each button has its own color.... and legibility matters when things get competitive.

---

## Game Settings: Now With a Friendly Apply Button

The other small change was in the game settings screen.

Previously, changing a setting would immediately update your cards even if you were just looking around. Now, a new **Apply** button shows up only when you’ve made a change, and you get to choose when (or if) the game resets.

It’s a subtle update, but it gives you more control and helps avoid unintentional resets... especially helpful if you’re mid-game.

---

## Try It Out

You can [download *Simply Match It* on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com) or update it if you already have it installed. And now I’m off to update *Simply Uncover It* to remove app icons there too... just in case.

[This update is now live for iPhone, iPad, and Mac!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com)

But first, as always, I’d love to hear what you think! If you have any feedback, ideas, or bug reports, feel free to reach out in the comments below or [email me directly](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Match%20It%20Feedback).

Loving the game? Please consider leaving a quick [App Store review](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com) to help more people discover it. It means so much to me as a solo developer. 

And like always.... I hope you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simply Remember It Update: Smarter Streaks, More Grace
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-update-smarter-streaks-more-grace/
Last updated: 2025-09-18T12:46:06.000Z
Today’s update makes *Simply Remember It* feel more in tune with real life. Streaks now respect your task schedule whether that’s daily, weekly, monthly, or even once a decade. Plus a new *grace window* gives you breathing room so a streak doesn’t break just because you were a little early or late. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_Simply-Remember-It-103----Pinterest.png)

[‎Simply Remember It‎Forget less. Track what matters. Simply Remember It helps you log when things last happened so you can stop second-guessing and start spotting patterns. Whether it’s changing the sheets, giving medicine, or cleaning the shower… some tasks don’t fit on a to-do list. This app remembers for you. What…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-apps-48-fad34e0d87e86dcf72ded1faff4ba9d0-5.png)App StoreSimplyKyra LLC![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/1200x630wa-11.png)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

This update is available now on the App Store! Try it and let me know what you think!

---

## Smarter Streaks

![Collage of the newly created streak logic on the iPhone.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_Screenshot---Simply-Remember-It-103---Image-Streaks.png)

### No Longer Just Daily

Previously, streaks assumed tasks were daily, which didn’t match real habits like:

- Clean the fridge every 2 weeks
- Deep clean (monthly)
- Yearly doctor checkups

Now, your streak respects the *repeat settings* you chose. Complete the task within its interval, and your streak continues!

### **Avoidance Streaks Stay Daily**

Avoidance streaks are unchanged because when you’re avoiding something negative, every single day counts.

### Added Grace Window

Life isn’t exact and sometimes streaks aren't either. The new grace window gives you a buffer so you can finish a task a little early or late without breaking your streak. Keep that momentum going!

- Defaults ±2 days
- Customize it per task or even define a default under **Settings → Set Default Values**

**Example** if you have a task set to every 2 weeks with a ±2 day window then you can complete it anytime between 12–16 days and keep the streak alive.

### Clearer Wording 

Phrasing has been updated to read more naturally:

- **Habits:** *3 times streak* → interval-aware, not locked to *days*
- **Avoidance:** *Avoided for 24 days* → kept in days, worded better
- **Monitoring:** Still shows habit or avoidance streaks, but the avoidance streak now displays: *Last logged 24 days ago*

## Stability and Testing

I’ve been running *Simply Remember It* on the iOS 26 betas (iPhone and iPad) and recently updated my Mac to macOS 26.0 *Tahoe*. During testing, I noticed the in-app display of my app icon could occasionally cause a crash. Rather than patching it again and risking future issues, I chose to remove it entirely. This keeps things safer and doesn’t affect how you actually use the app.

## Feedback

If something looks off or even if a new feature feels especially helpful I’d love to hear from you. You can comment below or [send me an email anytime](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It%20Feedback).

Thank you again for using Simply Remember It! Your feedback genuinely shapes what I build next, and I hope this update makes your day a little easier.

[Now available on the App Store! Try it and let me know what you think.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Big Update: Support for rmPP Move, Editable Templates, and Asset Downloads
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/big-update-support-for-rmpp-move-editable-templates-and-asset-downloads/
Last updated: 2025-09-12T19:56:32.000Z
Ever stumbled across a `.template` `JSON` file and wondered what to do with it? Now you don’t have to wonder... you can simply paste the text, upload the file, or even edit it with built-in validation all directly inside *Simply Customize It*.

This update also brings full support for the new *reMarkable Paper Pro Move*, squashes a lingering bug, and introduces the ability to download `PNG` and `SVG` assets. Whether you’re a casual user or a power user I hope this release makes your workflow easier, faster, and a whole lot more flexible.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_compressed_Screenshot-Big-Update-Now-You-Can-Upload--Edit--and-Explore-.template-Files-in-Simply-Customize-It----Pinterest.png)

---

## TLDR

Now supports:  
✅ Editable `.template` files  
✅ SVG/PNG/template downloads  
✅ Tested with the reMarkable Paper Pro Move  
✅ Bugs squashed

---

## Backstory

### The “Missing Category” That Led to a Major Feature

When testing [a small update](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-rename-fix-and-clearer-file-info/) recently, I thought I hit a major bug: a newly created category wouldn’t show up on my reMarkable device. Naturally, I panicked as why wasn't it appearing!?!? Was it on my side or the reMarkable's?

After some digging I realized the issue was simple (false alarm!) as the template I’d added with the new category had no assets so of course it was ignored. As soon as I added a `PNG` the category and the template appeared. 

I'm sharing, however, as that little moment of confusion led me down a rabbit hole and straight into Reddit. 

### Finding a 5mm Template

While searching for answers, I came across a [Reddit post by ArTriXXL](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/1mw9en9/how%5Fto%5Fmake%5Fcustom%5Fgrid%5Ftemplates%5Flike%5F5mm/?ref=simplykyra.com) that included a `.template` file for a 5mm grid. That was the lightbulb moment that made me realize the `.template` files I'd been importing as read-only can in fact be customized... So why not make them also editable?

### The Update

So that’s what this update was supposed to do. But timing! When working on it the reMarkable Paper Move came out (and shipped) while I also fixed a minor bug. So this became an even bigger update!

---

## So What Exactly Updated?

### Full `.template` File Support (Edit + Upload)

You can now fully work with `.template` files directly inside *Simply Customize It*:

- ✅ Edit the JSON structure (with validation!)
- 📋 Paste from clipboard to overwrite
- 📂 Upload your own file from iCloud or Finder
- 🗑️ Remove everything with a single button

To prevent accidents, the preview starts in read-only mode with clear options for editing.

![Templating file preview with read-only display.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_Screenshot--Big-Update-Now-You-Can-Upload--Edit--and-Explore-.template-Files-in-Simply-Customize-It---Image---templating.png)

> *Bonus:* There's *a simple validator that checks structure and sets default values for required fields.*

### Download Any Asset Now

Another side effect of this update I’m really excited about?

You can now download any of the files attached to your templates or screens regardless where it came from. Once the asset exists a download button shows up that, when clicked on, opens a file dialog (in macOS) or a share sheet (in iOS). I've been wanting to do this for quite awhile. Plus, side note, for the templating file you can also copy the contents to your clipboard. 

![Download buttons for template, SVG, and PNG files](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_Screenshot-Big-Update-Now-You-Can-Upload--Edit--and-Explore-.template-Files-in-Simply-Customize-It---Image---download-button.png)

### New Device Option: rmPPM

*Simply Customize It* now supports the new reMarkable Paper Pro Move!

When selected as your target device, the app will:

- Provide a properly sized default black template image on onboarding
- Offer the right screen types when importing or upload screen images
- Use the correct screen dimensions (954 by 1696) when resizing PNG images

![Support for the new reMarkable Paper Pro Move.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_Screenshot-Big-Update-Now-You-Can-Upload--Edit--and-Explore-.template-Files-in-Simply-Customize-It---Image---rmppm.png)

### Bug Squashed

Thanks to a helpful email (you know who you are... thank you!) I fixed a bug where the import button stopped working after a reMarkable software update. The fix restores functionality and improves their error messages.

I also chased down an issue, several times, where showing the app's icon from within the app could crash it. I repeatedly seemed to fix ([even came out with a blog post](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-safely-display-your-app-icon-in-app-ios-macos-pre-26-and-26/)) but it once again reappeared when onboarding the *Paper Pro Move* so I removed all references to the AppIcon to keep things stable.

---

## Which Assets?

Back in 2024, I published a post exploring [which version of a reMarkable template gets emailed out](#) updating [an earlier post, from 2022,](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/) that seemed to still prefer `PNG` images over `SVG`. 

![Tables showing SVG images are preferred unless unavailable and then PNG is used.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Copy-of-Which-Version-of-the-reMarkable-s-Templates-Are-Emailed-Out----Graph.png)

At the time I realized the mismatched `PNG` versus `SVG` image that got emailed out had settled into only `SVG`... unless it only had access to a `PNG` still allowing `PNG` only custom templates.

Since then, reMarkable has added support for `.template` files and expanded to an internal format. I wanted to share that the new priority order now looks like:

> **Internal → Templating → SVG → PNG**

Here’s what that means in practice:

- If you want a `PNG` template to display it must be part of a *new* template (not tied to the internal format) *AND* must also stand alone without an associated `.template` or `SVG` file.
- Similarly, an `SVG` template can ignore an associated `PNG` image, but it cannot coexist with a `.template` file or internal formatting.
- And `.template` files override both `PNG` and `SVG` images, but cannot themselves have internal formatting.

---

## Final Thoughts

Whether you’re editing a professional planner, remixing a Reddit find, or simply curious what a `.template` file even is, this update puts more control into your hands without needing `SSH`, `SCP`, or arcane `JSON` wizardry required. 

[Update now available on the App Store for both macOS and iOS!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

[‎Simply Customize It!‎Transform your reMarkable device with Simply Customize It! Whether you’re importing, editing, or syncing templates and screen images, we make it simple to personalize your e-paper device across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. --- New in Version 1.0.10 – Smart Clean Up and 3.19 Support • Full support for u…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-apps-48-fad34e0d87e86dcf72ded1faff4ba9d0-4.png)App StoreSimplyKyra LLC![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/1200x630wa-10.png)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

And if this update helps you, [a quick App Store review](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6443862161?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com) goes a long way in helping other reMarkable users find the app.

---

## What Else Is Coming?

I’m focusing next on expanding [*Simply Remember It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/) and exploring ways to simplify *Simply Customize It*’s interface while keeping its advanced features visible. Have a wishlist? I’d love to hear it so feel free to comment below or [send me an email](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It%201.0.16)!

And like always I hope you're having an amazing day!
### Comparing All Three reMarkable Devices: Size, Sync, and Surprises
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/comparing-all-three-remarkable-devices-size-sync-and-surprises/
Last updated: 2025-09-13T13:42:58.000Z
When the *Paper Pro* launched last year I shared [a quick visual comparison](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/#decision-remarkable-paper-pro-vs-remarkable-2) to show how the page size differed between the two devices. Today my *Paper Pro Move* arrived, so I repeated the experiment... this time using all three devices: **reMarkable 2 (rm2)**, **reMarkable Paper Pro (rmpp)**, and **reMarkable** **Paper Pro Move (Move)**. If you’re deciding what to buy (or just curious how they play together), here’s what I found.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_Comparing-All-Three-reMarkable-Devices-Size--Sync--and-Surprises---Pinterest.png)

*Hands-on notes from day one with the Move stacked against my rm2 and rmpp.* 
*I am not associated with reMarkable. Love the product, posted how tos, and created an app that works with them.*

---

## Specs Snapshot

Here’s a quick view of each screen’s resolution. 

| Device                    | Width (px) | Height (px) |
| ------------------------- | ---------- | ----------- |
| reMarkable 2              | 1404       | 1872        |
| reMarkable Paper Pro      | 1620       | 2160        |
| reMarkable Paper Pro Move | 954        | 1696        |

Had to share as a reference in case you're making templates. If you want to compare more specs you can [choose two devices on this reMarkable page](https://remarkable.com/shop/compare?ref=simplykyra.com) and scroll to see the differences.

## First Steps

After going through onboarding I remembered I needed to put it into developer mode so I had access to the `SSH` credentials needed for custom templates and sleep screen images. When turning on developer mode it shows the sync status but since you'll need to re-download after I just forced it before the sync finished. 

After turning on developer mode you'll need to go through onboarding again and re-pair the device. As such I un-paired it on the website (had hit my limit of three devices the first time I paired it) and re-paired. 

![Image of the credentials open on the Paper Pro Move next to my start screen on my phone. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_Screenshot-IMG_1194.png)

With it all set up and the credentials available it was time to open Simply Customize It and get started.

[Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Paper Pro Through the Command LineWith the new reMarkable Paper Pro out I realized I needed to update my How To Connect post... here it is!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-233.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_9201-1-8.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/)

Whether you have the reMarkable 2 (skip developer mode) or a Paper Pro here's a how to to connect to your device.

Since the main reason I justified this purchase was to test [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) I next uploaded the simple black template page, through onboarding, and set a sleep screen image. 

## Syncing Notebooks

Once setup was finished I tried a simple test draw on the Move before moving to edge doodle comparisons across the devices. Here they are:

### Black-Background Exports

With my black template on the *Move* I took a moment to doodle on it and although I didn't edit the page on the other devices I later exported that same page from each device. To my eye, the exports looked the same across devices. I’ve included side-by-side screenshots so you can compare yourself.

![Image of the app showing the Move information next to my black templated Move. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_Screenshot-IMG_1206.jpeg)

My first step was setting the black template. I've heard some people use it to check for dead pixel and I love the old school gel pen feel. 

![Black background handwriting exported from each device, side-by-side](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_2025-09-11-at-19.15.31.png)

Same page, exported from each device. To me, quality looked consistent. I love how we can now name the file when emailing them out so if you look at the top you can see rm2, rmpp, or Move to show which is which. 

![All three devices are opened to the same written on page. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_IMG_0656-1.jpeg)

The next morning I opened all reMarkable devices to that page. They all have the black template installed. Here's how it looked. 

### Main Test (Small to Large)

**Start on Paper Pro Move → reMarkable 2 → Paper Pro → back to Move**

I began with a new notebook page on the **Move**, drawing around the edge with different pen types (all magenta, with highlighter in pink). I also experimented with the shader tool.

After syncing through Connect I opened the page on the **rm2**, where I sketched around the outside in grey. Once synced again I moved on to the **rmpp** where I was surprised to notice some issues.

**What Surprised Me**

I was surprised to notice the sides were cut off on the **rmpp** so although the grey from the **rm2** didn't go to the edges I couldn't draw past the grey. At first I thought this was the default hexagon template I was using but was surprised to see changing it to perspective (right side below) was limited to only the **Move** space (leaving the rest of the drawable space blank) and the sides sections were still there. Previously I had downloaded two *Method templates* and saw one only one was now available on that page. 

![Collage of three images on the Paper Pro. Center shows the Methods view while the outer ones shows the page with two different templates chosen. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_Screenshot-Comparing-All-Three-reMarkable-Devices-Size--Sync--and-Surprises---Image-Size-Between.png)

I was surprised to see that I couldn't draw on the right or left side of the rmpp on the page started on the Move. Additionally one of the two Method templates were unavailable. 

**Continuing On**

Despite this I still used cyan to mark the drawable portion before going back to the re-synced **Move** where I noticed the same page now opened in a zoomed-out view so you can see all the additions. After tapping the magnification button to show the *actual size* I was once again shown just the Move section and not the rm2 and rmpp additions. 

![Image of all three reMarkable devices showing the same zoomed out page allowing the same view to be seen. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_IMG_0627.jpeg)

Here's the default zoomed out view on all three devices. The left Paper Pro shows the sides un-editable (menu covers the left). 

![Edge-doodle comparison across devices. This page started on the smaller move and increased in size to the rm2 then paper pro.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_2025-09-11-at-19.15.00.png)

Here's the exported PNG from each device side by side on my computer (screenshotted). I doodled along the edges to help visualize the drawable area and how each device centers/syncs the page.

### Second Test (Large to Small)

**Start on Paper Pro → reMarkable 2 → Move**

With the weird horizontal edging on the last test I decided to do another test this time reversing the flow by starting with the **rmpp** and then sizing down. This time there was no cut off edges but I noticed a small alignment nuance: **rmpp** to the **rm2** kept the content aligned to the *top* while the same page from the **rm2** to the **Move** centered toward the *bottom*. In both cases, tapping the magnification control to *actual size* made the comparison fair.

![Template and tools comparison across devices. This page started on the larger paper pro and decreased in size to the rm2 then the move.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_2025-09-11-at-19.13.26.png)

Using different tools and colors from large to small made differences easy to spot at a glance. Like before cyan for rmpp, black/grey for rm2, and magenta/pink for the Move.

## Notes

### Be Aware When Switching Devices

When switching between devices be aware of where the page is laid out (see above). Another thing I noticed was the *magnification defaults*. When opening the a **rmpp** page on the: 

- **RM2** it defaulted to **0.8×**.
- **Move** defaulted to **0.4×**.

On both tapping the magnification icon to show *actual size* gave a fair, edge-to-edge comparison across devices. 

![Image shows the reMarkable PP Move laid out over the reMarkable 2 both showing the whole page and different zoom levels.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_IMG_0614.jpeg)

**In short:** Be aware of the magnification, how to see the whole page, and where on the page it puts you if you're zoomed in. 

### Pen Feel

I switched colors and pen types when conducting the test and felt a difference with the feel and look of the rm2\. Although part was the Paper Pro devices feeling less paper-like with the new tips... it also probably partly due to my older nib being dull and needing a refresh. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_IMG_0626.jpeg)

Noticed the Move had the tools on the top which was annoying when switching templates a lot. 

If you're debating between the older reMarkables or the Paper Pro models the pen tip is, to me, the biggest difference. The [older ones](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/frequently-asked-questions-ive-seen-around-about-the-remarkable/#markerpen) can mushroom but can be sharpened with a glass nail file... the newer ones don't seem to mushroom although I used both devices intermittently and haven't needed to change the tip out from when it arrived last year.

[Frequently Asked Questions I’ve Seen Around About the reMarkableOver the last year or I’ve seen several reMarkable template related questions popup on Facebook user groups and each time I debate creating a post that answers all those questions. I finally decided to just make it and here’s the result!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-230.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_4839-2.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/frequently-asked-questions-ive-seen-around-about-the-remarkable/)

FAQ posted using frequent questions I found online back when I only had a reMarkable 2.

## PDF 

I started writing this post and realized I didn't compare PDF files on them. My main monthly single page PDF showing the assigned online pilates videos through [Lindywell](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pilates-my-favorite-thing/#lindywell). I had already noticed if I open the page on the rmpp I had space to write notes below (if I added videos to the calendar) while those notes were cut off if opened on the rm2\. 

![Image shows all three devices with the same downloaded single page calendar PDF noticed.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_IMG_0658.jpeg)

Opening the same calendar view on all three devices at the same time made it more apparent why with the rmpp and Move being in portrait mode with extra top and bottom space while the other rm2 opens in landscape. 

## Export Colors

**Update: September 13th, 2025**

I recently sketched a drawing on the *Move* and noticed something unexpected when exporting it. While I couldn’t remember if there has always been a five-layer limit, what really surprised me was the difference in color between the exported file and what I saw on the device. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_Screenshot---comparison-update---Image.png)

**Left: exported image (same for PNG, SVG, and PDF). Right: photos of the Move in use: top on site, bottom later at home.*

## More Photos

While testing I took more comparison photos and wanted to share in case they help you deciding or whatever!

![Stacked view of all three reMarkable devices showing the page viewer for the test notebook.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_IMG_0621.jpeg)

The rmpp goes five pages across, rm2 has 4, and the Move has 3\. 

![Stacked view of all three reMarkable devices showing the cover for each.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_IMG_0639.jpeg)

I absolutely love the purple for the Move and wish the others came in the same color. That said I still love how the rm2 feels but love the optional strap on the Paper Pro models helping keep the pen in place. 

![Stacked view of all three reMarkable devices stacked showing the cover for each.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_IMG_0642.jpeg)

Even the shade of the grey ones looks different between the versions. 

![Stacked view of all three reMarkable devices laid out showing the current sleep screen image for each.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/compressed_IMG_0635.jpeg)

With my custom sleep screen images I mostly keep the cover open at home anyway and love that I can take photo and have it looking amazing on the e-ink devices.

[Switch Out Your reMarkable Paper Pro’s Sleep ScreenWith the reMarkable Paper Pro out I figured it was time to share an updated post on how to switch out your screen images! Come check it out.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-234.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Switch-Out-Your-reMarkable-Paper-Pro-s-Sleep-Screen----Image-2.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/switch-out-your-remarkable-paper-pros-sleep-screen/)

And once connected here's how I used to upload screen images without my app. 

## Quick Note: Simply Customize It

I upgraded my onboarding black template and tested the Move with *Simply Customize It*. The update with Move support has been submitted for both iOS and macOS yesterday and once both are approved make the update live! You can find it on the [Apple App Store here: Simply Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com).

[‎Simply Customize It!‎Transform your reMarkable device with Simply Customize It! Whether you’re importing, editing, or syncing templates and screen images, we make it simple to personalize your e-paper device across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. --- New in Version 1.0.10 – Smart Clean Up and 3.19 Support • Full support for u…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-apps-48-fad34e0d87e86dcf72ded1faff4ba9d0-7.png)App StoreSimplyKyra LLC![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/1200x630wa-13.png)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

[Comparing All Three reMarkable Devices: Size, Sync, and SurprisesMy reMarkable Paper Pro Move just arrived and couldn’t resist running the same comparison test I did last year. Here’s how it stacks up against the reMarkable 2 and Paper Pro when it comes to size, syncing, magnification, and everyday use.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-235.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Comparing-All-Three-reMarkable-Devices-Size--Sync--and-Surprises---Cover-Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/comparing-all-three-remarkable-devices-size-sync-and-surprises/)

****UPDATE:** Update is live but if you want future update please join the newsletter below. 

If you’d like a heads-up when this or other apps have updates please [sign up for app updates](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/#/portal/signup). I always send out an email the second they go live. Additionally there's a second newsletter for blog post updates that range from this, kid-centric, and everything in between.

[How a Sleep Screen Sparked an App: The Story Behind Simply Customize ItWhat started as a curiosity about changing my reMarkable’s sleep screen led to a rabbit hole of templates, blog posts, bash scripts, and eventually a full app. Here’s how Simply Customize It came to be... and why I’m still building it today.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-232.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/image-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-a-sleep-screen-sparked-an-app-the-story-behind-simply-customize-it/)

Here's a link to the app's back story!

Already using *Simply Customize It* and loving it? [A quick review in the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6443862161?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com) really helps other reMarkable users find it. Thank you!

## Cleaning

Had to throw this link in... Sometime during my move I got a grease stain on my reMarkable Paper Pro case that transferred to both sides (when left folded open). In case the same thing happens to you here's how I got it out.

[Removing Stains from My reMarkable Folio: What Actually WorkedHave you ever noticed a mark on your reMarkable folio and worried how to clean it? Me too! Here’s what happened and how I fixed it!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-231.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Cleaning-My-reMarkable-Folio-What-Worked-for-Me----Cover-Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/removing-stains-from-my-remarkable-folio-what-actually-worked/)

[Click here for all of my reMarkable-tagged posts.](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/remarkable/)

## Everyday Impressions

- **reMarkable 2**: My longtime carry with marks on the pen from frequent use over the years. This last year I made sure to bring this if I left the house as it was smaller, lighter, and (I have to say it) cheaper to replace. This one I set my name and email on it... hence needing a white bottom on my sleep screen.
- **reMarkable Paper Pro**: Great device that tends to stay on my desk.
- **reMarkable Paper Pro Move**: Absolutely love the compact feel, purple case, and the colors. It fits on my desk without needing to push the keyboard away while I can also see bringing it with me when I leave the house... I do really wish my purse were 1 to 2 inches taller!

## So… Which One Would I Pick?

If I didn’t have the app, I’m not sure I would’ve justified the rmpp last year and I was on the fence about the Move even with my app this year. That said, **having bought all three looking back I could see going for the rm2 and Move combo**. Re-reading over the above *Everyday Impressions* made it even more obvious as I edit this. That said, I’m happy I have all three for testing to make *Simply Customize It* better for you and I would not have been able to update my app last year to work with both devices without owning the rmpp so I'm glad I have them. 

Curious what you’re leaning toward? Share below or jump into the conversations on Reddit, Instagram, Facebook, or wherever and tag me so I can follow along. My socials are in the footer below and are either under *SimplyKyra* or *SimplyKyraApps*. 

And like always I hope you’re having a great day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simply Customize It: Rename Fix and Clearer File Info
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-rename-fix-and-clearer-file-info/
Last updated: 2025-09-11T22:48:16.000Z
Thanks to a helpful email (you know who you are thank you!) I just submitted a small update to *Simply Customize It* that fixes a bug where the **Update Name on Device** button was no longer working.

## What Was Fixed

If you’ve ever edited a template and tapped the **Update Name on Device** button only to have… nothing happen... this update is for you!

There was a bug preventing the confirmation popup from appearing which meant the rename process couldn’t continue. That’s now fixed.

## What Else Is New

While I was in there I realized this would be a great opportunity to make the name update process a bit more transparent. You’ll now see, directly beneath the button:

- The **display name** that will show on your reMarkable
- The **filename** used behind the scenes (the name used for your .svg, .png, and/or .template files)

This should help clarify what’s being synced and avoid surprises when checking your reMarkable later.

## A Quick Thank You

As always, thank you for sharing bugs and feedback. *Simply Customize It* is built by a reMarkable user (me!) and wouldn’t be nearly as polished without your eyes, ideas, and encouragement.

---

If this update made things easier or fixed something for you, I’d really appreciate it if you’d consider leaving [a quick review on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6443862161?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com). It helps other reMarkable users find the app and means a lot to me as a solo developer!
### Restoring My Custom reMarkable Setup After an Update
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/restoring-my-custom-remarkable-setup-after-an-update/
Last updated: 2025-10-01T16:57:35.000Z
Both my reMarkables updated recently which meant my custom templates and sleep screen were wiped. Thankfully, restoring them with my app Simply Customize It was fast and easy. Here’s the exact process I followed and why I personally prefer to set the sleep screen first.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/09/How-I-Reapplied-My-reMarkable-Customizations-After-an-Update---Pinterest.png)

---

## How I Did It

Both my reMarkables (my reMarkable2 and my Paper Pro) updated recently and I wanted to walk through how simple my post-update process was using my app, *Simply Customize It*.

If you’ve ever customized your reMarkable before, you probably know that when you update your templates, the reMarkable doesn’t show the changes until it restarts. But a side effect of updating Simply Customize It to support the Paper Pro meant that a restart was no longer required for screen images. Because of that, I personally like to start with setting the sleep screen first.

### Step 1: Download Screen Images

I begin by downloading the current group of screen images. This gives me a clean copy of what the reMarkable is currently using just in case they added something and it lets me reset back to default later if I want.

### Step 2: Upload My Screen Image(s)

I next choose my favorite sleep screen image or quickly add a new one if I want to change it up. After going in the screen I can use the dropdown and select the screen I want this image to replace. Once confirmed it's uploaded directly to the reMarkable. Once completed and confirmed you can lock your reMarkable, if choosing a sleep screen, to see it in action! 

Don't forget if you prefer setting two or more screens after an update you an create a custom group to make it easier to replace them all at once!

### Step 3: Clean Up Templates

Once the screen(s) are set I switch to the *Templates* tab and use the *Clean Up* button.

I added this feature a while ago when reMarkable began moving away from using SVGs in many of their templates. If a `PNG`, `SVG`, or even their `JSON` templating file is no longer in use this button sees it's not needed and removes it from the app. If reMarkable isn't using it then there’s no reason to store it. Beyond keeping your system tidy this also preventing unnecessary files from being re-uploaded later on and taking up excess space on your reMarkable.

### Step 4: Sync Your Changes

Once things are cleaned up, I tap the *Sync* button. This checks for any new templates added by reMarkable during the update, imports them into *Simply Customize It*, and then applies your own templates to the reMarkable. Once that write is finished the app sends a command to restart the appropriate processes on your reMarkable so it can see the changes.

### That’s it!

Sleep screen? Set. 

Templates? Cleaned and re-synced. 

Everything is once again working and feeling like mine.

This whole process now feels calm and quick which is exactly what I want from a tool like this.

---

## Video Walkthrough

Want to see the process in action? Here’s a short video showing exactly how I restored my custom sleep screen and templates after a reMarkable update using Simply Customize It:

If you use a reMarkable and like to customize your setup, I hope this makes it easier. And if you’re new to this and want to try it out, you can find my app Simply Customize It [here](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)!

---

## Don't have my app yet? 

If you use a reMarkable and want to simplify your customizations [Simply Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com) is designed to help.

It’s free to download, and I offer a free trial of up to a week or even a full month depending on which subscription you choose. The subscription helps me keep the app updated as reMarkable evolves (like adding support for the Paper Pro, recent changes to how templates work, and upcoming support for the Paper Pro Move).

[Simply Customize It Update: Paper Pro Move SupportSimply Customize It will support the new Paper Pro Move. Testing begins as soon as my device arrives so you can keep customizing... no SSH required.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-229.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/PP-Move---Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-update-paper-pro-move-support/)

I just ordered the ****reMarkable Paper Pro Move** with the hope of fully supporting ****all three reMarkable devices** in **Simply Customize It*. That way, no matter which model you’re using, updates stay calm, steady, and simple.

UPDATE: The app works with the reMarkable Paper Pro Move! 

[Comparing All Three reMarkable Devices: Size, Sync, and SurprisesMy reMarkable Paper Pro Move just arrived and couldn’t resist running the same comparison test I did last year. Here’s how it stacks up against the reMarkable 2 and Paper Pro when it comes to size, syncing, magnification, and everyday use.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-240.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Comparing-All-Three-reMarkable-Devices-Size--Sync--and-Surprises---Cover-Image-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/comparing-all-three-remarkable-devices-size-sync-and-surprises/)

Comparison after I received it. 

[Big Update: Support for rmPP Move, Editable Templates, and Asset DownloadsThis update to Simply Customize It brings full support for .template files (edit, upload, and validate), new reMarkable Paper Pro Move compatibility, easier asset downloads (PNG, SVG, and template), plus key bug fixes... giving you more control and flexibility than ever.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-241.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-Big-Update-Now-You-Can-Upload--Edit--and-Explore-.template-Files-in-Simply-Customize-It---Image---cover-image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/big-update-support-for-rmpp-move-editable-templates-and-asset-downloads/)

And the app update after confirming it all worked!

### Onboarding is Simple

You’ll start with a clean black sleep screen (gel pen vibes!) and then upload your favorite image... mine are usually nature shots I’ve taken. You can go even further with custom templates, grouped screen sets, and more.

### Still unsure? 

I also wrote up my manual process when my reMarkable 2 updated in 2021 so no app required. Check that out here:

[My reMarkable2 Updated! This Is What I Did NextDo you have a reMarkable device? Were your custom changes wiped in the last update? Are you wondering what other people did? Here’s how I weathered the update if you’re interested.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-228.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_2636-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-remarkable2-updated-this-is-what-i-did-next/)

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyraapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simply Customize It Update: Paper Pro Move Support
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-update-paper-pro-move-support/
Last updated: 2025-09-03T23:28:45.000Z
The reMarkable team just announced their newest device: [*the Paper Pro Move*](https://remarkable.com/products/remarkable-paper/pro-move?ref=simplykyra.com).

I hadn’t planned to buy it, but as soon as I saw the news I realized I wanted to be ready. Part of what I’ve promised with [*Simply Customize It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) is **steady, ongoing support** across all reMarkable devices. That means testing on real hardware, staying ahead of OS updates, and making sure you don’t have to worry whether your custom setup will keep working.

So yes... with the same logic that had me add the *reMarkable Paper Pro* to my devices the *Move* is now officially ordered and hopefully on its way to me soon. 

As soon as the *Paper Pro Move* arrives, I’ll test, verify, and update the app if needed. My goal is that whether you’re on the reMarkable 2, reMarkable Paper Pro, or the new reMarkable Paper Pro Move, you’ll have the same simple, reliable experience with *Simply Customize It*.

💕 Thank you for supporting indie software like mine. Every download, review, and kind email helps keep development going... and it lets me keep investing in tools that make your reMarkable truly yours.

And like always I hope you're having a great day! 

[Available on the App Store! Click to see more.](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

---
### My Artwork Overview
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-artwork-overview/
Last updated: 2025-09-02T23:01:22.000Z
> ✨ *Note from Kyra:* This post is part of my creative archives. Before I focused on building apps, I loved exploring art and making from painting and sewing to crafts with my kids. I’ve kept this collection here because it’s part of my journey and still brings me joy, even though my main focus today is on indie app development and calm tech. 

Back in high school I took part in fine art classes which allowed me to dabble in many things. Most of my created items and their photos were lost over the years but I have some of the objects still around me today.

![Collage showing a two images. On the left is a red, orange, and yellow spiral with a black, green, and blue background. On the right is a winter scene showing a tree, a hedge, a deer, blue skies, and a squirrel. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_Art-Collage-High-School-Canvases.png?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

The inspired by M.C. Escher spiral on the left extends from the canvas with the use of foam sheets while the landscape on the right was washed with a warm color before being painted with cool tones to help bring warmth into a cold scene. Both canvases were painted with acrylic paints.

With university, a job, and then kids I had less time, and later less room, to practice art. That said while pregnant with my first I pictured a canvas spread showcasing books we’d read together. With my second I decided to immortalize our favorite song *A you’re adorable* (originally heard [through Sharon, Lois, & Bram](https://music.apple.com/us/album/a-youre-adorable/1657741097?i=1657741906&ref=simplykyra.com)) with a more educational canvas.

![Collage showing a two images. On the left is a square canvas coated in blogs of characters from popular children's books including baby beluga, curious George, Narnia, Beatrix Potter, and more. On the right is a white, pink, purple, and blue marbled canvas with the alphabets in various 3D letters and lyrics of the popular "A you're adorable" song. I replaced I's lyrics with "You're the one I love so much".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_Art-Collage-Kids-Painting.png?resize=750%2C362&ssl=1)

Both paintings were sketched out before I used acrylic mediums to form the characters, on the left, and main letters, on the right. I then used acrylic paints and, on the right painting, finished by using a black oil-based pen to add the lyrics to go with each letter.

Although I didn’t spend as much time doing art over those subsequent years I have found the odd time to justify using art in others way. Before kids this including crocheting and spending time on personalized special occasion cards. The crocheting continued with kids and then morphed into fabric arts once I bought myself a sewing machine. Art also came up in other simpler ways like when I made our ice packs a bit more special.

![Collage showing a twelve images of something crocheted. The center image is a crocheted doll on a toy surfboard. From top left clockwise the other images are a puzzle ball elephant, wire earrings, shawl, horse with hay, sea turtle, jellyfish, sleeping baby doll, puzzle ball turtle, potholder with criss cross decorations, puzzle ball, and another sleeping baby doll.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_Art-Screenshot-Crochet.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

I haven’t crocheted in a while but I did make many items over the years including wire earrings for me and many amigurumi toys for the girls. You can check out [my Ravelry page here](https://www.ravelry.com/projects/ArtsyBakingGeek?set=&page=&search=&sort=created%5F&view=thumbnail&ref=simplykyra.com) if you want specific pattern or yarn links.

![Collage showing a four images. The two outer ones show cards while the two stacked ones in the center show oil pen decorated square ice packs. The card on the left shows a drawn couple on an acrylic medium, beach while the card on the right shows a footprint decorated tree on a snowy hill with a snowman behind it under a blue painted sky. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_Art-Collage-Card-and-Ice-Packs.png?resize=750%2C340&ssl=1)

I used art to create custom gifts when attending a friend’s wedding (left) or when making [family cards one Christmas](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/12/18/footprint-and-fingerprint-christmas-cards/). When the girls wanted [ice packs in bed to cool down](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/06/30/cool-the-kids-down-with-a-simple-ice-pack/) I brought out paint pens to make them truly custom.

When I started sewing I found I loved combining art with my fabric creations whether it was for a quilt, quiet book, jewelry, clothing, or later face masks.

![Collage showing a five images. The center one shows a purple quilt with hand drawn children and Doctor Who television scenes. The top right and bottom left images show a map-themed page with buttons attached. Top left is a snap-bead necklace with two custom unicorn beads while the bottom right shows another page with embroidered flowers and a bird above a colored green ground.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_Art-Collage-Misc-Fabrics.png?resize=750%2C345&ssl=1)

When I learned to sew I made the girls quiet book pages to try new techniques. This allowed me to branch out in other ways like creating [truly custom button scenes](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/02/19/quiet-book-page-interactive-button-play/) or [texturized embroider fun scenes](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/04/19/quiet-book-page-embroidery-sampler/). I also used a Peek-a-Book quilt pattern to [jump start a television themed blanket](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/10/28/peek-a-boo-television-characters-quilt-part-two/) akin to the storybook painting above. Also when Ada wanted unicorn pendants I made [my own and attached it to beads she already owned](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/09/18/custom-pop-snap-bead-unicorn-pendants/) so she could make, break, and remake her own jewelry.

![Collage showing a nine images all involving clothing or face masks. From the left the top row shows two dress with dinosaur and unikitty, two shits showing two types of LEGO vehicles, back of a onesie showing Koko, and a face masks with a drawing of the wearer wearing the matching costume. On the bottom row is a long shirt looking like Doc McStuffins, a fabric cut and sewn on skeleton costume, a face masks with princess skateboarder, the front of the previous onesie with the front of the train drawn on, and two costumed themed face masks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_Art-Collage-Clothing.png?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

Over the years I turned to fabric markers to create truly custom clothing. This included [LEGO inspired clothing](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/02/20/outfits-for-legoland/) matching the girls’ tastes when going to Legoland, custom costumes, and, with Covid, custom masks to go with their costumes. Above you see the images, in no particular order, representing the years they went as matching [Chuggers from Chuggington](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/10/16/halloween-costume-chuggington-onesie/), [Doc McStuffins](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/02/create-a-doc-mcstuffins-costume/), [skeleton](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/07/how-i-planned-and-sewed-adas-simple-skeleton-costume/), [pink princess](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/11/10/check-out-adas-amazing-pretty-pink-princess-halloween-costume/), [princess skateboarder](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/11/03/check-out-zoeys-epic-princess-skateboarder-halloween-costume/), [pumpkin](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/21/zoeys-simple-and-updated-pumpkin-costume/), and [Wonder Woman](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/19/adas-epic-wonder-woman-halloween-costume/).

That said over the years I did find time to go back to the more traditional canvases so, pre-kids, I could play with mixed media (acrylic medium, shells, quinoa, and tea), highlight family events, customize signs for holidays, or just because.

![Collage showing a fifteen images showcasing 23 different canvases. Most are acrylic on canvas while some include tissue paper glued wooden letters, acrylic medium, shells, tea, and/or quinoa.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_Art-Collage-Canvases.png?resize=750%2C400&ssl=1)

I loved playing with quinoa and tea to make realistic images (far right) and used real shells I’d collected to justify using acrylic medium to create four matching tidal pool images (bottom right). As signs for the girls’ bedroom door I used tissue paper to decorate wooden letters and hot glued them to a black painted canvas. I also used hand and foot prints to commemorate holidays and remember how small my girls used to be. Some of which I blogged about which can be found here: [Covid handprint memory](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/06/17/family-covid-19-handprint-sign/), [Easter footprints](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/03/13/easter-bunnies-hand-and-footprint-door-sign/), [Valentines **loved* hand and footprints](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/01/30/valentines-day-loved-handprint-and-footprint-door-sign/), [Halloween footprint ghosts](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/10/16/halloween-ghosts-footprint-door-sign/), [Christmas scene](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/28/christmas-handprint-footprint-and-fingerprint-door-hanging-sign/), and [sibling memory sign](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/06/05/two-person-hand-and-footprint-canvas-art/).

I love how art is always there throughout the years waiting for me to pull it out to add to projects big or small. I wanted to put them all in one place and hadn’t realized just how much I had made until it was all here. 

Thanks for following along. Hope you're having an awesome day!
### Why I Build: From Personal Projects to Purposeful Apps
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/why-i-build/
Last updated: 2025-10-07T19:22:42.000Z
Over the years, this space has seen a little of everything from kid-related messy sensory play, science, and birthday party overviews to my own crafty and food related experiments and of course a range of tutorials all sprinkled with personal reflections. But...

Lately, you may have noticed a shift. I’m now building thoughtful, privacy-respecting apps for Apple platforms under my indie label **SimplyKyra** LLC. This has grown from a side passion into my full-time focus.... not because I’m making full-time income (yet), but because I’m treating it with that level of care, structure, and commitment.

At the heart of this transition is a simple goal: ***To design calm and useful tools that quietly help you forget less, stay organized, and overall make space for what really matters.***

---

## 📱 What I’m Building

My apps are small by design... but that’s part of the point. They’re built to be:

- Lightweight and respectful of your time and data
- Customizable to your life
- Built with care and not for surveillance

Here’s a glimpse at what I’ve launched so far:

- [Simply Remember It (click here to try it out!)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) – A flexible task tracker that helps you log recurring tasks and everyday maintenance with optional measurements added in... so your brain doesn’t have to.

[Simply Remember It!Log when things happen so you can spot patterns, forget less, and ditch mental clutter.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-126.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Remember-It--App-Page-1-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/)

- [Simply Customize It (click here to try it out!)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com) – A [reMarkable](https://remarkable.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) companion app that makes it easier to personalize your e-paper tablet without using the command line. Designed for calm creativity.

[Simply Customize It!Easily personalize your reMarkable with custom templates and screens. No tech fuss, just your style.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-125.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of-Simply-Customize-It--Headline-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)

- [Simply Match It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Simply Uncover It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-uncover-it/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com) – Playful, clean, and ad-free games with premium customization options to bring the game closer to your optimal game play preferences.

[Simply Match It!Race to find matching cards before your friends. Fast to learn, endlessly re-playable.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-128.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Match-It--App-Page-3.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it/)

[Simply Uncover It!Clear the board without hitting a mine. Classic gameplay with fresh twists and custom options.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-129.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Minesweeper--App-Page-1-4.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it/)

I’m currently dabbling in other ideas like executing commands from my watch, creating a sliding puzzle game, or storing favorite recipes.

---

## What Hasn’t Changed

While I’m building apps now, I still believe in sharing openly, making things thoughtfully, and building trust over time.

This blog isn’t going away... it’s just evolving to support what I build. You might still see:

- Behind-the-scenes stories from indie development
- Tips for creative problem solving
- Highlights from my life including birthdays that may benefit you
- Personal favorites and tutorials (especially when I stumble on something cool)
- Posts that tie it all together: parenting, coding, life systems, and calm-tech habits

---

## 🌱 Why It Matters

I know how easy it is to get burned by tech that promises to simplify but ends up adding noise. That’s not what I’m building here.

I want *SimplyKyra* apps to feel gentle, dependable, and optional. The kind of tools that quietly support your life without tracking it.

If you’ve used one of my apps or are just discovering them now... thank you for being here. I hope what I build helps you feel a little more clear, a little more calm, and a lot more in control.

Want to see everything I’ve released (and what’s in the works)? → [Explore all my apps here](https://www.simplykyra.com/myapplications/)

Or do you want a list of helpful posts to get going? → [Here's a curated list](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/start-here/)

I occasionally take on custom work or consulting aligned with my values. [Reach out here](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Interested%20in%20Working%20with%20You) if you’d like to chat.

Or [simply follow along](#/portal/signin). I'm glad you're here.
### Start Here: My Favorite Posts to Explore, Create, and Simplify
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/start-here/
Last updated: 2026-07-19T03:59:06.000Z
> *SimplyKyra helps you cut through the noise with simple tools and cozy updates for everyday life.*

Welcome! 👋 Hi, I’m Kyra... and I’m so glad you’re here.

I'm an indie app developer, blogger, and lover of calm, creative tech. I build tools that take the mental load off your shoulders, whether it’s customizing your reMarkable tablet, keeping track of everyday tasks, or just enjoying a quiet moment of clarity.

This page is your guide to exploring SimplyKyra:

- 📱 **Apps** — purposeful tools for iPhone, iPad, and Mac (and possibly Android).
- ✍️ **Blog** — stories, tutorials, and reflections from my indie dev journey and everyday life.
- 📬 **Newsletters** — low-key updates straight to your inbox, including my new once-a-month overview.

Think of it as your cozy entryway into everything I make. Pick a path below, or just wander... you’ll find a mix of simplicity, creativity, and a little heart in all of it. 💕

---

## **✍️ The Blog**

This blog has evolved over the years. What started as a place to share sewing tutorials, sensory play ideas, and kitchen experiments has gradually grown into something a little more structured: a home for creative tools, calming systems, and tech that actually helps.

If you’re here for parenting ideas, tech tutorials, cozy projects, or just a bit of inspiration you’re in the right place!

To make it easier, I’ve gathered some of my favorite posts (and reader favorites) so you can jump in wherever feels right.

---

## 🌿 Calm Tools I Actually Use

If you’re here because life feels a bit loud, I’ve shared a simple, honest list of tools that genuinely help me feel calmer and more supported day-to-day from tech to everyday comforts.

No hype. Just things I use and love.

[Calm Tools & Things I Actually UseA small collection of tools and everyday things that have genuinely supported me.... shared as they are, without pressure.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-98.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Calm-Tools---Things-I-actually-use---Screenshot---Cover-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/calm-tools-things-i-actually-use/)

**Some links are referral or affiliate links, always noted, and help support my work here. Thank you for being part of this space.*

---

## 🧵 Sewing, Costumes & Crafting Fun

Sewing started as a creative escape when my kids were small and quickly turned into a way to personalize gifts, costumes, and clothing. Whether you’re just getting started or diving deep into technique these posts highlight some of my favorite projects.

I started with simple things, jumped into a peekaboo quilt, and explored techniques using the justification of quiet books for the kids. 

[Peek-a-Boo Television Characters Quilt - Part One of TwoI used a peek-a-boo quilt pattern I found in a library book to create a characters quilt. Love that it contains Doctor Who for me and shows that the kids will discover as they grow older.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-143.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/FeaturePhotoPartOne-1-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/peek-a-boo-television-characters-quilt-part-one/)

[Check out the early quiet books here.](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/quiet-book/)

Since then I grew in skill using [the community found in the 52 week sewing challenge](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/52-weeks-sewing-challenge/), [a pattern brand ambassador program](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/rebecca-page/), and the want to increase the life of my favorite items like these!

[Learn How I Created a Captain Marvel-Inspired Emblem for a SkirtA while ago I converted my daughter’s grown out peppermint swirl dress into a fun twirly skirt. During the process I needed to cover up a slit at the top of the skirt and was inspired by Captain Marvel’s logo.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-138.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_4381.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-i-created-a-captain-marvel-inspired-emblem-for-a-skirt/)

[A Cozy Repair: Mending My Soul Seat with Wool RovingAfter years of daily use my wool-upholstered Soul Seat started showing wear. Rather than replacing it or hiding it with a slipcover I instead found a simple and creative way to repair it using wool roving and needle felting. Here’s how it went... and what I learned along the way!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-131.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_7532-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/a-cozy-repair-mending-my-soul-seat-with-wool-roving/)

[Fix Your Holey Flats and Make Them Beautiful With Embroidery Floss!A couple months ago I looked down at my favorite flats and realized they had small holes. Since then I couldn’t not see the holes and knew I needed to do something. One thing led to another and I now present my embroidery floss patched flats!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-141.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_1031.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/fix-your-holey-flats-and-make-them-beautiful-with-embroidery-floss/)

These posts include some of my favorite projects from play materials and swirly dresses to Halloween costumes and handmade gifts. Many posts have tips, photos, and linked patterns I’ve loved using along the way.

[Bubblegum Dresses and My First Attempt at Color BlockingAre you looking for a simple wrap dress pattern? I love the bubblegum dress from Candy Castle Patterns. I color blocked one of the dresses to feature a road for fun playing.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-140.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Compressed-IMG_3856.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/bubblegum-dresses-and-my-first-attempt-at-color-blocking/)

[Even More Peppermint Swirl DressesAre you looking to sew an easy pattern? Are you looking for a dress that wows? Whether you want to make a skirt or a dress this Peppermint Swirl pattern from Candy Castle patterns blows you away with the gorgeousness and twirliness. Have fun sewing it up.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-139.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_1690.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/even-more-peppermint-swirl-dresses/)

> 🍭 [The Candy Castle patterns](https://payhip.com/CandyCastlePatterns?af=af682cdb34c8728&ref=simplykyra.com), linked in the posts above, include affiliate links that are still active... if you purchase through them thank you for supporting my site!

[My Go-To DIY Nightgown After 18+ Makes... and How You Can Make It Too!I’ve wanted to update our favorite nightgown dress pattern for awhile now and the time is now! To make it I combined an elasticized woven top pattern with a six paneled skirt so if you already have similar patterns you can jump right in!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-130.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_5180.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/returning-to-our-ultimate-nightgown/)

[Check Out Zoey’s Epic “Princess Skateboarder” Halloween CostumeThis year for Halloween Zoey chose to be Princess Skateboarder to save the town! As she’s loved the video of Princess Skateboarder for several years I knew I needed to make it happen. Here’s the last post showing the entire costume with links to how each part was made.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-134.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0479.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/check-out-zoeys-epic-princess-skateboarder-halloween-costume/)

[Our Amazing Halloween Costumes: Zoey’s Black CatLast year when I asked the kids what they wanted to be for Halloween Zoey thought about it for a second and then immediately told me a black cat. I’m so glad she did as I absolutely adored how her costume turned out! Check it out here.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-132.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_5666.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-zoeys-black-cat/)

[Our Amazing Halloween Costumes: Ada’s Carmen SandiegoLast year Ada knew early on that she wanted to be Carmen Sandiego for Halloween and she didn’t waver so when I decided to tackle costumes I knew that I needed to make it happen. Here’s what I did to turn her into Carmen!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-133.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_5673.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-adas-carmen-sandiego/)

[Kids’ Play KitchenDo you have a small table you’re looking to upcycle? Are you wishing you had a kitchen set for your kids? Why not make your own? Here’s what I did to make my kids their play kitchen.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-135.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_5483.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/kids-play-kitchen/)

[Outfits For LEGOLAND®Are you heading to LEGOLAND® anytime soon? Do you sew? We recently went on a trip and I wanted my kids to wear something special for their first visit. These are the sewing patterns I made.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-197.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_8081.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/outfits-for-legoland/)

[Halloween Costume - Chuggington OnesieAre you looking for a matching costume for your baby? Why not grab a onesie and fabric markers to create your own costume. Simple and comfortable!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-137.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Compressed-ChuggintonOnesie-11.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/halloween-costume-chuggington-onesie/)

[Custom Pop Snap Bead Unicorn PendantsDoes your child love pop snap beads? Do they love something that’s hard to find in jewelry? Why not make your own custom pop snap beads using fabric markers, fabric, and a glue gun? Easily customizable to whatever your child loves right now.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-136.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_7108-e1568678063425.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/custom-pop-snap-bead-unicorn-pendants/)

[An Upgrade on My Girls’ Home Sewn SwimsuitsI sewed up some new swimming suits for my girls this summer and in doing so tried out a new way to attach the neckband.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-145.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_8720.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/an-upgrade-on-my-girls-home-sewn-swimsuits/)

[Felt Farfalle (Bow-Tie) Pasta and Diced TomatoesDoes your child have a kitchen set where they love to make pretend food? Why not make them bow-tie pasta and ‘canned tomatoes’ so they can make their favorite meal whenever they want.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-151.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Compressed-IMG_5377.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/felt-farfalle-bow-tie-pasta-and-diced-tomatoes/)

[Becoming Ada: My DIY Ada Lovelace Costume for an Iconic NightFor an iconic-themed event, I chose Ada Lovelace: mathematician, visionary, and often called the first computer programmer. With bun makers, scarves, old socks, and plenty of hairspray, I pieced together a DIY costume that paid tribute to her spirit.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-244.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-Becoming-Ada-My-DIY-Ada-Lovelace-Costume-for-an-ICONIC-Night---Cover-Image-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/becoming-ada-my-diy-ada-lovelace-costume-for-an-iconic-night/)

[Click here for all my sewing posts!](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/sewing/)

---

## 🏠 Parenting & Play Systems

When life with little ones got overwhelming I leaned into sensory play and simple systems. These ideas helped us stay sane, sparked joy, and often repurposed what we already had on hand. From oobleck to DIY play kitchens I hope these posts spark something fun for your family too.

### [Oobleck](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/oobleck/)

Oobleck is a non-newtonian fluid made with cornstarch and water that is super cool... and can potentially be simpler to clean up compared to other things as you just need to dilute it and wipe it up... or garbage anything solid-like. 

[Oobleck - A Simple Two Ingredient Sensory MaterialOobleck... a simple material that is so confounding. Is it a liquid, a solid, or both? It’s a non-Newtonian fluid that everyone needs to check out at least once.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-168.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_3876.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/oobleck-a-simple-two-ingredient-sensory-material/)

Expand the oobleck by:

- [Freezing it!](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/making-frozen-oobleck/)
- [Adding colors (and frozen)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/frozen-oobleck-color-mixing-sensory-play/)
- Or, if hot out, [further the play with drying it out and rehydrating](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/dried-out-oobleck-oobleck-sand/).

### [Playdough](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/playdough/)

Our favorite playdouhg recipe uses boiling water. I often had the kids mix the dry then I took over once we added the water. Plus you can easily dilute the dye by adding it to the water before mixing it up. Here's our favorite recipe:

[Make Your Own PlaydoughMy absolute favorite play dough recipe!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-166.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_01269.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/make-your-own-playdough/)

Again expand the playdough fun with:

- Different colors ([including using paints](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/playdough-coloring-alternatives/)) or [flavor extracts for scents](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/easily-change-up-your-playdough-with-scents/)
- Don't dye it and [color it with markers](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/coloring-on-playdough/)
- Add [toys (like dinosaurs) for an activity bin](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/dinosaur-footprints-sensory-bin/)
- Have problems? [Troubleshoot it here!](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/playdough-troubleshooting/)
- Or [here's some more ideas](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-ways-to-easily-change-up-your-playdough-time/):

[Simple Ways to Easily Change up Your Playdough TimeAre you looking to change up your playdough fun? Here are ways we’ve changed or added to our play.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-172.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_8110-1.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-ways-to-easily-change-up-your-playdough-time/)

### And More!

From live animal cams to sittervising-friendly activities here are some simple ideas to keep the kids engaged.

[Quick and Simple Sensory Stations You May Already HaveHere are some simple and quick sensory stations you may already have laying around that you can pull together quickly.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-169.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_bubbles-e1531030386557.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/quick-and-simple-sensory-stations-you-may-already-have/)

[Streaming Animal CamerasIs your child interested in learning about animals? I’ve found a bunch of free resources you can stream online to watch penguins, stingrays, jellyfish, the ocean, sea otters, sharks, and more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-198.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_3290.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/streaming-animal-cameras/)

[Simple Water PlayAre you looking for easy ways to entertain your kids? Why not use simple water? My girls love playing with water sensory bins as they grew. And you can keep it novel by changing out the toys, adding bubbles, or dying the water. For such a crazy time water play is a simple solution.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-174.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-05-03-at-5.00.38-PM.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-water-play/)

[Ideas For When It’s Hot OutsideAre you worried about what you can do with your kids when it gets hot out? Are you looking for cool snacks and drinks? Are you currently experiencing a heat wave? Why not check out my ideas for when it gets hot outside?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-173.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_8968-e1590363355435.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/ideas-for-when-its-hot-outside/)

[Easily Dye Pantry Staples for Fun and Simple Sensory MaterialsAre you looking for a fun sensory material for your kids to play with? If you have extra pasta, rice, or beans you could dye them. Here’s how my experiment went.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-175.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_7656.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/easily-dye-pantry-staples-for-fun-and-simple-sensory-materials/)

[My Quick and Simple Towel Technique for Kitchen Sink Sensory PlayDoes your child love playing in the sink and you hate the mess? Does water always seem to pool within your under-sink cupboard? Why not add a simple towel? Here’s how I’ve gained peace of mind with sink play.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-176.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_2658.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-quick-and-simple-towel-technique-for-kitchen-sink-sensory-play/)

[Incredibly Simple Play Bandages with Masking TapeAre you looking for something to keep your child(ren) entertained? Do you have masking tape on hand? Why not have them decorate strips of it and turn it into pretend play bandages. Maybe their toys are sick and need to be fixed? So many options!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-178.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_9324.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/incredibly-simple-play-bandages-with-masking-tape/)

[Slime Station at Our Birthday PartyFor Zoey’s 8th birthday party last year she wanted to do slime and we made it happen! Here’s how!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-179.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_3903-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/slime-station-at-our-birthday-party/)

Anything posted pre 2020 are gathered up in this post:

[Ideas For When You’re Home With KidsAn umbrella post containing all the fun kid activities listed on my blog up to March 2020\. I’ve also included some external resources available over March and April and maybe beyond.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-144.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Ideas-For-When-Youre-Home-With-Kids-Header.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/ideas-for-when-youre-home-with-kids/)

### Homemade Cards

Want some simple-ish toddler card ideas... here's three!

[Simple Toddler Started Christmas Tree CardsDoes your child enjoy stamps or do they smear instead of lift? Did you attempt to make Christmas cards and aren’t sure how to continue? Why not turn your child’s smears into something more deliberate by turning their art into a Christmas tree?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-191.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_6613.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-toddler-started-christmas-tree-cards/)

[Toddler Scribble CardsIs your child in a scribble phase? Are you looking at getting them involved making cards? Why not use tape to create a defined white space in their scribbles?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-193.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_13-Added-Signature.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/toddler-scribble-cards/)

[Shaving Cream MarblingAre you looking at making a unique birthday card? Looking to get your kids involved with making Christmas cards? Want to do an art activity that makes super cool paper? Why not use shaving cream and watercolors to marble paper?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-192.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_2017Feb3-375.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/shaving-cream-marbling/)

### Playtime

It's always awesome to add a little bit more wonder, creativity, and calm to everyday life!

[Cardboard Kitchen From an Old End TableDo you have a nightstand or small table you aren’t using? Why not convert it to a kitchen set for your child?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-187.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Compressed-IMG_8561.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/cardboard-kitchen-from-an-old-end-table/)

[Create a Simple Cardboard Changing Pad for DollyDoes your child love dolls? Do they love crafts? Are you looking for another doll accessory? Why not make a simple dolly changing pad? This can be as simple as a plain piece of cardboard or it can be thoroughly decorated. Here’s what we made!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-177.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_17Feb2-322.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/create-a-simple-cardboard-changing-pad-for-dolly/)

[Create Cardboard Shelving For Your Kitchen SetCreate a quick and custom shelving using cardboard boxes for your kids play area. This shelf was the perfect extension to our kitchen set that lasted for quite awhile.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-189.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_2203.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/create-cardboard-shelving-for-your-kitchen-set/)

[Easy Cardboard Kitchen SetAre you debating getting your child a kitchen set but don’t know if they’ll enjoy it? Do you have an extra box laying around? Why not make a temporary kitchen set and see how they like it. Full directions here!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-195.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Compressed-2017Feb9-137.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/easy-cardboard-kitchen-set/)

### Randomness

Check out all the [craftiness](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/craftiness/) posts here! That said here's some fixes, adorable surprises, and more activities!

[Our Simple and Adorable Kitchen SnowpersonLast Christmas I decorated our fridge for the holiday season and absolutely adored it! The snow person part ended up staying until late Spring and made me smile so many times.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-184.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_3457-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-simple-and-adorable-kitchen-snowperson/)

[Quick and Easy Christmas Tree OrnamentsAre you looking for more Christmas tree ornaments? Do you want to get your kids involved? Why not use plastic ornaments and fill them with simple objects like pompoms and pipe cleaners. So easy and the kids will have a blast!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-196.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Compressed-IMG_6465-Edited.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/quick-and-easy-christmas-tree-ornaments/)

[Simple Quick Dresser Drawer FixIs the bottom falling out in your dresser drawer? Are you wondering how to fix it? Debating what you may have to run out to buy? Do you have a glue gun? Why not fix you dresser drawer the easy way with hot glue? So simple and holds up well.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-188.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_8159.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-quick-dresser-drawer-fix/)

[Protecting Your Outside Artwork From The WeatherDo you have painted art hanging outside? Are you debating how to protect it? Why not use mod podge. This is what I did to protect the kids hand and footprints hanging outside my home.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-190.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0109.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/protecting-your-outside-artwork-from-the-weather/)

[Dinosaur Themed Crazy Hair DayAre you looking for ideas for a crazy hair day? Did your child ask you to put their beloved toy on their head? Are you looking for props to make the hairstyle different? Why not try something like this? Click to find out how I did it!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-194.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_9402.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/dinosaur-themed-crazy-hair-day/)

[Dressing “Ginger” For Valentine’s DayWith “Ginger” created it was time to replace her Christmas outfit with something a bit more seasonally appropriate. And so this outfit was made! Come check out how I made it here.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-213.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/image-3.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/dressing-ginger-for-february/)

### Location Based Play

And side note but if you want some fun playgrounds and find yourself in the Bay Area:

[Our Favorite Bay Area Playgrounds... and How We Found ThemAfter moving away from the Bay Area I realized just how much I missed all of the playgrounds we left behind and I realized I should share them with you whether you’re passing through the area or here to stay.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-199.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_MagicalBridges_FairOaksSunnyvale_5264-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-favorite-bay-area-playgrounds-and-how-we-found-them/)

---

## 🍽 Easy Meals and Fun Desserts

I’m not a food blogger, but I love documenting the real-life meals that work for us... especially the ones that feel special with almost no extra effort. This section includes go-to dinners, leftover hacks, seasonal breakfasts, and a few sweet treats (plus a couple cookbook reviews for fun). 

### The Simplest

[Pasta, Tomato, and CheeseMy childhood favorite meal is now my kids. Pasta, canned tomatoes, and cheddar cheese. You can keep it simple or add some extras.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-149.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Compressed-IMG_1361.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pasta-tomato-and-cheese/)

[Eggy (Ramen and Egg Chicken) Soup - Kids’ Top Five Meal and Gluten FreeGrab some rice noodles the next time you see them in the store and make a healthy egg and cheese ramen soup. So quick and delicious!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-163.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_EggySoupJPG.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/eggy-ramen-and-egg-chicken-soup-kids-top-five-meal-and-gluten-free/)

[My Simple Pressure Cooker Sausage and Pasta MealCheck out my quick and easy pressure cooker pasta dish. So simple to make and my kids LOVE it!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-150.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_7552-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-simple-pressure-cooker-sausage-and-pasta-meal/)

[Easy Baked Chicken with La Terra Fina DipCreate an easy to make chicken dish with La Terra Fina dip. So yummy and a great way to use excess dip.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-161.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Compressed-IMG_4493.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/easy-baked-chicken-with-la-terra-fina-dip/)

### Customizable

[Simple Lasagna-ish From LeftoversDo you want to combine supper with lasagna making? With cooking a bit more pasta and meat sauce and a bit more effort with the leftovers you get an awesome supper and a lasagna for later. Win win!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-153.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_6136.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-lasagna-ish-from-leftovers/)

[Tacos! Three Simple Meals in OneAre you looking for dinner ideas? Want something that works for you and everyone else in you family? Why not make tacos.... something for everyone and I include what you could make with the leftovers that has me making extra each time. Check it out.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-152.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0209-1.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/tacos-three-simple-meals-in-one/)

### Perfect Leftovers

[How I Changed up My Sheet Pan Pancakes to Make Them More ExcitingHave you ever tried making pancakes in the oven? It’s life-changing! Especially as it doesn’t set off the smoke detector like when I make pancakes on the stove. Whether you’ve already made oven pancakes or not I figured I’d share how I change up my go to recipe to keep it exciting for my girls!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-164.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_5692.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-changed-up-my-sheet-pan-pancakes-to-make-them-more-exciting/)

### Themed Meals

[Easy Saint Patrick’s Day Themed Shamrock Sheet Pan PancakesAre you debating what you can do to celebrate the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day? Why not make simple shamrock shaped pancakes?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-165.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_2579.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/easy-saint-patricks-day-themed-shamrock-sheet-pan-pancakes/)

[Quick and Easy Valentine’s Day Themed Breakfast IdeaIf you’re looking for a quick and simple Valentine’s themed breakfast I have you covered. All you need are frozen waffles, cream cheese, red food dye, and sprinkles.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-170.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_9612.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/quick-and-easy-valentine-day-themed-breakfast-idea/)

[Use Sprinkles to Create a Fun Easter Themed Breakfast... And Some Other IdeasLast year the girls wanted a themed Easter breakfast and I delivered quickly with themed sprinkles! So last minute and the kids were thrilled. Check it out here!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-186.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_1469.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/easter-egg-breakfast/)

### And Others

[Have yogurt... now what? What I Make with YogurtDo you have plain yogurt sitting in your fridge and no idea how you should use it? Are you planning on getting into making your own yogurt? Here are some yummy ways I’ve used plain yogurt.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-154.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_4265-1.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/have-yogurt-now-what-what-i-make-with-yogurt/)

[Leftover Mashed Potato Casserole - Tastes Like Perogies!Are you craving perogies and can’t find them anywhere? Are you putting off figuring out how to make your own? Why not use some leftover mashed potatoes and satisfy that perogy feeling with a casserole. So delicious!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-155.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_2634.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/leftover-mashed-potato-casserole-tastes-like-perogies/)

[My Favorite Pizza Crust... Including My Go To Tomato Sauce and Dessert PizzaCreate your own pizza including the dough! It’s so easy. I’ve included the pizza dough, tomato sauce, and possible toppings... including a dessert pizza.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-162.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Compressed-PepperoniPineappleMozza-1.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-favorite-pizza-crust-including-my-go-to-tomato-sauce-and-dessert-pizza/)

### Desserts

Desserts are always a hit in our house. Here are my favorites to get you going.

[How I Made a Simple Grocery Store Cheesecake Look SupremeThis year for Ada’s birthday I bought a simple grocery store cheesecake and made it amazing by customizing each piece with homemade chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, and brownie bits.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-156.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0059.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-made-a-simple-grocery-store-cheesecake-look-supreme/)

[Check Out Some Really Delicious Canadian Desserts Just In Time For ChristmasBack in October I decided to make some Canadian treats we hadn’t had in quite a while. They turned out amazing and I realized I should share the recipe links with you just in case you’re looking for something special to make too.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-157.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0139.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/check-out-some-really-delicious-canadian-desserts-just-in-time-for-christmas/)

[Our Simply Delicious Brownie Angel Food CupcakesThis year we chose to combine the girls’ birthday party together which led to this extremely simple and novel brownie and angel food cupcake combo. Come check it out!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-159.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_2783-1-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-simply-delicious-brownie-angel-food-cupcakes/)

### Cookbook Reviews

If you want to expand beyond I've also reviewed three cookbooks based on how me, my husband, our daughters enjoyed it. 

[“The Secret Ingredient Cookbook” ReviewAre you looking at changing up your meals? I tried this new cookbook that just came out and enjoyed so many of the recipes. Check out what I made and see if you like it too!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-146.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_22The-Secret-Ingredient-Cookbook22-Review-Image.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/the-secret-ingredient-cookbook-review/)

[‘Healthy One Pan Dinners’ Cookbook ReviewAre you looking at changing up your meals? I tried this new cookbook and enjoyed all fourteen of the recipes I tried in it. Check out what I made and see if you like it too!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-147.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0770.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/healthy-one-pan-dinners-cookbook-review/)

[“The No-Fuss Family Cookbook” ReviewAre you looking to change up your meals? I tried this new cookbook that recently came out and enjoyed so many of the recipes. Check out what I made and see if you like it too!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-148.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed___The-No-Fuss-Family-Cookbook_-Review-Image.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/the-no-fuss-family-cookbook-review/)

[All food and dessert related posts!](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/food-and-dessert/)

---

## 🧘‍♀️ Movement, Wellness & Real-Life Rhythms

Between online workouts and playful movement goals, I’ve been rediscovering what helps me feel grounded and strong. These posts include free workout finds, my favorite online Pilates classes (including a referral discount below), and reflections on routines that actually work for real life. 

[Free At Home Workouts To De-StressAre you looking for a way to let off steam but you’re stuck inside? Are you feeling antsy. Why not look into one of these free online workouts?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-180.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_4890-scaled-3.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/free-at-home-workouts-to-de-stress/)

> 💡 **Lindywell Referral**: I’m a proud member of [Lindywell](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/the-balanced-life-with-robin-long/), a beautiful online Pilates platform that centers breath and strength. If you decide to try it, [we both get a discount](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822)! No pressure... just something I genuinely love and recommend.

[Pilates: My Favorite Thing!I’ve been wanting to update my Pilates’ post and figured now was the time! Here I share an awesome online membership (with referral code) that you can attend from anywhere anytime!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-181.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_2239-1-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pilates-my-favorite-thing/)

[Aya Pilates: Classes, Community & MoreNew to Aya Pilates in Sammamish? I took 350+ classes in a year—here’s what to expect, from class types to tips. They’re opening in Seattle too!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-182.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Local-Pilates-Studio-Recommendation-Aya-Pilates---Cover-Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/aya-pilates/)

I've also gathered some of the bigger hikes I've gone on [here](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/hiking/) if you want a fun virtual scenic trip. Cascade Pass looked the most colorful!

[Cascade Pass Trail in the North Cascades National ParkA photo collage of my hike back in September on the Cascade Pass Trail within the North Cascades National Park. Click here to check it out!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-183.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0156-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/cascade-pass-trail-in-the-north-cascades-national-park/)

---

## **💻** Tutorials, Tech & App Building

As my creative energy shifted from sewing to software, I began building Apple-first apps to simplify everyday life. These posts offer a peek behind the curtain—whether you’re customizing your reMarkable tablet, coding in Swift, or just curious about how my apps come together.

### reMarkable

You can find all the [reMarkable related posts here](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/remarkable/) but the main ones are: 

[Frequently Asked Questions I’ve Seen Around About the reMarkableOver the last year or I’ve seen several reMarkable template related questions popup on Facebook user groups and each time I debate creating a post that answers all those questions. I finally decided to just make it and here’s the result!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-201.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_4839-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/frequently-asked-questions-ive-seen-around-about-the-remarkable/)

[Watch How I Upload Custom Templates to My reMarkableI’ve had some question about my template process so I recently spent some time creating a video walkthrough, thus combining my blog posts together, to show you how I upload my custom templates. Here’s the embedded YouTube video and its transcript. Hope it helps!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-200.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Watch-How-I-Upload-Custom-Templates-to-My-reMarkable-Instagram-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/watch-how-i-upload-custom-templates-to-my-remarkable/)

[Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Paper Pro Through the Command LineWith the new reMarkable Paper Pro out I realized I needed to update my How To Connect post... here it is!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-202.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_9201-1-7.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/)

### Swift

Many of the coding examples are based in [Swift](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/swift/) with my favorites being:

[Create a Super Simple Shared SwiftUI Alert SystemDo you want a simple shared alert system in your SwiftUI app that works in both iOS and macOS from, mostly, one location? No more moving it up and down a view spot seeing if it will work now!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-204.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Create-a-Simple-Shared-SwiftUI-Alert-System----CoverImage.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/create-a-super-simple-shared-swiftui-alert-system/)

[SwiftData: Solving Filtering by an Entity in the PredicateI’ve been coding my own app and when SwiftData was announced I realized that now, before it enters the App Store, is the best time to convert my data over. That said, it wasn’t without its issues and I found filtering by an entity relationship was, for me, one of the biggest blockers. Come check out how I solved it!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-205.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_SwiftData-Problems-with-Filtering-by-Entity-in-the-Predicate----Image-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/swiftdata-problems-with-filtering-by-entity-in-the-predicate/)

[Update to “My Custom Picker With Multi-Selection in SwiftUI” - Now With Images!I’ve upgraded my custom multi-selection picker, in SwiftUI, to now be customizable using a struct rather than string array. This means it works for images... and whatever else you want to add.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-206.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_2022-08-08-at-8.51.48-AM.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/update-to-my-custom-picker-with-multi-selection-in-swiftui-now-with-images/)

### App Store

If you're looking at getting an app in the [Apple App Store](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/app-review/) I shared this after my first:

[Steps My App Needed To Get into the Apple App StoreWith my first app officially in the App Store I wanted to share what I now know in case it can help you too!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-203.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-App-Review-Tips---Image.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/steps-needed-to-get-into-the-apple-app-store/)

### General

Between blogging and working with the reMarkable I have several `PDF`, bash, and image processing posts like: 

[How to Quickly Combine PDF Files on Your MacHave you ever wanted to combine two PDF files together on your Mac computer? I have. And here’s how I did it using the Preview app that you should already have!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-208.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_PDF-Editing-2022-02-01-at-7.57.06-AM-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-quickly-combine-pdf-files-on-your-mac/)

[How to Run a Bash Script From Anywhere on Your Apple ComputerOver the years I’ve created several Bash scripts that I realized would be far easier to use if I could run them from several different places on my machine without moving the script itself. After learning how to do that for myself I had to share process with you!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-207.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-2023-01-18-at-4.14.33-PM.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-run-a-bash-script-from-anywhere-on-your-apple-computer/)

[Quickly Create App Icons by Resizing Your Main Image With a Bash ScriptWhile resizing an image I chose to use for my app icon I quickly recognized how onerous the entire process was. This lead to me creating a Bash script which dramatically sped up my workflow and may help yours too. Check it out here!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-209.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/2023-04-24-at-6.49.32-PM-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/quickly-create-app-icons-by-resizing-your-main-image-with-a-bash-script/)

[Use a Simple Bash Script to Resize Your Images Quickly and EasilyAre you looking for a quick way to resize and compress your images all at once? Why not create a bash script to do it? Here’s what I did and I explain it all so you can use mine or make your own!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-210.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Use-a-Simple-Bash-Script-to-Resize-Your-Images-Quickly-and-Easily-Image.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/use-a-simple-bash-script-to-resize-your-images-quickly-and-easily/)

[Easily Resize Multiple Images Quickly Through the Terminal on Your MacAre you having issues resizing and/or compressing images on your computer? Have you checked out ImageMagick®? Here’s how I’ve started compressing my blog images if you’re also interested.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-211.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_MainImage.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/easily-resize-multiple-images-quickly-through-the-terminal-on-your-mac/)

---

## 📱 The Apps

I design calm, purposeful apps for iPhone, iPad, and Mac... and I’m exploring Android too. Each one was born from a real-life “I wish I had this tool” moment, whether it’s customizing your reMarkable, keeping track of everyday tasks, or adding a little fun with a quick game.

### 🔍 Looking for My Apps?

Here’s what I’ve built so far:

- [Simply Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com): Track recurring tasks and optional measurements so you don’t have to remember it all yourself. → [More Info](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/)
- [Simply Customize It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com): Personalize your reMarkable with ease—no command line required. → [More Info](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)
- [Simply TBR: Tame the Stack](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com): Gather all your books in one place so you can stop guessing and start browsing. → [More Info](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-tbr/)
- [Simply Match It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com): A fast-paced matching game to challenge friends (or yourself). → [More Info](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it/)
- [Simply Uncover It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-uncover-it/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com): A clean, calming puzzle game inspired by the logic of minesweeper. → [More Info](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it/)

[Browse All My Apps Here.](https://www.simplykyra.com/myapplications/)

Curious why I made the shift? Check out [Why I Build: From Personal Projects to Purposeful Apps](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/why-i-build/)

---

## 📬 Newsletters

Not everyone wants constant emails (me included) and an inbox can get really crowded. That’s why I offer three simple options:

- **Blog Updates** when new posts go live
- **App Updates** for feature releases and app updates
- **Monthly Overview** — a once-a-month cozy recap if you want to stay in the loop without the overwhelm.

Stay in the Loop your way!

[Subscribe to Email Updates](#/portal/signin)

Or just keep exploring. I’m so glad you’re here and hope what you find here makes your day a little lighter.
### How to Safely Display Your App Icon In-App (iOS & macOS, pre-26 and 26)
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-safely-display-your-app-icon-in-app-ios-macos-pre-26-and-26/
Last updated: 2025-10-24T22:25:54.000Z
If you’ve ever wanted to show your app icon inside a `SwiftUI` view, maybe in your About screen, a settings header, or during onboarding, you might have reached for `UIImage(named:"AppIcon")` (or its `NSImage` counterpart) and found it often *just worked*.

But I realized the other day, on iOS 26, that can suddenly crash.

Here’s how I set up a reusable `SwiftUI` `AppIcon` view years ago, how it evolved over the years, remained the same with the introduction of Apple's Icon Composer, and what changed when I ran my apps on the iOS 26 beta. The good news: the fix was simple, and the end result is a component you can copy-paste into your own apps today.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/08/compressed_How-to-Safely-Display-Your-App-Icon-In-App---Pinterest.png)

---

## TL;DR: Copy-Paste Component

### The Component

```swift

import SwiftUI

public struct AppIcon: View {
    
    public var placeholderIconName: String = "AppIcon" // primary try
    public var placeholderIconBackupName: String = "AppIconBackup" // fallback
    
    public init(setIconName: String? = nil, setBackupName: String? = nil) {
        if let thisName = setIconName, !thisName.isEmpty {
            placeholderIconName = thisName
        }
        if let thisName = setBackupName, !thisName.isEmpty {
            placeholderIconBackupName = thisName
        }
    }
    
#if os(macOS)
    var resolvedImage: NSImage? {
        NSImage(named: placeholderIconName)
        ?? Bundle.main.iconFileName.flatMap { NSImage(named: $0) }
        ?? NSImage(named: placeholderIconBackupName)
    }
#else
    var resolvedImage: UIImage? {
        UIImage(named: placeholderIconName)
        ?? Bundle.main.iconFileName.flatMap { UIImage(named: $0) }
        ?? UIImage(named: placeholderIconBackupName)
    }
#endif
    
    public var body: some View {
        Group {
#if os(macOS)
            if let iconImage = resolvedImage {
                Image(nsImage: iconImage)
                    .cornerRadius(10.0)
            } else {
                EmptyView()
            }
#else
            if let iconImage = resolvedImage {
                Image(uiImage: iconImage)
                    .cornerRadius(10.0)
            } else {
                EmptyView() 
            }
#endif
        }
    }
}
```

### Usage

```swift
HStack {
    Spacer()
    AppIcon() // falls back to AppIconBackup if needed
    Spacer()
}
```

---

## UPDATE: September-ish: 

I've noticed the crash pop up again on some apps and not others. I don't want people to be confused why certain views crash the app so removed all reference to AppIcon. Feel free to share if you find a stable workaround!

## UPDATE: September 11th, 2025

Just last week I stumbled upon the App Icon not working again and fixed up the `resolvedImage` to be more robust and removed the `Preview` I had at the bottom of the file. Here’s the current setup:

```swift
#if os(macOS)
    var resolvedImage: NSImage? {
        if let primary = NSImage(named: placeholderIconName) {
            return primary
        }
        if let fallbackName = Bundle.main.iconFileName,
           let fallback = NSImage(named: fallbackName) {
            return fallback
        }
        if let backup = NSImage(named: placeholderIconBackupName) {
            return backup
        }
        return nil
    }
#else
    var resolvedImage: UIImage? {
        if let primary = UIImage(named: placeholderIconName) {
            return primary
        }
        if let fallbackName = Bundle.main.iconFileName,
           let fallback = UIImage(named: fallbackName) {
            return fallback
        }
        if let backup = UIImage(named: placeholderIconBackupName) {
            return backup
        }
        return nil
    }
#endif
```

One or both of those changes seemed to resolve the issue. 

But apparently temporarily as it broke again earlier today when [*Simply Customize It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) crashed when onboarding my new reMarkable Paper Pro Move.

To avoid further user crashes, I’ve decided to remove `AppIcon` entirely from my apps as I continue updating them... at least for now. I'm disappointed as I loved the idea of showing my app icon within the app.

If you’ve found a reliable fix (or if Apple updates SwiftUI to stop crashing when `UIImage(named:)` fails silently), please drop a comment below or [email](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=App%20Icon%20Fix%20or%20Bug) me. I’d love to bring this feature back and update this post with better news!

---

## How I Got Here

### The original component

I originally wrote a super simple version of this back in my very first app, targeting iOS 17 and macOS 14\. At the time simply fetching the `Bundle.main.iconFileName` and converting it to an image simply worked. 

```swift
Bundle.main.iconFileName
#if os(macOS)
    .flatMap { NSImage(named: $0) }
    .map { Image(nsImage: $0) }
#else
    .flatMap { UIImage(named: $0) }
    .map { Image(uiImage: $0) }
#endif
    .cornerRadius(10.0)
```

### Evolution

I kept that original code around but kept adding little improvements as I added more apps to my library and used it in more views. This eventually ended up as the above code sample.

![Screenshots of app settings and welcome views on both iOS and macOS showing app icon displayed correctly.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/08/compressed_How-to-Safely-Display-Your-App-Icon-In-App---Image-App-Icons.png)

All the happy icons. 

### Enter Icon Composer

After WWDC 2025, I experimented with Apple’s new [Icon Composer tool](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/sketching-composing-and-failing-my-app-icon-experience-with-apples-new-tool-icon-composer/) to redo all my favorite app icons. I upgraded my iPad to the current 26 beta software, added the new icons to my projects, kept the original AppIcon asset in the catalog, made sure they were named the same, and let Apple choose which icon to use based on your operating system. Everything looked and worked fine.

### Then came iOS 26

Although I had tested my apps on my iPad it wasn't until recently when I upgraded my main phone to the current iOS 26 beta software that I noticed any problems. I just tested and uploaded [the new charting upgrade to *Simply Remember It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-remember-it-update-with-smarter-charting-for-clearer-history/)and was dismayed to realize since the update the app crashed whenever a view tried to load the app icon.

When run through Xcode the console showed:

```swift
*** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSInternalInconsistencyException',
reason: 'Need an imageRef'
```

Not sure the exact technical cause but according to ChatGPT it turned out that on iOS 26, the launcher `AppIcon` asset isn’t always a plain raster. Calling it with `UIImage(named:)` could resolve to a special internal rendition and that object had no `CGImage`. Hence the crash.

---

## The Fix

### A Backup Image Asset

After trying to find code fixes I realized I, fortunately, already had the answer in my code by using the `placeholderIconBackupName` in the component. All I needed to do was:

1. Open my asset catalog and select the `AppIcon` image set.
2. Right-click the 1024px iOS image and copy it.

![Xcode screenshot showing the AppIcon's 1024 pixel image highlighted.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/08/compressed_2025-08-26-at-09.08.14-1.png)

1. Select the pane where the AppIcon is and hit past. A new image with that copied image will be added to the asset catalog.

![Xcode screenshot showing a second AppIcon set added.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/08/compressed_2025-08-26-at-09.08.30.png)

1. Either double click on the new image to edit the name OR (like here) open the right sidebar and change the name.

![Xcode screenshot showing the new image being renamed to AppIconBackup.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/08/compressed_2025-08-26-at-09.09.59.png)

1. Click off it and the name has been set to match the backup string. If you override the main or backup name when calling `AppIcon` you could set and pass in any unique name here.

![Xcode screenshot showing AppIconBackup set with PNG.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/08/compressed_2025-08-26-at-09.10.12.png)

And that’s it. No code changes. *Simply Remember It* stopped crashing on iOS 26 and the same code also works pre-26.

No code changes were required.

### Real-World Test

I assumed the same issue would exist in my other apps but I somehow couldn’t reproduce the crash in them. That said, just in case it did affect them in the future I replicated the same steps to create a backup asset for each of them and pushed the update for all of them ([more on that story here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/from-one-small-bug-to-an-update-everywhere/)).

![Collage of three Xcode windows showing the newly created 1025 pixel back up image.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/08/compressed_2025-08-26-at-09.43.49.png)

Fixing the bug in the other apps although I couldn't replicate it there.

### If You’re Starting Fresh on iOS 26

If you’re coding a brand new app using the new icon composer app icon I could see skipping the AppIcon in the assets entirely and instead just including a single PNG export as your display asset. That said, if you want compatibility across OS versions, or if you already have code referencing AppIcon, having both the app icon set up and an secondary `AppIconBackup` image seems to be the safest path.

---

## Why Share This?

I remember wanting to display the app icon internally in my apps years ago and when fixing this bug I figured someone else may want to do the same. If you have a better solution I'd love for you to share it in the comments below for anyone reading this. And regardless I thought this is a simple peek behind the scenes of how small fixes ripple across my apps.

I love that the fix itself was simple, literally just copy, paste, rename, but it also reinforced a bigger lesson: if you display your app icon inside the app treat it like any other image asset.

And like always I hope you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsyapps/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### From One Small Bug to an Update Everywhere
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/from-one-small-bug-to-an-update-everywhere/
Last updated: 2025-09-01T04:51:08.000Z
After releasing [the charting update for *Simply Remember It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-remember-it-update-with-smarter-charting-for-clearer-history/) I updated my phone to the iOS 26 beta so I could continue continue testing my apps ahead of the public release. I was surprised to immediately discover that a bug in *Simply Remember It* was causing the app to crash whenever the screen attempted to display the app's icon. 

Once I tracked down and fixed the issue I was further surprised to realize that I couldn't reproduce the crash in my other apps. But since they share similar code I decided to be proactive and release an update for all of them. 

---

## The Bug

- Only appeared when running the iOS 26 beta from the beta version of Xcode.
- Triggered whenever the app tried to load the main `AppIcon` asset. This was not the launcher icon but anywhere the icon was displayed inside the app.
- The fix? Adding a **backup asset** so the app never gets stuck on `Need an imageRef`.

## Why Update All the Apps?

- Even though the crash only showed up in *Simply Remember It* I don’t want you to be caught off guard if it pops up later.
- Bugs sometimes surface only on certain devices or OS versions so I wanted to stop this before it potentially happens to someone else.
- By updating everything now all the *Simply* apps are ready for iOS 26 whenever you decide to upgrade.

## What Changed

- A small, behind-the-scenes update: no new features in this round.
- Added a safe backup image for app icons in **all** the apps.
- Future-proofing to keep things running smoothly as Apple evolves iOS and macOS.

💡 If you’re curious about the technical details, I’ll be sharing a blog post soon on how I handle app icons. Make sure you’re signed up for the **Blog Posts** newsletter list so you don’t miss it!

---

My goal with the *Simply* apps has always been to bring *calm to your everyday routines* and not add stress. This was a `quiet` update, but an important one as I wanted to make sure everything `just works` for you, no matter which Apple device or OS version you’re on.

Thanks for trusting my apps to be part of your daily flow! And, as always, I hope you're having a fantastic day!
### Simply Remember It: Update with Smarter Charting for Clearer History
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-update-with-smarter-charting-for-clearer-history/
Last updated: 2025-08-26T12:34:15.000Z
## A Calmer Way to Track Progress

With this update, Simply Remember It becomes even better at showing you what matters. Charting has grown more powerful, and categories now include helpful breakdowns making it even easier to spot trends in your measurements at a glance. The goal, as always, is to keep your tasks simple and calm so you can focus on life, not on remembering. 

---

## Added Measurements

You’ve always been able to track by number or text... and now there’s a simple `Yes/No` measurement type for quick, lightweight tracking. Pair it with the new charting options for even clearer insights.

## Smarter Charting

The **Charting tab** still includes your heatmap and settings helping you visualize when tasks were tracked. Tapping a day now brings up an overlay that floats over the screen giving you more context without losing your place.

What’s new:

- **Numeric measurements** can now be charted by unit type letting you spot trends and compare growth across multiple related measurements. Chart types include scatter, line, and bar.
- **Yes/No measurements** bring new visualizations: pie, stacked bar, and daily column charts.
- **Day selection** also works across all numeric charts and daily column charts giving you faster access to details.
- **Color options** make charts easier to view and interpret.
- All of these improvements apply to both individual tasks *and* categories.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/08/compressed_Simply-Remember-It-Update-with-Smarter-Charting-for-Clearer-History---Image-2-2.png)

---

## Clearer Categories

Categories now highlight their most meaningful metrics so you don’t need to dig through history to understand your patterns.

If tracked within the selected timeline, you’ll see:

- **Totals:** overall tracking points and number of tasks tracked
- **Habit tasks:** average days apart
- **Avoidance tasks:** typical spacing and longest avoidance streak
- **Monitoring tasks:** typical spacing and number of days recorded

These small at-a-glance cards give you a calm, clear sense of how you’re doing.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/08/compressed_IMG_9882.jpeg)

---

## Update Today!

[Update and/or Download Now!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

This update is live now on the App Store! Try out the new charting and `Yes/No` measurements for more exact task tracking. Whether you dive deep into the data or keep things simple Simply Remember It is here to bring more calm to your daily routines.
### Simply Customize It: Updated Backend for Edit Forms and Onboarding Refresh
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-updated-backend-for-edit-forms-and-onboarding-refresh/
Last updated: 2025-08-11T13:52:43.000Z
## What this means for you

Editing now uses the same explicit draft flow as my new app [*Simply Remember It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/). It still works the way you’re used to (nothing saves until you tap Save) but now it only loads the values needed for that screen making the process smoother, faster, and more concise. 

Onboarding has been refreshed with simpler text and updated reMarkable-specific screenshots so everything matches the latest device menus. The `Fill Values from Photos` button has been updated to see both potential IP addresses. 

---

## The Update

### Editing Changes

- **Draft mode for all editors:** Templates, Categories, Screens, Groups, and Users now open in a draft you can review before saving.
- **Same behavior you know:** No autosave and canceling means nothing gets saved.
- **Bug fix:** Resolved a rare issue some users encountered when editing.

### Fill Value from Photo

- **iOS Camera and Photos:** Fixed an issue on `iOS` where the app was only showing the Files button and not the camera or photos. You can now capture and import settings directly from your camera for quicker setup.
- **Secondary Host**: Added a second field so if your reMarkable is plugged in the app can now detect both the primary and secondary host without you needing to type it in explicitly.

### Onboarding Update

- **Clearer copy:** Shorter, more direct instructions at every step.
- **Updated screenshots:** Matches current menus on all reMarkable devices.
- **Connection Help (3.22+):** WLAN now needs to be on for *all* reMarkable models, not just Paper Pro. Help text and “Can’t Connect” guidance have been updated.

---

## **Looking Ahead**

I’m currently reviewing the app with an eye toward making it **simpler and more enjoyable** to use. If there’s a pain point you’d like me to address or even a feature you **love** and don’t want changed.... I’d love to hear from you.

[Send me your feedback.](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It%20Feedback)

And as always, I hope you have an incredible day!
### It’s Live! Simply Remember It Is Now in the App Store!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/its-live-simply-remember-it-is-now-in-the-app-store/
Last updated: 2025-08-08T03:51:49.000Z
I built *Simply Remember It* for anyone who’s ever thought:

> “When did I last…?”

Whether it’s giving your kid medicine, changing your air filter, spotting a bug in the bathroom, or just keeping track of your own measurements *Simply Remember It* helps you log what matters and let go of the mental clutter.

After months of testing, refining, and using it in my own household I’m thrilled to say it’s finally here. 

Available now on **iPhone, iPad, and Mac**!

[Download Simply Remember It on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

## Why I Built It

Three everyday experiences sparked this app idea:

### Nighttime Potty Training

Back when my kids were little we kept track of nighttime accidents to see how many days had passed and whether they earned a prize. But keeping tabs on that was a mess. If I forgot to log a day, I couldn’t trust the count. I realized I needed a simple date tracker… and a faster way to count between dates.

### Repeating Reminders That Don't Repeat My Life

I love Apple Reminders but for non-urgent tasks their repeating reminders started to feel more like nagging than help. I wanted something calmer. Something that lets me log a task *when I do it* and calculates the next due date based on *that*, not when I was “supposed” to do it. A rigid schedule doesn't work. Life is more fluid than that.

### When the Kids Get Sick

When the kids are sick, my husband and I keep a shared Apple Note. We jot down the time, the type and dose of medicine, and fever readings so we’re on the same page regardless what time of night it is. That’s when the app idea expanded... why not support optional *measurements* (like temperature or dosage) for any task? It can be a flexible tracker that works for all kinds of things because everyday life doesn’t follow one format.

(Shared tasks aren’t in the app *yet*… but if you want that feature, let me know!)

---

## What It Is

Most habit trackers focus on the *future*. This one is different.

*Simply Remember It* is built for **real life**, where:

- Tasks happen unpredictably
- Schedules shift
- And your brain is juggling more than it should

This app helps offload the mental burden and gives you space.

You can:

- Log when something happened (quickly!)
- Edit tasks and entries anytime
- Track repeating tasks based on actual timing
- Spot streaks, gaps, and measurement patterns
- Customize without being overwhelmed
- And most importantly: feel calm with no guilt, no alarms, or no chaos

---

## What You Can Track

*Simply Remember It* is flexible. Use it for one-off logs or long-term patterns. Real examples include:

- Medicine and fever tracking
- Changing bed sheets
- Pest sightings (where and when)
- Body measurements for sewing, strength tracking, or shopping
- Home maintenance (filters, furnaces, gutters, fridges, etc.)

You can group tasks into categories with emojis and color codes. Add custom measurements... or skip them entirely. It’s as light or detailed as *you* need.

---

## Core Features

### Free Version

- Create up to **8 custom tasks**
- Add up to **5 measurements** per task
- Store up to **80 total history logs**
- View streaks (or turn them off - your choice)

### Go Premium to Unlock More

- Unlimited tasks, logs, and measurements
- Customize your own categories and measurement units
- Set default values to speed up new tasks
- View **heatmaps** to spot frequency patterns
- Future features like charts, widgets, and Siri integration
- Comes with a **free trial** to try it all out!

---

## Ready to Try It?

Visit the app page for access to any evolving information:

[Simply Remember It!Track life’s repeating tasks without the mental math. Simply Remember It is a gentle tracker for everyday life, helping you log what happened, when it happened, and spot patterns over time.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-120.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Remember-It--App-Page-1-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/)

Explore Simply Remember It

Or go straight to the App Store:

[Download Simply Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

![Image is a set of four screenshots.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/08/Simply-Remember-It-Announcement---Image-1.png)

Some views of the all on phone, Mac, and iPad.

---

Track life’s repeating tasks without the mental math.

*Simply Remember It* is a gentle, flexible tracker for everyday life helping you log what happened, when it happened, and spot patterns over time.

Thank you so much for following along on this journey. I’ve loved building this, and now I finally get to share it with you!

And like always... I hope you’re having a fantastic day
### Simply Customize It: Smoother WLAN Connections for reMarkable 2
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-smoother-wlan-connections-for-remarkable-2/
Last updated: 2025-08-02T01:27:00.000Z
Sometimes it’s the little tweaks that make a big difference especially when you’re juggling I.P. addresses on a reMarkable tablet.

## Switching Hosts Just Got Simpler

This update started when I realized something had changed with the reMarkable 3.22 beta: `WLAN` was now turned off by default on my reMarkable 2\. This used to only be the case for the Paper Pro, but now it looks like older devices are joining in too.

[WLAN Disabled in reMarkable2 3.22 Beta? Here’s the Fix!WLAN was silently disabled in the latest reMarkable 2 beta. I’ve got a fix, a video walkthrough, and an easier update on the way.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-115.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/WLAN-Disabled-in-reMarkable2-3.22-Beta-Here---s-the-Fix----Image.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/wlan-disabled-in-remarkable2-3-22-beta-heres-the-fix/)

After solving it for me I created a video about how I got it working again using [**Simply Customize It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) and how you could get it working through the command line. I then shared it with you on my socials and through my blog and email updates.

I started by making a quick change to the app making sure the existing `Enable WLAN` button was available for all device types, not just the Paper Pro it used to be for. If you’ve used `SSH` before, you know the dance: plug in your tablet, get the wired IP, connect via USB, and run `rm-ssh-over-wlan on`.

![Shows the older Paper Pro view versus the newer iOS version.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/08/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-Smoother-WLAN-Connections-for-reMarkable-2---Image-2.png)

Made the `WLAN` button visible for any reMarkable type instead of limiting it to the Paper Pro.

But during filming and further upon testing I realized how frustrating it was to overwrite your host with the wired one and switch it back after turning on `WLAN`. As such, I added something better that should make your workflow smoother:

### Alternate Host Field

Store both your current and wired I.P. addresses at once! Your current I.P. address isn't touched but there's now a second field labelled `Alternate/Secondary` that can store another I.P. address. By default it's only used by the `WLAN` button so you can ignore this unless you want an alternative I.P. address or want to use the button.

### Smart Host Toggle

With the secondary I.P. address added I realized you may want to switch which one you use. By default this is set to use your current one so you don't need to do anything. 

That said, if you ever find yourself switching between WiFi and a tethered wired connection you can simply flip the switch and see which address will be used throughout the app!

![Image shows the new layout for iOS display on the left and macOS edit on the right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/08/compressed_ScreenshotSimply-Customize-It-Smoother-WLAN-Connections-for-reMarkable-2---Image-1.png)

Added an alternate IP address field and a toggle to easily switch between them for both templates and screens!

## Other Minor Updates

- Added a reminder about `WLAN` and using the right host to the alert when you have trouble connecting.
- Added a new app icon for compatibility with upcoming OS 26 versions.
- Polished up small details based on recent work in other apps.

## What’s Next?

This update focused on removing a small-but-annoying friction point for power users. I'm close to releasing a new app [*Simply Remember It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it/) so my next priority is to update this app using the knowledge I've since learned to improve and make it simpler to understand. 

Please reach out via the comments below or through [email](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It%201.0.11%20Update) to let me know if this I.P. address toggle makes your life easier, if there's a feature you'd love to see, or if there's an area you think could be simplified. 

And overall I hope you're having a really great day!
### WLAN Disabled in reMarkable2 3.22 Beta? Here’s the Fix!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/wlan-disabled-in-remarkable2-3-22-beta-heres-the-fix/
Last updated: 2025-08-02T01:32:51.000Z
## What Changed in reMarkable 3.22 Beta?

If you’ve updated your reMarkable 2 to the 3.22 beta you might’ve noticed that wireless syncing stopped working. 

That’s because `WLAN` (wireless SSH access) seems to now be turned off by default in this update. The Paper Pro still connected fine for me, but my reMarkable2 kept throwing sync errors until I figured out what was going on.

## Quick Fix via Simply Customize It

If you’re using *Simply Customize It* you can:

1. Connect your reMarkable via USB
2. Look up the 10.x.x.x IP address that now appears in your device settings
3. Type it into the app’s Device Settings
4. Test connection
5. *(Temporary workaround)* Switch device type to Paper Pro
6. Toggle `WLAN` on
7. Switch back to your original IP or device shortcut

Once `WLAN` is back on, you can go back to syncing wirelessly like usual.

![Photo shows the updated General Public License version 3 compliance paragraphs including the login credentials and the SSH over WLAN is disabled by default paragraph shown below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_8848.jpeg)

Once you connect your reMarkable via a `USB` cable the 10.x.x.x IP address should pop up here. 

Here's a minute and a half video for step by step directions!

[Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Paper Pro Through the Command LineWith the new reMarkable Paper Pro out I realized I needed to update my How To Connect post... here it is!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-114.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_9201-1-6.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/)

While there’s still no developer mode on the reMarkable 2 if you’re looking for more details including photos on how to connect and enable `WLAN` I wrote this post that walks you through connecting to the Paper Pro.

## Coming Soon: App Update

I’m working on a *Simply Customize It* update so you’ll be able to turn on `WLAN` directly from the device settings screen without needing to temporarily switch your device type to Paper Pro.

You’ll still need to connect by wire once to access the 10.x.x.x IP address, but after that, everything else can happen inside the app, with no extra steps.

## Update: App Update Out Now

With the new update there's an alternative host (I.P. address field). Connect the device with the app to your reMarkable, see the new IP address that pops up, and enter it into the alternate location. Then press the `WLAN` button and you can now attach wirelessly!

[Simply Customize It: Smoother WLAN Connections for reMarkable 2WLAN turned off in reMarkable 2 with the 3.22 beta? This update adds an alternate host field, a smart toggle to switch between host addresses, and makes the WLAN button available for all devices.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-118.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-Smoother-WLAN-Connections-for-reMarkable-2---Image-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-smoother-wlan-connections-for-remarkable-2/)

As of August 1st 2025 there's a new app update out! Learn more here.

## Not Using *Simply Customize It*?

If you prefer command line access, you can turn `WLAN` on manually by:

1. Plugging your reMarkable into your computer
2. `SSH` into the device using the `10.x.x.x` IP
3. Run this command: `rm-ssh-over-wlan on`
4. Do your normal stuff!

### Stay Tuned

I’ll post again when the update is live. If you’re already on the 3.22 beta feel free to reach out if you hit any other hiccups! Or if you have any feature requests [click here to send them to me](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It%20Feature%20Requests!)!
### Removing Stains from My reMarkable Folio: What Actually Worked
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/removing-stains-from-my-remarkable-folio-what-actually-worked/
Last updated: 2025-07-21T14:45:05.000Z
One day I noticed a stain on my Paper Pro folio but I couldn’t remember spilling anything. I hoped it was just water, but the dark patch lingered, making me think it might be grease so I eventually shared a photo in the [r/RemarkableTablet subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/1k8gc1j/cleaning%5Fpaper%5Fpro%5Ffolio/?ref=simplykyra.com) to ask how others had cleaned theirs. Since the thread was so helpful and I succeeded in cleaning it, I wanted to write it up in case it helps you too.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Cleaning-My-reMarkable-Folio-What-Worked-for-Me---pinterest.png)

---

> **Note:** I’m not affiliated with reMarkable or any of the products mentioned below. Just sharing my own experience as a user, blog reMarkable [customization tutorial writer](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/remarkable/), and the app creator behind [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) for managing custom templates and screens.

---

## What Happened

About a month ago I noticed a dark stain on my reMarkable Paper Pro folio and at first I just assumed and hoped I had simply gotten water on the cover. A couple days later however I couldn't ignore it anymore as the assumed *water spot* hadn't gone away and although I don't remember anything happening... apparently something had and there was a mark! Curious and slightly concerned, I took to Reddit to ask for advice and found others had experienced the same. What followed was a mix of helpful tips, fabric-specific advice, and trial-and-error cleaning that ultimately worked.

---

## What Reddit Suggested

The original question with all it's current answers can be found here:

> [Cleaning Paper Pro Folio](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/1k8gc1j/cleaning%5Fpaper%5Fpro%5Ffolio/?ref=simplykyra.com)  
> by [u/Which\_Concern2553](https://www.reddit.com/user/Which%5FConcern2553/?ref=simplykyra.com) in [RemarkableTablet](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/?ref=simplykyra.com) 

But at the time of posting, and in case the question goes away, the general consensus was to try **dish soap first**, clean **the entire surface** to avoid rings or obvious clean spots, and (this I didn't try) consider using **Resolve or a Tide Pen** for tougher or older stains. Just be cautious as some of these methods may work better depending on the fabric weave and how much moisture the folio can take.

---

## TL;DR: What Worked

- Used a simple wet tea towel & a few drops of dish soap
- Full surface wipe-down to avoid uneven patches
- Let it dry so you can spot the stain easier
- If present repeat until dry and clean
- Give it time to fully dry

---

## What Worked for Me

I didn’t have Resolve or a Tide Pen on hand and figured it was best to start with a gentler approach and save the tougher methods for later if needed. Here’s what I did:

### Step 1: Prep the cover

- Removed the reMarkable from the cover and set it aside safely
- Laid the folio flat with outer cover facing up

![Image shows the reMarkable cover opened flat with the back and front facing up. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_IMG_0539.jpeg)

At this point I realized I had a matching spot on the other side as the cover stays folded back a lot.

### Step 2: First Full Clean

- Used a wet tea towel with a small amount of Dawn dish detergent
- Wiped down the entire outer surface, not just the stain, to avoid uneven coloring

![Image shows the tea towel, dawn, and the smaller spot on the reMarkable.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_IMG_0541.jpeg)

I grabbed a tea towel, got it wet, squeezed the excess water out, and added a bit of dish detergent to the cloth. 

![Image shows the reMarkable cover opened flat with the back and front facing up and streaks on the right side showing where it's wet and where my wet hands touched it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_IMG_0544.jpeg)

I started on the lesser spot rubbing up and down over the spot then extending to the rest of the cover. 

![Image shows the reMarkable cover opened flat with the back and front facing up with vertical streaks all over it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_IMG_0546.jpeg)

After appearing to get the first out I worked on the other than made sure the whole cover was wet down so the cover would stay uniform looking.

### Step 3: Leave It To Dry

- Created a drying station by elevating it slightly off the counter
- Let it dry

![Image shows the reMarkable cover opened flat laid out over a holey bin. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_IMG_0549.jpeg)

I worried about it staying wet for longer if left on the counter so I raised it up with a collapsable bin that would allow air to flow underneath.

![Image shows the reMarkable cover opened flat with the back and front facing up showing the streaks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_IMG_0550.jpeg)

I then left it to dry.

### Step 4: Check and Spot Clean Lingering Troubled Areas

- Checked it once it dried a bit for remaining discoloration
- Noticed one area was still darker
- Applied more detergent to the cloth and spot-cleaned more rigorously

![Closeup of that spot still showed!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_IMG_0559.jpeg)

Noticed once it had dried that the larger spot was still there. 

### Step 5: Wipe Down, Dry, and Check as Needed

- Rinsed and squeezed out the tea towel
- Gave the whole cover a wide down to remove excess soap
- Repeated these steps until no suds
- Rinse and squeeze towel and wiped again to make sure cover looks even
- As needed repeat steps 3, 4, and 5 until gone

### Step 6: Dry Overnight

- Let it dry fully overnight

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_IMG_0580.jpeg)

### The result? 

It looked *much* better. I’d definitely do this process again... if needed. While I didn’t spot-test first, I recommend you do especially if your folio is newer or you’re not sure how it will react to moisture.

---

## Before & After

As you can see below the stain lightened dramatically after cleaning the whole surface.

![Closeup of the larger spot while it sits on the holder. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_IMG_0383.jpeg)

![Closeup of the clean and plan grey folio.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_IMG_0581.jpeg)

![Closeup of the clean and plan grey folio.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_IMG_0582.jpeg)

---

## Final Thoughts

If you’re dealing with a stubborn stain on your reMarkable folio, don’t panic as it may be fixable. Starting with a gentle method like a damp cloth and dish soap worked well for me. Plus if that didn't work [the Reddit community](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/1k8gc1j/cleaning%5Fpaper%5Fpro%5Ffolio/?ref=simplykyra.com) had some great suggestions for alternate methods if you’re dealing with something more serious.

Have you cleaned your folio? Or did you keep putting it off like I debated? Did this post kick you into gear and now you're enjoying a clean looking reMarkable? Let me know what worked... or didn’t, Comment below, [email me](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Folio%20Cleaning), or reach out through any of the links in my site’s footer to let me know and maybe your situation can help someone else! 

And like always hope you’re having a great day!

---

> **Side note**: Are you interested in adding custom templates to your reMarkable? Bored of the current sleep screen image and want to use something a bit more interesting? If so check out [my reMarkable-related blog posts](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/remarkable/) or, if you want easy mode, check out my app [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)! Or continue browsing... I have a growing list of blog posts and how-tos ranging from reMarkable tips, SwiftUI development, and life in general. Check them out [here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/) or below!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simply Remember It! FAQs
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-faqs/
Last updated: 2026-06-13T13:49:01.000Z
Got questions? You’re in the right place.

*Simply Remember It* helps you stop second-guessing and start logging the things that don’t fit into traditional to-do lists. From tracking chores to one-off events, it gives you peace of mind when your brain just… forgets.

---

If a question you have isn't here please comment below and/or reach out through [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It:%20FAQs).

---

## App Specific

### App Store Page

[‎Simply Remember It‎Forget less. Track what matters. Simply Remember It helps you log when things last happened so you can stop second-guessing and start spotting patterns. Whether it’s changing the sheets, giving medicine, or cleaning the shower… some tasks don’t fit on a to-do list. This app remembers for you. What…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-apps-48-fad34e0d87e86dcf72ded1faff4ba9d0-5.png)App StoreSimplyKyra LLC![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/1200x630wa-11.png)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

### App Website

[Simply Remember It!Track life’s repeating tasks without the mental math. Simply Remember It is a gentle tracker for everyday life, helping you log what happened, when it happened, and spot patterns over time.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-119.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Remember-It--App-Page-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it)

### Email Updates

[Sign Up Here!](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-remember-it-faqs/#/portal/signup)

### Supported Apple Devices

*Simply Remember It* works on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro (through iPad compatibility mode)

The app was primarily developed for iPhone but works beautifully across all Apple platforms with iCloud sync keeping everything in harmony. 

If you'd like to see more platform-specific features let me know at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It:%20FAQs) or in the comments below!

### Is there an Apple Watch app?

Not at this time. However, you can log tasks using Siri or Shortcuts from your Apple Watch and your widgets will update automatically on your other devices.

### Key Features

- **Flexible Task Tracking**: Log anything you want from household chores to health stats with customizable names, icons, and colors.
- **Measurement Support**: Track optional measurements (like counts, times, or notes) alongside your task completions.
- **Smart Repeat Rules**: Set tasks to repeat on your own schedule (days, weeks, months, or years) or keep them open-ended.
- **History at a Glance**: Quickly see when you last completed a task, with detailed logs for deeper insights.
- **Multi-Device Sync**: Works seamlessly on iPhone, iPad, and Mac with iCloud, so your data is always with you.
- **Free, Unlimited, and Together Tiers**: Start free with core features. When that feels too small unlock unlimited tasks, measurements, and charts with a subscription. Want to share tasks upgrade to Together at anytime.
- **User-Friendly Interface**: Designed to be simple, calm, and intuitive without the clutter of overcomplicated apps.
- **Built-In Guidance**: Friendly onboarding, in-app tips, and growing FAQs to help you get started quickly.
- **Home Screen Widgets**: See what's due, track streaks, and view charts at a glance without opening the app.
- **Lock Screen Widgets**: Quick status check on your iPhone or iPad lock screen.
- **Shortcuts & Siri Integration**: Log tasks instantly using automation and voice commands.
- **Apple Vision Pro Support**: Use the app and widgets on Apple Vision Pro through iPad compatibility.

### App Versions (Change Log)

The change log was moved to it's own page:

[Simply Remember It: Version HistoryA chronological list of all Simply Remember It updates with short summaries.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-55.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Cover---Screenshot---Simply-Remember-It---Versioning.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-remember-it-version-history/)

### Legalities

I've posted both a [privacy policy](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it-privacy-policy/) and a [terms of use agreement](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it-terms-and-conditions/) for this app.

### Need Help?

If you encounter an error that can't be fixed here feel free to reach out! You can leave a comment here or email me at[mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It:%20FAQs%20Issue), and we’ll troubleshoot it together. 

---

## General

### What's the difference between Habit, Avoidance, and Monitoring tasks?

*Simply Remember It* has three task modes because not everything fits the same kind of tracking:

- **Habit** tracks things you do regularly and want to build awareness around. It includes a streak tracker with a grace window built in, so missing a day doesn't erase your history.
- **Avoidance** tracks how long it's been since something happened. Useful for behaviors you're working to reduce, without any streak pressure.
- **Monitoring** logs occurrences over time without any streak logic. Good for symptoms, mood, irregular events, or anything you just want a record of.

### **How does the repeat schedule work?**

When you complete a task, the next due date recalculates from when you *actually* did it and not from when it was originally scheduled. So if a task is set to repeat every 30 days and you do it 5 days late, your next due date is 30 days from when you actually did it, not 25 days from the original date.

Life isn't perfectly timed, and the app doesn't expect it to be.

---

## Widgets

### What widgets are available?

*Simply Remember It* includes four widget types:

- **Tasks Due Widget**: See upcoming tasks filtered by category, timeframe, or importance. Available in small, medium, and large sizes for home screen.
- **Habit Streak Widget**: Track one task's current streak, longest streak, and average spacing. Available in small and medium sizes for home screen.
- **Task Charts Widget**: View heatmaps and charts without opening the app *(Feature with Unlimited)*. Available in small, medium, and large sizes.
- **Next Due Widget**: Lock screen widget showing what needs attention next, or a gentle "all caught up" message when you're done. Available in circular, rectangular, and inline styles.

### How do I add a widget?

Just update the app. Then:

**On iPhone or iPad (Home Screen):**

1. Long-press your home screen
2. Tap the + button in the top corner
3. Search for "Simply Remember It"
4. Choose your widget and size
5. Tap "Add Widget"

**On iPhone (Lock Screen):**

1. Long-press your lock screen
2. Tap "Customize"
3. Tap the widget area you want to fill (above or below the time)
4. Search for "Simply Remember It"
5. Choose the "Next Due" widget
6. Tap outside to save

**On Mac:**

1. Right-click your desktop
2. Choose "Edit Widgets"
3. Search for "Simply Remember It"
4. Drag the widget to your desktop

### Do widgets update automatically?

Yes! Widgets refresh throughout the day to show current task status. When you log a task through Siri or Shortcuts, widgets update immediately. That said there's also a button on the top of Settings if you prefer to check.

### Can I log tasks from widgets?

Widgets don't have buttons to log tasks directly, but you can use **Siri** or **Shortcuts** to log any task with default measurement values:

*"Hey Siri, log Creatine in Simply Remember It"*

This works from anywhere, your phone, widgets, or even Apple Watch, and updates all your widgets instantly.

### Do widgets work on Apple Vision Pro?

Yes! Home screen widgets work on Vision Pro through iPad compatibility mode. You can pin widgets to surfaces in your spatial environment.

Lock screen widgets are iOS only and aren't available on Vision Pro.

### Will my data sync to widgets on Vision Pro?

Yes! iCloud sync works across all platforms. Add a widget on Vision Pro and it'll show the same tasks you see on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

### Do I need Unlimited for widgets?

No! The Tasks Due, Habit Streak, and lock screen widgets work for everyone. Only the **Task Charts widget** requires Unlimited.

---

## Shortcuts

### How do I use Shortcuts to log tasks?

You can create custom Siri shortcuts to log tasks instantly with voice commands or automation:

### Setting up a Shortcut:

1. Open Apple's Shortcuts app
2. Tap + to create a new shortcut
3. Search for and add "Simply Remember It" actions
4. Choose Log Task and select which task to log
5. If your task has measurements, the shortcut will use your default values
6. Name your shortcut something simple like "Log Creatine" or "Water the plants"
7. Tap Done

### Using your Shortcut:

- With Siri: "Hey Siri, log Creatine"
- From widgets: Add the Shortcuts widget to your home screen
- From Apple Watch: Use Siri on your watch to trigger any shortcut
- With automation: Set shortcuts to run automatically based on time, location, or other triggers

### Note

You can always edit the logged entry later if you need to adjust the time or add notes.

---

## Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. I use an Apple subscription group with Family Sharing enabled, so you can upgrade, downgrade, or switch plans anytime under **Profile > Subscriptions** or, if active, [check out your subscriptions through Apple](https://apps.apple.com/account/subscriptions?ref=simplykyra.com).

**🎁 Trial Periods**

- **Yearly plans** include a 1-month free trial
- **Monthly plans** include a 1-week free trial

🆓 **Free Tier**

Get started at no cost with:

- Up to 8 active tasks
- Up to 5 measurements per task
- Up to 80 overall history events
- iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- Read-only access to categories and measurement units

💎 **Unlimited (Monthly/Yearly)**

Unlock the full Simply Remember It experience:

- Unlimited tasks, categories, and measurements
- Access to all charting and insights features
- Create, edit, and track without free-tier limits

💎 **Together (Monthly/Yearly)**

**Combine Unlimited with Shared tasks.**

[Try it out today!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

### Multiple Devices

Your subscription works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac as long as you’re signed into the **same Apple ID**. Your library syncs through iCloud.

---

## Together & Sharing

### What is the Together tier?

Together adds shared task logging — you can share a task with someone else so both of you can log completions and see the full history. It's designed for households, co-parents, or anyone tracking something that more than one person does. Think: who last gave the dog her medication, or who changed the air filter.

### Do the people I share with need a Together subscription?

No. Only the person *creating and sharing* the task needs Together. Anyone you invite can log completions without it counting against their free limits.

### What gets shared when I share a task?

The task itself, all log entries, and any measurements. Each log entry shows who logged it. Your personal display preferences (colors, layout, how you view the data) are shared but people can alter it and you can change it after keeping it yours.

### Can I customize how a shared task looks on my end?

Yes. Colors, the metrics toggle, and your summary view are all personal preferences. The task is shared; the way you see it isn't.

### Who can edit or delete log entries on a shared task?

The task owner can edit or delete any entry. Other people in the group can only edit or delete their own entries.

### How do I stop sharing a task or leave a shared task?

The task owner can stop sharing at any time. If you've been invited to someone else's task, you can leave it. If you leave and change your mind, you'd need to be re-invited.

### Does Together work across iPhone, iPad, and Mac?

Yes. Together is build on Unlimited and syncs Apple's CloudKit infrastructure so it works across all Apple devices. Android sharing isn't available yet but is planned for a future update.

---

## Privacy & Data

### How is my data stored? Is it private?

Your data stays within Apple’s ecosystem and syncs through your iCloud account. [Simply Remember It](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com) does not use external servers, trackers, or third-party analytics. Your data stays private and under your control.

### Can I export my data?

Your data is stored in iCloud, so it's backed up automatically with your Apple ID.

Data export isn’t available yet, but it’s something I’m considering for future updates. If this is important to you, feel free to [reach out](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It%20Data) and let me know. Feedback helps shape what comes next. 

---

## Offline & Sync

### Does Simply Remember It work offline?

Yes. You can log tasks and view your history even without an internet connection. Any changes you make will sync automatically through iCloud once you’re back online.

### What happens if I delete the app or get a new device?

As long as iCloud sync is enabled, your data will restore automatically when you reinstall the app or sign in on a new device with the same Apple ID.

---

## Accessibility

### Is Simply Remember It accessible?

Simply Remember It is designed with accessibility in mind and supports Dynamic Type and system accessibility settings. If you encounter any barriers or have suggestions for improvement, please reach out at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It%20Accessibility).

## Localization

### Does the app support multiple languages?

Simply Remember It is currently available in English. Additional language support may be added in the future based on interest and feedback. That said, it is available in all countries offered in the App Store.

---

## Future Updates

If you sign up for the ***App Updates*** newsletter, by creating a [free account here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-remember-it-faqs/#/portal/signup), you'll be messaged whenever there's an update pushed to the app store. More information about [the newsletters here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/newsletters-and-account-settings/).

![Image shows a screenshot of the top of the homepage once the manage your emails button was clicked. Here there are three toggles. One for the blog updates, one for the app updates, and one to be notified by comments.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_2024-04-23-at-15.15.20.png)

Once you create an account the top right "Subscribe" button becomes "Account". Click on it, then Manage your Emails, and then toggle which newsletter(s) you want. Since this photo was taken the "Simply Customize It" newsletter was renamed to "App Updates" to encompass all app updates.

---

## General

### What is *Simply Remember It* for?

*Simply Remember It* helps you track when things last happened without relying on memory, sticky notes, or mental math. 

From *Did I give the dog her meds?* to *When did I last clean the shower?*, it’s your brain’s external backup for life’s forgettable tasks.

### Can I use this to track habits?

Absolutely. While it’s not a traditional streak-based habit tracker, you can still log any routine and track your progress over time with full control over how often and what data you log.

### Does the app send reminders?

Not yet... but that's by design. For now, **widgets** give you gentle, glanceable reminders without notifications or alarms. You can check your home screen or lock screen to see what needs attention.

We're exploring smarter, calmer notification options for the future. Until then, widgets and your repeat intervals help you stay on track without the noise.

### Can I track more than just dates?

Yes! Add optional notes or measurements to each completion whether you want to record bug sightings, temperature, mood, or other details. Measurement types are totally customizable.

### What if I forget to log something on the right day?

That’s okay. You can edit past entries at any time and adjust the date or time. Life isn’t perfect, and the app is designed to be flexible when things don’t happen exactly on schedule.

### Can I use Siri to log tasks?

Yes! You can go into Apple's Shortcuts app to add quick logging and give it a simple name like "Log Creatine." Then you can use Siri and say:

*"Hey Siri, log Creatine"*

And it will be marked as done. If it has any measurements set, it will use the default value you set for it. Plus you can always go in to edit it later.

### Is this app good for families?

Definitely. It was inspired by parenting chaos! Whether you’re tracking dry nights, toddler milestones, or household maintenance, the app is flexible enough to fit your season of life.

### Can multiple people share the same tasks?

Yes! The person that shares the task needs to have Together unlocked to share a task but you can share a task between multiple Apple accounts. The people shared with do not need a subscription and the task and any logs won't count towards their free limits. 

### Can I edit timestamps or fix streaks?

Yes! You can manually edit past entries and correct the time if needed. The app doesn’t lock you in. Life isn’t perfect and your app shouldn’t expect you to be either.

### What makes this different from Reminders or Notes?

Those apps are great but they’re not built for remembering when something *last happened*. *Simply Remember It* is designed to track and reflect not just plan.

### Is there a free version?

Yes! You can try it for free with limited tasks and measurements. Unlimited unlocks charts, more customization, and unlimited flexibility. Together includes Unlimited and allows sharing between Apple accounts.

### Is there an Android version?

Android is in active development! The Apple version is live now. Android is coming. If you want to be notified when it's available subscribe, for free, at the top of the page.

---

## Timezones

### How does the app handle time zones?

All entries are saved in `UTC` so your data stays accurate across devices and travel. On your screen, everything adjusts to your current timezone so *today* always feels like today.

---

## Connect With Me

### How to get it?

[Click here for the App Store link!](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-remember-it/id6749085897?ref=simplykyra.com)

### Can I suggest a feature?

Yes, please! I’d love to hear what you want to see next. Drop me a message at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It%20Feature%20Request) or DM me on social (links in the footer). Popular suggestions help shape future updates.

### Want updates?

Join my email list and choose whether you’d like blog posts, app updates, or both. You’ll always stay in the loop (and you can opt out anytime).

[Join Here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-remember-it-faqs/#/portal/signup)

[Or Email Me](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It%20Question)

If you want to stay connected in another way all my social accounts are listed along the footer of this website although some are updated more frequently than others.

### Additional Questions?

If you have a question that isn’t answered here, feel free to reach out at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It:%20FAQs). I try to keep this page updated with real questions from real users.

---

Feel free to comment below if you have any additional questions or reach out through [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Remember%20It:%20FAQs). And if you want feel free to...

[💕 Buy me a coffee or tea! 💕](https://buy.stripe.com/bIY9EEaPE0ma4A84gg?ref=simplykyra.com)
### Uncover It Update: Pause Button and First-Time Guide
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/uncover-it-update-pause-button-and-first-time-guide/
Last updated: 2025-07-08T20:57:25.000Z
Just popping in with a small but thoughtful update to *Simply Uncover It*! While it’s not a major release I wanted to highlight two changes that might make your gameplay a little smoother especially if you’re just getting started or find yourself needing to multitask mid-game.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/07/compressed_Uncover-It-Update-Pause-Button---First-Time-Guide---Pinterest.png)

*Version 1.0.3 is now live on iOS and macOS!*

---

#### **✅ What’s New**

- **Pause Button:** You can now pause the game and resume when you’re ready. It’s a small addition, but helpful when life pulls your attention away from your mine-clearing mission.
- **First-Time Guide:** A short “How to Play” command center now appears the first time you launch the app, making it easier for new players to jump in with confidence.

These weren’t originally on my to-do list but feedback nudged me to make the experience a bit better. If you have ideas that could improve your time in the app, feel free to reach out either through the comments below or by emailing me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Uncover%20It:%20Update%201.0.3).

#### **Why Share Small Updates?**

I like keeping a record of updates... no matter how small. Whether it’s a new feature or a small refinement every improvement adds up and says: *I care about this app and I care about you enjoying it.*

So whether it’s a big release or a quiet polish you can always expect thoughtful care behind the scenes.

---

Thanks again for playing *Simply Uncover It*! If you ever have any questions, ideas, or suggestions I'd love to hear from you:

- Leave a comment below
- Email me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Uncover%20It:%20Update%201.0.3)
- [Leave a review on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6741166529?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com)

Happy gaming!
### Match It Update: Small Fix, Big Difference
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/match-it-update-small-fix-big-difference/
Last updated: 2025-07-08T16:31:27.000Z
Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference. Version 1.0.1 of *Simply Match It* is now available for both iOS and macOS and while this update is small I hope it helps make the app a little smoother andless frustrating especially for any new players. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/07/compressed_Match-It-Update-Small-Fix--Big-Difference----Pinterest.png)

---

#### **✅ What’s New**

- **Menu Button:** The menu button is now slightly larger and has been moved to avoid overlapping with the iPad’s multitasking ellipses. It’s a small UI shift, but one that should make navigation feel more intuitive.
- **First-Time Guide:** A short “How to Play” explanation now appears the first time you open the app so everyone can jump in with confidence and start matching right away.

These changes weren’t on my original to-do list, but some helpful feedback (thank you!) nudged me to make these improvements.

#### **Why Share Small Updates?**

I believe in sharing even the smallest refinements. Every tweak whether it’s a new feature, a bug fix, or a simple UI polish is part of building something better. These posts are my way of saying: *I’m still here, and I care about your experience.*

---

Thanks so much for playing *Simply Match It*! If you have any ideas, suggestions, or just want to say hi, I’d love to hear from you:

- Leave a comment below
- Email me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Match%20It:%20Update%201.0.1)
- [Leave a review on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6741166537?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com)

Happy gaming!
### My Go-To DIY Nightgown After 18+ Makes... and How You Can Make It Too!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/returning-to-our-ultimate-nightgown/
Last updated: 2025-06-28T13:25:13.000Z
I posted about this nightgown mashup years ago after having only made two of them but [the post itself](https://www.simplykyra.com/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/) was a last minute tacked on add-on to a time-limited themed post and it all felt a bit rushed. Since then I've gone on to make so many more of these nightgowns and my girls absolutely adore them while I love how simple they are to make. This nightgown is our most used pattern hands down and as such I knew there needed to be an updated post... but over time it felt bigger and bigger and I kept putting off. Although the pattern company is no more and Joanns just closed I knew I needed to share it still... and finally here it is! 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Returning-to-Our-Ultimate-Girls-Nightgown-----Pinterest.jpg)

---

## **Backstory**

This nightgown came about back in early 2019 when I took part in the [Rebecca Page Double Duty Blog Tour (link no longer works)](https://youmakehq.com/february-2019-blog-tour/?ref=simplykyra.com) that I posted about with [Sleepy Gowns - Patsy Party Dress Hacked or Mashed](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/). All the bloggers that took part in the tour needed to take a Rebecca Page pattern they'd sewn up already but they had to make sure to add a twist to make it unique. At this time I had recently sewn up her [Patsy Party dress](https://www.simplykyra.com/the-patsy-party-dress/) and while making it thought how much easier the back would be in knit. As such for my entry I decided to try it. I had cheap snuggle flannel on hand so I switched the dress to a nightgown so it would cost less to execute and any mistakes in execution wouldn't matter as much. The directions for this one are at the top of [the post](https://www.simplykyra.com/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/) though, word of warning, I only made it the one time so no later on updates are available. That said the dress was adorable.

[Sleepy Gowns - Patsy Party Dress Hacked or MashedI hacked the free Patsy Party dress to make a simple nightgown. I couldn’t stop there and had to see what the Patsy skirt would look like mashed with the Olivia top. Love how both turned out.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/02/compressed_Sleepy-Gowns-Cover-1.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/)

As I made that nightgown I thought of [the Rebecca Page Olivia shirt](https://www.simplykyra.com/the-olivia-top/) and realized that mashing it together with the skirt part of the Patsy dress would be adorable and easier than what I was currently making. With that this nightgown was born and this, not the first version, became my favorite as it's quicker and way less fussy to make. In fact while compiling [my 2023 sewing recap post](https://www.simplykyra.com/my-sews-in-2023-infrequent-but-there-when-i-wanted-it/) I realized I'd made this at least fifteen times now and counting! Then, while putting this post off, I made it three more for Christmas in 2024 and if the kids request it again I'll for sure make more! 

[My Sews in 2023: Infrequent but There When I Wanted ItOver the last several years I’ve posted a sewing roundup. This year is no different so here are the more infrequent but still loved projects I’ve sewn in 2023.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_My-Sews-in-2023-Infrequent-but-There-When-I-Wanted-It----Image-1.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-sews-in-2023-infrequent-but-there-when-i-wanted-it/)

[My Sews in 2024: Still InfrequentI wanted to continue posting my sewing roundup although, again, in 2024 there wasn’t much. Here they are!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-61.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_My-Sews-in-2024-Still-Infrequent-COVER.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-sews-in-2024-still-infrequent/)

Plus I have both patterns for kids and ladies so regardless if they keep asking I will keep making.

## What You Need

### Pattern

This nightgown uses the six panel skirt from the Rebecca Page [Patsy Party dress](https://www.simplykyra.com/the-patsy-party-dress/) and the shortened pattern pieces from the Rebecca Page [Olivia shirt](https://www.simplykyra.com/the-olivia-top/). 

![Collage showing the Olivia top (left), Patsy dress (center-ish), and three line drawings](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Returning-to-Our-Ultimate--Nightgown-----Image.jpg)

I loved Rebecca Page's patterns and was part of her brand ambassador program until I realized I didn't have enough time to devote to it anymore. Her patterns taught me tons about sewing. That said, while compiling and writing this, I realized her brand is no more. While researching it I found [Craft Industry Alliance's post: Rebecca Page Rebrands, Then Quietly Shuts Down](https://craftindustryalliance.org/rebecca-page-rebrands-then-quietly-shuts-down/?ref=simplykyra.com). Additionally, I haven't joined but found this private Facebook group [Rebecca Page? You.Make.? What Page?](https://www.facebook.com/groups/8028460863836929/). Other than stumbling across these after the fact I know nothing about what went down. That said, her patterns still seem to live on under another name on the Etsy page [YouMakePatterns](https://www.etsy.com/shop/YouMakePatterns?ref=shop-header-name&listing%5Fid=1195989660&from%5Fpage=listing) if you *really* need them. That said, you don't need her specific patterns to make this. All you need are two general patterns: a peasant top and a six-paneled (maybe any-paneled?) skirt. 

### Pattern Alternatives

I use a peasant top with elastic in the neckline and have since stopped adding elastic to the sleeves. I also crop it to be shorter so the horizontal line joining the top and skirt isn't as low. I'm assuming any raglan may work but not sure. If you try please comment below!

[The Olivia TopI found a great pattern that works with quilting cotton all the way to light-weight knits! Truly a costume shirt depending on the kids’ favorite characters!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2018/10/compressed_IMG_3259.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/the-olivia-top/)

Here's the peasant top I used. Normally I crop it to hang higher but last time Ada wanted a **to the floor* nightgown so I kept the skirt the same and cropped less from the bodice. Personally I don't like how low the joining seam is but she adores it. 

For the skirt I use a six paneled pattern but I'd imagine any flared or tiered skirt pattern should also work. Again if you try it please comment below!

[The Patsy Party DressThe Patsy Party dress was a fun sew that creates an epic party dress with clean hidden seams. This was an incredibly fun dress to sew up.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/01/compressed_IMG_5927.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/the-patsy-party-dress/)

I use a six-paneled woven skirt pattern (ignoring anything related to the bodice) though maybe any circle skirt would do?

If you have a good alternative to either pattern you want to share feel free to post a link in the comments or [email me](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Nightgown%20Pattern%20Source) and I can add an update.

### Fabric

Each time I make this I use [the Super Snuggle Flannel from Joann's](https://www.joann.com/fabric/?q=super%20snuggle%20flannel&prefn1=productGroup&prefv1=Product&srule=search-default&sorder=descending&nearStoresId=&ref=simplykyra.com) but first make sure it's on sale for $2.99 a yard before having the kids choose whichever design they want. That said, the last few times shipping took awhile and I had some of my non-fabric add-ons randomly cancelled with no warning. Plus, I really need to get this live as I've recently heard that Joann's has filed for bankruptcy... again.... and then I put this off and they're now closed so if you know where to find something similar for cheap please please share in the comments below or [email me](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Nightgown%20Fabric%20Source) so you and I can keep making this!

[![Images show the search text at the top, filtering criteria on the left, and results on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Screenshot-2024-01-21-at-08.59.22.png)](https://www.joann.com/fabric/?q=super%20snuggle%20flannel&prefn1=productGroup&prefv1=Product&srule=search-default&sorder=descending&nearStoresId=&ref=simplykyra.com)

Screenshot of my current results when searching for [the Super Snuggle Flannel at Joann's](https://www.joann.com/fabric/?q=super%20snuggle%20flannel&prefn1=productGroup&prefv1=Product&srule=search-default&sorder=descending&nearStoresId=&ref=simplykyra.com) was taken on January 21st, 2024.

### Other Items Needed

I print out my pdf pattern and then used scissors and either, based on what I can find, scotch tape or masking tape to tape the pieces together. To cut the fabric I use pattern weights, two cutting mats placed side by side, and a rotary cutter.

[Pattern WeightsHave you been sewing and need pattern weights to help cut out your patterns? Do you want to make a decorative paper weight or something similar? Here are the pattern weights I by buying some washings, using some embroidery floss, and some fabric scraps. Why not check them out?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/07/compressed_IMG_4374.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pattern-weights/)

If you're looking for pattern weights I've shared some of mine before.

When sewing the nightgowns I use copious amounts of sewing clips as I normally try to make two to four dresses at a time and I like streamlining the clipping and sewing in batches as big as possible. In addition you need fabrics scissors (though I've also used pinking shears) for the optional French seams and elastic for the neckline and maybe for the sleeves. I like having a smaller pair of scissors at the sewing machine along with, potentially, a seam ripper.

![Image shows the tools I use once the fabric is cut and ready. All mentioned above except for the quilting ruler used to measure the elastic. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3046.jpeg)

The elastic and tools all laid out and ready to go! 

## TLDR: Quick Directions if You Own the Patterns

If you own the patterns here's a quick overview of my process.

1. **Olivia**: Step 1 - Top Side Seams
2. **Olivia**: Step 2 - Sleeve Side Seams
3. **Patsy**: Step 2 - Skirt - Here I combine several steps before sewing. Patsy is a six panel skirt and in the directions you do one side panel, the other panel, repeat for the other half, and then join. Instead I:
  1. Clip the front side panels to the front piece
  2. Clip the back side panels to the back piece
  3. Sew all four seams using French seams.
  4. Clip the front and back sections together on both sides
  5. Sew them together making the skirt.
4. **Olivia**: Step 3 - Hem the Sleeves
5. **Olivia**: Step 4 - Attach the Sleeves
6. **Olivia**: Step 5 - Finish the Neckline
7. **Olivia**: Step 6 - Neckline Elastic
8. **Olivia**: Step 9 - Sleeve Elastic (optional) - I hem
9. **Patsy**: Step 8 - Hem - The pattern has you measure, flip, and sew. I streamline the exactitude and instead do a rolled hem on my serger going around twice to cover any spots that weren't fully rolled.
10. **Patsy**: Step 4 - Attaching Main Bodice to Skirt - Follow directions replacing *main bodice* with the Olivia top. Ensure to clip and quarter so there's no uneven bunching.

### Skipped

I'm lazy in my sewing so chose to skip all the optional steps like stay stitching the skirt, skirt overlay, and trimming the shirt. Since the top is sewn to the skirt you can also skip hemming the shirt and all bodice steps including the straps, back elastic, and bodice lining (steps 1, 5, 6, and 7).

## **Preparing and Planning**

### Preparing Pattern Pieces

I'm assuming this would be the same regardless what pattern you're using.... so:

**Patsy**: The skirt part essentially stays the same *BUT* I ignored the bodice when cutting the skirt pieces out. If using a skirt pattern I'd imagine you simply ignore anything waistband related. 

**Olivia**: I use all the same pattern pieces but make sure to shorten the front and back bodice pieces. Over the years I moved the line down for a longer dress and bodice per the kids' request (personally I prefer the look of shorter) but as long as you make sure you leave enough room under the sleeves for the sleeve and skirt attachment seam allowance you're golden.

**Quick Note:** Depending on the bodice length this can make it easy to confuse the pieces with the short sleeve pieces. Please mark if worried.

![Image shows the marked pattern on the left and cut on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_0950.jpeg)

I normally sketched the line before cutting as you could always line up the pattern pieces and eyeball it before cutting the paper. 

![After measuring from the bottom and marking I use a French ruler to check the curve and draw a line. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_9677.jpeg)

Now I mark from the bottom of the piece then use the French ruler to draw the line....

![Here you can see the marks and line so I can easily cut the pattern without second guessing it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_9678.jpeg)

So it looks like this.

![The old crinkled pattern has been tapped up (near the top) and cut again lower down. The bottom tape shows where I tapped the original paper pattern together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3059.jpeg)

And if you're reusing the same pattern piece from last time you can always tape it back together and mark a new line. I've done this when the kids want longer dresses but were still sized into the prior size. Easier to update this piece and not re-print everything.

**Quick Note:** The sleeves themselves can be anything. The Olivia pattern called for regular or elasticized long or short sleeves which I normally made short and elasticized but the sleeves became too tight when the kids grew and I frequently found myself cutting the elastic off. Now I just do a rolled hem with my serger from the beginning as it's less steps overall and preferred. 

### Quick Note: Going Forward

Once you figured out what size you need I recommend the first time maybe sewing up a muslin with cheaper but similar fabric. This could also just be a muslin of the shirt pattern to size then go with the same size of skirt... or you could muslin the entire thing.... or just jump in and hope for the best... that's what I commonly did.

At the beginning I followed the directions then over time I simplified everything by cutting out what I didn't need and, other than the elastic, sewing every step with just the serger. I found over time many of the seams unraveled and I had to spend time fixing random holes. I've since added more steps by only using my sewing machine (other than the rolled hem) with French seams so now, if a seam starts opening, there's another seam holding it closed and it gives me more time to fix it. 

### Cutting Fabric 

Once you know the plan it's time to cut out the fabric. I find this step, for me, is the most time consuming and put-off-able. The space needs to cleaned off and the feeling of needing to cut all the dresses I'm batching bugs me. That said, it's not too difficult. Just make sure to pay attention with directional fabric and mark any place that would make life easier for you later on like the front and back panels. 

### Quick Photo Notes

![Image shows the roll of elastic with several cut off near the top and one laid out against the quilting ruler showing 21 inches long. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3047.jpeg)

I normally try to speed up the process by cutting my elastic while cutting my fabric and find my quilting ruler makes it easy to size it quick.

![Two skirt pieces overlapped together with one marked with an F and the other with an O (simpler to write than a B).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3055.jpeg)

I like marking the front (F) and back (O is easier than a B) center panel piece for the skirt and then don't have to second guess it later on. The four side panels already have marks I put so you know how to join them up and thus it's mainly the front and back I'm normally concerned about.

## Follow Along as I Make It

Along with sewing several dresses at once I also like to batch the steps together to minimize having to switch between sewing and clipping the fabric together. As such, I start making the bodice and skirt at the same time clipping as much as I can before switching to the sewing machine to sew it up. 

That said, the pattern is essentially making the top, make the skirt, (optionally) hem the sleeves now as easier without the skirt, add neckline, attach together, and hem the skirt. Also I use a French seam so the photos show the wrong sides facing at first but after sewing I flip them wrong sides out, finger press the fold, clip in place, and sew them all hiding the first seam. 

### Quick Link Notes

[Easily Unravel and Tie off Your Serger EndsHave you just gotten a serger? Are you looking for a simple way to stop your serger tails from unraveling? Why not do it this way!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Easily-Unravel-and-Tie-off-your-Serger-End-Image.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/easily-unravel-and-tie-off-your-serger-ends/)

Other than the rolled hem I've more recently switched to a sewing machine with a French seam... that said I used to use the serger and if you want to know now I tie off the ends so they don't unravel check this post out!

[Easily Identify Clothing With Fabric Markers Or By Your Fabric ChoiceDo you have trouble identifying your children’s clothing? Why not change them whether it’s slightly or drastically! Here’s what I’ve been doing over the last several years.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_3884.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/easily-identify-clothing-with-fabric-markers-or-by-your-fabric-choice/)

When making matching outfits for my girls they sometimes were hard to tell apart unless I could hold both outfits up together... as such I started marking them to tell them apart more easily. 

### First Batch: Skirt and Bodice Pieces

![Stack of clipped sleeves and bodices on the left and skirts on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3063.jpeg)

There's a lot of clipping at the beginning as I close the sleeves, attach both sides of the bodice together, and attach the side panels to the center front and back panels.

![All sewn one after another and attached to make a colorful and random banner.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3066.jpeg)

Since I sew them all back to back I end up with a weirdly shaped banner if I lift it up. 

![Image shows the skirt unfolded with three panels connected. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3067.jpeg)

Once done I go through with my scissors separating each piece from each other and confirming that the seams look okay. 

![Images shown pinking shears with the cut off seam above. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3074.jpeg)

This time I grabbed my pinking shears to trim each seam being careful to not trim too much but instead just enough to hide the seam fully but not to clip the original seam. That said it was vaguely visible so I later switched back to my fabric scissors.

![Three stages of the seam is shown on the little sleeve edge. Center is trimmed while the outer two are flipped with the right finger pressed and clipped more.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3072.jpeg)

With the seam trimmed I flip each piece inside out so their right sides are facing, finger press them flat, and use sewing clips to keep them in place. 

![Image shows the right sides together, trimmed, and clipped bodice and skirts. Trimmed pieces are to the left and clipped to the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3076.jpeg)

With that they're prepped and ready... next to a pile of clipped excess trimmings. 

![Previous pieces now sewn and ready for the next batch process. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3077.jpeg)

I then sew along each prepped side fully enclosing that first seam within this new second one.

### Sleeve Hemming

With this first batch of sewing done we could technically hem the sleeves now. At first I saved this for later, as the directions said, and combined it with the neckline but now both with my planned rolled hem and knowing that hemming after the skirt is attached it too bulky I decide to get it done now.

![Closeup of a stack of sleeves all with while rolled edging. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3081.jpeg)

I try to choose a thread color that matches all the dresses so I don't have to keep changing the thread between dresses. As such I went with white but could see a multicolor thread popping here.

### Second Batch: Skirt and Bodice Reveal

With the sleeves made and bodice tubelike it's now time to attach them together. At the same time I attach the front and back skirt halves into one too. After these are clipped, sewn, trimmed, flipped, clipped, and sewn again we have one bodice and one skirt per each nightgown... with their top and bottom raw edge unfinished. 

![Set of sleeves showing the sewn edge (center), pinking shear trimmed curves (right), and flipped/clipped edge (left). ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3133.jpeg)

The sleeves can also be done with a French seam. Here I put them wrong sides together, sew (center heart), clip, (right tie dye), flip, and clip again (left most).

![All right sides inward and clipped. Ready for second seam. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3135.jpeg)

I love how it looks when you have a piled of clipped curved seams ready to go.

### Pause For Top Neckline

At this point we return to the shirt's instructions to finish the bodice's raw neckline (top edge). Since this is an elasticized peasant top I need to measure from the top, flip the top down, and clip the fabric in place before carefully sewing along the edge making a channel for the elastic. I make sure, while doing this, to leave an opening so once this is made I can thread the pre-measured elastic in, making sure to leave the end sticking out, and thread it all the way through. I then clip the elastic ends together, join with a zigzag stitch, tug to tuck it back in the channel, and sew the channel closed making sure to not sew over the elastic. This is the part I hate the most, although easy, and I love that I only do it for the neck now and not for the smaller sleeves too. 

![Quilting ruler is placed next to seam marking distance from the raw top. Chalk roller pen is next waiting to mark where the folds should end for a channel.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3137.jpeg)

I mark, according to the directions, the entire way around the shirt's neckline before flipping the fabric down to make a channel.

![Elastic har been threaded in but end clipped in place beside the opening causing a loop of elastic. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_8528.jpeg)

When threading the elastic through I make sure to clip the end so I don't lose it...

![Image shows wire threaded elastic looking a bit sad sticking out of the hole next to the nice looking clipped end. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3170.jpeg)

... and then the elastic is waiting once I get back. Here I couldn't find a safety pin so made due with thick wire. 

![Image shows the neckline cinched in, the ends clipped together with three clips, and the openings marked. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3176.jpeg)

Once threaded I clip the elastic ends together, clip the main opening to make it obvious, zigzag stitched the elastic together, pull to tug it in, and sew up any openings. Here there were two marked hole to sew closed. 

![Image shows the state of multiline necklines from clipped channel on left to fully finished and cinched on right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3179.jpeg)

Here's the left photo shows the neckline clipped and the elastic ready and waiting above it. The blue snowflake has it threaded and clipped, while the black has the elastic sewn but the openings open, and the tie-dyed one is done with the elastic cinched equally around. 

### Quick Image Note: Lost Safety Pin

![Image shows a seam ripped seam with sewing clip marking the space and seam ripper to the side.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3171.jpeg)

If you lose the safety pin in the channel (here the elastic slipped off the safety pin) I find the spot, mark it with a clip, and seam rip that immediate space open.

![Seam ripper is done so the lid is back on and the safety pin has been put back through the elastic a bit further in. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3172.jpeg)

Once freed I rethread the elastic onto the safety pin and thread it back in to continue on its way. Here I probably removed the clip to pry out the pin but...

![Loop of elastic is sticking out of the hole with two clips next to it out of the way but marking the hole.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3174.jpeg)

I always make sure to make it obvious where the hole is (here I used a double clip) so I can fix it later when I sew shut the main hole without wasting too much time scanning the entire neckline. 

### Connect Bodice and Skirt

I leave hemming the skirt for last so the next step is connecting the bodice with the skirt. That said you could reorder it if you want to hem first. Either way depending where you crop the bodice and your outfit size the skirt diameter won't fit the bodice bottom. As such I find the four quarter points to both: 

- Bodice: the bodice has the sides marked already with the seam but I fold the bodice along the front and back, matching the side seams, to find the center front and back. I mark these points with clips.
- Skirt: here I fold the front and back panels in half to find their center, mark with clips, then hold them together to find and mark the side seams.

With these four center points known I can now put the bodice inside the skirt (wrong sides together because French seams) and clip them together at these quartered points. I then find the center point between each set of clips, match them up, and clip in place. I continue around halving each space, matching, clipping, and repeating until the whole thing is done and all excess is matched in manageable sections. Then I sew it closed, trim the seam allowance, flip the other way, clip, and sew again. 

![The bodice bottom and skirt top are wrong sides together and clipped the entire way around. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3189.jpeg)

After finding the four main points I clip them then go through each section finding the center, clipping, and repeating until it's all clipped together. 

**Quick Note:** I find the feed dogs help push the fabric through so if one side (skirt or bodice) has more fabric than the other I make sure that side is facing down so the sewing machine's feed dogs can do the work of gathering the fabric while I sew. 

![Image shows a closeup between two clips with one having excess length.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3191.jpeg)

Some sections have excess fabric as one part is larger than another. With this halving and clipping process hopefully it's divided up and not too much in only one spot. Plus use the feed dogs to help gather it up.

### Skirt Hemming

This step feels long but it's also fun and I leave it for last. Technically I could measure where I want the hem when the kids are wearing the dress and the pattern actually has you measure, fold, and hem properly but I got lazy and these started as a gift that had to be hidden. As such, over time, I simply hemmed it and started doing a rolled hem first on my sewing machine but had troubles if there were weird mismatches at the skirt seams and then later discovered I can do a rolled hem on my serger which trims any mismatches for me as we go and it's awesome!

**Quick Note:** I sometimes miss a spot here and there where the rolled hem isn't exact so I started serging around the skirt twice to cover up these small spots. There's the real possibility of losing your starting spot so, to eliminate infinite hemming, when I finish my first go around I clip that spot so I can find it easily on the next circuit around. 

![One skirt being rolled hemmed on my serger while two others (one done and one raw edged) sit beside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3253.jpeg)

As you can see here the one in the serger is being hemmed on the second go around, the blue is done, and the pink dress is waiting for it's turn. 

![The fully serged edge after one time with excess thread. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3260.jpeg)

Here's a closeup of the seam showing a section missed the second time around so you can see the difference between once and twice. The serger's loose ends, in roll hem, seems impossible to untangle so I simply trim the excess and haven't noticed a problem with it unraveling yet. 

### All Done!

These dresses have become a known and requested Christmas present either through fabric I have on hand or that we bought before Halloween.

![Image shows one cinched gift bag with orange showing, one open bag with snowflaked dress, and a froot loops holding unicorn to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3269.jpeg)

This time around I had bought the kids large snack themed squish mallows so I wrapped them together with the toy in [my homemade fabric bags](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/i-love-my-reusable-fabric-gift-bags-that-i-made-years-ago/) causing big and squishy presents. 

## Quick Note: Alternative Options

Just in case you prefer other methods when making these I wanted to highlight two images from [the first post](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/):

![Bodice and skirt clipped together and back panel of skirt gathered to match the remaining Olivia's width.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/02/compressed_IMG_8311-1.jpg?resize=750%2C401&ssl=1)

Rather than quartering the fabric the first time around I gathered the back with basting stitches and used that to match the fabric up. I prefer quartering as it's quicker but this may offer you more custom look.

![Topstitching right over the seam making sure to go over the seam allowance and flatten the stitch down.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/02/compressed_IMG_8319.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I also topstitched the fabric down where the skirt and bodice seam matched... looking back I could see bringing that back... but at the same time the French seam is smooth on the underside too. 

[Sleepy Gowns - Patsy Party Dress Hacked or MashedI hacked the free Patsy Party dress to make a simple nightgown. I couldn’t stop there and had to see what the Patsy skirt would look like mashed with the Olivia top. Love how both turned out.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-107.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Sleepy-Gowns-Cover-1-1.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/)

To better compare and see more photos this nightgown is halfway down in this post. 

## Customizations - Fabric Markers

In [week 28 of the 2020 52 week sewing challenge](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/) the kids had the opportunity to color the front panel of the dress to make their own nightgown. I found the fabric too thin and see through so I ended up cutting two layers and sewing it as if they were one. I also had them shop my stash and they chose what each skirt panel, sleeve, and back bodice piece should be. Quote from [the previous post in 2020](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/):

> For these I allowed Ada to use the lightbox I had recently bought so she could trace the Wonder Woman logo which lead to Zoey tracing out a flower on her dress. After tracing Ada then copied her DUPLO® creations making it a Wonder Woman DUPLO® dress while Zoey finished hers off more quickly.

**Quick Note:** Over the years of including the kids in sewing designs I tried to enforce seam allowance awareness. If they draw close to the edge it will be hidden and/or cut off. 

![Zoey tracing a printed flower coloring Sheed onto fabric using a Lightbox. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_0998.jpeg)

Lightbox tracing and then coloring freedom.

![Ada holding up a designed fabric panel to her chest. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_0999.jpeg)

Ada's final drawing after ironing it to set the colors and before sewing it up. 

![Image shows two dresses laid out on the floor inside out showing the seams. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_1062.jpeg)

This was back when I folded the hem down and added elastic to the sleeves. You can see the thicker front layer and the inside seams better here.

[Creating Your Own Woven Panels With Fabric MarkersWhen you can’t find what you want in store why not create it yourself? I used coloring pages to sketch out LEGO® images on white woven fabric and later colored them in. The perfect custom fabric to use with your sewing patterns.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/01/compressed_IMG_7312.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/creating-your-own-woven-panels-with-fabric-markers/)

After taking in requests from the kids I also once traced and colored front bodice and straps for the Patsy gown (dress this skirt was taken from) in case you're wanting something similar but different.

**Quick Note:** If your kids may work on it for a while and dog ear the edges I could see tracing the pattern piece out (so they know the where the edges are) and not cutting it out completely until after it's done. 

[![Fabric marker, a felt design, and coloring the marked fabric pieces. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/04/compressed_IMG_1656.jpg?resize=750%2C470&ssl=1)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-dinosaur-pillows/)

Here's a quick example from [their dinosaur pillow design](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-dinosaur-pillows/) where I cut out each section of accessories and let them color it before cutting the pieces out and sewing them. There's more examples of different pieces in [that post](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-dinosaur-pillows/).

## Final Dresses

And without further ado here are many of the dresses with different hems (folded and stitched versus rolled) and different sleeves (cinched with elastic versus rolled hem) over the years. 

### Single Dress: Flat Lay

![Image shows a flat lay of the front of the dress. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_7613.jpeg)

![Image shows a flat lay of the spread out circle skirt. The bodice is mostly hidden in the fabric pattern. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_7612.jpeg)

![Image shows a flat lay of the front of the dress with the side tucked in to fit in the photo. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_7617.jpeg)

### Multi Dresses: Flat Lay

![Image shows a flat lay of the front of two dresses highlighting the size difference at that time.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_8524.jpeg)

![Image shows a flat lay of the front of two dresses with the back one opened up to see the circle skirt aspect.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_1065.jpeg)

![Image shows a flat lay of the front of two dresses with the back one opened up to see the circle skirt aspect.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3262.jpeg)

![Image shows a flat lay of the front of four dresses with mostly the bodices captured in the image. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3428.jpeg)

### Kid Worn and Action Shots

![Image shows the dress being worn while seated on the floor with the skirt circled out.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_8552.jpeg)

![Image shows spinning!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_8559.jpeg)

![Image shows spinning!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_8561.jpeg)

![Image shows the dress in place with the side lifted up.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_8566.jpeg)

![Spinning with a coat and scarf on over top in the snow. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5180-1.jpeg)

---

Have you ever mashed up two patterns together? 

Also as this is my most repeated pattern over the years I found I simplified my process by skipping steps but also realized switching to French seams, although longer to do, lasts longer and saves more time. What’s your go-to sewing shortcut? And have you cut corners and regretted it like I did? 

Have you tried this nightgown before? Or will you? I'd love to know, see how it turned out, and would love to know how you customize it! Tag me on Instagram, post in the comments, or even [email me](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Nightgown%20Customization) if you prefer! I'd absolutely love to see your version!

Hope you’re having a great day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Sketching, Composing, and… Failing? My App Icon Experience with Apple’s New Tool Icon Composer
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/sketching-composing-and-failing-my-app-icon-experience-with-apples-new-tool-icon-composer/
Last updated: 2025-06-25T12:49:28.000Z
I was excited to see the new designs Apple came up with during WWDC 2025 this week along with all the related updates. As such I loved the idea of the new Icon Composer tool and immediately downloaded it to try out. I figured this would be the perfect low-pressure, artsy task I could enjoy away while absorbing all the session videos. Plus this way I knew I'd have the added benefit of being ready for my apps next update while showing that I'm actively keeping on top of the new technology. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/06/compressed_Sketching--Composing--and----Failing-My-App-Icon-Experience-with-Apple---s-New-Tool-Icon-Composer---pinterest.png)

**Heads up *is it working?*** Unfortunately, looking online it's suggested that this may not fully work unless you install the new macOS beta Tahoe. That said, I've also heard of people who are on the App Store upload difficulty step (they got further than me) so whether this works for you, you're planning ahead, or an update fully fixed the process I wanted to share what I did and how far I got in case it helps you. 

*Created during WWDC 2025 week. I’ll continue to revise this post as more details emerge or fixes roll out.*

---

Quick aside: If you haven't seen it yet and are curious what's coming out with Apple here's the keynote talk from Monday (June 9th, 2025):

Embedded the WWDC 2025 keynote video from YouTube. 

---

## Updates

### UPDATE (less than an hour later): 

I found an update on the [Apple Developer Forum](https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/787447?ref=simplykyra.com)! Apparently, instead of exporting from Icon Composer, you need to drag the *saved* file directly into Xcode. 

### UPDATE (next morning - June 12th, 2025):

Wanted to expand a bit now that I’ve had time to test more.

1. Make sure you’re running [Xcode 26 beta](https://developer.apple.com/news/releases/?id=06092025g&ref=simplykyra.com).
2. Locate the *saved* Icon Composer file (not exported images)
3. Drag and drop it into your Xcode project. It will have you set the target.
4. Rename the asset to match your expected **AppIcon** name in *App Icons and Launch Screen*

With this setup, the icon now builds and runs on my iPad (beta 26), but it doesn’t change appearance in dark mode. It runs on macOS Sequoia but the background of the app icon shows up as white instead of my chosen purple. 

For now, I’m rolling back the changes and planning to reassess before my next app update.

### UPDATE (next afternoon - June 12th, 2025):

Don't forget if the new icon isn't showing up on your Mac... clean the build before continuing. That helped me yesterday. 

Anyway jumping on as this question on [the Apple Developer forums](https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/787576?answerId=843248022&ref=simplykyra.com#843248022) looks helpful if and when you start wanting to combine new with old. 

### UPDATE (June 13th, 2025):

I open all my current projects in Xcode 26, uploaded the icon file, renamed it to AppIcon, and checked off App Icons Source in the target section. Compiling and running them showed the old app icon on my Mac and the new one on my iPad. That said the icons didn't change when switching my Mac to dark mode. 

![Image shows a collage showing where the app icon is named and some looks on how the icons are on the iPad.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/06/compressed_Screenshot-Sketching--Composing--and----Failing-My-App-Icon-Experience-with-Apple---s-New-Tool-Icon-Composer---Image-App-Icons.png)

Closing the project, reopening with my current Xcode (16.3: 16E140), and running it again on the iPad 26 showed the old app icon. 

### UPDATE (June 25th, 2025):

Thanks to the helpful reply here’s a link to the [Apple docs](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/xcode/creating-your-app-icon-using-icon-composer?ref=simplykyra.com#Add-your-Icon-Composer-file-to-an-Xcode-project) with a much better how to. 

---

## Current Setup and Knowledge

Before continuing I wanted to share my current setup, in case this affects you, and link to [Icon Composer](https://developer.apple.com/icon-composer/?ref=simplykyra.com), its current WWDC videos, and the relevant Human Interface Guidelines. 

### My Setup

- [Icon Composer](https://developer.apple.com/icon-composer/?ref=simplykyra.com): version 1.0 (27.4)
  - Only let me export `PNG` files so I'm assuming I should've stopped there.
- macOS Sequoia: Version 15.5 (24F74)
  - Didn't want to run the beta on my main computer just in case...
- Xcode: Version 26.0 beta (17A5241e)
  - Opened up my current active project: [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)
- I was targeting:
  - My current non-beta iPhone (18.5) and MacBook (15.5)
  - An old but recently updated beta iPad (26.0)
  - Downloaded the iOS 26 simulators but they didn't appear (only iOS 17 and 18) in the dropdown

### Information: Icon Composer

[Icon Composer - Apple DeveloperIcon Composer lets you create layered icons out of Liquid Glass from a single design for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/apple-logo-5.svg)Apple Developer![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/icon-composer-beta-og-1.jpg)](https://developer.apple.com/icon-composer/?ref=simplykyra.com)

[Create icons with Icon Composer - WWDC25 - Videos - Apple DeveloperLearn how to use Icon Composer to make updated app icons for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS. Find out how to export assets from your…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/apple-logo-2.svg)Apple Developer![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/10087_wide_250x141_2x.jpg)](https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2025/361?ref=simplykyra.com)

[Say hello to the new look of app icons - WWDC25 - Videos - Apple DeveloperGet an overview of the new app icon appearances for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, including light and dark tints, and clear options. Learn how…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/apple-logo-3.svg)Apple Developer![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/9911_wide_250x141_2x.jpg)](https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2025/220?ref=simplykyra.com)

### Information: App Icons

[App icons | Apple Developer DocumentationA unique, memorable icon expresses your app’s or game’s purpose and personality and helps people recognize it at a glance.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/apple-logo-4.svg)Apple Developer Documentation![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/developer-og.jpg)](https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/app-icons?ref=simplykyra.com)

## My Results

In the end I revamped the app icons for all three of my published apps ([*Simply Customize It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/), [*Simply Match It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it/), and [*Simply Uncover It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it/)) along with two other apps: [*Simply Command It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-command-it/), whose development is currently paused, and an upcoming app I'm currently working on.

![Collage showing the original app icons made pre-Icon Composer.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/06/compressed_Screenshot-Sketching--Composing--and----Failing-My-App-Icon-Experience-with-Apple---s-New-Tool-Icon-Composer---Image-Old-App-Icons.png)

Here's what the app icons looked like before.

![Collage showing the new app icons made with Icon Composer.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/06/compressed_Screenshot-Sketching--Composing--and----Failing-My-App-Icon-Experience-with-Apple---s-New-Tool-Icon-Composer---Image-Icon-Composer.png)

And this is what they look like (exported as a `PNG`) after some time with Icon Composer.

I've separated out the steps below but just so you know this wasn't quite as simple. Instead it was repeated process where I exported my images, checked it out in Icon Composer, updated my images to fix something, exported, and repeated until I decided it was good enough. 

## Image Prep

Most of my app icons had been created using my reMarkable before uploading them to my computer where I played with Pixelmator Pro to make the colors better. My process normally included drawing individual smaller pieces before combining them on a new page thus making the final exportable image. Icon Composer is just fine taking only a single image to create the icon but I wanted to make use of the layers and since I used this piece-meal approach I was able to use each individual page as a unique layer in Icon Composer.

It wasn't as simple as it sounds as I found with the first upload that the images still needed prep work by coloring them in (the transparent phone was a bit much). On top of this although that was my normal process some app icons were just a single image that needed to broken down while another didn't use the reMarkable at all and was instead created in Canva. As such I split them up below and I'd love to hear in the comments below which way (or a completely different one) you prefer!

### reMarkable Device: Prepping an Image

I started with my main app, [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/), as that's the one that currently feels the most important. After finding the images on my reMarkable I copied them into my current sketchbook making a single page for each proposed element. What followed next was a repetitive process as I exported the images to my computer, added them to Icon Composer, and then went back to fix aspects of the images on my reMarkable. 

![Collage of two versions of the phone aspect on my reMarkable and the image showing the checked off SVG radio button. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/06/compressed_Screenshot-Sketching--Composing--and----Failing-My-App-Icon-Experience-with-Apple---s-New-Tool-Icon-Composer---Image-First-reMarkable-Update-Run.png)

My first issue was that my drawings were see-through which looking back I'm more surprised that I was surprised. I went back to the reMarkable, set a non-blank template, added a layer, and used a white felt to color the images in. After moving the white below the image and setting the background template to transparent I emailed the image to myself as `SVG` files and was ready to try again. 

![Collage of the two darker phone images on the left, my app in the middle, and the steps using the book in four images on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/06/compressed_Screenshot-Sketching--Composing--and----Failing-My-App-Icon-Experience-with-Apple---s-New-Tool-Icon-Composer---Image-Second-reMarkable-Update-Run.png)

I quickly realized I didn't fully color the images in when I saw how the icon looked. At some point before my reMarkable had a software update so I paused to use my app to upload a solid black template, switched out the template background to make the image more obvious, and colored it in better. This was done on all of the problematic images. 

**Heads up *rotation*:** at this time there's no rotation in Icon Composer as it seems to only have the x and y coordinates and the sizing percentage. As such you may need to rotate your image(s) at this point before exporting them to your computer and adding them to the Icon Composer. 

**Heads up *differing elements*:** if you want to move two elements on a layer in different directions (examples: the arrows pointing to the phone in this app icon) move them to their own images. This way they can be moved independently from each other and if you combine them in a single group (the folder) in Icon Composer they seem to be in a single layer and have shared layer settings too. 

### reMarkable Device: How to break up an image

The above example was made up of individual images but my lightbulb app icon for my stalled [*Simply Command It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-command-it/) app was sketched on a single page with a single layer. In this case I used the select option to manually select sections, cut that sections piece of the image off, and go on to paste it in a new layer. I chose this technique so I could line the image sections up better over the layers as if I had instead gone to a new page for each layer like before I would need to play with differing coordinates in Icon Composer later. That said, I still ended up with a page for each layer in the end as once the image was separated into layers I duplicated the page so and simply hide the non-active layers for each one. Thus a page for each layer. 

![Collage of selected lightbulb, partial lightbulb, and stacked view of the thumbnails for each page.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/06/compressed_Screenshot-Sketching--Composing--and----Failing-My-App-Icon-Experience-with-Apple---s-New-Tool-Icon-Composer---Image-Lightbulb.png)

I selected the areas I wanted to separate, cut them out, and pasted them to a new layer. I then did the same to any section that got pulled out by mistake fixing both. Repeat as needed for each layer you want. On the right you can see the resulting four layers with the original fully whole one beside.

**Heads up *layer count*:** not sure if it's temporary or permanent but you can only have 4 groups (layers) in Icon Composer right now. Once you add a fifth folder you get a warning at the bottom of the pane (see image under [Icon Composer Design Process](#icon-composer-design-process) for warning). That said, you can have multiple images in each group. Haven't tested if there's a limit to those too yet. 

### Canva and Pixelmator Pro

My [*Simply Uncover It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it/) app icon was different as I started using the reMarkable to design it before realizing it would be much simpler in Canva. Here I copied the app icon image (kept an original backup) then added pages (copying and pasting the contents for each) so I had one for each layer before going back and removing the elements I didn't need so each page was unique. 

At this point if I had pro I could've exported the images with a transparent background but I don't so I loaded it into Pixelmator Pro and used the *quick selection* tool to highlight and delete the white background parts.

![Collage of the copied original image, the partially deleted and rearranged version, and two Pixelmator pro deleted layers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/06/compressed_Screenshot-Sketching--Composing--and----Failing-My-App-Icon-Experience-with-Apple---s-New-Tool-Icon-Composer---Image-Canva-Processing.png)

This process was different requiring Canva then Pixelmator Pro and then realizing I could only export PNG images. 

![Image shows the search for "Quick Selection" and where it is in the menu system.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/06/compressed_2025-06-11-at-05.32.18.png)

If needed here's a view of the whole Pixelmator Pro showing where the Quick Selection tool was before I used it to select the white background around the square and deleted it. I repeated this for each layer. 

**Heads up *SVG Exporting*:** I am not a Pixelmator Pro power user and after exporting and adding the images to Icon Composer I realized they weren't showing up. According to chatGPT it's because my file has only one raster-based layer (for each image I was exporting) which Pixelmator Pro can't convert into a vector shape. As such this and only this app icon uses `PNG` images and looks a bit different in the final app icon image. That said, apparently you can use either for Icon Composer. Win, lose, who knows!

## Icon Composer Design Process

Once the images were ready I imported them into Icon Composer for layout, scaling, and previewing. Here I simply dragged and dropped my images in, used the plus at the bottom to add groups, moved the images into their group, and rearranged the sorting to make sense with the layers as needed. I was able to click the group to change the Liquid Glass settings and click each image (later found out you can select multiple) to change their size and location. 

![Image is a screenshot of Icon Composer showing all five images in one group.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/06/compressed_2025-06-11-at-09.31.22.png)

Here I had just dragged the SVG images in and rearranged the images on the icon (mouse click and drag) before I next, after this screenshot, arranged the images in their groups, set the size and location of each, and then played with each group's Liquid Glass settings.

### What Icon Composer Did Well

I loved that you could see how the app icon looks after any adjustment allowing you to play with the layers and settings with immediate feedback. Switching between the square (for iOS and macOS) and circular watchOS version made it easy to make sure neither icon was too cut off or too not. Near the end I realized I could select multiple images at a time so I could update the settings in one fell swoop making it even quicker.

![Image is a collage of one large and five small rectangular app icons and one small round one.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/06/compressed_Screenshot-Sketching--Composing--and----Failing-My-App-Icon-Experience-with-Apple---s-New-Tool-Icon-Composer---Image-Check-the-Squares.png)

The center black image was if I uploaded my plain original SVG file. On the right you can see the iterations with different levels of coloring in the images. On the right you can see the difference between the square and round version of the [**Simply Match It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it/) app icon.

![Collage of Icon Composer on the right with two smaller app icons stacked on the left.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/06/compressed_Screenshot-Sketching--Composing--and----Failing-My-App-Icon-Experience-with-Apple---s-New-Tool-Icon-Composer---Image-Check-the-Circle.png)

I was happy with the way the [**Simply Uncover It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it/) logo looked until I made it circular (top left) and noticed the straight edges were white. I next increased the size of all the elements (bottom left) so the edges were filled in but then the explosion was cut off. I next moved the black square to cover another square (right) before copying the x and y coordinates for the fiery explosion so it remained over top. 

### Where Icon Composer Broke

At this time I can only see how to export `PNG` images. That’s it. No `icon`, `.iconset`, `.appiconset`, or asset catalog to drop into Xcode. That said, if you only want `PNG` images it does allow you to set which one you want (single download) or you can download all the variants in one go which was helpful. I'm assuming this was my issue as since writing this I've heard other people mention a resulting `icon` file. That said I ignored this lack at the time and next had my...

## Xcode Issues

I was excited to see how these newly design app icons looked but when I tried loading the exported `PNG` files into the Xcode Beta… things didn’t go quite as expected.

I’ve tried dropping one or all the resulting `PNG` images into my existing `AppIcon`, replacing individual slots manually, or just dragging the `PNG` into the assets. In all cases I renamed my current test to the old name with the prior app icon renamed to `AppIcon-old`. My app was able to compile and run on my computer (Sequoia 15.5) but the app icon shown was blank and when run against my iPad (beta 26.0) or phone (iOS 18.5) I got the following error:

> *None of the input catalogs contained a matching stickers icon set, app icon set, or icon stack named 'AppIcon'.*

## Going Forward

I've heard of people online having issues with uploading the apps to App Store Connect which suggests there is a way to go from Icon Composer to a working app... but since there's no way to push the update I'm going to hold off on working on this for now and am rolling back my project changes. 

That said I plan to keep an eye out on the developer forums and coding-related groups while keeping my current Icon Composer files ready for when I try again. It's an early beta and I'm hoping there will be an update or a good plan going forward soon. And when there is I'll be sure to update this post for you!

If I missed a session or there’s a workaround you’ve found, please drop a comment or [email me](mailto:mail@SimplyKyra.com?subject=Icon%20Composer%20Post)... I’d love to update this post with a working solution!

## Wrap Up

While Icon Composer makes designing app icons visually easier than ever, there seems to be limitations that makes it impossible to update your app with a design appropriate app icon... so far. I’m still glad I explored it early and redesigned my icons and I’m hopeful an update will soon make this workflow fully functional.

If you’ve hit this issue or solved it, let me know! And if you’re curious about the old icon system I've previously shared how I went from [one large image to all the images needed with scripting](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/quickly-create-app-icons-by-resizing-your-main-image-with-a-bash-script/)!

[Quickly Create App Icons by Resizing Your Main Image With a Bash ScriptWhile resizing an image I chose to use for my app icon I quickly recognized how onerous the entire process was. This lead to me creating a Bash script which dramatically sped up my workflow and may help yours too. Check it out here!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-106.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/2023-04-24-at-6.49.32-PM.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/quickly-create-app-icons-by-resizing-your-main-image-with-a-bash-script/)

I hope you have a great week and happy icon designing!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simply Customize It Update: Photo Library Bug Fixed and Mac Catalyst Can Browse Photos Too!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-update-photo-library-bug-fixed-and-mac-catalyst-can-browse-photos-too/
Last updated: 2025-05-24T20:12:57.000Z
It came to my attention lately, thanks to a helpful comment on [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/s/nROhTKTeaJ?ref=simplykyra.com), that there was a critical issue on iOS where selecting an image from the Photo Library could cause the sheet to repeatedly open and close if permissions hadn’t yet been granted. That’s now fixed in version 1.0.11! 

Thank you so much for sharing what you run into... it truly makes a difference!

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Simply-Customize-It-Update-Photo-Library-Bug-Fixed-and-Mac-Catalyst-Can-Browse-Photos-Too----pinterest.png)

---

*Version 1.0.11 of Simply Customize It is now live in the App Store for both iOS and macOS!*

---

## TL;DR

- Critical Photo Library bug on iOS is fixed
- Photo Library now supported on Mac Catalyst
- Tested the app with the reMarkable 3.20 beta on Paper Pro and no issues found

---

## 🛠️ What’s Fixed

If you’ve ever selected an image from your Photo Library and found the sheet stuck in an endless open and close loop… this update is for you.

Version 1.0.11 uses `PhotosUI` to request access in a more stable way thus resolving the issue and keeping the app responsive.

---

### **💻 Bonus: Mac Catalyst Now Supports Photo Library**

While fixing this bug, I discovered that the new method I’m using to access the Photo Library also works on Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 11 (Big Sur) or beyond.

If this applies to you, you can now browse and select images from your Photos library in addition to the Finder!

> 📝 Not sure which version of macOS you’re using? Click the Apple icon in the top-left of your screen, choose `About This Mac`, and look next to “macOS” to find your version.

![Screenshot of my computer showing the open apple menu, dropdown, and computer information. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_2025-05-23-at-12.25.23-1.png)

If you're curious what version of MacOS you're running hit the Apple in the top left, hit "About this Mac", and look beside macOS. 

---

### **🧪 Also Tested: reMarkable 3.20 Beta (Paper Pro)**

Coincidentally, my Paper Pro updated to the 3.20 beta the night before. I ran a few basic tests and was happy to see that *Simply Customize It* continued to work as expected.

I want to note that it does look like reMarkable is leaning more towards internal-only or templating-based formats (none of the imported templates had a `PNG` or `SVG` related file anymore), but even so, everything still functioned correctly. The app handled the new structure just fine and all tested templates (including the `Black Template`, `custom SVG`, and `custom PNG-only`) displayed correctly.

I haven’t installed this beta on my reMarkable 2 yet, but I’ll keep you posted if anything changes there.

---

Whether you’ve run into any quirks, bugs, or surprises or simply love the app I’d love to hear from you. You can always email me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It:%201.0.11%20Update), leave a comment below, or [give a quick review on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6443862161?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com). Every bit of feedback helps!

Thanks again for being a part of this community.
### How I Handle External Links in My iOS App with a Built-In Copy Option
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-handle-external-links-in-my-ios-app-with-a-built-in-copy-option/
Last updated: 2025-05-22T21:31:51.000Z
Have you ever tapped an email link and had it open in the wrong app and wished you could've simply copied it instead? I did. And so for my apps I created a simple reusable `SwiftUI` view that lets the person tapping the link within my `iOS` and `macOS` apps have the power to decide whether to open or copy any external link, whether it's a website or a mailto `URL`.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_How-I-Handle-External-Links-in-My-iOS-App-with-a-Built-In-Copy-Option---pinterest.png)

---

## Introduction

When I first started building [Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) I wanted to make sure that anytime a user encountered an external link, whether it was for a website or for a support-request email, they could easily choose to skip opening it and instead copy it. 

I’ve run into issues in the past where tapping a mail link would open the default `Mail` app instead of my preferred primary email like `Gmail` or `Spark`. I'd then have to copy and paste the address manually.... sometimes even having to clean it up first. Through this I realized that people using my app might want to preview the link first or just open it in a completely different context.

As such I built a simple `SwiftUI` view with a built-in copy button next to the link. And recently, when I saw [a Reddit thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/iOSProgramming/s/CPDr4NX3h1?ref=simplykyra.com) asking how to handle this more flexibly I figured it was time to share my version and how it works.

This solution works for email, websites, or any other `URL` while offering a clean, flexible experience across both `iOS` and `macOS`.

---

## What It Looks Like in My App

I use this setup in several of my apps ([Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/), [Simply Match It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it/), and [Simply Uncover It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it/)) mostly in the About and/or Support sections. It’s a reusable, streamlined view that displays:

- An overwritable **caption** (for example "Email Me" or "Visit Site")
- A **right arrow** to indicate it’s tappable
- A **copy icon** to the left that lets you grab the `URL` without opening the link

The copy button is helpful as it allows:

- Use of an alternate app (for example `Gmail` instead of `Mail`)
- Preview ability of where the link leads
- Copying the address to paste later or share in another way

Here’s how it appears in context:

![Image shows a collage of Simply Customize it and Simply Uncover It. Both show the about page festooned with these links while on the far left the link is used on the subscription page.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Screenshot-How-I-Handle-External-Links-in-My-iOS-App-with-a-Built-In-Copy-Option---Image-MacOS.png)

Here's how it looks on the mac...

![Image shows a collage of Simply Customize it, Simply Match It, and Simply Uncover It on the iPhone. All show the about page festooned with these links while on the far left the link is used on the subscription page.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Screenshot-How-I-Handle-External-Links-in-My-iOS-App-with-a-Built-In-Copy-Option---Image-iOS.png)

... and here's how it looks on the iPhone.

---

## The Code

I’ve included below my reusable SwiftUI view, `DisplayLinkAndCopy`, which combines a tappable `Link(destination:)` with a handy copy button for grabbing the link (or any custom string) to your clipboard. The code in its entirety is available [on GitHub here](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/SwiftExamples/DisplayLinkAndCopyViews.swift?ref=simplykyra.com) but I'll break it down per view below.

[SimplyKyraBlog/SwiftExamples/DisplayLinkAndCopyViews.swift at main · SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlogBits of code that I’m sharing with the world to hopefully make your life a little easier! - SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/pinned-octocat-093da3e6fa40.svg)GitHubSimplyKyra![](https://opengraph.githubassets.com/a2ec25f089d5d37b4c2e4a0226a9b486e834db48ecefe3ffc6ebb1d83734d66b/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog)](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/SwiftExamples/DisplayLinkAndCopyViews.swift?ref=simplykyra.com)

The code in its entirety is available [on GitHub here](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/SwiftExamples/DisplayLinkAndCopyViews.swift?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows a collage of three views in the Swift Playground.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Screenshot-How-I-Handle-External-Links-in-My-iOS-App-with-a-Built-In-Copy-Option---Image-Code.png)

Here's the main wrapper, copy button, and link views. All shown below with copy-able code tested, again, in Swift Playgrounds before being added here and to the [GitHub](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/SwiftExamples/DisplayLinkAndCopyViews.swift?ref=simplykyra.com) file.

![Image shows the ContentView code shown in the GitHub file with an arrow pointing to the view the results in the tutorial code.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Screenshot-How-I-Handle-External-Links-in-My-iOS-App-with-a-Built-In-Copy-Option---Cover-Image-1.png)

Using the code you will get this view with three example links on it making it simple to know how to plug and play in your own code. 

### Main Wrapper View

This view wraps both the copy button and the display link. You can use it as-is or rename it to fit your own codebase. You can call `DisplayLinkAndCopy` with *just* the `URL` while also allowing flexibility with the:

- `**copyString**` letting you define something else that's copied to the clipboard allowing you to leave off the `mailto:` in email URLs
- `**captionString**` overwrite the `URL` string with a more readable caption

```Swift
import SwiftUI

public struct DisplayLinkAndCopy: View {
    public var url: URL
    
    // Below values optional as they both default to url.absoluteString
    public var copyString: String?
    public var captionString: String?
    
    public var body: some View {
        HStack {
            CopyStringButton(myString: copyString ?? url.absoluteString)
                .padding(.horizontal, 10)
            Spacer()
            DisplayLink(URLsource: url, captionText: captionString ?? url.absoluteString)
        }.padding(.horizontal, 20)
    }
}

```

### The Copy Button

This view handles the actual clipboard logic using `UIPasteboard` on `iOS` and `NSPasteboard` on `macOS`. By default, it displays a simple copy icon `doc.on.doc` but you can easily swap this out. I’ve included a commented-out alternative using a `Label` which you can uncomment or adapt if you’d prefer a visible text label alongside the icon. You could even pass in a custom string if you’d like to make the button more descriptive or accessible.

```Swift
import SwiftUI

public struct CopyStringButton: View {
    public var myString: String
    
    public init(myString: String) {
        self.myString = myString
    }
    
    public var body: some View {
        Button(action: {
#if os(macOS)
            let pasteboard = NSPasteboard.general
            pasteboard.declareTypes([NSPasteboard.PasteboardType.string], owner: nil)
            pasteboard.setString(myString, forType: NSPasteboard.PasteboardType.string)
#else
            UIPasteboard.general.string = myString
#endif
        }, label: {
            Image(systemName: "doc.on.doc")
            // Above is just the icon. If you prefer you can use a label with/without the label hidden:
            // Label("Copy", systemImage: "doc.on.doc").labelsHidden()
        })
    }
}

```

### The Display Link

This view displays the tappable caption using `Link(destination:)` and includes a chevron icon to visually indicate it’s clickable by giving it a similar look to what you’d expect in a `NavigationLink`. If for some reason, like bypassing the wrapper view, a `URL` isn't passed in a message is gracefully shown rather than crashing the app.

```Swift
import SwiftUI

public struct DisplayLink: View {
    public var URLsource:URL?
    public var captionText:String
    
    public init(URLsource: URL? = nil, 
                captionText: String? = nil) {
        self.URLsource = URLsource
        self.captionText = captionText ?? "External Link"
    }
    
    public var body: some View {
        if URLsource != nil {
            Link(destination: URLsource!) {
                HStack {
                    Spacer()
                    Text(captionText)
                        .multilineTextAlignment(.center)
                    Spacer()
                    Image(systemName: "chevron.right")
                        .foregroundColor(.secondary)
                    Spacer()
                }
            }
        } else {
            HStack {
                Spacer()
                Text("No URL set for \"\(captionText)\"")
                    .multilineTextAlignment(.center)
                Spacer()
            }
        }
    }
}

```

### How to Use It

You can drop `DisplayLinkAndCopy` into any `SwiftUI` view. Here is an example `ContentView` with a few examples that work in both `iOS` and `macOS`:

```Swift
import SwiftUI

struct ContentView: View {
    let websiteString = "https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-handle-external-links-in-my-ios-app-with-a-built-in-copy-option"
    let emailString = "mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Display Link Blog Post"
    
    var body: some View {
        VStack(alignment: .center, spacing: 10, content: {
            Text("Here are the examples using both a website and an email.")
            
            Divider()
            
            Text("You can set just the url and by default both caption and the copy value will be the same.")
            
            DisplayLinkAndCopy(
                url: URL(string: websiteString)!
            )
            
            Text("Or overwrite the caption with your own text:")
            
            DisplayLinkAndCopy(
                url: URL(string: websiteString)!,
                captionString: "Click link for blog post!"
            )
            
            Text("Email might be more complicated as the action url includes \"mailto:\" and optional add-ons like the subject so you may want to overwrite the copy text like this:")
            
            DisplayLinkAndCopy(
                url: URL(string: "mailto:\(emailString)")!,
                copyString: emailString,
                captionString: "Mail Me Here!"
            )
            
        }) 
        .multilineTextAlignment(.center)
    }
}
```

You can drop this into any `SwiftUI` view with no extra setup needed and have it work for both `iOS` and `macOS`. I love that the customizable `captionString` and `copyString` values makes this view work for emails, deep links, or complex URLs. 

---

## Optional Customizations

Want to tweak it? Here are some quick ideas:

- Change the icon or add a `Label()` for accessibility
- Show a confirmation toast or alert after it copies the string
- Add haptic feedback (on iOS)
- Make the copy button optional or revealed on long press

If you do end up customizing this I’d love to see what you come up with so feel free to reach out! You can comment below or send out an [email](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Variation%20on%20Display%20Link%20Blog%20Post)! If you want to follow and comment the links to all of my socials are in this website's footer so check it out below!

---

## Final Thoughts

This small reusable view gives me an easy way to share external links without worrying about where they’ll open and where they're expected to open to. It lets your app's audience choose what works for them while working smoothly across `iOS` and `macOS` in `SwiftUI`.

If you'd rather see the code in one entire file you can grab it from GitHub repo [right here](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/SwiftExamples/DisplayLinkAndCopyViews.swift?ref=simplykyra.com). If you do end up using this or building something even better I’d love to hear about it!

> **Have a variation you want to share? Leave a comment, tag me, or reach out via** [**email**](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Variation%20on%20Display%20Link%20Blog%20Post)**.**

Hope you’re having a great day and happy building! 

And don't forget if you want more posts like this I regularly share new ones to [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/simplykyrablog/?ref=simplykyra.com) or you can join my email list under the search bar or at the bottom of this post.
### How a Sleep Screen Sparked an App: The Story Behind Simply Customize It
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-a-sleep-screen-sparked-an-app-the-story-behind-simply-customize-it/
Last updated: 2025-05-17T20:26:55.000Z
![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_How-a-Sleep-Screen-Sparked-an-App-The-Story-Behind-Simply-Customize-It---pinterest.png)

---

## The Journey

The journey began back in December of 2020 when I came across an ad for the reMarkable 2 on social media. I questioned whether I needed it or not but prefer writing on paper over typing, loved the idea of fewer distractions, and thus was able to justify it just enough to give in. As soon as I ordered it I started looking up user groups on Facebook and immediately knew I *needed* to figure out how to change out the `suspended.png` file to have my own sleep screen shown. Right after onboarding it may have been the very next thing I did once it arrived.

## The Moment It Sparked

That first small customization, swapping out the sleep image, was all it took to hook me. I can't remember what image I used that first time but I absolutely loved that I could use the reMarkable to design an image and then use that creation as the sleep screen. 

[Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Through the Command LineAccess your reMarkable through the command line using SSH.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-68.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0151-cropped-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/)

I needed to start with being able to connect through `SSH`...

[Switch Out Your reMarkable’s Sleep Screen... Plus Easily Back it UpDo you have a reMarkable device and an Apple computer? Are you looking to switch out the default sleep screen image for your own? Here is how I customized my reMarkable2 with a custom sleep screen image.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-69.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0160-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/)

and then I was able to switch out the sleep screen image.

At some point in all of that I realized some of my photos looked better on the black and white screen and I started using it as a frame on my desk when it wasn't in use. This tiny personalization, a random secondary use of the reMarkable, thrilled me and made the device feel more welcoming... and it sparked something.

## Curiosity Snowballed

That spark grew with curiosity. At this time `PDF` files uploaded to the reMarkable were static with no useable internal links and a set page count which meant everyone online was talking about custom templates so they'd have reusable custom pages.... this became my new challenge to tackle. 

[How to Make Template Files for Your reMarkableDo you have a reMarkable device? Have you thought about creating a template file of your own for it? Do you have a PDF page or PNG image you want to use as a template? Here’s how I made my template file for my reMarkable 2.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-70.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_How-to-Make-Templates-Files-for-Your-reMarkable-Image-3.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/)

Then I went further with custom templates. 

And once I did I naturally decided to use this website, where I shared what I learned along with tips I came across while raising my kids, as a natural spot to share both this step and the earlier simpler ones. 

## Expanded Past the Blog

When I returned to the Facebook usergroups I sometimes saw questions I knew I could answer and was able to comment quicker and simply link back to these posts for further help. This expansion lead to more questions, a paid video call to better help someone, an email asking me to install custom templates remotely, and requests for a video format rather than just the currently available blog style. I did the video call, turned down the remote request as I wasn't sure that was possible, and decided to tackle the video format. That took longer than I expected as I scripted it up, recorded it, added voice-over, editing, and captions. This process resulted in a 31 minute long YouTube video and as I mainly blogged and spent hours adding closed captioning I also shared a transcript of this video to my website for the ability to `ctrl`+`f` to find any questions and then link back to the video for the surrounding information. 

[Watch How I Upload Custom Templates to My reMarkableI’ve had some question about my template process so I recently spent some time creating a video walkthrough, thus combining my blog posts together, to show you how I upload my custom templates. Here’s the embedded YouTube video and its transcript. Hope it helps!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-75.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Watch-How-I-Upload-Custom-Templates-to-My-reMarkable-Instagram.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/watch-how-i-upload-custom-templates-to-my-remarkable/)

There's both a blog post with the transcript and embedded video or...

... the direct Youtube video.

[Frequently Asked Questions I’ve Seen Around About the reMarkableOver the last year or I’ve seen several reMarkable template related questions popup on Facebook user groups and each time I debate creating a post that answers all those questions. I finally decided to just make it and here’s the result!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-96.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_4839.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/frequently-asked-questions-ive-seen-around-about-the-remarkable/)

As some point I gathered all the questions I kept hearing and shared the answers in one spot.

That said I also found many times someone would ask *how* it was done and then give up as the process sounded and seemed too hard.

## There Has to Be a Better Way

Even though I knew the process I still found it too onerous. So I created a bash script that made the `templates.json` file for you thus speeding up the time it took *and* potentially limiting the chance of typos in the process. 

[Quickly Generate a JSON Template Code Snippet for Your reMarkableDo you find it troublesome and bulky to edit your JSON code when uploading custom templates to your reMarkable? Why not speed up your process by generating the needed JSON snippet yourself? You’ll still need to edit the templates.json file but now you just need to paste the code snippet in!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-71.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-02-05-at-4.42.53-PM.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/quickly-generate-a-json-template-code-snippet-for-your-remarkable/)

I found the explanation long and split it up into two posts. The first part covered generation... 

[Quickly and Easily Upload Template Images to Your reMarkableHave you uploaded a PNG to your reMarkable? Do you now want to upload several different images at once and want the task to be easier? I created a bash script to speed up my template uploading process and share it with you here!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-72.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_1195.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/quickly-and-easily-upload-template-images-to-your-remarkable/)

While the second part consisted of the explanation and upload.

[My reMarkable2 Updated! This Is What I Did NextDo you have a reMarkable device? Were your custom changes wiped in the last update? Are you wondering what other people did? Here’s how I weathered the update if you’re interested.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-73.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_2636.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-remarkable2-updated-this-is-what-i-did-next/)

During this process and because of repeating questions I realized on the next reMarkable update I should share my process of **fixing it* using my method. 

## There *STILL* Has to Be a Better Way

I didn’t set out to build an app. I simply wanted to customize my reMarkable and found that process full of tiny frustrations I couldn’t ignore. There was no single *aha!* moment, just a hundred small frictions I kept bumping into.

Eventually, enough people asked questions or echoed my same struggles, and I realized I wasn’t the only one looking for a simpler way.

At the time, I’d been brushing up on coding by dabbling in tutorials and *100 days of X* challenges to ease back into development. I hadn’t built a mobile app before, but this project felt like the perfect fit: something I personally wanted, something others clearly needed, and something I was ready to learn my way into.

So I built one.

[‎Simply Customize It!‎Transform your reMarkable device with Simply Customize It! Whether you’re importing, editing, or syncing templates and screen images, we make it simple to personalize your e-paper device across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. --- New in Version 1.0.10 – Smart Clean Up and 3.19 Support • Full support for u…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-apps-48-fad34e0d87e86dcf72ded1faff4ba9d0.png)App StoreSimplyKyra LLC![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/1200x630wa-6.png)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

Available since May of 2024 on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

## Building for Myself and for Others

The app, like the video before it, took way longer than expected... years, in fact. Every time I felt I was close Apple or Swift would release an update that threw me for a loop. Still, I kept iterating until I finally had something I was proud to share.

During this time my blog posts as I tried to unravel this other related issue. As the app progressed I found I didn't use the methods I'd created before and I had to start refreshing my memory when asked about a part of my old posts. I considered mentioning this new way I had found but didn't want to share until it was more fully tested. 

## Other Posts This Project Sparked

Some questions that came up during this time led to the following posts:

### Safety

[Simple Script to Help Backup Your reMarkableBack when I first bought my reMarkable I realized there might come a day when I’d need to recover the files on it. Luckily, I haven’t needed to yet... but that precaution led to creating this script which makes backing it up so much easier.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-77.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_backup-remarkable-2021-10-21-at-10.41.55-AM-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-script-to-help-backup-your-remarkable/)

Then I realized I needed something more on how to backup the reMarkable beyond what was mentioned in the earlier sleep screen post. 

### Template Related

[How to Quickly Combine PDF Files on Your MacHave you ever wanted to combine two PDF files together on your Mac computer? I have. And here’s how I did it using the Preview app that you should already have!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-76.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_PDF-Editing-2022-02-01-at-7.57.06-AM.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-quickly-combine-pdf-files-on-your-mac/)

Remember how you couldn't add new pages to a `PDF` back then? Well after being asked I shared how I once used `Preview` to combing exported `PDF` files into a single one before uploading to the reMarkable again. 

[Which Version of the reMarkable’s Templates Are Emailed Out?A while back I had a thought that led to me wondering “if you made a custom template with differing associated SVG and PNG files... which would you see when exporting it?” I had to find out so I concocted this little experiment and here are my results!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-78.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_8705.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/)

I next wondered if a template had two differing images for the `PNG` and `SVG` image which would be emailed out when exporting a custom template page from a notebook. 

[Update: Which Version of the reMarkable’s Templates Are Emailed Out?Back during the summer of 2022 I tested which image type was used when you export or view a reMarkable notebook page. Recently, I redid the experiment and found the results had changed. Here they are!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-94.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Copy-of-Which-Version-of-the-reMarkable-s-Templates-Are-Emailed-Out----Graph-1-3.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/update-which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/)

Later realized the updated reMarkable version changed the results of my previous test and updated the results.

### `SSH` and Host Key Errors

[How I Solved My SSH Connection Error: No Matching Host Key Type FoundAfter a computer update I could no longer connect to my reMarkable via SSH as I had an error saying: “unable to negotiate with host: no matching host key type found”. This is how I fixed the issue.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-79.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_2022-09-15-at-7.32.46-AM.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-solved-my-ssh-connection-error-no-matching-host-key-type-found/)

Shared the error when `No Matching Host Key Type Found` and how I fixed it. 

### Creative Use Cases

Over this time I used the reMarkable for more of what it was made for and shared some ways that may have been more unique like:

[A Simple Way to Keep Track of Your Tea’s Steep Time and TemperatureAre you always trying to remember what tea you’re currently steeping. Do you frequently forget what temperature your tea needs to be infused at or for how long? Why not create a simple tracker so you don’t need to remember. This is what I did.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-74.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_3505.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/a-simple-way-to-keep-track-of-your-teas-steep-time-and-temperature/)

Back after making the JSON script I wrote out and laminated a way to keep track of the current tea steep time and temperature.. 

[Simple Valentines for SchoolWith Valentine’s Day approaching I figured I’d share what I did for my girls’ Valentine’s Day last year. Plus I’m sharing our final printable with you.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-81.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_9541-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-valentines-for-school/)

My favorite so far has been designing simple valentines the kids could color which we did both in 2023...

[Continuing Our Simple School ValentinesTwo years ago we made simple paper valentines for school. Last year we did the same. Here’s the link, with a printable download, in case you’re looking for a last minute Valentine’s Day idea!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-84.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_6645-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/continuing-our-simple-school-valentines/)

... and in 2024 and later (not shared yet) 2025\. All these were closer to Valentine's Day so I share it the next calendar year.

## Published!

And back in May of 2024 I published the Simply Customize It app on both app stores!

[‎Simply Customize It!‎Transform your reMarkable device with Simply Customize It! Whether you’re importing, editing, or syncing templates and screen images, we make it simple to personalize your e-paper device across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. --- New in Version 1.0.10 – Smart Clean Up and 3.19 Support • Full support for u…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-apps-48-fad34e0d87e86dcf72ded1faff4ba9d0.png)App StoreSimplyKyra LLC![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/1200x630wa-6.png)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

Available since May of 2024 on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

## When reMarkable Moves So Do I

And I'm so glad I published the app when I did because before I could finish marveling at what I had accomplished reMarkable announced the Paper Pro. At first I told myself I didn't need the Paper Pro but then I remembered *Simply Customize It* and I knew I needed to find out if my app worked with it and thus I ordered a second reMarkable. 

### Blog Updates

I'm glad I bough the reMarkable Paper Pro because it definitely didn't work out of the box with my app. In trying to get them playing well together I needed to take a step back and figure out how to do it through the terminal again. This led to my next post... and then the next ones.

[Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Paper Pro Through the Command LineWith the new reMarkable Paper Pro out I realized I needed to update my How To Connect post... here it is!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-82.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_9201-1-5.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/)

I shared a new and cleaner version of how to connect. Technically if you ignore the developer mode and `WLAN` sections this also works for the older reMarkable devices too. 

[Switch Out Your reMarkable Paper Pro’s Sleep ScreenWith the reMarkable Paper Pro out I figured it was time to share an updated post on how to switch out your screen images! Come check it out.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-83.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Switch-Out-Your-reMarkable-Paper-Pro-s-Sleep-Screen----Image-1.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/switch-out-your-remarkable-paper-pros-sleep-screen/)

I joined Reddit to share my app and was then asked to share an updated sleep screen image geared towards the Paper Pro. Though again if you ignore the developer mode and `WLAN` sections this also works for the older reMarkable devices too. 

[PNG-Only Templates May Appear Blank in reMarkable 3.19 Beta (But There’s a Workaround!)In the 3.19 beta, templates with only a PNG file no longer display properly. I’ve outlined what I found on both the reMarkable 2 and Paper Pro... plus how to pause updates if you rely on PNG-only templates. Join the conversation and stay informed.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-85.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-3.19-warning-Image-2-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/heads-up-png-only-templates-no-longer-work-in-remarkable-3-19-beta/)

On the last update I had a scare and thought `PNG` only templates no longer worked. After posting I realized this wasn't an issue (I simply needed to close and reopen the notebook) so I updated the title, added a section to the top, and kept it out there just in case it was needed. 

### App Updates

And oh those updates came. After being notified to breaking changes twice through emails from people that used my app I realized I needed to sign up for the reMarkable beta updates so I could find and fix any issues before anyone else had trouble. It's been fun to discover how to get it all to work each time!

## Where It’s Going 

What began as a quiet curiosity and a personal frustration has turned into a full-fledged tool and an evolving app that's now over a year old and on its 10th update.

Simply Customize It wouldn’t exist without that first little spark. I’m deeply grateful for everyone who’s supported it, shared feedback, or asked great questions along the way.

## More Information

[Simply Customize It!Transform your reMarkable device with Simply Customize It! Our app simplifies the process of customizing templates and screen images, making it easy for you to personalize your e-paper device. Whether you’re importing, editing, or syncing, we’ve got you covered.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-86.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/SimplyCustomizeIt-Image-AppStore-3-3-3.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)

Learn more about Simply Customize It on its page here. 

[Simply Customize It! FAQsCurious about Simply Customize It? Want to stay updated on new features? Or just looking to learn more? Click here for all the details!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-87.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Customize-It--FAQs.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-faqs/)

Or check out its frequently asked questions here. 

## Updated History In Blog Posts

[reMarkable - Simply KyraThe reMarkable itself is an e-paper device that I bought years ago and enjoy using. That said, other than as a customer and sharing information I’ve learned, I have no relationship with them. You can find out more about it here: https://remarkable.com/store/remarkable-2![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-95.png)Simply Kyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0160-2.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/remarkable/)

Throughout the post I shared previously published reMarkable-related blog posts. Whether you have the itch to figure this out on your own or just want to explore the history I have with the reMarkable I wanted to link to the reMarkable topic area so you can browse this timeline and easily access any newly published posts too. 

---

Whether you’re a planner, a note-taker, or just someone who wants your tablet to feel more *yours*, Simply Customize It is here to help. Regardless whether you’re just getting started or deep in customization I’d love to hear how you’ve made your reMarkable your own. 

Have you been using Simply Customize It? What's your favorite feature... and what would you love to see added?

Thanks for being part of the journey and, like always, I hope you're having an amazing day!
### Announcing Simply Match It!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/announcing-simply-match-it/
Last updated: 2025-05-09T13:24:49.000Z
Some games bring out your competitive side in the best way... and *Simply Match It* is one of them! Sometime after starting [Minesweeper](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it/) I joined a [Hacking with Swift birthday livestream](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up6LpJOz5bQ&ref=simplykyra.com) that showcased Twinmoji a simple matching game. I truly loved how fun it was and knew I needed to share it with my kids. And as luck would have it they had plenty of opportunity to enjoy it as we moved... their love for it made me realize I wanted to also share it with all of you!

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Announcing-Simply-Match-It---pinterest.png)

---

## **Play for Free –> Two Player Mode!**

Grab a friend and start spotting matches with no ads and no clutter. [*Simply Match It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it/) is clean, colorful, and easy to jump into. Just tap your button when you see a match, and then race to tap the correct emoji before time runs out. First to score five points wins… but be careful as wrong guesses or having the time run out will cost you!

![Image shows the game with text overlay.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Simply-Match-It---iPad-13----1-Intro.png)

Can you spot the match?

![Image shows the game with text overlay.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Match-It---iPad-13---2-Quick-Intro.png)

Doesn't matter which image you tap as long as it's one of the matching ones! Just don't forget to click your side first!

---

## **Learn As You Play**

Need help getting started? The built-in *How to Play* section walks you through everything from spotting matches to showcasing how the game can go further with premium three and four-player modes. It’s visual, clear, and designed for players of all ages.

![Image shows the Mac version of the how to play. There's two images but in reality it's scrollable.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Simply-Match-It---Mac---7-Help.png)

No game end in sight if you want to use one of these demo modes!

---

## **Go Premium and Customize the Fun**

Want a tougher challenge or just a new look?

![Image shows the customization screen on the Mac. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Simply-Match-It---Mac---4-Premium-Perks.png)

Customization screen brings you way more game options!

With a premium plan, you can:

- Change the board size: more emojis = more fun and more difficulty
- Adjust how long players get to answer: three time modes
- Set a custom winning score: want a quicker or longer game
- Unlock 1, 3, and 4 player modes: testing your skills solo or playing with up to three friends... either way we got you
- Try new emoji themes: animals, food, plants, and more

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Simply-Match-It---iPhone-6.9---3--Player-Options.png)

Premium plans are available monthly, yearly, or with a one-time lifetime unlock. And yes... *Family Sharing* is supported.

---

## Made With Intention

[*Simply Match It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it/) is the second game from SimplyKyra focused on making simple, engaging apps without distractions. Like [*Simply Uncover It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it/) this game is all about giving you the experience you want... whether that’s quick rounds with kids or fast-paced showdowns with friends.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_-Simply-Match-It---Mac---5-Visual-Variety.png)

You can download it now on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

[‎Simply Match It!‎Simply Match It – Fast, Fun, and Customizable Matching Mayhem! Race to find the one emoji both cards have in common... before your opponent does! Easy to pick up, endlessly replayable, and perfect for solo players or party nights. ▶ PLAY FOR FREE Jump into the action with classic 3x3 card sets and…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-apps-48-fad34e0d87e86dcf72ded1faff4ba9d0-3.png)App StoreSimplyKyra LLC![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/1200x630wa-9.png)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com)

Try it for free today and challenge someone you love to a round!

---

## Links to More Information Here

You can find out more on the homepage or below! 

[Simply Match It!Tap in, find the match, and beat your friends! One match per card, every time. Simple to play, tough to master!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-89.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Match-It--App-Page.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it/)

Also check out the frequently asked questions if needed too!

[Simply Match It! FAQsCurious about Simply Match It? Want to stay updated on new features? Or just looking to learn more? Click here for all the details!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-90.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Match-It--FAQs-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-match-it-faqs/)

Still have questions or suggestions? Feel free to comment here, on one of the above pages, or reach out at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Match%20It-App%20Page).

---

*Hope you’re having a great day!*

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simply Match It! FAQs
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-match-it-faqs/
Last updated: 2026-03-26T03:35:46.000Z
If a question you have isn't here please comment below and/or reach out through [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Match%20It:%20FAQs). 

## App Specific

### App Store Page

[‎Simply Match It!‎Simply Match It – Fast, Fun, and Customizable Matching Mayhem! Race to find the one emoji both cards have in common... before your opponent does! Easy to pick up, endlessly replayable, and perfect for solo players or party nights. ▶ PLAY FOR FREE Jump into the action with classic 3x3 card sets and…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-apps-48-fad34e0d87e86dcf72ded1faff4ba9d0-2.png)App StoreSimplyKyra LLC![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/1200x630wa-8.png)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-match-it/id6741166537?ref=simplykyra.com)

### App Website

[Simply Match It!Tap in, find the match, and beat your friends! One match per card, every time. Simple to play, tough to master!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-92.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Match-It--App-Page-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-match-it/)

### Supported Apple Devices

I've developed Simply Match It for both iOS and macOS. Ideally I picture it on the iPhone or iPad but wanted to include support for the Mac too. Currently a lot of the front end is shared between the devices but if you notice anything giving you problems let me know at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Match%20It:%20FAQs) or in the comments below.

### App Versions (Change Log)

[Simply Match It: Version HistoryA chronological list of all Simply Match It updates with short summaries.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-116.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Cover---Screenshot---Simply-Match-It---Versioning.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-match-it-version-history/)

## Subscription

I offer the game play itself for free along with being able to change app-specific settings like the color scheme (light or dark mode), accent color, and the like. 

There will be a premium version that allows you to change the game settings. This will be offered through both a subscription (monthly or annual) or through a lifetime in-app purchase. I recommend you access the the subscription through the app. That said if you already have a subscription you can check [it out through Apple here](https://apps.apple.com/account/subscriptions?ref=simplykyra.com).

### Multiple Devices

Your subscription works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac as long as you’re signed into the **same Apple ID**. Your library syncs through iCloud.

### Family Sharing

If you’re using Apple Family Sharing your Apple Family members can use it too.

## How To Play

Find the match, tap your colored button, then quickly tap one of the matching icons before the time runs out!

![Image shows the game with text overlay.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Simply-Match-It---iPad-13----1-Intro.png)

Can you spot the match?

![Image shows the game with text overlay.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Match-It---iPad-13---2-Quick-Intro.png)

Doesn't matter which image you tap as long as it's one of the matching ones! Just don't forget to click your side first!

I have a how to play in the app that you can find through the menu 

![Image shows the Mac version of the how to play. There's two images but in reality it's scrollable.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Simply-Match-It---Mac---7-Help.png)

No game end in sight if you want to use one of these demo modes!

That said, let me know if you want me to add a tutorial here too if needed!

---

## General

### Stay Connected With SimplyKyra?

To stay connected with SimplyKyra can [become a free member of this page](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-match-it-faqs/#/portal/signup)! Once you do you're automatically signed up for my two newsletters: *Blog Posts* sends out any blog posts as they're added while, for app related content, you'll want *App Updates* checked off. You can choose which or both you want to receive and change it at anytime. For more information about how to sign up and the newsletters themselves check out [my newsletters and account setting page here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/newsletters-and-account-settings/). 

If you want to stay connected in another way all my social accounts are listed along the footer of this website although some are updated more frequently than others.

### Additional Questions?

If you have a question that wasn't found here feel free to comment on this post or reach out through [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Match%20It:%20FAQs). I try to add update this page with any questions I've been asked that may help others.

---

Feel free to comment below if you have any additional questions or reach out through [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Match%20It:%20FAQs). And if you want feel free to...

[💕 Buy me a coffee or tea! 💕](https://buy.stripe.com/bIY9EEaPE0ma4A84gg?ref=simplykyra.com)
### Lost Earring Down the Sink? Here’s How to Get It Back in Minutes
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/lost-earring-down-the-sink-heres-how-to-get-it-back-in-minutes/
Last updated: 2025-05-04T17:32:06.000Z
One rushed morning, I watched in horror as one of my favorite earrings slipped down the bathroom sink drain. After postponing the inevitable a couple days later I finally figured out how to retrieve it and after giving it a good cleaning we were good to go! Here's how I did it!

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_So-You-Dropped-Your-Earring-Down-Your-Bathroom-Sink---Pinterest.jpg)

---

## Earring Lost

A while back when I was rushing to get ready early in the morning I made the mistake of dropping my earring down the bathroom sink drain. I carefully attempted to pull the stopper out as it's not securely attached and heard the earring drop further into the water below. I was short on time and since we have two sinks in our bathroom I made the quick decision to simply not use my sink until I had a chance to figure it out. To stop myself from using it I laid my dental floss container over the drain as a reminder.

![Image shows a blue container of dental floss over the sink drain while I hold a clean stopper up in front. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_5779.jpeg)

**Pulling out the stopper caused the earring to fall all the way in. Since I had no time to deal with it then, I used my dental floss container as a visual reminder that the sink was out of commission.*

That said, the fix was so easy that in hindsight I could've, maybe, had time to fix it right then and there. Here's how to get it back!

## Step 1: Stop & Prepare

Although looking back the earring was caught in the trap I'm glad I was careful not to use the sink so it wasn't flushed away in anyway. 

### Materials Needed

- bucket or plastic container to catch the water under the sink
- towel in case water overfills the bucket, splashing
- paper towels to wipe things clean
- optional Clorox wipes to help sanitize
- optional gloves

## Step 2: Research & Learn

I started by hopping online and typing in `under the sink pipe catch open`, hoping to find a quick solution. When that didn’t give me the results I needed, I refined it to `under bathroom sink dropped earring how to get it out` and that did the trick! This got me several promising results but I went with [this article on *hunker*](https://www.hunker.com/13417267/how-to-get-an-earring-out-of-the-sink?ref=simplykyra.com) to figure it out which includes warning you to turn off the water until the earring is recovered, a step I missed, and then either reaching into the drain or disassembling the trap. You can read more about it here: 

[![Image shows the top of their post layout with the title, cover image, and contents.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_Screenshot-2024-01-28-at-16.21.48.png)](https://www.hunker.com/13417267/how-to-get-an-earring-out-of-the-sink?ref=simplykyra.com)

Screenshot of the website that helped me, [hunker](https://www.hunker.com/13417267/how-to-get-an-earring-out-of-the-sink?ref=simplykyra.com), taken on February 26th, 2024.

> *The plumbers who invented the P-Trap in the 19th century probably didn't have jewelry recovery on their minds, but P-traps are great at catching and holding small objects, such as earrings. All paths from the sink lead to the trap, so if your ring fell in an overflow tube, the trap is where it will go. A pool of water sits permanently in the inverted "P" to block sewer gases, and that pool is where you'll find your jewelry, as long as it hasn't been flushed away by a strong flow of water.* [*\-hunker*](https://www.hunker.com/13417267/how-to-get-an-earring-out-of-the-sink?ref=simplykyra.com#the-p-trap-is-there-to-catch-jewelry)

## Step 3: Opening the Trap

The process, once realized, was really quite simple. Here's what I did!

### i. Empty the space under the sink.

The first step was simply removing everything under the sink. Technically you just need the space under cleared out but I did it all so I didn't have to worry about splashing or overfilling. Depending how much is stored under your sink this could be a quick or time consuming task. 

### ii. Place a bucket/towel underneath.

With the space under the sink emptied I next laid out a Dollar Tree container directly under the pipe with a precautionary towel folded underneath. With that and some *just in case* paper towels I was ready to go! Though in hindsight I wasn't prepared for the stench.

![Image shows under my sink with a plastic bucket ready to catch water, a towel, and some paper towels nearby. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_5780.jpeg)

After emptying under my sink I set up a bucket with a cautionary towel underneath and paper towels nearby.

### iii. Unscrew the P-trap 

With the area prepped all I needed to do was unscrew the compression nuts on either end of the curved pipe at the bottom. Once unscrewed I was able to pull it free flip it over, keeping it above the bin, to dump all the liquid inside out into the pink bucket.

[![Diagram shows the trap with the water blocking the smell of the sewer and stopping any dropped jewelry from disappearing. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Screenshot_P-Trap_Blog_01-copy.jpg)](https://www.oatey.com/faqs-blog-videos-case-studies/blog/what-p-trap-and-how-does-it-work?ref=simplykyra.com)

Diagram taken from [Oatey: What is a P-Trap and How Does it Work?](https://www.oatey.com/faqs-blog-videos-case-studies/blog/what-p-trap-and-how-does-it-work?ref=simplykyra.com) on March 20th, 2025.

![Images shows my hand on the left nut but both loosened enough to see the threaded pipes and space. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_5781.jpeg)

Once ready I simply unscrewed both compression nuts thus loosening the curved pipe from the entire system. Be careful... as you unscrew water starts spraying out.

![Image shows the curved pipe sideways showing the gunk inside with a hair hanging from the main pipe and gunk in the pink plastic bin.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_5783.jpeg)

Then you pull it out, invert, and hope your jewelry falls out along with the gunk. If not I'd check in the pipe. 

### iv. Retrieve the item and clean the trap.

It took just a quick second of looking to find my earring in the gunk in the container. I quickly set it aside on the counter where it would be safe. 

### v. Reassemble the plumbing and test for leaks.

With the trap was removed I took the opportunity to attempt to clean out the pipe with the nearby paper towel before re-attaching it. It was simple to reverse the steps by holding it up to the holes and rescrewing the compression nets on. With both ends securely fastened I next ran the sink for a couple minutes to both test for leaks and fill the trap up to block the smell again. 

## Step 4: Cleaning the Earring

With the earring retrieved and the trap closed up it was time to clean the earring. I started with a quick rinse then paused to search online for solutions. After reading a couple ideas I ended up rubbing dish soap all over the earring before carefully rinsing it all off with warm water and setting it aside to dry. Once dried I deemed it clean and the pair was reunited! All was well!

![Image shows the earrings under a spotlight with a black background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_7084.jpeg)

After a scrub with dish soap, a rinse off with warm water, and time to dry the earrings were ready to be matched up together again.

## Final Thoughts

Although this happened over a year ago, it gave me much more confidence about how the sink works. Just the other day my daughters' sink was plugged and the water wasn't draining. Not sure looking back if I needed to remove the trap but this time around that was my first step, the sink drained, and then I removed the stopper. After cleaning it and dumping out the trap I reassembled it all. The whole time the sink stunk... kids complained but it got the job done! Who knew losing an earring would turn me into an amateur plumber? 

If you're going through a similar issue I hope this helps you out. I'd love to hear what you lost in the comments below especially if you succeeded in saving it! Have a great day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simply Customize It Update: Smart Clean Up and 3.19 Support
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-update-smart-clean-up-and-3-19-support/
Last updated: 2025-05-01T13:37:43.000Z
I was able to test out the new 3.19 beta with both my reMarkable 2 and Paper Pro and built this update to help you better navigate the changes. 

## TL;DR

This update improves how *Simply Customize It* handles template syncing with reMarkable 3.19\. It adds a new `Clean Up` button (perfect after your reMarkable updates), new default image placeholders, and optional filtering tools in the template browser.

## 🔍 What I Noticed With reMarkable 3.19 Beta

With the 3.19 beta I was surprised to find that many templates no longer include `PNG`, `SVG`, or even `.template` files. Through testing, I discovered that these templates still *work* as, I'm assuming, reMarkable is now storing them internally somehow. However, if the templates are removed from the `templates.json` file, they vanish from your device. That means *Simply Customize It* still needs to track them to avoid unintentional deletion.

During testing, I also realized how messy things can get when syncing repeatedly since reMarkable removes unused files in their updates but my subsequent sync brought them all back again. Put together with the fact that [some users are running into space issues](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-update-new-tools-to-manage-template-storage/) the need for a `Clean Up` tool became clear to me.

While debugging `Clean Up` I also improved how templates are displayed and added filtering tools to make browsing easier.

## 🧹 Smart Clean-Up Tool

You’ll now find a `Clean Up` button in the Template area (alongside Sync, Import, and Upload). 

This tool is designed to help streamline your template list after a reMarkable update. It does the following:

- **Finds what’s missing:** Imports any default templates that aren’t already in your app.
- **Matches and cleans:** Deletes any unnecessary `PNG`, `SVG`, or `.template` files that your reMarkable no longer uses.
- **Leaves custom templates alone:** So nothing is lost by mistake.

![Image shows the button in the back with the confirmation dialog, running the process, and the success dialog. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Screenshot-image---Simply-Customize-It-Update-1.0.10---Clean-Up.png)

****💡Tip:** After your reMarkable updates, run Clean Up **before* syncing to make sure everything is tidy.

## 🔍 Easier Template Browsing

### Visual Updates 🖼️ 

If a template has no `PNG` or `SVG` image set the app used to just show a blank preview. Now:

- You’ll see a **Templating File Only placeholder** if a `.template` file is present.
- A new **Assets Not Set placeholder** appears when all three assets are missing.
- Light and dark mode variations are included of both for better clarity.

![Collage of all four image types.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-IT-Update-1.0.10---Assets.png)

These images are alternated whether in light or dark mode. 

### New Filter Options 🧮

You can now filter templates in the Browse tab by:

- **Asset count**: zero to three where three is `PNG`, `SVG`, and `.template`.
- **Category count**: no categories, one set, two, or even more categories.
- **Storage location**: files stored in the default `templates` directory or in an alternate directory. For more information check out [the last update](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-update-new-tools-to-manage-template-storage/).
- **Template Type**: Set after running the `Clean Up` button showing whether its a default or custom template.

![Image shows the filtering on iOS (left) and macOS (right).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Screenshot-image---Simply-Customize-It-Update-1.0.10---Filtering.png)

This makes it easier to spot outdated templates or duplicates whether you’re on your phone, iPad, or Mac.

---

## 😱 Funny Aside: `PNG`\-Only Template Scare

While testing, I had a moment of panic when a `PNG`\-only template appeared blank... several times on both devices. I thought `PNG` only images had stopped working entirely!

Good news: **they still work**. If a template looks blank after syncing, just **close and reopen the notebook** and it should display correctly.

[PNG-Only Templates May Appear Blank in reMarkable 3.19 Beta (But There’s a Workaround!)In the 3.19 beta, templates with only a PNG file no longer display properly. I’ve outlined what I found on both the reMarkable 2 and Paper Pro... plus how to pause updates if you rely on PNG-only templates. Join the conversation and stay informed.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-64.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-3.19-warning-Image-2-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/heads-up-png-only-templates-no-longer-work-in-remarkable-3-19-beta/)

That said I did make a post... which I quickly updated once I realized everything was still good.

---

## 🧠 Template Asset Preference

Here’s what reMarkable currently prefers when displaying templates:

1. Internal (undocumented) rendering
2. `.template` files
3. `SVG` images
4. `PNG` images *➤ only if nothing else exists*

*Simply Customize It* mirrors this behavior when previewing buttries to display your unique images when possible. The app prioritizes:

1. `SVG` images
2. `PNG` images
3. `.template` files *➤ Templating File Only*
4. Internal rendering *➤ No Assets Set*

---

## ✨ Onboarding Tweaks

I’ve updated the onboarding and update flow! If you’re seeing this post after seeing the link in-app that means it’s working!

This new versioning system helps ensure you don’t miss key changes even if you’re not subscribed to the newsletter.

![Collage of three images showing the new update info and where to find it later on. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/05/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-IT-Update-1.0.10---Onboarding.png)

I've been remiss in providing updates to people who aren't on the email list. As such I've updated my onboarding and update flow so you should be seeing this once you update with a link to this post. I've updated the process and hope to keep it going in future updates so the changes aren't missed. 

---

## 😊 Let Me Know How It Goes

I hope this makes managing your reMarkable experience easier. If you have questions, feedback, or feature ideas:

- Leave a comment below
- Or email me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It:%20Update%201.0.10)

Hope this update makes things smoother for you... and your reMarkable!
### PNG-Only Templates May Appear Blank in reMarkable 3.19 Beta (But There’s a Workaround!)
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/heads-up-png-only-templates-no-longer-work-in-remarkable-3-19-beta/
Last updated: 2025-04-25T00:33:30.000Z
I wanted to share a quick heads-up if you’re part of the [*Simply Customize It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) community and use custom templates on your reMarkable.

---

## Update

### Later on April 24, 2025

Thanks to the community on [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/1k6yps9/beta%5F319057%5Fpng%5Fonly%5Ftemplates/?ref=simplykyra.com)! After a helpful comment there and more testing I discovered that `PNG`\-only templates *do* still work in the 3.19 beta. They may just appear blank at first. If that happens, try closing and reopening the notebook then the image should then display as expected.

I’m leaving the rest of the post below for context and in case this behavior shifts again in future beta builds. I’m so glad I reached out more widely as it helped surface this nuance much faster!

---

Original Post:

## What I Found

I recently updated both my reMarkable 2 and reMarkable Paper Tablet Pro to the `3.19.0.57 beta`, and I noticed something important... any templates I use that only include a `PNG` file (has no corresponding `SVG` or templating file) no longer work on my reMarkable.

If you have any favorite templates that rely solely on a `PNG` file this may affect your experience so I wanted to share. Here’s what I observed:

- On the reMarkable Paper Pro, selecting a `PNG`\-only template results in a blank screen.
- On the reMarkable 2 the same type of template loads for a while but eventually also defaults to a blank screen.

If you're currently using one of these templates the contents will still show up and you can draw on the page. This just affects the background image, or lack thereof, that doesn’t display.

![Collage of two images. On the left shows me about to hit the "Test" template while on the right it shows the reMarkable 2 loading while the reMarkable Paper Pro sits below showing the software version. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_Screenshot-3.19-warning-Image-2-1.png)

On both reMarkable devices choosing a `PNG` only template results in a blank page right now. For the reMarkable 2 you have to wait until it finishes loading to be sure. 

Currently `SVG` only templates still work. 

## What Can You Do

If you’re relying on `PNG`\-only templates and want to avoid this behavior you might consider turning off automatic updates for now to stay on your current version. That said, if reMarkable continues to not support `PNG`\-only templates this will affect you gaining any features with future updates. 

### Turn Off Auto Updating

How to turn off auto-updates on your reMarkable:

Start by going to Settings > General Settings > Software

![Image shows the Settings page on the reMarkable Paper Pro.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_IMG_0291.jpeg)

From settings make sure you're at the top then hit software right below account. 

From there at the top you can see your current software version and a button to check for updates... don't click that if you don't want to update. That said... at this time 3.19 is currently in beta so depending on when you read this....

Anyway look at the bottom and hit the toggle to turn `Updates` off. 

![Image shows the Software page in the Settings on the reMarkable Paper Pro.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_IMG_0290.jpeg)

The toggle is at the bottom of the list here. 

## Can *Simply Customize It* Help?

This change appears to be on the reMarkable side of things, so it’s not something I can fix within *Simply Customize It*. That said, if you come across a workaround online that restores `PNG`\-only template support feel free to pass it along either through the comments or email me at: [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It%20-%20PNG%20Templates). I’ll look into it and share any confirmed solutions with the community.

## Future Updates

In addition to sharing anything I learn in the future I've also posted on Reddit [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/1k6yps9/beta%5F319057%5Fpng%5Fonly%5Ftemplates/?ref=simplykyra.com) in case someone else has more insight. You can check it out, follow the thread for the latest updates, or join the conversation.

## What About *Simply Customize It*?

I’m keeping an eye on the 3.19 beta update to see what other changes may have been introduced. If I find anything else that affects *Simply Customize It* and/or your templates I’ll be sure to let you know and push an update if needed. 

---

Thanks, as always, for being part of the `Simply Customize It` community. I’m so glad you’re here!
### Pilates, Scenic Walks, and a Supportive Community: Aya Pilates
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/aya-pilates/
Last updated: 2025-04-19T19:28:43.000Z
Two years ago, I shared our experience with [a long-distance move](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/potential-tips-from-our-long-distances-moves/). This time, we moved again, but stayed within Washington State. While I deeply miss the friends and community we left behind, one of the hardest parts was saying goodbye to the Pilates studio I’d come to love. 

We’d been talking about moving for several months and although I was part of Aya for only ten months, ever since they first opened, I wasn’t ready to leave just yet and had hoped to stay long enough to celebrate their one-year anniversary.

That said we did move and I found I wanted to share Aya with you! Both so you don't miss the chance to check them out and because they’re now in the process of opening a second studio! Perfect timing. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_Local-Pilates-Studio-Recommendation-Aya-Pilates---pinterest.png)

---

Last spring, [Aya Pilates](https://ayapilates.co/?ref=simplykyra.com) opened near my home in the [Klahanie neighborhood](https://www.klahanie.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) of Sammamish. They offer group reformer classes and I jumped at the chance to expand my Pilates practice beyond the walls of my home. I’d heard about the studio through pre-opening ads, and thanks to what I’d learned through [Lindywell](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822) I decided to take a chance on their founder’s deal, which offered discounted unlimited membership.!

I’m so glad I did. I’ve loved the instructors, the community, the events, and especially the walks to and from the studio. My hiking excursions and at-home workouts dropped off quite a bit once they opened but in the ten-ish months I was a member I managed to attend 350 group classes and even fit in a private!

## Locations

Aya Pilates’ original studio is located in [the Klahanie neighborhood of Sammamish, Washington](https://ayapilates.co/sammamish?ref=simplykyra.com)... so most of this post centers around that space. That said, they’re currently in the process of opening [a second studio in Madison Park, Seattle](https://ayapilates.co/madison-park?ref=simplykyra.com), with instructors rotating between the two locations. So no matter which one you attend, much of the information here should still apply.

Depending on when you’re reading this, they may even have more locations! Be sure to check their [website](https://ayapilates.co/?ref=simplykyra.com) for the latest updates... and sometimes maybe you’ll spot a founding member discount banner too.

![Map showing the distance and route between the two locations.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_Screenshot-2025-03-15-at-20.49.46.png)

 I once looked up directions between the two studios and, without traffic, the drive was just over half an hour. So if you’re based near Seattle but open to travel—or vice versa—you could maybe even switch it up now and then.

## Madison Park

### Location

A second Aya Pilates studio is opening soon in the Madison Park neighborhood of Seattle. I haven’t visited yet, so I can’t speak to the area personally, but I’ve included links to their [Madison Park page](https://ayapilates.co/madison-park?ref=simplykyra.com) and the new [location-specific Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/ayapilates%5Fmadisonpark/?ref=simplykyra.com).

> Address: 2737 E Madison St, Seattle

![Map showing where the Madison Park Seattle location is located.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_Screenshot-2025-03-15-at-20.48.14.png)

Here's where the address (2737 E Madison St, Seattle Wa 98112) is on Apple Maps. Screenshot taken on March 15th, 2025.

### Grand Opening

Their VIP opening is scheduled for May 2, 2025, with the public grand opening following on May 9.

[![Collage of two screenshots taken from their Instagram feed showing where the grand opening is. Click for original. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_Screenshot-Local-Pilates-Studio-Recommendation-Aya-Pilates---Madison-Park.png)](https://www.instagram.com/p/DIkSdt3zaZB/?ref=simplykyra.com)

[Announcement message](https://www.instagram.com/p/DIkSdt3zaZB/?ref=simplykyra.com) I saved via screenshot on April 18th, 2025.

### The Studio

From what I’ve gathered, the studio layout will include reformers (possibly in three rows), lockers in the front, and no private session space. I’m assuming the design will echo the Sammamish location so scroll down for details and photos of that space.

## Sammamish

### Location

The original Aya Pilates opened [in Sammamish in the Spring of 2024, within the Klahanie neighborhood](https://ayapilates.co/sammamish?ref=simplykyra.com). Here's a link to their [Instagram page](https://www.instagram.com/aya%5F%5Fpilates/?ref=simplykyra.com). I had the joy of living about a ten-minute or less walk away so this studio was part of my regular routine.

> Address: 4552 Klahanie Drive SE, Sammamish

![Collage showing the inside of the studio, my 100 class sign, the outside of the studio when it opened, and by page from one of the events.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Pilates-Post---Image-Aya.png)

I created this image sometime after I attended 200 classes. Although I postponed sharing but figured it gave you a feel for the location. The leftmost image from [their Instagram page](https://www.instagram.com/aya%5F%5Fpilates/?ref=simplykyra.com), the center bottom from [one of the instructors' page (Missoni)](https://www.instagram.com/missonilanza/?ref=simplykyra.com), and the image on the top center shows part of the gift after going to a paid workshop.

### The Studio

The studio itself is welcoming and beautifully designed. At the entrance, there’s [a cozy sitting area](https://www.instagram.com/p/DFYHb-svfwa/?img%5Findex=1&ref=simplykyra.com), a [small curated retail display](https://www.instagram.com/p/DGBt8DQTCfa/?img%5Findex=1&ref=simplykyra.com), and a [front desk framed by two open archways](https://www.instagram.com/p/DFf4LCAvqHb/?img%5Findex=1&ref=simplykyra.com). Between those doorways is a shoe rack that gently signals the start of the class zone. The [main room](https://www.instagram.com/p/DFs7Nu3y2l9/?img%5Findex=2&ref=simplykyra.com) fits up to twelve participants, each with a reformer, tower, and chair, plus access to additional props stored along the back wall. Past the [main space](https://www.instagram.com/p/DFs7Nu3y2l9/?img%5Findex=2&ref=simplykyra.com) a third arch leads to a quieter back corner with lockers, coat hooks, [a private session area](https://www.instagram.com/p/C%5F%5FNjplSRSK/?img%5Findex=1&ref=simplykyra.com), and a single restroom.

![Collage of five views of the Sammamish Aya location all taken from their Instagram feed. Look for the links in the above paragraph for the original photos.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_Screenshot-Local-Pilates-Studio-Recommendation-Aya-Pilates---Aya-Instagram.png)

Here’s a peek inside the serene and beautifully designed studio. All photos were screenshotted from [Aya’s Instagram feed](https://www.instagram.com/aya%5F%5Fpilates/?ref=simplykyra.com) on April 17, 2025, are linked above, and most are credited to [\_KanaMercer](https://www.instagram.com/%5Fkaramercer/?ref=simplykyra.com).

### Klahanie Shopping Center

Aya is located in a shopping plaza anchored by QFC. I didn’t explore all the restaurants much since I lived nearby, but I often grabbed groceries or ready-made food from the deli after class before walking home.

[Klahanie Shopping Center, Sammamish, WA 98029 – Retail Space | Regency CentersLocated in an affluent master-planned community with limited competition and high barriers to entry.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-3.png)Regency Centers![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/71296e01-a85f-4036-9fbf-0160ccc966d2-full.jpg)](https://www.regencycenters.com/property/detail/60796/Klahanie-Shopping-Center?ref=simplykyra.com)

 For the latest information you can check out the [shopping mall directory](https://www.regencycenters.com/property/detail/60796/Klahanie-Shopping-Center?ref=simplykyra.com).

From the front door of Aya, you’ll spot QFC angled across the parking lot. If you walk past the storefront toward the near corner there’s a cozy outdoor seating area tucked between the buildings. Keep going and you’ll reach a set of stairs that lead to a nearby walking trail or, for a gentler route, you can follow the gravel road around QFC instead.,

![View from Aya showing the sun rising behind the QFC and other stores.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_IMG_7257.jpeg)

Looking out from the door you can see QFC angled across the parking lot (to the right in this photo). 

![View of Aya and surrounding stores with snow around the trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_IMG_6754.jpeg)

Closer to the grocery store you can see Aya between the roof peaks. 

![Closeup of the Aya Pilates sign and roof with fog obscuring the trees. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_IMG_2623.jpeg)

Aya in fog.

![View of Aya and surrounding stores with snow falling and staying. Taken in the dark.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_IMG_6678.jpeg)

Aya in the snow. 

![View from the corner by Aya with the sun rising.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_IMG_4581.jpeg)

In the corner between the two buildings (right behind me when I took this) is a sitting area. 

![View in early April of the bench nearby to rest.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_IMG_9308.jpeg)

The outdoor sitting area looked like this at the beginning of April!

![View from the top of the stairs behind the QFC on the way to Aya. Photo taken in the dark.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_IMG_7605.jpeg)

And if you continue past it you can walk up stairs behind the building to get to a walking trail... or go around QFC if you'd rather gravel over stairs.

![Collage of five gorgeous landscapes. The center one shows the Aya sign surrounded by trees and fog.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Pilates-Post---Image-Aya-Parking-Lot.png)

I loved seeing how this view changed with the seasons—rain, sunshine, fog, or even snow. Walking to and from class became one of my favorite rituals.

### Trails

There are some truly great trails around the Klahanie area. I appreciated that Pilates gave me a consistent reason to get outside helping me notice subtle shifts in the landscape throughout the year.

![Map showing where the Sammamish location is located with marks for walking paths to and from..](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_Screenshot-Image-3-15-25-at-20.39.jpg)

Here's where the address (4552 Klahanie Drive SE, Sammamish) is on Apple Maps. Screenshot taken and marked to show walking trails on March 15th, 2025.

![Collage of six gorgeous landscapes. The center ones have power lines in it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Pilates-Post---Image-Aya-Outdoors.png)

The view beyond the shopping center area looks great too. I love how I'm justified walking it more consistently and get to see all the minor changes during the year.

![Collage of two selfies. Left one on the path by the stairs mid-morning and the other after a glow party (see ponytail) social event walking home in the dark.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_Screenshot-Local-Pilates-Studio-Recommendation-Aya-Pilates---Image-After.png)

Rain, sunshine, fog, snow, or starlight the walk was great and I appreciate that Aya forced me to go on short walks more regularly seeing how the area changed with the seasons and fog cover.

## How to Get Started at Aya Pilates

### Reaching Out

Everyone at Aya is incredibly helpful and happy to answer any questions. That said, I figured I’d share their [contact page](https://ayapilates.co/contact?ref=simplykyra.com) and some of what I’ve learned firsthand in case it helps you get started!

### Parking

I usually walked to the Klahanie location but have never noticed the parking lot too full to park. I’ve heard that parking may be a bit trickier at the Madison Park studio, though I haven’t experienced it myself.

### Introductory Offers

Depending on when you join, you might see a founding member discount for new studio. Aya has also offered referral bonuses and recently I saw a 3-class pass for $50 on Instagram. Definitely [check with them](https://ayapilates.co/contact?ref=simplykyra.com) for the latest offers!

### Staying in the Loop

Aya regularly posts updates on Instagram including everything from weekly intentions and themed events to closures and class reminders. I’ve included links to both their [Sammamish](https://www.instagram.com/aya%5F%5Fpilates/?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Madison Park](https://www.instagram.com/ayapilates%5Fmadisonpark/?ref=simplykyra.com) accounts.

You’ll also receive email updates and/or text messages for specific bookings, waitlist notifications, cancellations, and class completions.

### Booking Group Classes

Most class bookings happen through their [app](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aya-pilates/id6479515290?ref=simplykyra.com) though I’ve occasionally seen people added to classes at the front desk as well.

[‎Aya Pilates.‎Welcome to the Aya Pilates mobile app; we are so excited to welcome you to our community. You can stay connected with your favorite reformer. Pilates studio by looking at the schedule, booking a class, picking your space, purchasing memberships, and so much more. We can’t wait to see you in the stud…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/faviconV2-6)App StoreAya Yoga, Limited Liability Company![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/1200x630wa-5.png)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aya-pilates/id6479515290?ref=simplykyra.com)

Link to [their app in the Apple App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aya-pilates/id6479515290?ref=simplykyra.com).

Once downloaded the app lets you manage your classes, buy packages, or check your total class count. The classes open for booking one week in advance and the app shows how many spots are filled, lets you join the waitlist, or cancel as needed.

*Heads up:* If you cancel within 12 hours of class, a late cancellation fee applies.

![Collage of five views of the app used to book your classes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Pilates-Post---Image-Aya-App.png)

I used this app daily to book, confirm, check, or cancel. It became part of my regular rhythm and I estimate I spent over an hour a week on it! All screenshots in this collage were taken on December 31st 2024.

Any changes to bookings will be emailed to you. This includes new registrations, removal from waitlist, when you cancel, or completed classes.

### A Few Booking Quirks

When I was on an unlimited plan I noticed that on renewal days I sometimes couldn’t book early in the morning. I also discovered recently there’s currently a cap of 30 active bookings at a time... something to keep in mind if you attend frequently or, like I did one week, overbook while juggling an unknowable and time limited schedule. 

### Planning Ahead with the Website

I didn’t use their website to book classes, but I found it *much* easier to use the website for browsing a full week of class offerings at once and/or filtering by a specific instructor or class type. It was especially useful when `Method II` was first launched and I needed to confirm its schedule.

[Aya Pilates | BookingsPowered by Performance IQ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-14.ico)Bookings](https://ayapilates.myperformanceiq.com/bookings/week/1?location=11041&ref=simplykyra.com)

Click this link, choose your location, and then you can see the entire schedule. Optionally continue to filter by the instructor and/or class type you want!

### Class Cancellations

Occasionally a class may be canceled due to instructor illness, vacations, or power outages.

Funny story... since I lived nearby and shared the studio’s power grid I usually knew when they lost power. One time it went out mid-walk, but I kept going, met up with others who still showed up, and grabbed ice for my cooler at QFC before heading home.

During outages I’d sometimes book the next class of the day and wait to see if the power came back or if I pivot to an at-home workout.

### Class Waitlist

If a class is full you can join the waitlist. The app doesn’t show your spot in line, but you can always ask at the front desk and, if a spot opens, you’ll receive an email notification.

I usually check just over 12 hours before class to decide whether to stay on the list or cancel and book something else. I haven’t tested this personally, but I’ve heard they don’t add anyone to a class within two hours of start time... so you should have enough notice if you’re added in.

### Booking Private Sessions

The Sammamish studio includes [a Cadillac (Trapeze Table)](https://www.pilates.com/products/pilates-cadillac-trapeze-table/?ref=simplykyra.com) in the back for private lessons. I booked my only private session through the front desk during my final week. It didn’t appear in the app, but I received text and email reminders, and the process was easy. Just ask to schedule one!

## Class Types

### Regular Classes

You can always check Aya’s website for [the most up-to-date list of class types](https://ayapilates.co/class-types?ref=simplykyra.com), but at the time I left, these were the ones being offered. I’ve listed them roughly in order of difficulty but do keep in mind that the experience can vary depending on you, the instructor, and how you’re feeling that day.

1. **Foundation**: Covers the fundamental movements and skills that form the base for all Pilates work. If new or unsure feel free to check how many are recommended before trying the others below.
2. **Method**: Builds on the foundational work with more refined technique, movement control, and flow.
3. **Rejuvenation**: Designed to help you restore and reset. While it’s not necessarily *easy* because it’s still Pilates it is perfect for a lighter day or a recovery session after a tougher class. My first double was Jump followed by a Rejuvenation and I found they were a perfect pairing. This class can vary a lot based on instructor, what they feel like teaching, and if they taught the previous class and knew what may be needed for those that doubled up. Regardless I always left feeling refreshed.
4. **Precision**: Adds targeted toning to the technique learned in Method. If you like barre-style workouts you might love this one as it sometimes has similar style movements.
5. **Power**: Rather than precise movements above this class type adds more weight to the springs to help build strength and sculpt more actively. Depending on the instructor some classes may include more cardio HIIT sections while others simply feel like a weightier version of Precision.
6. **Jump**: This was recently split into two variations: Jump Power and Jump Precision. Either way, you’ll spend most (if not all) of the class using the jump board. Power classes include more cardio-style movement while Precision keeps the springs lighter allowing you to focus more on core control as the lighter spring means you're extended away from the jump board for longer.
7. **Method II**: This was the most advanced class offered when I left though I only had the chance to try it with one teacher so I only have that take on the class. Both times I ended up doubling it after a Precision class and absolutely loved it.

In addition to these scheduled class types instructors may mix and match elements from different formats. For example, I’ve had instructors incorporate the jump board in a non-Jump class. While many classes are based around the reformer they can occasionally shift to mat work with the tower or bring in the chair for part, or even all, of the session. If you want more tower or chair Melissa is awesome at switching more often.

### Events

Aya also hosts special events ranging from free music-themed classes and social hours to paid specialty workshops. These are mostly method or precision classes but can be marked as any of the above. 

I took a paid *Pilates Era* workshop once that included two-hours of workout, social time, and goodie bags. I've also tried to hit as many of the themed music classes as I could when I realized my time was limited with Aya as I was moving. These were all a blast and a great way to have more time to connect with others.

![View of the studio with the lights dimmed and battery operated light and candles put out. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_IMG_7329.jpeg)

Also, I loved how the space looked during themed classes. The battery-operated lights combined with the main lights turned off created a cozy, atmospheric vibe. And when the hoops didn’t have balls hanging from them, the shadows on the wall reminded me of tree branches. It was beautiful!

### Private Classes

At the Sammamish location there’s a dedicated space in the back with a [Trapeze Table (Cadillac)](https://www.pilates.com/products/pilates-cadillac-trapeze-table/?ref=simplykyra.com) and an additional [chair](https://www.pilates.com/products/combo-pilates-chair/?ref=simplykyra.com) for private sessions. I booked one through Anna during my final week to try hanging for the first time and learned I need better grip strength! While the session didn’t appear in the app I did get text and email reminders so the process was still smooth. You can book by speaking with an instructor or someone at the front desk.

The Madison Park studio, from what I understand, is group classes only. That said, Melissa runs a separate studio near Madison Park called [Smile & Flow Pilates](https://www.smileandflow.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). While I haven’t had the chance to attend, I’ve heard from other instructors that she offers private lessons with more specialized equipment there. Her studio also looks beautiful on Instagram!

[Smile & Flow PilatesA private pilates studio in Seattle that’s that’s passionate about helping you smile and flow through all of life’s challenges.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-18.ico)Smile & Flow Pilates![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/smile-2Bflow_horizontal_logo-402x-1.png)](https://www.smileandflow.com/?ref=simplykyra.com)

Melissa's studio looks great [on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/smileandflowpilates/?ref=simplykyra.com) though I never checked it out in person.

### Double It Up

A while back, a friend mentioned that she doubled up Missoni’s Jump class with Rejuvenation after and I had to try it. I was immediately hooked. That combo gave me the satisfying burn of a super challenging class, followed by the deep stretch and reset I didn’t know I needed. A group of us kept taking that same pairing every Friday until Missoni left and the schedule changed. That class combo opened the door to me exploring more double-ups.

For me, best approach was to take the more intense class first and follow it with something easier or more restorative. Over time, I began picking class combos based on which instructors I connected with, ones I hadn't tried yet, and mainly what worked best with my schedule.

My most packed day? The Friday before my move I realized it was the perfect time to try out multiple instructors and there was even a 7 PM social class on the schedule. I ended up taking five classes with four different instructors! To keep it manageable, I spaced them out over 13 hours with 6 am, 7 am, 1 pm (Rejuvenation reset), 6 pm, and 7 pm. 

During those final weeks I wasn't sure if I was pushing too hard or if Pilates was the only thing keeping me going while packing. 

![View from "My Account" as it is now with 350 classes tracked.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/04/compressed_IMG_9719.PNG)

I took the next day off to hike and still hit 350 overall classes before I left. It’s kind of satisfying that every time I open the app now, it’s stuck on such a perfect number.

## Instructors

This studio is amazing at finding great instructors. I’ve genuinely never had a class I didn’t enjoy. I find there's the perfect amount of push to learn while also leaving you confident in your abilities. All the instructors are good at correcting you if your form is off and frequently ask about any mobility issues they may need to substitute for. Check out [the link here for the current listing of the team](https://ayapilates.co/the-team?ref=simplykyra.com). 

### More Classical Leaning

I've noticed way more of Joe Pilate's classic moves with Melissa, Scott, and Tammy. Both Melissa and Scott are good at naming the moves which helps you learn the vocabulary and allows you to look it up later to practice on your own, see other takes, and/or help you remember. 

[Scott](https://www.instagram.com/scottmillerpilates/?ref=simplykyra.com) is newer at Aya and is good at having us all do the moves correctly as one while slowing down for needed corrections. I don't think we've ever been as uniform as in that class. Lately he gives us two or three spring settings so we can recognize what we need and adjust. And just to note... at the time I left, Scott was the only male instructor on the team.

[Melissa](https://www.instagram.com/smileandflowpilates/?ref=simplykyra.com) prefers to teach from the reformer, unless the class is full, demoing the moves and gets through them quicker offering you a bigger repertoire in one class. For a while we jumped between chair or tower allowing us to learn moves we didn't normally get and feeling more confident on all the offered equipment. Lately she's been teaching us the more traditional exercise flow allowing us, over time, to learn the classical repertoire. She tells us her spring and recommended range but leaves it up to us as we know ourselves best. She has a [personal studio called Smile & Flow Pilates](https://www.instagram.com/smileandflowpilates/?ref=simplykyra.com) located near the Madison Park, Seattle location. Although I haven't had the joy of attending I have been able to enjoy small classes at Aya plus another instructor mentioned her home studio includes more unique equipment.

Both Scott and Melissa often lean into classical Pilates flows with Scott focusing more on form correction while Melissa brings a wider variety of exercises into each class. I highly recommend trying both... whether to complement each other or to discover which style best supports your own practice.

I haven't had as many classes with [Tammy](https://www.instagram.com/tammykgibson/?ref=simplykyra.com) as she's often away but her classes seem tougher and I wish I had the chance to try her version of `method II`. I've only doubled up on her class once as she was only in town briefly and found everyone was surprised at the difficulty. As such I recommend her but if it's your first time maybe try an easier class level. That said, I loved the difficulty she presented. 

### Dynamic and More Varied in Style

For a more varied style I highly recommend working with Marcela, Anna, and, when there, Missoni. 

`Marcela's` classes always left me feeling strong and energized and I especially loved her HIIT-infused Power sessions when there was the opportunity to spread out more. She was on vacation the week I left so I found myself doubling up her classes near the end to maximize my time with her.

The most varied classes I've had is with [Anna](https://www.instagram.com/annafishie/?ref=simplykyra.com) who changes up the plan in the best way ever keeping you on your toes. She also led my only private session and has organized most (if not all) of the social hours I’ve attended 

I wanted to include [Missoni](https://www.instagram.com/missonilanza/?ref=simplykyra.com) here as she was teaching a lot when they first opened and over that Summer though she's been away most of the time since. She's the first instructor I doubled up on and you always knew you'd be pushed in the best way ever. Her classes were lovingly dubbed *spicy* and someone once gave her chili pepper stickers to match which she handed out to all of us and both stickers I received I still have.

### Everyone Else

The remaining teachers I didn't have as much time with but still enjoyed the classes of are: 

- [Emi](https://www.instagram.com/emis1311/?ref=simplykyra.com) who I mainly took her rejuvenation class of on the Saturdays I could after jump. I found each class truly unique, informative, and was curious what it would be each time.
- I didn't take many classes with `Paria` but noticed several moved included alternating movements while telling us how to breath which I enjoyed.
- [Melanie](https://www.instagram.com/melanieyu.zc/?ref=simplykyra.com) was the newest instructor I had and I was only able to fit here in a couple times but I enjoyed the novelty.
- Another recently hired teacher was [Taylor](https://www.instagram.com/livinglundin/?ref=simplykyra.com) who I wish I had more time with but was great. Another instructor I tried to double up near the end to maximize my time with her.
- I only had the chance to take a class or two with [Christina](https://www.instagram.com/co.holistics/?ref=simplykyra.com), but she came highly recommended by a friend.
- I'm including [Tory](https://www.instagram.com/torynlrivera/?ref=simplykyra.com) but only had her as a guest in a the paid Pilates Era workshop.

Before ending this section I wanted to include [Celine](https://www.instagram.com/celine%5Flq/?ref=simplykyra.com) who has since left Aya but was a part of Aya for most of my time and we really felt the burn with her. Her [Instagram feed](https://www.instagram.com/celine%5Flq/?ref=simplykyra.com) currently mentions teaching through SolidCore and links to [The Practice Space](https://tps-fitness.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafPOAN7HqTcyP30Ubnpt5Uq03Cqm9kn7opqNr0DHZAdx5Bke9YqF582I7hYZg%5Faem%5FdFt6s9V3s3YDgbbOmV80vQ&ref=simplykyra.com). 

### They Were All Awesome!

Every teacher at Aya left me feeling stronger, more confident, and inspired. I truly wouldn’t hesitate to recommend any of them!

## Unable To Join Aya?

If you’re not able to join Aya whether due to location, schedule, budget, or whatever I completely get it. Before discovering Aya, I started my Pilates journey with at-home mat workouts through [Lindywell](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822) and kept my online membership going for days I couldn’t make it to the studio.

[Pilates: My Favorite Thing!I’ve been wanting to update my Pilates’ post and figured now was the time! Here I share an awesome online membership (with referral code) that you can attend from anywhere anytime!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-62.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_2239-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pilates-my-favorite-thing/)

I’ve mentioned [Lindywell](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822) several times over the years with my most recent write-up in this post. At the bottom you can find a link to her podcast and YouTube channel.

It’s a great online membership that offers short, effective Pilates classes you can do anytime, anywhere. Plus, I include a referral code so you can get $20 off your initial membership and I get $20 in credit for my renewal!

[Click for a $20 off referral code.](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822)

## **Grateful and Moving Forward**

One thing I really appreciated during my time at Aya was how each instructor brought their own unique spin to the classes. As such if you don’t love a particular class at first, I highly recommend trying it again with a different instructor or sticking with the same instructor and exploring one of their other class formats. You might be surprised by what clicks!

Going forward, I plan to continue Pilates through Lindywell but I know I’ll miss the Aya community with the variety of teaching styles, encouragement, and personal connection. I’ve been debating whether to invest in my own reformer or stick with mat-based workouts… or maybe even dive deeper into calisthenics. I’m not sure what comes next, but I’m so glad I found Aya when I did.

I hope this post helps you whether you’re actively looking for a new studio, curious about Aya specifically, or just stumbled across this while exploring Pilates options.

Have you attended Aya? I’d love to hear your favorite memories or tips so feel free to share them in the comments! And if this post helped or made you curious about Pilates, I’d also love to hear from you!

In any case, I bid you adieu and hope you’re having an incredible day, week, and month. 

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### A Cozy Repair: Mending My Soul Seat with Wool Roving
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/a-cozy-repair-mending-my-soul-seat-with-wool-roving/
Last updated: 2025-03-30T16:30:49.000Z
Back in 2020 I made an impulse purchase that changed the way I sit... literally. Fast forward several years to recently and I've noticed some troubling wear and tear in the most-used spot where my knee or foot often rests. The wool was thinning and small holes had begun to form. I knew I needed to act to fix the holes before the damage got worse, but I wasn’t sure how. Here’s how I decided to tackle the repair with needle felting and wool roving while also sharing what I learned along the way in the hopes that this simple fix might work for you too.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Cozy-Repair-Mending-My-Soul-Seat-with-Wool-Roving---pinterest.png)

---

## My Soul Seat

### How Did I Find This?

Back in 2020 I saw an ad for a new to me computer chair called the *Soul Seat* that, unlike traditional designs, allows for multiple positions making it easy to switch between cross-legged sitting, kneeling, or perching without disrupting my workflow. Looking back I don't know what made me buy it but I'm so glad I did as I absolutely adore it! 

[Soul Seat® — Ikaria Design CompanySoul Seat® office chair for cross legged sitting![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-7.ico)Ikaria Design CompanySkip to Content![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/0003_SoulSeat_Oct2021-1.jpg)](https://www.ikariadesign.com/shop/p/soul-seat?ref=simplykyra.com)

### What Magic Is This?

My favorite part of the chair is just how many different ways I can sit. Even after years of use I still prefer it over any other chairs even my husband's more traditional high-end one. It just works for me.

[![Collage of some screenshots taken from www.ikariadesign.com. The image on the right shows the chair I bought while the other six images shows people sitting on the chair in different ways.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Screenshot-Cozy-Repair-Mending-My-Soul-Seat-with-Wool-Roving---Screenshots.png)](https://www.ikariadesign.com/shop/p/soul-seat?ref=simplykyra.com)

Here are some product photos taken from [the Soul Seat's website](https://www.ikariadesign.com/shop/p/soul-seat?ref=simplykyra.com) on March 9th, 2025.

### **Customer Service** 

Another bonus? Ikaria Design's customer service is amazing. I once reached out about an issue with the perch mechanism and they replaced the spring system free of charge and provided clear instructions for the swap. This time around when I contacted them about repairing the wool upholstery they responded quickly and even followed up a month later to see if I had found a solution. This level of service made me love the company even more.

[Ikaria Design CompanyIkaria Design Co, makers of the Soul Seat: the original cross-legged chair designed to encourage active sitting and movement while you work.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-13.ico)Ikaria Design CompanySkip to Content![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Photo-for-google-business-1.jpg)](https://www.ikariadesign.com/?ref=simplykyra.com)

## The Problem

### Wear and Tear on My Chair

At the end of 2024 I realized the wool upholstery on my Soul Seat had not just thinned in its most used spot where I often rested my foot or knee but that this thinning had turned into small holes exposing the lighter material underneath. 

I wasn’t ready to give up on my chair, but I also didn’t want the damage to get worse. I needed a solution that would:

- Prevent further wear
- Maintain the wool feel
- Blend in or look intentional

I started exploring my options. 

### Go to the Source: Ikaria Design

I started by going to the Ikaria Design website and seeing what they offered. There were unfortunately no patching kits but I did find [their accessories section](https://www.ikariadesign.com/shop/accessories?ref=simplykyra.com) where they listed slip covers which I briefly considered before realizing they weren't offered in wool. I didn't want to lose how my current chair felt so that wasn't a solution for me. I next realized rather than looking up solutions online I should go straight to the source and emailed [their support](https://www.ikariadesign.com/contact?ref=simplykyra.com) to see if they had any expert idea on how to fix the problem so it didn't get worse. The following Monday, first business day, they got back to me saying that their upholsterer recommended I find a professional felt artist or worker to repair the wool upholstery or, alternatively, if I just wanted to prevent it I could put my own patch over it. 

### Potential Idea: Attaching a Wool Patch

I browsed Etsy hoping to find a high-quality wool patch that could be attached to the chair in someway. I found nothing that seemed to match my needs plus anything that came close I worried would feel wrong once it arrived.

### Potential Idea: Needle Felting 

Looking for a wool patch idea reminded me of the felt needling set I bought years ago to make the kids' custom play kitchen ingredients. At that time I had even gone as far as ordering some wool roving from a craft store but didn't like how it felt when it arrived and I ended up setting it aside when I switched to other projects. 

![Image is a collage of five photos with a green overlay centered near the bottom saying "week 29". The top image is of clipped together slices of tomatoes laid out over a felting wool board with a thumb cozy by it. The bottom four images are in a grid two by two. The top left image is of my making a green felt knot inside the tomato while the right image shows two tomato tops and one red bottom showing where the needle had poked through. The bottom two images don't contain felt tomatoes. Instead the left image shows a batch of felt pasta clipped and sewn while the right image shows felt onion rings being made. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_1577.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

As a quick aside when I first tried needle felting it was for play food for our kitchen set. I've been meaning to find time for a post so let me know if you'd like to know what I did and I can move it up my list. This photo was taken from the [2020 Sewing Challenge recap](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/).

### Potential Idea: Wool Roving

With the patch idea a bust but needle felting remembered I decided to look for wool roving. I had worked with it in a different capacity years ago when making [cozy thrummed crochet mittens](https://www.ravelry.com/projects/ArtsyBakingGeek/thrummed-crochet-mittens?ref=simplykyra.com). 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_2025-03-09-at-15.14.18.png)

I used roving years ago for some extra wam mittens. I took a screenshot of [my Ravelry project page](https://www.ravelry.com/projects/ArtsyBakingGeek/thrummed-crochet-mittens?ref=simplykyra.com) showing how it was used on March 9th, 2025\. Found the pattern years ago through [Marly Bird](https://marlybird.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). 

### Final Idea: Needle Felting with Wool Roving

It suddenly clicked:

- Wool roving would blend seamlessly into the existing fabric
- Needle felting would secure it without glue or sewing
- I could customize the design however I liked

This felt like the perfect solution... so I set out to find the right materials.

## Gathering Materials

In addition to the chair (or thing) you're patching you'll need wool roving and felting needles to *stick* the two together. And that's it!

### Wool Roving

Since texture was a big concern with this project I knew I wanted to feel the wool roving before buying. As such I turned to my local Facebook group for recommendations on stores in my area that might carry wool roving. I got several yarn store recommendations and lucked out when I chose to check out the local store, [Nifty Knitter](https://www.theniftyknittershop.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), first and found a bag of wool roving in variants of purple and blue which, when I remembered to feel it at the cash register, felt cozy and not at all like the scratchy cheap roving I had at home. 

[The Nifty KnitterThe Nifty Knitter is your Happy-Go-Lucky yarn shop located in Issaquah, WA. We offer a full range of yarns, notions, and needles both local and international. We also have an assortment of classes, events, and workshops we offer.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-8.ico)The Nifty Knitter![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/NK_H_800x370_RGB.png)](https://www.theniftyknittershop.com/?ref=simplykyra.com)

In case you find yourself in the Seattle Seastside I wanted to share where I went. Unfortunately... fortunately... I was on a time constraint and only looked at the roving. Could definitely see going back to browse though.

When I was there they only had wool roving in shades of white or the color I bought called *Galaxy Swirl*. At $40 it was pricier than I expected but once I saw how much was truly in the bag I realized I’d have enough for many future patching needs over the years. Looking online I see [they have six color choices](https://www.theniftyknittershop.com/art-batts-1/p/yeonee-makes?ref=simplykyra.com) listed and, although biased, I think I bought the best color! 

![Collage shows two images of the compressed bag of wool roving.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Screenshot-Cozy-Repair-Mending-My-Soul-Seat-with-Wool-Roving---Image-What-s-Left.png)

After using it to patch and re-patch my chair several times I have this much left... which would look like way more if the air hadn't been squished out. This will do me for years!

I was curious about the name on the bag and figured I'd look it up in case there were other ways to get it for you. I found Yeonee (연이) Makes on both [Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/shop/YeoneeMakes?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/yeoneemakes/?ref=simplykyra.com) although when checking I don't see any roving currently listed. 

### Precision Felting Needles

I bought felting needles through Amazon back in the mid-2020s, about the same time I bought the chair, for another project with felt. Looking the kit up online I found what I bought on [Desert Breeze Distributing](https://www.desertbreeze.com/basic-tools-felting-kit/?ref=simplykyra.com) though if you're purchasing this for only this project I only used a single needle this time around and nothing else from the kit. I see they also sell roving but I haven't tried any of their other products.

[Basic Tools Felting KitNatural, high quality sheepskin for baby, home, travel, medical, and more. Alpaca and Sheep Wool Blankets, Premium boar bristle hair brushes for natural hair care, Needle felting supplies.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-11.ico)Desert Breeze DistributingPosted by lucie on Feb 6th 2023![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/basic-needle-felting-kit-new1__03581.1666280006.600.600.jpg)](https://www.desertbreeze.com/basic-tools-felting-kit/?ref=simplykyra.com)

I bought mine through Amazon in 2020 but found it listed here too.

## The Repair Process

### December 2024

Back in early December I noticed a small puckering in the Pendleton wool covering on my chair near the front. By mid-December the puckering had turned into several small holes showing the white interior of the chair. 

![Image shows a closeup of the wool with white holes showing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_3564.jpeg)

What started as ignorable puckering in the fabric became small holes where the wool had thinned out. 

### Early January 2025

Near the beginning of January I bought the wool roving and realized I couldn't put the project off any longer. It was time to patch these holes. 

![Collage showing several holes on the grey wool with white interior showing through.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Screenshot-Copy-of-Copy-of-A-Cozy-Repair-Mending-My-Soul-Seat-with-Wool-Roving---Image-1st-Hole.png)

Over the last couple weeks the holes had gotten bigger. 

I started out by laying out the wool roving on the worn area then using the needle to stick it in place. I tried to cover not just the hole but also a bit of the surrounding fabric. Feeling creative and optimistic I decided to take it a step further by outlining what I did with a small heart in white before filling it in with the purple and blue roving. The heart looked cute… at first. 

![Image is a collage showing six in progress photos of the heart. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Screenshot-A-Cozy-Repair-Mending-My-Soul-Seat-with-Wool-Roving---Image-1st.png)

The steps taken to create the heart. This goes top left, bottom left, center top, center bottom, top right, and then bottom right. 

![Image shows a closeup of the just finished heart with a. white border and swirls of blue and purple. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_4911.jpeg)

The final heart! Looking cute and adorable.

![Image shows the heart sideways taken from above with my legs and feet somewhat visible.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_4974.jpeg)

Since it was in the most worn area I mostly covered it up when sitting but sometimes I could look down and smile at it. 

### Late January 2025

Soon after I noticed a new hole forming beside my heart patch. Additionally, over the next few weeks, the border had also shifted, making the shape look more oval-like than heart-shaped. I decided I'd need to:

- Cover all surrounding weak spots to prevent further wear
- Blend in the white outline to better avoid stark contrast

Closer to the end of the month I realized I also had some high-wear spots on the opposite side of my chair. As such, on the 31st, I patched both sections making sure to carefully cover up all the white used on the heart and not go for any specific shape. 

![Image shows the hole and smudged patchwork on the chair. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_5776.jpeg)

Over the last few weeks a hole became apparent next to my heart, the heart became misshapen, and a hole formed on the other side of the chair.

![Image shows the newly patched spots, the bag of wool roving, and the closed felting needle container. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_6220.jpeg)

I was careful not to go for a specific shape and tried to cover the white outline from the heart.

![Image shows the two patches on the chair.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_6227.jpeg)

I loved how the patches looked this time around!

### February 2025

Near the end of the next month I decided to fix both patches again as over the last month the white outline from the attempted heart bugged me as I wasn't sure if it was stuffing or the original boarder showing through. As such, to the original heart, I carefully added threads of white to help blend it in while leaving white off of the other side. 

![Collage of two smudged patches. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Screenshot-A-Cozy-Repair-Mending-My-Soul-Seat-with-Wool-Roving---Image-Feb-25-2.png)

Since the last time both patches smudged while the heart had more holes on the edge and you could see the border showing through.

![Image shows the chair with the items and tv remote laid out next to the patches. The tv is on in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_7517.jpeg)

Time to fix it again. This time I rolled it to the living room so I could watch a show while I did it. 

I missed my original idea of the heart and had just started a second episode of my show so I chose the most un-used section of my chair and created another heart making sure to not to border it or use white just in case it smudged. 

![Image shows the in progress view of the heart. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_7526.jpeg)

I had once heard that if you add a color to a painting add it three times so it looks like it belongs which further justified adding this heart. Here I folded the roving in half, used the needle to set the center, then set the one side. After this photo I laid out the other side then fixed it all in place. 

By the end, I had three patches in different spots which made the repairs look more intentional... almost like an artistic detail instead of just a fix. 

![Collage of the three final patches. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Screenshot-A-Cozy-Repair-Mending-My-Soul-Seat-with-Wool-Roving---Image-Feb-25-Fix.png)

The final patches. The left one was the heart hence the added white. The others have no white. 

![Image shows the patches from the back so the newly created heart is on display!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_IMG_7532.jpeg)

Love how they looked!

### March 2025

Since the last patch job a small string had come up which was bugging me but I also didn't think it needed more patching. Instead I simply grabbed a needle and stabbed both it and the rolled edge back into place. 

![Collage of two images showing the one month progress of the patches. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Screenshot-Cozy-Repair-Mending-My-Soul-Seat-with-Wool-Roving---Image-Final-For-Now.png)

It didn't look too bad... just a bit annoying. 

## Lessons Learned

If you’re thinking about trying this method, here are a few takeaways:

- Match the roving color to your fabric, NOT the inner stuffing. I originally used white in my design, which made it difficult to tell if new holes were forming.
- Extend the patch farther than you think you need to. My first patch was too small, and I had to go back and add more later.
- Felting shifts over time. If you’re making a decorative shape, expect some softening of the edges as you use the chair.

## Would I Do This Again?

Absolutely! Not only was this a cheap and effective fix but it was also oddly satisfying. Now my *Soul Seat* is back to being fully functional while also having a bit of personality. Plus, I have plenty of wool roving left for any future touch-ups.

If you have a wool-upholstered chair showing signs of wear, this method is an easy, hands-on way to extend its life with no sewing or upholstery skills required!

---

Have you ever tried needle felting for repairs? Let me know in the comments! And overall I hope you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Ada's 10th Birthday Party
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/ada-10th-birthday-party/
Last updated: 2025-03-16T16:00:21.000Z
This last year Ada chose to have her birthday party at the local swimming pool while also wanting to do a space theme. I couldn't find any space-themed swimming toys for the pool but I wanted to share how we set up the rest of her party, including the goodie bags, in case you're looking to do something similar.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_Ada-s-10th-Birthday-Party---pinterest.jpg)

---

We rented the pavilion outside our local pool for Ada's birthday party where we planned to eat and play before heading over to the pool itself where we could then unofficially stay past the party time if everyone was having fun. It worked great as the planned two hour party ended up going for three and a half hours long. 

## Decorations 

A couple days before the party I went to the local Dollar Tree and bought a silver Happy Birthday banner, silver star balloon, black crepe paper, black tablecloths for the kids, a silver tablecloth for the buffet style food, grey cutlery, black plates, and silver starred white napkins. I may have debated several ideas in the store and actually called Ada from the store mid-planning to get her opinion. The silver and black theme looked great and worked wonderfully with the silver table decorations leftover from Zoey's party along with the gold one and zero candles I had bought a couple months before from the grocery store. 

After gathering all the stuff together in one portable bin I remembered to toss in some masking tape to attach the items to the pavilion when we got there. That said, unfortunately the day of the party was gusty enough that the crepe streamers kept coming off and some of the tablecloths, although taped down, still blew about. 

![Image shows a "Happy Birth day" banner above some crepe streamer with houses in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6383.jpeg)

Got Matt to help put up the banner and crepe decorations... though later when I fixed it I attached it much lower.

![A silver balloon below crepe twisted streamers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6384.jpeg)

I only bought one balloon but used it as a Happy Birthday sign though again the wind kept twisting it around.

![A white silvery and starred weight sits on white napkins bejeweled with silver stars. It sits on a silver tablecloth and next to black plates.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6386.jpeg)

I reused the perfect decoration and appreciated that I could use it as a weight to hold the napkins and paper plates down when we were still setting up. After this photo I moved the plates under the napkins.

## Food

Other than the [previous year](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/ada-and-zoeys-joint-trampoline-party/) we've kept all of our parties at home so I wasn't quite sure what to do. Luckily I had the camping cooler to keep all the drinks and sides cold. Using it this is what we ended up having:

### Pizza

Ada wanted pizza for her party so Matt called our favorite pizza place and did a run to pick them up right before the party started. 

### Sides

That said, I wanted more options in case the kids didn't like the pizza and for more variety so I went with our go to fruit salad and a veggie tray. 

For the fruit salad I ended up ignoring the recipe and instead added only the fruit Ada picked which included: cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. I then added the none-fruit ingredients and mixed it all together. We had a lot of fruit salad but the leftovers are so good on ice cream and, later, I blended the last of it together for a pancake syrup and baked those leftovers into fruit leather. 

[“The Secret Ingredient Cookbook” ReviewAre you looking at changing up your meals? I tried this new cookbook that just came out and enjoyed so many of the recipes. Check out what I made and see if you like it too!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_22The-Secret-Ingredient-Cookbook22-Review-Image.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/the-secret-ingredient-cookbook-review/)

Didn't manage to make the fruit salad before reviewing this cookbook but I did end up buying the book myself and the fruit salad... and its variations... have become my most repeated recipe.

For the vegetables I again had Ada pick what she wanted, chopped them up, and served them with my homemade tzatziki recipe that has been my go to for years. The recipe itself is from The Looneyspoons Collection by Janet & Greta Podleski but, again, I mainly just use this recipe and years ago, when I was too lazy to grab the cookbook, discovered it on this website from 2012:

[Janet & Greta Podleski’s Skinny Dipping Tzatziki - Suzie The FoodieTwo of my favourite foodies in the whole wide world are Janet & Greta Podleski. Two sisters who had a vision for their cookbook and, despite all sorts of challenges and naysayers, made it happen! Not only that, their cookbooks were the first cookbooks I had that not only made food make sense to this \[…\]![](https://www.suziethefoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/favion.jpg)Suzie The FoodieSuzie the Foodie![](http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll60/sacredsuzie/blog/podleski.jpg)](https://www.suziethefoodie.com/janet-greta-podleskis-skinny-dipping-tzatziki/?ref=simplykyra.com)

Loved that I could check the ingredients on the go without needing to go home and check the cookbook. I've been making this longer than my kids were alive.

I then purchased Ada's requested sun chips and combined it with some other crunchy chips in our pantry to round it out. 

We have a camping cooler so I filled it with ice packs, freezies, juices, and water before adding the above sides. After setting up I left the drinks in the cooler as a serve yourself by the table.

### Dessert

At first Ada wanted angel food cupcakes but then switched to our [Brownie Angel Food cupcakes](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-simply-delicious-brownie-angel-food-cupcakes/). This time around we went for a marbled purple, red, and blue galaxy top to go with the brown (space black) bottom. We also made a batch of whipped cream ahead of time and combined it with space-themed sprinkles I found [on Etsy through SweetConfettiWorks](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1666781179/moon-and-stars-sprinkle-mix-astrological??ref=simplykyra.com). 

![Three cupcake liners partially filled with dark browie mix. The two left ones are speckled silicon while the one on the right is silver with silicon liners.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6357.jpeg)

The cupcakes start out by baking [Ghirardelli brownie mix](https://www.costco.com/Ghirardelli-Triple-Chocolate-Premium-Brownie-Mix%2C-6-count.product.100381454.html?ref=simplykyra.com) we buy from Costco for ten minutes.

![Image shows a silver stand mixer bowl with bubbly white contents and drops of blue and red. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6360.jpeg)

When mixing up the box mix angel food cake I often take advantage of the white base by adding food dye. This time I took the bowl off the stand mixer and hand mixed it as a precaution to not over-mix it and kept the marbling effect going.

![Image looking down at the oven with the silicon liners side by side and metal one below. All have purple, red, blue, and white mixture inside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6361.jpeg)

After topping then liner up I toss the tray back in the oven to finish baking.

![Image shows cupcakes in lined plastic container on left, silicone emptied tray in center, and metal tray with empty liners to the right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6367.jpeg)

Last time I noticed that if they weren't cooled enough they came apart so I made sure to chill the trays in the fridge for a while before packing them up in a parchment lined container. That said, these new silicone trays was still sticking so I may go with the liners only next time or maybe they should've been cooked longer though someone did say they liked the brownie softness. 

[Our Simply Delicious Brownie Angel Food CupcakesThis year we chose to combine the girls’ birthday party together which led to this extremely simple and novel brownie and angel food cupcake combo. Come check it out!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_2783-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-simply-delicious-brownie-angel-food-cupcakes/)

Here's a link to my original post about these.

![Images shows a cupcake on black plates with white whip cream, space sprinkles, and a gold lit birthday candles.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6388.jpeg)

One candle went out when I carried the dessert to Ada but overall it turned out great. After Ada was sung to my friends and I conveyer belted the rest of the desserts with plating, whip cream, and sprinkles.

When we were ready for the pool Matt ran the leftover pizza and fruit salad home so we could save it for later. The cooler was then used to bring the leftover veggies, tzatziki, and chips to the pool so the kids could help themselves to snack breaks whenever they needed and help the party go for longer.

## Activity

Going in I wanted a backup activity that we could optionally do if the food was late to arrive, the meal finished too early, or the kids got bored playing too soon. I also wanted it to be simple enough and stoppable that if we ran out of time I could toss them in the goodie bags for after the kids went home or if a kid didn't finish theirs they could bring it home for later. 

Ada decided on bracelets so I upgraded her cord idea to elastic as it was simpler and worked for any age. I then matched it to the space theme by buying black pony beads and both translucent and glowing stars. [Zoey's leftover beads from her slime party](https://www.simplykyra.com/slime-station-at-our-birthday-party/)madea great addition to the activity too. 

![Image shows the vacuumed sealed bags of black, rainbow elastic to the right, and extra stars and hearts on top.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6308.jpeg)

The pony beads came in a vacuumed sealed bag which I divided amongst the bags with Zoey's leftover slime beads. 

To hold them I bought plastic sandwich bags, wrote each kids' name on one (so we knew whose was whose if started and stopped), and divided all the beads up between them. I also cut two different lengths of rainbow elastic thread to get them started but also brought the roll of thread and scissors for when they wanted more. 

![An activity and goodie bag marked and ready with beads and elastic.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6350.jpeg)

Luckily the transucent star beads came in time so I divided that amongst the bags and added two cut pieces of elastic as a starting step for everyone.

*Word of caution: When ordering confirm the beads' hole size is larger than the cord or elastic as otherwise it won't work.*

At the party the kids ended up playing at the playground, nearby, while we waited for everyone to arrive. I had brought hula hoops from the Dollar Tree for anyone that finished eating sooner than the rest. We could've skipped the beading and put it in the goodie bags but Ada wanted to do it so I pulled these out after everyone was almost done eating. It offered the perfect opportunity for the adults to finish eating and let us clean up before heading to the pool. 

## Goodie Bags

Before settling on an activity I had gone searching for space themed swimming toys (failed) and other items online. That said I wanted to keep the bags simple as I knew there would be an activity so I limited my purchases to space themed slap bracelets and a mixed package of space-themed stickers. 

For the bags themselves, for the last several years, we decorated white paper bags and early on Ada asked to decorate them. Closer to her party, after the items had arrived, I started splitting them up myself but realized I should get Ada's opinion on who got each sticker so after removing the more adult-y ones I called the girls over so Zoey got to choose her own while Ada chose everyone else's. Some Costco sized snacks from my pantry completed the bags. 

![Image shows some decorated bags, fruit snack box, yogurt treats, slap bracelets, activity bags, and sealed stickers all ready to go.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6344.jpeg)

Started by dividing up the slap bracelets and snacks amongst the bags. 

![Image shows the kids going through the stickers in front of the bags.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6349.jpeg)

Then ended up calling the girls over to divide up the stickers as I figured Ada knows better which ones her friends would like. 

And with that we had a party. Ada had a blast and I loved that I was able to add her theme to the party. Hope these ideas help spark your own ideas and if so I'd love to hear what in the comments below. Either way I hope you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simply Customize It Update: New Tools to Manage Template Storage
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-update-new-tools-to-manage-template-storage/
Last updated: 2025-03-14T12:33:01.000Z
*Version 1.0.9 of Simply Customize It is now live on iOS and macOS!*

Recently, I received feedback about an issue where uploads and syncs failed because the `templates.json` file couldn’t be saved due to insufficient space in the `templates` directory. While the device itself had plenty of storage elsewhere the restricted space in this particular folder prevented the file from being written which caused all future imports, syncs, and uploads to fail.

This created a tricky situation as template:

- Imports and syncs require reading the `JSON` file.
- Syncs and uploads need to write to the `JSON` file before syncing the images.

Simply deleting templates or even just their images wouldn’t resolve this problem since all of these processes rely on reading or writing the missing and unwritable `JSON` file first. A better solution was needed!

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Simply-Customize-It-Update-New-Tools-to-Manage-Template-Storage---pinterest.png)

---

## TLDR

This update introduces new storage management tools in `Simply Customize It`, allowing you to:

- Check available storage directly in the app.
- Move template images to an alternate location to free up space.
- Remove unneeded `PNG` and `SVG` images from your templates both in app and on the reMarkable device.

---

## New Storage Management Tools 

### Check Remaining Storage

There's a new button in your device’s detail section letting you easily check the available space on your reMarkable.

![Collage showing the screenshot of the page, popups, and loading message.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-Update-New-Tools-to-Manage-Template-Storage---CheckStorage.png)

You can find this button under your device details. Once clicked it will simply query your reMarkable to check the space remaining and output the percentage of the `templates` folder used and the remaining space outside that folder.

### Remove Unneeded Template Images

There's improved logic for deleting `PNG` or `SVG` images from your templates without needing to rewrite the `JSON` template file. 

To find it you go into your template where you will see a spot that lets you delete the `PNG` and/or `SVG` images based on if an `SVG` or `template` file exists also. This is because the reMarkable currently prioritizes `template` \-> `SVG` \-> `PNG` so if you have a template with an image and there's now a `template` file the images are no longer needed. If you imported a freshly updated reMarkable into a newly created device in the app the templates with the `template` file attached no longer have an `SVG` or `PNG` image. 

![Collage of three screenshots showing how this section could look different.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-Update-New-Tools-to-Manage-Template-Storage---Image.png)

You can find the delete and move buttons by going to one of your templates. There you can delete the `PNG` and/or `SVG` images based on if an `SVG` or `template` file also exists. Under this you can see whether your template image(s) are saved in the smaller `templates` area and if so you can move it to the alternative location. This second section is mentioned below under "Move Template Images"

### Explain Why: Unneeded Template Images

Ever since [update 3.16 (app version: 1.0.5)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-update-now-with-svg-support/) the reMarkable has been prioritizing `SVG` files over `PNG` images so the `PNG` doesn't actually need to be saved if an `SVG` file exists. With [the latest (potentially in beta) update, 3.18 (app version 1.0.7),](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-update-fix-template-syncing-for-version-3-18/) they've added a `JSON` file with a `template` extension to the template so now neither `PNG` or `SVG` images are needed if the `template` file was added. 

So reMarkable prioritizes `template` \-> `SVG` \-> `PNG`. Rest assured when tested with just a `PNG` image attached the template still shows on the reMarkable meaning custom templates, with only a `PNG` attached, still work. 

### Move Template Images 

Easily relocate template images to an alternate storage location keeping them accessible while also freeing up space in the smaller area.

## **Other Improvements** 

### Enhanced Error Messages

More human-readable messages to help troubleshoot file writing issues like when there's a low space error when writing the `templates.json` file.

### Updated About Page

I used the changes I made to the [Simply Uncover It](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it/) About page to help improve the layout and email links for this app too.

![Collage of two images showing the About Page on both the macOS and iOS versions.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-Update-New-Tools-to-Manage-Template-Storage---About-Us.png)

The About Page on both the macOS and iOS versions.

### Add Device **via** Tab or Sidebar

Fixed an issue I noticed recently when adding a new device using the top plus sign beside the dropdown list of devices.

### macOS Only: Refined Help Menu

The help menu no longer show the un-implemented popup when you use it. It now offers choices to go directly to `About Us`, `email support`, or one of the `Learn More` sections.

![Screenshot showing the new Help menu.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_2025-03-13-at-13.56.27.png)

On the macOS you have another way to get to the `About Us` or `Learn More` sections.

---

And that's the app update! 

I hope this makes it easier to manage your reMarkable experience. If you have any questions, feedback, or feature requests, feel free to:

- Leave a comment below
- Email me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It:%20Update%201.0.9)

Thanks for reading and happy customizing!
### Reintroducing Simply Uncover It! (Previously Simply Minesweeper)
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/reintroducing-simply-uncover-it/
Last updated: 2025-03-08T13:44:28.000Z
*Version 1.0.2 has just been released on iOS and macOS!*

## TLDR

We’ve rebranded! Simply Minesweeper is now **Simply Uncover It** to better reflect the gameplay while keeping the same smooth, ad-free experience you love.

## Changes for iOS

**No need to rush this update!** If the `Return to Game` button not closing the menu when the game is behind it isn’t bothering you then this update is mainly about rebranding. So nothing that will affect your gameplay experience.

## Changes for macOS

This update includes a rebrand to comply with Apple's guidelines which results in macOS skipping version `1.0.1` and moving directly from `1.0.0` to `1.0.2`. Along with the rebrand, this update also brings:

- Fixed the `Return to Game` button on the menu
- Hooked up `Learn to Play` to the Help menu

While also including the elements that didn't come in the `1.0.1` update:

- A new game loading screen for large boards
- Faster navigation in game settings
- Improved default settings

For more details on the feature updates beyond the rebrand, check out [the 1.0.1 post here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/minesweeper-update-smarter-loading-and-quicker-navigation/).

[Minesweeper Update: Smarter Loading and Quicker NavigationThis update improves performance for premium users with large boards. A new loading screen lets you manually create oversized boards while game settings now load faster by skipping previews for big grids. Plus, resetting to default now correctly applies settings for a smoother experience!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-52.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Minesweeper-101---Cover---Image-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/minesweeper-update-smarter-loading-and-quicker-navigation/)

Thanks for playing! As always, if you have any feedback, questions, or feature requests, feel free to:

- Leave a comment below
- Email me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Uncover%20It%20Update%201.0.2)

Happy uncovering! And be sure to watch out for those mines!
### Simply Uncover It! FAQs
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-faqs/
Last updated: 2026-03-26T03:41:54.000Z
If a question you have isn't here please comment below and/or reach out through [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Uncover%20It:%20FAQs). 

## App Specific 

### App Store Page

[‎Simply Uncover It!‎Simply Uncover It – Classic Fun, No Distractions! Unwind with a relaxing logic puzzle or challenge yourself with custom difficulty settings. Simply Uncover It keeps things clean and simple—no ads, no clutter, just pure gameplay. ▶ PLAY FOR FREE Enjoy a 9x9 game board with 10 hidden mines completel…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/faviconV2-3)App StoreSimplyKyra LLC![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/1200x630wa-2.png)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-minesweeper/id6741166529?ref=simplykyra.com)

### App Website

[Simply Uncover It!Did you use to love Minesweeper or simply curious to try this classic game? Play for free on a 9x9 board—no ads! Want more? Customize board size, mines, and colors with a subscription!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-54.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Minesweeper--App-Page-1-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it/)

### Supported Apple Devices

I've developed Simply Uncover It for both iOS and macOS. I remember playing Minesweeper on my old Windows desktop and so wanted to have the same feeling on my Mac at my desk while also have the portability of having it on my phone. Currently a lot of the front end is shared between the devices but if you notice anything giving you problems let me know at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Uncover%20It:%20FAQs) or in the comments below.

### App Versions (Change Log)

[Simply Uncover It: Version HistoryA chronological list of all Simply Uncover It updates with short summaries.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-118.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Cover---Screenshot---Simply-Uncover-It---Versioning.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-uncover-it-version-history/)

### Subscription

I offer the game play itself for free along with being able to change app-specific settings like the color scheme (light or dark mode), accent color, and the like. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/SimplyUncoverIt-Minesweeper-Announcement--Image-2-1.png)

There will be a premium version that allows you to change the game settings. This will be offered through both a subscription (monthly or annual) or through a lifetime in-app purchase. I recommend you access the the subscription through the app. That said if you already have a subscription you can check [it out through Apple here](https://apps.apple.com/account/subscriptions?ref=simplykyra.com).

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_SimplyUncoverIt-Premium-Customization-Options-Mac.png)

### Multiple Devices

Your subscription works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac as long as you’re signed into the **same Apple ID**. Your library syncs through iCloud.

### Family Sharing

If you’re using Apple Family Sharing your Apple Family members can use it too.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_SimplyUncoverIt-Custom-Boards-for-Every-Device-Mac-1.png)

## How To Play

Let me know if you want me to add a tutorial. I have a simple one in the app (go through the menu) but can create one here too!

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_SimplyUncoverIt-How-to-Play-iPad-1.png)

That said I have found this website if you want something more now:

[Expert Minesweeper Strategies![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/clearable.png)](https://computronium.org/minesweeper/index.html?ref=simplykyra.com)

## General

### Stay Connected With SimplyKyra?

To stay connected with SimplyKyra can [become a free member of this page](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-uncover-it-faqs/#/portal/signup)! Once you do you're automatically signed up for my two newsletters: *Blog Posts* sends out any blog posts as they're added while, for app related content, you'll want *App Updates* checked off. You can choose which or both you want to receive and change it at anytime. For more information about how to sign up and the newsletters themselves check out [my newsletters and account setting page here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/newsletters-and-account-settings/). 

If you want to stay connected in another way all my social accounts are listed along the footer of this website although some are updated more frequently than others.

### Additional Questions?

If you have a question that wasn't found here feel free to comment on this post or reach out through [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Uncover%20It:%20FAQs). I try to add update this page with any questions I've been asked that may help others.

---

Feel free to comment below if you have any additional questions or reach out through [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Uncover%20It:%20FAQs). And if you want feel free to...

[💕 Buy me a coffee or tea! 💕](https://buy.stripe.com/bIY9EEaPE0ma4A84gg?ref=simplykyra.com)
### Minesweeper Update: Smarter Loading and Quicker Navigation
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/minesweeper-update-smarter-loading-and-quicker-navigation/
Last updated: 2025-03-08T14:00:04.000Z
*Version 1.0.1 has just been released iOS!*  
There's been issues attempting to release the macOS version. That said, anything mentioning macOS below will be in the next release.

## TLDR

This update brings a smoother experience to premium users who enjoy customizing their game boards.

## The Problem

While playing Minesweeper one of my daughters discovered that the game hangs if you attempt to generate a 250x250 game board on the phone. Since this was also the default game setting force-quitting and reopening didn’t fix the issue. It simply restarted the loading process. 

So, this update is basically a fix for her test case so you don’t have to deal with it too. Thanks, Zoey!

## How We Fixed It

### New Game Loading Screen

If your board is too large to auto-load you'll now see a splash screen with an option to create it manually. No more long waits when opening the app!

![Image shows three collages showing, from left to right: the splash screen with two buttons, the alert warning you, and the game board.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Minesweeper-1.0.1---Gameboard-iOS---Image.png)

If your game board is too large in iOS you will see this popup (center image). Choosing `Stay` will close the alert showing the splash screen (left) while choosing `Create Game` will start loading the requested game board. Go to `Game Settings`, through the splash screen or menu to choose something smaller. 

![Image shows three collages showing, from left to right: the splash screen with two buttons, the alert warning you, and the game board.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Minesweeper-1.0.1---Gameboard-macOS---Image.png)

If your game board is too large in macOS you will see this popup (center image). Choosing `Stay` will close the alert showing the splash screen (left) while choosing `Create Game` will start loading the requested game board. Go to `Game Settings`, through the splash screen or menu to choose something smaller. 

Current thresholds to see the alert:

- iOS: 1,000+ squares
- macOS: 2,000+ squares

If your preferred board size is below this and causing issues (or above and working fine), please reach out so I can adjust the numbers!

### Faster Navigation in Game Settings

Large example Minesweeper game boards no longer slow things down by auto-loading. This means quicker access to your game settings without the lag. 

Want to see an example game board? Simply tap the button to load one!

![Collage of two images showing the layout section without (left) and with (right) the generated example board.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Minesweeper-1.0.1---Settings-iOS---Image.png)

A too large game board in iOS will not show the example game board (left) but will allow you to generate it using the button. The game board displays at the bottom of the layout section. 

![Collage of two images showing the layout section without (left) and with (right) the generated example board.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/03/compressed_Minesweeper-1.0.1---Settings-macOS---Image.png)

A too large game board in macOS will not show the example game board (left) but will allow you to generate it using the button. The game board displays to the right inside the layout section. 

### Improved Default Settings

Resetting to default now properly applies the settings instead of reverting to the last used configuration. This ensures a seamless transition back to standard gameplay.

---

Like I mentioned before, if you don’t have premium this update won’t affect you much as you’re still playing on a 9x9 board. But if you love tweaking game settings and playing with larger boards this update should make things smoother!

Thanks for playing *Simply Minesweeper*! And like always if you have any feedback, questions, or feature requests, feel free to:

- Leave a comment below
- Email me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Minesweeper:%20Update%201.0.1)

Happy gaming!
### Simply Customize It Update: Fix Template Syncing for Version 3.18
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-update-fix-template-syncing-for-version-3-18/
Last updated: 2025-02-25T20:33:16.000Z
*Version 1.0.8 of Simply Customize It is now live on iOS and macOS!*

Since launching Simply Customize It I've switched both my reMarkable devices to the beta track to stay ahead of any changes. The latest 3.18 update introduced some unexpected differences like extra templates on my reMarkable 2 (3.18.0.67) and what I thought were missing template images on my Paper Pro (3.18.0.70).

After digging into what changed, I realized reMarkable had altered its template structure. In this post, I’ll break down the key changes in reMarkable’s update and how *Simply Customize It* has been updated to ensure everything keeps working smoothly.

## Quick Note

I own both the reMarkable 2 and the Paper Pro. While I assume the reMarkable 1 follows the same changes as the 2, I’d love to hear from you if you’ve noticed differences! Feel free to comment below or email me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It:%20Update%201.0.8).

## TLDR

This update ensures seamless template syncing with reMarkable version 3.18\. It adds support for the new `.template` files, improves how templates are detected to reduce duplicates, and introduces the ability to duplicate a device. 

## reMarkable Changes in Version 3.18

### Interface Changes

Both devices changed where the layer button is and, once you go into templates, where the categories are stored. 

![Image is a collage with text showing where the layer button is on the left and the new dropdown for the categories on the right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/02/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-3.18---Image-.png)

### File Structures and Template Changes

In version 3.18.0.67, using my reMarkable 2, I noticed duplicate `JSON` entries for some templates. These templates now included a new optional field in the `JSON` file called `supportedScreens` that contained either `rm2` or `rmPP`. The `rmPP` version also altered the filename to include `variant`. Here's the example for `Week Planner 1`:

```Bash
        {
            "name": "Week planner 1",
            "filename": "P Week",
            "supportedScreens": [
                "rm2"
            ],
            "iconCode": "\ue9dc",
            "categories": [
                "Planners"
            ]
        },
        {
            "name": "Week planner 1",
            "filename": "P Week variant",
            "supportedScreens": [
                "rmPP"
            ],
            "iconCode": "\ue9dc",
            "categories": [
                "Planners"
            ]
        },
```

However, in version 3.18.0.70 (seen in both devices), the duplicate entries were removed with the `supportedScreens` field combining the two values into a single entry and no mention of `variant`:

```Bash
    {
      "name": "Week planner 1",
      "filename": "P Week",
      "supportedScreens": ["rm2", "rmPP"],
      "iconCode": "\ue9dc",
      "categories": ["Planners"]
    },
```

![Image shows the imported templates with different names and a comparison between the two templates. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/02/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-3.18---Image-JSON-Templates.png)

### New `.template` Files

Some templates now use a `.template` file instead of an `SVG` or `PNG` image. For example here's the contents of the `.template` file for the `Grid Large` template:

```Bash
{
    "name": "Grid large",
    "author": "reMarkable",
    "templateVersion": "0.0.1",
    "formatVersion": 1,
    "categories": ["All"],
    "orientation": "portrait",
    "constants": [
        { "gridSize": 104 },
        { "magicOffset": -78 },
        { "xpos": "templateWidth / 2 - templateHeight / 2 + magicOffset" }
    ],
    "items": [
        {
            "id": "hlines",
            "type": "group",
            "boundingBox": { "x": 0, "y": 0, "width": "templateWidth", "height": "gridSize" },
            "repeat": { "rows": "infinite", "columns": "infinite" },
            "children": [
                {
                    "id": "hline",
                    "type": "path",
                    "data": [ "M", 0, 0, "L", "parentWidth", 0 ]
                }
            ]
        }, {
            "id": "vlines",
            "type": "group",
            "boundingBox": { "x": "xpos", "y": 0, "width": "gridSize", "height": "templateHeight" },
            "repeat": { "rows": "infinite", "columns": "infinite" },
            "children": [
                {
                    "id": "vline",
                    "type": "path",
                    "data": [ "M", 0, 0, "L", 0, "parentHeight" ]
                }
            ]
        }
    ]
}

```

Contents of the new `.template` file for the large Grid template.

### Do Only `PNG` Custom Templates Still Work?

Both reMarkable devices still let templates work with just a `PNG` or `SVG` image file, but if a `.template` file is present, it takes priority over both. 

---

## What’s New in Version 1.0.8

To ensure compatibility with reMarkable 3.18, *Simply Customize It* now supports:

### Updated JSON Handling

- The app now reads in the `supportedScreens` field and only imports templates meant for your device thus preventing duplicates in a single import.
- When syncing or uploading templates the `supportedScreens` field is not saved which keeps the file structure clean.

### Improved Template Import Logic

Previously, a template was considered `new` if there was no current template that matched its: 

- name
- landscape/portrait orientation
- filename

This caused issues when the filename changed (with `variant` added in 3.18.0.67). Now instead of filenames the app relies on icon codes to reduce unnecessary duplicate templates while still ensuring accurate imports.

### Support for `.template` Files 

- The app now saves `.template` files alongside `PNG` and `SVG` images.
- You can view (but not edit) the `.template` files within the app.
- When browsing templates the app will display the `SVG` image first, followed by the `PNG` image. If neither is available, a default image will indicate that a `.template` file is set.

![Image shows the Template File section of the template display.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/02/compressed_IMG_7476-1-1.PNG)

The `.template` file's contents are saved in a readonly state that you can scroll through.

### New `Duplicate This Device` Button

While switching between devices, I realized it would be helpful to copy a device’s connection details without keeping its templates or screens. Now, you can:

- Duplicate a device with one tap
- Use it as a backup or a starting point for another device

![Image shows the "Duplicate This Device" button along with the popup asking you to confirm.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/02/compressed_IMG_7464-1.PNG)

The button is on the device page and will confirm with you first in case it was tapped in error.

---

## Are PNG Images Still Supported?

Yes! `PNG`\-only custom templates still work. However, if a `.template` file is available, the reMarkable will prefer that over both `SVG` and `PNG` images.

To recap: 

1. If a `.template` file exists, reMarkable uses that.
2. If no `.template` file, it defaults to the `SVG`.
3. If no `SVG`, it falls back to the `PNG`.

![Image shows a screenshot of the app showing three differing content for the SVG, PNG, and templating file.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/02/compressed_IMG_7452-1.PNG)

To confirm I set a template with differing images for all three and then removed the `.template` file and then the `SVG` image. The priority goes `.template`, `SVG`, and then `PNG`. So good news. Any custom template you still have will work!

---

And that's the app update! 

I hope this makes the transition to reMarkable 3.18 smoother for you! If you have any questions, feedback, or feature requests, feel free to:

- Leave a comment below
- Email me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It:%20Update%201.0.8)

Thanks for reading and happy customizing!
### Slime Station at Our Birthday Party
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/slime-station-at-our-birthday-party/
Last updated: 2025-02-23T16:00:48.000Z
Zoey's one request, other than no pizza, for her birthday party this last year was to make slime. After some thoughts I made it happen and figured I'd share my results with you in case you're also planning on doing the same.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_Slime-Station-at-Our-Birthday-Party---pinterest.jpg)

---

I'll start by going over how I made the slime before sharing how it was used at the party, what I paired with it for food, and what happened after. 

## Slime

We've made slime in the past many times over but we've never made it during a party. We also somehow hadn't made slime at all within the last year so I was surprised when Zoey asked me to make slime at her party. 

### Planning

We already had on hand giant bottles of both white and transparent Elmer's glue along with a large bag of baking soda so I knew going in that I just needed to buy contact lens solution on our next trip to Costco... and figure out how to make Zoey's party slime special. That said, I vaguely remember hearing that some contact lens solutions didn't work so I quickly looked up recipes and found, through [WikiHow's *How to Make Slime: 5 Simple & Fun Recipes*](https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Slime?ref=simplykyra.com), that I needed to be sure the solution included boric acid: 

> Double check that your contact solution contains boric acid (most brands do). Otherwise, the slime may not form the correct "slimy" consistency.

We normally make large batches of slime at a time, like [last years goodie bag slime party favors](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-made-our-slime-party-favors/), where either I make all the slime myself or I help a small group of kids that already know me and our process so I was concerned how I'd make the slime with such a large group of kids that haven't made it with me before. As such, I was happy to come across this [Foolproof Slime Recipe from *Press Print Party*](https://www.pressprintparty.com/diy/foolproof-slime-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com) who has had flawless results using it with all 150 kids that went through their science-themed VBS class. Here's a screenshot from her website showing what she used and how she laid it out: 

![Screenshot from the Press Print Party website showing the ingredients and recipe used along with how she laid it out.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_Screenshot_IMG_3758.PNG)

Screenshot showing how she laid out the ingredients and supplies for her campers. This screenshot was taken on June 17th. 2024 from [Foolproof Slime Recipe on Press Print Party](https://www.pressprintparty.com/diy/foolproof-slime-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com). 

[How I Made Our Slime Party FavorsFor the girls birthday I wanted a simple party favor that looked great and used stuff I had on hand. These slime party favors turned out perfect! Come check out how I put it together.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/IMG_3345.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-made-our-slime-party-favors/)

And a link to our large batches for birthday party favors the year before. This I made myself when the kids were in school.

### Preparations

With the boric acid ingredient realized and a plan in place I went shopping and picked up a three pack of Kirkland contact lens solution (the title *multi-purpose disinfecting solution* threw me off but it was next to the other contact lens solutions, had boric acid, and was cheaper for a larger amount) and decided to add shaving cream to potentially make fluffy slime (after the test batch I didn't use it until months later when Ada made her own slime). 

![Image shows the back of both the Kirkland disinfecting solution and Gilette shave gel packages with the bottles behind it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3757.jpeg)

The Costco purchases. 

### Trial Run

With the ingredients bought I decided to trial run the recipe to both make sure it worked and to help picture how we'd do it at the birthday party so I could streamline the entire process and hopefully remove many potential issues before they could occur. 

To make it I gathered up the ingredients and decided to weigh the glue needed by zeroing out my kitchen scale and pouring the glue directly in. This way I didn't dirty a measuring cup. Further planning ahead I covered the entire top of the scale with plastic wrap to make it easier to clean after the party and confirmed the scale still worked as expected with this configuration. 

![Testing out the plastic covered kitchen scale and assembling ingredients.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3761.jpeg)

As I pictured the steps in the recipe I imagined how it would go on the party day and decided to cover my kitchen scale with plastic wrap before confirming the scale still worked through the plastic. 

I then walked through each step while seeing what I could streamline and what I needed to let the kids do. For instance for the food dye I wanted the kids to be able to pick the color of their slime themselves but didn't want them to handle the dye for both my home's and their sake so I knew I needed to do it myself, after pouring the glue, before giving the mixture to them to stir all together. I also didn't want them to get frustrated with any slowdowns (while waiting for each kid to stir the color in) or have to enforce a second or third line so I decided to give the remaining steps to them all at once by finding a 1 and a 1/4 tsp in our play measuring spoons, allocating a shared baking soda bowl, and letting them have full access to the contact lens solution. As such I laid out all of the birthday party required tools and pictured me doing the first steps with the kids and them doing the rest themselves. 

![White glue and drops of red and blue food dye are in the 4.0 fl. oz. cup of glue.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3762.jpeg)

After the glue I added a few drops of blue and red food dye to make purple picturing this the end of "my steps" at the party.

![Purple glue with large wooden popsicle stick in the cup now.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3765.jpeg)

Moving the scale out of the way I grabbed a popsicle stick and, now taking over as a kid, stirred it together making all the glue purple.

![White powder dropping from the red plastic measuring spoon into the cup.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3767.jpeg)

Next was the 1/4 tsp of baking soda dished from the bowl with a plastic Dollar Tree measuring spoon.

![Now clear liquid is dropping in the cup from an orange measuring spoon.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3770.jpeg)

After stirring in the baking soda I switched to the 1 tsp spoon and poured the contact lens solution in. 

![The slime stretches from above the photo to the cup.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3773.jpeg)

The slime then came together by mixing it together. 

![Pile of purple slime next to a red dappled wooden stick.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3774.jpeg)

Once the slime was pulled from the cup I needed to scrape it from the popsicle stick and saw the dye marks beneath. 

With that the slime was made! At this point I was going to have the kids personalize it more with optional add-ins although, at this time, I only tested fluffy slime before removing the shaving gel as an option because of its strong smell.

![Spraying clear gel onto the stretched out purple slime.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3778.jpeg)

I then added some shaving gel to the slime before mixing it in to make it fluffy and although it worked it also smelled strong so I decided to skip that step for the party 

Thus the base slime was decided on and could be made with just these items.

![The array of ingredients spread out on the counter.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3780.jpeg)

All the items used gathered together. 

### Add-Ins

When we first got started making slime I bought a kit that included foam balls, crystalline plastic fishbowl beads, pom poms, and glitter flakes. Over time I added other things like glitter and even Instant Snow. I've learned that glitter is annoying as it coats everything you use the slime on and that larger items like plastic gems fall out easily. That said the girls have spent ours removing foam beads and other items from slime, using it in their pretend play, and adding it back so I knew larger items may be better than miniscule. Thus after deciding to forgo the shaving cream I talked with Zoey about slime add-ins and we decided to order star and heart shaped beads to add to the slime. 

If you're debating what add-ins to use I've previously posted about adding [foam beads](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/floam-slime-with-foam-balls/) or [Instant Snow](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/slime-creations-how-i-made-snow-slime/) to slime. Also, just last year, I made [slime party favors](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-made-our-slime-party-favors/) and in doing so played around with different add-ins combined with different colors of slime.

[Floam - Slime with Foam BallsDo you make slime and what to change it up? Have foam beads and aren’t sure what to do with it? Why not combine the two and make some slime with foam ball a.k.a. floam!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2018/05/Compressed-Screen-Shot-2018-05-16-at-2.40.48-PM.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/floam-slime-with-foam-balls/)

[Slime Creations - How I Made Snow SlimeHave you ever tried Instant Snow? We finally did and I decided to make the fun continue by turning it into snow-themed slime!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2018/02/Compressed-IMG_1256.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/slime-creations-how-i-made-snow-slime/)

[How I Made Our Slime Party FavorsFor the girls birthday I wanted a simple party favor that looked great and used stuff I had on hand. These slime party favors turned out perfect! Come check out how I put it together.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/IMG_3345.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-made-our-slime-party-favors/)

### Location and Personalization Plan

I love how [Nathalie at Press Print Party](https://www.pressprintparty.com/diy/foolproof-slime-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com) seemed to allow each kid to do it themselves but this was made at our home so I decided to have everyone, after getting the items in the kitchen, go outside to our backyard and create the slime on tablecloths laid out to hopefully help protect the pavers. To that plan, when I went to the Dollar Tree, I bought pink tablecloths and matching pink cups to mix the slime in while also grabbing some smaller clear cups later on at the grocery store to hold the optional beads to mix in. We already had popsicles sticks but I also grabbed some sandwich Ziplock bags to hold the finished slimes. I then labelled each cup and bag with the kids' name to better tell them apart.

![Image shows a pink cup, a small clear one. leftover bagged beads, empty sandwich bag, and black sharpie pen.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_4181.jpeg)

I labelled the ziplock bag and both cups with each kids' name before splitting up the beads between each clear cup so they were ready to go.

## Party

### Itinerary 

The kids played both inside and out while waiting for everyone to arrive. We then did slime, food, and dessert before playing with some little toys (monkeys on parachutes) and favor bags. 

### Slime Activity 

On the day of, when it was time to make slime, I quickly tried to explain the project to all the kids while demoing it quickly using an extra cup and popsicle stick highlighting the steps as I went. I then laid the tablecloths out along with adding the baking soda bowl, contact lens bottle, and two measuring spoons. With everything ready the kids now lined up while I got them started with their labelled cup, glue, dye choices, and popsicle stick where they were then sent out and I went on to help the next kid. 

I'm not sure how the slime would've been made solo as some awesome parents stayed and ended up creating their own baking soda and contact lens solution stations outside for me. Thank you if you're reading this! After I got the kids set up I went outside with another contact lens solution bottle and helped everyone out by squirting anyone that needed it while also manning the slime setup inside whenever anyone needed more glue, another plastic bag, their slime put away, or their slime taken out again.

![Image shows Zoey stretching her slime with the pink tablecloth and Ada behind.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3903.png)

Took a moment to take a quick shot of Zoey with her slime!

![Several bags of flattened colorful and bedazzled slime.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_4183-1.jpeg)

Here are some of the bags of slime made at the party! The pink one may have been my demonstration one I packaged up later on or one of the additional ones the kids made.

### Table Decorations

In the last year we bought a table with additional leaves in it so I was able to extend it for the party. That said our newly purchased plastic tablecloth and the rainbow one we bought for the party were both too short so I cut the rainbow one in half to cover the ends of the table and used the plastic one in the center. That combined with the rainbow-hued white centerpiece we already had and the rainbow plates we just bought were perfect for the kids while the adults that stayed stood around the island to eat.

![Collage of two images showing how the tablecloth looked on the table.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_Zoey-s-8th-Birthday-Party---tablecloth---Image.png)

Loved how I was able to use the two tablecloths to make a symmetrical centerpiece.... this was snapped during breakfast beforehand.

### Food

Going in Zoey had asked me why every birthday party served pizza and although I had planned to do the same I decided to forgo it when she asked for pasta. At first I baulked at pasta since I'd be busy with slime but then I remembered one of my friends who had pasta warming in the oven when I came over for playdates and I decided to do the same. As such I confirmed ahead of time which pans fit in our countertop toaster oven and right before the party I whipped up a double batch of pasta and cheese (half with tomato sauce added) before putting it into pans covered in tinfoil and added it to the oven to keep warm. 

![Image shows the countertop oven with a glass casserole dish on the top and two loaf pans below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_3889.jpeg)

I confirmed what would fit in the countertop oven ahead of time so after making the pasta I could quickly dump it in, cover, and put into the oven to keep warm.

[Pasta, Tomato, and CheeseMy childhood favorite meal is now my kids. Pasta, canned tomatoes, and cheddar cheese. You can keep it simple or add some extras.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2018/02/Compressed-IMG_1361.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pasta-tomato-and-cheese/)

This recipe is what I used with 2 pounds of pasta, grated cheddar cheese, and, after removing half, tomato sauce by request instead of the often used diced tomatoes.

### Sides

I didn't take any good photos but to go with the pasta I made a fruit salad, veggie tray, and two dips: dill pickle dip and tzatziki. I then bought a French onion dip and an array of chips and pretzels as a less healthy option to go with all the dips. 

[“The Secret Ingredient Cookbook” ReviewAre you looking at changing up your meals? I tried this new cookbook that just came out and enjoyed so many of the recipes. Check out what I made and see if you like it too!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_22The-Secret-Ingredient-Cookbook22-Review-Image.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/the-secret-ingredient-cookbook-review/)

I didn't manage to make the fruit salad before reviewing this cookbook but I did end up buying the book myself and the fruit salad has become my most repeated recipe.

[This Dill Pickle Dip is a Really Big DillEnjoy all the tangy, garlicky flavors of a great dill pickle in this creamy dip. We use Trader Joe’s Seasoning in a Pickle, but don’t worry–you can use your own seasoning blend, too.![](https://www.thespruceeats.com/apple-touch-icon-180x180.png)The Spruce EatsEditorial Process![](https://www.thespruceeats.com/thmb/wiH6zdBmj_Yi-A4hxTBKHhMUMB4=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/dill-pickle-dip-recipe-6825819-hero-01-bec0652595b945c288943c9188c1a45f.jpg)](https://www.thespruceeats.com/dill-pickle-dip-recipe-6825819?ref=simplykyra.com)

I used to buy Dill Pickle Philadelphia Dip in Canada and I found this recipe when I was really missing it. I only buy plain chips when I'm making this. 

[Janet & Greta Podleski’s Skinny Dipping Tzatziki - Suzie The FoodieTwo of my favourite foodies in the whole wide world are Janet & Greta Podleski. Two sisters who had a vision for their cookbook and, despite all sorts of challenges and naysayers, made it happen! Not only that, their cookbooks were the first cookbooks I had that not only made food make sense to this \[…\]![](https://www.suziethefoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/favion.jpg)Suzie The FoodieSuzie the Foodie![](http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll60/sacredsuzie/blog/podleski.jpg)](https://www.suziethefoodie.com/janet-greta-podleskis-skinny-dipping-tzatziki/?ref=simplykyra.com)

The tzatziki recipe I used is from [The Looneyspoons Collection by Janet & Greta Podleski](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15850466-the-looneyspoons-collection?ref=simplykyra.com) but years ago I discovered, when I was away from my house and cookbook, that this recipe was also posted on Suzie the Foodie back in 2012.

### Dessert 

This year Zoey requested ice cream cake for her birthday party and as I always serve cupcakes I ended up turning our go-to recipe, taken from [Princess Pinky Girl and their Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake](https://princesspinkygirl.com/copycat-dairy-queen-ice-cream-cake/?ref=simplykyra.com), into cupcakes! Since it needs the whip cream frozen ahead of time I got to take my time decorating them and appreciated hosting the party at our home so I didn't need to worry about repackaging or transporting them. It was a simple dish though they did stick a bit so using silicon or parchment paper under them or letting it thaw a bit ahead of time may have been more streamlined. 

![The glass casserole dish is now filled with 5 by 3 whipped cream and sprinkled ice cream cupcakes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3831.jpeg)

Zoey's pre-made ice cream cupcakes. 

[How We Made Our Tasty Ice Cream CupcakesFor Zoey’s birthday party I converted our favorite ice cream cake recipe into cupcakes and it was so simple!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-38.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_3832-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-we-made-our-tasty-ice-cream-cupcakes/)

I posted the how to here!

## After Party

My girls loved the slime and played with it for hours... when they remembered it was there. We have some old play dough kits they pull out whenever there's sensory play and it was fun watching and hearing them play with it again. Here is what it looked like mid-play:

![Blue slime bedecked into scenes.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3923.jpeg)

![Red slime laid out next to "bathtubs" of water.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3925-1.jpeg)

And that was Zoey's birthday! Feel free to share in the comments below if this helps you plan your own event. And I hope you're having an incredible day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Continuing Our Simple School Valentines
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/continuing-our-simple-school-valentines/
Last updated: 2025-09-01T01:15:36.000Z
For the last couple years I started making the kids Valentine's Day cards using my reMarkable. Both times around I asked for the kids' input before laying out the final images onto a simple two page printable so each kid has their own page. This means I can easily print out any multiple of that page for either kids' Valentine's Day cards that year without worrying about the class size as much. Last year I shared [the previous year's cards](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-valentines-for-school/) and then made sure to take photos of my process that year to share again with you now. Let me know if you want me to continue to make a post of this years in the comments below!

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_Continuing-Our-Simple-School-Valentines---Pinterest.jpg)

---

## TLDR: Too Long Didn't Read

If you're looking for printable valentines I've created our own both this year and, check out this post, last year.

[Simple Valentines for SchoolWith Valentine’s Day approaching I figured I’d share what I did for my girls’ Valentine’s Day last year. Plus I’m sharing our final printable with you.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-37.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_9541.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-valentines-for-school/)

See them here:

### Get this printable (and more!)

All my templates and printables live in one easy member hub. 

[Go to Downloads](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/) 

## Designing the Cards

### Drawing

The previous year I started with sketches of what I pictured for the Valentine's Day cards, showed the girls, took feedback, made changes, added more sketches and details, and kept taking feedback until they were happy. This time around it was simpler as I could start with all the sketches from the last year (may have added a couple) before then asking them what else they wanted. This meant we reused several from the previous year but it also meant I was able to take requests. Once the kids were happy with their card choices it was onto the next step. 

### Laying Out The Images

Two years ago I continued to use my reMarkable to reorganize the sketches onto their own pages. The last years; however, I had issue with the reMarkable getting stuck in the loading screen as, I'm assuming, I had too many pen strokes. As such, I changed up my process and instead exported each individual image via email, downloaded them to my computer, and then uploaded each image into a new Canva project with two pages (one page for either girl) where I organized the images so each girl had their own cards organized onto a single easily printable page. 

![Image shows Canva with the uploaded images open and four drastically different images on the page. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_2024-02-04-at-19.49.39.png)

Some uploaded images were already laid out on a collaged image while others were solo images. I started by adding each specific image I needed to the page making sure to crop it to only show that image.

![Image shows Canva with the unicorn image being resized over top of the heart butterfly image.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_2024-02-04-at-19.50.24.png)

I next made sure all had minimal padding around each image and resized them to be similarly sized. 

![Image shows Canva with one potential layout of the images that I didn't go with as the sizes were all different and the numbers off.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_2024-02-04-at-19.53.25.png)

With each image added and cropped it was time to figure out the best way to lay out the images while attempting to have an equal-ish number and similar size for all. This involved much copying, pasting, resizing, and moving of the elements. 

![Image shows Canva with part of both final pages showing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_2024-02-22-at-09.00.43.png)

I did this for both kids on different pages so if one girl needed more valentines I could print more for them without printing more for their sister.

### Final Printable

Both final pages have eight images to the page and only need straight cuts. The one has four unique images included twice each while the other one has only two unique images but four of each. Here's the final look: 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_blog-Ada-Valentines-2.png)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_blog-Zoey-Valentines-2.png)

Both printable pages have eight images. The left one has four designs with two copies of each to a page while the other one has two designs repeated for four times each.

## Printing

Once you download the printable you can change up your Valentine's Day cards by deciding what paper to print them on. Both years I chose white cardstock as I liked how this paper was thicker and would be more sturdy to add the treats to it. If your kid doesn't want to color the cards I could see getting colored paper too. 

I absolutely love that if I print too many cards out it doesn't matter that much and if the kids need more I can simply print off another sheet. At this point they're now they're ready for the kids.

## Finishing the Cards

### Kids' Time

Now comes, maybe, the hardest part. It's time to get the kids to cut, label, and maybe color the cards. I had planned to hot glue a treat to the back of each card so I told the girls to add who the card was from on the front. 

My older daughter asked me for the class list, decided which card went to whom, labeled them with a to and from on the front, and then colored each Valentine. She also pictured something different for her teacher so we went looking online for an image of a husky that we could quickly print and cut. My younger daughter colored one card amazingly before deciding she was done with that. I got her to agree the colored one was for her teacher before telling her she should label who the card was from. She went on and added the most adorable smiley heart to each one too!

![The cards are all laid out with the front of most plain and one really colorful. The backs that are shown say Zoey with a smiley heart.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_6531.jpeg)

I love the added awesome drawing under who it was from! That said, I had also planned to add a treat to the back. 

![Ada's finished valentines are piled into two groups all with color on the front and the card labeled with the from and to.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_6566.jpeg)

I organized the kid-finished piles so I knew which ones were for the class and which ones were for our neighborhood as I prioritized the class ones first in case I ran out of treats. 

### Attach Treats

We live in the United States but got grandma to grab some small packages of Smarties the previous time she visited us from Canada. I figured it was a special treat everyone would enjoy, has no nuts, and would be easier to hot glue to each card without the candy coated chocolate potentially melting. While gluing I planned ahead to use gravity to keep the chocolate away from the hot glue by attaching the paper to the top of each box. If you need a different idea, last year, we attached Tootsie Roll Pops (hot glued the cards to the stick) or used masking tape to attach a strip of stickers to each card.

![As the kids ate breakfast one morning I started hot gluing the Smarties to the cards. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_6570.jpeg)

After opening several of the packages I realized we had too many Smarties so the teachers got an unopened multipack glued to their cards. 

I glued each set of the kids cards in groups of three or four. For each set I laid out the valentines underside up, added glue to each one, and then before glue could dry grabbed the Smarties, flipped a card, and stuck it to the top of the box. I then continued on conveyer style increasing or decreasing the size of each set as I felt confident or noticed the glue cooling too quickly.

![I laid out three upside down cards and put hot glue on each one so I can stick them to Smarties.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_6573.jpeg)

You can see here how I tried to glue across quickly before grabbing each Valentine and attaching it to the box of Smarties. 

![As I glued I made piles to keep track of whose was whose and where they went. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_6577.jpeg)

As I went I made sure to keep each kids' pile separated so I didn't need to split it up later. 

![Now the finished Smarties are added to a bag for either girl.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_6578.jpeg)

And then once completed I made sure the cards were added to bags for easier carrying on the day. 

### Final Valentine's Day Cards

I love how they all turned out!

![Image shows three Valentines closeup including the front of two Valentines and the back of a third.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_6643.jpeg)

The front of Zoey's cards looked great even without any coloring and I loved how her name was still visible and the thought of the smiley surprise (as she agreed I can glue the box over them) was perfect.

![Now there's seven with the front for four and the back of three. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_6645.jpeg)

Ada addressed the front leaving the back free to glue with unique colors on each card. 

## Downloadable PDFs 

### 2024 (This Post)

Here are the final printable pages with a direct link straight to the download below it:

![Another collage consisting of Zoey's portrait page on the left and Ada's landscape one on the right. The space between the two images are off center and show which side is which, the title "Our Final Valentines Cards from 2024", two hearts, and my main URL SimplyKyra. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/01/compressed_Screenshot-Simple-Valentines-for-School----Image3.png)

Here are this year's final printable pages!

### Get this printable (and more!)

All my templates and printables live in one easy member hub. 

[Go to Downloads](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/) 

### 2023 (Previous Year)

If you want potentially different Valentine's I shared the previous year's Valentine's last year. This is what they looked like...

![Another collage consisting of Zoey's portrait page on the left and Ada's landscape one on the right. The space between the two images are off center and show which side is which, the title "Our Final Valentines Cards", two hearts, and my main URL SimplyKyra. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_Collage_Screenshot_Simple-Valentines-for-School-Image3.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

The previous year's final printable pages!

...And here's [the link to the post](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-valentines-for-school/)!

### Get this printable (and more!)

All my templates and printables live in one easy member hub. 

[Go to Downloads](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/) 

Let me know if you used these and how they turned out in the comments below. I hope it went amazing and you have an amazing Valentine's Day! 

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Announcing Simply Minesweeper!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/announcing-simply-minesweeper/
Last updated: 2025-03-16T19:59:06.000Z
Back as a kid I absolutely adored minesweeper but over the years kind of forgot about it. Recently though [Hacking with Swift did a livestream](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/plus/live-streams/minesweeper?ref=simplykyra.com) showing how to code the game using `SwiftUI` and how much I truly loved the game came rushing back. My kids spotted me playing the game so I showed them how it worked and they were also hooked. I knew I wanted to make the game my own and share it with both them and also you so I developed my own version of the game! 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/02/compressed_SimplyMinesweeperAnnouncement---pinterest.png)

---

## No Ads

Simply Minesweeper comes with a 9 by 9 board with 10 hidden mines and it's free to play—no ads! Go into app settings to adjust the accent colors on the menu and tweak the controls. You can download this both on macOS or iOS to enjoy Minesweeper on any device!

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/02/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Minesweeper-Announcement--Image.png)

Simply Minesweeper comes with a 9 by 9 board with 10 hidden mines and it's free to play—no ads!

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/02/compressed_SimplyMinesweeper-Play-on-Any-Device-Mac.png)

Download on macOS or iOS and enjoy Minesweeper on any device!

## Learning

If you check out the *How to Play* section there's an overview of the game and how to play. Also check out the frequently asked questions on this website for always updated questions that can help you with the app. More questions? Reach out to me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Minesweeper%20App%20Page).

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/02/compressed_SimplyMinesweeper-How-to-Play-iPad.png)

## Customizations? Premium for That! 

Simply Minesweeper keeps the classic game experience simple and free—no ads, no distractions. But if you ever want to shake things up, premium unlocks full customization!

With a premium plan, you can:

- **Change the board size** – Go bigger for a challenge or smaller for a quick game.
- **Adjust the number of mines** – Make it easier or test your strategy with more mines.
- **Switch icons** – Personalize your game with different flag and mine designs.
- **Customize number colors** – Make the board your own with a fresh color scheme.
- **Set unique defaults per device** – Jump into the game with no hesitation! Customize your default settings separately for each device.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/02/compressed_SimplyMinesweeper-Premium-Customization-Options-Mac.png)

Premium is available as a monthly or yearly subscription, or you can grab lifetime access with a one-time purchase. Plus, with Family Sharing, you can share your subscription across devices!

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/02/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Minesweeper-Announcement--Image2-1.png)

Ready to level up your Minesweeper experience? **Go premium and make it yours!**

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/02/compressed_SimplyMinesweeper-Custom-Boards-for-Every-Device-Mac.png)

## Learn More?

It's since been rebranded to Simply Uncover It... but you can find it on the homepage or below! Check out the frequently asked questions if needed too!

[Simply Uncover It!Love logic puzzles or curious to try this classic challenge? Play for free on a 9x9 board—no ads! Want more? Customize board size, mines, and colors with a subscription!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-59.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Minesweeper--App-Page-1-3.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-uncover-it/)

[Simply Uncover It! FAQsCurious about Simply Uncover It? Want to stay updated on new features? Or just looking to learn more? Click here for all the details!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Uncover-It--FAQs-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-uncover-it-faqs/)

---

*Hope you’re having a great day!*

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simply Minesweeper! FAQs
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-minesweeper-faqs/
Last updated: 2025-03-08T14:01:35.000Z
**Simply Minesweeper has been rebranded to Simply Uncover It!** 🎉

For the latest information, check out the **updated FAQs here**:

[Simply Uncover It! FAQsCurious about Simply Uncover It? Want to stay updated on new features? Or just looking to learn more? Click here for all the details!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-57.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Simply-Uncover-It--FAQs-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-uncover-it-faqs/)
### My Sews in 2024: Still Infrequent
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-sews-in-2024-still-infrequent/
Last updated: 2025-05-29T23:16:21.000Z
Years ago I joined the newly created [52 week sewing challenge on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/groups/52weeksewingchallenge2023/), loved the community, my sewing quality and quantity increased, and I started better tracking my sews. At the end of that year I shared [a year in review recap](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/52-weeks-of-sewing/) and absolutely loved how all the projects looked together. The [next several years](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/52-weeks-sewing-challenge/) I did the same and now, with this post, I've shared seven years in review.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_My-Sews-in-2024-Still-Infrequent----pinterest.png)

---

This year I've been putting most of my free time towards family, publishing and updating my first [app Simply Customize It,](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/simply-customize-it/) and enjoying being close to a local Pilates studio. As such, I sewed much less than even the [last year](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-sews-in-2023-infrequent-but-there-when-i-wanted-it/)... and yet some were still made and here they are!

## February

### Burlap Backdrop

A friend bought two 8-ish foot long pieces of burlap fabric and needed them sewn together so they could be used as a backdrop. I hadn't sewn with burlap before and was worried the seam would open up on her so decided to serge the sides together before unfolding the seam and topstitching it flat. Just a heads up if you plan to work with burlap it shed tons of fibers.

![Image shows a collage of three photos showing the newly opened fabric, clipped along the edge, and sewn.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_My-Sews-in-2024-Still-Infrequent-Image1.png)

So many fibers but task accomplished!

### Closed Some Holes

Over the last several months I'd been noticing holes in my bra, my home workout top, and several pair of underwear. With my sewing machines plugged in and the area around them tidied up I figured there was no point putting it off any longer and grabbed them all for some quick and messy fixes. Done! And they now lived for another day. 

![Image is a closeup of the inside seams for a bra, workout top, and underwear.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_My-Sews-in-2024-Still-Infrequent-Image3.png)

Quick photo of the hacky patches so they could still be worn a bit longer.

## July

### Attempted Swim Suit Rescue

In July I realized I really needed to fix or replace my stretched out swimming suit. I looked at swimming suits online and finally realized, after seeing a [Stitch Upon a Time](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/stitch-upon-a-time/) sale, it would be simpler just to make a new set. After going upstairs I realized I had nothing to lose so I attempted to extend the life of my old favorite swimming suit bottoms by cutting off the waistband, adding regular non-swim elastic, and serging it back together. Got it done right before attending a kid's swim party!

![Image shows a collage of six photos showing the original shorts, updated oner, and some of the steps used to fix it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_My-Sews-in-2024-Still-Infrequent-Image4.png)

A quick fix but not optimal at all. Realized while fixing that a lot of the fabric was weak and stretched out.

### Two Piece Swimming Suit

The quick fix on my old swim suit wasn't the best, the fabric was weak, and I later noticed a small hole on one layer of the waistband. As such I started looking into buying swim shorts and capris online before deciding just to make my own swimming suit again. I was lazy so pulled out my old patterns, trusted they still fit, chose some fabric from my stash, cut the pieces, and sewed it up. Full disclaimer I did confuse the patterns at one point and sewed the bottom bands on my suit with a 1/2 inch seam allowance rather than the planned 1/4 inch... that said, they were perfect, fit great, and were completed in time to go for a 20 minute swim before the pool closed for the girls' swimming lessons. Looking forward I did still develop a chaffing burn on my inner thighs right below the shorts when walking home from the pool so I could see, if that's still a concern in the future, either going longer in the swim bottoms or just dedicating an old pair of capris to wear overtop after swimming. 

![Image shows a collage of two photos showing the finished swim suit. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_My-Sews-in-2024-Still-Infrequent-Image5.png)

My finished swimming suit. Love it!

These, like last time in the fix above, are the [Stitch Upon a Time](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/stitch-upon-a-time/) Brazi for the swim top and [Apostrophe Patterns](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/apostrophe-patterns/) leggings for the bottoms. I've shared previously about both the [Brazi](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/stitch-upon-a-time-brazi-the-best-bra-and-dress-pattern/) (dress and bra version) and [using the leggings as the girls' swim suit bottom](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/an-upgrade-on-my-girls-home-sewn-swimsuits/) years ago. I haven't yet shared about my personal swimming suit before though so if that would interest you let me know either in the comments below or email me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Blog%20Ask:%20Swim%20Suit%20Post).

### Stuffie Hospital

Closer to the end of the month I added one more quick project by hand stitching the hole closed in my daughter's stuffie. Unfortunately, the original purchase came already with a hole in it which I didn't notice until after my daughter was gifted it. The plan was to have her fix it but she hadn't yet and when I finally asked if she wanted me to fix it... she did. And thus another quick project done. 

![Image shows a closeup of the bubble tea stuffie, it's hole, and the matching thread closing it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_My-Sews-in-2024-Still-Infrequent-Image6.png)

The previous Christmas present was finally fixed!

## October

### Halloween Treat Bags

Back in 2018 I made the girls Halloween bags for trick or treating which they liked and later used as library bags as the bags were so sturdy and tough. 

[Halloween Trick-or-Treating BagsAre you looking for a really cool trick or treating bag? After Halloween it also makes a great laundry or grocery shopping bag too. Love the pattern.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-31.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_1880.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/halloween-trick-or-treating-bags/)

Check out the original treat bags here!

Unfortunately, over the years we somehow lost one of them and finally last year I decided it wouldn't magically show up and meant to make the girls a replacement. This year I decided now was the time, tracked down glow in the dark fabric from Joanns, and made them their new Halloween bags. The bags themselves didn't light up as much as I had hoped so they aren't as extra safe as I had wanted but I love them and they fit so much candy so the kids are over the moon! These are now going with the Halloween stuff so they stay safe for future years. 

![Image shows a collage of two photos showing the finished bags and how they compare to the Dollar Tree ones used the year before.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_My-Sews-in-2024-Still-Infrequent-Image2.png)

The final bags were way bigger than the glow in the dark buckets from the previous year and folded up so much smaller to store. So glad I finally made them!

## December

### Nightgowns 

Back in 2020 I switch from making the girls [Peppermint Swirl Dresses](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/20/even-more-peppermint-swirl-dresses/) for Christmas and started making them nightgowns instead. At first I attempted to surprise them with it but over the years it's become a known secret to the point that when Joann's Snuggle Flannel went on sale back before Halloween this year I had them pick out what fabric they wanted and whether they wanted one or two new nightgowns. With the present being a known surprise it's become much less stressful finding time to work on it as I don't have to limit it to school or sleeping hours. That said, I still put it off and finally finished the dresses about five days before Christmas... after a power outage two days before scared me about potentially not finishing in time. 

![Image shows a collage of three photos showing the finished nightgowns, the bottom rolled hem, and the two folded about to be wrapped gift. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-My-Sews-in-2024-Still-Infrequent-Image7.png)

I absolutely love these nightgown.This year I surprised them both with a Raina journal and hid it in the wrapped up dresses so there was a surprise amongst the known. 

I wrote about [this Patsy and Olivia mashup nightgown](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/) years ago in a shared post underneath another Patsy hack I only did the one time. That said, with how often I've since sewn this nightgown I've been meaning to give it its own updated post. If you'd be interested let me know either in the comments below or email me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Blog%20Ask:%20Nightgown%20Post) so I know to make it a higher priority. 

[Sleepy Gowns - Patsy Party Dress Hacked or MashedI hacked the free Patsy Party dress to make a simple nightgown. I couldn’t stop there and had to see what the Patsy skirt would look like mashed with the Olivia top. Love how both turned out.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-32.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Sleepy-Gowns-Cover-1.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/)

## Past Years

I really enjoyed sewing over the years and adore that joining the [52 Week Sewing Challenge](https://www.facebook.com/groups/52weeksewingchallenge2023/) helped kick off a feeling of community. That said, although I increased the level of my in-app notifications last year I didn't see too many posts from the group and instead sewed more for my particular wants as they came up. I do want to share links to [my past years](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/52-weeks-sewing-challenge/) of sewing in case any of the patterns, fabrics, or whatever can help you out. So in order from 2018 to last year's 2023 here they are:

[52 Weeks of SewingThanks to the 52 Week Sewing Challenge on Facebook I was able to constantly keep creating this year. This was a perfect reason to create a recap post of 2018\. I’ve included links for all fabric and patterns I used (that weren’t forgotten in my stash).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-26.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_6030.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/12/31/52-weeks-of-sewing/)

[52 Weeks Of Sewing In 2019After finishing the 52 Week Sewing Challenge last year I decided to follow it again for 2019\. It was so much better for me when I allowed myself to reject the challenges and actually sewed something(s) each week this year!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-27.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_2425.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/01/52-weeks-of-sewing-in-2019/)

[52 Week Sewing Challenge in 2020... All Challenges Accepted!Are you looking for ideas on what to sew? How about 52 ideas? I took part in the 52 weeks of sewing challenges on Facebook this year and not only did I sew something each and every week but I kept my submissions on topic! Here’s an overview for you.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-25.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/52-Week-Sewing-Challenge-in-2020...-All-Challenges-Accepted-Instagram.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/)

[My 2021 Sewing Challenge: Skipped, Rejected, and Came Out Feeling GoodAlthough I didn’t sew as consistently as previous years I did keep track of what I sewed through the 52 Week Sewing Challenge... if you want a recap or just want some ideas based on what I did here’s my 2021 sewing overview!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-28.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_My-2021-Sewing-Challenge-Skipped-Rejected-and-Came-Out-Feeling-Good-Image-tall.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/01/05/my-2021-sewing-challenge-skipped-rejected-and-came-out-feeling-good/)

[What I Made During the 2022 Sewing ChallengeAlthough this year I sewed much less I decided to still continue my trend of posting about it so here’s all of my quick fixes, articles of clothing, and the kids’ epic Halloween costumes.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-29.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_What-I-Made-During-the-2022-Sewing-Challenge-Cover-Image.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/what-i-made-during-the-2022-sewing-challenge/)

[My Sews in 2023: Infrequent but There When I Wanted ItOver the last several years I’ve posted a sewing roundup. This year is no different so here are the more infrequent but still loved projects I’ve sewn in 2023.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-30.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_My-Sews-in-2023-Infrequent-but-There-When-I-Wanted-It----Image-1.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-sews-in-2023-infrequent-but-there-when-i-wanted-it/)

---

Have you sewn any of these projects before? Are there any sewing projects here or in previous years that you'd want more information about? Feel free to share in the comments below. And like always I hope you're having a good week!

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### My Favorite Books From My 2024 Reads
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-favorite-books-from-my-2024-reads/
Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:03:22.000Z
Last year I finally wrote up a year in review book post and although it was much more work than expected I loved seeing all of my favorite books in one place. As such here is this year's version! These books were all picked by scrolling through *my 2024 Goodreads Year in Books* and seeing what made me smile while remembering them. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_My-Favorite-Books-From-My-2024-Reads---Pinterest.png)

Let me know in the comments below whatever your favorite books were and maybe I can add them to my tbr pile. 

---

Looking over my *Goodreads 2024 year in review* I found these books out of all I read this year, in no particular order, really jumped out at me. I want to warn you that this isn't going to be an in depth review as there are tons of those online already. Instead it's simply a list of books that I remembered loving this year with links, in each title and author heading, to its corresponding Goodreads profile for more information. I also figured it was best to limit my books to those I've read this year ([2023 list shared here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-favorite-books-from-my-2023-reads/)). That said, if you're interested in the books I've read in the past, before sharing this list, let me know in the comments below or send me an email at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Reading%20Review) so I know there's interest in prioritizing a less time-specific list.

Additionally I want to let you know that many of these books I did receive electronically through [NetGalley](https://www.netgalley.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) to read and review, but whether I chose to include them here and my reviews themselves are my own opinion after reading the book. 

## Authors

Before going over each individual book I wanted to share the two authors I enjoyed reading multiple books from this year. 

## [Ali Hazelwood](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21098177.Ali%5FHazelwood?ref=simplykyra.com)

![Collage of four book covers side by side all by Ali Hazelwood. See below for more information.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-My-Favorite-Books-From-My-2024-Reads---AliHazelwood.png)

Photo of the books' covers were taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads. [Link to author Ali Hazelwood here](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21098177.Ali%5FHazelwood?ref=simplykyra.com).

I came across [Ali Hazelwood](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21098177.Ali%5FHazelwood?ref=simplykyra.com) back in 2022 and love her STEM-centric fun and happy romantic comedies. This year between new books coming out and her past catalog of books I've read four of her books. My favorite three were:

- [Love, Theoretically](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63106710-love-theoretically?ref=simplykyra.com): Rival physicists in academia feuding with fake dating misunderstandings.
- [Check & Mate](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60683957-check-mate?from%5Fsearch=true&from%5Fsrp=true&qid=2sQhGWCrS4&rank=6&ref=simplykyra.com): Chess games and romance. Enough said.
- [Not in Love](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198716261-not-in-love?from%5Fsearch=true&from%5Fsrp=true&qid=2sQhGWCrS4&rank=7&ref=simplykyra.com): Personally, I didn't think it was as good as the others but still okay.
- [Bride](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/181344829-bride?from%5Fsearch=true&from%5Fsrp=true&qid=2sQhGWCrS4&rank=5&ref=simplykyra.com): This fourth book diverged from her STEM-tastic offering and was not expected with a paranormal romance. That said, I still liked it and wanted to include it but it's not representative of her others.

## [Robin Sloan](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2960227.Robin%5FSloan?ref=simplykyra.com)

![Collage of four book covers side by side all by Robin Sloan. See below for more information.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-My-Favorite-Books-From-My-2024-Reads---Robin-Sloan.png)

Photo of the books' covers were taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads. [Link to author Robin Sloan here](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2960227.Robin%5FSloan?ref=simplykyra.com).

I came across [Robin Sloan](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2960227.Robin%5FSloan?ref=simplykyra.com) when their book [Sourdough](https://goodreads.com/book/show/33916024.Sourdough?ref=simplykyra.com) was mentioned in one of the sourdough-related Facebook groups I'm a part of. It was not at all what I expected but I absolutely adored it!!! It blended Bay Area, sourdough, fantasy, science, and so much more. I was hooked and from there looked into more of their books including:

- [Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13538873-mr-penumbra-s-24-hour-bookstore?ref=simplykyra.com): conspiracy, codes, and books in a hole-in-the-wall San Francisco bookstore with a brief foray into New York.
- [Moonbound](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195790867-moonbound?ref=simplykyra.com): Somehow a continuation and nothing like the previous. Low-tech, hi-tech, the same, but so very different.
- [The Suitcase Clone](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61271429-the-suitcase-clone?ref=simplykyra.com): A bridge combining the first and second book I read ([Sourdough](https://goodreads.com/book/show/33916024.Sourdough?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13538873-mr-penumbra-s-24-hour-bookstore?ref=simplykyra.com)) jumping between times and people.

These books were incredible and my best way so explain is leaving you with this quote from the Goodreads listing for [The Suitcase Clone](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61271429-the-suitcase-clone?ref=simplykyra.com):

> Just how deliriously fun and thrillingly mind-expanding an adventure, James can’t yet know. But we, of course, know how Robin Sloan crafts a story. Crossing the international literary-techno-conspiracy of *Mr. Penumbra* with the delicious experimentation of *Sourdough*, *The Suitcase Clone* is a tale that enriches and expands the Penumbraverse in ways you never saw coming, told by a mysterious narrator with an unexpected perspective on the great puzzles of life. Who could it be?

## Podcasts

Since I found myself listening to more audiobooks this year I figured I'd throw in three of my favorite podcasts (below link to the Apple Podcast listing) that I always attempt to stay up to date on before we go onto the individual books below. 

![Collage of three podcast listings shown side by side. See below for more information.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-My-Favorite-Books-From-My-2024-Reads---Podcasts.png)

Screenshots of the podcasts were taken from within the Apple Podcast app on December 20th, 2024\. See links below.

These podcasts are:

- [Well to The Core](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/well-to-the-core/id1466283984?ref=simplykyra.com): I found Robin Long's Pilates back in 2018, joined her membership, loved the Facebook group, cheered when she added new instructors, bought her book, saw her rebrand to [Lindywell](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822), and was thrilled back when she started her podcast [Well to The Core](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/well-to-the-core/id1466283984?ref=simplykyra.com). Love each and everyone of these episodes that will hopefully bring a bit more balance to your life.
- [Swift over Coffee](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/swift-over-coffee/id1435076502?ref=simplykyra.com): When I first started learning Swift I came across Paul Hudson's [Hacking with Swift](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) website where I followed his 100 days of Swift, 100 days of SwiftUI, bought a macOS book, and then paid for a membership. Love the website and love that he started a podcast with [Mikaela Caron](https://mikaelacaron.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). A new episode from them means drop any other audiobook and listen to it at the first opportunity!
- [Bossy](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bossy/id1709498106?ref=simplykyra.com): I came to this Podcast through [Money with Katie](https://www.instagram.com/moneywithkatie?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fweb%5Fbutton%5Fshare%5Fsheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==) and fell in love with it. Just kickstarted my LLC this year and although not fully caught up on these episodes love the rapport between Katie and Tara ([Apps Without Code](https://www.instagram.com/appswithoutcode?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fweb%5Fbutton%5Fshare%5Fsheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==)) during the first two seasons and find myself still listening to the new season without Katie. I've only listened to it myself but they also have YouTube videos they refer to while I listen so you can also watch. Here's a link to [their main website](https://www.bossyshow.com/?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

And now onto the books!

## Books

# [Still the Sun](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202262337-still-the-sun?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Charlie N. Holmberg](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7801879.Charlie%5FN%5FHolmberg?ref=simplykyra.com)

Oh my goodness. When I realized [Charlie N. Holmberg](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7801879.Charlie%5FN%5FHolmberg?ref=simplykyra.com) had a new book out in a new world I was beyond excited and this book didn't disappoint. New world building, new characters, and epic surprises. It didn't let me down at all!

[![Pink cover image of Still the Sun with a flower reaching up from the bottom.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-8.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202262337-still-the-sun?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

# [Two-Damage My Heart](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209780609-two-damage-my-heart?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [C.N. Holmberg](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21812720.C%5FN%5FHolmberg?ref=simplykyra.com)

[](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209780609-two-damage-my-heart?ref=simplykyra.com#CommunityReviews)I've read many fantasy and romance books by [Charlie N. Holmberg](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7801879.Charlie%5FN%5FHolmberg?ref=simplykyra.com) (including right above), but she's recently branched out into nerdy contemporary romance under [C.N. Holmberg](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21812720.C%5FN%5FHolmberg?ref=simplykyra.com) and I'm all for it. I loved the first book in the [Nerds of Happy Valley Series](https://www.goodreads.com/series/326183-nerds-of-happy-valley?ref=simplykyra.com) and this second book [Two-Damage My Heart](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209780609-two-damage-my-heart?ref=simplykyra.com) didn't disappoint with broken hearts, second chances, and larping. It was sublime. 

[![Two people laying down to frame the title with larping costumes and tools helping frame. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-25.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209780609-two-damage-my-heart?ref=simplykyra.com)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209780609-two-damage-my-heart?ref=simplykyra.com)

# [The Lost Story](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199927030-the-lost-story?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Meg Shaffer](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22371885.Meg%5FShaffer?ref=simplykyra.com)

I was so happy I came across this book. It was the perfect amount of reality, fantasy, and character building that I had trouble putting it down. And if you've read [C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11127.The%5FChronicles%5Fof%5FNarnia?ref=simplykyra.com) before there's the perfect amount of references and awesomeness as this book was inspired by it.

[![A door in a tree against a blue background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-10.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199927030-the-lost-story?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

# [Really Very Crunchy: A Beginner's Guide to Removing Toxins from Your Life without Adding Them to Your Personality](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/180351894-really-very-crunchy?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Emily Morrow](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40525707.Emily%5FMorrow?ref=simplykyra.com)

I'd been following Emily for a while on [Instagram (reallyverycrunchy](https://www.instagram.com/reallyverycrunchy/?ref=simplykyra.com)) so was excited to hear about her new book. I ended up listening to the audiobook version and loved listening to her while following along with her journey, tips, and tricks. A perfect companion piece to go with all the videos they've posted. 

[![Emily waving from a yellow background with the text overlaid.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-38.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/180351894-really-very-crunchy?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

# [The Lion Women of Tehran](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199798217-the-lion-women-of-tehran?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Marjan Kamali](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6547914.Marjan%5FKamali?ref=simplykyra.com)

I’d read this author's previous book [The Stationary Shop](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42201995-the-stationery-shop?ref=simplykyra.com) so jumped at the chance to read this one. It didn’t disappoint. The story was amazing, the characters oh so real; and everything pulled me in. Overall this may be my absolute favorite read of the year. I’m so glad I came across this book.

[![Ornate gorgeous cover in green and gold. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-18.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199798217-the-lion-women-of-tehran?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

# [Stay Curious and Keep Exploring: Next Level: 50 Bigger, Bolder Science Experiments to Do with the Whole Family](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/193376647-stay-curious-and-keep-exploring?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Emily Calandrelli](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16367129.Emily%5FCalandrelli?ref=simplykyra.com)

I'd been following [thespacegal](https://www.instagram.com/thespacegal/?ref=simplykyra.com) on Instagram for years and loved watching her in [Emily's Science Lab](https://www.youtube.com/@EmilysScienceLab?ref=simplykyra.com) while wishing the kids got more into it than they did so we could watch more. We've been doing [sensory stuff](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/science-and-sensory-play/) for years and although I just skimmed through the book and didn't do anything in it I can see this being a great book. It has tons of experiments each laid out simply with images, introduction, and questions. Additionally, I love the range from super simple that you should have all the ingredients for to more exclusive experiments.

[![Green and yellow slime coated book.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-31.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/193376647-stay-curious-and-keep-exploring?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

# [Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13542853-trust-me-i-m-lying?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Ryan Holiday](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5775580.Ryan%5FHoliday?ref=simplykyra.com)

I heard about this book through a Facebook group and ended up listening to the audiobook version. This was eye opening yet fun to listen to while going about your chores. It offers you a look at how media works while touching on the original print media to the home blogging of today. Illuminating. 

[![Person smoking in blacks and greys with red highlights. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Image-37.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13542853-trust-me-i-m-lying?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

# [Third Eye](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/183222153-third-eye?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Felicia Day](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3440476.Felicia%5FDay?ref=simplykyra.com)

Last Christmas I may have gotten an audible trial based solely on ads for [Slayers](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199526410-slayers?ac=1&from%5Fsearch=true&qid=wV8iQvcoBA&rank=1&ref=simplykyra.com) and [Third Eye](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/183222153-third-eye?ref=simplykyra.com)... this book did not disappoint. I've followed Felicia Day for years on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/feliciaday/?ref=simplykyra.com) and especially loved [The Guild](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1138475/?ref%5F=nm%5Fflmg%5Fjob%5F1%5Fcdt%5Ft%5F58&ref=simplykyra.com) so I knew it would be good but this quirky magical land of San Francisco with a Chosen One who flopped was perfect and hilarious to listen along with! 

# [](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203420551-the-birds-the-bees-and-the-elephant-in-the-room?ref=simplykyra.com)

[![Audible original cover showing a hued water bubble against a pool.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-11-1.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/183222153-third-eye?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

## [Bad Dreams in the Night](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176440291-bad-dreams-in-the-night?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Adam Ellis](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3914131.Adam%5FEllis?ref=simplykyra.com)

I follow the author, [adamtots](https://www.instagram.com/adamtots/?ref=simplykyra.com), on Instagram and love his mind-bending and twisted-ending comics so was super excited to hear about his book. When I got my hands on one it didn't disappoint though I also realized that I'd seen many of them before. I still loved seeing each comic and they lived up to the "spine-tingling, pulse-increasing tales of mystery and supernatural occurrences" mentioned in the book overview that goes on to mention that it's perfect for those that love "Black Mirror and Stranger Things and listened to podcasts like Welcome to Nightvale and Rabbits."

[![A candle carrying person climbing up the stairs in the dark.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-27.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176440291-bad-dreams-in-the-night?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

# [Run](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10595576-run?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Blake Crouch](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/442240.Blake%5FCrouch?ref=simplykyra.com)

[](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10595576-run?ref=simplykyra.com#CommunityReviews)Oh my goodness!!! I’ve read so many of Blake Crouch’s books and loved every single one though I especially loved the [Wayward Pines](https://www.goodreads.com/series/116296-wayward-pines?ref=simplykyra.com) series, [Dark Matter](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27833670-dark-matter?ref=simplykyra.com), [Recursion](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42046112-recursion?ref=simplykyra.com), and [Upgrade](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59838811-upgrade?ref=simplykyra.com). That said, this was a re-release book on NetGalley and although Goodreads said I hadn't read it I wasn't sure and questioned it at first. That said, this book was *so good* and so hard to put down. Definitely not a before bed read as it would keep you up.

[![A blood splattered car with headlights in the foreground, semi in the background, and trees all around!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-23.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10595576-run?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

## [The Birds, the Bees, and the Elephant in the Room: Talking to Your Kids about Sex & Other Sensitive Topics](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203420551-the-birds-the-bees-and-the-elephant-in-the-room?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Rachel Coler Mulholland](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/47260423.Rachel%5FColer%5FMulholland?ref=simplykyra.com)

I heard about this book on a Facebook group and it didn't disappoint. I love all the topics she brings up along with how she'd answer depending on the age range your kid is at. Her stance on each topic is perfect and I love how she says the why of it. I ended up listening to the audiobook version of this which can be a tad repetitive if listened to sequentially but I can see investing in a paper copy to refer to each section when you need a hand. I hadn't heard of the author before but have since tracked down her Instagram page under [Rachel "Shug" Coler Mulholland](https://www.instagram.com/lackofimpulsecontrol/?ref=simplykyra.com). For more information:

> The book covers a broad variety of topics including how babies are made, dating, safe sex practices, the differences between gender and sexual orientation, and how to discuss consent. It is perfect for caregivers struggling to find the words, and it aims to help navigate the sometimes murky waters of discussions around bodies and sex. Written in the frank and funny tone of Rachel’s videos, this book arms readers with applicable skills and accurate knowledge and keeps the next generation of kids safe in an ever-changing world.

[![A yellow book with an elephant's trunk, a bee buzzing around, and a bird resting on the title.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-22.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203420551-the-birds-the-bees-and-the-elephant-in-the-room?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

# [The Hush](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58557730-the-hush?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Sara Foster](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/82542.Sara%5FFoster?ref=simplykyra.com)

Oh my goodness gracious!!!! I absolutely loved this amazing book and it was absolutely one of my top three of the year. It is a cutting edge, absolutely terrifying, and amazing dystopian that grabbed me with the perfect amount of dread and concern. This was the first book I'd come across from [Sara Foster](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/82542.Sara%5FFoster?ref=simplykyra.com) and it was amazing and oh so terrifying. 

[![Pink dolls overlaid a black background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-19.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58557730-the-hush?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

# [Start More Than You Can Finish: A Creative Permission Slip to Unleash Your Best Ideas](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60420657-start-more-than-you-can-finish?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Becky Blades](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7389258.Becky%5FBlades?ref=simplykyra.com)

I can't remember if I read or listened to this book but know that I absolutely adored her idea of being a *stARTist* along with the idea of not needing to finish everything and especially loved how each thing you do builds on a previous thing so nothing, even if you don't finish, is truly wasted. I actually set a reminder on my phone so I can listen or read this again to remember the lessons learned and keep it fresh. Definitely could see buying this so I could read it more regularly and have it in the bookshelf so it's available for the kids. 

[![Yellow textured book cover with white outlined light bulbs, trails, and the text. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-13.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60420657-start-more-than-you-can-finish?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

# [Author vs. Illustrator](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/207609572-author-vs-illustrator?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Donald Lemke](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11231383.Donald%5FLemke?ref=simplykyra.com), [Designer Bob Lentz (illustrator)](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/48344381.Designer%5FBob%5FLentz?ref=simplykyra.com)

I almost didn't request this one on NetGalley but thought it would be adorable to read with the kids and it was perfect! I love how this book works as a good explanation for the definition of an author and illustrator while also being a fun entertaining look at this dueling duo! Entertained my eight and ten year old for a quick read while being informative to those that didn't know the terms too.

[![Two characters looking angry at each other with the text above coming off the page.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-14.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/207609572-author-vs-illustrator?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

# [Sunderworld, Vol. I: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210655737-sunderworld-vol-i?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Ransom Riggs](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3046613.Ransom%5FRiggs?ref=simplykyra.com)

I absolutely adored this book especially the unique feeling premise and the characters. Loved how the two worlds blended and merged and would love to follow along with more books to continue the story. Another unique read.

[![Cover looks like an old VHS with the title as a label and a sticker.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-15.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210655737-sunderworld-vol-i?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

# [Promise Me Sunshine](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214269328-promise-me-sunshine?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Cara Bastone](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19304329.Cara%5FBastone?ref=simplykyra.com)

I was reading this book when I started compiling this list and absolutely adored it even though, at that time, I was only halfway through. I'd listened to some of [Cara Bastone](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19304329.Cara%5FBastone?ref=simplykyra.com)'s books before but absolutely loved this slow-burn romance while offering a primer on how you or someone you know may deal with grief. I've since finished it and knew it needed to be included. 

[![Two people on a ferry looking out at Ellis island while the sun rises... or sets.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Image-36.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214269328-promise-me-sunshine?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

# [The Lightning Bottles](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/207294976-the-lightning-bottles?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Marissa Stapley](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7382096.Marissa%5FStapley?ref=simplykyra.com)

I went into this book not knowing what to expect and absolutely adored it. The book was sad, happy, and so hard to put down. So glad I came across this book.

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-16.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/207294976-the-lightning-bottles?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

# [Lucy Undying](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203608430-lucy-undying?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Kiersten White](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3027554.Kiersten%5FWhite?ref=simplykyra.com)

Oh my gosh! I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. I somehow didn't realize it was a vampire book and forgot I had it for a bit but once I started I couldn't put it down and it was incredible. I love the way it was laid out, how the scenes change, all the characters, and everything. This gothic fantasy was perfection.

[![Neck marked person looking over her shoulder at the supposed camera with bats around.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-9.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203608430-lucy-undying?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

# [Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65215677-exit-interview?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Kristi Coulter](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17267113.Kristi%5FCoulter?ref=simplykyra.com)

I came across [Kristi Coulter](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17267113.Kristi%5FCoulter?ref=simplykyra.com) when listening to the podcast [It Gets Late Early](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/it-gets-late-early-ageism-in-the-workplace/id1676637848?i=1000652608601&ref=simplykyra.com) in April and realized immediately that I needed to listen to this book. This "candid, intensely funny memoir of ambition, gender, and a grueling decade inside Amazon" was a must listen to and I'm so glad I stumbled across it. 

[![An amazon box filled with desk clutter, a plant, wine, and a wine glass. A stapler sits in front. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-12.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65215677-exit-interview?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

# [Nine Tailed](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201367702-nine-tailed?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Jayci Lee](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19450142.Jayci%5FLee?ref=simplykyra.com)

I’ve read several of [Jayci Lee](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19450142.Jayci%5FLee?ref=simplykyra.com) other books and loved all of them so I bought this ebook when it first came out, set it aside to savor, forgot about it, and then found it on NetGalley. I’m not mad that I both bought and requested this book as it immediately pulled me in and I couldn’t put it down. The book is listed as the first in [Realm of Four Kingdoms](https://www.goodreads.com/series/388173-realm-of-four-kingdoms?ref=simplykyra.com) so I'm excited to be able to continue the story whenever the next one comes out.

# [](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203578730-a-song-to-drown-rivers?ref=simplykyra.com)

[![A nine-tailed fox lands from behind the text above the mountains.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-21.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201367702-nine-tailed?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

# [Eruption](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200742602-eruption?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Michael Crichton](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5194.Michael%5FCrichton?ref=simplykyra.com), [James Patterson](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3780.James%5FPatterson?ref=simplykyra.com)

[](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200742602-eruption?ref=simplykyra.com#CommunityReviews)I binged so many of Michael Crichton's books when I was younger so I was so excited to hear that [Eruption](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200742602-eruption?ref=simplykyra.com) was being released but was also cautious as I was disappointed when [Pirate Latitudes](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6428887-pirate-latitudes?from%5Fsearch=true&from%5Fsrp=true&qid=tqtqCKvuFe&rank=1&ref=simplykyra.com) came out posthumously. This book did not let me down at all and was quintessential [Michael Crichton](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5194.Michael%5FCrichton?ref=simplykyra.com)! 

[![A volcanic eruption is seen behind the text.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-20.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200742602-eruption?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

The funny part of this book was that I'd never read [James Patterson](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3780.James%5FPatterson?ref=simplykyra.com) before yet have a friend who is the opposite: binged [James Patterson](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3780.James%5FPatterson?ref=simplykyra.com) and hadn't read [Michael Crichton](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5194.Michael%5FCrichton?ref=simplykyra.com). We book clubbed this book together and both noticed so many features of our favorite author in the book and felt it was perfect to that author. I guess this shows it was the perfect medley regardless which one you have more experience with.... and now I'm curious how it would read if you're a fan of both authors... or even neither. If that's you I'd love your opinion in the comments below. 

# [The Story Collector](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205899692-the-story-collector?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Evie Gaughan](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7276497.Evie%5FGaughan?ref=simplykyra.com), [Evie Woods](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/37272748.Evie%5FWoods?ref=simplykyra.com)

I love stories that jump between two different times and this sweet story didn't disappoint. I had trouble putting it down and finished it unfortunately quickly. The perfect story as is though I’d also love to follow along on their adventures a bit longer if I could.

[![A bookshelf behind opened doors.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-34.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205899692-the-story-collector?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

# [Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33146881-pandora-s-lab?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Paul A. Offit](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/334841.Paul%5FA%5FOffit?ref=simplykyra.com)

I found the audio version of this book and loved following along with the seven stories of how science went wrong. I especially love how it was correlated to current tech that may also be a future *oh no*. A great listen.

[![A green test tube on a white background with a skull and vile scientific oops coming out.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-33.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33146881-pandora-s-lab?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

## [](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203578730-a-song-to-drown-rivers?ref=simplykyra.com)

# [Dark Space](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209528315-dark-space?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Rob Hart](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6525349.Rob%5FHart?ref=simplykyra.com), [Alex Segura](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5364666.Alex%5FSegura?ref=simplykyra.com)

I haven't read anything by [Alex Segura](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5364666.Alex%5FSegura?ref=simplykyra.com) before but especially loved reading [Rob Hart's](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6525349.Rob%5FHart?ref=simplykyra.com) books (adored [The Warehouse](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45885120-the-warehouse?ref=simplykyra.com) and [The Paradox Hotel](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58175765-the-paradox-hotel?ref=simplykyra.com)) so knew I needed to read this book. I absolutely loved reading this "sweeping sci-fi spy thriller", had trouble putting it down, and would love to continue the story if there's ever a sequel. Epic and amazing!

[![A spaceship flies upward in front of yellow tall text over a space and planet background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-24.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209528315-dark-space?ref=simplykyra.com)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 19th, 2024 from Goodreads.

---

## Update: Simply TBR

Since writing this, I've built an app so I can see all my ebooks, audiobooks, and physical books in one place. Simply TBR makes it so much easier to see my TBR, browse it, and keeps track of what's next without turning it into another list I lose. [Learn more about it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-tbr/), or [check it out on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com) directly.

---

And with that my personal favorite books from this past year are done. I'll leave you with a question... what book(s) have you read that you can't stop thinking about? Also what book(s) on here did you already read and also love? Feel free to share in the comments below. And regardless of anything I hope you’re having a great day.

Additionally, if you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Pilates: My Favorite Thing!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pilates-my-favorite-thing/
Last updated: 2025-01-02T17:56:42.000Z
I posted about Pilates years ago, in both [2018](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pilates-with-robin-long/) and [2020](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/free-at-home-workouts-to-de-stress/#the-balanced-life-pilates-with-robin-long), but lately I've been finding that I want a more up to date post to better refer people and share the awesome-ness of Pilates. I figured no time like the present and so without any further ado... Pilates!

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Pilates-My-Favorite-Thing-----pinterest.png)

---

## TLDR

I got into Pilates and learned to workout with consistency using [Lindywell](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822); an at home on demand membership. If you're interested in Pilates I truly recommend it and all you need to do to get started is to use the videos and have a soft floor or mat to do it on. If interested here is my referral code (full disclosure I get a $20 credit to go towards my own renewal if you use it): 

[Click here to get $20 off your initial membership with Lindywell](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822)

## Pilates' History 

Joseph Pilates created, what he called *Contrology,* during World War I in an internment camp on the Isle of Man. He later moved to New York where he taught to many students who, after he died, continued the practice under the name *Pilates* in his honor. These students included many ballerinas who over time moved away from the more gym-like atmosphere he originally taught Contrology in. Additionally, with both the fact that time has past and that the Pilates trademark was overturned means Pilates has expanded to having multiple legit forms (*classical* according to Joseph Pilates versus *contemporary* with updated moves) and many spin-off Pilates-style versions. 

[Pilates Trademark Lawsuit - Pilates Lawsuit - Balanced Body IncLearn about the Pilates Trademark Lawsuit and how Balanced Body Inc fought for the name Pilates to no longer be a trademarked term. Read the full story now.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-5.ico)Balanced Body Inc![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/going-green-hero@1x.png)](https://www.pilates.com/the-pilates-lawsuit/?ref=simplykyra.com)

There are many accountings of this history both online and in books so I will simply leave you with a link to a book I once read by one of his students. It's a combo memoir of the author John Howard Steel and his view of Joseph Pilates. 

[Caged Lion: Joseph Pilates and His LegacyThe surprising story of Pilates—the man and the method.…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-3.ico)GoodreadsJohn Howard Steel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/53539554.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53539554-caged-lion?ref=simplykyra.com)

Plus as I was typing this I figured I'd look up an opinion on classical (according to what Joseph Pilates taught) and contemporary (the variations added over the years) and found these:

> [What are the actual differences between classical and contemporary Pilates?](https://www.reddit.com/r/pilates/comments/vrhp01/what%5Fare%5Fthe%5Factual%5Fdifferences%5Fbetween%5Fclassical/?ref=simplykyra.com)  
> by [u/wellnessbynorah](https://www.reddit.com/user/wellnessbynorah/?ref=simplykyra.com) in [pilates](https://www.reddit.com/r/pilates/?ref=simplykyra.com) 

This reddit thread has several opinions.

![You can generate this yourself with: https://kagi.com/search?q=What+are+the+actual+differences+between+classical+and+contemporary+Pilates%3F](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/01/compressed_Screenshot-2025-01-02-at-08.03.14.png)

Here are the curated search results from a [Kagi search](https://kagi.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) showing the difference. This was generated on January 2nd, 2025.

## My History 

I came across Pilates many years ago with a set of 10 minute Pilates on VCR but I didn't get into it very much then. In university I enjoyed a kickboxing class in my last year and then switched to a [FemSport](https://www.instagram.com/femsport%5Fathletics/?ref=simplykyra.com) style class in my city's recreation center. Both were only a weekly classes that was easily skippable if you didn't feel like it and I although I adored Zumba on my Kinect and attempted TurboFire for one month my workouts weren't too consistent. Once my kids were born I mostly stopped working out beyond taking them on walks, playgrounds, and the like. As such, I was looking for something back in 2018 when I got an ad for the *Mind Body Pilates* challenge through Lindywell (then called The Balanced Life). 

A quick aside: I am not trained in Pilates. I am not a teacher. I am only a student through Lindywell (classes, online community, podcast) and, within the last year, joining a Pilates studio. 

## Lindywell

Since joining Lindywell (originally The Balanced Life) in 2018 I've loved their Facebook group, used the recipes, bought her [book](https://lindywell.com/product/well-to-the-core-hardcover-book/?ref=simplykyra.com), switched to a newly upgraded app, cheered when she added new instructors, saw her rebrand to [Lindywell](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822), and was thrilled when she started her podcast [Well to The Core](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/well-to-the-core/id1466283984?ref=simplykyra.com). For more information about Lindywell you can check out their [Instagram page here](https://www.instagram.com/wearelindywell/?ref=simplykyra.com) plus I've included my referral code [here](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822) in case you want $20 off your initial membership.

[Refer a Friend: You get $20 off your initial membership and I get $20 in credit for my renewal!](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822)

### Getting Started

I'm so glad I clicked on the ad as I loved the challenge, joined what was then called *The Balanced Life*, adored the sisterhood community on Facebook, and never looked back. In fact I loved it so much that when the next challenge came along I shared it on my website [here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pilates-with-robin-long/).

[Pilates with Robin LongI stumbled across an ad for Robin Long’s Pilates challenge and I’m so glad I did. Links to free videos and code to get into her Sisterhood while it’s closed.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-34.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0319-e1538688495615.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pilates-with-robin-long/)

Later on in 2018 when she offered a **Back to the Mat* challenge I blogged about [it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pilates-with-robin-long/).

### Mindset

Her grace over guilt mindset along with the positive messages portrayed in the videos meant I found myself wanting to work out in front of my kids hoping they would listen and bring some of that information in. This was the complete opposite of other at home videos I'd tried before with their *beach body ready* messaging. 

![Collage of ten phone backgrounds and two desktop backgrounds taken from Lindywell.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Pilates-Post---Image-Lindywell.png)

In the monthly newsletter there's one background (for phone or desktop) that I've been sometimes saving over the years. Here are some of them showing what type of messaging Lindywell shares.

### Community 

Back before Lindywell rebranded they had a Facebook *sisterhood* group that has since been renamed to [We are Lindywell with Robin Long](https://www.facebook.com/groups/wearelindywell/). It's a great group to be involved in that's so helpful to crowdsource second opinions in and ask for help. Plus it's amazing to cheer on people when they've returned to the mat, are working on a streak, of mastered a difficult exercise.

![Image shows me attempting a side plank at a beach in California. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/01/compressed_IMG_0319.jpg)

Another pro with Robin Long was the community with a Facebook **sisterhood* that celebrated when you learned a new move and included a **sisterhood of the traveling side planks*. Image from [my original Pilates post from 2018 here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/pilates-with-robin-long/).

### Assigned Calendar

Lindywell supplies a calendar you can download or view through the app for great default workouts. Each month she releases a longer 25 to 35 minute video that's scheduled every Thursday. This is the only repeated workout each month and gives you time to master it before the next month. On Tuesdays you get one of the previous longer workouts while on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays you're assigned one of the shorter 10 to 20 minute workouts. These shorter ones were normally released as extra workouts or came from previous challenge sets. The weekends are left empty so you can rest or catch up... whatever you prefer. 

![Image of last month's workout calendar (December 2024). ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/01/compressed_Screenshot-2025-01-02-at-07.50.49.png)

![Image of last month's workout calendar (January 2025). ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/01/compressed_Screenshot-2025-01-02-at-08.41.05.png)

Here are last month's and this month's calendars to show you the general workouts you could expect.

### Props - Required

The great part of the online membership is that you don't need much to get a great workout and progress in Pilates. I started with only my yoga mat on the rug and over time, once I moved to hard flooring, replaced it with a thicker Pilates mat. The main thing is you want to be sure your spine is supported. That said, if you're surface is too hard there are several standing workouts that you could do while waiting for a better solution to be delivered.

### Props - Optional

There are the odd videos that included more props so over time I added a few more things to my at home workout area. These included:

- a foam roller
- pilates ball (or slightly deflated kid's ball)
- tennis ball (or similar)
- magic circle
- towel (small blanket) prop in some workouts and useful under your back when learning the rollup
- 1-3 lb light weights (or two similarly sized cans or the like) again prop in some workouts and useful to hold when learning the rollup
- kitchen chair (stool, counter) for help balancing for some videos and especially for any barre workouts (also in the app)

![Image shows a pilates mat on a kids car mat with a foam roller, yoga block, magic circle, and two sizes of hand weights laid out on it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_IMG_4900.jpeg)

I started out with a yoga mat and yoga block that I had bought when I was pregnant and later added a pilates mat (thicker), a foam roller, magic circle, and weights. With these I was more than good for these videos and had the supplies for several other YouTube workouts when I wanted a change.

### Consistency 

Both the mindset and the sisterhood community on Facebook helped me to start working out more consistently and then increased how often I worked out. 

![Me following along with a chair doing the workout.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_IMG_4890.JPG)

I found I started working out consistently made easier by the fact that I wanted the girls to see me workout instead of hiding it for when they were sleeping or out of the house.

With the monthly calendar I had a goal on what I wanted to accomplish each month. This meant that I made a point to, after playdates, give the kids a simple snack to entertain them and got on my mat immediately. Or if we stayed home that day I looked for the first opportunity when both girls were happy and entertained. There was a lot of pausing during the videos but I managed to check off each workout on the printed out calendar. When starting out and on busier months that was all I did and it was enough... as time went on; however, I started mixing up the calendar based on how I felt and went beyond it with additional workouts from the included workout library and eventually adding other workouts I found online. 

![Image shows a Lindywell calendar page for May 2024. There are six workouts left to do for the month and the rest are marked off showing what day I did them on.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_IMG_3534.jpeg)

I started out printing out each monthly calendar then later, when I bought my reMarkable, sending them to my device to mark them off electronically. By then I mixed it up based on how I felt so I marked each finished one with the day I did it and adding an A and B if I did more that one on that day (part a/1 and b/2).

[Free At Home Workouts To De-StressAre you looking for a way to let off steam but you’re stuck inside? Are you feeling antsy. Why not look into one of these free online workouts?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-33.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_4890-scaled.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/free-at-home-workouts-to-de-stress/)

As I increased the time I worked out I started looking for more sources online beyond completing the calendar. This allowed me to have a self-care plan in place when the world shut down and allowed me to share these options back in 2020 with all of you.

Since then I've gone on to workout most days listening to my body and simply doing a stretch workout if I'm not feeling the greatest. If my kids or I have issues I offer to look for a workout video that may help solve it. Pilates has become my default and anything else beyond that is extra. I've come to the place where it's weirder to not workout than to workout so I found myself adding in a quick at home workout on Christmas morning and other days.

### Will You Learn?

With the consistency I learned and over the years found when I tried paddle boarding, took a windsurfing class, and had the opportunity to snowboard I found it much easier than it would've been because I did Pilates consistently. In fact this past summer when a local studio opened up near me offering group reformer classes I jumped at the chance to try it. I'm so glad I did as with what I learned through Lindywell over the years I was able to join with ease and keep up. In fact I think I'm excelling and I've had a couple people tell me they check on what I'm doing when they get lost. The highest of compliments!

![Image shows my 100 in person classes on the left and a morning sunrise through the trees on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/01/compressed_Screenshot-Pilates-My-Favorite-Thing----Image-In-Studio.png)

Although I adore, and kept active, my at home Lindywell membership I love the opportunity to get outside and do in person classes too.

### You Can Do It Whenever and Wherever!

A great thing about online memberships like this are the workout videos are available whenever you want them with nothing penalizing you if you canceled last minute (sick kids always take you off schedule) but also nothing is holding you back if you want to do more. Even though, lately, I've been taking advantage of in person classes at my local studio I still keep this membership active and find I reach for it whenever I'm unable to go to the studio for whatever reason. In the last month alone I used it from my bedroom when the studio was closed on Christmas Day, did a standing workout in a hotel bathroom while my family slept, and did it in my living room both yesterday when my schedule conflicted with the studio's and a couple weeks ago when we both lost power... that time I was especially happy the Lindywell app allowed me to download my workouts for later as the internet was down too. 

### The App

Lindywell has an app with the workout calendar, option to download the workout (perfect when you're traveling or your power and cell service goes down), workout library, multiple Pilates instructors, a breath work section with [Kiesha](https://www.instagram.com/kieshayokers/?ref=simplykyra.com), and even recipes. One of the instructors, [Kaita](https://www.instagram.com/kaitamrazek/?ref=simplykyra.com), even includes fascia-related workout videos and whenever my knees are bugging me I both love and hate this one: *Pilates + Fascia Flow: Happy Knees*. 

![Collage of five screenshots taken from the Lindywell app. All taken on December 31st 2024. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Pilates-Post---Image-Lindywell-App.png)

All images in this collage showing the app were taken on December 31st 2024.

### What If You're Not Sure

In addition to everything above she's also come out with a podcast, book, and has some of her videos on YouTube. The [podcast](https://lindywell.com/podcast/?ref=simplykyra.com) and [YouTube videos](https://www.youtube.com/@wearelindywell?ref=simplykyra.com) are free and you could check your local library for [the book](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123185837-well-to-the-core?ref=simplykyra.com) so these are a perfect way to check out the mindset of Lindywell and if it aligns with what you want.

[Podcast - LindywellReal conversations about true wellness with podcast host, Robin Long Get practical tips from top wellness experts to be resilient, vibrant and strong at every age, and in every season. Curated with busy women in mind, episodes are less than 30 minutes—so you can get daily wellness hacks while you commute, walk or enjoy your \[…\]![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/cropped-pear-270x270-1.png)Lindywell![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/LW-Podcast-cover-well-tothe-core-1024x1024.jpg)](https://lindywell.com/podcast/?ref=simplykyra.com)

[Lindywell, Pilates + Balanced Living by Robin LongOur new Pilates for Beginners series is here! Get 5 FREE Pilates workouts sent directly to your inbox when you sign up. Not trial or membership required. Imagine no more guilt, shame or stress about working out. You will create a sustainable workout routine that you actually enjoy - in just 15 a day! It’s not too late to join! CLICK HERE TO JOIN: https://hubs.la/Q01XvkwY0![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon_144x144-1.png)YouTube![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/jORpdoypr89X2dHWO0RJktUwLw6eUvZRG4AjAm1B2rRsdwGi-_8fiDQqp1c6FalDtD-Bu6Wn9pg-s900-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj-1)](https://www.youtube.com/@wearelindywell?ref=simplykyra.com)

[Well to the Core: A Realistic, Guilt-Free Approach to G…You deserve to feel good―not just in your body, but in …![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/favicon-4.ico)GoodreadsRobin Long![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/123185837.jpg)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123185837-well-to-the-core?ref=simplykyra.com)

### Going Forward

I'm now feeling stronger than ever! Plus I wanted to share that this month, January 2025, marks ten years since Robin first started her memberships so she's re-recorded her first video (just tried it yesterday) and is offering a *10 in 10 series* (haven't had the chance to try it yet) along with a celebrations to mark this milestone! I can't wait to see what comes along next! 

---

I'm so glad I came across Lindywell and wanted to share it with you. Feel free to use my referral code if you want to try Lindywell as you'll get $20 off you initial membership:

[Refer a Friend: You get $20 off your initial membership and I get $20 in credit for my renewal!](https://lindywell.com/friend/?ref=14822)

![Image shows me sitting on the edge of a glass bench on the Seattle Space Needle with my legs up. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/01/compressed_IMG_2239-2.jpeg)

Just hanging! Considered doing a side blank for the **sisterhood of the traveling side plank* but seemed a bit scary at that moment. 

And regardless, I hope you're having a great day! Happy New Year! And here's to your 2025!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Blanca Lake in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/blanca-lake-in-the-mt-baker-snoqualmie-national-forest/
Last updated: 2024-12-22T15:37:27.000Z
I hiked to Blanca Lake from it's trailhead back at the beginning of August 2024 and took so many amazing photos that I wanted to share some of them with you in case you'd also love to come along on this adventure. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_Blanca-Lake-in-the-Mt.-Baker-Snoqualmie-National-Forest----pinterest.jpg)

---

## **Good to Know**

### Pass

Blanca Lake is part of the [Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest](https://www.fs.usda.gov/mbs?ref=simplykyra.com) and requires either a Northwest Forest Pass (valid in Washington and Oregon) or a National Park Pass. It doesn't accept the Washington Discover pass and you can no longer purchase the required passes at the Blanca Lake trailhead directly which we had assumed we could do. Luckily, there was a poster showing what was accepted at the trailhead and we happened to have one of the other options on hand. 

![Photo of two signs on wood billboard showing passes accepted and where to buy them.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_QAwGf.jpeg)

Photo of the trailhead sign showing the passes accepted, the pass not accepted, and a map of the closest physical places to purchase them.

Looking online on the listed [Discover NW website](https://www.discovernw.org/recreation-passes.html?ref=simplykyra.com) I see you can purchase the annual pass if you have time to wait for it to be mailed to you or, if not, you can purchase a day pass (for Washington and Oregon only) if you know when and where you're going and have access to print it out yourself.

### Connectivity

If going I wanted to mention that we lost cellphone reception before arriving so make sure you have your plan in place, required maps downloaded or printed, and pass ready before arriving.

### Driving There

Depending what map service you use we were directed to the wrong location and had do a u-turn and find our way back. Fortunately I had downloaded [the AllTrails map](https://www.alltrails.com/ar/trail/us/washington/blanca-lake-trail?ref=simplykyra.com) that showed the general roads around the trail and I was able to confirm where we should go to get to the trailhead.

![AllTrails screenshot showing the map where we went and where we should've turned.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5942.jpeg)

Took a screenshot of where the map dropped us off (marked with a circle). Instead we needed to turn left onto the gravel road. At that point, with the potholes, we were happy we brought a larger vehicle. I was also happy we didn't need to pass anyone on such a tight road.

### Parking

The parking lot itself is small enough that [Washington Trails Association](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/blanca-lake?ref=simplykyra.com) has the following warning on their [website](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/blanca-lake?ref=simplykyra.com):

> Consider visiting Blanca Lake on a weekday. There is parking available here for about 20 cars, but the lake's popularity, particularly on weekends, often results in far too many cars for the small lot and access road. Please park so that cars and horse trailers can get in and out of the lot.

### Facilities

There's a single vaulted toilet at the trailhead itself that, when I went, had toilet paper. Along the trail itself there were two spots that had a sign indicating a toilet along a new path but I never went out of my way to check them out and see what was offered. 

![Image of the single stall bathroom with bear-lidded garbage in front surrounded by trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5943.jpeg)

### Camping

There's no camping at Lake Blanca herself but there was a camping location we passed on the way there so camping is allowed though the fire danger is high. Based on [WTA](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/blanca-lake?ref=simplykyra.com):

> \[C\]amping within a half-mile of Blanca Lake is prohibited by Forest Service (as of May 1, 2021). Camping is allowed at Virgin Lake and on the ridge above Virgin Lake.

![Flat patch of dirt surrounded by vegetation, trees, mountains, and sky.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6251-1.jpeg)

### Bugs 

There were quite a few bugs on our way up so I was happy I wore a long sleeved shirt and even then felt the odd bite through my sleeves. There seemed to be less on our way back but not sure if that was because it was later in the day or if we were moving quicker heading back down than up.

### Activity Burn

In case it helps you decide here's my map and hike stats from AllTrails. We stopped to eat and take photos but overall the entire hike was logged at 8.17 miles with a moving time of 6 hours and 5 minutes and a total elevation gain of 3,399 feet. 

![Screenshot of my personal AllTrails stats from the hike.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_2024-08-04-at-13.37.38.png)

## **Blanca Lake Trail**

If you're looking to do this hike yourself here's [the link for Washington Trails Association (WTA)](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/blanca-lake?ref=simplykyra.com) and another version through [AllTrails](https://www.alltrails.com/ar/trail/us/washington/blanca-lake-trail?ref=simplykyra.com). Additionally all quotes used below were taking from the [WTA listing of the hike](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/blanca-lake?ref=simplykyra.com). 

[![Screenshot showing an image of the lake, name, and information.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_Screenshot-2024-08-04-at-14.52.11.png)](https://www.alltrails.com/ar/trail/us/washington/blanca-lake-trail?ref=simplykyra.com)

Screenshot of the [AllTrails Blanca Lake Trail page](https://www.alltrails.com/ar/trail/us/washington/blanca-lake-trail?ref=simplykyra.com) taken on August 4th, 2024.

[![Screenshot showing an image of the lake, name, and information.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_Screenshot-2024-08-04-at-14.53.15.png)](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/blanca-lake?ref=simplykyra.com)

Screenshot of [the Blanca Lake WTA page](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/blanca-lake?ref=simplykyra.com) taken on August 4th, 2024.

Now onto our adventure... in the order in which it was taken!

### Going Up

The hike starts in a forest offering shade with switchbacks allowing you to gain "a little under 3,000 feet in a little under 3 miles".

![Brown trail surrounded by green and trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5947.jpeg)

![Mountain with it's mouth appearing to be open.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5951.jpeg)

![Dew coated leaver, log, and moss among the trees. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5953.jpeg)

![Dew dripping mushroom on the tree trunk.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5954.jpeg)

![Green moss coated logs with trees behind.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5956.jpeg)

![Dew dripping mushroom on the tree trunk.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5959.jpeg)

![Brown trail surrounded by green and trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5961.jpeg)

![Moss trail amongst the trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5964-1.jpeg)

![Colors in the trunk stand out amongst the trees. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5966.jpeg)

![Brown trail under the trees. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5967.jpeg)

![Colors of the pin needles.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5968.jpeg)

![Trees reaching so high.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5971.jpeg)

![Trees reaching so high with mountain behind.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5973.jpeg)

![Growth amidst death.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5974.jpeg)

![Moss and other greens amidst the browns.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5975.jpeg)

![The dome of a spider web while it lays in wait.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5978.jpeg)

![Brown leads the way amongst the green.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5988.jpeg)

![The trail leads on.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5990.jpeg)

### Ridgeline

Here the trees open up allowing you to catch glimpses of the mountains and see Glacier Peak

![Tall trees stand out from the hill behind. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5992.jpeg)

![Each one stands tall when you reach the treeline.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5996.jpeg)

![Trees and mountains.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_5998.jpeg)

![Trees and mountains.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6001.jpeg)

![Trees stand dark against the snow.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6004.jpeg)

![Trees stand dark against the snow.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6005.jpeg)

![Sign in the middle of nowhere showing where we are... National Forest!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6012.jpeg)

![Me smiling at the camera in front of trees and mountains. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6022.jpeg)

### Virgin Lake

After hearing about Blanca Lake and seeing this lake's name I pictured something more than the stagnant water this contained; which apparently is composed of just snowmelt and rainwater. That said, it offered a nice break from the trees and I appreciated the brief descent before going up again.

![Vague hint of lake surrounded by green trees and blue sky. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6034.jpeg)

![Fallen log with lake and trees in background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6039.jpeg)

![Fallen logs in the lake with patterns of floating things. Surrounded by trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6043.jpeg)

### Back Up Then Down

After enjoying the Ridgeline we head back down "dropping 600 feet in 0.6 miles" before being gobsmacked at the prettiness of Blanca Lake.

![Trees framing mountain and blue sky.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6046.jpeg)

![Trees framing mountain and blue sky.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6049.jpeg)

![Trees framing mountain and blue sky.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6051.jpeg)

### Blanca Lake 

I can't say it better than [the WTA description](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/blanca-lake?ref=simplykyra.com):

> The lake is framed to the north by the peaks of Monte Cristo, Columbia, and Keyes. More than a few hikers have been known to gasp aloud when they round the corner and see the robin-egg blue waters. Above the lake, the Columbia Glacier drains via a twin waterfall into the vibrantly blue-colored water. It's the glacial till in the water that lends the lake its otherworldly color. 0.2 miles before the lakeshore, there is a nice viewpoint to take a perfect photo with Blanca Lake in the background. At the end of the trail lies a small beach full of driftwood, perfect for relaxing and enjoying the beauty that surrounds you.

![Trees, blue sky, fallen tree trunk, and sky framing the lake.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6054.jpeg)

![Trees, blue sky, fallen tree trunk, and sky framing the lake.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6056.jpeg)

![View of the lake with logs stopping you from the flowing current. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6060.jpeg)

![The water flowing out of the lake between the logs and trees. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6064.jpeg)

![Lake against rocks and logs suitable to eat on.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6067.jpeg)

![View from my lunch spot.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6068.jpeg)

![Looking down while eating at my feet above the water.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6076.jpeg)

![Glacier in the rocks between the sky and water.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6093.jpeg)

![Sitting on a log for a photo framed by the water and mountains.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6101.jpeg)

![Sitting on a log for a photo framed by the water and mountains.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6104.jpeg)

![Rocks and trees!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6112.jpeg)

![Looking at the mountains.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6145.jpeg)

![Looking at the camera framed by the water.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6148.jpeg)

![Looking at the camera framed by the water and flowers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6152.jpeg)

### Babbling Brook

If you go to the left you can hear water and it sounds like there should be a waterfall but you can't go far enough to confirm. That said, I loved the look and sound of the running water and found an old geological survey marker on the rock nearby. 

![Geological Survey mark by the flowing water.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6161.jpeg)

![River rushing out of the lake.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6165.jpeg)

![Another view by the rushing water now framed by trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6167.jpeg)

### Viewpoint

On the way to the lake access there's a viewpoint looking out over the lake. We skipped it on the way to the lake but took our time snapping photos there on the way back after we had eaten. 

![Selfie close to the viewpoint.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6170.jpeg)

![Trees by the lakes](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6175.jpeg)

![Photo by the water while sitting on the rocks.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6211.jpeg)

![Peaceful.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6213.jpeg)

### Return By Going Up

And since it's a there and back trail we had to do it all in reverse starting with going back up that "600 feet in 0.6 miles" trail. 

![Large trees!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6222.jpeg)

![Trees frame the mountains and sky.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6223.jpeg)

![Mile marker? in the tree.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6228.jpeg)

![So many bees on the flowers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6232.jpeg)

### Virgin Lake

I took the odd pause while walking by to check out new things I hadn't caught the first time around.

![Hint of lake reflecting the trees and sky above.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6236.jpeg)

![Love the pattern on the water now that I don't expect gorgeousness.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6240.jpeg)

### Only Descent Left

And with the ascent to get out of the Virgin Lake basin and onto the Ridgeline done it was all downhill from there. And bonus the bugs didn't seem as bad on the way back though I'm not sure if that was time of day or we were moving quicker on the way down.

![Snow covered mountain peeking above the tree covered ridge.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6247.jpeg)

![Trees along the path with the sky and the mountains.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6249.jpeg)

![Love the trees so much!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_6253.jpeg)

And with that the hike was over and I bid you adieu on this adventure. I hope these photos found you well and you're having a great day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simply Customize It Update: Bug Fix and Small Additions
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-update-bug-fix-and-small-additions/
Last updated: 2024-12-19T00:12:26.000Z
*Just released version 1.0.7 for distribution on both iOS and macOS!*

Yesterday morning when creating a new custom template through the browse view I found a bug that created many templates, when I pressed the add template button, until I chose to force the app to quit. I knew I needed to fix this ASAP as I didn't want anyone else to have to deal with this issue. 

While fixing this bug I was running the Mac version of Simply Customize It but found I had to keep switching to my phone to more easily delete all the wrongly created templates. This was troublesome and annoying so I added the "Delete All" button, for each browse, to the Mac app. Since the Mac doesn't support the edit button, used on the iOS version, I moved the button to the bottom, under the list, in both versions so as to not be in the way. Other than the moved button nothing changed in the iOS version while the Mac version now acts similarly with a constantly visible button.

![When you press edit the button to delete all the items has been moved from the top to the bottom of the screen.  It still works the same with a confirmation just in case it was pressed by mistake. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-Update-Version-1.0.7---Image-2.png)

![The browse forms on the Mac also now have the “Delete All” button. The button is always visible at the bottom of the screen  and, like with iOS, you still have to confirm the deletion.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-Update-Version-1.0.7---Image4.png)

While working on the bug I noticed a minor issue where my test data no longer had the `Custom` category set so any newly created templates had to have the category manually set. I think this happened earlier when the `Custom` category was deleted and since no one seemed to have noticed the original bug yet as I had no emails sent to my account I decided to quickly add the ability to set, remove, or change the default category for all the newly created templates. This way I could fix my test data and, if this happened to someone else, they could also easily do the same and/or just use it to update which default category they want to use. 

With this update you just need to go into your device and edit it to change the defaulted category or categories. You can set no default category so any newly created templates will need to have their category manually set when created or you can set the device to a single default category or even multiple ones. Previously, when a new device was created, I defaulted the chosen new template category to `Custom` making it simpler to find your custom templates without taking up too much room on your reMarkable menu bar. 

![When you look at or edit your device you can now set the   default category assigned to any newly created templates. This can be set to none, one, or multiple categories. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-Update-Version-1.0.7---Image.png)

![The same ability is available on the Mac too! ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-Update-Version-1.0.7---Image3.png)

An easy example of a template with multiple categories is `Blank` that shows up under each category choice. Back when I first experimented with this I realized if you set no category on a template the reMarkable would still show it but only if you went under "all". I decided that wouldn't do and so made the template's category required in the app and haven't tried it again since.

---

And that's the app update! If you have any questions, a feature you want added, or whatever you can share a comment here or reach out to me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It:%20Update). I hope you're having a great day!
### Simply Customize It Update: PNG Image Resizing on macOS
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-update-png-image-resizing-on-macos/
Last updated: 2024-12-17T17:47:54.000Z
*Just released version 1.0.6 for distribution on both iOS and macOS!*

Recently it came to my attention that the image dimensions were off in the macOS app. I realized that the image itself was uploaded fine but the `NSImage` used when calculating the current dimensions were wrong. I fixed it to show the proper image size by switching to using `CIImage` instead. This turned out great as, through this, I realized I could add `PNG` image resizing to the macOS app! This `PNG` image resizing will work in portrait or landscape mode while essentially squishing (not cropping) the image to fit the target device size. 

![Image shows the PNG image resize popup asking to resize.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_2024-12-13-at-17.22.03.png)

That said, you will want the image to be in portrait mode before uploading to your reMarkable for it to fit. 

![Screen view is shown with both a horizontal image (left) and vertical image (right). In the center you see the resulting image on the reMarkable 2 once uploaded.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/11/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-Update-for-Templates-JSON-File----Image3.jpg)

It's also been brought to my attention that someone was using the category display to edit the templates under that category. Although clickable and possible I hadn't fully realized it would be used in that way so the list wasn't refreshing when a template was deleted. Although the template name and information is still not currently refreshing when edited the list now reflects any deletions and, by request, there's a button to add a new template to this currently selected category now! This is now available in both macOS and iOS. 

![Image shows the close together templates options in the center and the newly added "Add template" button on the right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/compressed_2024-12-13-at-17.20.36.png)

While working on this update I've also made the icons in the center pane closer together for ease of scrolling and also moved the `SVG` image editor to be ahead of the `PNG` one when editing templates to match the layout in the template display. The template display itself was updated last time as the reMarkable seems to now work with only `SVG` images though the reMarkable still shows the `PNG` image when the `SVG` image can't be found. 

[Update: Which Version of the reMarkable’s Templates Are Emailed Out?Back during the summer of 2022 I tested which image type was used when you export or view a reMarkable notebook page. Recently, I redid the experiment and found the results had changed. Here they are!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-18.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Copy-of-Which-Version-of-the-reMarkable-s-Templates-Are-Emailed-Out----Graph-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/update-which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/)

If you want more information about the SVG being defaulted to over the PNG you can check this test that matches the current results when run again with 3.16.

---

And that's the app update! Minor but hopefully helpful to you. If you have any questions, a feature you want added, or whatever you can share a comment here or reach out to me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It:%20Update). I hope you're having a great day!
### Our Simple and Adorable Kitchen Snowperson
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-simple-and-adorable-kitchen-snowperson/
Last updated: 2024-12-08T16:00:57.000Z
Last year I used wrapping paper, computer printouts, markers, and masking tape to make the most adorable snowperson on our fridge. I'm so glad I made it as seeing it made me smile so much over the remaining winter season and I ended up putting off taking down the snowperson until late spring. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Our-Simple-and-Adorable-Kitchen-Snowperson----Pinterest.jpg)

---

I vaguely remember having seen a snowman decorated fridge pop up occasionally on social media every once in a while where I smiled, debated recreating it, and then kept scrolling. This past year when I came across it I realized I now did in fact have a white fridge and this year was the time to do it. Looking back I'm so glad I did as, funny story, the following summer our fridge broke so that year was are only "snow coated" fridge chance making me especially happy that I took advantage of this idea last year. 

## Planning

### Inspiration

Once I decided to do this I immediately jumped on the computer to look for ideas. 

![Grid of fridge photos all with snowmen on them.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-2023-12-19-at-15.47.26.png)

Started with a general search of snowman fridges and then narrowed it down.

### Gather the Parts

Looking back, if I were to do it again, I can see cutting the parts out of construction paper but we didn't have any on hand so I didn't think of that and instead looked up printable versions of the parts I wanted. Specifically, I found my results by searching the image section of [Duck Duck Go](https://duckduckgo.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) for "large snowmen eye printable".

Depending on the website of the found part I either took a screenshot or downloaded the image. I then went into [Preview, on my Mac (link to Apple support),](https://support.apple.com/guide/preview/crop-resize-or-rotate-an-image-prvw2015/mac?ref=simplykyra.com) to crop it to the specific section of the image I wanted. 

**Mouth**

The link I took the following screenshot from last year no longer works but it does link to Mommy Made That [Free Snowman Template Printables](https://www.mommymadethat.com/snowman-templates/?ref=simplykyra.com) and I've since found [the direct image link for you here](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3d/b6/49/3db649b115066475ec7f0654de1e3404.jpg?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows a screenshot of the image on a white background with text under explaining it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-2023-12-18-at-8.14.26-AM.png)

Screenshot taken from [https://print.hpeasystart.com](https://print.hpeasystart.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) on December 18th, 2023 no longer works but in links to Mommy Made That [Free Snowman Template Printables](https://www.mommymadethat.com/snowman-templates/?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Screenshot of the search results in in Preview with the thumbnails open and a dotted rectangle around the mouth. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-2023-12-19-at-07.43.40.png)

There was no easy download link so I took a screenshot, opened it in Preview, and used my mouse to encircle the mouth. 

![The Preview app now shows just the mouth with part of an orange circle nose above it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-2023-12-19-at-07.44.11.png)

Using cmd + k I cropped the image to just the mouth. Closing the app saves the image overwriting the old one. 

**Eyes**

I liked the eyes in the above photo but also wanted something more. I ended up finding these adorable heart filled eyes on [this page (gridget.com)](https://www.gridgit.com/snowman-eyes-template-printable%5F109/?ref=simplykyra.com) with the [direct link to the image here](https://www.gridgit.com/cdn/2019/01/lovely-snowman-eyes-template-printable.jpg?ref=simplykyra.com). 

[![Image shows a snow pace with text and downloading option buttons underneath. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-2023-12-18-at-8.15.28-AM.png)](https://www.gridgit.com/snowman-eyes-template-printable%5F109/?ref=simplykyra.com)

Screenshot taken from [gridget.com](https://www.gridgit.com/snowman-eyes-template-printable%5F109/?ref=simplykyra.com) on December 18th, 2023.

**Nose**

Although the above photo includes an adorable carrot nose we have a black and white laser printer so I decided rather than print a grey one to instead postpone making it a bit longer and make it myself.

**Scarf**

Like the nose the scarf was also a later task since I planned to make it somehow with Christmas wrapping paper. 

## Making It

I kept this plan a secret and was going to do it while the kids were at school to truly surprise them but life got busy and although I had the pieces ready I never got around to plugging in the printer and starting the process until after the kids got out of school for the break. That said, once I decided to actually start the process it didn't take too long and although Ada caught me cleaning the magnets off the fridge (had to stop and snap photos so they remembered what it looked like before I could continue) she didn't ask what I was doing. When I truly started the girls were distracted playing Goat Simulator 3 next to the kitchen and somehow, no idea how, they didn't notice what I was doing and were surprised when they saw the finished fridge. 

### Prepping the Pieces

With the pieces prepped, procrastination completed, the black parts printed, and the fridge cleaned off it was time to get the snowperson going.

**Eyes and Mouth**

The eyes and mouth were simple as all I needed to do was cut them out following the black edges. Also, since the fridge was white I left the heart inside the eyes as is. That said, I could also see cutting out the heart if you so desire. 

**Nose**

For the nose I took a piece of leftover paper from the first parts and cut a triangle out of it making sure to add rounded ridges along the length. I grabbed two different shades of orange markers and colored it in. 

![Image shows the cut out eyes and mouth, the wrapping paper, markers, and cut the paper carrot.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3328.jpeg)

I started by cutting out the carrot using leftover paper...

![Image shows the cut out eyes and mouth, the wrapping paper, markers, and the colored orange paper carrot.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3329.jpeg)

before coloring it making sure to connect the edges of the ridges. 

**Scarf**

For the scarf I chose a lined wrapping paper to help contribute to a knitted look. After cutting two equal stripes from the end of the roll and confirming they were in fact long enough I felt good to go. 

### Making the Snowperson

I attached several pieces of rolled up masking tape pieces, making sure the outside was sticky, to the back of the nose, mouth, and eyes. I then carefully placed the mouth, nose, and then eyes to the fridge making sure to press firmly on each piece to make sure it was attached firmly. 

With the face on the fridge the next step was the scarf. I started by attaching one end of the first strip to the inner side of the fridge door at an angle. I next added rolled up pieces of masking tape to the underside of the paper until I was in the center area where I then folded the paper several times to get it going down, secured it under the folds, and called this half of the scarf done. 

![Image shows the angled side of the wrapping paper scarf. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3342.jpeg)

I angled the first piece and taped it down like the other face pieces. 

![Image shows half of a scarf in place and apparently defying gravity. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3343.jpeg)

When I got to below the mouth I folded it back and forth until the end dangled down then used tape to hold it in place.

The second side of the scarf was a bit harder as I worried the angle would be wrong and it wouldn't look right. As such I placed it angled against the scarf on the fridge, followed the strip to the outer edge of the fridge, and folded the angle in place. I then added tape to the back, carefully attached it in place, and continually added more rolled up tape until I got below the mouth area again. At that point I added folds until it was reaching down at an angle before taping it all into place. 

![Image shows the underside of the second strip with the fold angling the end and tape holding it in place.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3345.jpeg)

After folding the proper angle in place I added some rolled up tape and carefully reattached it at the proper angle to the fridge. 

![Image shows the second strip hiding the folds of the first but the second strip fully visible. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3346.jpeg)

Once the two strips met I angled the second piece so it dangled next to the first and then taped the underside down.

At this point I knew I wanted the folds to be hidden so I grabbed the wrapping paper and cut a bow-ish shaped piece making sure it would be large enough to hide the paper folds and hoping it would look like a knot on the tied on scarf. 

![Image shows a cloud-shaped striped and shiny piece of wrapping paper. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3348.jpeg)

To cover up the folds and give the illusion of a knotted on scarf I cut a bow shaped piece of paper from the wrapping roll...

![Image shows the fastened scarf below the zoomed in mouth.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3350.jpeg)

and, while still using rolled up pieces of masking tape, carefully placed the bow over the folds of the scarf ends holding it all in place.

I love how this snowperson turned out and if I still had a white fridge I could definitely see doing this again. I had debated the first time adding coal buttons... had planned to but forgot the printer was in double-sided print mode and was too lazy to re-print to save the buttons. Additionally, Matt had mentioned a missing top hat. Definitely potential improvements to keep in mind for another time. 

### Present Half

I was really happy with my snowperson but didn't quite like how blank the freezer half looked and I didn't know what to do. Then I figured why not wrap it up. The wrapping paper I was using was double-sided so I cut a long piece, flipped it over, and started taping it to the freezer door. Once the top part was secured I started folding over the edges and secured them to the side and top of the fridge with more tape. I then worked my way down ignoring, for now, the handled side of the door. 

The paper ended up coming up a bit short but I decided that didn't matter and left it as it was. Finally I decided to tackle the handle bit by cutting a rectangle out of the paper at each handle attachment point, tucked the center of the paper between the cuts under the handle, and taped it all down. 

![Image shows the full finished fridge and freeze doors. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3353.jpeg)

The finished door was declared finished with the wrapping paper coming up a bit short. We could say it snowed covering up the bottom... if it mattered.

![Image shows the freezer ajar with the paper edges folded over and taped down.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3355.jpeg)

As you can see I carefully folded over the edge of the wrapping paper before using rolled up masking tape to keep it down. Over time, with wear and tear, edges came up and I started just taping it down before, finally, sometime after Christmas I simply removed it all from that side.

Later on, looking back, I still like how it looked but could see changing it by extending the paper, adding thin strips like ribbon, and/or adding a bow. That said, I love how it turned out. 

## Final Look

It turned out beautifully and I’m so glad i did it!

![Image shows a closeup of the freezer and fridge with the ornament bedecked red paper on the left and snow person on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3457.jpeg)

![A bit closer view with the bottom of the scarf cut off. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3458.jpeg)

I ended up putting some important paper back on the fridge under the snow person and, after Christmas, I unwrapped the freezer so we'd have more magnet space. That said I thoroughly enjoyed the snowperson and left them up for all of winter and a bit into spring.

If you do this I'd love to hear what you used and how you customized it in the comments below. Hope you're having a great day and an amazing winter season!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simply Customize It Update: Now With SVG Support
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-update-now-with-svg-support/
Last updated: 2024-11-26T13:34:10.000Z
Just released for distribution on both iOS and macOS!

## Reason for Update

A bit ago I heard worry online about the new reMarkable update to software version 3.16 so I decided to join the beta program so I could determine what the fuss was about and what may be needed to keep Simply Customize It working. With my reMarkable updated, a new device created in my app, and a quick button click on *import* I quickly realized that although the templates were added to the app none of them had images set. After connecting to my reMarkable through the terminal I realized that the templates were only using `SVG` image files and there were no longer any `PNG` images present in the `templates` directory. Previously it used both `SVG` and `PNG` image files.

## Aside: What About Our PNG Images?

A while back, while I was first working with custom templates on my reMarkable, I wondered which of the two associated image files (`SVG` or `PNG`) were emailed out when exporting a custom template page from a notebook. As such, I [created a test](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/) and later, when I realized I was getting different results, I rerun [the test](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/update-which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/). With the `SVG` images gone I decided to rerun this test one more time. 

![Collage of the resulting pdf, png, and svg files.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/11/compressed_Imape-.png)

To do this test I create three custom templates where one has obviously different images for the `SVG` and `PNG` images, another with only the `SVG` image, and another with only the `PNG`. After uploading them I set three notebook pages to these template and see how they display in the notebook and when exported as a `PDF`, `PNG`, and `SVG` files. These images were the result.

And I got the same results as the second time! Thus if you create a template with an `SVG` set it will display the `SVG` image. If you don't set an `SVG` and only set a `PNG` the `PNG` image will be shown. As such, if you have custom `PNG` templates you love it seems like, at least as of version 3.16, you can still use them. 

![SVG image files are displayed in all cases unless they can't be found in which case it uses the PNG image. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/11/compressed_reMarkable-Templates---v3.16.png)

The results were the same for both the reMarkable Paper Pro and reMarkable 2 running 3.16.

[Update: Which Version of the reMarkable’s Templates Are Emailed Out?Back during the summer of 2022 I tested which image type was used when you export or view a reMarkable notebook page. Recently, I redid the experiment and found the results had changed. Here they are!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-18.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Copy-of-Which-Version-of-the-reMarkable-s-Templates-Are-Emailed-Out----Graph-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/update-which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/)

If you want more information about my process and results you can check the second time I ran this test, with the same results as this time, here.

## The Update

To help you navigate this update I have added `SVG` support to the app. This means when you create a template you can set an `SVG` image, a `PNG` image, or both to the same template. 

![Image shows the affected part of the macOS app with both the PNG and SVG sections showing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/11/compressed_Simply-Customize-It-SVG-Support---Image3.png)

While adding this support I also added text to help you that displays the dimensions of the uploaded image.

On iOS, not available on macOS, you can resize your `PNG` image. This isn't available for the `SVG` images but I'm mentioning it now as you can now choose just how to resize your `PNG` images. The difference between these only affects you if the ratio of your image is different than the target reMarkable screen size but essentially the *Center Crop* removes any excess while the *Resize to Fit* instead squishes it to match the target size. 

![Here the Solid Black template is shown on the iOS highlighting the difference between the two image formats.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/11/compressed_Simply-Customize-It-SVG-Support---Image.png)

The image editors, once you click on the *Edit* button, also look different with the `SVG` on both devices and the `PNG` on the Mac showing only the file dialog while the `PNG` on iOS also includes photos and camera. Additionally, only a `PNG` image can rotate. 

![MacOS popup on the center and the iOS versions on the left and right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/11/compressed_Simply-Customize-It-SVG-Support---Image2-1.png)

Since the reMarkable is defaulting to SVG images I now also default to showing the `SVG` image in the browse and other display areas. If you don’t have an `SVG` image set it will show your `PNG` image instead and if neither is set the default blank image I’ve been displaying up til now will be shown. This won't appear any different unless you have templates with different images set for both file types. 

---

And that's the app update! And just a reminder if your custom templates are only in `PNG` form you may still be okay. I recently [re-tested](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/update-which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/) and see that the reMarkable still seems to default to the `PNG` image when the `SVG` image file isn't present. 

If you have any questions, a feature you want added, or whatever you can share a comment here or reach out to me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It:%20Update). I hope you're having a great day!
### How We Made Our Tasty Ice Cream Cupcakes
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-we-made-our-tasty-ice-cream-cupcakes/
Last updated: 2024-11-24T17:12:16.000Z
This year Zoey requested ice cream cake for her birthday party and as I always serve cupcakes I ended up turning our go-to recipe, taken from [Princess Pinky Girl and their Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake](https://princesspinkygirl.com/copycat-dairy-queen-ice-cream-cake/?ref=simplykyra.com), into cupcakes! It was so simple and I was able to use the excess ice cream I thawed to make a small cake I surprised them with much later. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_How-We-Made-Our-Tasty-Ice-Cream-Cupcakes---pinterest.jpg)

---

## Background

For the last several years the kids wanted an ice cream cake on their birthday which started with, the first year, me making it before they quickly took control over the cake themselves. These cakes included:

[How We Made a Simple and Delicious Ice Cream CakeFor Ada’s birthday this last summer we ended up making our own ice cream cake. It turned out great and I can totally see doing the same for future birthdays and maybe even parties!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3241.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-we-made-a-simple-and-delicious-ice-cream-cake/)

[Ada and Zoey’s Epic Homemade Ice Cream CakesLast summer, after making a homemade ice cream cake for Ada’s birthday the year before both girls requested an ice cream cake. The cakes turned out amazing! Though they were bit… rich.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/03/compressed_ice-cream---Image.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/ada-and-zoeys-epic-homemade-ice-cream-cakes/)

[Zoey’s Birthday Ice Cream Sandwich CakeThis year for Zoey’s birthday we combined brownie, ice cream, whipped cream, maraschino cherries, sprinkles, and an icing writer... in case you’re now wondering how come check it out here!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-17.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_4413-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/zoeys-birthday-ice-cream-sandwich-cake/)

The original recipe I used, if interested, was taken from [Princess Pinky Girl's blog post: *Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake*](https://princesspinkygirl.com/copycat-dairy-queen-ice-cream-cake/?ref=simplykyra.com).

This year Zoey requested the cake for her party and as I normally just do cupcakes, simpler blowing out candles and dishing, I used the recipe as cupcakes instead and got the opportunity to use my new silicon cupcake tray I had recently bought. That said I think it would work just as well in a regular muffin pan with silicon liners too. 

## Making It

Just like when making the cake version we started with crushing Oreos, mixing it with melted butter, and baking the mixture to re-harden. 

![Image shows a metal bowl with thin Oreos surrounded by two unopened packages, one squished package, and one empty thin mint package.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3799.jpeg)

The kids like crushing the Oreos but I find it's quicker to crush them in the sleeve before adding them to the bowl. We had some thin mint Oreos left so I combined both together.

![Image looking down at metal bowl shows the oreos squished and a melted jug of butter next to it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3802.jpeg)

I melt the butter in a measuring jug so it's easy to pour once the Oreos are ready. 

![Now the jug is empty and the oreos are glistening in the metal bowl.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3804.jpeg)

Once the butter is added mix it all together so it's evenly coated. 

![Two small cookie sheets with parchment hold the crushed glistening oreos next to the ice cream container.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3805.jpeg)

Then spread it on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet to bake.

![Now the oreos look more matte and harder as they sit cooling next to each other on the trays.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3814.jpeg)

After baking we left the trays out to cool until we were ready to make the middle layer.

Unlike with the previous cakes Zoey chose to have mint ice cream by combining Costco plain vanilla ice cream with Girl Scouts Thin Mint Bites we also bought from Costco. I wasn't sure about the bites' size so I tried to crush them like the Oreos before deciding to just individually cut them.... I can't remember if I cut all of them or stopped partway through but either way the resulting ice cream was great. On that note I love how we can make this cake so different just by the ice cream flavor or add-ins.

![Same metal bowl with brown spheres in it next to a bag of girl scouts thin mints Bites.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3809.jpeg)

At first I thought we could crush them like the Oreos.

![Now we're closet to the bowl with cutting board next to it. Some of the spheres are cut in half showing brown inside, lined with whilteness, and a thin brown outside.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3812.jpeg)

But ended up cutting the in half in case they were a chocking hazard. 

Once the ice cream was a bit thawed I mixed it together with the broken Bites before placing a spoonful in each cupcake slot and flattening it out. I realized I had a lot of ice cream so I put some in a small square glass casserole dish to surprise the kids with later. With that first layer done I placed them in the freezer to set along with the leftover ice cream so it didn't melt too much. 

Once set it was time for the center layer. I tossed a lid-less jar of chocolate fudge sauce in the microwave to soften, pulled the trays out of the freezer, and divided up the cookie bits amongst them all. I then used a spoon to add dollops of fudge sauce to each cupcake before microwaving a second jar for the center layer of the cake.

![There are two white speckled silicon cupcake trays next to a square glass casserole dish and open jarred of smuckers hot fudge sauce. All have cookies with white ice cream showing through.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3817.jpeg)

After dividing the cookie bits between the cupcakes and cake it was time to add the fudge sauce. 

![There are two white speckled silicon cupcake trays next to a square glass casserole dish. All have glistening black insides. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3819.jpeg)

Though looking back I'm sure you could pre-mix the two together and then add it too... that may be simpler. 

![Really fudge coated glass square casserole dish next to two emptly fudge jars.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3820.jpeg)

I didn't have enough fudge for the cake so heated another jar and then had too much... just an fyi if doing the same. 

After I finished I put the trays back in the freezer to set while pulling out the rest of the mint-y ice cream to thaw on the counter. Dividing the ice cream between all the cupcake spots and the cake is the last step for the cupcake base before letting it fully harden in the freezer. 

![The same silocone trays with while ice cream speckled with brown chunks.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3823.jpeg)

With the last bit of ice cream added it was time to put back in the freezer for later.

![The glass casserole dish topped with plastic wrap and an elastic band holding it on.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3824.jpeg)

The glass casserole dish was easier to seal after the last layer than the silicon cupcake tray.

Normally I bring sprinkles and whipped cream to the birthday party mainly so it's simpler to store ahead of time but also so we can decorate according to the kids' preference. That said, this is ice cream cake so the whip cream needed to be frozen too! Thus after it was fully frozen I debated how to decorate them. Looking back I could've kept then in their silicon tray but I was also worried it wouldn't seal well so I transferred the cupcakes to a casserole dish, decorated them with whipped cream, added sprinkles, and then covered them with plastic wrap. 

![Whipped cream topped cupcakes with silpat between set in glass casserole dish between sprinkles and empty liner. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3828.jpeg)

At first I used a silpat liner between the cupcakes hoping it would protect them... but then realized I could only fit ten in the dish and I was running out of room. 

![The glass casserole dish is now filled with 5 by 3 whipped cream and sprinkled ice cream cupcakes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3831.jpeg)

I ended up fitting fifteen in one 9 by 13 inch casserole dish.

![Matching the other image but now there's nine in a square glass casserole dish. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_3832.jpeg)

And nine in the other. 

Word of warning they kind of stuck to the glass so debating next time either using removable liners or maybe just pulling them out five or so minutes before serving so they could thaw a bit. Let me know in the comments below if you have any ideas. 

Since Zoey's party was in our home I didn't have to worry about transporting the glass casserole dishes or the ice cream thawing ahead of time. I simply pulled out the large casserole dish when we were ready for dessert, plated Zoey's with a candle, sang Happy Birthday, then dished all the other ones. We ended up not even using the smaller casserole dish so it stayed in the freezer until supper that night when we had another before moving the extra ones to a [Stasher bag](https://share.stasherbag.com/x/BKCjAw?ref=simplykyra.com) for longer term storage.

And as for the cake? I kept meaning on pulling it out but timing was never right especially as the kids knew about [Zoey's leftover brownie ice cream cake](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/zoeys-birthday-ice-cream-sandwich-cake/) so that was requested often instead. We ended up eating the cake itself about two months later. Looking at it critically the cake didn't look as nice anymore as the sprinkles and whipped cream had flattened a bit but it still tasted fine.

I hope this helped you out and I hope your week is going great. Let me know if you make this by sharing in the comments below! Also how did you or how will you customize it?

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### SwiftUI Overlays and Their Issue With Sheets
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/swiftui-overlays-and-their-issue-with-sheets/
Last updated: 2024-11-10T16:00:46.000Z
In the first app I came out with I created a popup overlay to let you know when code was executing in the background and what step it was on. I loved this but realized it was hidden behind the sheets so if you had a sheet open while the code was executing you wouldn't have any feedback until after it finished or the sheet had closed. This wouldn't do... and so I figured out how to have the popup show up everywhere including over the sheets!

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_SwiftUI-Overlays-and-Their-Issue-With-Sheets---Pinterest.jpg)

---

I had the popup running using an overlay and loved how it worked but then realized the overlay wasn't showing up overtop of the sheets. It was still running though as if you close the sheet you were able to see it. I realized I needed to simplify my issue and created a minimal viable example project so I could play around and figure it out. 

## The Issue

When I executed code that would take awhile I did so on a background thread so the interface wasn't locked and you could move around. As such I wanted to create a message so, when running the app, you know that it's still executing and at which step it's at. As such I found some code online I built upon to create a bar across the screen, using an overlay, with an undateable message telling you what's going on. 

I then realized that when a sheet was open the popup would show up behind it so you couldn't see the popup at all and it would appear as if nothing was happening until the code finished and the alert popped up. While debugging it I realized if I was quick and closed the sheet the overlaid popup was still there and had just been hidden. This was further confirmed in my sample code where I could more quickly swipe the sheet away to verify. 

![Image shows two buttons with a teal banner between them saying "Fetch Data",](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_Simulator---iPhone-SE--3rd-generation----2024-05-24-at-14.23.33.png)

![A similar image as before but now there's nothing between the two buttons and the top has black signifying we are on a sheet. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_Simulator---iPhone-SE--3rd-generation----2024-05-24-at-14.23.59.png)

The popup messaging using the overlay worked great at first (left side).... but then I realized it seemed like the overlay didn't work when a sheet was open (right side).

## Backstory: Custom Popup in SwiftUI

A while back I realized that my code was taking awhile to execute and I wanted some way to notify the person using my app that the code was, in fact, progressing and what was happening. After looking around for a while I came across [Vadim Bulavin's post from Yet Another Swift Blog that showed how to create a Custom Popup in SwiftUI](https://www.vadimbulavin.com/swiftui-popup-sheet-popover/?ref=simplykyra.com).

[![Image shows the cover image of the post: Custom Popup in SwiftUI.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_Screenshot-2024-05-24-at-14.29.51.png)](https://www.vadimbulavin.com/swiftui-popup-sheet-popover/?ref=simplykyra.com)

Screenshot taken from [Custom Popup in SwiftUI](https://www.vadimbulavin.com/swiftui-popup-sheet-popover/?ref=simplykyra.com) on May 24th, 2024\. 

In the post popups are explained as

> a kind of [modal](https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/ios/app-architecture/modality/?ref=simplykyra.com) that appears in front of app content to provide critical information or ask for a decision.

The post then goes on to explain just how to create a popup view modifier, add alignment, animate the popup transition, and add direction. At the end of the post it shows a loading indicator and a snackbar message which both had aspects I wanted to use. Included is also a link to [their GitHub code example here](https://github.com/V8tr/PopupSwiftUI?ref=simplykyra.com). 

[![Image is a collage of four images all found on the Custom Popup in SwiftUI post from https://www.vadimbulavin.com/swiftui-popup-sheet-popover/](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_SwiftUI-Overlays-and-Their-Issue-With-Sheets---Screenshot-Image.jpg)](https://www.vadimbulavin.com/swiftui-popup-sheet-popover/?ref=simplykyra.com)

Series of popups shown, with code, on the website [Custom Popup in SwiftUI](https://www.vadimbulavin.com/swiftui-popup-sheet-popover/?ref=simplykyra.com). The original screenshots used to create this collage were taken from the [Custom Popup in SwiftUI](https://www.vadimbulavin.com/swiftui-popup-sheet-popover/?ref=simplykyra.com) post on May 24th, 2024\. 

This loading indicator and the snackbar message shown at the end of their post greatly interested me and I decided to combine the two together to create my own take on the popup for my own app. Once I got it this worked perfectly until I came across my issue it being hidden behind the sheet views. 

## Path to My Solution

### Alert System

Around this time, when I realized my issue, I had already been working [on fixing an issue with my alert system, posted earlier about it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/create-a-super-simple-shared-swiftui-alert-system/)**,** so I quickly realized I could use a similar solution to hide my time consuming tasks with it's own class, [MessageAndAsyncClass](#background-tasks-message-updates-with-messageandasyncclass), and use an observable controller class, [MessageController](https://www.simplykyra.com/p/5c198b1d-e203-41ea-9ebc-0344d291394b/#background-tasks-message-controller), to access it and have it show up quickly. I already had these timed tasks grouped in their own class so I just went over the class and variable names to confirm they were indeed set properly compared to my alert system and then created the controller wrapper class to access it. 

### Observation

Like the alerts before the above controller class worked great to both show the popup and close it when I wanted it to open and close... but I had issues with the message itself not showing the updated text which meant the message itself couldn't be updated... which I wanted to happen potentially several times before going away. Looking for a solution I came across the StackOverflow question [SwiftUI view is not updating to EnvironmentObject change](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/58784475/swiftui-view-is-not-updating-to-environmentobject-change?ref=simplykyra.com) and specifically found [Tobias Hesselink](https://stackoverflow.com/users/12378791/tobias-hesselink?ref=simplykyra.com)'s updated answer helpful. 

[![Image is a screenshot of the updated answer part that helped me with a solution. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_Screenshot-2024-05-24-at-11.30.02.png)](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/58784475/swiftui-view-is-not-updating-to-environmentobject-change/58878219?ref=simplykyra.com#58878219)

Screenshot of the part of the [StackOverflow answer](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/58784475/swiftui-view-is-not-updating-to-environmentobject-change/58878219?ref=simplykyra.com#58878219) that helped me was taken on May 24th, 2024.

### Adding Combine

I grew excited by [this previous answer](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/58784475/swiftui-view-is-not-updating-to-environmentobject-change/58878219?ref=simplykyra.com#58878219) and added a version of it to my code but then realized that the compiler couldn't understand what `AnyCancellable` was... and I wasn't sure what it was either. While hunting it down I came across a post on Medium: [Swift Combine: What is AnyCancellable? And how to avoid Memory Leak?](https://paigeshin1991.medium.com/swift-combine-what-is-anycancellable-and-how-to-avoid-memory-leak-8c541505938?ref=simplykyra.com). 

[Swift Combine: What is AnyCancellable? And how to avoid Memory Leak?Good at development Or a high-level engineer. Developers who are evaluated in the market in such a statement are thorough in memory…![](https://cdn-static-1.medium.com/_/fp/icons/Medium-Avatar-500x500.svg)MediumKD Knowledge Diet![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1024/1*Lp3dd13beRtvWZLEyjCspw.png)](https://paigeshin1991.medium.com/swift-combine-what-is-anycancellable-and-how-to-avoid-memory-leak-8c541505938?ref=simplykyra.com)

Reading the first bit made me realize I needed to import `combine` into my code, which I had heard about but hadn't used, and it compiled... and the message updated in the popup as the code executed! With it working I went back to the article to read the rest so I wouldn't, hopefully, start a memory issue and as such added a `deinit` and set it to `nil` in the hopes of fixing any problems before it starts. I'm not as researched in this area so if you know a better way feel free to comment below for both my benefit and anyone coming along later.

## The Solution Works

With that the popup overlay works! Showing up both on the sheet and on the main app level which means it's still shown when a sheet is opened or closed. Allowing swipe down to close the sheets in my sample project highlights that nicely.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_Simulator---iPhone-SE--3rd-generation----2024-05-24-at-14.22.59.png)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_2024-05-24-at-14.24.13-2.png)

The popup overlay is now showing up on the sheet (on the left) while also showing up on the main app too (right) so the messaging can be shown independent to where the navigation takes me while the code is executing.

![Image shows the main app dimmed out but showing the teal overlay. In front and center is a small modal with the same banner across saying: Fetch Another Data.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_2024-05-24-at-15.16.18.png)

Realized when taking screenshots for this post that I hadn't tried it on macOS. The sample project has a small sheet with no dismiss or close button... but the overlay works in both places!

## My Solution: The Code

### Popup: Get the Popup Working

Before we go too far into the updates above I figured I should show the popup code I'm using to display the message. The original code came from [Vadim Bulavin's post from Yet Another Swift Blog that showed how to create a Custom Popup in SwiftUI](https://www.vadimbulavin.com/swiftui-popup-sheet-popover/?ref=simplykyra.com) and I can't quite remember if I made any changes to it and if so what they were. As such sharing it all.

```swift
@MainActor
struct Popup<T: View>: ViewModifier {
    let popup: T
    let isPresented: Bool
    let alignment: Alignment
    let direction: Direction
    
    enum Direction {
        case top, bottom
        
        @MainActor
        func offset(popupFrame: CGRect) -> CGFloat {
            switch self {
            case .top:
                let aboveScreenEdge = -popupFrame.maxY
                return aboveScreenEdge
            case .bottom:
#if os(macOS)
                let belowScreenEdge = NSScreen.main!.frame.height - popupFrame.minY
                return belowScreenEdge
#else
                let belowScreenEdge = UIScreen.main.bounds.height - popupFrame.minY
                return belowScreenEdge
#endif
            }
        }
    }

    init(isPresented: Bool, alignment: Alignment, direction: Direction, @ViewBuilder content: () -> T) {
        self.isPresented = isPresented
        self.alignment = alignment
        self.direction = direction
        popup = content()
    }

    func body(content: Content) -> some View {
        ZStack {
            content
            if isPresented {
                popupContent()
            }
        }
    }

    @ViewBuilder private func popupContent() -> some View {
        GeometryReader { geometry in
            if isPresented {
                withAnimation {
                    popup
                        .transition(.offset(x: 0, y: direction.offset(popupFrame: geometry.frame(in: .global))))
                        .frame(width: geometry.size.width, height: geometry.size.height, alignment: alignment)
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

private extension GeometryProxy {
    @MainActor
    var belowScreenEdge: CGFloat {
#if os(macOS)
        NSScreen.main!.frame.height - frame(in: .global).minY
#else
        UIScreen.main.bounds.height - frame(in: .global).minY
#endif
    }
}

extension View {
    @MainActor func popup<T: View>(
        isPresented: Bool,
        alignment: Alignment = .center,
        direction: Popup<T>.Direction = .bottom,
        @ViewBuilder content: () -> T
    ) -> some View {
        return modifier(Popup(isPresented: isPresented, alignment: alignment, direction: direction, content: content))
    }
}

```

### Popup: The User Messaging

Then this view is used to dictate what exactly is shown to the user viewing the popup. Here the class, where I set the message variables, is passed in to show the updating message and we can change here how it will look. 

```swift
struct TopUserMessage: View {
    // Needs to be passed in so I can access the variables.
    @ObservedObject var messageAndAsyncClass: MessageAndAsyncClass
    
    var body: some View {
        VStack(alignment: .center, spacing: 4) {
            Text(messageAndAsyncClass.title)
                .font(.headline)
            
        }
        .frame(minWidth: 200)
        
        .padding(15)
        .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, idealHeight: 100)
        .background(Color.teal)
    }
}

```

### Background Tasks: Group Time Consuming Tasks With AsyncCallsClass

For the time consuming async classes, modeled here with sleep pauses, I grouped them together in their own class.

```swift
import Foundation

class AsyncCallsClass {
    
    func fetchData() async throws -> String {
        // Simulating an asynchronous network call
        try await Task.sleep(nanoseconds: 2_000_000_000)
        return "Fetched Data"
    }
    
    func fetchAnotherData() async throws -> String {
        // Simulating an asynchronous network call
        try await Task.sleep(nanoseconds: 2_000_000_000)
        return "Fetched Other Data"
    }
}
```

### Background Tasks: Message Updates With MessageAndAsyncClass

Then I used this class to both handle the `published` message specific variables and their update calls with the calls to the time consuming tasks above. 

```swift
import Foundation

@MainActor
public class MessageAndAsyncClass: ObservableObject {
    private var asyncCallsClass: AsyncCallsClass
    
    @Published var errorMessage: String?
    @Published var showMessage: Bool = false
    @Published var title: String = "title"
    
    init(asyncCallsClass: AsyncCallsClass) {
        self.asyncCallsClass = asyncCallsClass
    }

    /// Makes the message disappear and resets the other values.
    private func messageValuesEnd() {
        self.showMessage = false
        self.title = "title"
    }

    /// Starts the message by updating the values to those past in and then showing it.
    private func messageValuesStart(newTitle:String, newSubTitle:String, newImageName:String? = nil) {
        self.showMessage = true
        self.title = newTitle
    }
    
    /// The function to "fetch the data"
    func fetchData() async throws -> String {
        messageValuesStart(newTitle: "Fetch Data", newSubTitle: "Fetching Data")

        do {
            let result = try await asyncCallsClass.fetchData()
            messageValuesEnd()

           return result
        } catch {
            self.errorMessage = "Failed to fetch data: \(error.localizedDescription)"
            messageValuesEnd()
            throw error
        }
    }
    
    /// The function to "fetch more data"
    func fetchAnotherData() async throws -> String {
        messageValuesStart(newTitle: "Fetch Another Data", newSubTitle: "Fetching More Data")

        do {
            let result = try await asyncCallsClass.fetchAnotherData()
            messageValuesEnd()
            
            return result
        } catch {
            self.errorMessage = "Failed to fetch another data: \(error.localizedDescription)"
            messageValuesEnd()
            throw error
        }
    }
}
```

### Background Tasks: Message Controller

Then the above two classes are hidden within the `MessageController` here with the `anyCancellable` set to sync any message updates to the popup window. 

```swift
import Foundation
import Combine

/// Allows us to use one shared messagind class and use it how we'd like on the front end.
@MainActor
public class MessageController: ObservableObject {
    @Published public var myMessenger: MessageAndAsyncClass
    
    // AnyCancellable is a data type that can hold any subscription.
    var anyCancellable: AnyCancellable? = nil
    
    public init() {
        self.myMessenger = MessageAndAsyncClass(asyncCallsClass: AsyncCallsClass())
        anyCancellable = myMessenger.objectWillChange.sink { (_) in
            self.objectWillChange.send()
        }
    }
    
    deinit {
        // Not sure if needed but just in case. Not printed when forced closed etc.
        anyCancellable = nil
    }
}
```

### Hooking It Up: Main App

With all the required classes set up it's now time to hook it all up with the front end. I use the main app to instantiate the controller class, put it into the environment, and call the popup modifier to show it all. 

```swift
import SwiftUI

@main
struct TestMuplitplatformAppApp: App {
    
    @StateObject private var messageController = MessageController()
    
    var body: some Scene {
        WindowGroup {
            ContentView()
                .environmentObject(messageController)
                .popup(isPresented: messageController.myMessenger.showMessage, content: {
                    TopUserMessage(messageAndAsyncClass: messageController.myMessenger)
                })
        }
    }
}
```

### Hooking It Up: Content View

Then where ever you want to use it, here the example shows the `ContentView`, you grab the `MessageController` from the environment and use it to call the time consuming tasks which will make the popup appear, update the messaging, and hide the popup when done. Here I also open up a sheet to demo how the popup works from and with both locations.

```swift

import SwiftUI

struct ContentView: View {
    // Shows the async messages
    @EnvironmentObject var messageController: MessageController

    @State private var showAlert = false
    @State private var alertMessage = ""
    @State private var showSheet = false

    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            if let errorMessage = messageController.myMessenger.errorMessage {
                Text(errorMessage).foregroundColor(.red)
            }
            Spacer()
            Button(action: {
                showSheet = true
            }) {
                Text("Show Sheet")
            }
            Spacer()
            Button(action: {
                Task {
                    do {
                        let data = try await messageController.myMessenger.fetchData()
                        alertMessage = "Fetched Data: \(data)"
                    } catch {
                        alertMessage = "Error fetching data"
                    }
                    showAlert = true
                }
            }) {
                Text("Fetch Data")
            }
            Spacer()
            Button(action: {
                Task {
                    do {
                        let data = try await messageController.myMessenger.fetchAnotherData()
                        alertMessage = "Fetched Another Data: \(data)"
                    } catch {
                        alertMessage = "Error fetching another data"
                    }
                    showAlert = true
                }
            }) {
                Text("Fetch Another Data")
            }
            Spacer()
        }
        .sheet(isPresented: $showSheet, content: {
            SheetView()
        })
        .buttonStyle(BorderedButtonStyle())
        .alert(isPresented: $showAlert) {
            Alert(
                title: Text("Result"),
                message: Text(alertMessage),
                dismissButton: .default(Text("OK"))
            )
        }
    }
}
```

### Hooking It Up: Sheet View

My issue using my old way was the popup was hidden behind any sheets that were shown. To have the popup be started I do the same as above with grabbing the `MessageController` from the environment and using it to call the time consuming tasks. This starts the popup but it's hidden unless you set the popup modifier directly on this view. If so it popup shows up here and on the main app regardless where it kicks off.

```swift

struct SheetView: View {
    // Shows the async messages
    @EnvironmentObject var messageController: MessageController
    
    @State private var showAlert = false
    @State private var alertMessage = ""

    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            if let errorMessage = messageController.myMessenger.errorMessage {
                Text(errorMessage).foregroundColor(.red)
            }
            Spacer()
            Button(action: {
                Task {
                    do {
                        let data = try await messageController.myMessenger.fetchData()
                        alertMessage = "Fetched Data: \(data)"
                    } catch {
                        alertMessage = "Error fetching data"
                    }
                    showAlert = true
                }
            }) {
                Text("Fetch Data")
            }
            Spacer()
            Button(action: {
                Task {
                    do {
                        let data = try await messageController.myMessenger.fetchAnotherData()
                        alertMessage = "Fetched Another Data: \(data)"
                    } catch {
                        alertMessage = "Error fetching another data"
                    }
                    showAlert = true
                }
            }) {
                Text("Fetch Another Data")
            }
            Spacer()
        }
        .buttonStyle(BorderedButtonStyle())
        .alert(isPresented: $showAlert) {
            Alert(
                title: Text("Result"),
                message: Text(alertMessage),
                dismissButton: .default(Text("OK"))
            )
        }
        // Add this so the popup shows on the sheet too.
        .popup(isPresented: messageController.myMessenger.showMessage, content: {
            TopUserMessage(messageAndAsyncClass: messageController.myMessenger)
        })
    }
}
```

And with that you too can get the popup working. Hope it goes well and I'd love to see how it turns out and what you chose to change to make it work for you! Feel free to comment below or tag me on social media. And overall I hope you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simply Customize It Update: Fix Template Syncing for reMarkable Paper Pro 3.15
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-update-fix-template-syncing-for-remarkable-paper-pro-3-15/
Last updated: 2024-11-26T18:16:53.000Z
The last software update for the reMarkable Paper Pro (version 3.15) removed the `ferrari-templates.json` file and went back to using the `templates.json` that's been used in the reMarkable 1 and 2\. This is the file that tells the reMarkable what templates are on your device and where to go looking for their images. Ultimately this broke the template syncing in Simply Customize It for anyone who updated their reMarkable Paper Pro. 

Ultimately if you're connecting to a reMarkable Paper Pro with a software version of 3.15 or later confirm that Simply Customize It is running version 1.0.4 or later.

With this update being pushed I took the opportunity to fix some other areas that had been bugging me so the image crop button has one less step, there's an added link to your current Apple subscriptions if you need alternative subscription access, there's no landing page entry if you don't have a device already created, and the onboarding walkthrough can be more easily found while allowing you to re-enter with the same selected device. I go over those updates in this order below, but first: 

## Template: Syncing, Importing, and Uploading

This has been fixed! And there's nothing you need to do on your part... unless you've been using the workaround while waiting for this update in which case simply set your target device back to the "reMarkable Paper Pro" and you'll be good to go.

This update goes into effect when you hit sync, import, or upload in the template section of the app. Ever since version `1.0.1`, when the reMarkable Paper Pro support was added, this app checked what your target device was set to and used that to determine your `JSON` file's name. Now, if you target the Paper Pro, it will go on to check what software version your reMarkable is running and use that to determine your file's name.

![Image shows the decision tree to determine the JSON file's name.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/11/compressed_Plans.png)

## Image: Resize and Center Crop Image

The crop button had an extra step on your part added a while back as a temporary measure and I never liked it. This update is back to the old way! If you click the button and confirm it now resizes to your target device's specifications without needing to specify the image's orientation. Don't forget though that you will ultimately want the image in portrait mode (tall) for your reMarkable otherwise it will be cut off and too short. As a reminder you can rotate the image in the "Edit Image" view.

![Template view is shown showing the two step process to resize.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/11/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-Update-for-Templates-JSON-File----Image.jpg)

![Screen view is shown with both a horizontal image (left) and vertical image (right). In the center you see the resulting image on the reMarkable 2 once uploaded.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/11/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-Update-for-Templates-JSON-File----Image3.jpg)

## Subscriptions

There's been no change to the subscriptions themselves but I've added to this section in case anyone has any issues. This includes adding more text to the "Restore" button to make its purpose more known and adding a link to your Apple subscriptions for an alternative route. Link is: [https://apps.apple.com/account/subscriptions](https://apps.apple.com/account/subscriptions?ref=simplykyra.com) 

![Screenshot of the newly added to Subscription section on the Profile area.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/11/compressed_IMG_1494.jpeg)

## Onboarding and Landing Page

I removed the original landing page that was shown whenever the app had no devices. Now you will go directly into the app with more onboarding buttons shown making it easier to find help if you need it and to set up for the first time.

![Onboarding help page. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/11/compressed_Simulator--iPhone-16---2024-11-09-at-06.40.11.png)

I've also gone over the onboarding walkthrough and made it more easily found. The biggest update though is that it no longer creates a new device for you. Instead it uses whichever device is currently selected allowing you to re-enter as many times as you want without additional unwanted devices being created. 

![Screenshot of Profile Settings and the first onboarding page showing the access and how the same selected user "Kyra" is used in the onboarding process.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/11/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-Update-for-Templates-JSON-File----Image2.jpg)

That said, if there are no selected device it will still create one for you. 

---

And that's the app update. I hope you're having a great day! And if you have any questions, a feature you want added, or whatever you can share a comment here or reach out to me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It:%20Update).

![Image of two reMarkable screens showing trees. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/11/compressed_IMG_1460-1.jpeg)
### Simply Customize It: Update for WLAN Support
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-update-for-wlan-support/
Last updated: 2024-11-01T17:54:06.000Z
If you're having trouble connecting your reMarkable Paper Pro through `SSH` for the first time I have a small update (version 1.0.2) that'll be truly helpful. 

I've had a couple of questions about Developer Mode and turning on WLAN so that the new reMarkable Paper Pro can be connected to wirelessly. I can't help with Developer Mode, other than directing you to [my prior *how to connect* post](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/), as you'll have to do it yourself. That said, once you are in Developer Mode and have connected your reMarkable physically, using the USB cable, to whatever device is running my app there will now be a button that will turn on WLAN for you without you needing to go into the terminal. 

![Image shows the reMarkable Paper Pro connected via USB cable to my computer.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_IMG_1155.jpeg)

I've added the button to the device display, where you see your connection details, right under the `Test Connection` button. I've also had a couple questions that were fixed by assigning the right target device as there's minor differences between connecting to the Paper Pro and the older reMarkable devices. Thus I've taken the opportunity to bring attention to the target device that was set in this new section. 

![Image shows the newly updated macOS page for an older reMarkable connection. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_2024-10-31-at-14.22.34.png)

On the macOS the device page (used to be user details) now shows a `Trouble Connecting?` section in the middle. When the device is set to connect to the older reMarkables it's mentioned before going over other common issues that have come up in email questions before linking to the FAQs website making it simpler to get up to date advice.

![Image shows the newly updated macOS page for a new reMarkable Paper Pro connection. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_2024-10-31-at-14.23.02.png)

In contrast once you set the device to connect to a reMarkable Paper Pro that section changes to include the WLAN related information and button before the common issues and FAQs page. 

In addition to this working on the macOS version of Simply Customize It I've also tested this with my iPhone 15 and iPad Pro (both running iOS 18.1) and if I physically connect my phone or iPad to my reMarkable Paper Pro this also works so there's no need to actually have a computer to get it up and running!

![Image shows the reMarkable Paper Pro connected via USB cable to my iPhone.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_IMG_2624.jpeg)

I kept turning off WLAN and confirming SSH no longer worked before physically connecting it to my phone or iPad and testing it again.

![Image shows the newly updated iOS page for a new reMarkable Paper Pro connection. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_IMG_1172.PNG)

On my iPhone this page looks a bit different showing this.

![Image shows the "Turn on WLAN" confirmation dialog.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_IMG_1169.png)

And in case you don't truly want to turn on WLAN, need a moment to set up, or whatever reason there's a confirmation button before continuing. 

And in case you're wondering... that button saying `Click here for more information` links to more information including a link to my previous post for more help.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_IMG_1170.PNG)

And if you want to read over the previous posts to see what exactly this button is doing (hint it's simply running `rm-ssh-over-wlan on`) here are my previous reMarkable Paper Pro related posts:

[Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Paper Pro Through the Command LineWith the new reMarkable Paper Pro out I realized I needed to update my How To Connect post... here it is!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_9201-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/)

[Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Paper Pro Through the Command LineWith the new reMarkable Paper Pro out I realized I needed to update my How To Connect post... here it is!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_9201-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/)

I hope you’re having a truly awesome day.
### Simply Command It! FAQs
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-command-it-faqs/
Last updated: 2024-10-29T21:19:23.000Z
If a question you have isn't here please comment below and/or reach out through [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It:%20FAQs). 

## App Specific

What devices are supported? 

I've developed Simply Command It specifically for iOS and have been using my phone, mainly, while developing. That said you can also use it on your iPad and iMac too. Currently a lot of the front end is shared between the devices but if there's interest I can focus on one over the others.

Getting the following error: App Transport Security has blocked a cleartext HTTP connection to *domain* since it is insecure. 

If you switch from `HTTP` to `HTTPS` it should work.

## Troubleshooting with MacOS

I'm having trouble with my commands not running correctly. Is there someway to better troubleshoot them? 

Back when I was creating the app and trying to figure out why a command wasn't working and what I needed to include I used NetCat `nc` through the command line to help me out. This needed me to both run NetCat through the terminal, use this app on my computer, and go edit the command. 

To break it down I first went into my app, running on my computer, where I switched the host/ip address to `localhost` and changed the protocol from `https` to `http`. Then in the terminal I ran `nc -l 80` so it would listen on port 80 for the command to go through. I then switched back to the macOS app and ran the command. This is what I saw in the terminal: 

```bash
❯ nc -l 80
PATCH /v1/devices/aaaaaaaaaa? HTTP/1.1
Host: localhost
Content-Type: application/json
User-Agent: SimplyCommandIt/1 CFNetwork/1498.700.2 Darwin/23.6.0
Connection: keep-alive
Accept: */*
Accept-Language: en-US,en;q=0.9
Content-Length: 82
Accept-Encoding: gzip, deflate
Authorization: Bearer aaaaaaaaaa

"eyJ0aGVybWFsX2NvbnRyb2xfc3RhdHVzIjoiYWN0aXZlIiwic2V0X3RlbXBlcmF0dXJlX2YiOjcyfQ=="⏎
```

In this above specific case I was running a `PATCH` command and had thought I included all the required information. With these results I quickly saw that my `JSON` information was base64 encoded and once I stopped encoding it the command worked fine. In case it didn't I ran it again with NetCat and here's the results with the `JSON` text looking good:

```bash
❯ nc -l 80

PATCH /v1/devices/aaaaaaaaaa? HTTP/1.1
Host: localhost
Content-Type: application/json
User-Agent: SimplyCommandIt/1 CFNetwork/1498.700.2 Darwin/23.6.0
Connection: keep-alive
Accept: */*
Accept-Language: en-US,en;q=0.9
Content-Length: 66
Accept-Encoding: gzip, deflate
Authorization: Bearer aaaaaaaaaa

"{\"thermal_control_status\":\"active\",\"set_temperature_f\":72}"⏎

```

This was an error while developing the app so you shouldn't have such a complicated issue. I wanted to show you this though in case it helps you debug your issue. I hope it's something simply you an easily add, alter, or remove in the app to make it work great. That said if it's something more serious that needs an app update or if you need more help feel free to reach out at: [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It:%20FAQs).

## General

How can I stay connected with SimplyKyra? 

You can [become a free member of this page](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-command-it-faqs/#/portal/signup)! Once you do you're automatically signed up for my, at this time, three newsletters: *Simply My Blog* sends out the blog posts as they're added while, for this app's related content, you'll want *Simply My Apps* checked off. My previous app *Simply Customize It* is also included so if you don't have that app you may want to uncheck that newsletter. For more information about how to sign up and the newsletters themselves check out [my newsletters and account setting page here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/newsletters-and-account-settings/). 

If you want to stay connected in another way all my social accounts are listed along the footer of this website although some are updated more frequently than others. 

How can I ask a question that wasn't found here? 

Feel free to comment on this post or reach out through [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It:%20FAQs).

---

Feel free to comment below if you have any additional questions or reach out through [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Command%20It:%20FAQs). And if you want feel free to...

[💕 Buy me a coffee or tea! 💕](https://buy.stripe.com/bIY9EEaPE0ma4A84gg?ref=simplykyra.com)
### Our 2023 Halloween Costumes
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-2023-halloween-costumes/
Last updated: 2024-10-27T16:00:43.000Z
I came to the realization recently that although the costumes the kids wore last year weren't as involved, for me, I still hadn't curated the photos to share. The last couple years I've posted our previous years costume and I didn't want miss this years. And so without further ado I present to you our Elsa and Rainbow Unicorn!

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_Halloween-2023----pinterest.jpg)

---

## Elsa

So although I said the costumes were simpler than previous years... that was for me. Last year when Ada chose to wear her already owned Elsa dress for Halloween and asked for a crown Matt decided to go all out and work with her to 3D print a crown and deck out her costume. This combined with Zoey's Costco-chosen costume made last year weird as I either didn't have to do anything or it was all on another person's timeline and out of my hands. That said, here is what we did to finalize our costumes and make them special for Halloween! 

### Crown

It all started with a crown request and the knowledge that it could be custom made on a 3D printer with gold filament. This went through a couple of iterations but both of the versions basically consisted of a flat base crazy glued to the crown part. 

The first base was a half circle with an extrusion that could sit under an Elsa (French) braid. After I tried it out on Ada's head I found that it didn't curve with the head shape, felt uncomfortable, and didn't seem secure. Afterwards I talked it over with Matt and he altered the base to become just a half circle to go in front of Ada's forehead with holes on the side so I could thread her hair through to keep it on. I actually pulled out photos showing [the floral wire I used to keep a toy dinosaur on her head for Crazy Hair Day in kindergarten](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/dinosaur-themed-crazy-hair-day/) as an example. With a quick test to see how it was we deemed it finished. 

![Quick sketch showing how the bases essentially differed from version 1 and 2.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_sketch-crown.png)

And it worked great! Other than the test time she also wore it to both a Halloween party and Halloween night and it lasted beautifully. 

![Collage of four images. The left two show Ada wearing the first version while the right two show the final version.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_Halloween-2023----Image-Elsa-Crown-1.jpg)

If I recall correctly the crown itself was found online and Matt designed the base. I'm not quite sure if Matt still has the `STL` files hanging around but if there's interest I can ask him to check and update here. Let me know if you want me to ask in the comments below. 

### Outfit

The costume was started with an already owned gown that Ada has had for years. Once the crown was decided Matt and Ada got to talking and decided to deck it out with light using conductive thread. That said, through valient effort the end result was a bit buggy and although it worked leading up to the events it quickly stopped and/or looked dim during. 

![Image shows four view of Ada's dress. One being sewn, one in the dark, one in dimness, and the inside showing the electronics.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_Halloween-2023----Image-Elsa-Dress-1.jpg)

It was a super cool idea though and if I had more time I could see electronic sewing being my gateway to more electonic-based work. If you want to learn more here's a link to [LilyPad Basics: E-Sewing through SparkFun.com](https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/lilypad-basics-e-sewing/all?ref=simplykyra.com). 

### Hair

For Elsa we needed to do a French braid for her hair which was awesome because I am infrequently allowed to do their hair. That said, with the crown I also needed to find a way to easily thread her hair through the crown, making the crown secure, making it as comfortable as possible, and still making it Elsa-alike. This is how I did it. 

I started by putting the crown on her head which in this case meant the front went over her forehead and I checked where the holes on the crown edges lined up. After putting the crown back down I started French braiding her hair until I got to where the holes lined up. To stop the braid from unraveling I continued to braid it making it more secure while doing the next step. I then draped the hair I didn't need out of the way and kept the hair I would need to use for the crown accessible.

![Three image collage showing the start of the braid.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_Halloween-2023----Image-Elsa-Hair-1-1.jpg)

I'm not sure how I planned to thread the hair through the holes in the crown but I got it working by using a length of thread which I wrapped around a section of hair and then threaded both ends of the thread through the hole. With the thread through I gently pulled it the rest of the way forcing the hair through as well. Once the thread was out I un-looped the hair by pulling the end through all the way and with that the first piece was done. I then repeated this process, while Ada held the crown in place, until all the holes on either side of the crown had hair coming from below and going up. 

![Collage of five images showing the process from left to middle of threading the hair through. Once done I left it draped down (right bottom) while I did the other side and later picked it all up (top right) to continue the braid. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_Halloween-2023----Image-Elsa-Hair-2-1.jpg)

With the hair threaded through the crown it was time to undo the braid part and continue the French braid. As I passed over that section I combined the hair that had gone through the crown with the main sections thus holding the crown in place for Ada without the need of bobby pins or other placement tools. 

![Collage of four images. The left two are stacked showing closeups of the crown while the right two show the back of the braid.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_Halloween-2023----Image-Elsa-Hair-3-1.jpg)

And with that the braid was done and the crown was secure. This lasted through the trial run and two Halloween events and was perfect. I loved how it turned out!

### Face Paint

In the past I've used my watercolor pencil crayons as face paint. You simply dip them in water and draw directly on their face. Although I was leery about going close to the eye I don't have bright eyeshadow and Ada had a vision so I looked up pictures of snowflakes (consulted with Ada on which one) and Elsa eyes and gave her eye shadow (different for each party) and a snowflake on her cheek. 

![Image shows two screenshots, the watercolor pencils, and four images of snowflakes with the edge of the eye makeup.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_Halloween-2023----Image-Elsa-Facepaint-1.jpg)

## Rainbow Unicorn

Zoey made up her mind quickly about her costume when she spotted the unicorn costume at Costco. This may be the second time we bought a unicorn costume and the fact that this version came in her favorite color... rainbow... was perfection. I just looked it up at Costco and see it's still listed: [Teetot Rainbow Unicorn Child Costume](https://www.costco.com/teetot-rainbow-unicorn-child-costume.product.4000288397.html?ref=simplykyra.com). 

### Outfit

With the costume picked I assumed we were done but later, once Ada got a crown, Zoey decided she needed one too but declined a 3D printed one and instead chose the one we already had from her [Princess Anna birthday party](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/zoeys-shelter-in-place-fourth-birthday-party/) three years before... though I'm now realizing the blue gem she brought me to glue on years ago didn't quite fit as it wasn't originally part of the crown. I worried about the crown staying on her head especially as she now likes to wear her hair loose. Luckily the costume came with a horn and mane headpiece so I was able to simply sew the crown to the front and sides of her headpiece. Customization finished!

![Collage of three images including her try on with the crown (left) and closeups of how it was sewn on the sides (top right) and front (bottom right).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_Halloween-2023----Image-Unicorn-Dress-3.jpg)

That said, while writing this post and checking the tags on previous Halloween posts, I found this image from[ Zoey's Princess Skateboarder Costume in 2021](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/check-out-zoeys-epic-princess-skateboarder-halloween-costume/) where I also used her hair to keep this exact crown on: 

[![Image is taken from above looking at the french braid pony that is holding the crown in place on ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0875.jpeg?resize=750%2C837&ssl=1)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/check-out-zoeys-epic-princess-skateboarder-halloween-costume/#school)

> [I started out by pulling two strands of hair from the front of her head through the tiara. I then started french braiding her hair grabbing the new sections from either inside the tiara or, carefully, pulling the strands through an opening in the tiara to get to the braid. Zoey likes the top elastic from her mask to lay on a pony so I finished the braid with her go to pony. ](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/check-out-zoeys-epic-princess-skateboarder-halloween-costume/#school)

### Face Paint

What rainbow unicorn can be complete without a rainbow on their cheek? Zoey was much more particular about how it should look than Ada so I pulled out my reMarkable so we could sketch out what we each pictured until we reached a consensus. With the design locked in I next had her pick her colors and lay them out in the order I should use them before I got started. There were copious amounts of in progress photos to confirm I was on the right track. Then for the second event we added a cloud! 

![Collage of six images showing the planning and final two results.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_Halloween-2023----Image-Unicorn-Facepaint-1.jpg)

## Final Look

And they turned out amazing! Love the final looks.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_Halloween-2023----Image-Kids-1.jpg)

And with that I bid you adieu. I hope your Halloween plans are going well and you have a fun event wherever it may be! And I'd love to hear from you in the comments whether either of these costumes inspired you and what you created. Have a great one!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Switch Out Your reMarkable Paper Pro's Sleep Screen
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/switch-out-your-remarkable-paper-pros-sleep-screen/
Last updated: 2025-12-25T00:55:46.000Z
I've been asked recently to make a post on how to switch out a reMarkable Paper Pro screen image and I thought that was a great idea. Here's all the information you need to do so along with links back to more information from previous posts that still apply. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_Switch-Out-Your-reMarkable-Paper-Pro-s-Sleep-Screen--pinterest.jpg)

---

Before beginning I wanted to mention that I've shared a reMarkable Paper Pro connection tutorial post previously along with several reMarkable 2 tutorials. As such I will be linking to subsections of those posts in case you need more information about any of these steps. Previous tutorial posts that I link to include:

[Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Paper Pro Through the Command LineWith the new reMarkable Paper Pro out I realized I needed to update my How To Connect post... here it is!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-8.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_9201-1-3.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line)

[Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Through the Command LineAccess your reMarkable through the command line using SSH.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-9.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0151-cropped.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/#accessing-your-remarkable-via-the-command-line-on-your-mac)

[Switch Out Your reMarkable’s Sleep Screen... Plus Easily Back it UpDo you have a reMarkable device and an Apple computer? Are you looking to switch out the default sleep screen image for your own? Here is how I customized my reMarkable2 with a custom sleep screen image.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-10.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0160.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/)

[Simple Script to Help Backup Your reMarkableBack when I first bought my reMarkable I realized there might come a day when I’d need to recover the files on it. Luckily, I haven’t needed to yet... but that precaution led to creating this script which makes backing it up so much easier.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-11.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_backup-remarkable-2021-10-21-at-10.41.55-AM.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-script-to-help-backup-your-remarkable/)

## Simply Customize It!

Before going into this tutorial I wanted to share my app *Simply Customize It* in case you want a simpler way to do this. Through the onboarding process, which you can exit and return to at any time, you can test the connection to your reMarkable and set up your own sleep screen image. It does have a subscription but each one gives you a one week (monthly subscription) or one month (yearly) free trial. For up to date information about the app check out:

[Simply Customize It!Transform your reMarkable device with Simply Customize It! Our app simplifies the process of customizing templates and screen images, making it easy for you to personalize your e-paper device. Whether you’re importing, editing, or syncing, we’ve got you covered.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-6.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/SimplyCustomizeIt-Image-AppStore-3-3-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)

That said to use the app you'll still need to set your reMarkable Paper Pro into developer mode and turn on `WLAN`. I touch over that below but you can find more information about this at [Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Paper Pro Through the Command Line](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/).

## Warning

Before continuing I need to warn you that setting your reMarkable into developer mode will reset it and you'll have to do the introductory onboarding steps again. I have a Connect account so I was able to re-download all of my files once I was logged in again. Additionally, to turn developer mode back off, you'll need to do a software reset. The steps can be found [through reMarkable Support here](https://support.remarkable.com/s/article/Software-recovery?ref=simplykyra.com) though I haven't tried it. Images of these steps can be found [under Warning at the before-mentioned post](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/#warning).

![Photo of the Software page on the reMarkable Paper Pro after entering developer mode. Text says: This mode is designed for you to make code adjustments locally in your software. Security is reduced. Do not store sensitive data on the device.  For instructions on how to exit developer mode, visit support.remarkable.com](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_Screenshot-IMG_9153.jpeg)

Once Developer Mode is turned on, first step below, you'll see this warning in the Software Settings. 

## Steps

### 1\. Turn on Developer Mode.

To do this you'll need to press Software Version in the General Settings section, toggle Advanced on, and press Developer Mode. From there you'll be brought through warnings and confirmations before the reMarkable restarts and you're brought through onboarding again. Once in, if you return to the same section, you'll see an area under Advanced letting you know to go to support to turn off Developer Mode. 

![Image shows the steps involved with confirming developer mode.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_Screenshot-Learn-How-to-Access-Your-reMarkable-Paper-Pro-Through-the-Command-Line---Image---Developer-Mode.jpg)

Once you click on Developer Mode (top left image) you're brought through a myriad of pages before onboarding starts again.

For more information and photos about this step check out the [Turn On Developer Mode](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/#turn-on-developer-mode) section of my previous post.

### 2\. Find your login information

Now that developer mode is turned on you can find your login information. To do this you'll need to go to the GPLv3 Compliance section on your reMarkable Paper Pro (Settings > About > Copyright and Licenses) 

![Photo shows the updated General Public License version 3 compliance paragraphs including the login credentials and the SSH over WLAN is disabled by default paragraph shown below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_8848.jpeg)

The password is under the top purple section with username `root` to the left. The list of IP addresses are under the bottom patch of purple. I've only ever used the top one. 

For more information about this step check out the [Find the Login Credentials](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/#find-the-login-credentials) section of my previous post.

### 3\. Connect to your reMarkable

To connect to your reMarkable you will need to physically plug in, via `USB`, from your reMarkable Paper Pro to your computer. From there, on your computer, open the terminal, type in `ssh root@ipaddress`, and press enter. After putting in your password and agreeing to the authenticity you're in. 

```bash
❯ ssh root@192.168.1.42
root@192.168.1.42's password:
The authenticity of host 'host (host)' can't be established.
This key is not known by any other names.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/[fingerprint])? yes
Warning: Permanently added 'host' () to the list of known hosts.
root@host's password:
root@imx8mm-ferrari:~# exit
logout
Connection to 192.168.1.42 closed.
```

For more information about this step on my Paper Pro check out the [Connect via SSH](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/#connect-via-ssh) section of my previous post. Additionally, if you go to [my original post about connecting to my reMarkable 2](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/) you can get more [in depth steps on each part](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/#accessing-your-remarkable-via-the-command-line-on-your-mac) along with additional tips like [skipping the password by using a public key](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/#skip-the-password-by-using-your-public-key) and [creating shortcuts](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/#forget-the-username-and-ip-address-by-creating-a-shortcut).

### 4\. Optional: Turn on WLAN so you don't need to wire in each time

If you don't want to have to physically connect the reMarkable Paper Pro to your computer each time you want to `SSH` in you can turn on `WLAN` allowing you to connect over your local area network. So, now that you're in, turn `WLAN` on by typing in `rm-ssh-over-wlan on`. 

```bash
root@imx8mm-ferrari:~# rm-ssh-over-wlan on
running: systemctl restart dropbear-wlan.socket
ssh over WLAN enabled.
```

For more information about this step check out the [Turning on WLAN](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/#turning-on-wlan) section of my previous post.

### 5\. Issue with readonly directories

Once connected I quickly realized the directories (folders) were readonly so I couldn't do any of the things I needed to do. To get past this, every time you `SSH` in and want to make changes, you might need to type in `mount -o remount,rw /`.

```bash
root@imx8mm-ferrari:~# mount -o remount,rw /
```

For more information about this step check out the [Getting Past the Readonly](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/#getting-past-the-readonly) section of my previous post.

### 6\. Optional: Backing up your reMarkable

Before proceeding I recommend you back up your reMarkable in some way. In my original sleep screen post, under [First Backup Your reMarkable’s Software](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/#first-backup-your-remarkable%E2%80%99s-software) section, I shared that you can backup all the files by putting them into an already created folder, in this case `temp` on my Desktop, using the following command with your credentials instead of mine: 

```bash
❯ scp -r root@192.168.1.38:/usr/share/remarkable/ Desktop/temp/
```

I later created a bash script to streamline this process and shared it here: 

[Simple Script to Help Backup Your reMarkableBack when I first bought my reMarkable I realized there might come a day when I’d need to recover the files on it. Luckily, I haven’t needed to yet... but that precaution led to creating this script which makes backing it up so much easier.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-11.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_backup-remarkable-2021-10-21-at-10.41.55-AM.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-script-to-help-backup-your-remarkable/)

At that time, I still [manually backed up my notebooks](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-script-to-help-backup-your-remarkable/) too just to be safe. Since then I've gotten out of the backup practice though I still run the script before I do anything too crazy. I also know that I have the Connect plan, old backed up templates somewhere, and the knowledge that the next reMarkable update may fix any problems when it upgrades.

### 7\. Find, create, or purchase the screen image you want to use

When I first started uploading a sleep screen image to my reMarkable it would be auto-resized to fit. Now the reMarkable no longer does that so you'll want be sure your image is 2160 pixels tall and 1620 pixels wide. In case you're working with multiple devices the older reMarkables are 1872 by 1404 pixels. Additionally, the image needs to be in a `PNG` format.

In the past I've used both [Canva](https://www.canva.com/join/bromeliad-tightrope-metric?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Pixelmator Pro](https://www.pixelmator.com/pro/?ref=simplykyra.com) as I can create a canvas of the right size and add to it. That said, most recently, I simply choose a photo and use my app to resize then upload. You could also use your reMarkable itself to size your image by either creating it on the reMarkable itself or uploading a `PDF` containing the page you want to use. In either case just email the page to yourself as a `PNG`. For my past-self take on this check out the [Create the image](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/#create-the-image) section in my previous post.

### 8\. Sleep screen on the reMarkable explained

All of the reMarkables have a list of files they look for that are located within the `/usr/share/remarkable/` directory. If you replace any of those `PNG` image files with something else it will show that image instead of the old one. If you rename the file it will not be able to find the required image and will instead use its backup plan. The sleep screen image used is called `suspended.png` and if I delete it the reMarkable Paper Pro says simply "reMarkable is sleeping" for its backup plan. The rest of these steps will assume you want to replace the sleep screen image but you could follow the same steps replacing the `suspended.png` filename with `batteryempty.png`, `poweroff.png`, etc to replace the other images. 

![Image shows a tree image with a list of screens in a drop down menu.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_IMG_0456.PNG)

List of the screens available to replace for the Paper Pro in my Simply Customize It app. For the reMarkable 2 there's eight in total as it also includes `overheating.png`. 

Also just a reminder. Custom images are not supported so when the reMarkable software updates it will be forgotten. Keep the images you use on hand so you can follow the same steps to upload whenever it's lost.

### 9\. Open a terminal where your file is stored

To upload the image to your reMarkable you'll need to use `scp` through your terminal. To open it you can search (command + space) for the terminal application and, once opened, it will start you off in your home directory `~`. My image `Birds In Sky.png`, for this example, is located within the `Downloads/temp` directory so I need to change my directory location, using `cd`, to get there:

```bash
~
❯ cd Downloads/temp/

~/Downloads/temp
❯ 
```

You can then use `ls` to list your files and, just as an aside, if your filename has spaces you'll need to use a `\` before each space. As an example:

```bash
~/Downloads/temp
❯ ls
Birds In Sky.png

~/Downloads/temp
❯ ls Birds\ In\ Sky.png
Birds In Sky.png
```

Additionally, you could execute the below `scp` command without navigating to that directory but you'd have to use it's pathway along with the filename so in my case I'd need to enter, if executing from the home directory, `Downloads/temp/Birds\ In\ Sky.png` instead of simply `Birds In Sky.png`.

### 10\. Upload the image to your reMarkable

Using the same credentials as when using `SSH` to access your reMarkable you can now upload the file. Just a heads up I used a public key so it no longer asks me my password to connect ([learn more here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/#skip-the-password-by-using-your-public-key)) if you haven't you will be asked to enter it before the upload can happen.

To do this we will be using Secure Copy Protocol (`SCP`) which is a way to securely move files to or from two remote computers which in this case is your computer and your reMarkable. Here's a [How To Geek article](https://www.howtogeek.com/804179/scp-command-linux/?ref=simplykyra.com) with more information if you wand to dive in deeper. 

Using `scp` we can upload and replace the `suspended.png` image in one go. Using my credentials (replace the host with your own) and my `Birds In Sky.png` image my command would be: `scp Birds\ In\ Sky.png root@192.168.1.38:/usr/share/remarkable/suspended.png`. This means copy `scp` the first item `Birds\ In\ Sky.png` and put in on the reMarkable `root@192.168.1.38` in the `/usr/share/remarkable/` directory as `suspended.png`. Since that image already exists it will just replace (stomp) the old one.

With the reMarkable Paper Pro the directory we replace the image in is readonly by default unless you've run the mount command (section 5 above) since the last restart. As such, to demonstrate, this terminal shows me attempting to upload the image, failing, using `ssh` to connect, running the mount command, exiting, and trying to upload again: 

```bash
~/Downloads/temp
❯ scp Birds\ In\ Sky.png root@192.168.1.38:/usr/share/remarkable/suspended.png
scp: dest open "/usr/share/remarkable/suspended.png": Failure
scp: failed to upload file Birds In Sky.png to /usr/share/remarkable/suspended.png

~/Downloads/temp
❯ ssh root@192.168.1.38
root@imx8mm-ferrari:~# mount -o remount,rw /
root@imx8mm-ferrari:~# exit
logout
Connection to 192.168.1.38 closed.

~/Downloads/temp took 26s
❯ scp Birds\ In\ Sky.png root@192.168.1.38:/usr/share/remarkable/suspended.png
Birds In Sky.png                                                                                                                               100% 1431KB   1.9MB/s   00:00

~/Downloads/temp
❯
```

In the old reMarkable at this point you'd need to restart your device to see the new screen image but now, because of the mounting step, we don't need to restart and can simply press the top button and see the new screen immediately.

![Landscape reMarkable Paper Pro showing a dark image with faint birds and the text "birds in sky".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_IMG_0455.jpeg)

And here's my quickly made birds in the sky image.

For more information about this step and confirming whether it worked check out [Moving the image to the reMarkable](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/#moving-the-image-to-the-remarkable), [Confirmation](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/#confirmation), and [But Did It Work](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/#but-did-it-work) sections of my previous post. That said, these steps are for the reMarkable 2 that didn't need the mounting step.... though you can use it on the previous reMarkable devices too.

## I don't have a Mac

I did all of the above steps on my Mac computer. It's been years since I've used a linux machine or Windows so I can't attest to any minor differences you might find. That said, if you have a linux machine it should be the same. On Windows the equivalent to terminal would be `Command Prompt` (uses `dir` instead of the `ls` above) or `PowerShell`. I've also heard of people using [WinSCP](https://winscp.net/eng/download.php?ref=simplykyra.com) too. Most of this tutorial can help you but anything specifically on the Mac terminal may be slightly different but I'm hoping this can get you started. Good luck.

UPDATE: Just came across a how to for Windows on Reddit by [EfficiencyExternal9](https://www.reddit.com/user/EfficiencyExternal9/?ref=simplykyra.com). Figured I'd link it in case it can help anyone.

> [Custom Studio GHIBLI sleep screen](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/1iocza4/custom%5Fstudio%5Fghibli%5Fsleep%5Fscreen/?ref=simplykyra.com)  
> by [u/EfficiencyExternal9](https://www.reddit.com/user/EfficiencyExternal9/?ref=simplykyra.com) in [RemarkableTablet](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/?ref=simplykyra.com) 

---

And there you go. Whether on the reMarkable, reMarkable 2, or reMarkable Paper Pro you can have custom sleep screen images. 

![Two reMarkable side by side in portrait mode with the sleep screen images matched.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_9197-1.jpeg)

![Two reMarkable side by side in landscape mode with the sleep screen images matched.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_9201-4.jpeg)

Hope you’re having a great day! And feel free to comment below with any tips or questions.

## UPDATE: December 2025

### Sleep Screen Overlay

[Exploring the reMarkable Sleep Screen Overlay (and How to Tinker with It Yourself!)A quiet change in reMarkable OS 3.25 added a rotating illustration overlay to the sleep screen on Paper Pro devices. I went digging to see how it works, how to turn it off, and what happens if you start poking around yourself.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-75.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Exploring-the-reMarkable-Sleep-Screen-Overlay----Screenshot---Image--1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/exploring-the-remarkable-sleep-screen-overlay-and-how-to-tinker-with-it-yourself/)

I've noticed with the 3.25 beta on the reMarkable Paper Pro and PP Move that an overlay how appears over the sleep screen image. Wrote up what I discovered here.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simply Customize It Update: Now Works With Your ReMarkable Paper Pro
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-update-now-works-with-your-remarkable-paper-pro/
Last updated: 2024-10-31T22:31:38.000Z
I bought the new reMarkable Paper Pro when it came out and I'm so happy to announce that I, and soon you, can now switch out your screen images and upload custom templates on both the reMarkable, reMarkable 2, and reMarkable Paper Pro! 

The new app version has been submitted to the App Store and both have been approved. I just hit the button to distribute them so you should be getting the update soon if not already.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/-Announcing-a-Simply-Customize-It-Update----pinterest.jpg)

*Tested only on the reMarkable 2 and reMarkable Paper Pro.*

## Unfortunately It’s More Work for You With the Paper Pro

Although the app now works with the new reMarkable Paper Pro... it doesn't work right out of the box per se. My app works over WiFi connection so your iPhone/iPad/computer (whichever device has Simply Customize It) needs to be on the same network as the reMarkable *AND* the reMarkable Paper Pro will need to have it's `WLAN` turned on. To do that you will need to switch your device to be in `Developer Mode`, connect while over `USB`, and turn on `WLAN` by typing in `rm-ssh-over-wlan on`. I published [a *how to* previously that can be found here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/#steps-for-ssh-capabilities):

[Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Paper Pro Through the Command LineWith the new reMarkable Paper Pro out I realized I needed to update my How To Connect post... here it is!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_9201-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line)

That said, I need to also warn you that setting your reMarkable Paper Pro into developer mode will reset it and you'll have to do the introductory onboarding steps again. I have a Connect account so I was able to re-download all of my files with no fuss once I was logged in again and haven't had an issue yet but I also haven't attempted to revert it back either. Check out [the warning](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/#warning) I included in the above post for more information. Essentially though it sounds like if you change your mind later about Developer Mode and want to exit apparently you're required to walk through the software recovery steps [found, through reMarkable, here](https://support.remarkable.com/s/article/Software-recovery??ref=simplykyra.com).

## Changes

The biggest change to the app is that it now works with the new reMarkable Paper Pro! That being said there's a few more changes included:

### Renamed User to Device

The functionality stays the same but I renamed the user accounts to devices. I had created the *user* thinking you may want to upload a sleep screen image to your friend's reMarkable or you may live in a household where multiple people have a reMarkable. With three different reMarkable devices out now I decided to rename it although you can still create as many *devices* as you want for as many people as you desire. 

![Image shows the changes highlighted in the renamed user to device and the added target device value. For more information read the section above and below this image.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_Screenshot-Announcing-a-Simply-Customize-It-Update----Image.jpg)

### Added Target Device to Device/User

Additionally, there are a couple minor differences between connecting to the prior reMarkable devices and the Paper Pro so I've added *Target Device* to the device section so that the app knows which one it's connecting to. 

### Improved Readability on MacOS 

I noticed awhile back that the readability on the macOS version of the app was all squished together and hard to read. I've since updated the display views to include dividing lines, spacing, and better formatted titling which allows for better readability. 

![Collage of two views (template and screen) on the macOS app to show the readability.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_Screenshot-Announcing-a-Simply-Customize-It-Update----Image2.jpg)

### Less Required Restarting

Although we still need to restart your reMarkable to see the custom template changes you will no longer need to restart for newly uploaded screen images. That said, just in case you do want to restart your reMarkable device I've added an extra button to the device (previously user) section so you don't even need to leave the app to restart. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_Screenshot-Announcing-a-Simply-Customize-It-Update----Image3.jpg)

## Works the Same

Essentially the app works just the same but can now also work on the reMarkable Paper Pro.

### Screens

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_9197-1.jpeg)

![Two reMarkable side by side with the sleep screen images matched.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_9201-4.jpeg)

### Templates

![A new category called "Custom" is shown with a singe blank template called Black.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_9402.jpeg)

![Image shows a black paper with the words on it in pink and teal.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_9403.jpeg)

And with that I wish you a great day. I hope this update finds you well and remember, if you have any questions or general helpful tips don't hesitate to leave a comment or message me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It). 

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Emmons Moraine Trail on Mount Rainier/Tahoma
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/emmons-moraine-trail-on-mount-rainier-tahoma/
Last updated: 2024-10-06T14:00:31.000Z
I hiked Emmons Moraine Trail back at the beginning of July 2024 and it was gorgeous. I wanted to share some of my photos with you in case you'd also love to come along on this adventure.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_Emmons-Moraine-Trail-on-Mount-RainierTahoma---pinterest.jpg)

---

## Good to Know

### Pass

The Emmons Moraine Trail is part of the National State Park for Mount Rainier so you'll need to have or purchase an entrance pass. Additionally, starting this summer (2024) if arriving between 7:00 am to 3:00 pm you'll need to reserve your timed entry slot. We went on this hike back in July right before the timed entry started for the Sunrise Corridor so I didn't have to deal with timed entries but I've since heard online that it can get backed up. For more information here's a link to [the fees and passes page for Mount Rainier](https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/fees.htm?ref=simplykyra.com) on the National Park Service website.

![Image shows the map with the Paradise Corridor along the bottom and Sunrise on the upper right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_Screenshot-2024-07-04-at-07.57.02.png)

Screenshot of the two separate Mount Rainier entrances that need timed entry reservation was taken on July 4th from [the National Park Service website.](https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/fees.htm?ref=simplykyra.com)

### Connectivity

If going I want to remind you to download or print your hiking map ahead of time and be prepared to drive out of the park without being able to reload your driving directions.

### Camping

We didn't camp but the trailhead itself was located at White River Campground so there is camping available with a typical season from late June to September. With the timed reservation note: 

> *From July 4 - September 2, 2024,* [timed entry reservations](https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/timed-entry-reservations.htm?ref=simplykyra.com) *are required to enter the Sunrise Corridor between 7:00 am and 3:00 pm, which includes White River Campground. *Once you get a* *White River Campground* *first-come, first-served (FCFS) permit, it can be used instead of a timed entry reservation* to enter the Sunrise Corridor anytime during the remainder of your stay. FCFS permits can be acquired *before 7 am or you may need a Sunrise Corridor Timed Entry Permit* if you want to try to acquire a FCFS between 7 am and 3 pm. There is *no guarantee* that a FCFS permit will be available even if you get a timed entry permit. White River Campground permits provide* **access to the Sunrise Corridor only** *; they do not provide access to the Paradise Corridor.*

The above quote and more information about this and other Mount Rainier Campgrounds can be found [at the National Park Service campgrounds page here](https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm?ref=simplykyra.com).

### Facilities

As the trailhead is located at a campground there were nice flushable toilets when we went. That said, looking at old AllTrails reviews suggest that the bathroom is closed when the campground is so be aware of the campground season when planning.

### More Information

As mentioned above you'll need both an entrance pass along with a timed reservation based on when you go. Here are the links for more information about them:

- [Mount Rainier Fees and Passes](https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/fees.htm?ref=simplykyra.com)
- [Mount Rainier Timed Entry Reservations](https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/timed-entry-reservations.htm?ref=simplykyra.com)

For more up to date information about this hike you can check out the either the [Washington Trail Association page](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip%5Freport.2016-07-29.8744311160?ref=simplykyra.com) or the [AllTrails page](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/emmons-moraine-trail--3?ref=simplykyra.com).

[![Screenshot of the hike information from the WTA (Washington Trails Association).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_Screenshot-2024-07-04-at-07.59.30.png)](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip%5Freport.2016-07-29.8744311160?ref=simplykyra.com)

Screenshot of the [trail on the Washington Trail Association page](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip%5Freport.2016-07-29.8744311160?ref=simplykyra.com) taken on July 4th, 2024.

[![Screenshot of the hike information from AllTrails.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_Screenshot-2024-07-04-at-07.53.19.png)](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/emmons-moraine-trail--3?ref=simplykyra.com)

Screenshot of the [trail on the AllTrails page](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/emmons-moraine-trail--3?ref=simplykyra.com) taken on July 4th, 2024.

### Activity Burn

In case it helps you decide here's my map and hike stats from AllTrails. We went on a couple side trips including through the trees, near the end, and to the lake along with stopping several times for photos and lunch but overall the entire hike was logged at 5.16 miles with a moving time of 3 hours and 3 minutes and a total elevation gain of 1,079 feet. 

![Screenshot of my AllTrails activity on the hike showing the stats on the left and map on the right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_2024-07-04-at-07.54.06.png)

## Emmons Moraine Trail 

Normally I sort these photos in the order I took them but with this hike I realized I took more photos on the way back so I wanted to order them by location starting at the trailhead in the campground all the way to the viewpoint closer to the glacier. In reality we took the photos of the waterfall on the way out and stopped at the lake with extra photos of the river on the way back. 

![Image shows the general trail location via photo collections on a map.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_2024-08-16-at-08.13.52.png)

The Photos app on my computer nicely highlights the trail we went on. 

### Campground

Although we didn't camp the trailhead was located at the [White River Campground](https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm?ref=simplykyra.com) with the following views taken in the spaces between the campsites.

![Image of blue sky surrounded on two sides with green trees. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4693.jpeg)

![Fence, trees, mountain, and hint of water. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4958.jpeg)

### Heading Out

After walking through part of the camp we started on the trail and hiked along the wide and well maintained path in the trees. 

![Dark trees with hints of mountain behind.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4694.jpeg)

![Green bush with trees surrounding it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4696.jpeg)

![Green happy plant.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4697.jpeg)

![Trail shrouded in shadows by the surrounding trees. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4955.jpeg)

![Mountain framed by the greenery.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4698.jpeg)

### Waterfall Pause

On the way, right off the trail, we found a waterfall that was gorgeous. I could totally see spending some time reading here or eating a snack if you had more time. 

![Image of a trail with two photo locations marked one off the trail a bit.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_2024-08-16-at-08.15.49.png)

Used my Photo app to highlight where along the trail the waterfall was. Just listen for the sound. 

![Waterfall framed by trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4702.jpeg)

![Me looking up at waterfall all framed by trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4711.jpeg)

![Me by the waterfall framed by trees looking at the camera.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4712.jpeg)

### Continuing On

Continuing along the trail we found another waterfall before arriving at the river.

![Waterfall breaking around moss coated rocks.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4719.jpeg)

![River cutting through rocks surrounded by mountains and trees. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4725.jpeg)

### River Crossing

The trail does cross the river but with the bridge you don't get wet at all and have a photo opportunity if it isn't too busy. On the other side, after crossing, you'll find gravel switchbacks heading up the hill. Just be warned to keep your mouth closed if windy as the sand can get blown up easily. 

![Raging river crashing through rocks.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4933.jpeg)

![Skinny bridge with single guardrail over the raging river. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4936.jpeg)

![Me standing on skinny bridge with hand on single guardrail over the raging river looking into the distance. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4923.jpeg)

![Me standing looking to the distance by raging river. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4928.jpeg)

![Gravel switchback with dust cloud being blown towards the raging river.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4917.jpeg)

![View from higher showing the switchbacks, river, and surrounding mountains and trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4920.jpeg)

![View from higher showing the switchbacks, river, and surrounding mountains and trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4732.jpeg)

### Lake Access

At the top of the switchback the trail goes to the right which we followed on the way out. That said, if you instead go straight there's a smaller path down to access the lake. On the way back we stopped at the lake for a rest, a view, and to eat our lunch. That said the access point was steep so be careful going down and mindful you'll need to go back up that way when leaving.

![Looking out across the lake and mountains.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_2BE14E4F-A11E-4CD6-B6C5-B8F7BEA22086.JPG)

![Looking back at the camera with the lake and mountains in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_646A6A7B-37F4-42A9-9BC6-A7CB8B0A5003.JPG)

![Epic landscape showing the lave with mountains and glacier in the background framed with green trees. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4872.jpeg)

![Epic landscape showing the lave with mountains in the background framed with green trees to the left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4876.jpeg)

![Epic landscape showing the lave with mountains and glacier in the background framed with green trees and rocks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4877.jpeg)

![Epic landscape showing the lave with mountains and glacier in the background framed with green trees and rocks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4878.jpeg)

![View of me eating on a rock with my feet in the water. Mountains behind.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_5436DFA5-BF23-46DC-A960-131B974D0AAC.JPG)

![Feet poset above the sparkling water with mountains and glaciers behind.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4881.jpeg)

![Looking into the distance sitting on a rock by the lake with mountains behind. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_FB069DFD-CB85-42D2-9F7D-76AB098ABD19.JPG)

![Sparkling mountain lake with trees, mountains, and glacier in background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4885.jpeg)

![Sparkling mountain lake with trees, mountains, and glacier in background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4890.jpeg)

### Continuing on

After the river and lake the trail offered frequent views of the mountains along with the lake, when looking back, and the glacier, when looking ahead. There were several small spots you could pull off the trail to rest and snap a photo. 

![Lake with trees and sunbeam in front and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4738.jpeg)

![Trees, mountain, and glacier.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4740.jpeg)

![Lake with trees and sunbeam in front and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4742.jpeg)

![Me sitting posed next the backpack in front of a lake with trees and sunbeam in front and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_7422AFB2-D970-4D7D-A9F4-18B38EC09982.JPG)

![Me standing in front of a lake with trees and sunbeam in front and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_7F90149C-7A5E-454D-BC8B-0B2A19F38366.JPG)

![View of the sandy trails along the trees with view of glacier and mountain.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4744.jpeg)

![A tree stands in the foreground in front of treed mountains in the background with a single small river in the distance. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4749.jpeg)

![View of the sandy trails along the trees with view of glacier and mountain.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4751.jpeg)

![Trees, meandering river, barren land, and snow.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4756.jpeg)

![Single little tree sprout in front of trees, lake, and mountains.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4846.jpeg)

![Single little tree sprout in front of trees, glacier, Ridgeline, and mountains.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4848.jpeg)

### Less Maintained Path

At some point along the way there's a sign letting you know the end of the maintained trail has arrived. I thought nothing of it at the time as we had the map downloaded on AllTrails but found several times we got a bit turned around as there's several branching paths that others have forged and it's less obvious where you should go.

![Image shows a sign through and around the trees saying: "End of maintained trail: travel safely leave no trace"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4850.jpeg)

![Single tree next to sandy blowing trail with view of valley of trees and lake.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4841.jpeg)

![Clouds obscuring part of the snowy mountain top.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4757.jpeg)

![Trees, trail, mountains, and snow.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4761.jpeg)

![Pink flowers amidst the green. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4765.jpeg)

![Trees and pockets of snow on the mountain.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4840.jpeg)

![Rocky trail through the trees. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4768.jpeg)

![Trees with flat treed mountain in background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4771.jpeg)

### Side Quest

At some point we took a wrong turn and started going through trees again. Looking back the fact that there were tress blocking the trail at several points should've been a sign we may have gotten turned around but it was still an obvious trail and so we didn't second guess it at first. That said, I'm so glad we did because the trees were gorgeous!

![Image shows a Y of photo sets following along with a U of a trail.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_2024-08-16-at-08.14.47.png)

Again the Photo app shows the trail forking with the tree-d side quest photos on the left, the path we came on the right, and the path we should've taken down the center.

![Dark shaded path and trees. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4777.jpeg)

![Dark shaded path amidst the looming trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4780.jpeg)

![Curved base to some of the trunks.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4781.jpeg)

![Single mushroom amidst the forest debris.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4783.jpeg)

![Dark shaded covered path amidst the looming trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4784.jpeg)

![Criss crossed trunks coated in swinging moss.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4786.jpeg)

![Trees!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4791.jpeg)

![Criss crossed trunks coated in swinging moss.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4794.jpeg)

![Focused on the moss coming from the sideways tree trunk.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4796.jpeg)

![Criss crossed trunks coated in swinging moss.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4797.jpeg)

### Back On the Trail

After checking our map we were back on the criss crossing trail and on our way to the glacier view.

![Dab of blue lake against the green trees and hills and blue clouded sky.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4804.jpeg)

![Trees, mountains, glacier, and deep blue sky.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4805.jpeg)

![Purple flowers in the midst of the grey.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4807.jpeg)

![Mountains, glacier, cloud, blue, and green.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4808.jpeg)

### Viewpoint 

And then we reached the end with a view letting us see in either direction.

![Blue sky, mountains, trees, and rocks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4811.jpeg)

![Dab of blue lake against the green trees and hills and blue clouded sky.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4812.jpeg)

![Vegetation.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4813.jpeg)

![Me looking at the camera with glacier and mountain in background surrounded by trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4816.jpeg)

![Selfie amidst nature.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4826.jpeg)

![Trees, mountain, and snow!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4827.jpeg)

![View of me looking at the camera with my hat and hiking pole on gravel with the mountain and glacier behind and trees in the mid. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_63A8C068-3261-48BC-A964-522D1589E770-1.JPG)

![Epic view!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4837.jpeg)

### And Back Again

And with the end reached it was time to turn back where we headed to the lake and snapped more photos at the river, shown above, before returning home. I'm so glad I went on this hike and although the final viewpoint was gorgeous I'm so glad we got turned around so we got to experience the mossy forest along with the river, waterfall, and lake. 

I hope these photos found you well and you're having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.

##
### Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Paper Pro Through the Command Line
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/
Last updated: 2025-12-20T04:47:46.000Z
I recently bought the new reMarkable Paper Pro and realized that there were way more steps to get through compared to [the reMarkable 2, which I posted about in 2021](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/), so I wanted to share how I connected in case it can help you too!

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_Learn-How-to-Access-Your-reMarkable-Paper-Pro-Through-the-Command-Line----pinterest.jpg)

*All this information was compiled on or recently after September 14th, 2024 on my newly purchased (no affiliate) reMarkable Paper Pro running version 3.14.1.10.*

---

When I first heard about the reMarkable Paper Pro coming out I told myself I didn't need it... and then I realized I needed to know how it could connect to [my Simply Customize It app](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) and I suddenly *needed* to buy it. It has since arrived and I wanted to share how I connected to it as it may help you too whether you already bought it or are collecting information to help make your decision.

## Simply Customize It

Several months ago I came out with an [Apple app](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) that allows you to connect to your reMarkable 1 or 2, switch out the screens, and add custom templates. I have no affiliate with reMarkable and found, since working on the new reMarkable Paper Pro, that it seems as if they're trying to make it impossible to add custom templates and switch out your screen images. Right now I was able to connect and switch out the sleep screen images using my app. Once I figure out templates I'll push an update for all of you. If you sign up for the ***Simply Customize It*** newsletter, by creating a [free account here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/#/portal/signup), you'll be messaged whenever there's an update about this app, [*Simply Customize It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) specifically. 

![Image shows the reMarkable 2 on the left and reMarkable Paper Pro on the right. Both have the same sleep screen image set. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_9197.jpeg)

I love being able to set a photo as my sleep screen on both the reMarkable 2 and reMarkable Paper Pro. It's a perfect desk frame when not in use. 

![Image shows the reMarkable 2 on the left and reMarkable Paper Pro on the right. Both have the same sleep screen image set. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_9201-2.jpeg)

And here is the same image in landscape mode as I rotated it instead of cropping like above. 

That said, to use [*Simply Customize It*](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) on the reMarkable Paper Pro you will [need to put your reMarkable into developer mode and turn on the WLAN setting](#steps-for-ssh-capabilities). Anything beyond that isn't needed but, understandably, that is a lot of steps for custom templates and screen images. Additionally, I don't know what future reMarkable software updates will bring. 

**Update:** Simply Customize It how works with the reMarkable Paper Pro. Get more information about the app here

[Simply Customize It!Transform your reMarkable device with Simply Customize It! Our app simplifies the process of customizing templates and screen images, making it easy for you to personalize your e-paper device. Whether you’re importing, editing, or syncing, we’ve got you covered.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-5.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/SimplyCustomizeIt-Image-AppStore-3-3.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it)

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/Link-Card-Preview-Image---1200x628-1.png)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

Let me know, in the comments below or via email mail@simplykyra.com, what you're interested in having in the app and, depending on the interest I can maybe prioritize it. 

## Warning

Before continuing I need to warn you that setting your reMarkable into developer mode will reset it and you'll have to do the introductory onboarding steps again. I have a Connect account so I was able to re-download all of my files once I was logged in again. 

Additionally, although I have entered developer mode for the `SSH` capabilities on my reMarkable Paper Pro I have not researched what else might change when you go into that mode although the company, while going through this process, does warn you repeatedly about device security and to not store any sensitive data on your device. Additionally, I have not tried to exit developer mode and as such cannot offer advice about that beyond linking you to the reMarkable support where I found the post [Developer mode for the reMarkable Paper Pro](https://support.remarkable.com/s/article/Developer-mode?ref=simplykyra.com) which then links to [Software recovery for reMarkable Paper Pro](https://support.remarkable.com/s/article/Software-recovery?ref=simplykyra.com). 

![Directions on how to reset the reMarkable device and what you will need.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_Screenshot-2024-09-16-at-09.57.44.png)

Screenshot of the top of the [Software recovery for reMarkable Paper Pro](https://support.remarkable.com/s/article/Software-recovery?ref=simplykyra.com) page was taken on September 16th, 2024.

![The steps you will need to take if connected to a Windows machine.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_Screenshot-2024-09-16-at-09.59.17.png)

Screenshot of the Windows section of the [Software recovery for reMarkable Paper Pro](https://support.remarkable.com/s/article/Software-recovery?ref=simplykyra.com) page was taken on September 16th, 2024.

![Collage of two side by side images showing the steps you will need to take if connected to a Mac machine.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_Screenshot-2024-09-16-at-10.00.54.png)

Screenshots of the Mac section of the [Software recovery for reMarkable Paper Pro](https://support.remarkable.com/s/article/Software-recovery?ref=simplykyra.com) page were taken on September 16th, 2024.

*I am not associated with reMarkable. Proceed at your own risk.* 

## TLDR

Be aware that this is now more difficult to do, reMarkable warns against it, and the `remarkable` and `templates` directories as now readonly. I have turned on developer mode and the ability to `SSH` over `WLAN` on my device and I haven't attempted to turn it off. According to [reMarkable support you will need to do software recovery](https://support.remarkable.com/s/article/Software-recovery?ref=simplykyra.com) ([shown above](#warning)) to turn off developer mode in the future and, again, I have not attempted to do that. All said... 

1. To turn on developer mode go to `Settings` and under `Software` click `Version xxx`. From there toggle advanced, developer settings, and then follow the directions.
2. Once the reMarkable is rebooted plug it in over `USB` and use the login credentials now shown under `GPLv3 Compliance`.
3. To turn on `WLAN`, once connected via `SSH`, type in `rm-ssh-over-wlan on`.

If you want something a bit more wordy than above and more streamlined than below you can now check out the first five or so steps in:

[Switch Out Your reMarkable Paper Pro’s Sleep ScreenWith the reMarkable Paper Pro out I figured it was time to share an updated post on how to switch out your screen images! Come check it out.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/03/Favicon_Transparent_60.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_Switch-Out-Your-reMarkable-Paper-Pro-s-Sleep-Screen----Image.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/switch-out-your-remarkable-paper-pros-sleep-screen/#steps)

## Steps for SSH Capabilities

Update: For both the reMarkable 1 and 2 you do not need to turn on developer mode or WLAN. When you find the GPLv3 compliance the connection information will be there without needing developer mode turned on. Developer mode was added to the Paper Pro and without it the connection information is hidden.

### Find the GPLv3 Compliance

Hit the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner then `Settings` at the bottom. With `General` at the top highlighted click `About`, under `Help`, and then `Copyrights and licenses`. 

![Collage showing the steps to go through to get to the General Public License version 3 Compliance section.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_Screenshot-Learn-How-to-Access-Your-reMarkable-Paper-Pro-Through-the-Command-Line---Image---Find-GPLv3Compliance.jpg)

With the previous reMarkable devices you'd now see the connection information listed under the `GPLv3 Compliance` near the bottom. This has been updated with the following message:

![Image shows the General Public License version 3 compliance paragraphs written out below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_8826.jpeg)

> The General Public License version 3 and the Lesser General Public License version 3 also requires you as an end-user to be able to access your device to be able to modify the copyrighted software licensed under these licenses running on it.   
>  
> To do so, you need to activate 'Developer Mode' in Settings -> Software -> Advanced.  
>  
> Once activated, you will find information on how to connect on this page.

### Turn On Developer Mode

From here you'll need to go back twice to general settings where the `Help -> About` was, but now, instead, you'll want to go up a section and click the `Version` part under `Software`. The toggle beside `Advanced` will be, by default, off so tap the toggle to open the advanced area. At the bottom of the resulting list is `Developer mode`, tap that to see information about `Developer Mode`. At this point you'll be presented with several informational *are you sure?* screens where you hit `Continue` until you have a final confirmation by pressing the power button twice. 

![Image shows the steps involved with confirming developer mode.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_Screenshot-Learn-How-to-Access-Your-reMarkable-Paper-Pro-Through-the-Command-Line---Image---Developer-Mode.jpg)

Once done there's new text between the `Advanced` and `Automatic updates` toggles letting me know to go to support to learn how to exit developer mode.

![Photo of the Software page on the reMarkable Paper Pro after entering developer mode.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_Screenshot-IMG_9153.jpeg)

> This mode is designed for you to make code adjustments locally in your software. Security is reduced. Do not store sensitive data on the device.  
>  
> For instructions on how to exit developer mode, visit support.remarkable.com

For screenshots and links to reMarkable support check out [the warning section above](#warning).

### For Later: Turn off Developer Mode

I haven't tried to turn off developer mode yet but wanted to track down exactly how to do it in case you ever need it. Going to support and searching for Developer Mode got me to this post, [Developer mode for the reMarkable Paper Pro](https://support.remarkable.com/s/article/Developer-mode?ref=simplykyra.com), that then linked to [Software recovery for reMarkable Paper Pro](https://support.remarkable.com/s/article/Software-recovery?ref=simplykyra.com). For screenshots of this reMarkable support page check out [the warning section above](#warning).

### Find the Login Credentials

From there I was able to repeat the steps above (menu -> `Settings` \-> `About` \-> `Copyrights and licenses`) to go to the `GPLv3 Compliance` section but now, in developer mode, I can see my log in credentials including my username `root`, my password, and a list of IP addresses.

**Update December 19th, 2025:** Go to menu, question mark at bottom, `Copyrights and licenses` under `About`, make sure you're on `General information` and scroll down to the bottom for the `GPLv3 Compliance` section.

![Photo shows the updated General Public License version 3 compliance paragraphs including the login credentials and the SSH over WLAN is disabled by default paragraph shown below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_8848.jpeg)

Now we can `SSH` into our reMarkable Paper Pro... but *ONLY* if we're connected to our reMarkable through our `USB` ethernet cord. At this point we cannot connect to our reMarkable if it isn't physically plugged in. That ability still needs to be enabled by turning on `WLAN`. 

> SSH over WLAN is disabled by default, but can be enabled by connecting to the device over USB using the SSH protocol with the credentials mentioned above and running the command **rm-ssh-over-wlan on**.

Before going over that lets....

### Connect via SSH

Quick aside: I'm on my Mac computer so my directions will assume you're on a Mac as well. Linux and Windows (using Bash) should be comparable but it's been awhile since I've attempted to log in to my reMarkable 2 through Windows so I can't tell you how it may differ. That said this part is comparable to the reMarkable 2 so you can check out [my older post for an earlier take](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/).

Anyway, to connect to your reMarkable you will need to physically plug in, via `USB`, from your reMarkable Paper Pro to your computer unless you've turned on `WLAN` already (explained in the next section). Either way make sure your reMarkable is turned on. 

Now on your computer open up the terminal. If you don't know where it is you can simply press command `cmd` and the spacebar to open up spotlight and search for *terminal*. Once in you can use the login credentials from the previous section to type in `ssh [username]@[host/ip address]` and hit `Enter` before it asks for your password.

Be aware that the host can change on your reMarkable so if it no longer works go into settings and see if it's been updated to something different. Also when you connect the first time you will be asked to authenticate the authenticity of the host (IP address) you entered. Continue on by saying `yes` and, once you're in, you can simply type in `exit` to be logged out. So for me this looked something like:

```bash
❯ ssh root@192.168.1.42
root@192.168.1.42's password:
The authenticity of host 'host (host)' can't be established.
This key is not known by any other names.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/[fingerprint])? yes
Warning: Permanently added 'host' () to the list of known hosts.
root@host's password:
root@imx8mm-ferrari:~# exit
logout
Connection to 192.168.1.42 closed.
```

Just be aware when you're typing in your password you won't see the characters typed as you go so if you're getting it wrong and/or need to see what you're typing you can type it out elsewhere, temporarily, before using copy and paste to put it into the terminal. 

### Turning on WLAN

Once you're connect to your reMarkable, via `SSH`, you can turn `WLAN` on by typing in `rm-ssh-over-wlan on`. 

```bash
❯ ssh root@192.168.1.42
root@192.168.1.42's password:
root@imx8mm-ferrari:~# rm-ssh-over-wlan on
running: systemctl restart dropbear-wlan.socket
ssh over WLAN enabled.
root@imx8mm-ferrari:~#
```

Basically`WLAN` stands for wireless local area network and with it turned on you can `SSH` into your reMarkable without needing to physically attach the reMarkable to your computer with the `USB` cord. You will still need to be on the same WiFi connection as your computer. 

As an aside if you enter `rm-ssh-over-wlan help` you get this:

```bash
root@imx8mm-ferrari:~# rm-ssh-over-wlan help
Usage: /usr/bin/rm-ssh-over-wlan on|off|help

Commands:
  on     - Enable ssh over WLAN.
  off    - Disable ssh over WLAN.
  help   - Print this help message.

Description:
This script manages the ssh over WLAN setting by creating or deleting
a marker file at the appropriate location based on the target system.
Use 'on' to enable ssh over WLAN and 'off' to disable it.
root@imx8mm-ferrari:~#
```

## Beyond Basic SSH

In case you're interested I wanted to go beyond the basic `SSH` capabilities especially since once I did these steps I came to the disappointing but understandable conclusion that both directories (`/usr/share/remarkable/` and `/usr/share/remarkable/templates/`) are readonly systems so at this point you wouldn't be able to add images or even save an edited `templates.json` file.

```
❯ ssh root@192.168.1.42
root@imx8mm-ferrari:~# cd /usr/share/remarkable/
root@imx8mm-ferrari:/usr/share/remarkable# mkdir temp
mkdir: can't create directory 'temp': Read-only file system
root@imx8mm-ferrari:/usr/share/remarkable# cd templates/
root@imx8mm-ferrari:/usr/share/remarkable/templates# mkdir temp
mkdir: can't create directory 'temp': Read-only file system
root@imx8mm-ferrari:/usr/share/remarkable/templates#
```

To demonstrate the current state here is me going in and attempting to create a directory..

### Optional: Public Keys and Shortcuts

Before going into that I wanted to share that you can simplify your log in process. I find looking up and typing in this password each time gets annoying so one of the first things I did with my new reMarkable Paper Pro was to share my public key to skip that pesky password. Although I personally chose to skip creating a shortcut this time around you could further simplify the process and instead of `ssh root@host` type something like `ssh remarkable` to connect. If you're interested in either you can check out my old reMarkable 2 connection post under the [public key](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/#skip-the-password-by-using-your-public-key) and [shortcut](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/#skip-the-password-by-using-your-public-key#forget-the-username-and-ip-address-by-creating-a-shortcut) sections. 

### Getting Past the Readonly

While trying to figure out how to overcome the readonly setting on the directories we came across this post by [ImClaaara](https://www.reddit.com/user/ImClaaara/?ref=simplykyra.com) on Reddit. 

> [Uploading custom suspended screen on Paper Pro - cannot modify files in /usr/share/remarkable - "Read Only file system"](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/1fh065l/uploading%5Fcustom%5Fsuspended%5Fscreen%5Fon%5Fpaper%5Fpro/?ref=simplykyra.com)  
> by [u/ImClaaara](https://www.reddit.com/user/ImClaaara/?ref=simplykyra.com) in [RemarkableTablet](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/?ref=simplykyra.com) 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_Screenshot-2024-09-20-at-05.51.55.png)

Screenshot from [this Reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/user/ImClaaara/?ref=simplykyra.com) taken on September 20th, 2024.

## Decision? reMarkable Paper Pro vs reMarkable 2

Lots of people are online posting comparisons and the like. With the reMarkable Paper Pro (2160 x 1620) being larger than the earlier reMarkables (1872 by 1404) I figured I'd create this image showing both the reMarkable devices' edges and how it centers when synced between the devices. 

![Image shows different drawings tools and colors highlighting the edge of each page and what each can do.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_Quick-sheets---page-1.png)

The black border was created by doodling around the edge of the reMarkable 2 while the green shows the edge of the reMarkable Paper Pro. This also shows it's synced between devices by centering it horizontally and to the top vertically.

---

With that I'm going end this longer than expected post but I hope it helped you out whether you simply want more information about how to `SSH`, are delving in further, want to know what to expect before you hit the button, or even are simply considering if you want to purchase it or not. Either way I hope this does truly help you out and you’re having a wonderful day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How I Fixed My HTML Sublists on My Casper Themed Ghost Website
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-fixed-my-html-sublists-on-my-casper-themed-ghost-website/
Last updated: 2024-09-14T14:00:00.000Z
A bit ago I wanted to create a list that indented with sublists in several spots including to three layers in one particular location. Surprisingly I realized this simple process wasn't working and so I needed to track down the why and fix it. Here's how I got it working on my Casper themed Ghost website in case you have the same problem.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_How-I-Fixed-My-HTML-Sublists-on-My-Casper-Themed-Ghost-Website---Pinterest.jpg)

---

## TLDR: Final HTML and CSS

I go into the journey, the why, and the what below but in case you want to jump directly to the solution here's my final `HTML` and `CSS` used to generate the proper, in my case, numbering and lettering system.

```html
<ol>
  <li>French</li>
  <ol class="list-alphabet">
    <li>bonjour</li>
    <li>salut</li>
  </ol>
  <li>English</li>
  <ol class="list-alphabet">
    <li>hi</li>
    <li>hello</li>
    <li>hey</li>
  </ol>
  <li>Spanish</li>
  <ol class="list-alphabet">
    <li>hola</li>
    <li>¿Qué tal?</li>
  </ol>
  <li>Chinese</li>
  <ol class="list-alphabet">
    <li>Nĭhǎo</li>
    <ol class="list-roman">
      <li>你好</li>
    </ol>
    <li>wéi</li>
    <ol class="list-roman">
      <li>喂</li>
    </ol>
  </ol>
</ol>
```

```css
.list-alphabet {
    list-style: lower-alpha;
}

.list-roman {
    list-style: lower-roman;
}
```

## Slow Realization

When I first started typing my list out I thought nothing of the numbers and sub-letters shown as the post interface in Ghost seemed to be working properly. Then I went to preview my post for the first time and realized something was affecting the final list as each sublist was just a new list of the original numbers `1, 2, 3...` rather than the expected letters `a, b, c...` or roman numerals `i, ii, iii, iv...`.

![Image is a collage showing the interface with the working number on the left and the non-working list with just numbers on the right. There's an arrow going from left to right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_How-I-Fixed-My-HTML-Sublists-on-My-Casper-Themed-Ghost-Website---Image-Default-3.jpg)

Typing it out looked fine (left) but the resulting page didn't (right).

I was worried but not too worried and simply switched to using an `html` code block to create my list. I figured it was a bit more cumbersome but should work... but I had the same issue going through it as, looking back, it generated the same `html` with the same `css` causing the same output on the webpage. 

![Image is a collage showing the html interface list, the html derived estimation of the list, and the non-working list with just numbers on the right. There's an arrow going from left to right for each section break.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_How-I-Fixed-My-HTML-Sublists-on-My-Casper-Themed-Ghost-Website---Image-HTML.jpg)

Using an html code block (left) resulted in a decent list in the editor (center) but didn't number properly on the final preview page (right).

## Example HTML

For this post I created a simple list with one to two layers of sublists to highlight both this issue and later its solution. For your convenience here's the original `html` used at this step in the process:

```html
<ol>
  <li>French</li>
  <ol>
    <li>bonjour</li>
    <li>salut</li>
  </ol>
  <li>English</li>
  <ol">
    <li>hi</li>
    <li>hello</li>
    <li>hey</li>
  </ol>
  <li>Spanish</li>
  <ol>
    <li>hola</li>
    <li>¿Qué tal?</li>
  </ol>
  <li>Chinese</li>
  <ol>
    <li>Nĭhǎo</li>
    <ol>
      <li>你好</li>
    </ol>
    <li>wéi</li>
    <ol>
      <li>喂</li>
    </ol>
  </ol>
</ol>
```

I did this example with ordered lists `ol` and haven't checked if there's an issue with the unordered `ul` bullet points. That said I found `css` when hunting down my solution that suggests this might also be helpful to you regardless which list type you're using.

## CSS

Like all problems in web development I figured it must have something to do with the `css` but rather than jump straight to the files I instead went online and found a post through W3Schools called [HTML Lists and CSS List Properties](https://www.w3schools.com/CSS/css%5Flist.asp?ref=simplykyra.com) and then found their handy html editor that shows [All the different list types for ol with CSS](https://www.w3schools.com/Tags/tryit.asp?filename=tryhtml%5Fol%5Ftype%5Fall%5Fcss&ref=simplykyra.com). 

[![Screenshot of the editor website showing the html on the left and the resulting display on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_Screenshot-2024-05-14-at-07.08.43.png)](https://www.w3schools.com/Tags/tryit.asp?filename=tryhtml%5Fol%5Ftype%5Fall%5Fcss&ref=simplykyra.com)

Screenshot, taken on May 14th 2024, of the handy html editor I found through [W3Schools](https://www.w3schools.com/Tags/tryit.asp?filename=tryhtml%5Fol%5Ftype%5Fall%5Fcss&ref=simplykyra.com).

With that understood I realized I was probably seeing the result of some `css` application of the `decimal` format so I next went through each of my theme's `css` files searching, with `ctrl f` for the words: `list-style: decimal`. And I found it! Apparently in the `Global.css` file it's imposed on all of the ordered lists. Plus right above it the list style `disc` is set for all the unordered lists so their formatting would in fact affect either type of list and these steps can fix it!

```css
ul {
    list-style: disc;
}

ol {
    list-style: decimal;
}
```

`Global.css` contains `CSS` to set all ordered lists to decimal and the unordered lists to disc.

## My Fix

With the cause figured out I considered altering their `css` but wasn't sure if that would cause weird issues elsewhere on my website. As such I left their `ul` and `ol` css in and instead added two more sections I could link specifically to whenever I wanted to overrule the default css in my posts.

```css
ul {
    list-style: disc;
}

ol {
    list-style: decimal;
}

.list-alphabet {
    list-style: lower-alpha;
}

.list-roman {
    list-style: lower-roman;
}

```

I left the original text in the `Global.css` file and added my specific override for both alphabet and roman indentation. 

Then in my `html` I can use that class whenever I specifically want to use one of those sublists and otherwise leave the list alone.

```html
<ol>
  <li>French</li>
  <ol class="list-alphabet">
    <li>bonjour</li>
    <li>salut</li>
  </ol>
  <li>English</li>
  <ol class="list-alphabet">
    <li>hi</li>
    <li>hello</li>
    <li>hey</li>
  </ol>
  <li>Spanish</li>
  <ol class="list-alphabet">
    <li>hola</li>
    <li>¿Qué tal?</li>
  </ol>
  <li>Chinese</li>
  <ol class="list-alphabet">
    <li>Nĭhǎo</li>
    <ol class="list-roman">
      <li>你好</li>
    </ol>
    <li>wéi</li>
    <ol class="list-roman">
      <li>喂</li>
    </ol>
  </ol>
</ol>
```

This results in similar looking text in my editor but a perfectly looking list in my post's preview. 

![Image is a collage showing the html interface list, the html derived estimation of the list, and the working list with just numbers on the right. There's an arrow going from left to right for each section break.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_How-I-Fixed-My-HTML-Sublists-on-My-Casper-Themed-Ghost-Website---Image-CSS-Custom.jpg)

And it was fixed! Such a simple problem and, in the end, a quick `css` solution. Hope this helps you out and you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Zoey's Birthday Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/zoeys-birthday-ice-cream-sandwich-cake/
Last updated: 2024-11-10T16:30:05.000Z
So this started when I asked Zoey what cake she wanted on her birthday and was told brownie, ice cream, whipped cream, and sprinkles! I got to thinking and, in the end, came up with this idea. In case your child asks for the same I figured I'd share so you can learn and improve on my attempt. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_Zoey-s-Birthday-Ice-Cream-Sandwich-Cake---pinterest.jpg)

---

*Word of warning: If you make the same it is really rich!*

## Background

So this started when I asked Zoey what cake she wanted on her birthday and it kept getting more complicated until it included brownies, ice cream, whipped cream, and sprinkles.

## Thoughts 

Some thoughts:

- Am I glad we did this? Definitely! I love her creativity.
- Am I really happy this was a family dessert and it wasn't the party? For sure... if it was for the party I probably would've played it safer with limiting it to brownie cupcakes and topped, while serving, with a scoop of ice cream and optional whipped cream and sprinkles... noting this for me in case this is requested next year.
- How did you combine brownie and ice cream in a cake? I decided to make the brownie on a cookie sheet so it was flat then cut it in half to make a *sandwich* with the thawed ice cream placed in between. I was thinking an *ice cream sandwich*.
- Decorating? Zoey coated the *ice cream sandwich* in whipped cream and sprinkles before we put it back in the freezer. Be mindful of the ice cream melting out of it while you decorate whether you're going too slow or if you didn't cool the brownie completely. Next time I should fully cool the brownie in the fridge before the ice cream and decorating steps.
- Storage? This was the big issue. I didn't want the ice cream to melt and, as it was so rich, I wanted us to eat it slowly over time and not worry about it going bad. As such it was stored in a container in the freezer that we slowly hacked at over time.

## Improvements

I would love to hear from you on how to improve this either for other people or for me on future requests. Feel free to comment below!

## How We Made It

We started by mixing together a single bag of our go to [Ghirardelli brownie mix](https://www.costco.com/Ghirardelli-Triple-Chocolate-Premium-Brownie-Mix%2C-6-count.product.100381454.html?ref=simplykyra.com). I pictured a cake-sized *sandwich* so I wanted the brownie to be thin so, at first, I put it on two different cookie sheets but ended up combining it on one and then cutting it in half to make two squares. While the brownie cooled we put our vanilla ice cream out to thaw so it was ready for the next step. 

![Image shows wet brownie mix spread on orange silpat lined cookie sheet.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4343.jpeg)

I poured the brownie mix onto a cookie sheet and baked it making sure to check it early to see if it was ready. 

![Now baked and dry the brownie on the silpat lined cookie sheet is cut in half, next to a metal flipper, and has ice cream beside it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4347.jpeg)

Once done and cooled I cut it in half, using kitchen scissors to not cut the silpat liner, before giving to Zoey to make. 

I told Zoey to spread the ice cream on one half and then we'd flip the other half over to make a sandwich. 

![Zoey is spreading the ice cream on the right half with a white spatula.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4354.jpeg)

Spread the ice cream on one half before sandwiching the other half over top.

When done I awkwardly moved it over to the center of the pan and then should have cooled it in the freezer... instead I let Zoey decorate it right away with whipped cream, sprinkles, and, by request, maraschino cherries. 

![The messy melting but now brownie covered cake is centered on the  silpat lined cookie sheet with whipped cream above and laid on icing writer, cherries, and sprinkles of Zoey's choosing on the left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4356.jpeg)

I gave Zoey the cake sandwich and grabbed the supplies she wanted to use to decorate the cake. 

![Final cake before going back in freezer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4410.jpeg)

The ice cream slowly melted out of it while decorating 

When she was done I made sure to snap a photo before putting it in the freezer to wait for her birthday meal to be done. Before serving I carefully tried to move it to a cutting board so if I were to do it again I'd have her create it in a glass casserole dish or at least something more sturdy and able to be cut against. 

![A corner closest is broken off but the cake is laid out on a red edged white cutting board and the cake has two candles light up. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/08/compressed_IMG_4413.jpeg)

The finished cake after moving it over and adding candles!

Zoey loved the cake and both girls enjoyed the leftovers over the next month or so. And with that gorgeous cake shown I want to wish you a really good day. 

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### My Simple Pressure Cooker Sausage and Pasta Meal
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-simple-pressure-cooker-sausage-and-pasta-meal/
Last updated: 2024-08-18T14:00:51.000Z
A while back I came across [the Instant Pot Mac and Cheese recipe from The Salty Marshmallow](https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/instant-pot-mac-and-cheese/?ref=simplykyra.com) and our whole family loved it. Over the years we've changed it up from minor cheese alterations to much more drastic changes. I figured I needed to share this new version, along with the original link, with you in case you and yours would also enjoy it.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/08/compressed_My-Simple-Pressure-Cooker-Sausage-and-Pasta-Meal--Pinterest.jpg)

---

For the last while we've loved [the Instant Pot Mac and Cheese from The Salty Marshmallow](https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/instant-pot-mac-and-cheese/?ref=simplykyra.com) although we've never used the specified cheese and sometimes add some type of meat to make it go further. It's so good that we've always doubled it hoping for more leftovers. At the end of the summer we had just gotten home hungry from paddleboarding and I wanted some comfort food that was quick, easy, and would have no complaints from the kid. I considered our current iteration of this recipe but didn't have any havarti on hand and didn't feel like only using cheddar cheese. The kids still love our [Pasta, Tomato, and Cheese](https://www.simplykyra.com/pasta-tomato-and-cheese/) but I wanted something more heartier. Something made me think of homemade hamburger helper, which I also didn't have all the ingredients for, but I decided to just go for a mix-mash of this instant pot one with the idea of hamburger helper using what we had. I'm so glad we did as this new recipe is so good. We *adored* it. It's become our new favorite meal and I knew I needed to share it with you. Here's how I did it... and how I've altered it in the past.

## The Original Recipe 

You can find the original recipe we used through [The Salty Marshmallow under Instant Pot Mac and Cheese](https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/instant-pot-mac-and-cheese/?ref=simplykyra.com). It calls for pasta, chicken broth, butter, hot pepper sauce (I normally half or skip depending on kids), garlic powder, pepper, salt, milk, and three kinds of cheeses.

![Image is a screenshot of the original recipe website showing part of the main image, the introductory paragraph, an image of the author, and her description.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/08/compressed_Screenshot-2023-08-21-at-11.13.41-AM.png)

The original recipe comes from [The Salty Marshmallow](https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/instant-pot-mac-and-cheese/?ref=simplykyra.com). Screenshot of the recipe and sidebar was taken on August 21st, 2023\. 

![Image is a screenshot of the top of the recipe showing it's name, description, rating, details, and ingredients.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/08/compressed_Screenshot-2023-08-21-at-11.16.08-AM.png)

The original recipe calls for these ingredients. I regularly doubled it and never used those cheese measurements frequently using a full Ikea amount of shredded sharp cheddar cheese or creamy havarti instead. Screenshot taken on August 21st, 2023.

### Our Changes

[The Salty Marshmallow's Instant Pot Mac and Cheese](https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/instant-pot-mac-and-cheese/?ref=simplykyra.com) calls for three types of cheese: cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan. We've never made it this way, funnily enough, and somehow stumbled upon havarti (we adore [Castello creamy havarti](https://www.castellocheese.com/en-us/cheese-types/semi-hard-cheese/havarti-cheese/?ref=simplykyra.com) with the plain, dill, or spicy types being tried at different times) although since moving we've mostly used [Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese](https://www.tillamook.com/products/cheese/sharp-cheddar-block?ref=simplykyra.com) as it's simpler to find.

This recipe is so good that we often double it, although, just a warning since we downsized from a Ninja Foodie to an Instant Pot our pressure cooker often spits when releasing pressure so I need to hold [one of our fabric napkins or a tea towel](https://www.simplykyra.com/quick-and-simple-fabric-napkins-with-your-serger/) above the steam release valve to catch and limit the starchy steamy mess. 

To make this recipe truly our own I've frequently changed it up by cooking some ground sausage or sliced chicken apple sausages in the pot before adding the ingredients and pressure cooking it. I've also waited until after the pressure cooking was done and switched out the cheese or adding pre-cooked microwave re-heated meat like tritip or pulled pork. This pasta is a superb base to add leftovers to and once, when Matt was debating getting food from a BBQ place, I planned to have him buy some extra meat specifically for this dish the next day. I've also changed this up a time or two by adding a can of tomato sauce or diced tomatoes at the end as a play on [our old](https://www.simplykyra.com/pasta-tomato-and-cheese/)[ stovetop pasta tomato and cheese dish](https://www.simplykyra.com/pasta-tomato-and-cheese/).

![Image shows a pot of pasta with sliced sausage in it. Around the pot are several bowls already dished up.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/08/compressed_IMG_4127.jpeg)

This time around we made a single batch of the Instant Pot Mac and Cheese and, once done, added in sliced reheated chicken apple sausages along with the milk and grated plain havarti. Other times we sliced the sausage and added it to the pressure cooker with the uncooked pasta at the beginning. This way it flavors all the noodles as it cooks too. 

![Image shows three images. On the left is Steakhouse tri tip in an open cooler at Costco. To the right is a tongful of pulled pork with more in the background. Over the center floats a package of aidells chicken and apple sausages.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/08/compressed_My-Simple-Pressure-Cooker-Sausage-and-Pasta-Meal----Screenshot-Image.jpg)

I've often added leftover tritip or pulled pork to the pasta at the end while the chicken apple sausage has now been switched to the beginning. These images were all taken on August 23rd 2023\. From left to right we have Costco seasoned Steakhouse tritip (image from an [archived Reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/r/Costco/comments/opmm0l/steakhouse%5Fbeef%5Ftritip/?ref=simplykyra.com)), [aidells' chicken apple sausage](https://www.aidells.com/products/dinner-sausage/chicken-apple/?ref=simplykyra.com), and pulled pork I've made in the past from a [Mommy Hates Cooking recipe](https://www.mommyhatescooking.com/ninja-foodi-pulled-pork?ref=simplykyra.com).

## My Recipe

### The Recipe

Word of warning: we sometimes prefer our pasta el dente, a bit undercooked, but in our experience this recipe cooks it longer and recently my eldest decided she liked it freshly made but not as leftovers. That said everyone is happy when this is made and served.

![A white bowl filled with cheesy tomato hued pasta.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/08/compressed_IMG_7552.jpeg)  

A super simple pasta recipe that's truly delicious comfort food. My kids adore it!

 Main Course; Pasta  Prep Time: 2 minutes  Cook Time: 5 minutes on high + needs to reach pressure  Total Time: 10 minutes and to reach pressure  Servings: 4 people. Can easily be doubled. 

### Ingredients

#### Main

- 1 lb uncooked pasta - normally use [Costco's Garofalo organic pasta](https://www.costco.com/garofalo%2c-organic-pasta%2c-variety-pack%2c-17.6-oz%2c-6-count.product.100381417.html?ref=simplykyra.com)
- 4 cups chicken broth  
  - have used water instead once for a vegetarian guest and my kids liked it but Matt and I prefer it with the broth
  - switch between the [Kirkland Signature organic chicken stock](https://www.costco.com/kirkland-signature%2c-organic-chicken-stock%2c-32-fl-oz%2c-6-count.product.100334015.html?ref=simplykyra.com) and homemade
- 3 cups grated cheese - some options include:
  - [Tillamook Sharp Cheddar](https://www.tillamook.com/products/cheese/sharp-cheddar-block?ref=simplykyra.com) is our go to
  - we adore the plain, dill, or spicy [Castello creamy havarti](https://www.castellocheese.com/en-us/cheese-types/semi-hard-cheese/havarti-cheese/?ref=simplykyra.com)
  - the original recipe called for a combination of three cheeses
  - once I replaced the milk with cream cheese for a hamburger helper vibe

#### Potentially Needed

These are ingredients called for in the original recipe that can be skipped depending on the optional add-ins I include.

- 1/2-1 cup milk - depending on liquid level remaining
- 2 tbsp butter - skip if adding meat with enough grease
- Seasonings - depending on the seasonings in the added meat
  - 1 tsp garlic powder
  - 1/2 tsp salt
  - 1/2 tsp pepper
  - 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce

#### Optional Add-Ons

- can of tomatoes - diced or sauce
- meat: cooked at beginning or heated and added at end have used:
  - hot or mild [ground Johnsonville sausage](https://johnsonville.com/product-lines/ground-sausage/?ref=simplykyra.com) \- sauté at beginning before adding other ingredients
  - ground beef with taco seasoning for a taco vibe - sauté it beforehand with the taco seasonings
  - sliced chicken apple sausage added with pasta - I add with the pasta and chicken broth before pressure cooking it but have also added it pre-sliced at the end
  - leftover tritip or pulled pork - microwaved to warm and added at the end with the milk and cheese

### How I Make It

1. Optional: if your meat needs to be cooked start with that in the pressure cooker on sauté mode. If you plan to use any meat specific spices add them in now. One example if adding taco seasoning to the ground beef. I leave the cooked meat in the pot, when ready, and then add the pasta and other ingredients in the next step before pressure cooking it all together but you could remove the meat and set it aside to add at the end too.

![Image shows the InstaPot with raw but browned ground sausage and the wooden spoon resting beside.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/08/compressed_IMG_7536.jpeg)

If using something like raw ground sausage I prefer to sauté until it's cooked before adding the remaining ingredients and pressure cooking it. 

![Image shows the InstaPot with cooked and seasoned ground beef in a bit of liquid. The wooden spoon rests in the pot with the rest os the chicken broth, canned tomatoes, elbow macaroni, and the lid blurred in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/08/compressed_IMG_7757.jpeg)

When I make a taco inspired pasta dish I use ground beef, sauté, add taco seasoning with a bit of chicken broth, and simmer before adding the remaining ingredients..

1. At any point now or while the pressure cooker is pressurizing make sure your cheese is prepared for when the pasta is done. Mainly, this means figuring out your cheese and grating it.

![Image shows the pressure cooker in the background with the opened canned tomatoes, pasta, and chicken broth sits in the mid area. In the foreground is a grater filled with sharp cheddar cheese. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_8310.jpeg)

While the meat was sautéing I grabbed the ingredients I needed to pressure cook then started grating my cheese. Once done I put it back in the fridge and, since it's all ready, I can do something else within earshot while the InstaPot does its thing.

1. Add the uncooked pasta, canned tomatoes, and any seasonings you haven't already included to the pressure cooker. These can include: butter, hot sauce, garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Then pour in your chicken broth until the pasta is covered. Optionally, at this time add any pre-cooked meat (like sliced chicken sausage) that you want cooked with the pasta.

![Image shows the cooked meat in the InstaPot with the spoon, grated cheddar, open cans of tomato sauce, and open bags of pasta behind and to the right of it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/08/compressed_IMG_7540.jpeg)

Here I was making a double batch with sausage vaguely based on [our old](https://www.simplykyra.com/pasta-tomato-and-cheese/)[ stovetop pasta tomato and cheese dish](https://www.simplykyra.com/pasta-tomato-and-cheese/) so once the meat was cooked I added two packages of pasta, two cans of tomato sauce, and chicken broth to cover. Since I was using pre-seasoned sausage I skipped the butter, hot sauce, and seasonings.

![Image is taken from above with an open InstaPot showing cooked ground meat, elbow macaroni, diced tomatoes, and rich chicken broth. To the side lays the wooden spoon, the lid, and the emptied cans and boxes.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/08/compressed_IMG_7765.jpeg)

Once all the ingredients were added I gave it all a stir.

1. Give it a stir, place the lid on the pot, and set it to seal before cooking on high pressure for 5 minutes. When done do a quick release and, if needed, cover the vent to prevent a starchy mess from escaping.

![Image it looking down at the open InstaPot showing reddish liquid with the odd pasta and meat chunk showing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/08/compressed_IMG_7541.jpeg)

Right before putting the lid on I snapped this photo showing the cooked sausage and hard pasta covered in tomato sauce and chicken broth.

![Image shows the InstaPot with 5 minutes listed. Off to the side lays the wooden spoon, the lid, and the emptied cans.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/08/compressed_IMG_7768.jpeg)

Once the lid was on I clean up the empty containers, prep the cheese if I haven't yet, set the table, and relax until it's done... with only a few steps left.

![Image shows a monster napkin above a white fog of steam from the InstaPot vent.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_8317.jpeg)

Once we downsized from a larger Ninja Foodie to an InstaPot I started having issues with the starch flying when depressurizing a double batch (2 lbs pasta) so I'm now in the habit of using [one of our fabric napkins](https://www.simplykyra.com/quick-and-simple-fabric-napkins-with-your-serger/) above the steam release valve to catch and limit the starchy steamy mess.

1. Once the InstaPot is depressurized and opened up I add in, while stirring, the milk, cheeses, and any optional meat.

![Image shows some cheese in the pasta with the rest of off to the side while I pour milk in.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/08/compressed_IMG_7551.jpeg)

Once depressurized I add in the milk, amount depending on if some of the chicken broth remained, and portions of the cheese while stirring it all together. 

![Image is from the top looking down at a pile of cheese on top of the pasta. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/08/compressed_IMG_7770.jpeg)

That said, I haven't had issues when I simply dumped the cheese in at once either. 

![Image shows tomato, meat, and pasta in the pressure cooker with a container of cream cheese, grated cheddar cheese, and a clean spoon off to the side.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_8323.jpeg)

You can change up your cheese to be whatever you want including adding cream cheese with the sharp cheddar cheese for a more hamburger helper vibe.

1. Season as necessary and continue to stir until it's smooth and creamy.

![Image shows creamy pasta with meat and tomato sauce on a white plate held above the inner pot with the rest.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/08/compressed_IMG_7552.jpeg)

And voila! A simple one pot savory comfort food on the plate.

And that's it. It tastes incredible and we all love it! 

If you make it yourself I'd love to hear how it went in the comments below. I'd especially love to hear how you changed it up to I can potentially try it your way too! I hope you have a great day and week.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Removing Infinite Scroll From a Single Page
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/removing-infinite-scroll-from-a-single-page/
Last updated: 2024-08-04T14:00:42.000Z
After creating [my custom blog page](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/moving-all-my-posts-from-my-ghost-homepage-to-its-own-custom-page/) I wanted to update my homepage to still show my post feed but I also wanted to limit how many posts were shown so you weren't forced to scroll through all of them if you only wanted access to my website's footer and social links. This was a bigger challenge than I realized... until I found the solution!

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_Removing-Infinite-Scroll-From-a-Single-Page----Pinterest.jpg)

---

## My Issues

I thought limiting my post count would be a super simple update but I found myself stuck as I found I could limit my post feed if I used a `get` with a `limit` *and* only displayed simple aspects of the post like it's title:

```handlebars
{{#get "posts" filter="tags:-[hash-hide]+feature_image:-null" limit="6"}}
    {{#foreach posts}}
        {{title}}
    {{/foreach}}
{{/get}}
```

This was finite...

but the second I switched to using the stylings in the `{{> "post-card"}}` partial it ignored the limit in the `get`, showed my default number of posts, and loaded the next batch every time I got close to my footer until they had been all loaded. 

```handlebars
{{#get "posts" filter="tags:-[hash-hide]+feature_image:-null" limit="6"}}
    {{#foreach posts}}
        {{> "post-card"}}
    {{/foreach}}
{{/get}}
```

... while this kept loading more posts.

At this time I had just gotten [infinite browsing to work on my blog page](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/moving-all-my-posts-from-my-ghost-homepage-to-its-own-custom-page/) so although I had noticed forum questions where the solution was to remove the javascript file for infinite browsing from their entire theme I didn't want to do anything so drastic. 

Since I have a pro Ghost account I reached out to Ghost support and was told that

> There's some JS in Casper that generates the infinite scroll. So long as your posts are wrapped in `<div class="post-feed">` the paginated feed of all posts will keep loading.

With this answer I decided to keep the `{{> "post-card"}}` in to display the posts in my for-loop but removed the `post-feed` from my div `<div class="post-feed">` encircling it all and found the infinite scrolling did stop but now my feed wasn't laid out how I wanted.

![Screenshot of the resulting post layout on localhost.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_2024-04-29-at-11.29.11.png)

On localhost my layout went all weird when I removed the`post-feed` section in my the div. 

At some point in all of this I copied the code from the `post-feed` partial hoping to solve this and found myself tumbling down a rabbit hole of I don't know frustration. I kept trying things, getting frustrated, rolling the changes back, pausing, procrastinating on other stuff, then going back to fight it again until finally I stumbled across this super simple solution.

## The Solution

My solution hit me when I came across [Ryan Sechrest’s post *Disable infinite scroll in Ghost's Casper theme*](https://ryansechrest.com/2022/12/disable-infinite-scroll-in-ghosts-casper-theme/?ref=simplykyra.com). This quick one minute read included a code snippet to replaces the infinite scroll with a pagination control and recommended you add it to your site header within the Setting's Site Injection spot. Apparently it was added in the Casper theme 5.4.2 version. 

![Screenshot shows the top header of his website and the title of the post. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_Screenshot-2024-04-29-at-11.02.39.png)

Took this screenshot of the top of the blog post on April 29th, 2024.

At this time I had just gotten my infinite scroll working on my blog page so rather than have it affect my whole site I instead decided to put the code in my custom homepage's handlebar file, right under the `{{!< default}}` tag, and it worked beautifully. I was able to show each post with the `{{> "post-card"}}` tag for the built-in stylings, kept the `<div class="post-feed">` around my loop, *and* was able to limit my feed. 

The top of my theme's handlebar homepage now has:

```handlebars
{{!< default}}

<script>
    document.documentElement.classList.add('no-infinite-scroll')
</script>

{{!-- Rest of the code --}}
```

And I can now limit my post count (here it's six) to use the default styling:

```handlebars
 <div class="inner posts">
    <div class="post-feed mybloghome-posts">
        {{#get "posts" filter="tags:-[hash-hide]+feature_image:-null" limit="6"}}
            {{#foreach posts}}
                {{> "post-card"}}
            {{/foreach}}
        {{/get}}
    </div>
</div>
```

And with that my homepage's footer was easily accessible in a single (maybe) scroll without needing to go through the entire blog library and I could still hang on to the post feed styling I'm currently unable to duplicate on the blog feed page. 

In two screenshots this is what it looks like:

![Top of the feed showing the header, single post, and start of two on the next row.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_2024-04-26-at-14.41.56.png)

![Bottom of the feed showing the two posts on the second row, three on the third row, and only the footer below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_2024-04-26-at-14.42.11-1.png)

And with that I decided my homepage to blog page conversion was done! I hope these posts help you out and if you know how to duplicate this layout on a non-homepage, like [on my blog page](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/moving-all-my-posts-from-my-ghost-homepage-to-its-own-custom-page/), I'd love to hear how. I hope you're having a good day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Moving All My Posts From My Ghost Homepage to Its Own Custom Page
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/moving-all-my-posts-from-my-ghost-homepage-to-its-own-custom-page/
Last updated: 2024-07-21T12:00:04.000Z
A while ago I decided I wanted to move my post feed away from my Ghost homepage so I could set up a more static page showing my upcoming apps. I tried to start the process several times but had trouble setting it up and decided to give up for now. Recently I realized I couldn’t put this off any longer and got down to business to make it happen! In case you want to do the same here's how I did it!

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_Moving-All-My-Posts-From-Home-to-Its-Own-Custom-Page----Pinterest.jpg)

---

About or so a year ago, after migrating my website from Wordpress to Ghost, I next customized my homepage using [the Ghost tutorial *How to build a custom homepage*](https://ghost.org/tutorials/custom-homepage/?ref=simplykyra.com). Ever since getting that; however, I'd been meaning to move the blog aspect of my site off the homepage to something more low key and change my homepage to feel more static. I tried off and on with not the best results and kept giving up before I truly got it. Recently; however, with my apps coming closer being published, I knew I couldn't put it off any longer and decided to just go for it. Here's how I created a custom working *My Blog* page with an infinite post feed on my Casper Ghost website. 

My current version of Ghost, at the time I did this, was [5.82.3+moya](https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost/releases/tag/v5.82.3?ref=simplykyra.com) while my localhost, where I tested things before pushing to production, was still back in [5.39.0](https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost/releases/tag/v5.39.0?ref=simplykyra.com),

## Previous Homepage

I realized when writing this I should share what the original homepage looked like but apparently I forgot to take some before shots. Thankfully by the power of [the Wayback Machine](https://web.archive.org/web/20240000000000%2A/SimplyKyra.com) I was able to get this image of how my homepage used to look:

![Image shows the top of my homepage with my welcome and image. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_2024-04-26-at-14.41.03.png)

The top of the page with the who I am and welcome message. 

![Image shows the top of the blog layout under the buttons and latest posts.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_2024-04-26-at-14.41.15.png)

And the bottom with the infinite feed showing the posts. 

## Setting the Pieces Up

So many of these steps depend on each other so I did them concurrently first with the initial setup of each, tying them together, and then the incremental changes while monitoring how the front end was affected. To make this easier I’m going to split it up and explain each section before going over the exact handlebar code I used and the routing needed to tie it all together. That said, my process was more journey-like as I was missing several pieces towards getting the *right* results. 

Don't think this was wham, done, yah! There were way more ughs than that. 

### Handlebar File

I started out similarly to how I created my custom homepage by creating a new handlebar file within my theme code and started copying sections of the code I liked from my currently existing custom home file into this new one. Again, in case you want similar code, the tutorial I followed the first time to create my custom homepage was Ghost's [*How to build a custom homepage*](https://ghost.org/tutorials/custom-homepage/?ref=simplykyra.com)*.* 

![Screenshot of the handlebar code in my Visual Studio code. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_2024-05-21-at-15.20.14.png)

A section of that handlebar code after it was complete.

### CSS 

With the main structure set up and displaying I next went to the css to make it look good. After making minor changes here and there piecemeal I decided to simply rename the class names in my `hbs` file to separate it from the homepage `css`. This reset the look but I next wrote out empty class wrappers in the `css` for each new area before slowly copying over single lines to see if I liked what they did (keep) or not (don't use). This helped me better understand the code I had used from the Ghost tutorial a year ago so much better. 

![Screenshot of the CSS code in my Visual Studio code. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_2024-05-21-at-15.20.44.png)

A section of that CSS code after it was complete.

### Page

At first I hooked this up to my website the same way I did before by pairing up the `hbs` code with the matching page on my website's frontend based on it's `url`. This allowed me to see my changes, on localhost for now, each time I made them. Other than the temporary aspect of seeing the code changes an additional aspect of using the page was the ability to use it’s data to customize the `hbs` page so in the future I don’t have to go into my theme code to change out something simple like the photo or text. By using the page I can simply go to the page editor to change out its cover image or update the page's content and have it reflected on the website without pushing any changes in the theme's code. 

![Image is a screenshot of the page layout in Ghost with my main image, title, and content on the left and page metadata on the right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_2024-04-29-at-09.22.12.png)

This data to `hbs` was later linked in the routing `yaml` below but for now using the same name worked to troubleshoot it all. Caution if going the `yaml` routing way in the future you don't want these names to match. The next section [*Quick Testing: Page Templates*](#quick-testing-page-templates) explains this.

## Quick Testing: Page Templates

Right now this might not show up on your website as you haven't linked the handlebar code and css with your front end. Previously, for my category browse pages ([Category Slideshow](https://www.simplykyra.com/categoryslideshow/), [Topic Tagcloud](https://www.simplykyra.com/tagcloud/), and [Recent Posts by Topic](https://www.simplykyra.com/categoryrecent/)) I linked the `hbs` code with the website by creating a matching page and naming them the same. In the case of [Category Slideshow](https://www.simplykyra.com/categoryslideshow/) the page in my theme is called `page-categoryslideshow.hbs` which dictated the page I created to match needed a matching url too so it needed to be `www.simplykyra.com/categoryslideshow/`. Now when I go to <www.simplykyra.com/categoryslideshow/> it shows the `page-categoryslideshow.hbs` code which uses `{{content}}` to show the Ghost editor page's content. 

This is how I started the connection but later, when I was having trouble implementing the infinite post feed, and was working in the `routes.yaml` file I decided to switch to using only the `YAML` routing method instead which meant the page and `hbs` names couldn't match. 

## Final Put Together With YAML Routing 

To hook it all up I used the routing `yaml` file found in the Ghost settings.

### Where Is It?

 To find this routing file you'll need to go to your domain and type in `/ghost/#/settings/labs` afterwards. In my current website, running version [5.82.3+moya](https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost/releases/tag/v5.82.3?ref=simplykyra.com) this looks like so:

![Image shows the Ghost settings for version 5.82.3+moya.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_Screenshot-2024-04-26-at-07.04.10.png)

The settings, running version [5.82.3+moya](https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost/releases/tag/v5.82.3?ref=simplykyra.com), shows the `Labs` section with the beta features including `Routes` below it. Here, beside `Routes`, is a bolded button to upload the file and below, in green, you can download the current version. 

### Basic Configuration Explained

The basic configuration, shown and expanded on in [Ghost's *URLs & Dynamic Routing*](https://ghost.org/docs/themes/routing/?ref=simplykyra.com), shows the routes section of the `routes.yaml` file being blank by default. Then it goes on to show the collections section where each post will show up as `domain/postURL` (shown with the permalink as the `{slug}`) while using the handlebar file named `index.hbs` to dictate how it's shown. Below that is the taxonomies where they show how the post tags show `domain/tag/tagName` for each tag url and, for the authors, has `domain/author/authorName`. In all cases `{slug}` stands for the url portion of what it's standing for be it the post, tag, or author.

[![Image shows the text and code for the basic configuration of the routes.yaml file.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_Screenshot-2024-04-29-at-09.51.44.png)](https://ghost.org/docs/themes/routing/?ref=simplykyra.com)

Screenshot taken from [Ghost's **URLs & Dynamic Routing*](https://ghost.org/docs/themes/routing/?ref=simplykyra.com) post on April 29th, 2024.

### What I Added to Tie It All Together

Here's is the routes portion of the `yaml` file showing what I entered, keeping care to use the proper indenting, to hook up the url `domain/blog/` I wanted, the posts I needed `controller`, the display dictated in the handlebar file `homemyblog.hbs`, the post filtering to hide the `hash-hide` ones, and using the data in my page `homeblog`. 

```yaml
routes:
  /blog/:
    controller: channel
    template: homemyblog
    filter: tag:-hash-hide
    data: page.homeblog
```

### What I Did Explained

More in depth this section needed to begin with:

```
routes:
```

Then, after a newline and a tab in, we show what url this routing is for. In my case I want this to be shown when I go to `simplykyra.com/blog/` so I remove my domain from the text and simply put `/blog/` in:

```
  /blog/:
```

During this entire process I had trouble duplicating my infinite post feed I had on my home page. There were several parts that needed to work together and this `controller` one is pivotal. I'll let the Channel section of [Ghost's *URLs & Dynamic Routing*](https://ghost.org/docs/themes/routing/?ref=simplykyra.com) explain this:

> A channel is a custom stream of paginated content matching a specific filter. This allows you to create subsets and supersets of content by combining or dividing existing posts into content hubs. **The best way to think of channels is as a set of permanent search results.** It’s a filtered slice of content from across your site, without modifying the content itself.

So here I put this:

```
    controller: channel
```

And followed it up with a filter to hide any of the internally hidden posts:

```
    filter: tag:-hash-hide
```

Since I wanted to use my `homemyblog.hbs` to dictate how this looked I set the template to point to this file with:

```
    template: homemyblog
```

And since I used a Ghost page to customize the top of my page, meaning I could change the content in the top part without needing to go back into my theme's code, I wanted to keep that working by assigning where the data was coming from. Specifically I checked my page, confirmed and/or set it's url to `homeblog`, and then came here and put:

```
    data: page.homeblog
```

Unlike when using page templates you now need to have *different names* set for both the handlebar filename and the page's url... hence the removal of `my` in the above text.

## Ghost Page 

With the switch from the old way of linking the page and `hbs` code to only using the `YAML` routing method done the only change I had made to the Ghost page from [the above section](#page) was making sure the two names (page url and hbs filename) didn't match. 

## Handlebar Code 

I'm not going to show the entire file as that's just big and ungainly but I will share the parts that matter most for this post. 

### Using The Data

To use the data you need to encircle the section that's using the page's data with the page tag so: `{{#page}} ... {{/page}}`. My main problem with this was I put it around the whole file so my infinite post shown below the shown data wasn't working. I had to make sure to only put those tags directly around where I was using the page's data and nowhere else. 

```handlebars
{{#page}}
    {{!-- Allows me to show a photo based on the feature image. This allows me to change this image without going into the code too. --}}
    {{#if feature_image}}
        <div class="mybloghome-left">
            {{!-- This is a responsive image, it loads different sizes depending on device
            https://medium.freecodecamp.org/a-guide-to-responsive-images-with-ready-to-use-templates-c400bd65c433 --}}
            <img
                srcset="{{img_url feature_image size="s"}} 300w,
                        {{img_url feature_image size="m"}} 600w,
                        {{img_url feature_image size="l"}} 1000w,
                        {{img_url feature_image size="xl"}} 2000w"
                sizes="(min-width: 1400px) 1400px, 92vw"
                src="{{img_url feature_image size="xl"}}"
                alt="{{#if feature_image_alt}}{{feature_image_alt}}{{else}}{{title}}{{/if}}"
            />
            {{#if feature_image_caption}}
                <figcaption>{{feature_image_caption}}</figcaption>
            {{/if}}
        </div>
    {{/if}}

    <div class="mybloghome-right">
        <h1>{{title}}</h1>
        {{content}}
    </div>

{{/page}}
```

Here's the page-specific section of my handlebar file where I displayed my feature image, using `{{feature_image_caption}}` to display the caption if it is set, showed my `{{title}}` in a header, and my `{{content}}`. 

Now I can change my page `homeblog` at any time and have the title, feature image, image caption, and/or content updated, showing up on my `simplykyra.com/blog/` page immediately, at anytime without needing to go into the theme code at all. It will look different based on your css but mine looks like: 

![Image shows a screenshot of the blog page showing the page's content.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_2024-04-26-at-14.42.45.png)

The top of the page with the who I am and welcome message. 

### Infinite Post Feed

The actual code for the infinite post feed is so simple once I figured out both the `yaml` and to not surround *everything* with the `{{#page}} ... {{/page}}` tags above. I then spruced it up a bit with `div` tags and classes around it but the code is essentially just:

```handlebars
{{#foreach posts}}
    {{!-- The tag below includes the markup for each post - partials/post-card.hbs --}}
    {{> "post-card"}}
{{/foreach}}
```

So simple!

![Image shows a screenshot showing the a three across blog post layout.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_2024-04-26-at-14.42.56.png)

And the bottom with the infinite feed showing the posts. 

## One More Issue

At the time I was so happy that the post feed was infinite like the homepage had been but I was also disappointed that it wasn’t displaying like my homepage was. I love how the Casper Ghost theme shows my post feed with a single post on the first row, two posts on the second row, and then shows a grid of three across for all the remaining rows. 

![Image shows a screenshot showing the one, two, three blog post layout.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_2024-04-29-at-10.53.01.png)

Like this view from my homepage! It was a bit hard to get it all in one screenshot.

I had been hoping to recreate that on my blog page but I decided I was spending too much time on it and it appeared to be, based on my understanding, tied to the theme's specific internal css and the fact it was the homepage... which my page no longer was. I ended up deciding it wasn't worth spending more time on it right now. Instead I made sure to keep some posts on my homepage so I could enjoy both layouts but if you know a way to duplicate the layout off my homepage without breaking my current setup I'd love to hear how to do it! Feel free to share below or email me at [mail@SimplyKyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Regarding%20Moving%20All%20My%20Posts%20From%20My%20Ghost%20Homepage%20to%20Its%20Own%20Custom%20Page).

With that I bid you adieu and hope that you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Create a Super Simple Shared SwiftUI Alert System
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/create-a-super-simple-shared-swiftui-alert-system/
Last updated: 2024-07-07T12:00:08.000Z
While creating my current multi-platform app I've noticed my alert system changes with new bugs or requirements put on the system. With the last update I realized I should share my current system with you in case you're having similar issues.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_Create-a-Simple-Shared-SwiftUI-Alert-System----Pinterest.jpg)

---

*At the time of writing this I'm developoing for iOS 17 and macOS 14 using Xcode 15.4.*

## Previous Way

Over time the alert system I've created in my multi-platform app had become more and more complicated with updates to its requirements and working around minor issues I'd noticed. I started with a simple success or error message, then realized I needed to confirm a user choice, then confirm a deletion, then realized a single view needed two separate confirmations! I also set this up with a single alert on each view which sometimes conflicted with other alerts on other views so I had to move around the `alert` modifier hoping it would work this time and not conflict with something else. 

Here, at the peak, I was happy to have created a shared `AlertIdentifier` so each view had a bit less code. The shared alert `struct` was:

```swift
/// Allows us to use one type of alert and treat it as we'd like
public struct AlertIdentifier: Identifiable {
    public var id: Choice
    public var alertTitle: String
    public var alertMessage: String
    public var alertButton: String?

    public init(id: Choice, alertTitle: String, alertMessage: String, alertButton: String? = nil) {
        self.id = id
        self.alertTitle = alertTitle
        self.alertMessage = alertMessage
        self.alertButton = alertButton
    }

    public enum Choice {
        case success // Success!
        case error // Error in process
        case confirmation // Confirm something before proceeding
        case confirmationSecondary // Confirm another thing before proceeding
        case delete // Delete something
    }
}

```

Then on each view that needed an alert I'd create an optional instance of the `AlertIdentifier` using: `@State var showingAlert:AlertIdentifier?`. With that created I'd next add an `alert` modifier that would appear when that optional `showingAlert` element was set. Here I needed to make sure each needed alert type was set along with, as I normally wasn't using all of them, a default condition with a `fatalError` mentioning the file I was in so I could go fix it in case I ever didn't fully hook it up. Here's the alert modifier:

```swift
.alert(item: $showingAlert, content: { alert in
    switch alert.id {
    case .error, .success:
        print("In success and error!")
        return Alert(title: Text(alert.alertTitle), message: Text(alert.alertMessage), dismissButton: .none)
    default:
        fatalError("Have mis-managed alert in the ViewName - \(alert.id): \(alert.alertTitle)")
    }
})
```

Then whenever I needed that alert to show in the code I could simply set the `showingAlert` to its needed `AlertIdentifier`. Here's the success message:

```swift
showingAlert = AlertIdentifier(
                id: .success,
                alertTitle: "Success!",
                alertMessage: "You succeeded!")
```

I liked how this constrained things a bit as I'd have to go in and update this shared `AlertIdentifier` struct if I needed another choice, like that secondary confirmation, to use in a new view but I hated how messy it felt like it was getting. That said I ignored this and whenever I had an issue with the alert not popping I'd move the non-working `alert` modifier up and down until it worked again.... and that was fine until I noticed an issue that couldn't be ignored anymore. 

## My Breaking Point

My breaking point came when I was testing my app on different devices and I realized that although I had no issues on my phone or iPad the Mac version of my app didn't have any alert show up whenever it cam from a `Form` or... I just realized now it could've been the fact it was on a sheet. Regardless of the cause this issue made me realized I needed to do something and I looked online for a solution. 

Although I didn't find anything specific to my cause I did come across [a reply to this Hacking with Swift Forum question](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/forums/swiftui/ios-17-issue-with-alerts-that-worked-in-ios-16/23853/23926?ref=simplykyra.com) `SOLVED: iOS 17 Issue with Alerts that worked in iOS 16` that showed how they created an alert management system.

[SOLVED: iOS 17 Issue with Alerts that worked in iOS 16 – SwiftUI – Hacking with Swift forumsSwiftUI – Hacking with Swift forums![](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/apple-touch-icon.png)Hacking with SwiftPaul Hudson twostraws![](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/img/logo-curves-ua.svg)](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/forums/swiftui/ios-17-issue-with-alerts-that-worked-in-ios-16/23853/23926?ref=simplykyra.com)

Although I didn't use the code itself looking over the first bit made me realize how I could set up my own version. 

## Solution Explained

My own version of the alert management system has a similar `AlertIdentifier` with a success, error, destructive, and confirmation setting. That said, I've also generalized it by expanding beyond the previous `id` choice, alert title, alert message, and the optional alert button caption by adding a confirmation method that can be passed in: `confirmationMethod: @escaping () -> Void`. There are also two initializers so you can use the larger one for the confirmation and/or destructive alerts where you're confirming an action before then executing it through the passed in confirmation method *or* you can use the simpler initializer akin to the old way where the id choice, title, and message are ted and the optional button caption and method remains unset and unused. 

### Appearance

In my sample code below I create a set of three buttons letting you test the ability to confirm an action, show a success or failure, and/or confirm a delete. Below you can see how it looks in iOS and macOS with the buttons in the center of the collage and the resulting alerts arranged on the left (failure and success) and right (confirmation and deletion) sides. 

![This collage shows how it all looks on the iOS device. In the center of the image sits three buttons: "Confirm This?", "Success?", and "Delete" along with SimplyKyra text. On the left is an error message and below it is a success alert. On the right you see, at the top, a confirmation alert and, below, a delete confirmation with red destructive text on the "Delete" part.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_Screenshot-Create-a-Simple-Shared-SwiftUI-Alert-System----Collage---Image-iOS.jpg)

Appearance of the buttons and alerts in iOS.

![This collage shows how it all looks on the macOS device. In the center of the image sits three buttons: "Confirm This?", "Success?", and "Delete" along with SimplyKyra text. On the left is an error message and below it is a success alert. On the right you see, at the top, a confirmation alert and, below, a delete confirmation with red destructive text on the "Delete" part.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_Screenshot-Create-a-Simple-Shared-SwiftUI-Alert-System---Collage---Image-macOS.jpg)

Appearance of the buttons and alerts in macOS.

## Solution Code

### AlertIdentifier

My previous `AlertIdentifier` struct worked great for the success and error messages using the id showing success or error along with the title and messages strings. To generalize it I realized I needed to update the confirmation choice by adding the ability to pass in the method that needs to be executed when the choice is confirmed. I also wanted the ability to pass in an optional string for the label on the confirmation button... if it isn't passed in I default it to the title of the alert. The destructive choice, used for confirming a deletion, was simple as I could piggy back on the confirmation process but change the confirm button, later, to destructive to show the red color. Essentially this meant I needed two initializers where one is for deletion and confirmation where the method and caption is passed in with the it, title, and message. The other initializer only passes in this three and defaults the other two as they won't be used. This results in the following code:

```Swift
public struct AlertIdentifier: Identifiable {
    public var id: Choice
    public var alertTitle: String
    public var alertMessage: String
    public var alertButtonCaption: String?
    // Use two init so the confirmation method can essentially be optional
    public var confirmationMethod: () -> Void
    
    // For the confirmation entries with a confirmation button/method and one cancel
    public init(id: Choice, alertTitle: String, alertMessage: String, alertButtonCaption: String? = nil, confirmationMethod: @escaping () -> Void) {
        self.id = id
        self.alertTitle = alertTitle
        self.alertMessage = alertMessage
        self.alertButtonCaption = alertButtonCaption ?? alertTitle
        self.confirmationMethod = confirmationMethod
    }
    
    // For the general success or error ones
    public init(id: Choice, alertTitle: String, alertMessage: String, alertButtonCaption: String? = nil) {
        self.id = id
        self.alertTitle = alertTitle
        self.alertMessage = alertMessage
        // No confirmation methods/buttons but will set
        self.alertButtonCaption = alertButtonCaption ?? alertTitle
        self.confirmationMethod = {}
    }
    
    public enum Choice {
        case success // Success!
        case error // Error in process
        case destructive // Need destructive caption for confirmation when deleting
        case confirmation // Confirm something before proceeding (can be used for deletion)
    }
}
```

### AlertController

Since I wanted to use the `AlertIdentifier` struct in one main place and I wanted to set it from so many places with it to pop up immediately I added an `AlertController` struct and made it an `ObservableObject`. Here the above `AlertIdentifier` is published when set but is initialized to nil. 

```Swift
public class AlertController: ObservableObject {
    @Published public var myAlert: AlertIdentifier?

    public init() {
        self.myAlert = nil
    }
}
```

### Hook It Up

Since I want the alerts to show up every I head to my main and declare the `AlertController` there and, so I can set it from other locations, make sure to add it to the environment : `.environmentObject(alertController)`. With that done I now need to make the alert show up whenever the `AlertIdentifier` is set. I set this up the same was as before with the `alert` modifier but now set the item to `$alertController.myAlert`. In the switch statement I'm able to handle the success and error with the same alert so combine them together. Although the confirmation and destructive options are also the same except for the primary button type (`default` versus `destructive`) I kept them separate though I now wonder if I could combine them in the same case statement and set the button type with a if else statement. Anyway like before I add a `default` with a message on where this was but then comment it out as all the switch cases are handled.

```swift
@main
struct TestMupltiplatformApp: App {
    @StateObject private var alertController = AlertController()
    
    var body: some Scene {
        WindowGroup {
            ContentView()
                .environmentObject(alertController)
                .alert(item: $alertController.myAlert, content: { alert in
                    switch alert.id {
                    case .error, .success:
                        print("In success and error!")
                        return Alert(title: Text(alert.alertTitle), message: Text(alert.alertMessage), dismissButton: .none)
                    case .confirmation:
                        print("in confirmation")
                        // Confirm the upload
                        return Alert(title: Text(alert.alertTitle),
                                     message: Text(alert.alertMessage),
                                     primaryButton: .default(Text(alert.alertButtonCaption ?? alert.alertTitle), action: {
                            print("Submitted")
                            alert.confirmationMethod()
                        }), secondaryButton: .cancel())
                    case .destructive:
                        print("in destructive. If we want the confirmation be destructive.")
                        return Alert(title: Text(alert.alertTitle),
                                     message: Text(alert.alertMessage),
                                     primaryButton: .destructive(Text(alert.alertButtonCaption ?? alert.alertTitle), action: {
                            print("Submitted destructive")
                            alert.confirmationMethod()
                        }), secondaryButton: .cancel())
//                    default:
//                        fatalError("Have mis-managed alert in the main alert - \(alert.id): \(alert.alertTitle)")
                    }
                })
        }
    }
}
```

### Now Set It

With the `alertController` now set in the environment I can now grab it in whichever view needs to have an alert and, when assigned an `alertIdentifier`, have the alert show! To do this I get the `alertController` with: `@EnvironmentObject var alertController: AlertController`. And then, in this example, created three buttons to show all four choice types with print statements to show where the code could go. I may have had a bit of fun and combined the error and success into one button with your alert determined by a random boolean. Anyway the code is here: 

```swift
struct ContentView: View {
  @EnvironmentObject var alertController: AlertController
  
  var body: some View {
      VStack {
          Button(action: {
              alertController.myAlert = AlertIdentifier(
                id: .confirmation,
                alertTitle: "Confirm?",
                alertMessage: "Here's the message to confirm.",
                alertButtonCaption: "Confirm This",
                confirmationMethod: methodOnceConfirmed)
          }, label: {
              Text("Confirm This!")
          })
          
          Button(action: {
              runCheck(check: Bool.random())
          }, label: {
              Text("Success?")
          })
          
          
          Button(action: {
              alertController.myAlert = AlertIdentifier(
                id: .destructive,
                alertTitle: "Delete?",
                alertMessage: "Why or why not?",
                alertButtonCaption: "Delete",
                confirmationMethod: methodOnceDeleted)
          }, label: {
              Text("Delete")
          })
      }
      .buttonStyle(BorderedButtonStyle())
  }

  private func runCheck(check:Bool) {
    if check {
        alertController.myAlert = AlertIdentifier(
                id: .success,
                alertTitle: "Success",
                alertMessage: "You succeeded!")
    } else {
        alertController.myAlert = AlertIdentifier(
                id: .error,
                alertTitle: "Error: Failed",
                alertMessage: "Try again to win!")
    }
  }
  
  private func methodOnceConfirmed() {
      print("Confirmed")
  }
    
    private func methodOnceDeleted() {
        print("It's done")
    }
}
```

## One Minor Issue... and It's Solution

I wanted to warn you that after I finished this I noticed that the alert worked great in the Navigation views but it wouldn't show up on any opened sheets. In those cases I decided to treat the alerts as I did before and rather than use the `alertController` in the environment I instead created an alert using `State`: `@State var showingAlert:AlertIdentifier?`. When creating the new `AlertIdentifier` I assigned it to the `showingAlert` variable rather than to the `alertController` in the environment:

```swift
showingAlert = AlertIdentifier(
                id: .success,
                alertTitle: "Success!",
                alertMessage: "You succeeded!")
```

Since the alert wasn't hooked into the main one I next had to handle how it was used in the view so I added the `alert` modifier and only handled the cases used in this exact view with a default showing a `fatalError` and a message in case I added more cases in the future without updating this part. This is comparable to how I handled my alerts in every view previously to the above situation. 

```swift
.alert(item: $showingAlert, content: { alert in
    switch alert.id {
    case .error, .success:
        print("In success and error!")
        return Alert(title: Text(alert.alertTitle), message: Text(alert.alertMessage), dismissButton: .none)
    default:
        fatalError("Have mis-managed alert in the ViewName - \(alert.id): \(alert.alertTitle)")
    }
})
```

---

And with that my alert system was a go and I haven't need to worry about moving the `alert` modifier up and down in my code to have it show up! I hope this can help you and if so I'd love to know how and, if any, what changes you made to it. Maybe your updates can help me in the future or someone else reading this.

Regardless I hope you’re having a good day and a great week!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Steps My App Needed To Get into the Apple App Store
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/steps-needed-to-get-into-the-apple-app-store/
Last updated: 2024-06-23T12:00:38.000Z
I knew going into the App Review process that the whole thing could take awhile but there were several aspects of it that were especially frustrating. As such I wanted to write a post both as a reminder to myself for the next time I go through it and in case it can help you in your own journey. That said, if you've been through the process before with your own tips and tricks I'd love to hear about them so feel free to comment at the bottom of this post and I'm sure they'd help others too. And if you're interested in the app itself [here's a link to the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com) and more information [about it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/).

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_Steps-My-App-Needed-to-Get-into-the-Apple-App-Store---pinterest.jpg)

*I submitted my app to the App Store in June of 2024 so any included screenshots were taken from around then.*

---

While writing this I realized most of my issues were associated with app previews as I didn’t fully understand what was needed. As such I'll start with the *Previews and Screenshots* section of the App Store Connect website, by sharing screenshots and then the previews, before going on to share other areas of the process that *I did wrong* and had to fix before my app was check marked with `Ready for Distribution`. If you want to skip ahead feel free to jump down to [the tldr summary](#tldr-tip-summary).

## Screenshots (Photo)

At first the screenshot section seemed simple as each area tells you which possible sizes of screenshots they accept. 

![Image shows a photo showing the required iPhon display sizes and the exact dimensions of the 6.7" display iPhone.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_-2024-06-15-at-11.26.21.png)

Screenshot taken on June 15th, 2024 of the iOS Preview and Screenshot page on the App Connect website.

Additionally the extra text at the top, overlay at the question mark, made it seem especially straightforward and expected with:

> Screenshots must be in the JPG or PNG format, and in the RGB color space. App previews must be in the M4V, MP4, or MOV format and can’t exceed 500 MB. 

### Process

To create both my screenshots and app previews I used the simulator in Xcode 15.4 to run one version of each device including the: iPhone, iPad, and macOS. After starting the screenshots I realized I should take a step back and instead first formulated what screenshot *story* I wanted to tell. As Apple allows a max of ten screenshots I decided to leave a buffer in case I later added more, without needing to delete any original ones, and chose seven ideas with captions. With these seven ideas in mind I went back into each simulator instance mindfully taking the required images. 

![Image shows the top of the simulator with the proper button circled in white and black.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_-2024-06-15-at-06.46.32-1-1.png)

In Xcode 15.4 the simulator's screenshot button showed up on the upper right side of the phone simulator. The iPad was similar and for the Mac I just used my normal `cmd 4` screenshot shortcut. 

With the screenshots done, for now, I next went into [Canva](https://www.canva.com/join/bromeliad-tightrope-metric?ref=simplykyra.com), checked the dimensions for each display version carefully, and made seven new designs for each one. I decided to use Canva as I already had experience using them for my Pinterest and Instagram blog post images plus it was the best way I had to confirm each image was the perfect dimensional size and to add text overlay. Once they were done being designed I downloaded them to my computer before immediately uploading them to the App Connect page under each matching version. Later, once uploaded, I dragged each image to rearrange them into the proper display order.

### Issue

The screenshots weren't too troublesome but I did get annoyed at one part as after I designed 14 images, basically the first two phone sizes, I went to upload them and realized after the first set, when I switched to the next phone version, that I could reuse the images. I was disappointed a bit as they were already designed but excited because this meant I could skip the third iPhone version and one of the iPad ones... then realized I couldn't. It's so minor and all the other versions were still hidden away but overall the crash, peak, and crash of hope was a bit disappointing. 

### Lesson Learned

So lesson learned was to make one version for each device type at a time, upload them, and then check if you need the alternatives before actually going on to create more.

## App Previews (Video)

I saved creating the app previews until after the screenshots were made though I did take the actual screen recordings both before and after. This video creation had so many minor annoying parts but most happened with the checks when uploading the videos which, although annoying, saved time from the back and forth app rejections. I'm glad the process was streamlined there. 

### Process

This is the idealized process I'm planning on repeating the next time I put an app into the store based on my original steps and what I learned while uploading the videos. After I'll share the specific issues that helped create this process. 

Like the screenshots above I chose one iPhone version, one iPad version, and the macOS default. Then for each device type I reused the videos since there wasn't much difference within the versions of each device type. 

1. **Screen Recording**

Like my screenshots I continued to use my simulator, running from Xcode 15.4, to create my screen recordings. I can never find the right button so I used the `Help` menu to search for `record`. That said, the record button is under `File` and you can activate it with `cmd r`. To stop the recording you can use the screen capture, originally the screenshot, button that shows the text `Stop Recording` when the screen recording is running. 

![Image shows the top of the iPhone SE simulator with the file menu open and the Record Screen highlighted.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_-2024-06-15-at-06.46.32.png)

After using the help menu I started it from the File menu. That said use could also use the shortcut: cmd and r.

![The Stop Recording button is highlighted in the upper right corner to show the overlay text. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_-2024-06-15-at-06.46.57.png)

While recording the photo screen capture button switches to a stop recording button. 

For the macOS version I instead opened up the default ScreenShot app and selected record from the floating options. For more information check out this [how to from Digital Citizen](https://www.digitalcitizen.life/record-video-screen-mac/?ref=simplykyra.com).

1. **Final Cut Pro - *10.7.1***

Years ago when I started [creating videos](https://www.youtube.com/@SimplyKyraBlog?ref=simplykyra.com) for my website we bought [Final Cut Pro](https://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/?ref=simplykyra.com) for the Mac, a one time purchase versus the subscription on the iPad, and I now know just enough to make it my default use case for text overlays and transitions in videos. As such I created a new project and dragged the above screen captures in to create a video using captions, transitions, speed increases, and the like. After attempting to submit the exported videos I added an audio track (set volume to negative infinity to be non-existent) and edited the videos to be under 30 seconds long.

![Screenshot of the Final Cut Pro editor for one of my app preview videos.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_-2024-06-15-at-11.12.29-1.png)

I created each video one by one by importing the screen capture, shortening it by speeding up sections of it, adding captions, and adding a non-existent audio track (because error mentioned below). 

1. **Canva**

I've been using [Canva](https://www.canva.com/join/bromeliad-tightrope-metric?ref=simplykyra.com) over the years to create my Instagram and Pinterest geared collages and I knew I could use the canvas size to be sure the videos were the correct dimensions. Thus, after confirming the proper dimensions, I went into [Canva](https://www.canva.com/join/bromeliad-tightrope-metric?ref=simplykyra.com), created a new design set to the specified dimensions, and uploaded the video. I found some of my videos had blank spaces at the end and I could trim them here to hide it as well as resizing the video itself to crop the iPad frame out. With the video fit to the canvas limits or slightly within I next added and fixed the additional elements like text overlay or background colors. Once I was happy with how it looked I exported the video and started work on the next one.

![Screenshot taken of the project section of my Canva page.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_2024-06-16-at-07.19.33.png)

Between the screenshots and app previews for all the devices I created so many designs.

1. **FFmpeg**

Originally I thought I was done once I exported the video from Canva but later I realized my frame rate was too high for Apple. Earlier in the process Matt had shared [FFmpeg](https://ffmpeg.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) with me just in case I needed it so I looked online and found I could use it to [change the frame rate of a video](https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/ChangingFrameRate?ref=simplykyra.com). Once [downloaded and installed](https://ffmpeg.org/download.html?ref=simplykyra.com) I was able to fix my videos with a simple command: `ffmpeg -i OldVideoName.mp4 -filter:v fps=30 NewVideoName.mp4`

![Screenshot of my terminal with all or part of multiple commands to FFmpeg to change the framerate from 60 fps to 30 fps..](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_2024-06-16-at-07.18.25.png)

I loved how quick it was to convert each image and did them individually. I wrote out the command in `Notes` so I could simply copy and paste each one in quickly. You may be able to batch it but I didn't take the time to research that part of it.

1. **App Store Connect**

With the videos ready all that was left to do was submit them to the [App Store Connect](https://appstoreconnect.apple.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). To do it you just drag the video to the right section and, after a blink or two, it hopefully shows up as uploaded. If there was an issue the video doesn't show in the window, the whole area is outlined in red, and the specific error is shown above. Once uploaded a cloud image is shown while the video processes and, once ready, it's updated to the video thumbnail. The videos have to be fully processed before you can submit your app to the app review team so the last time I was waiting on edge for them to be done so I could hit the button to submit. 

![Image shows the error message with a red outline around the whole drag and drop area.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_-2024-06-15-at-11.38.47.png)

If there was an issue the video doesn't show in the window, the whole area is outlined in red, and the specific error is shown above. 

![There are now two video thumbnails, one processing, and some screenshots shown in the iOS Previews and Screenshots page.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_2024-06-16-at-07.33.39.png)

If there's no immediate error and the image uploads you see it added to the list with a cloud centered thumbnail to show its processing status. Once done this is replaced with a video thumbnail like the ones to the left.

### Issues

I wanted to share any specific issues I came across in this App Preview process in case they can help you. That said I didn't take screenshots as they happened and I can't find the detailed submission area anymore so I may be missing one and/or I won't have the specific wording. All screenshots were recreated after the fact.

**Dimensions**

When I started I carefully looked over the dimensions listed for each device and created nine designs in [Canva](https://www.canva.com/join/bromeliad-tightrope-metric?ref=simplykyra.com) for both the screenshots and videos. When I went to upload the videos I got an error message that showed different dimensions than listed for, I'm now assuming, just the screenshots. As such, going forward for each device type, I attempted to upload the wrong video before making the app preview one so I'd know, based on the resulting error message, what size it requires for the video. 

![Them dimensions shown in the error message are different from the recommended ones listed next to the 3 app preview and 10 screenshot max number below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_-2024-06-15-at-11.38.47.png)

Screenshot of the iOS Preview and Screenshot page on the App Connect website showing the error for the wrong sized uploaded video and the recommended sizes... different from the sized shown lower down.

**Audio**

My videos didn't include audio as I figured it wasn't needed and I could always add it in the future once I was sure I wasn't going to change the video content again. Thus I was confused when I got an audio warning when uploading my video. After looking online, including looking over [this 2022 Apple forum thread](https://forums.developer.apple.com/forums/thread/691545?ref=simplykyra.com), I realized the lack of audio may in fact be my problem. I went back into Final Cut Pro and debated adding background music but I didn't want potentially annoying music with no added benefit so I instead chose a random track and turned down the volume to negative infinity so it's like the music wasn't actually there. Exporting this updated video, going through my processing steps, and uploading to App Connect fixed this error while adding essentially no audio. 

![Screenshot of my Final Cut Pro focused on the bottom where the audio track is shown.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_-2024-06-15-at-11.12.29-2-1.png)

With this error there's now a none-existent (negative infinity volumed audio track) music added to the video right at the bottom of the editor.

**Duration**

This one threw me for a loop as I thought it was referencing the video size but after looking online I realized it was the video duration. My videos were one to two minutes long but I found on a forum that I needed to keep it under 30 seconds. Once I shortened my videos to twenty something seconds long this error went away.

**Frame Rate**

Again this error itself wasn't too helpful but after looking online I saw the video needed to be no faster than 30 fps (frames per second). I ended up installing and running [FFmpeg](https://ffmpeg.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) to convert my videos and go onto the next step. 

**Device Framed**

This error was picked up in app review. Since my screen recordings were done on the simulator my iPad videos were framed in the black faux device which the app review team didn't want. I worried I'd have to redo my entire video but luckily I was able to simply resize the video in [Canva](https://www.canva.com/join/bromeliad-tightrope-metric?ref=simplykyra.com) essentially cropping the frame off. That said, when I was still worried about this I asked in the Hacking with Swift slack group and one person replied with [RocketSim](https://www.rocketsim.app/?ref=simplykyra.com). I haven't tried it but figured I'd share in case it can help you. 

[![Image show the RocketSim name, app icon, description, rating, and reviews.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_Screenshot-2024-06-15-at-06.41.01-1.png)](https://www.rocketsim.app/?ref=simplykyra.com)

Screenshot taken of the [RocketSim homepage](https://www.rocketsim.app/?ref=simplykyra.com) on June 15th, 2024.

### Lesson Learned

So there were a lot of lessons learned here but to sum it up for next time I'm going to include a quiet audio track in the Final Cut Pro video, make sure to keep the final video under 30 seconds, confirm the app preview dimension before starting Canva, make sure I crop off any device frames when resizing the video, and run it through [FFmpeg](https://ffmpeg.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) to slow down the frames per second. 

## Information Wasn't Loaded

Several rejections in I was sent the following screenshot with the reasoning that information wasn't loaded. I was surprised at this as the detail pane on my `NavigationSplitView` was showing and telling the person to pick an option from the side. I replied to them but, as this was during WWDC 2024, I already had a consultation booked with the App Review Team later that day. Before they replied I had the WebEx meeting and was told that it wasn't an issue.

![Image shows tabview with a collapsed sidebar and text saying "Please select an option from the sidebar".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_0611-071149.png)

The screenshot returned showing the "information not loaded" issue.

## Subscriptions

For this app I didn't have any one-time app purchases but did offer a set of six subscriptions all tied into a single subscription group. There were two issues with this:

### Can't See In App Subscriptions

My first error returned from the app review team was that they couldn't see the in-app subscriptions. I explained that I offered them through the `SubscriptionStoreView` call and where to find each instance through the user interface. Later during the above mentioned app review consultation I found out, currently, they can't see the subscriptions on their end so next time I want to include information within the *App Review Information* section to get ahead of having this rejection again.

### Subscription Description

In the WebEx meeting with the App Team I was told that the button shown in the subscription view was misleading with the "Try It Free" caption. 

![Image shows a screenshot showing some subscription choices, a "Try it Free" button, description of the currently selected subscription above, and restore purchases below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_IMG_4124-1.PNG)

 They also mentioned the description of the choices so I went in to reworded them a bit but was limited by the length requirement thus resulting in the ampersand and lack of period on the premium description.

I explained that I showed this view through the `SubscriptionStoreView` so I wasn't quite sure how to change the button and figured this way if Apple updated something this view would also change to fit the new content. They decided then since the person using my app had to select an option before hitting the trial button it was fine. Wanted to share though as I could see this area being problematic if you were creating your own version.

## App Review Information

Although the macOS version sailed through the review back when I uploaded both versions to TestFlight it went the opposite way. Then iOS was quickly approved but the macOS version was declined as they didn’t have the login credentials. My app itself doesn't need login credentials but it does need access to a third party e-paper device called a reMarkable. I explained this in the reply along with including a docker file to emulate a reMarkable that they could connect to. The Mac version was approved for TestFlight right after. Because of this I made sure to enter this information for both the iOS and macOS version under the *App Review Information* section of the App Store review. Not sure, looking back, if this was helpful but the macOS was quickly approved and no-one mentioned login credentials on the iOS side.

![Image shows the sign-in information, notes, and attachment section of the app review information page. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_-2024-06-15-at-11.29.10.png)

Screenshot of the empty App Review Information section from the App Connect website.

## Purpose String

During the Webex meeting with the App Review team I was told my app's purpose strings didn't meet the requirements. In my app I was setting the reason I needed to gain access to the camera, document folder, and/or photo library to my purpose of uploading the chosen image to my app rather than the ultimate reason of having the image on the user's reMarkable. As such he gave me an example I could use and after the meeting I updated the string in all three of the spots before re-uploading my app back to App Connect. 

![Image is a screenshot of my build settings for my app target showing the new information.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_2024-06-15-at-16.09.25.png)

I updated the Privacy Usage Description for the Camera, Documents, and Photo Library after that meeting from `"Used when you choose to upload an image from your camera/documents/photo library."` to `"Used to upload an image so you can put it on your reMarkable device."`

## Ready For Distribution!

And then, right when I was waiting to see what else needed to be fixed the iOS version was marked with `Ready for Distribution`! The macOS one had been approved days before but I had set it to manual release so I went into there, marked it for release, and then waited for both to appear in the App Store... with baited breath. I then searched online again and worried there might be an issue on the financial side. Checked the store repeatedly throughout the day and saw it right when I was at the door to get my kids from school! So the last *ready* to *in store* took about one school day.

[![Image is a collage of five images showing the macOS App Store page on left, iOS store on right, and my developer view on both along with my app icon off-center.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_Screenshot-App-Review-Tips---Image.jpg)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)

App Store pages on both iOS and macOS!

And with its appearance I updated my website to show the change before sharing on social media. 

[![Screenshot shows "My Applications" with my app title and image then "out now!" followed by a description. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/compressed_Screenshot-2024-06-12-at-15.03.46.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)

My homepage after I updated the "Simply Customize It" page. Screenshot taken on June 2024.

With that my first app was in the App Store and I realized soon after I should jot down what I learned for the next time I go through this process and share the tips in case they can help you too. If you've been through this process before I'd love for you to share your tips either in the comments below or feel free to [email them at mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Blog%20-%20App%20Review%20Tips). 

## TLDR: Tip Summary

- Purpose Strings: Make sure the purpose strings in your app are about the end game or essentially why they want the app to have access rather than why you want it.
- App Review Information: Make sure to include any information that they'd need to analyze your app. I included what blocked me in TestFlight but learned to also include where to find my subscription as that information isn't currently linked on their end.
- In App Purchases: Make sure they aren't nefarious and there's no trickery involved. No big *Free Signs* when there's really a paid requirement to sign up for and you're really referring to the simple trial.
- Screenshots and App Previews: Take them a bit at a time, confirm their dimensions repeatedly, and make sure the videos include an audio track, are under 30 seconds, set to 30 fps, and don't include a device frame.
- Best tip: I didn't use it but in the consulting Webex call I was told when you get rejected you can *ask for a call*. Definitely keeping that in mind for next time.

While researching this post I came across [a reference to app preview specifications](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/app-preview-specifications?ref=simplykyra.com) that would've been so helpful to have this first time around so I included it here for you. And I truly hope you’re having a good day. Feel free to share any tips you've learned below!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Ada and Zoey's Epic Homemade Ice Cream Cakes
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/ada-and-zoeys-epic-homemade-ice-cream-cakes/
Last updated: 2024-06-09T15:00:28.000Z
Two summers ago we made an awesome ice cream cake for Ada’s birthday and the kids loved it enough that both wanted it for their birthday this last summer. We started Zoey’s together but I went on to finish the cake itself when she was at school to her disappointment. This then led to both girls decorating their cakes all by themselves which I had to share for both memories and in case your kid(s) do the same. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/03/compressed_Ada-and-Zoey-s-Epic-Homemade-Ice-Cream-Cakes---Pinterest.jpg)

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_Zoey-s-Oreo-Ice-Cream-Cake----Pinterest.jpg)

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_Ada-s-Birthday-Ice-Cream-Cake---Pinterest.jpg)

---

The summer before Ada wanted an ice cream cake and, long story short, we made our own using[the Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake found through Princess Pinky Girl](https://princesspinkygirl.com/copycat-dairy-queen-ice-cream-cake/?ref=simplykyra.com). That year she helped me create the cake and although we increased the ingredients substantially we still followed the original recipe. I adored how it turned out, loved making it with them, enjoyed the process of decorating it by myself, had tons of leftovers, and the girls loved it. You can read [about it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-we-made-a-simple-and-delicious-ice-cream-cake/).

![The final ice cream cake carefully written out with "Happy Birthday Ada" and covered in rosettas. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/03/image.jpeg)

Last year's cake set in the freezer to set and wait for it's unveiling.

This last summer both girls decided to have an ice cream cake on their birthday ([separate from the shared party dessert](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-simply-delicious-brownie-angel-food-cupcakes/)) and the cakes ended up drastically different from each other. Here I’ll start with an overview of either cake before going into how exactly we made them. 

## Overview of the Cakes

### Zoey's Oreo Ice Cream Cake

Since we were planning on moving after her birthday I made sure to point out to Zoey just how many Oreos we had on hand, from buying a large Costco pack, which led to an Oreo vanilla cake for the base. To make it we baked so many more Oreos in butter, kept some back for the center fudge layer, and then mixed the rest with the slightly thawed vanilla ice cream to become both the top and bottom layer of the cake. With the cake base complete she next went to town on the top with a black icing writer, canned whipped cream, sprinkles, and, by request, the red and green grapes we had in the fridge.

![Top down view of the final cake showing the black, whip cream, sprinkle madness, and grape decorations. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_5071.jpeg)

![Another view of the now candle decorated cake about to be cut and served.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_5088.jpeg)

### Ada's Birthday Ice Cream Cake

Ada, by contrast, wanted to go to the grocery store and originally wanted conflicting flavors of everything. After a bit of discussion on how they may taste together she ended up choosing a single carton of New York style cheesecake ice cream that, like Zoey, we used for both the top and bottom layer. She also paired it with toffee flavored Oreos for the center fudge layer and insisted on pink icing rather than whipped cream. 

![Top down view of the final cake showing the pink piped icing, pink base ice cream, sprinkles, and the red icing written name, star, and heart.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_7825.jpeg)

![Another view of the now candle decorated cake about to be cut and served.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_7891.jpeg)

## How We Made It

### Ice Cream Prep

All you essentially need for the ice cream is to buy and thaw enough that you can spread it in a pan... twice. Since Ada wanted the same flavor for the top and bottom I simply took her carton of ice cream and cut it down the middle. Half went back into the freezer so it didn't thaw too much while the other half sat out to thaw while we started the cookie process. 

![Image shows the ice cream container cut in half balanced on the lid while Ada is using the Oreos behind.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_7704.jpeg)

### Oreo Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Creation 

For Zoey’s we wanted to use up tons of Oreo cookies so we dumped the entire vanilla ice cream container into a bowl to thaw. After the cookies were ready, and after removing the ones we’d need for the center layer, we dumped them into the ice cream and attempted to start mixing it. Somehow the ice cream was magically still firm enough to break my spatula while still being a liquid mess too. Once the cookies were mixed in I moved half to the pan to freeze and the other half into a jug to wait in the freezer before later thawing it again for the final layer. Additionally we also ended up with a lot so I made a small side cake for myself and let the kids *clean* out the leftovers in the carton.

![Bowl of softening ice cream.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_4898.jpeg)

![Girls "cleaning" out the empty container.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_4901.jpeg)

![Melting ice cream and Oreo cookies all mixed together.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_4902.jpeg)

### Oreo Center Prep

As the Oreo cookies for the center take time to bake and cool we normally start that at the same time as thawing the above ice cream. These photos are from the Oreo cake where we baked a lot of cookies while normally you’d use much less for just the center layer. To make it you basically crush the Oreos, pour in melted butter, spread it on a cookie sheet, bake it, and cool it. So simple. 

![A Costco sized box of Oreo cookies getting crushed in a metal bowl. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_4889.jpeg)

![Pouring a jug of melted butter into the Oreo cookies. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_4892.jpeg)

![The mixed and crushed Oreo cookies laid out on two Silpat lined baking sheets. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_4897.jpeg)

### Creating the Bottom Layer 

Once the ice cream is thawed enough I dump it into a pan, spread it out, and place the pan carefully into the freezer to set. Depending how thawed the ice cream is be careful setting it flat in the freezer as the contents can tilt and you’d need to flatten it once it's frozen again. 

![An empty 9 by 13 glass casserole dish with half a softened cheesecake behind it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_7705.jpeg)

![Dumping the ice cream into the pan. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_7712.jpeg)

![And then spreading it out flat with a spatula. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_7715.jpeg)

![All flattened and ready for the freezer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_7717.jpeg)

With Zoey's we had thawed the whole container of ice cream at once to mix with the Oreos so we had a lot of it. I ended up using a measuring jug to hold the other half of the ice cream for the top layer and, as there was so much, used another lidded container to make a smaller-sized cake at the same time. The pans in the freezer were tilted so after I pulled them out I needed to flatten the first layer out again.

![We started filling in the glass casserole dish then and jug (for upper layer) then realized we had too much. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_4905.jpeg)

![Split it between three dishes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_4906.jpeg)

![With extra for the kids to eat. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_4907.jpeg)

![The pans were tilted in the freezer so after pulling them out I needed to break it up and smooth it down. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_4912.jpeg)

![All flattened and ready for the cookie layer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_4913.jpeg)

### Assembling the Cookie Layer 

The cookie layer is simple. The hardest part is warming the fudge sauce enough to be pourable but not too much so it doesn’t go everywhere. Then you simple mix it with the cookie bits and carefully spread it over the ice cream base layer. I think I've also mixed the two up directly on the base layer for less dishes. Then back in the freezer it all goes to harden.

![There’s a fine line between not warm enough to pour and overflowing. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_4914.jpeg)

![I started thawing the jug of ice cream at the same time as I added and refroze the middle cookie layer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_4917.jpeg)

### Adding the Top Layer 

Depending how long this took you may need to thaw the ice cream again. I normally take the ice cream out to thaw when putting the cookie layer in the freezer to set. Once its thawed enough you spread it over the cookie layer and put it back the freezer.

![With the top layer on I covered it up with plastic wrap and put it back in the freezer for Zoey to decorate. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_4919.jpeg)

## Decorating the Cake

The directions in the original recipe, [Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake](https://princesspinkygirl.com/copycat-dairy-queen-ice-cream-cake/?ref=simplykyra.com), has you decorate the top with whipped cream and optionally sprinkles. [Last year](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-we-made-a-simple-and-delicious-ice-cream-cake/) I included an icing writer to add words. This year the kids wanted to decorate it themselves:

### Ada's Icing Heavy Approach 

Ada wanted to use a red icing writer, pink icing, and extra sprinkles to decorate her cake.

![Pulled out frozen cake ready to decorate. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_7731.jpeg)

![All the toppings spread out and ready to go. Icing, sprinkles, and icing writer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_7817.jpeg)

### Zoey's Fruity Version 

Zoey’s version had unicorn sprinkles and a black icing gel writer along with the canister of whipped cream. I wrote out the Happy Birthday first, it was kind of goopy, before she took it over and, midway through, asked for the grapes in our fridge to add to the main vision she was going with.

![The sprinkles and icing writer used.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_4928.jpeg)

![Peeling back the plastic wrap.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_5040.jpeg)

![A gooby Happy Birthday and Zoey's additions and we were good to go.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_5047.jpeg)

![Finally grapes... and more decoations.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_5049.jpeg)

![Getting close to done.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_5063.jpeg)

## Voila

With another trip into the freezer to set and have a meal the cakes were ready to be eaten! Luckily they were made several months apart from each other. Here they are right before going back into the freezer. 

![Ada posing next to her pink and red “Ada” cake. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_7821.jpeg)

![Zoey presenting her rainbow grape cake. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_5065.jpeg)

And with that I hope you have an amazing day and week! I’d love to know if you make your own and how it goes!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simply Customize It! FAQs
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-faqs/
Last updated: 2026-05-05T21:24:52.000Z
> 💡 **Tip:** Use the table of contents or search for the keywords you're interested in by using **Ctrl + F** (Windows), **⌘ + F** (Mac), or **Find on Page**

## **Quick Links**

- 🛒 [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)
- 🌐 [Website](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)
- 💬 [FAQs](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-faqs/)
- 🛠 [Version History](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-changelog/)
- ⭐ [Leave a Review](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6443862161?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com)

## Need Help or Want Updates?

- 💌 [Subscribe for App Updates](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-faqs/#/portal/signup)
- 📧 [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It:%20FAQs)
- 💻 [More reMarkable Posts](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/remarkable/)

---

## Developer Mode Requirements 

> 💡 *Note:* Both the **reMarkable Paper Pro** and **reMarkable Paper Pro Move** require **Developer Mode** to stay on while connected. You, and thus Simply Customize It, can’t access your device’s SSH credentials otherwise.

[Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Paper Pro Through the Command LineWith the new reMarkable Paper Pro out I realized I needed to update my How To Connect post... here it is!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-53.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_9201-1-10.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/)

I haven't switched off developer mode yet but shared in this post how I turned it on in for my Paper Pro (same for the Move) in case you're interested in the steps before choosing whether you want to go ahead with it or not.

---

## Getting Started 

### What is Simply Customize It?

*Simply Customize It* is a friendly Mac and iOS app that helps you personalize your reMarkable... no coding, `SSH`, or command-line steps required. Whether you want to create custom templates, update your sleep screen, or sync your favorite changes after an update the app makes it easy.

### Supported Devices

- **Apple**: iPhone · iPad · Mac  
  - Subscription works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac as long as you’re signed into the **same Apple ID**.
  - Your library syncs between your devices through iCloud.
  - Family Sharing Enabled: If you’re using Apple Family Sharing your Apple Family members can use your active subscription too.
- **reMarkable**:  
  - reMarkable 1 (rm1)
  - reMarkable 2 (rm2)
  - reMarkable Paper Pro (rmPP)
  - reMarkable Paper Pro Move (rmPPM)

I currently own and test the app with all models except the original reMarkable 1, but it’s understood to work the same way as the reMarkable 2\. 

If you notice anything unexpected on your device [please reach out](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It%20FAQs)! I’d love to know!

### Key Features

- **Template Management**: Import, edit, and sync custom templates with ease.
- **Screen Image Customization**: Update reMarkable’s sleep (and other) screens with personal visuals.
- **Multi-Device Support**: Manage multiple reMarkables with their own settings.
- **User-Friendly Interface**: Designed to feel intuitive and fully native on macOS, iPhone, and iPad.
- **Secure Connection**: Connects only when you request it. Nothing runs in the background.
- **In-App Guidance**: Built-in walkthroughs and growing FAQs (like this one!) for easy setup and troubleshooting.

### Will This App Work For Me?

Yes! As long as you can see your login credentials on your reMarkable *Simply Customize It* can connect. 

If you have a **Paper Pro** or **Move** model you’ll need to enable **Developer Mode** first to access these credentials. You can find them on your reMarkable under:  
*Settings → About → Copyrights and Licenses*.

[Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Paper Pro Through the Command LineWith the new reMarkable Paper Pro out I realized I needed to update my How To Connect post... here it is!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-33.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_9201-1-9.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-paper-pro-through-the-command-line/)

Check out this post for more information about turning on Developer Mode. Ignore anything with the terminal (SSH, WLAN) as that can be done with the app... see next section.

![Image shows the GPLv3 Compliance section on the reMarkable 2.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/12/image.jpeg)

Once enabled (or on a reMarkable 1 or 2) your password appears in the top purple section, with username `root` beside it. Below that, you’ll see a list of IP addresses and, if you’re connected by cable, a new local IP will appear for that connection.

### Device Dimensions

Each reMarkable model uses a slightly different screen resolution. If your image looks stretched, cropped, or misaligned, double-check the size you’re targeting:

- **reMarkable 1 & 2:** 1872 × 1404 px (226 DPI)
- **reMarkable Paper Pro:** 2160 × 1620 px
- **reMarkable Paper Pro Move:** officially 954 × 1696 px but recently realized templates (not screens) fit best at 814 × 1454 px

### App Versions (Change Log)

The version list has grown quite long! You can now find it on a dedicated page here: 

[Simply Customize It: Version HistoryA chronological list of all Simply Customize It updates with short summaries.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-50.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Header-gradient-1-3.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-changelog/)

### Legal

Simply Customize It was built to make my own reMarkable easier to personalize and was then expanded to help others do the same.

I've posted both a [privacy policy](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it-privacy-policy/) and a [terms of user agreement](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it-terms-and-conditions/) for transparency.

### Customizations Void Warranty?

I can’t make warranty guarantees because reMarkable doesn’t officially support custom templates/screens.

From community experience, simply enabling Developer Mode is generally not treated as “warranty void,” but reMarkable support may ask you to return the device to a default state when troubleshooting.

### Note

I’m not associated with reMarkable and I don’t control future software updates. If a new reMarkable version changes how templates or screens work I’ll do my best to adapt the app quickly. 

[Simply Customize It: Version HistoryA chronological list of all Simply Customize It updates with short summaries.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-92.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Cover---Screenshot---Simply-Customize-It---Versioning.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-changelog/)

If you want to see how I've adjust in the past you can check out [the version history here](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-changelog/).

---

## A Quick Note Before Connecting

**What Simply Customize It Changes (and What It Doesn’t)**

*Simply Customize It* focuses only on **customization** for custom notebook templates and sleep screen images.

It does **not** manage, modify, or back up:

- your handwritten notes
- your notebooks
- your PDFs or documents

Those are handled by reMarkable itself.

If reMarkable updates its software, custom templates and screen images will be reset to the defaults. When that happens, your writing is still there.... and ***Simply Customize It*** makes it easy to reapply your customizations.

---

## Connecting to Your reMarkable 

### Connecting the First Time

Both the rmPP and rmPPM require you to turn on developer mode (see directly above). Additionally both the Paper Pro and the rm2 (version 3.22 onward) has `WLAN` turned off by default so you will need to connect via cable the first time.

### USB Connection

When `WLAN` is turned off you will need to connect your reMarkable to your Apple device with a USB cable. Once connected a local IP address (10.x...) will pop up. With that you can connect to the app and turn on `WLAN`. 

Just a heads up the USB-C cable will need to support data transfer and not just charging. The reMarkable cable in the box works and if you're unsure about a third-party cable check the packaging for "data" or "sync" support.

[Simply Customize It: Smoother WLAN Connections for reMarkable 2WLAN turned off in reMarkable 2 with the 3.22 beta? This update adds an alternate host field, a smart toggle to switch between host addresses, and makes the WLAN button available for all devices.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-34.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-It-Smoother-WLAN-Connections-for-reMarkable-2---Image-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-smoother-wlan-connections-for-remarkable-2/)

For more information scroll down in the app to troubleshooting or check out this update for more information.

![Image shows the "Turn on WLAN" confirmation dialog.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/10/compressed_IMG_1169.png)

And in case you don't truly want to turn on WLAN, need a moment to set up, or whatever reason there's a confirmation button before continuing. 

If you're having difficulty with the secondary IP address showing up on iPhone and iPad check **Settings → Privacy & Security → Wired Accessories** and make sure it's set to **Automatically Allow When Unlocked** or **Always Allow**. If it's set to **Always Ask**, your iPhone may block the USB connection silently.

![Screenshot showing Privacy and Security, Lockdown Mode turned off, and Wired Accessories set to Automatically Allow When Unlocked.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2026/05/Screenshot-FAQ-reMarkable-Image.png)

Screenshot of settings taken of iOS 26.4.2\. This may change in the future.

### Wi-Fi Connection

If both devices share Wi-Fi use your reMarkable’s main IP address. 

### Switching Between Wi-Fi & USB 

I've [updated the app](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-smoother-wlan-connections-for-remarkable-2/) to store both a primary host and secondary with toggle to default to either. If your app isn't on the same WiFi for whatever reason and you want to switch between being wired in or WiFi you can toggle between these IP addresses at will. Or if you're switching between work and home wifi you can use the alternative for that... I won't judge 😄

Some actions like *Test Connection*, *Upload Template*, and *Sync Screens* will use whichever host you’ve selected whether that's the primary or secondary one. The `WLAN` toggle, meanwhile, always attempts to use the **secondary** (USB) address.

If you’re having trouble connecting, make sure the app is using the correct one. You can check which is currently active in the Device screen:

![Screenshot of device screen showing “Using primary host” checkbox.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-05-at-13.58.52.png)

Here's now it looks on the Mac. Simply make sure the current one is selected and toggle to switch which one is used.

### General Issues

The most common problems include

- Is your reMarkable turned on? Sometimes if you just turned it on it’ll need a minute or two before the connection works.
- Is the host (IP address), username, and password entered correctly? If you used my *Fill in the Values* button it can sometimes confuse a number or letter especially with the more complicated password. Additionally for password and username shown it's the content between the apostrophes you type in. So, for example, `'abc123XY'` would be `abc123XY`.
- I've also had passwords that contained both zeros 0 and the letter o O. Next to each other they were obvious but if I had only one I would've second guessed it. Additionally, once my password had an l (L) that looks just like a 1 when out of context.
- Is your computer/phone/iPad on the same Wi-Fi as your reMarkable device?
- Was it able to connect before and can't now? There are many reasons your IP address can change such as if your network is updated or if you moved to another network... maybe go into your reMarkable and check if it's now different.
- If you're a bit more Mac savvy you may have a previous created network configuration in your macOS preferences. Confirm there isn't anything getting in the way.

### Error Messages & Connection Help

If *Simply Customize It* can’t connect to your reMarkable the app analyzes the technical error returned by the attempted `SSH` connection and translates it into a more human-readable message.

| **Message**                           | **What It Means**                                                     | **What To Do**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| ------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Unable to authenticate**            | Your username or password didn’t match your reMarkable’s credentials. | Double-check your credentials under *Settings → About → Copyrights and Licenses* on your reMarkable.                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| **There was no connection made**      | The app couldn’t reach your reMarkable at all.                        | Ensure the device is powered on, WLAN is enabled, and both are on the same Wi-Fi network.If not, connect by cable and tap **Turn on WLAN** in the app before retrying.                                                                                                                                           |
| **Unable to connect to your device…** | A general fallback message for less common connection issues.         | Retry with the correct IP address and credentials.If the message includes a long error description, copy or screenshot it and email [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It%20FAQs%20Error%20Messages) so I can investigate and improve the message in a future update. |

> 💡 **Tip:** If you continue to see connection errors, try connecting over USB first then press **Turn on WLAN** in the app to re-enable wireless access.

### Want to dig deeper?

If you’re comfortable with the command line, you can test your connection manually:

```bash
❯ ssh -v root@192.168.1.xxx
```

If you see **Connection refused** your reMarkable likely has `WLAN` turned off or isn’t on the same local network. Again, if connected by cable, use the **local IP** shown on your reMarkable’s screen instead. Mine starts with *10.xxx*.

---

## Updated reMarkable... 

### Where Did My Changes Go?

Custom templates and changed out screens are not officially supported by reMarkable. This means whenever there is a software update the custom templates will disappear and the changed screens will revert back to the reMarkable ones. For the notebooks this means that any page that used a custom templates will still be set to it but since it no longer exists the page will show your writing with a blank background. 

### Upside?

This also means if you deleted a default template by mistake an update will give it back to you! It also means they may update the default templates to be a different format and/or take up less space.

### Bring Back Your Screens

Simply go back to your favorite screen or group and upload it to get it back!

### Bring Back Custom Templates

If you upload the template with the same filename the notebooks that used your custom template will be reconnected without any more steps. This app remembers your current templates (and warns you if renaming the filename) so you can easily fix the templates simply by *Syncing* after this happens. 

### What's Your Process?

I created a video showing my process when my reMarkable updates. I also wrote it up in a blog post. I love how much easier this is than [my process back in 2021](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-remarkable2-updated-this-is-what-i-did-next/)! Anyway here's both versions!

[Restoring My Custom reMarkable Setup After an UpdateBoth my reMarkables recently updated which meant my custom sleep screen and templates were wiped. Thankfully, restoring everything with my app Simply Customize It took just a few steps and felt surprisingly calm. Here’s exactly what I did, plus a full walkthrough video so you can follow along.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-41.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/How-I-Reapplied-My-reMarkable-Customizations-After-an-UpdateHow-I-Reapplied-My-reMarkable-Customizations-After-an-Update---Image-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/restoring-my-custom-remarkable-setup-after-an-update/)

---

## Customizing Screens 

### Change Your Screen

Go to **Screens** \> **My Screens** \> **\+ Add Screen**. Set the name (just for you it won't be used on the reMarkable) and add the image. If this is your first time you may need to give the app permission for the images. 

Once saved you can go back into the screen image and use the buttons to edit (change it out or rotate), download, or crop. On iOS theres two cropping options. **Center Crop** will cut off the excess while **Resize to Fit** squishes the image if it doesn't fit the right image ratio. 

Once set, while in the screen image, you can use the **Upload Screen as...** to open the dropdown and choose which image type you want to overwrite on your reMarkable. 

### Groups vs Single Screens

You can use the Groups to remember a set of images. When developing the app people were creating adorable screen sets including the sleep screen, power off, etc. As such you can **Import Current Screens** to backup all screens (under **My Screens**) currently on your reMarkable and save them to a group. If you go into a group you can set the pre-created screen you want to use (one per each of the possible screen types) and then upload them all in one batch. 

### Return to Factory Screens

If you used **Import Current Screens** you can easily go into that group to upload them back to your reMarkable overwriting any changes you made. If not they'll be reset on the next reMarkable update. 

I often use the **Import Current Screens** button after an update to see if anything changed.

### Rotating Sleep Screen Overlay

**(Paper Pro & Paper Pro Move / 3.25+)**

Recently I noticed Paper Pro devices running reMarkable 3.25+ may show a rotating system illustration when you lock the device.

> ⚠️ This is new system behavior and may change (or reset) after reMarkable updates.

These illustrations appear **on top of** your sleep screen. If you use the default sleep screen image the overlay blends in and feels like it’s switching images. With a custom sleep screen this overlay is more obvious.

[In *Simply Customize It* I've added theability](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-1-0-20-turn-off-the-rotating-sleep-screen-overlay/) for you to control **only the overlay** (it does **not** replace or reset your sleep screen image):

- **Disable Overlay** → hides the rotating overlay
- **Restore Overlay** → brings the overlay back (if supported)
- **Check Status** → shows whether the overlay is currently disabled or not (no changes made)

If this stops working after an update [please contact me and let me know](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Sleep%20Screen%20Overlay).

### Specific Image Questions

The screens use `PNG` images (or for iOS your photo library converting them to `PNG` images) which are shared with the below templates. Please see [the general image section](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-faqs/#imagefile-support) below for more information.

## Managing Templates 

💡

****First-time tip:** Before ****uploading** anything, run ****Import Templates** once so the app pulls in all default reMarkable templates and avoids overwriting anything.

### Add a Custom Template

Go to **Templates** \> **My Templates** \> **\+ Add Template**. Set the name, choose one or more categories (*required to find on the reMarkable*) and add what you want to show (`PNG`, `SVG`, or templating file). If this is your first time you may need to give the app permission to access your images.

### Lost Default Templates 

If you've uploaded your templates without first syncing or importing you may overwrite your templates. As reMarkable owns these images I don't email them out that said some solutions are:

- **System Restore**: Some people have been able to recover all default templates by doing a full system restore on the reMarkable (go to Settings › Storage & Reset › Erase Device). This restores the device to factory defaults including all built-in templates.

> ⚠️ Note: I’m on the Connect plan so if I were to do this my files would automatically re-download afterward... if you’re not, be sure to back up anything important first since this will erase local content.

- **Wait for a Firmware Update**: Major reMarkable updates loose your custom changes but also reinstalls the default templates automatically.
- **Join the Beta**: Joining the beta may speed up a firmware update thus re-installing the default templates as above.

> ⚠️ Note: I’ve joined the beta but haven’t un-enrolled so not sure how long you need to wait to return to the next stable release.

- Community Backup: Awhile back I noticed there was a community-maintained GitHub repository with the original `PNG` and `SVG` templates you can re-import while waiting for an update... that said while redoing my FAQs I realize the link no longer works. Keeping it here just in case and please let me know if you find an up to date source: [https://github.com/rlc4dro/Remarkable2/tree/main/original/templates](https://github.com/rlc4dro/Remarkable2/tree/main/original/templates?ref=simplykyra.com)

> ⚠️ Note: If you want your existing notebooks to recognize them, the filenames will need to match exactly. You can see this in the app when you edit a template.

### Backup Your Changes

Whether you're worried about the above happening or planning ahead you can create a second device profile (there's no limits) in *Simply Customize It* with the same connection information and import all the current default templatesthere first as a backup. That way you can always switch profiles back to this backup device and restore your originals if something goes wrong.

## Templates `JSON` Explained

The reMarkable uses a file called `templates.json` to list all available templates and link them to their images. When you import templates in *Simply Customize It*, the app reads this file to check for any new or missing templates. When you upload custom ones, the app safely rewrites the file (creating a backup first) so your new templates are recognized by the device.

### If the JSON File Is Missing

If you see an error saying the `JSON` file wasn’t found while importing or syncing, don’t worry... it can usually be fixed easily:

- First, confirm that your device type is set correctly under **Profile → Device Details**. The Paper Pro briefly used a different filename (`ferrari-templates.json`) before switching back to `templates.json` in version 3.15.

![Image shows the decision tree to determine the JSON file's name.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/11/compressed_Plans.png)

- If the file is truly missing press **Upload** in the app to recreate it. This restores template functionality instantly.

> **Note:** Recreating the file only includes templates currently in the app. Any templates that exist only on your reMarkable will be lost unless you’ve backed them up first.

- If you’ve created multiple devices in the app, you can switch to another one, update its login details, and use its **Upload** button to regenerate the file.
- Use a backup you may have created and upload them through the command line using `scp`. Here is a post I created about manually uploading custom templates to my reMarkable 2 in case that can help you.

[How to Make Template Files for Your reMarkableDo you have a reMarkable device? Have you thought about creating a template file of your own for it? Do you have a PDF page or PNG image you want to use as a template? Here’s how I made my template file for my reMarkable 2.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/Favicon_Transparent_60-16.png)Simply KyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_How-to-Make-Templates-Files-for-Your-reMarkable-Image-1.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/)

### Templates Missing in the Desktop App

If your custom templates appear blank or missing in the reMarkable desktop app, that’s normal as custom templates are stored only on the physical reMarkable and not synced to the desktop. You can get around this by exporting pages or entire notebooks from your reMarkable as PDFs to view them on your computer.

![The top of the image says "Recipes". Below it is a rectangle, cut off, showing the document page. In the center, lower in the image, it says "Unable to load document background[. ]Try restarting your application or contact support if the problem persists." To the side you can see the changes I made, in a different layer, over top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0982.png?resize=750%2C623&ssl=1)

Back when my reMarkable 2 was running version 2.5.0.27 of the software and I wrote my [template post](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/#if-using-remarkable-apps-on-other-devices) the reMarkable desktop showed an "unable to load" message. Now the page is blank. Either way, luckily, your text still shows up. 

### Blank Image Icon

If your custom template shows a blank icon on your reMarkable that’s by design. The reMarkable devices store their icons inside its system font and each template’s entry in `templates.json` links to a Unicode value from that font. 

![Image is a collage showing the image of the possible icon codes and the json. Above it says: "The template JSON file matches your template with its icon from a preset list of options stored within the Xochitl binary."](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/01/compressed_Screenshot-Post---Image-Template-Icon-Code-JSON.png)

As you can see here the image is picked on the left, shown with unicode below in the center, and that unicode is used in the custom `templates.json` code snippet on the right.

![Image shows the same image as before but now the right side is a closer look of the top two lines now split into four taking the whole height.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/01/compressed_Post---Image-Template-Icon-Code.png)

Back, with reMarkable version 2.3.0.16, [rmhack](https://www.reddit.com/user/rmhack/?ref=simplykyra.com) graciously shared this image (left) of the unicode text under each icon. On the right I created better closeups.

### Advanced: Customizing Icons Yourself

I don’t modify the system font itself for safety reasons. That said, some advanced users on Reddit have experimented with extracting or editing the icon font (embedded in the `Xochitl` binary). This involves modifying the device’s internal files and is not recommended unless you’re comfortable with disassembly and firmware patching. For background reading and community posts, see the linked discussions in:

- [Custom Template Icons?](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/kb8eai/custom%5Ftemplate%5Ficons/?ref=simplykyra.com)
- [rm2 custom template icon?](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/14l17wy/rm2%5Fcustom%5Ftemplate%5Ficon/?ref=simplykyra.com)
- [A slightly extended icon set for custom notebooks \[Remarkable 2.5\]](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/ln51lc/a%5Fslightly%5Fextended%5Ficon%5Fset%5Ffor%5Fcustom%5Fnotebooks/?ref=simplykyra.com)

## Template Files Explained

### Supported File Types 

When Simply Customize It was first released reMarkable only used `PNG` images for the templates. Since then I've added support for `SVG` images ([November 2024](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-update-now-with-svg-support/)) and the newer `.template` files ([September 2025](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/big-update-support-for-rmpp-move-editable-templates-and-asset-downloads/)). I cannot preview the templating image so I created a placeholder stand-in **Templating File Only** when just that is set.

### No Assets Set?

Sometime around the time the new Methods was announced I noticed some templates, after a reMarkable update, were imported with no assets attached. They still worked; however, suggesting that there's an internal mechanism at play. I added a new placeholder image if there are no assets so it doesn't look as broken. 

### Which to Use

Currently reMarkable seems to have a hierarchy on what it prefers to show for the template. As such if two or more file types are set you see whichever one is higher on the list:

1. Internal rendering: undocumented method
2. `.template` files
3. `SVG` images
4. `PNG` images: used only if no other assets are available

As a quick aside: *Simply Customize It* mirrors this behavior but attempts to keep each template unique so in app the preference goes: 

1. `SVG` images
2. `PNG` images
3. `.template` file placeholder
4. *No Assets Set* placeholder image

This ensures consistency between your device and the app.

### More Information About Templating Files

I haven't looked too much into the new `.template` files but they are `JSON` files that are interpreted by reMarkable to make a template. I started dabbling in a template builder on my website that's live if you choose to use it *BUT* is still in beta.

[Template BuilderCreate your own reMarkable templates and apply them instantly. Upload .template files on iPhone, iPad, or Mac with Simply Customize It. So fast and simple!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-39.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/Header-gradient-1-1.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/template-builder/)

## Template Browse View

### Filtering Templates

Starting in [version 1.0.10](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-update-smart-clean-up-and-3-19-support/), the Template Browse includes built-in filters to help you quickly find and manage templates. You can filter by:

- **Asset count**: see templates with one or more files (PNG, SVG, .template).
- **Category count**: see how many categories each template belongs to.
- **Storage location**: find templates in the default directory or an alternate folder.
- **Template type**: distinguish default reMarkable templates from your custom ones (updated when you run `Clean Up`).

> 💡 *Tip:* Combine filters to spot duplicates, missing assets, or templates stored in alternate paths after a reMarkable update.

## Template Troubleshooting

### My `PNG`\-Only Template Looks Blank

If a `PNG`\-only template appears blank after a firmware update (notably 3.19 beta), simply close and reopen your notebook and it will display correctly once reloaded.

[PNG-Only Templates May Appear Blank in reMarkable 3.19 Beta (But There’s a Workaround!)In the 3.19 beta, templates with only a PNG file no longer display properly. I’ve outlined what I found on both the reMarkable 2 and Paper Pro... plus how to pause updates if you rely on PNG-only templates. Join the conversation and stay informed.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-43.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-3.19-warning-Image-2-3.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/heads-up-png-only-templates-no-longer-work-in-remarkable-3-19-beta/)

Here's a post with more details about what happened to me,

### Duplicate Templates After Update and Import

This can happen when reMarkable changes its default templates' filenames or category names (noticed this on my Paper Pro on the 3.17 beta). To fix it:

1. Open **All Templates** and sort by **Created → Descending** to spot newly imported copies.
2. Delete the older duplicates (in my case they also had smaller dimensions matching the reMarkable 2).
3. Tap **Upload** to sync the correct set back to your reMarkable.
4. *Optional*: Right after an update (before you hit upload or sync) run **Clean Up** (added in 1.0.10) to tidy up unused assets. See next section for more information.

![Collage of four images and text showing the old versus new templates on the browse view of "All Templates".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/01/compressed_SimplyCustomizeIt-DuplicateTemplates1.png)

To determine which templates were new I went into **All Templates* and sorted by `Created | Descending`. This meant all the newly created templates were at the top. I then chose a couple I saw and used the text search to find them realizing there were two copies of either: the old and the new. 

![Collage showing the differences between the two "Perspective 1" templates in the app. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/01/compressed_SimplyCustomizeIt-DuplicateTemplates2.png)

Here you can see the templates have the same name in my app but the dimensions are different with the older one having the same dimensions as the reMarkable 2 and the newer one the Paper Pro dimensions. When checking the planner the category was also changed.

![Two images side by side highlighting how the old one is too small (more white space on the sides and bottom) and the new is just right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/01/compressed_SimplyCustomizeIt-DuplicateTemplates3.png)

Checking the two versions of the templates on the reMarkable Paper Pro show the older one is too small while the newer one is just right. 

![Image shows the solution I did this time.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2025/01/compressed_Screenshot-SimplyCustomizeIt-DuplicateTemplates4.png)

Use the browse to search and delete the duplicate templates or click to go into the details to confirm the date created before deleting. Upload the changes to the reMarkable so it's back to having one version of each of these templates.

*Just so you're aware:* for the sake of future cases where this may come up, if I were to remove the newer one and upload so my reMarkable deletes the new one too that would only show the old templates on my reMarkable, fix the duplicate problem for now, and I'd be in the same boat in the next update. Just so you're aware.

### Low Storage

If you’re running out of space and/or see leftover `PNG`, `SVG`, or `.template` files you can now:

- Go to **Profile**, **Device Details**, and scroll down to press **Check Available Space** on your reMarkable
- To free up space you can go to an individual template, scroll to the bottom, and
  - Move the files outside the templates directory
  - Remove extra unneeded files if you have several set

[Simply Customize It Update: New Tools to Manage Template StorageRunning Out of Space? This update lets you check your reMarkable’s available storage and easily free up space by removing duplicates or moving images to alternate storage. Plus, enjoy clearer error messages and a refined macOS help menu for a smoother experience!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-45.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Simply-Customize-It-Update-New-Tools-to-Manage-Template-Storage---Image-Cover-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-update-new-tools-to-manage-template-storage/)

### Just Updated. Let's Start Fresh

If your reMarkable just updated you can hit **Clean Up** on the templates area. It will use the filename to see remove any unused or outdated files on the default templates. It only check the templates on the reMarkable against yours and since the reMarkable reset and doesn't have them it will leave your custom templates safe and untouched.

[Simply Customize It Update: Smart Clean Up and 3.19 SupportSupport for reMarkable 3.19 is here! This update adds a Clean Up tool to help manage storage and introduces new filters to organize your templates more easily.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-44.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-IT-Update-1.0.10---Assets-1-2.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simply-customize-it-update-smart-clean-up-and-3-19-support/)

> *Tip:* It’s recommended to run the Clean Up tool after your reMarkable updates and before syncing to maintain an organized template library.

## Image/File Support

*Simply Customize It* supports the following image formats:

- **PNG:** Add, rotate, remove, download, and crop. Can add from files, photo library, and (on iOS) the camera. Used for templates *and* screen images.
- **SVG:** Add from files or download (rotation not supported). Used only for templates.
- **.template:** Add, edit, and download. Used only for reMarkable’s newer templates.

### PNG Troubleshooting

**Image doesn’t fit or looks off**

Use **Resize to Fit** (or **Center Crop** on iOS) in the image view to automatically adjust the image.

**Landscape image looks cut off**

- For **templates** set orientation to *landscape mode* inside the app.
- For **screens** rotate the image so it’s portrait before uploading then simply turn your reMarkable sideways to view it in landscape.

**Still doesn’t fit right?**

Check your device type under **Profile → Device Details**. If it’s set to the wrong model your image will resize incorrectly.

### SVG Tips

SVG files give sharper results but need precise dimensions and structure. They can’t be rotated or resized in the app and must be created correctly before upload.

- Ensure your SVG uses correct `width`, `height`, and `viewBox` values matching your target reMarkable.
- Base64-encoded or improperly exported SVGs may appear blank so it helps to validate them with an online [SVG validator](https://www.svgviewer.dev/?ref=simplykyra.com).

**Example: Black Template SVGs**

Here are the `SVG` structures I use for solid black templates:

```svg
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" zoomAndPan="magnify" viewBox="0 0 1620 2160" preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMid meet" version="1.0"><rect x="0" width="1620" fill="#000000" y="0" height="2160" fill-opacity="1"/></svg>

```

The black template image for the reMarkable Paper Pro. 

```svg
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" zoomAndPan="magnify" viewBox="0 0 1404 1872" preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMid meet" version="1.0"><rect x="0" width="1404" fill="#000000" y="0" height="1872" fill-opacity="1"/></svg>

```

The black template image for the reMarkable 1 or 2.

**Helpful Websites**

Some helpful websites I used when making the black templates were:

[Validate SVG onlineValidate your SVG document online; paste it and click the button to start validation![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/validate.svg)Tool PlazaArdain Technologies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/validate.svg)](https://toolplaza.app/en/tools/validate/svg?ref=simplykyra.com)

[CyberChefThe Cyber Swiss Army Knife - a web app for encryption, encoding, compression and data analysis![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/aecc661b69309290f600.ico)](https://cyberchef.org/?ref=simplykyra.com)

### Templating Files

**What Is a `.template` File?**

Starting with reMarkable version 3.18 some built-in templates now use a new `.template` format instead of standard `PNG` or `SVG` images. These files are `JSON`\-based and describe the layout using vector paths, text, and grid structures. The new format is lighter, scalable, and easier for reMarkable to update than static image templates.

**How Does *Simply Customize It* Handle Them?**

*Simply Customize It* can import, display, and download `.template` files alongside `PNG` or `SVG` assets. You can view the contents, make edits if need be, and upload new files. I haven't a bit of time on them then

If you upload a `.template` file the app will automatically include it when syncing with your reMarkable no extra setup needed. That said it's still time consuming to upload and see

**Do You Create/Convert/etc?**

No. That said, I spent a bit of time on figuring out the templating files before I set it aside. It's in *beta* but I did create [a Template Builder](https://www.simplykyra.com/template-builder/) if you want to play around with them.

### Writing Errors

*Simply Customize It* uses [*Citadel*](https://github.com/orlandos-nl/Citadel?ref=simplykyra.com) for secure SSH connections when uploading or syncing files to your reMarkable. If a file fails to write, you may see one of the following error codes:

| Error Code                  | Meaning                                                                       |
| --------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| SSH\_FX\_OK                 | Success.                                                                      |
| SSH\_FX\_NO\_SUCH\_FILE     | File not found — make sure it exists before retrying.                         |
| SSH\_FX\_PERMISSION\_DENIED | The app couldn’t modify the file — check permissions.                         |
| SSH\_FX\_FAILURE            | General failure, often caused by low storage or a full template directory.    |
| SSH\_FX\_NO\_CONNECTION     | No connection — check that your reMarkable is powered on and WLAN is enabled. |
| SSH\_FX\_CONNECTION\_LOST   | The connection to your reMarkable dropped during upload.                      |
| SSH\_FX\_OP\_UNSUPPORTED    | The reMarkable’s file system doesn’t support this operation.                  |
| SSH\_FX\_X                  | An unknown or uncommon error occurred.                                        |

### Case Study: Troubleshooting SSH\_FX\_FAILURE

A while back someone reached out to me as they were getting `SSH_FX_FAILURE` which usually means your reMarkable’s `/usr/share/remarkable/templates` directory is full. This lead to:

[Simply Customize It Update: New Tools to Manage Template StorageRunning Out of Space? This update lets you check your reMarkable’s available storage and easily free up space by removing duplicates or moving images to alternate storage. Plus, enjoy clearer error messages and a refined macOS help menu for a smoother experience!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-47.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Simply-Customize-It-Update-New-Tools-to-Manage-Template-Storage---Image-Cover-3.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-update-new-tools-to-manage-template-storage/)

The ability to see how much space remained and move your templates' assets out of the smaller directory into the larger space.

[Simply Customize It Update: Smart Clean Up and 3.19 SupportSupport for reMarkable 3.19 is here! This update adds a Clean Up tool to help manage storage and introduces new filters to organize your templates more easily.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-48.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Screenshot-Simply-Customize-IT-Update-1.0.10---Assets-1-3.png)](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-update-smart-clean-up-and-3-19-support/)

Then I added a clean up button, to run after an update, to remove the unneeded assets as the reMarkable switched to templating and internal templates. No point keeping the older models.

## Subscriptions

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. I use an Apple subscription group with Family Sharing enabled, so you can upgrade, downgrade, or switch plans anytime under **Profile > Subscriptions** or, if active, [check out your subscriptions through Apple](https://apps.apple.com/account/subscriptions?ref=simplykyra.com).

| **Plan**                                | **What’s Included**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **💎 Premium(Monthly / Yearly)**        | Get full access to **everything**: manage both templates and screen images.• Unlimited syncing, importing, and uploading with your reMarkable• Simple button restore after firmware updates *Best for users who customize both templates and screens.*                                                                                                                                                                    |
| **🖼️ Screen Only(Monthly / Yearly)**   | For customizing **screen images only**.• Full access to all screen-image features• Store and manage your screen images• Import and upload screens to your reMarkable• Make groups of images for simple upload• Simple button restore after updates🚫 Does not include template customization *I love being able to set a photo as my sleep screen and use my reMarkable as a picture frame when not actively being used.* |
| **🗂️ Template Only(Monthly / Yearly)** | Focused on **template customization**.• Full access to all template features• Store and manage custom templates• Sync, import, and upload templates to your reMarkable• Simple button restore after updates🚫 Does not include screen image support *With the walkthrough (accessible without a subscription) you can have a black custom template too!*                                                                  |

### Multiple Devices

Your subscription works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac as long as you’re signed into the **same Apple ID**. Your library syncs through iCloud.

### Family Sharing

If you’re using Apple Family Sharing your Apple Family members can use it too.

![Image shows the reMarkable 2 on the left and reMarkable Paper Pro on the right. Both have the same sleep screen image set. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_9197.jpeg)

![Image shows the reMarkable 2 on the left and reMarkable Paper Pro on the right. Both have the same sleep screen image set. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_9201-2.jpeg)

![New reMarkable Paper Pro with black screen image and text in two colors saying the update is coming soon.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/09/compressed_IMG_9403.jpeg)

> 💡 Once downloaded you have full access to the Profile tab (with unlimited device creation) and onboarding (without a plan) so you can preview how customization works before subscribing.

### Trial Periods

- Yearly plans include a **1-month free trial**
- Monthly plans include a **1-week free trial**

### Restore a purchase

Go to Profile, Subscriptions, and find the button **Restore Previous Purchase**

## **Contact & Updates** 

- 💌 Subscribe for [App Updates](https://www.simplykyra.com/#/portal/signup)
- ✉️ Questions? Email [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It:%20FAQs)
- 🛒 Download from the [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com)
- 🌐 See the [Main Page](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)
- 🛠 Check out the [Version History](https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-changelog/)
- ⭐ Leave a [App Store Review](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6443862161?action=write-review&ref=simplykyra.com)
- 💻 Browse more [reMarkable Posts](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/remarkable/)

## 📅 *Last Updated:* May 2026

---

Feel free to comment below if you have any additional questions or reach out through [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com?subject=Simply%20Customize%20It:%20FAQs). And if you want feel free to...

[💕 Buy me a coffee or tea! 💕](https://buy.stripe.com/bIY9EEaPE0ma4A84gg?ref=simplykyra.com)
### Almaden Quicksilver County Park in San Jose, California
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/almaden-quicksilver-county-park-in-san-jose-california/
Last updated: 2024-05-26T06:00:07.000Z
Almaden Quicksilver County Park was my first actual hike I went on when I attempted to do more things and although it seemed tough at the time I'm so glad I went. Let me take you along for an adventure!

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/03/compressed_Almaden-Quicksilver-County-Park-in-San-Jose--California---Pinterest.jpg)

This hike was done back at the end of October in 2022 right before the last two winters of rain. I haven't returned to Almaden Quicksilver County Park since so I'm not sure it's exact conditions that said I've realized since that the mud in the Bay Area can be slippery so be cautious depending on the weather. For up to date conditions check out either [Santa Clara County Parks](https://parks.sccgov.org/santa-clara-county-parks/almaden-quicksilver-county-park?ref=simplykyra.com) or a service like [AllTrails](https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/california/almaden-quicksilver-county-park?ref=simplykyra.com).

## Background

Back when I first wanted to get out more, when I still lived in the Bay Area, I came across [the Bay Area Adventure Gals (BAAG) on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/groups/bayareaadventuregals/) that offered a great community of women to go out and do things with. Although so many activities looked great I decided to focus in on the hikes that worked around my family's schedule so I could go out and meet people while also exploring the area and exercising... a trifecta! 

This was the first meetup within [BAAG](https://www.facebook.com/groups/bayareaadventuregals/) that I participated in and although in hindsight I wasn't prepared I'm still so glad I went. We ended up with a decent sized hiking group but the person that hosted the event didn't show up and someone else had to step up to lead with no pre-planned route in place. Since it was my first time true hike and advertised to be easy I wasn't prepared for the actual route we took and, in hindsight, I'm just really happy that I left some water and snacks in the car for the drive home as I only carried a small plastic water bottle that easily fit in a fanny back. So, I guess, I learned to come better prepared and all subsequent hikes included a backpack and with either a couple of regular sized water bottles or, later, a hydration bladder, just in case it's needed.

## Hike

The planned hike was supposed to be an easy hike so looking back I wonder if it was supposed to be this [1.3 mile loop](https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/california/senador-mine-mine-hill-and-new-almaden-loop?ref=simplykyra.com) that started out on Senador Mine Trail before looping over two other trail systems. I imagine, based on the photo locations I share below, that we continued along that trail for longer before zigzagging back down to our starting location. The main bits I remember are parking in a residential area, a long and wide sun covered dirt trail we climbed up for a while, and coming back down through switchbacks in the much appreciated shady trees. In fact it took long enough that by the time we neared the top, before going into the grass and trees, half of our group decided to turn back as it was hot and taking longer than expected. 

If you're looking for this and/or other trails in the area check out [AllTrail's list of the Best Trails in Almaden Quicksilver County Park](https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/california/almaden-quicksilver-county-park?ref=simplykyra.com) or see the information through [Santa Clara County Parks](https://parks.sccgov.org/santa-clara-county-parks/almaden-quicksilver-county-park?ref=simplykyra.com).

## Map

This was a while ago before I signed up for AllTrails so I used the photo library on my Mac to check exactly where I went on the hike for you, compared it to the AllTrails app, and then realized I could simply scroll back in my Apple fitness data to get an actual map if you want to follow the same path. 

![Image shows seven sets of photos against a map along the Guadeloupe Reservoir and beyond.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/03/compressed_Screenshot-2024-03-12-at-20.51.53.png)

Love that I can go back and look at my photos against where they were taken on the map. 

![Collage of two photos with the photos in the photo app on the left and my marked with purple AllTrails map on the right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/03/compressed_Screenshot-2024-03-12-at-21.02.32.png)

I next went over the trails listed on [AllTrails](https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/california/almaden-quicksilver-county-park?ref=simplykyra.com), compared it to the photos, and then marked where I for sure was based on those photos.

![Collage of three images showing the walk workout details (left), map (center), and graph of the elevation (1,432 ft) gain. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_Almaden-Hike.jpg)

I then realized I could go back in my Apple Fitness data to get a more exact map of the journey. I vaguely remember pausing my hike at the top and forgetting to turn it back on (gap in the middle) and apparently my start and end times don't line up exactly but otherwise here's were we went!

## Photos

With the [map](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/almaden-quicksilver-county-park-in-san-jose-california/#map) and [background](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/almaden-quicksilver-county-park-in-san-jose-california/#background) out of the way here are my photos, in the order in which they were taken, from the hike!

![The dust from the path was kicked up while we walked.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/03/compressed_IMG_5831.jpeg)

![Had to get the cloud in the sky!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/03/compressed_IMG_5832.jpeg)

![Me posing for the camera at the scenic point before continuing on.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/03/compressed_IMG_5836.jpeg)

![Water! Down below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/03/compressed_IMG_5837.jpeg)

![More picturesque water.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/03/compressed_IMG_5840.jpeg)

![Love the colors in the rock with the trees and city in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/03/compressed_IMG_5842.jpeg)

![At the top a picnic table sits with everything spread out before it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/03/compressed_IMG_5844.jpeg)

![Someone yarn bombed an awesome face on this tree which was a welcome break in the walk.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/03/compressed_IMG_5846.jpeg)

![More trees!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/03/compressed_IMG_5847.jpeg)

---

And with that the hike was done. And with that the start of my hiking journeys...

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Announcing the MacOS Version of Simply Customize It
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/simply-customize-it-macos-edition/
Last updated: 2024-05-16T22:07:00.000Z
Earlier I [announced my new app Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/announcing-simply-customize-it/) and shared that it's currently listed on [TestFlight](https://testflight.apple.com/join/NqTbIL8x?ref=simplykyra.com) in case any of you want an early look at it! Since then I've gotten the macOS version of the app functional and uploaded so you can test one or both!

*Warning: This app has only been tested against the reMarkable device. The reMarkable itself doesn't officially support any custom changes and, as such, it will lose any changes when its software updates. My app remembers what you want and, with a press of a button or two, allows you to re-sync it to your device!* 

## TLDR

Earlier I added my iOS app to TestFlight and now the macOS version is there! Either app allows you to add custom templates to your reMarkable and switches out the screen images without you needing to know how to use `SSH` . If you want to test it out it's in [TestFlight here](https://testflight.apple.com/join/NqTbIL8x?ref=simplykyra.com). Additionally the [main page for this app can be found here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) and [the previous announcement post is here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/announcing-simply-customize-it/). 

## Data

Any templates and/or screens you upload or create in either version of the app are saved to your iCloud account. This means if you use this app on multiple devices all tied to the same Apple account your data will be shared between them. What, specifically to you, this means is that you can sync your templates on your iPad, convert a `PDF` into `PNG` images on your computer before adding them as templates to this app, and then add a new screen from your photos on your phone... and each will be visible on the other device using Apple's CloudKit syncing abilities. I wanted you to have the freedom to be able to use whichever device makes the most sense to you!

## Availability 

Right now the subscription part of the app is listed in just the United States though I'm working on opening it up to more places. Additionally, I don't know where [TestFlight](https://testflight.apple.com/join/NqTbIL8x?ref=simplykyra.com) itself is available and since it's in testing mode there's no subscription costs involved in using the app while it's on there. 

## App Shown

This app, Simply Customize It, uses the `SSH` connection values, located within the Settings of your reMarkable, to connect to your reMarkable and make the changes you want it to make. It only connects when you press the button and doesn't randomly try to connect at any other time when you're not expecting it. For more information about the app in general you can check out my earlier post that [announced the iOS version of Simply Customize It](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/announcing-simply-customize-it/). For now I just wanted to share the macOS version of the app. It is fully functional and shares code with the iOS version but the layout isn't the nicest right now. Currently it's there and, like the wide version of the iPad, has three adjustable panes to let you see everything at once. Here's what each section currently looks like:

### Templates

With the current user and templates selected on the left you can now see the template-related bits in the center. This includes the buttons to sync with the reMarkable along with showing all your templates and categories. If you click on the heading of each section you will see all those items in a browse form on the right while clicking a single listing shows its details there instead. 

![Image shows a three pane view highlighting all the templates and the browse form's sorting menu. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_2024-05-16-at-13.21.31.png)

### Screens

The second item listed on the left are the screens which, once clicked on, show all the screens in the center pane. In addition to the screens itself you can see, listed first, the buttons to import one or multiple screens and, near the bottom, the groups if you want several screens grouped together for simpler uploading. 

![Image shows a three pane view highlighting the screens while showing how you can choose, with the menu button, all the screens you can overwrite from the app. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_2024-05-16-at-13.23.21.png)

### Profile and Settings

The last choice is profile which replaces the center pane with information about the currently selected user, all the other optional users, your subscription, and this device's settings. The settings themselves are tied to just this device so you could make your computer, iPad, and phone all look drastically different while still sharing the remaining information. 

![Image shows a three pane view highlighting the user along with showing the subscription and device subscription settings. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_2024-05-16-at-13.24.24.png)

## When Will It Be Released?

This app has been years in the making and will come out soon. I feel confident enough to be able to offer [both the iOS and macOS versions in TestFlight](https://testflight.apple.com/join/NqTbIL8x?ref=simplykyra.com) so if you want to check it out right away and test it you're welcome to it. I'd love to get feedback from you before I release it in the App Store. 

## Future Development

Right now I'm prioritizing the iOS version of the app while the macOS version shares most of its logic with the iOS version. That said, I do want both versions to be progressed enough to be released with shared data between them so you can jump between devices with ease. That said, depending on the interest I hear, I can see changing the priorities in the future. 

And if you have questions, tips, or general helpful information feel free to leave a comment or message me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com). 

I hope you’re having a great day!
### Oh No, I Need to Create Redirect Text for All My Posts!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/oh-no-i-need-to-create-redirect-text-for-all-my-posts/
Last updated: 2024-05-14T23:47:04.000Z
A bit ago I realized I needed to generate redirect text for each of my current blog posts. This seemed to be an overwhelming task but after talking it through both my husband and I came up with two potential ideas. I did his way first but later wrote out mine so both are shared here in case either one can help you! 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_Oh-No--I-need-to-create-redirect-text-for-all-my-posts---Pinterest.jpg)

---

Just a quick disclaimer. These redirects were generated for my website so be cautious if just plugging and playing. Additionally, with the first data manipulation way, I discovered my page slugs were included along with the expected post ones so alway look over the text to be sure. 

Looking back it would've been quickest for me to just do the handlebar code method, mentioned second, as I have more experience with that. That said, both ways were doable and since whichever way you're most experienced in is probably simpler I decided to simply include both. And if you have a better way? That's awesome! Please share in the comments below so we can all learn from it too. And without further ado let's go over redirects in Ghost quick before creating that text!

## Redirects in Ghost

A redirect is when you want to send someone to a different URL than the one they just typed in. For me I wanted to do this back when I migrated from Wordpress to Ghost and again when I changed my posts' url to better organize my site. This meant that any links currently set no longer worked as they now pointed to the old location with a `404 Page not found` error and I needed to redirect them to the new location. 

To do this redirect, through Ghost, you need to find the redirect file by going to your domain and then typing in `/ghost/#/settings/labs` immediately afterwards. In my current website, running version [5.82.3+moya](https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost/releases/tag/v5.82.3?ref=simplykyra.com) this looks like:

![Image shows the Ghost settings for version 5.82.3+moya.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_Screenshot-2024-04-26-at-07.04.10.png)

The settings, running version [5.82.3+moya](https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost/releases/tag/v5.82.3?ref=simplykyra.com), shows the `Labs` section with the beta features including `Redirects` below it. Here, beside `Redirects`, is a bolded button to upload the file and below, in green, you can download the current version. 

While my localhost instance, still running version [5.39.0](https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost/releases/tag/v5.39.0?ref=simplykyra.com), instead looks like:

![Image of the Ghost settings in version 5.39.0.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_Screenshot-2024-04-26-at-07.04.49.png)

In the older version, [5.39.0](https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost/releases/tag/v5.39.0?ref=simplykyra.com), you need to go to `advanced` and press `Labs` before you see the same thing.

![Image of the Ghost Labs section in version 5.39.0.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_Screenshot-2024-04-26-at-07.13.01.png)

Though once you're in `Labs` it looks pretty similar to the new way.

The redirect file itself is essentially just an array `[]` where each object is a single redirect consisting of the from, to, and whether it's permanent or not. So, in my case, it looks something like this:

```yaml
[{"from":"/2017/10/16/halloween-costume-chuggington-onesie/","to":"/halloween-costume-chuggington-onesie/","permanent":true},
{another redirect},
....
{another redirect},
{"from":"/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/","to":"/make-your-own-playdough/","permanent":true}]
```

Once you download and edit the file you can upload it back to your website through the same page and... there you go. If you do want more information about this you can check out Ghost's [documentation on redirects](https://ghost.org/help/redirects/?ref=simplykyra.com) or their tutorial about [*Implementing redirects*](https://ghost.org/tutorials/implementing-redirects/?ref=simplykyra.com). 

## Method #1: Manipulating Data

Word of warning I was tired when doing this, it was all new to me, wasn't working, and I easily got frustrated. As such it's a bit of a journey but I figured I'd share my process in case something in it I may have otherwise omitted helps you out.

### Get the Data 

To use this method you need your website data so I started out by exporting it through the migration portion of the settings page for my website: `yourDomain/ghost/#/settings/migration`.

![Image is a screenshot of the Migration Tools featuring the "Export content" button below export.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_Screenshot-2024-04-26-at-07.21.37.png)

The current data can be exported by going into the settings' migration section at `/ghost/#/settings/migration`. This view is from Ghost running version [5.82.3+moya](https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost/releases/tag/v5.82.3?ref=simplykyra.com).

### Parse the Data

Once I had my data I needed to extract each of my posts' slugs. We decided to go with using [jq, a lightweight and flexible command-line JSON processor,](https://jqlang.github.io/jq/?ref=simplykyra.com) to get that information but before we did that we first needed to figure out what the command itself, used to parse out that information, should be. To figure it out we opened the data and used `ctrl+f` to look for a slug and then worked our way back up resulting in the following structure: 

```yaml
{
  "db": [
    {
      "data": {
    "offers": [],
        "posts": [
          {
          "slug": “foo”,
  	}
]}}]}
```

This is the `json` code from the Migration Export part of the Settings with only the information needed... I marked it as `yaml` as then it looks nicer. 

With that `json` structure found we next turned to [ChatGPT](https://chat.openai.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and asked it to create the [jq](https://jqlang.github.io/jq/?ref=simplykyra.com) query I needed which gave me the command: `jq '.db[].data.posts[].slug' data.json`. I used that to test out the results and further iterated through versions hopefully getting closer to what I wanted. 

![Image shows a screenshot of the early questions and answers through ChatGPT.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_Screenshot-2024-04-26-at-10.49.42.png)

Early on the questions and answers were simple.

### Downhill

The resulting `yaml` from the command worked on localhost but didn't work on my main website as I had way too many redirects there. I next went back and forth with ChatGPT constantly trying to fix the `yaml` resulting in, at times, decreasing the number of redirects and a 404 error. In the process I got frustrated and switched over to `json` so I could use the pattern matching mentioned in [Ghost's *Implementing redirects*](https://ghost.org/tutorials/implementing-redirects//?ref=simplykyra.com#using-regular-expressions) and thus switched over to wanting the `json` output to look something like:

```yaml
{"from":"^\/(slug)\/$","to":"/blog/$1","permanent":true},
```

### The Command

During this process I was getting frustrated but looking back, at some point, I was using this command where each section's results were piped `|` as input into the next section. 

```bash
cat simply-kyra.ghost.date.json | jq '.db[0].data.posts[] | {"from":"^/(.+)/$","to":"/blog/(.slug)","permanent":true}' | pbcopy
```

Explained below is each section:

- `cat simply-kyra.ghost.date.json` : [Displays](https://phoenixnap.com/kb/linux-cat-command?ref=simplykyra.com) the contents of the downloaded data file from Ghost.
- `jq '.db[0].data.posts[]` : Takes the file's contents and parses out the slugs for each post.
- `{"from":"^/(.+)/$","to":"/blog/(.slug)","permanent":true}'` : Converts the list of slugs to the content `string` I want consisting of this text.
- `pbcopy`: and then sends the output to my clipboard so I can paste it into my actual redirects file and upload back up to my website. Just a heads up this is only a Mac command!

### Got It

I kept having trouble with mismatched brackets and the like so I decided to simplify the automated part of this process by switching out the complicated special `string` I wanted outputted and instead padded each slug with several dashes on the left and lots of zeros on the right. I had the idea that I could simply do a find all and replace on the results without worrying about the brackets themselves. With this change the new ChatGPT reply went something like this:

![Image shows a screenshot of the later questions and answers through ChatGPT.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_Screenshot-2024-04-10-at-22.02.28.png)

Altering my command to eliminate the frustrating bracket-related errors.

Which resulted in the following command: 

```bash
cat simply-kyra.ghost.date.json | jq -r '.db[].data.posts[] | " ---(.slug)000000"' | pbcopy
```

This command extracts the `slug` field from each post and appends `000000` after it while also prefixing it with a triple dash. For example, if the input `JSON` contains:

```json
{
  "db": [
    {
      "data": {
        "offers": [],
        "posts": [
          {
            "slug": "foo"
          },
          {
            "slug": "bar"
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}

```

This command would output:

```bash
---foo000000
---bar000000

```

And then I'd do two find and replace all commands so the `000000` is replaced with `)\/$","to":"/blog/$1","permanent":true},` and the triple dashes are replaced with `{"from":"^\/(` leading to these results:

```bash
{"from":"^\/(foo)\/$","to":"/blog/$1","permanent":true},
{"from":"^\/(bar)\/$","to":"/blog/$1","permanent":true},

```

### Warning

During the find and replace portion I happened to notice a page title and realized the posts' section in my data file didn't just include posts but also included all of my pages thus meaning I needed to further mine my file to remove all of the page-related lines that didn't need to be redirected. Luckily I didn't have too many pages but after uploading the new file I realized I missed my about page and it was now redirecting to a location that didn't exist. That said, I'm happy it was just the one file and I was able to fix it by simply renaming the page url (and then fixing the linked menu button) and now it's all good to go... that said, while writing this I realized any previous links to my about post no longer work but at least the menu offers a simple correction for this one. 

## Method #2: Handlebar Code

As I used the previous method to generate my redirect code I didn't need to fully implement this method yet I still wanted to see if it was valid so I quickly coded it up on localhost to confirm it generated what looked like the right output but didn't work on it beyond that. 

### The Plan

My localhost is about a year behind in content from my current website so if I wanted to use the output of this I would've needed to, temporarily, have this run on my main website. My original plan, after confirming this worked locally, was to create a hidden non-linked page, connect it to the handlebar code, push to website, confirm the resulting text looked good, copy the results to my redirect file, upload, confirm a couple redirects worked, and then undo my code and page changes. 

### Warning

As I haven't tested this in my redirect file and your website is probably set up differently please confirm it's right before using it yourself.

### The Code

I first wrote this up using the redirect text generated in the first method using pattern matching resulting in this code:

```hbs
{{#get "posts" limit="all"}}
    {{#foreach posts}}
         {"from":"^/({{slug}})/$","to":"/blog/$1","permanent":true},<br>
    {{/foreach}}
{{/get}}
```

After looking at my earlier redirect text from when I first moved my website from Wordpress to Ghost I updated the text within the `get` and `foreach` loops to not use pattern matching and instead used the `slug` itself in both the `from` and `to` sections: 

```hbs
{{#get "posts" limit="all"}}
    {{#foreach posts}}
        {"from":"/{{slug}}/","to":"/blog/{{slug}}/","permanent":true},<br>
    {{/foreach}}
{{/get}}
```

With either of the code segments you get, hopefully, working redirect text that you can quickly copy, paste into the file, look over, and upload. 

![A collage of four images showing the output when it was a few posts titles, then a paragraph of all the posts' titles, then a break to have a list of titles, and then finally the proper redirect text. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_Oh-No--I-need-to-create-redirect-text-for-all-my-posts---Image.jpg)

I started with a simple `get` and `foreach` loop showing the `{{title}}` only before adding the `limit="all"`, `<br>`, and then fixed the output to use the `{{slug}}` in the entire redirect text I wanted. 

Just don't forget to remove the code from your website when done!

---

And with that there are now two ways you could use to hopefully help create the contents of your redirect file. Of course I'd love to hear if you have a better way as I could see this becoming more and more complicated in the future as I publish more posts. 

Hope you’re having an incredible day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Announcing Simply Customize It!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/announcing-simply-customize-it/
Last updated: 2024-05-08T02:07:05.000Z
Back when I first bought my [reMarkable e-paper device](https://remarkable.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) I hopped onto Facebook and through several user groups fell into the world of custom templates and sleep screen images. Right after opening it I *needed* to figure out how to connect so I could change out its sleep screen with a custom image. I then worked on adding custom templates just because I could. 

Through this I wrote several blog posts that I shared [on my website here](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/remarkable/) and with that received several questions through the comments, Facebook groups, and email. This ultimately led to me wanting to implement an Apple app to see if I could and, over the last several years, I used that app, while developing it, to restore my reMarkable after many updates, add custom templates, and change out several of my screens. Currently the app isn't in the App Store but it's close and I just released the iOS version to [TestFlight](https://testflight.apple.com/join/NqTbIL8x?ref=simplykyra.com), within the United States, if you want to try it out right away. 

![Image shows the reMarkable on my blanket covered lap showing sunlight between the trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_IMG_8562.jpeg)

## TLDR

I'm coming out with an iOS, and later potentially macOS, app that adds custom templates to your reMarkable and switches out the screen images without you needing to know how to use `SSH` . If you want to test it out it's in [TestFlight here](https://testflight.apple.com/join/NqTbIL8x?ref=simplykyra.com). Additionally the [main page for this app can be found here.](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/)

## Future Updates

I just created a new newsletter, called ***Simply Customize It***, so you can sign up to get any future updates. If you're currently a member you've been auto-registered for this newsletter and if you aren't you can easily create a [free account here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/#/portal/signup). 

![Image shows a screenshot of the top of the homepage once the manage your emails button was clicked. Here there are three toggles. One for the blog updates, one for the app updates, and one to be notified by comments.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_2024-04-23-at-15.15.20.png)

For more information about updating your email preferences check out [this informational post that explains where to find it](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/newsletters-and-account-settings/). 

## App Explained

This app, Simply Customize It, uses the `SSH` connection values, located within the Settings, to connect to your reMarkable and make the changes you want to make. It only connects when you press the button and doesn't work in the background when you're not expecting it. 

![Screenshot of the reMarkable's General Information screen with the connection values marked off.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_reMarkableValues.png)

*Warning: reMarkable doesn't officially support any custom changes to the reMarkable and, as such, it will lose the changes when the software updates.* 

That said, this app solves that problem by storing both the template and screen images for you and lets you update your reMarkable by simply pressing a button for either option.

### Subscription

This app is planned to be offered under a subscription model where you can choose to have all access or limit the app to just the template or screen areas only. All plans will offer a trial. You can access the subscription from [the Profile tab](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/announcing-simply-customize-it/#profilesettings) at any point and, if you don't have the subscription, from the template or screen tabs too.

### Templates

The template tab shows three buttons that allow you to import the templates from your reMarkable into the app *`Import from Device`*, upload all the templates from the app to your reMarkable *`Upload Changes to Device`*, and finally *`Sync Device`* which basically imports first then uploads. I find upload works best when deleting something from the reMarkable, import if perfect when checking if reMarkable added anything, and sync I use most of the times.

Underneath that all the templates currently in the app are shown followed by their categories. At the very bottom there's a learn more to get more information about this area. 

![Image is a screenshot of the Template tab showing the selected user, action buttons, and many of the 74 current templates.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_IMG_2418.PNG)

Each template itself has a name along with comments so you can mark any information about it you want to keep. This is stored along with the image itself and any details the reMarkable needs to know. 

![Screenshot of the template display showing a black background image and it's associated information.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_SimulatorTemplate.png)

### Screens

The screen tab keeps track of any current or potential screens you may want to use along with the option to import all the current reMarkable screens *`Import Current Screens`* or a single one *`Import a Screen`*. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_IMG_2420.PNG)

When setting a screen image the app essentially just replaces the default reMarkable image with our custom one so unlike the templates we don't need to store as much information. Each screen shows the same name and comment values that were used in the templates along with its image and a button to upload that image to the reMarkable. 

![Image is a collage showing the simple steps when creating a screen image. You create one, edit the image to add, resize if needed, and upload. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_CustomizeIt-UploadOnboardingImg.png)

In addition to the screens I created groups that store a set of screens. One of these are created when importing all the screens at once. You can also use it if you want to keep a matching group of screens together to upload all at once. Like templates, at the bottom, there's a learn more to get more information about this area. 

### Profile/Settings

This tab isn't locked down under the subscriptions and is essentially the catch all for everything so it's pretty diverse. That said, its main purpose is to track the users. I used the user idea from the very beginning as both me and my husband have a reMarkable so I wanted to include a user entity so anyone could have separate template and screen sets they could switch between. I'm assuming most people will only have a single user created. That said, beyond storing the reMarkable connection details, which you need to be on the same WiFi to use, and a nickname so you can tell the users apart there's no other personal information stored about each user.

In this tab you can see the currently selected user along with a button to confirm that you can connect to its associated reMarkable. Below that you find a list of all the users in the app.

![Collage showing the information about the user including a test connection button to see if you can connect.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_ProfileTab-UserDetails.png)

In addition to the users this tab also gives you access to your subscription and... 

![Screenshot of part of the Profile tab showing the users and subscription.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_IMG_2422-1.PNG)

...allows you to alter default settings like which tab and/or user should be selected by default when the app loads along with whether the app should be in light or dark mode and which accent colors you prefer. These settings are device specific so if you share the app between multiple devices, all tied to the same iCloud account, each app can have different values set here.

![Screenshot of the settings showing the values on app load (user and tab) along with the accent color values.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_Simulato---iPhone-SE--3rd-generation----2024-03-06-at-16.34.58.png)

## When Will It Be Released?

This app has been years in the making and will come out soon. I feel confident enough to be able to offer [the iOS version in TestFlight](https://testflight.apple.com/join/NqTbIL8x?ref=simplykyra.com) so if you want to check it out right away and test it you're welcome to it. 

## Future Development

Right now, on [TestFlight](https://testflight.apple.com/join/NqTbIL8x?ref=simplykyra.com), the app is only offered for iOS but the macOS version is mostly functional though not pretty. If there's enough interest in a macOS version I can prioritize it. Additionally the app is currently only offered in the US but I hope to open it up to more countries. This is my first app so I'd love to hear any legal tips to extend it to more countries so feel free to leave a comment or message me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto:mail@simplykyra.com) if you have the experience to share.

---

And with all that I hope you’re having a great day!
### Newsletters and Account Settings
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/newsletters-and-account-settings/
Last updated: 2025-09-29T17:13:01.000Z
I've recently just added a second free newsletter to my website and figured I'd take the opportunity to write a quick how to in case you want to update your own email preferences. 

UPDATE: I have since renamed my newsletters; otherwise all the below information is correct. If you want blog post updates check off **Blog Posts** (was and shown below as *Simply My Blog*) while app updates are sent to **App Updates** (was and shown below as *Simply Customize It*).

## Current Newsletters

My first newsletter, ***Simply My Blog***, has been running since first migrating over to Ghost and notifies you when a new post is published. It will continue to do so for the general blog posts. 

My new newsletter is paired with [my upcoming Apple app](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/), ***Simply Customize It***, and changes out the background templates and/or screens on your [reMarkable e-paper device](https://remarkable.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) for you. This newsletter will be dedicated to app specific updates so if you only want that and not the general posts (or vis versa blog posts and not the app related content) you can switch one off. 

## Join Us!

If you aren't signed up and want to then feel free to join! You can create a [free account by clicking here](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/newsletters-and-account-settings/#/portal/signup?label=CustomizeItIOS&label=RememberItIOS&label=GamesiOS) or by hitting the subscribe button on the right side of the page. 

## How To

To see which emails you're signed up for you first need to be logged in, then click on your account settings, manage your email preferences, and then toggle at will. Here are the steps in more detail.

### Subscribe or Sign In

If you don't already have an account you will need to subscribe by clicking the floating subscribe button on the lower right side of your screen or by going through the buttons at the top of your screen.

![Image is a collage of two screenshots showing the menu button at the top or the screen and the open menu with the subscribe and sign on buttons at the bottom.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_Newsletters-and-Account-Settings----Image-2.png)

On a smaller screen like my phone you'll need to open the menu by clicking on the lines on the upper right and then you'll see the subscribe and sign in buttons at the bottom.

![Image shows the sign on and subscribe buttons on this right side of the screen.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_Newsletters-and-Account-Settings----Image.png)

On a wider screen you don't need to open the menu and can find it on the top right side of the screen.... or like before with floating button on the lower right side.

From there you just need to enter your name and email to create an account. Ghost doesn't need a password as it goes through your email. 

![Screenshot shows the sign up form with a spot for your name and email address. The sign up button is below with a sign in spot below that. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_Screen2024-05-07-at-11.04.17.png)

There's a popup to create an account and, if you're already a member, you can hit the sign in at the bottom.

By default you're registered for both newsletters and you'll just need to verify your email.

### Sign In Process

If you already have an account you only need to remember which email you used as there's no passwords. Enter your email address and it will send you a link to gain access to your account.

![Collage showing three screenshots highlighting the steps to sign. Enter email, check email, and click the link to sign in. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_Newsletters-and-Account-Settings----Image2.png)

With the email address entered you are next told to check your email account where you will find a secure sign in link to get into your account. 

### Account Page

Once signed in the floating subscribe button disappears and the subscribe button in the top menu switches to an account button. If you click on it you can see your name and click to edit your name, sign out, email me, or update your email preferences.

![Image is a collage showing where the account button shows up with the drop down menu or the wide header view. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/05/compressed_Newsletters-and-Account-Settings----Image3.png)

The button in the menu now shows the account page which brings you to all of your information and allows you to edit it. 

![Image shows a screenshot of the top of the homepage once the account button was clicked.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_2024-04-23-at-07.28.38.png)

From the account page you can edit your name, sign out, email me, or manage your emails.

### Email Preferences

And with that we're in the email preferences. Here there's a spot for each of my newsletters so you can choose if you want to be subscribed to all of them, none of them, or some. Additionally, here you can turn off whether you're emailed if someone replies to one of your comments. 

![Image shows a screenshot of the top of the homepage once the manage your emails button was clicked. Here there are three toggles. One for the blog updates, one for the app updates, and one to be notified by comments.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/04/compressed_2024-04-23-at-15.15.20.png)

Once in email preferences you can choose which of the newsletter you want and/or if you want to be notified when someone replies to your comment. Here all options are toggled on. Click to switch any to off.

And that's it. Comment below if you have any questions and I hope you're having a great day!
### My Simple “Deep Fried” Pickles
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-simple-deep-fried-pickles/
Last updated: 2024-04-28T17:18:10.000Z
Before moving to the United States about eight years ago I splurged on deep fried pickle spears at [Sherlock Holmes pub](https://thesherlockspubs.ca/?ref=simplykyra.com) whenever I could. Once moving down I slowly came to the realization that I couldn’t find them anywhere. Whenever I did think I found them, in stores or restaurants, I quickly realized they were instead sliced and not spears which are totally not same... not enough pickle juice. When visiting Alberta again pre-pandemic I found them everywhere, over ate, and still regret not ordering it at the last restaurant we went to that had them. That’s why when I saw this cheese wrapped and fried pickle concoctions I *knew* I needed to try it! Here’s how I made it!

![Pinterest-geared image showing two photos (also shown below) of the finished pickle spears, my post time, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/03/compressed_My-Simple-Deep-Fried-Pickles-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

## *Sources*

I first came across this on [an Instagram video post from EmilyVonder](https://www.instagram.com/reel/Coi1luRAEDA/?ref=simplykyra.com) back in February last year on a Friday before winter break. I know it was then as I didn’t want to make it when the kids were home and so waited on edge until they went back to school, after the break, to try it myself. It was amazing, although greasy, and I immediately planned to share it with you and quickly added re-finding the video to my todo list so I could share a screenshot and link.

![Image is a screenshot of a TikTok video showing a single cheese fried pickle to the left and a container of pickle dip on the right. The top says "Stitch incoming" and emilyvonder's info is along the bottom.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/03/compressed_this_Screenshot_IMG_0309.png?resize=712%2C1024&ssl=1)

Her video started with the original post she saw on TikTok featuring the finished pickle and the accompanying pickle dip. As per comments this “first dip… is from Costco or Sam’s club \[and is a\] fried pickle dip. The one I used is from Cub the southwest ranch dip by Marzetti”. This screenshot is taken from [Emilyvonder’s instagram video](https://www.instagram.com/reel/Coi1luRAEDA/?ref=simplykyra.com) in February 28th, 2023

![Image is now dimmed as the bottom of the screenshot shows emilyvonder's info along with the caption of the video post. The screenshot itself shows a marbled cheese on a frying pan with a pickle in the center and some cheese being scraped up to wrap around it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/03/compressed_this_Screenshot_IMG_0305-1.png?resize=592%2C1024&ssl=1)

Apparently she used a cheese wrap, melted it down, and added a giant pickle to the center. It looked amazing!. Screenshot, including caption, taken from [Emilyvonder’s instagram video](https://www.instagram.com/reel/Coi1luRAEDA/?ref=simplykyra.com) in February 28th, 2023

After making my version, loving it, and then making it another couple of times, with more photos, I realized I should jump into writing this post. Right before I could I came across another Instagram video featuring a slightly different spin on this pickle idea and quickly snapped another screenshot to share with you. This one uses different cheese, has you sprinkle garlic powder on the melted cheese, and, in the updated post, includes flaming hot Cheetos.

![Another Instagram video screenshot this time showing a man's face holding a crispy cheese wrapped pickle concoction over a plate. The caption starts with "That CROONNCHHH!".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/03/compressed_this_Screenshot_IMG_0616-1.png?resize=620%2C1024&ssl=1)

This version fried the cheese longer and looked like it was less sloppy but harder to roll the pickle in. He sprinkled the melted cheese with garlic powder, included several smaller vertically sliced pickles, and added some flaming hot Cheetos. This screenshot was taken from [iamcoreyb’s instagram video](https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpk87aApFGz/?ref=simplykyra.com) on March 9th, 2023.

---

## *My Version*

When I first saw the video I had recently bought pre-sliced pepper jack cheese from Costco along with having their bucket of quartered pickles. It was meant to be made and did in fact taste amazing.

![Image shows two vaguely pickle shaped items on a plate with a napkin of to the side. The green pickle sticks out the end and there's an odd white spot amid the orange-browned cheese outer shell. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/03/compressed_IMG_0261.jpeg?resize=750%2C472&ssl=1)

The first time I made two cheese wrapped pickles and fried them just long enough to make their outsides all crispy.

![Image shows a bowl of leftovers with melted cheese on top to the right and a plate with a half eaten fried and cheesy pickle on the left. On either dish there's marbled rye toast. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/03/compressed_IMG_0266.jpeg?resize=750%2C540&ssl=1)

I had a leftover mix of egg, potato, and green pepper so the next time I made it I nuked some of that, added some more cheese, and paired it with the pickles and a slice of marbled rye. It was a bit rich and greasy but oh so perfectly incredible!

I did, at one point, make sure to pause while making this and snapped some photos for you. Specifically, to make this I grabbed quartered pickles, dried them off a bit, melted some sliced cheese on my crepe pan, placed each pickle on a melted cheese slice, folded the cheese around it, and then carefully flipped the whole thing over to finish frying. 

![Image shows she early steps of the melted cheese and just wrapped pickles.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/03/compressed_IMG_0366.jpeg?resize=750%2C569&ssl=1)

To the left are the cheese wrapped pickles while the right side shows some sliced cheese melting and ready for a pickle to be thrown on top. 

![Image shows more steps of the melting cheese, just wrapped pickles, and the flipped ones. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/03/compressed_IMG_0367.jpeg?resize=750%2C442&ssl=1)

I tried to demonstrate each step in this photo by showing the process from the right side and going counter-clockwise. To the right is a dried off pickle waiting for the just placed cheese to melt on the right side of the pan. The top was recently placed and wrapped while the left two have been wrapped and flipped already. 

![Image shows four browned cheese wrapped pickles simmering in the excess grease.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/03/compressed_IMG_0369.jpeg?resize=750%2C406&ssl=1)

As I cooked more and more grease built up in the pan but the pickles themselves looked and smelled so good.

![While heating I made sure to move them around to soak up all the grease. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/03/compressed_IMG_0373.jpeg?resize=750%2C517&ssl=1)

Once the pickles were done I had the bright idea to soak up the grease by pan toasting some seeded rye bread to go with it. 

During this process I whipped up a quick dip by grabbing a small dish and adding some plain yogurt, a sprinkle of garlic powder, and a dash or two of lemon juice. After quickly mixing it together I dished it up along with the cheesy fried pickles and the toasted seeded rye bread.

![Image shows four pieces of rye toast, four browned and cheese wrapped pickles, and a side of tart yogurt dip. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/03/compressed_IMG_0375.jpeg?resize=750%2C499&ssl=1)

Although rich the yogurt dip did help temper it enough to enjoy. 

Later on I changed up the recipe by using different cheeses, whole pickles, and different dips. I even, after moving, found the pickle dip mentioned in [Emilyvonder’s instagram video](https://www.instagram.com/reel/Coi1luRAEDA/?ref=simplykyra.com) which made me make it again, this time, for the family. It was just as good as I remembered it though richer with the dip. 

And with that I wish you a great day. Let me know in the comments below how it goes if you make it and how you changed it up!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simple IKEA Purchases Repurposed for Your Home
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-ikea-purchases-repurposed-for-your-home/
Last updated: 2024-04-14T15:19:27.000Z
Last summer we had [a long distance move](https://www.simplykyra.com/potential-tips-from-our-long-distances-moves/) and while setting up our new home I realized just how many items, mainly IKEA-sourced but extended to Costco and Dollar Tree too while writing, I had repurposed. I figured I could share them with you in case it's helpful in your home and just in case it leads to a helpful tip from you in the comments below. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Simple-IKEA-Purchases-Repurposed-for-Your-Home---Pinterest.jpg)

---

*I have no affiliate with Ikea, Costco, or Dollar Tree. I was just shopping there for my home and thought these purchases may also be helpful to you.*

I wasn't sure what the best order for these would be then decided to simplify it by categorizing the tip under its main room or activity and then sorted them alphabetically. You can use the table of contents at the side, computer, or top, phone, of the page to better navigate if you prefer jumping around.

And so without further ado here we go!

## Bedroom

### Bath Mat to Bedside 

With our hardwood flooring I wanted something cozy when the girls' first get up in the morning. Something made me think of bath mats as I knew they'd be fuzzy and since they're meant to be used by the bathtub it would hopefully hold up better to being laundered. I didn't think of this while shopping at Ikea, though I grabbed a link for you to their [bath mats](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?q=bath%20mat&ref=simplykyra.com), but instead let the kids pick theirs up from Costco when we went on a grocery run. They loved picking it out and I love how they're cozier and cheaper than the ones categorized under floor mats. 

![Image shows a green and blueish bath mat next to the bed with a sequined dragon leaned up on it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9739.jpeg)

I absolutely loved how it looked and felt when placed next to their beds. 

![Image shows a screenshot of four side by side listings all showing one or two packs of bath rugs ranging from $23.99 to $58.99.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Screenshot-2023-08-25-at-10.51.36-AM.png)

At that time, August 25th, 2023, these were the choices when going online for Costco but there were tons of cheaper options in store.

![Image shows the search results for Ikea bath mats. The first three results are shown side by side ranging from $7.99 to $14.99.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Screenshot-2023-08-25-at-10.22.14-AM.png)

Here's some of the [Ikea bath mats](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?q=bath%20mat&ref=simplykyra.com) taken from their online store on August 25th, 2023.

## Fitness

### Wire Market Baskets

I bought this item years ago from Costco picturing it full of produce on our counter but slowly realized that wasn't for me and downgraded one or both of them, at different times, to holding snacks on a shelf. It ultimately ended up storing workout equipment in the living room at our last home and now lives under my desk in our office with the same purpose.

![Image shows the wire baskets stacked with different workout equipment inside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_8028.jpeg)

I loved how it stacked so it seemed wrong splitting them up, like for pantry and countertop produce, so I ultimately used it to gather my infrequently used workout equipment together which now lives in our office. 

Back in August I didn't see this online or at my local Costco but I'm sure something along these lines will show up again plus I could see maybe using the [SORTERA recycling bins from IKEA](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?q=sortera&ref=simplykyra.com) for a similar purpose. 

![Image shows a collage of the wire market baskets from Costco. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Screenshot-2023-09-25-at-10.59.22-AM.png)

This product no longer shows up on the Costco website so instead I found an image of it on [CostcoChaser](https://www.cochaser.com/blog/market-baskets-set-of-2/?ref=simplykyra.com) on September 25th, 2023\. This original post was published on December 20th, 2019.

![Image shows the 16 and 10 gallon SORTERA recycling bins. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Screenshot-2023-08-25-at-10.50.15-AM-1.png)

Maybe something like [the IKEA SORTERA recycling bins](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?q=sortera&ref=simplykyra.com) might also work? This screenshot was taken [from Ikea on August 25th, 2023](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?q=sortera&ref=simplykyra.com).

## Kitchen

### Plastic Bins for Easy Reach

While writing this post I realized that the way I use the plastic bins from the Dollar Tree may be worth including for you. Years ago I realized that if I used a plastic bin with larger holes to organize the items on my upper shelves I could easily get them down in one move by hooking my finger in the hole and pulling. Since the items were contained within the basket it was simple to choose what I needed and shove the whole thing back onto the shelf with neither step of getting it down or back up requiring me to pull over a chair to use as a stool. I've continued this trend over the years and now with a new home with taller shelves, a change from kitchen chairs to benches and stools, and the purchase of a kitchen step ladder I'm still taking this shortcut and even adding to it with the use of spatula handles in the basket hole when I'm too short to access the basket directly. Word of warning best to use lighter items or less filled baskets the higher you go in your cupboard. 

![Image it taken from below showing my hand reached up with my pointer finger hooked in a hole in the right basket with it a quarter slide out.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_7522.jpeg)

The girls' lunch items are tossed into one of the two wider Dollar Tree baskets above the stove and I can easily just stand on tiptoes to get the items down or push them back up.

![Image shows a wooden stick in the basket hole with the basket pulled out two thirds of the way. Beside it sits a crepe pan with it's handle pointed away and another different colored but same style basket.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_7527.jpeg)

In the higher cupboards I still went with my basket idea but rather than pull over a step ladder I extended my reach by grabbing a spatula and using the handle to hook inside the basket and pull. On tip toes I can still raise and tilt the basket just enough to get it back on the edge of the shelf before pushing it in all the way. I actually use the same idea with the crepe pan next to it by catching the hole in it's handle, swinging it out, and pull it until it tips down and I can catch it.

### Collapsable Bin For Fluctuating Produce Levels

With [the wire market baskets now being used for my fitness equipment](#fitness) I needed to come up with another way to corral any countertop produce. Eventually I used a plastic bin but found it too cumbersome between shopping runs. Recently, February 2024, I found [these collapsable baskets](https://www.dollartree.com/mini-collapsible-storage-baskets-94x184x136-in/369740?ref=simplykyra.com) at my local Dollar Tree and although I wasn't sure how to use it I brought one home just to see how it worked. It has been amazing in my kitchen! It tucks out of the way when not needed and stores the perfect amount of produce with the benefit of air holes for circulation.

![Image shows a flat basket all folded up with yams around it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_7854.jpeg)

When not in use the basket folds up and I can tuck it out of the way.

![Image shows the basket set up and filled with orange sweet potatoes and bananas. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_7852.jpeg)

And then after a grocery run I can open it up and store everything inside. Right now it's fitting my go to Costco purchase of 6.5 pounds of sweet potatoes topped with bananas.

## Laundry Room

### Plastic Bin for Dryer Lint

When I went to Ikea I had the hope of finding a mini garbage can with a swing lid that I could use in my laundry room for dryer lint.

![Image shows the swing top garbage lids surrounded by baskets but no bases.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_7424.jpeg)

I was picturing something like this, on a bin, that I have since seen at my local Dollar Tree but as I already had the below alternate option and these didn't seem to have the matching bin I didn't upgrade the item.

I didn't see what I had imagined at Ikea *but* the second I saw this adorable [101 ounce HÅLLBAR recycling bin](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/hallbar-bin-with-lid-light-gray-90432194/?ref=simplykyra.com) I knew I found an alternative solution. At the time I actually thought it was a compost bin until later when I looked up the link for you.

![Image shows the bin next to its directions. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_7096.jpeg)

I started pulling off the sticker then realized I should snap a photo first. 

![Image shows the closed bin sitting on my dryer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_7105.jpeg)

I keep it on my dryer so it's close by whenever it's needed. 

![Image shows the opened bin with some lint already inside. Beside it sits the opened lint trap about to be cleaned off. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_7101.jpeg)

Whenever I empty the dryer I make sure to check the lint trap too and love having an easy spot for it without fussing with the clothes and lint at the same time.

### Towel Rod or Rail to Laundry Room Delicates

At our last home the main bathroom had a towel rail on the wall with several S-hooks hanging from it. Over time I started using both the rail and the hooks to dry our delicates, that couldn't go in the dryer, and found it especially helpful to finish drying our swimming suits. After we moved, especially with the amount of swimming we were doing, I bought some S-hooks for the garage so we could hang our life jackets but I really missed the inside towel rail for our swimming suits. Thus I was super excited when I went to Ikea and spotted the [Brogrun](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/brogrund-wall-shelf-with-towel-rail-stainless-steel-70333982/?ref=simplykyra.com), especially as I didn't know what they were called, but that weekend the store was busy, the kids were tired, and I couldn't find it in the market area. Luckily, one of the items we bought was missing a part so I went back the next day and came across another towel rail, the [Voxnan](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/voxnan-wall-shelf-with-towel-rail-chrome-effect-10328587/?ref=simplykyra.com), which was a style I liked better as it ended with rounded ends offering more space to hypothetically hang lightweight items off of. In addition to the towel rail I found a [three bar towel holder that swings out and extends](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/voxnan-towel-holder-3-bars-20434549/?ref=simplykyra.com) offering a collapsable drying area. I bought both and Matt put them in in our laundry room with the shelf right above my head and the three bar towel holder below. 

![Image show the VOXNAN product with an empty image, one bedecked with towels, and it's information.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Screenshot-2023-08-25-at-10.46.16-AM.png)

I loved the towel rod to hang swim suits and, if you add on some S-hooks, you can hook things on it too. This screenshot of the [Voxnan](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/voxnan-wall-shelf-with-towel-rail-chrome-effect-10328587/?ref=simplykyra.com) towel rod was taken from Ikea on August 25th, 2023.

![Image show the VOXNAN towel holder with an empty image, one with a towel and scrubber, and it's information.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Screenshot-2023-08-25-at-10.45.59-AM.png)

I loved this towel holder as I could keep it collapsed against the wall when it's not needed but still have that extra space. This screenshot of the [three bar towel holder](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/voxnan-towel-holder-3-bars-20434549/?ref=simplykyra.com) was taken from Ikea on August 25th, 2023.

![Image shows the towel holder attached to the wall with the rods laid flat.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_7976.jpeg)

I love how it stays flush against the wall when it's not in use. 

![Image shows all three rods facing different directions and extended to different lengths with clothing on it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_8517.jpeg)

Whenever we need it for a tutu, swim suit, or anything we can easily swing it out and extend the ends for a larger drying space that the kids can access easily too. 

![Image shows both shelf and swing out towel holder in use. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_7968.jpeg)

I set the towel rails up above each other with the shelf specifically above my head so it's out of the way and the bottom one low enough that I could use both at the same time when there's a lot of items to dry.

Since starting this blog post I've found that the swing out towel rod is especially helpful when folding my laundry. I sit on the floor while I fold and used to just lay out my clothing to hang after I'm done but now I simply swing the bar out and hang my clothing up as I go!

![Image shows the laundry room with the clean unfolded laundry to the left, empty basket to the right, and empty hangers directly in front on the bar.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_7211.jpeg)

I bring hangers to the dryer so I can hang as I go. 

![Image shows the laundry room when folding with the basket for Matt's clothing, floor used for folding smaller items, and the rod used for my hanging garments and extra hangers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/02/compressed_IMG_7217.jpeg)

And then once I'm done it's simple to grab and carry to the closet!

## Play Room

### Idea: Nightstand to Toy Kitchen Set

I haven't tried this idea but when we were looking at nightstands for the girls the [BRIMNES nightstand](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/brimnes-nightstand-black-80340454/?ref=simplykyra.com) yelled kitchen set at me. If they were any younger I would've bought it right then and there to turn it into a mini stove and oven combo. 

![Screenshot shows four images of the nightstand to the left with the details including colors on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Screenshot-2023-08-25-at-10.44.50-AM.png)

This is what the official [BRIMNES nightstand](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/brimnes-nightstand-black-80340454/?ref=simplykyra.com) looks like. Screenshot was taken from Ikea on August 25th, 2023.

![Diagram including measurements for the nightstand and its drawer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Screenshot-2023-08-25-at-10.45.18-AM.png)

And here's what the diagram looks like. The drawer is the perfect oven that slides out and if I felt more crafty I could theoretically take the front off the drawer and attach hinges of some sort so it opens more like an oven door. This screenshot taken from Ikea on August 25th, 2023.

I had to sketch out an idea of what I was thinking in case you wanted to make it yourself. If you do I'd love to hear how it went in the comments below! After sketching out my idea I tried to look online for something similar but could only find this below image that linked to [a sold out Etsy listing](https://etsy.com/listing/197891567/upcycled-kids-toy-wooden-stove-oven?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows a black and white sketch of my vision of the stove and oven with a couple more steps to take it even further.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_2023-Sketchbook---page-18.png)

With that perfect oven looking drawer I had visions of cutting a hole in the top of the nightstand, gluing a metal bowl in, adding a faucet, making a simple curtain to hide the bottom of the bowl, and potentially adding small burners beside the sink. 

![Image shows a simple oven and stove playset with a vase of flowers, an alarm, and a basket. The right side lists it as belonging to AtkinsonCreations on Etsy.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Screenshot-2023-09-25-at-11.08.07-AM.png)

I searched for a similar vision I could show you and found this image that I screenshotted from an online search on September 25th, 2023\. It links to [a sold out listing](https://etsy.com/listing/197891567/upcycled-kids-toy-wooden-stove-oven?ref=simplykyra.com) from [AtkinsonCreations](https://www.etsy.com/shop/atkinsoncreations?ref=simplykyra.com) that seems to be no longer active.

If you want a different and potentially simpler kitchen set option in the past I've made [an oven/stove out of a cardboard box](https://www.simplykyra.com/easy-cardboard-kitchen-set/), [covered a side table in cardboard and filled it with boxes to be a full standing kitchen set](https://www.simplykyra.com/cardboard-kitchen-from-an-old-end-table/), and later [upgraded the top to be made out of fabric](https://www.simplykyra.com/kids-play-kitchen/). I even added standalone [cardboard shelving](https://www.simplykyra.com/create-cardboard-shelving-for-your-kitchen-set/) when we started accruing more kitchen tools.

## Pool Toys 

### Onion Bag for Easy Carrying

Our new home is near a swimming pool that's possible to walk over to so I was on the lookout for anything that would make that walk or its toy storage even easier. As such when I found [a set of two KUNGSFORS mesh bags](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/kungsfors-mesh-bag-set-of-2-natural-20372834/?ref=simplykyra.com) in the kitchen area I immediately realized they could work for the girls to carry their pool stuff back and forth.

![Image show the KUNGSFORS mesh bags with two images and it's information.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Screenshot-2023-08-25-at-10.46.53-AM.png)

The mesh bags worked great at first then stretched out a bit more than we wanted. That said they're currently stored with the pool toys and I plan to let the kids choose if they want to use them in the summer. [Screenshot taken from Ikea](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/kungsfors-mesh-bag-set-of-2-natural-20372834/?ref=simplykyra.com) on August 25th, 2023.

Looking back I could go either way on these bags. They look amazing with the sea star diving toys I later bought but they did stretch out larger than I realized they could. I still have them stored with the pool toys so the kids can use them next summer if they want to or I could switch them to their intended produce purpose too.

![The bag is weighted down taking the entire height of the image with several starfish and some goggles trapped at the bottom. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_7159.jpeg)

Although stretched out I kind of loved how they looked with the starfish diving toys caught inside. 

![Image shows the one bag being swung back and forth while to the right the other one is behind Zoey's back being carried on a pool noodle.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_7152.jpeg)

Whether swinging the bags or slung over the end of a pool noodle the kids liked using the bags last summer. 

### Bath Basket for Dripping Toys

In that same visit I found the [RÅNEN bath basket](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/ranen-basket-00527078/?ref=simplykyra.com) with the shower accessories and immediately realized they would be perfect to store our wet swim goggles, swim caps, and later diving toys in our garage. Since the basket was meant for the shower the pool water could easily drip out the bottom. 

![Image show the RÅNEN bath basket with two images and it's information.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Screenshot-2023-08-25-at-10.48.12-AM.png)

The bath basket is perfect to carry the wet pool toys and the holes at the bottom are perfect to let the water drip out on the walk home. This screenshot taken from Ikea on August 25th, 2023.

I absolutely love this basket and although I bought it for storage at home it works great walking to and from the pool. I even started putting the basket itself, with just the toys inside, directly next to the pool and it even went into the water several times. I can totally see buying one or even two more of these so the kids can use them to carry their goggles and chosen toys to and from the pool with maybe an extra at home for all the miscellaneous accrued swim toys. 

![Image shows the mesh bags, goggles, cap, and diving toys all tucked inside the plastic basket.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_7209.jpeg)

The original idea was to use the basket to store all the wet items when not in use. 

![Image shows the bags off to the left with the toys inside and the caps and goggles over the back edge.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_7162.jpeg)

When everything was wet I could see spreading it out along the top of the basket and, once dried, tucked back inside. 

![Image shows the girls behind the basket holding the bags and putting starfish inside them.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_7133.jpeg)

Then whenever it was time to go the kids could grab a bag, their goggles, maybe their swim cap, and a couple pool toys before heading out. A one stop shop. 

![Image shows the basket set on a tree root with the purple pool noodles stretched out but set in place with the handle. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_7278.jpeg)

 I even once used the basket handles to help hold the pool noodles in place when I carried everything home as the kids were too tired. 

## Sewing Room

### Fabric Storage Shelves

At our last home I kept my sewing machine in our shared office and, at first, stored my fabric in plastic bins in the closet. Several years ago I upgraded that fabric storage by putting three [four by one Kallax shelves](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/kallax-shelf-unit-white-00275848/?ref=simplykyra.com) in the closet. Over time I realized rolling my fabric to fit worked best and I loved that I could see it all so easily. After the move we decided to put the sewing machines in our bedroom and I moved the shelves against the wall where they'd be easier to see without closet doors getting in the way. With the lack of additional shelving that was in our old office and the increase in fabric since I originally bought the shelves we decided to buy two more [two by four shelves](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/kallax-shelf-unit-white-80275887/?ref=simplykyra.com) to match the first ones. Although I haven't bought any of [the KALLAX accessories](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?q=kallax%20accessories&ref=simplykyra.com), yet, I love the knowledge that I can change up the organization in the future or even split up the shelves if I so desire! 

![Image show the three images of the Kallax products beside an image of an accessory.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Screenshot-2023-08-25-at-10.23.19-AM.png)

This screenshot of the [Kallax shelves](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?q=kallax%20shelves&ref=simplykyra.com) search result was taken from Ikea on August 25th, 2023.

![Image shows the new and old shelves side by side holding fabric and crafting supplies. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9732.jpeg)

I love how I could roll up the fabric and see it all so easily without unstacking bins. I was able to use the other shelves for books and other supplies too.

## Winter

### Idea: Recycling Bin to Hold Outdoor Salt

Like the kitchen set above this is an idea that popped into my head and I figured I'd include it in case it's useful to you. If it is please let me know in the comments below! Anyway I wonder if you can use the [SORTERA recycling bins from IKEA](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?q=sortera&ref=simplykyra.com) to hold ice melt, rock salt, or gravel for when you have icy sidewalks. We don't need it often so although I bought ice melt this year I haven't justified implementing this idea quite yet. 

![Image show two SORTERA products alongside it's information.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Screenshot-2023-08-25-at-10.50.15-AM.png)

This screenshot of two of the [SORTERA recycling bins](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?q=sortera&ref=simplykyra.com) was taken from Ikea on August 25th, 2023.

Side note: when trying to remember what to call this, it's been awhile, I came across [this helpful post from Family Handyman](https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/ice-melt-vs-rock-salt/?ref=simplykyra.com) telling the different between ice melt and rock salt. Quick tip their chemical composition is different so ice melt is better if you frequently have temperatures below 5°F while rock salt is better if you rarely dip that low. Either way it mentions mixing with sand for extra traction which would make this method still work as you could pre-mix it in the bin. I can totally see this bin sitting right inside or outside your garage or front door. To make for easier sprinkling I also pictured adding a scoop kind of like the ones in the bulk section of the grocery store. That said, when I purchased mine the store only had ice melt and I haven't upgraded it from the bag it came in and, when the weather got cold, simply grabbed a random container to sprinkle it with.

![Image shows a double row of bulk bins each with its own scoop or tong. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Screenshot-2023-08-25-at-11.02.52-AM.png)

Screenshot taken from [Yellow Pages](https://www.yellowpages.ca/bus/Quebec/Brossard/Bulk-Barn/100826858.html?ref=simplykyra.com) shows an image of Bulk Barn with the metal scoop in the food like how I picture them in the SORTERA bin with the ice melt.

![Image show the Ikea 365+ scoop set with two images and it's information.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Screenshot-2023-08-25-at-11.05.58-AM.png)

I saw that Ikea sells a set of two metal scoops but [the above link mentions](https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/ice-melt-vs-rock-salt/?ref=simplykyra.com) as "both ice melt and rock salt are salts \[they\] can cause corrosion to concrete and metal" so I'm imagining a more plastic scoop instead. [This screenshot taken from Ikea](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/ikea-365-scoop-set-of-2-metal-70444292/?ref=simplykyra.com) on August 25th, 2023.

---

These were some of the ideas I came up with during the course of setting up our new home that you may find helpful. If you have any additional ideas please share them in the comments below. And I hope you're having a great day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Use Sprinkles to Create a Fun Easter Themed Breakfast... And Some Other Ideas
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/easter-egg-breakfast/
Last updated: 2024-03-30T23:37:20.000Z
Last year on Easter weekend the girls asked me for an Easter themed breakfast which I hadn't planned. Luckily I had Easter themed sprinkles in the cupboard and bunny egg cups and thus this Easter themed meal was made. 

![Image is themed to Pinterest showing my post title, my main website URL, and three images showing the Easter themed sprinkle toast in action. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_Use-Sprinkles-to-Create-a-Fun-Easter-Themed-Breakfast---Pinterest.jpg)

---

## Easter Themed Sprinkle Toast

I've learned over the years that whenever the kids request a themed snack or meal and I draw a blank my collection of sprinkles can save the day. Looking back I feel like this was completely the girls idea for breakfast but I'm not quite 100% sure. 

Anyway all you need to recreate this is bread, favorite spreads, and sprinkles. Bonus points if you happen to have an Easter themed egg cup (thanks Anna!). 

After starting the toast toasting I got the girls to pick their favorite bunny egg cup which I filled with various chosen and surprising Easter-themed sprinkles. 

![Image shows two bunny shaped egg cups next to a large divided container of sprinkles. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_1466.jpeg)

The girls each picked their favorite bunny and I carefully put equal amounts of sprinkles into each.

Once the toast popped it was time for the kids to shine. They were each given a bunny, their toast, and optional peanut butter, cream cheese, jam, and bananas. Creation sensory time!

![Image shows the girls decorating their toast with the jar of peanut butter and cream cheese between them. The bunnies sit facing the camera by the bananas and main sprinkle container. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_1465.jpeg)

The girls loved decorating their toast and using the sprinkles.

It was funny because both girls came up with completely different looking meals. Ada spread cream cheese on one slice and jam on the other then regulated the sprinkles to just the cream cheese piece before eating them separately. Zoey on the other hand loves to make toast sandwiches with a dollop of the spreads on top... so hers took a bit more time to create as it was more involved. 

![Image shows a piece of the cream cheese and sprinkled coated toast being held up while the remaining two pieces and bunny looks on from the blurred out background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_1469.jpeg)

Ada went with simple toast and kept the sprinkles by itself or on the cream cheese one leaving the jammed toast unadorned.

![One piece of toast is spread with cream cheese while the second one remains plain. The bunny is held up for the photo. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_1471.jpeg)

While Zoey went for a more in depth sandwich making process. 

![The final sandwich is held up and opened for a photo both inside and outside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_1475.jpeg)

She may have skipped on the jam but there were sprinkles inside and on top. 

![Image shows a small piece of bread covered in sprinkles next to a blue sprinkle to the side. A finger is pointing down at the bread so it's not missed in the photo. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_1478.jpeg)

I can't remember who it was but one of the girls demanded a photo of their final cream cheese and sprinkle laiden piece. 

---

## Other Easter Themed Meal Ideas

### Hardboiled Eggs

As a quick aside if you've already dyed some eggs and are looking for ideas on what to do with them you can check out [these adorable deviled egg chicks I've recently blogged about](https://www.simplykyra.com/adorably-deviled-chicks/). 

![Closeup of a white plate with the four chicks laid out and touching. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_1553.jpeg)

Although wonky the finished chicks were loved... and then eaten. And eye shaped sprinkles saved the day again!

Or on another note, since we've talked toast already, last year the girls came up with a themed breakfast idea while dying eggs on Easter. So the next day they had for breakfast, by request, crushed eggs on toast with a side of ketchup. Normally I prefer any other type of egg on my toast (like egg salad, poached, or fried) but what the kids want they got. 

![Image shows the girls side by side each with a plate of two pieces of toast and a bowl between for the egg shells. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_1570.jpeg)

They were slow moving that morning so the toast cooled as they peeled their favorite dyed egg.

![Image taken from above shows a bowl of dyed egg shells with a plate on either side with toast, crushed yolks, egg white pieces, and ketchup.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_1572.jpeg)

Once peeled and checked for shells they squished the eggs into the toast and squirted ketchup on the side. They seemed to like it but didn't want to repeat this idea again.

### Peeps and Yams

As another aside... since we're on the topic of Easter food. I had to share our side when I realized we had no marshmallows in our house. Normally I make mashed yams with butter, milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg so it's sortof pumpkin-pie like. My husband grew up with marshmallows broiled on top so I always put some in a casserole dish and have the girls keep an eye on it in the oven. This year we had no marshmallows as I had wrongly assumed we had a bag already. Luckily a friend had gifted us a package of Peeps so I pulled them out to surprise the kids and they absolutely adored broiling the peeps on their yams this year. 

![Image shows orange yams on a white plate with two brown topped yellow mounds surrounded by white. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_1536.jpeg)

They stopped looking Peep-ish right away and their white inside oozed out from the yellow casing but the girls and Matt thought it tasted great. 

---

And with that my food-related ideas from last year's Easter are used up. Hopefully this slightly random post helped you out and, if so, I'd love to know how especially if any ideas sound amazing for this year! Hope you’re having a great week!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### My Adorably Deviled Easter Egg Chicks
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/adorably-deviled-chicks/
Last updated: 2024-03-27T13:57:29.000Z
Last year, sometime before Easter, I came across the most adorable deviled egg chicks online. I lost track of that particular recipe but on Easter when the kids started dying eggs I knew I needed to make them. That afternoon, as suppertime approached, I looked up random deviled egg recipes and went for the most boring one hoping the kids would like it the best before whipping up these wonky but oh so adorably cute chicks. I had to share in case it's something you and yours would love too. 

![Pinterest-geared image showing my post's title, my main blog URL, and two images. One image is the in progress view while the bottom one shows the adorably wonky chicks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_My-Adorably-Deviled-Easter-Egg-Chicks---Pinterest.jpg)

---

Last Easter, as the kids dyed eggs, I remembered some adorable chicks I'd seen online and wondered if I should try my hand at making them. As suppertime approached I realized why not and jumped into gear finding a carrot, locating the last of the eye sprinkles, grabbing four decorated eggs, and quickly looked up a deviled egg recipe so I'd know what to do with the yolks. I wanted a recipe that was simple as my kids can be picky so I ultimately decided to only mix up the yolks with mayonnaise and some mustard for the color. With a vague plan in place and my tools assembled I got to work. 

*Word of warning:* Earlier Ada had declared which egg was her favorite and that she wanted that one for breakfast. Luckily, I had also determined which one was Zoey's favorite too so I knew to leave those two alone and I confirmed I could use any other egg before charging ahead.

After selecting my eggs I carefully peeled them before carefully cutting a zig zag pattern along the center of each egg with a steak knife. Once cut I carefully wiggled the two halves until they came apart making sure to keep an eye out for any connected points. With the one half completely free I next carefully wiggled the hard yolk out of the other half. The two white shell-looking halves were placed carefully on a plate while the yolks were dropped into a bowl. Once the eggs were all cut I grabbed a fork and started mashing the yolks to make the deviled egg mixture. 

![Image shows a plastic egg carton in the background with four eggs on either end and four missing slots in the center. In the foreground is a plate with yolk speckled zigzagged half egg whites and a bowl of crumbly yellow to the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_1549.jpeg)

After picking which eggs I should use I next peeled their shell off, cut them in a zigzag pattern, jimmied the three pieces apart, and crushed the yolds into a crumby mixture. 

Now it was time to make the deviled egg mixture! I knew the kids were picky and wouldn't want anything too adventurous so I only added mayonnaise with a bit of mustard for color. After mixing the ingredients together I paired up the egg halves and carefully put a quarter of the mix into each of the four bottom shells before closing it up with the top shell. Unfortunately, these didn't stay standing up so I had to lay them back down on the plate. 

Once the chicks' bodies were made it was time to add the embellishments. I carefully cut one of my carrots into small triangles and gave them chick its own beak. For the eyes I went simple with some leftover eye sprinkles I had saved for special occasions such as these. And with that the devilled egg chicks were done!

![Image shows a plate with four finished chicks and two pieces of egg white. To the right sits a small marbled cutting board with a knife and carrot bits. Behind it all sits a dirty white bowl with the yolk mixture remnants. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_1552.jpeg)

After making the devilled egg mixture I carefully filled each pair of white shells with a quarter of the mixture, cut some beaks, inserted one beak into each face, and attach two sugar eyes above each beak.

![Closeup of a white plate with the four chicks laid out and touching. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_1553.jpeg)

Although wonky the finished chicks were loved... and then enjoyed.

---

I searched online after the fact to find the original recipe I vaguely remembered. Their photo is so much more adorable than mine *and* their eyes work so much better for their face. In case you're interested you can find them at [Spend with Pennies](https://www.spendwithpennies.com/baby-chick-deviled-eggs/?ref=simplykyra.com) where she uses hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise (use less than normal to make it sturdy enough to hold the to shell), mustard (for color), beak (carrot), eyes (chia or hemp seed, bit of black olive, or black food coloring), and lettuce if you want *Easter grass* to serve. 

![Image shows a perfect little chick made with light yellow mix, small black eyes, a perfect triangular beak, and two friends on either side in the background. The bottom says SpendWithPennies.com.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_Screenshot-IMG_3162.jpeg)

Their chick looks so adorably perfect and so clean since there's no food dye. [Screenshot taken on May 12, 2023.](https://www.spendwithpennies.com/baby-chick-deviled-eggs/?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

I'm so glad I came across this chick recipe as it was simple to make and the girls loved it. My kids love dying eggs but don't eat too many of them so this was a perfectly adorable way to use some of them up. 

When making these the kids weren't actually in the kitchen so I ended up rushing the process so I could finish and surprise them before they wandered back in. Once I finished I called them over and as they were coming realized I had only made one each... and didn't have anything else for supper. Thus these were paired with a hastily thrown together snack tray and it was a perfect Easter dinner! 

Whether this is planned or quickly executed like mine I hope it helps you out. If you do make them I'd love to hear how it goes, what recipe you used, what you used for the eyes, and if you made this for Easter or some other occasion. 

I hope your week is going well and you're having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Our Favorite Bay Area Playgrounds... and How We Found Them
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-favorite-bay-area-playgrounds-and-how-we-found-them/
Last updated: 2024-03-24T16:00:30.000Z
One of the many things I miss about the Bay Area are the many playgrounds you can find anywhere and everywhere. There are so many fun ones so I had to share some of our favorite and most unique ones with you along with some tricks to easily find your own regardless of where you go. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Learn-More-at-SimplyKyra.com-Our-Favorite-Bay-Area-Playgrounds-and-How-we-found-Them---Pinterest.jpg)

---

*Most of these links go to the [Yelp page](https://www.yelp.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) so you can access up to date information about the area. Additionally, as we used to live in Mountain View, California there's a heavy leaning towards that area.*

First a general message: In Mountain View, and I'm assuming other areas, the water features are turned off for the winter and during drought warnings. Also don't forget to bring a flattened cardboard box with you. Many of the California parks we visited have some type of hill covered in artificial turf which we discovered is perfect for sliding down especially if you bring a cardboard to use as a sled... or snowboard. If you've forgotten to bring a box many people leave theirs behind and I even noticed a labelled area for them at one of the Magical Bridge playgrounds. We got to the point where I always tried to leave a couple of torn up boxes in our trunk for any impromptu park visits... just in case.

## How I Found Playgrounds

Before sharing the parks themselves I wanted to do a quick aside an how I found many of these places. 

### [Magical Bridges](https://www.magicalbridge.org/?ref=simplykyra.com)

The [Magical Bridges Foundation](https://www.magicalbridge.org/story?ref=simplykyra.com) is a non-profit organization that's headquartered in Palo Alto, California and "creates multigenerational playgrounds, parks, and programs for more inclusive communities". They have many playgrounds all over the Bay Area offering fun spots with anticipated layouts and structures. As such, I had to include them here as we frequently visited [the Palo Alto location](www.simplykyra.com/our-favorite-bay-area-playgrounds-and-how-we-found-them/#palo-alto-mitchell-park) and, by simply checking their website, visited two more parks the year before we moved. You can find [an up to date list of their current locations and future expansions (including in the Maryland Zoo, one park in New Zealand, and two in Singapore)](https://www.magicalbridge.org/visit?ref=simplykyra.com). Plus if you're curious you can read up on [their different play zones here](https://www.magicalbridge.org/play-zones?ref=simplykyra.com). 

![Screenshot from their website showing the four main open community playgrounds: Palo Alto, Redwood City, Morgan Hill, and Sunnyvale. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Screenshot-2024-01-14-at-08.07.55.png)

[At this time, on January 14th 2024, they have four open playgrounds, three speciality playgrounds, and eight coming soon.](https://www.magicalbridge.org/visit?ref=simplykyra.com)

### City Website

You could always check the website for the city you live in to find the official list of parks. For instance if I look online for `city of mountain view playgrounds` the top result brought me to [a list of all the city parks](https://www.mountainview.gov/our-city/departments/community-services/parks-and-trails/parks/city-parks?ref=simplykyra.com) including the ability to filter by amenities. Apparently if you filter by `playground` the list of 51 goes down to 36 results.

### Facebook Groups

I found many parks through my local Facebook groups over the years whether there's someone sharing something they liked about one or asking for particular recommendations. For example [Shoup Park](www.simplykyra.com/our-favorite-bay-area-playgrounds-and-how-we-found-them/#los-altos-shoup-park) was really popular as it was time sensitive based on the water levels so people shared when it was the perfect time or asked the group before making plans to go. Additionally, back when Zoey was just a baby, there was a local mom online who liked creating workouts which lead to me discovering both [Cuesta](www.simplykyra.com/our-favorite-bay-area-playgrounds-and-how-we-found-them/#mountain-view-cuesta-park) and [Sylvan](www.simplykyra.com/our-favorite-bay-area-playgrounds-and-how-we-found-them/#mountain-view-sylvan-park) parks when she hosted free mommy and me workouts. Because of these and other cases I've repeatedly turned to Facebook to see what groups there are whenever I add a hobby or to find new local groups when we last moved. 

Quick aside: If you're a mom and local to the South Bay Area there's an amazing [Mountain View Mom group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/mvmoms/) that I highly recommend.

### Yelp

I've found that Yelp is a handy resource beyond just restaurants. This is particularly helpful when we're new to an area and have no concept of where the parks are. I used this years ago when we roadtripped up to Canada and needed to find parks on the way to let the kids stretch their legs. This was also used on overnight and even day trips too. Our first time going to [Monterey Aquarium](https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) we used Yelp to find playgrounds near where we stayed overnight and got to walk over to the [Dennis the Menace Park](www.simplykyra.com/our-favorite-bay-area-playgrounds-and-how-we-found-them/#monterey-dennis-the-menace-park). More recently, when I needed to go to Walnut Creek to get [my sewing machines cleaned](https://www.sewingmachineshop.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), we found the [Heather Farm Park and their gardens](www.simplykyra.com/our-favorite-bay-area-playgrounds-and-how-we-found-them/#walnut-creek-heather-farm-park). 

![Image shows the Yelp page with a search for "playground" in Mountain View California with the parks listed on the left and the map showing their locations on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Screenshot-2024-01-15-at-15.30.22.png)

This screenshot shows how I searched for [playgrounds within Mountain View California on Yelp](https://www.yelp.com/search?find%5Fdesc=Playground&find%5Floc=Mountain+View%2C+CA&ref=simplykyra.com). It was taken on January 15th, 2024.

### Friends

And don't forget friends. It's always helpful having playground buddies both to justify heading out, have fun chatting, and to help find new interesting places. My one friend was amazing at finding parks including finding [Schaefer Park](www.simplykyra.com/our-favorite-bay-area-playgrounds-and-how-we-found-them/#mountain-view-schaefer-park) which I still don't see on Yelp even now. Additionally, a group of us moms started a recurring Friday playground playdate after school where we walked together, or drove for convenience, to a close by park. It gave us a much bigger and better understanding of the playgrounds within a half hour walk of our home.

### Maps

Years ago that same friend told me to look for green on the map and you'll find playgrounds. I find that doesn't help me anymore now that I'm in Washington but back in Mountain View it definitely did. Thus I had to share this tip in case you live in a less green area too. 

![Image is a screenshot of the map of downtown Mountain View marked with grey and orange to show the playgrounds and interesting spots.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_DowntownMountainView.png)

This screenshot of Apple Maps taken on January 14th, 2024 showing downtown Mountain View. It was set to the **explore* mode rather than **satellite* to make it easier to spot the green. Here the grey circles highlight the playgrounds. 

In the above photo of downtown Mountain View the green spots match up to playgrounds. In case it's hard to see these circled parks they are [Mariposa](www.simplykyra.com/our-favorite-bay-area-playgrounds-and-how-we-found-them/#mountain-view-mariposa-park), [Dana](https://www.yelp.com/biz/dana-park-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com), [Eagle, Pioneer](www.simplykyra.com/our-favorite-bay-area-playgrounds-and-how-we-found-them/#mountain-view-eagle-and-pioneer-park), [Schaefer](www.simplykyra.com/our-favorite-bay-area-playgrounds-and-how-we-found-them/#mountain-view-schaefer-park), and [Mercy-Bush](www.simplykyra.com/our-favorite-bay-area-playgrounds-and-how-we-found-them/#mountain-view-mercy-bush-park). The vertical strip of green to the right is [Stevens Creek Trail](https://www.yelp.com/biz/stevens-creek-trail-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com) an awesome connection point that I checked out previously while walking and scootering. 

I added the orange circles in case you're local to the South Bay Area. They show the [Caltrain Station](https://www.yelp.com/biz/caltrain-station-mountain-view-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com) where [the Mountain View farmers market](https://www.yelp.com/biz/mountain-view-farmers-market-mountain-view-4?ref=simplykyra.com) is held all year round on Sundays, the alternative spot when they need the station for games, and [the spot where city events are often hosted](https://www.mountainview.gov/our-city/departments/community-services/music-on-castro?ref=simplykyra.com). By the way if you do go to the farmers market I highly recommend [Ginger Lab](https://www.yelp.com/biz/ginger-lab-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com) and have even had [it shipped up](https://drinkgingerlab.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) to Washington once when I really missed it. 

---

## The Playgrounds Themselves!

And with no further ado here are the parks in alphabetical order with the Yelp link in the header or, if a larger location, it's subheading:

## [Los Altos: Shoup Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/shoup-park-los-altos?ref=simplykyra.com)

## [](https://www.yelp.com/biz/red-morton-community-park-redwood-city?ref=simplykyra.com)

### Overview

I absolutely adore this park but I didn't like the parking situation. The road is on a hill going down and although I always managed to snag a spot, as I only went on weekdays, I worried it might be too full and how I'd turn around. That said, once I parked it was a perfect place!

![Image is a screenshot of the map of Shoup Park marked with grey and black to show the playgrounds and parking spots.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_ShoupPark.png)

This screenshot of Apple Maps taken on January 14th, 2024 and marked to show the spots.

The black circles on the map show the parking lots at the end of the driveway down. The closest grey circle is a toddler park next to a bathroom while the older kid playground is just a bit further away. The larger oval at the top right is the perfect place to wade into the stream while the largest oval on the left consist of paths through the [Redwood Grove Nature Preserve](https://www.yelp.com/biz/redwood-grove-nature-preserve-los-altos?ref=simplykyra.com).

### Playground

I just now realized I don't have many photos of the park itself... but it is a fun playground and instead here's a shot of the local seeds.

![Image shows Zoeys hands together cupping the seeds.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Shoup_7083.jpeg)

Like all Mountain View parks the seeds from the tree are the perfect gathering toy. 

### Adobe Creek

The creek is what we came to this park for whether there's water for wading or a dry creek bed for exploring. Since the water flow fluctuates it was handy to be a member of a local Facebook group to check if anyone else knows the current water levels before packing everyone up to visit.

![Image shows the girls small by the creek surrounded by towering trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Shoup_7531.jpeg)

The vertical panorama highlights the tree lined creek.

![Image is taken looking down at mine and my girls water shoes in the water.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Shoup_0215.jpeg)

And if there's water flowing you can easily cool your feet off.

![Image shows the girls side by side in matching sunhats and swimsuits each holding a plastic yellow watering can with other buckets on the side of the creek. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Shoup_0902.png)

And your sand toys are always a blast! And will hopefully come out of it a bit cleaner.

### [Redwood Grove Nature Preserve](https://www.yelp.com/biz/redwood-grove-nature-preserve-los-altos?ref=simplykyra.com)

If you walk past the [Garden House at Shoup Park](https://www.losaltosca.gov/parksrec/page/garden-house-shoup-park?ref=simplykyra.com) and through the BBQ area you'll find the [Redwood Grove Nature Preserve](https://www.yelp.com/biz/redwood-grove-nature-preserve-los-altos?ref=simplykyra.com). This was my favorite part of Shoup park and I'd load up my car with the picnic stuff, sand toys, and water stuff so I'd have less stuff with me before doing a loop on these trails. It was perfect with a stroller and when the kids were older it became the perfect activity when you know you need to end the trip soon but the kids aren't quite ready to go.

![Ada holding up a leaf to get a photo of it. You can see her top and all the trees behind her.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Shoup_4536.jpeg)

There are copious tree leaves and other nature stuff for the kids while you take in the local trees. 

![Image shows Zoey crouched on a stump looking down.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Shoup_7095.jpeg)

Zoey wanted a photo on the log... I joked she was [a pumpkin](https://www.simplykyra.com/zoeys-simple-and-updated-pumpkin-costume/) on a stump.

![Ada and Zoey walking hand in hand along the path in the trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Shoup_7085.jpeg)

From stroller and baby carrier to walking on their own this was the perfect spot. 

## [Monterey: Dennis The Menace Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/dennis-the-menace-park-monterey-2?ref=simplykyra.com)

We came across this park years ago when we stayed overnight to go to the [Monterey Bay Aquarium](https://www.yelp.com/biz/monterey-bay-aquarium-monterey?ref=simplykyra.com) and were looking for additional places the kids would enjoy. At the time the suspension bridge Ada raced over felt so scary though when we went back later it didn't seem bad. It's been years since we've last been and I couldn't find any photos so I did an image search online to show you some of the views. We loved how unique it was when we went.

![An assortment of images are shown all featuring different playground equipment. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Screenshot-2024-01-14-at-09.12.15---dennismenace.png)

Screenshot of the image search for `Dennis the Menace park in Monterey` on DuckDuckGo taken in January 14th, 2024.

## [Mountain View: Cuesta Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/cuesta-park-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com)

Cuesta Park is a big green area with several parking lots but we mainly just used the same two each time so I only marked those two down. The larger grey circle is the park that feels almost like two as it's split by sand, trees, and some standalone structures. There's also, near the bottom of the circle, a covered raised pavilion and, over the hill where the smaller circle is, some swings by one of the many gathering areas. 

![Image is a screenshot of the map of Cuesta Park marked with grey and black to show the playgrounds and parking spots.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_CuestaPark.png)

This screenshot of Apple Maps taken on January 15th, 2024 and marked to show the spots.

## Mountain View: Eagle and Pioneer Park

## [](https://www.yelp.com/biz/red-morton-community-park-redwood-city?ref=simplykyra.com)

### Overview

These two areas in downtown Mountain View were our favorite ones for years but as Pioneer Park technically doesn't have a playground and they're so close together I decided to group them together here. 

![Image is a screenshot of the map of both Eagle and Pioneer Park marked with grey, black, and orange to show the playgrounds, parking spots, and interesting spots.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_EaglePioneerPark.png)

This screenshot of Apple Maps taken on January 15th, 2024 and marked to show the spots.

All the black circles on the map show the parking lots in the immediate area of these two parks though there's also street parking available too. The grey circles show both the playground and the playable rocks while the orange circles show the [pool](https://www.yelp.com/biz/eagle-park-pool-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com), [library](https://www.yelp.com/biz/mountain-view-public-library-mountain-view-2?ref=simplykyra.com), [](https://www.yelp.com/biz/mountain-view-center-for-the-performing-arts-mountain-view-2?ref=simplykyra.com)[center for the performing arts](https://www.yelp.com/biz/mountain-view-center-for-the-performing-arts-mountain-view-2?ref=simplykyra.com), and downtown Castro Street used for parking and sometimes closed for big events. 

### [Eagle Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/eagle-park-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com)

[Eagle Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/eagle-park-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com) has been a favorite for years. I couldn't find a photo but the taller structure has some stairs that used to scare me as I pictured the girls falling out. It then became my favorite part of the playground once I realized how truly useful it was as a toddler treadmill. I could visit with friends standing next to them while Zoey climbed up them and, once she reached head level, I'd pull her out and put her down so she could run back and repeat the process. In addition to these awesome stairs this park also has fields, a bathroom, and [Eagle Park Pool](https://www.yelp.com/biz/eagle-park-pool-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com) which was perfect as you could combine the pool and park together into one simple outing. 

![Image shows Ada at the bottom of a tall slide with Zoey excitedly at the bottom. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_eaglepark_1516.jpeg)

There is both a larger and smaller structure along with a cool teeter-totter, swings, and a sandpit. 

### [Pioneer Memorial Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/pioneer-memorial-park-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com)

A short walk away is [Pioneer Memorial Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/pioneer-memorial-park-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com). It has no playground but does include the [Mountain View Public Library](https://www.yelp.com/biz/mountain-view-public-library-mountain-view-2?ref=simplykyra.com), a zen garden, plenty of space, and [Toad's Book Club](https://www.yelp.com/biz/toads-book-club-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com) statues. Close by is also the city hall, [center for the performing arts](https://www.yelp.com/biz/mountain-view-center-for-the-performing-arts-mountain-view-2?ref=simplykyra.com), and a plethora of restaurants and [potential road closing fun events](https://www.mountainview.gov/our-city/departments/community-services/special-events?ref=simplykyra.com). 

![Image shows the girls standing at the top of the hill amongst the trees. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_pioneerpark_5273.jpeg)

The kids abolutely loved when we picnicked at the top of a hill so they could play in and around it when done.

![Image shows Zoey posed by the metal door in the tree while a statue watches on. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_pioneer_1978.jpeg)

The Wind in the Willows inspired statues have their own Yelp page: [Toad's Book Club](https://www.yelp.com/biz/toads-book-club-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com). This is just outside the back of the library next to the grassy area. 

## [Mountain View: Mariposa Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/mariposa-park-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com)

[Mariposa Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/mariposa-park-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com) is a small neighborhood park with street parking and no bathroom that I only came across as we lived nearby. It was a great place to take the kids or stop at quickly if we wanted to extend whatever outing we walked to downtown. Mariposa is the Spanish word for butterfly and this park was aptly named with butterfly information, butterfly friendly plants, and caterpillar statues.. that my kids called *poopies*. Excerpt for a quick goodbye outing we hadn't been to this park in years but I remember fondly splurging on a couple of tamales whenever I went a bit further to [California Street Market](https://www.yelp.com/biz/california-street-market-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com) and either eating them at home or bringing food for the kids so we could picnic together on the grass. 

![Image shows the girls digging for the 'wet' sand in front of the turned off water feature.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Mariposa_4184.jpeg)

On this visit the water wasn't turned on but if it was you could turn on the faucet and play by blocking the water's way to the sandpit. 

![Image shows Ada drawing away from me along the status back while Zoey rides it from behind it's head.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Mariposa_7237.jpeg)

The caterpillar statues could be fun benches, an animal to ride, or something to climb. If you look to the right in the next photo you can see part of its' face. 

![Image shows a side by side plastic slide with the two girls at the top about to go down. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Mariposa_7212.jpeg)

The girls absolutely loved the side by side slides as you could go down while holding hands... and they'd sometimes be forced to wait for their sister before going down or suffer her wraith. 

## [Mountain View: Mercy-Bush Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/mercy-bush-park-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com)

I wasn't going to include this one at first as it's a small park that doesn't have bathrooms and I couldn't find any good photos of it on my phone or online... but then I remembered the hours on hours the kids spent sitting and blocking the water in the awesome sandy water feature and had to at least mention it. If you're in the area anyway this is a perfectly messy spot when the water is on. Just a warning it's on an open street corner so it might be stressful if your kid is a runner.

## [Mountain View: Schaefer Park](https://www.mountainview.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/72/671?npage=2&ref=simplykyra.com)

Like the above playground I almost didn't include this one but then I remembered the gated playground, water feature, and nearby bathrooms and had to share. I wasn't able to find it on Yelp so [the link goes to its City of Mountain View page](https://www.mountainview.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/72/671?npage=2&ref=simplykyra.com). 

## [Mountain View: Sylvan Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/sylvan-park-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com)

[Sylvan Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/sylvan-park-mountain-view?ref=simplykyra.com) is another great park with a bathroom right by the playgrounds and a lowered sitting area with a ramp that the kids used to scooter down and in. I always used the larger parking lot in the lower left side of the map but my friends often used street parking closer to the park.

![Image is a screenshot of the map of Sylvan Park marked with grey and black to show the playgrounds and parking spots.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_SylvanPark.png)

This screenshot of Apple Maps taken on January 15th, 2024 and marked to show the spots.

## [Palo Alto: Cornelis Bol Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/cornelis-bol-park-palo-alto?ref=simplykyra.com)

## [](https://www.yelp.com/biz/red-morton-community-park-redwood-city?ref=simplykyra.com)

### Overview

This is a smaller park that we only visited a couple times as the parking was limited along the street and there's no bathroom. That said, it lays alongside Matadero Creek where we went wading after [I sewed the girls their first swimming suit](https://www.simplykyra.com/sew-a-rash-guard-swimsuit-top-using-your-favorite-raglan-pattern/) and if you walk along the trail a bit you can find donkeys! So definitely had to include. 

![Image is a screenshot of the map of Cornelis Bol Park marked with grey and black to show the playgrounds and parking spots.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_BolPark.png)

This screenshot of Apple Maps taken on January 14th, 2024 and marked to show the spots.

### [The Playground](https://www.yelp.com/biz/cornelis-bol-park-palo-alto?ref=simplykyra.com) 

The playground is decently sized and the fact that they have little donkeys to ride is perfect! 

![Image shows the girls rocking on their donkeys surrounded by trees and grass. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_BolPark-Donkey_7492.jpeg)

I absolutely adore the little rocking donkeys in the sand pit. Off to the left of this photo is the main park.

### Matadero Creek

Like [Shoup Park](www.simplykyra.com/our-favorite-bay-area-playgrounds-and-how-we-found-them/#los-altos-shoup-park) above this park also has a creek though we've only explored it the one time when the kids were little and a bit cold. This creek didn't seem to have as gradual of a bank so I could see it being better for older kids or if you're going in with them.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_0983.jpg)

I snapped this photo of the girls wading in the creek for my post: [Sew a Rash Guard Swimsuit Top Using your Favorite Raglan Pattern](https://www.simplykyra.com/sew-a-rash-guard-swimsuit-top-using-your-favorite-raglan-pattern/)

### [Barron Park Donkeys](https://www.yelp.com/biz/barron-park-donkeys-palo-alto?ref=simplykyra.com) 

But the [Barron Park Donkeys](https://barronparkdonkeys.org/?ref=simplykyra.com)! This was why I first came to the park though back then the kids were too cold so we didn't go far enough to find them. I went back twice in 2022 with the girls. The first time we brought scooters and quickly found the donkey enclosure along the trail and waited for the donkeys to hopefully come closer while having a snack before going back to the park. The second time I did a bit more research online first and made sure to come when the donkeys took their weekly walk. At that time they were kept on the path so they wouldn't snack along the way. 

I had heard about these donkeys as Perry was the model they used for Donkey in the movie Shrek. If you want to know more I found this 2022 article in SFGate about them ([Obscure Bay Area: This Palo Alto park is home to the world's most famous donkey](https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/Barron-Park-Donkeys-Palo-Alto-Bol-Park-Shrek-15990915.php?ref=simplykyra.com)) and you can check out the main website to the [Barron Park Donkeys](https://barronparkdonkeys.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) here.

![Image shows the girls sitting on the bench in front of the labelled gate eating a snack.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_BolPark-Donkey_C3461AD1-2AFF-40C0-9A05-45BBB6546DC6.png)

The first time back after the pandemic we found the enclosure but the donkeys stood further away from us. 

![Image shows Ada petting a leashed donkey as Zoey watches. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_BolPark-Donkey_2446.jpeg)

The second time we came when it was busier so we can see the donkeys on their walk, hear about them, and best of all pet them!

## [](https://www.yelp.com/biz/heather-farm-park-walnut-creek?ref=simplykyra.com)

## [Palo Alto: Mitchell Park](https://www.yelp.com/search?find%5Fdesc=Mitchell+Park&find%5Floc=Palo+Alto%2C+CA&ref=simplykyra.com) 

### Overview

The [Mitchel Park playground in Palo Alto](https://www.yelp.com/search?find%5Fdesc=Mitchel+Park&find%5Floc=Palo+Alto%2C+CA&ref=simplykyra.com) was a big destination over the years. The kids loved playground and the fact that the pathway there included a bridge. I love that there was a bathroom on the way to the park, the amount of parking, and the walking distance proximity of two other playgrounds and a library. 

![Image is a screenshot of the map of Mitchell Park marked with grey and black to show the playgrounds and parking spots.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_MitchelParkMagicalBridges.png)

The grey circles show the playgrounds and library while the black ones show the large parking lots. This screenshot of Apple Maps was taken on January 14th, 2024 and marked to show the spots.

If it was a hot day we might skip [Magical Bridges](https://www.yelp.com/biz/magical-bridge-playground-palo-alto-4?ref=simplykyra.com) and go straight to the [spray park and playground](https://www.yelp.com/biz/mitchell-park-palo-alto?ref=simplykyra.com) at the top right of the above photo. We absolutely loved the elephant statue and the concrete gopher holes there so on really good days we might include this along with Magical Bridges. When going to Magical Bridges (far left circle) I often made the kids skip the the smaller park on the way (second from the left) so I could use it as a stopping point on the way home. There's three bathrooms that I can remember: by the small park on the left, by the spray park on the right, and at the library. 

I absolutely adored that with one parking spot I could have a complete outing! If you bring a picnic lunch theres tables and benches at Magical Bridges and copious other spots along with [a cafe (Ada's Cafe currently closed Mondays)](https://www.yelp.com/biz/adas-cafe-palo-alto-2?osq=Ada%27s+Cafe&ref=simplykyra.com) at [the library](https://www.yelp.com/biz/city-of-palo-alto-mitchell-park-library-palo-alto-3?ref=simplykyra.com). 

### Parking

There a long parking lot joining two of the main roads and I've always been able to find a spot... that said, I mainly came on weekdays and according to Yelp the parking lot can fill up on weekends and holidays. 

![Image is a closeup of the lavender blooms from the trellis lining the pathway. Blurred in the background are the girls walking hand in hand in front of a mainly empty parking lot. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_MagicalBridges_PaloAlto_2766.jpeg)

Waking back to the vehicle after fun at the park and getting to play in the surprise rain.

### Small Park

On the walk over to Magical Bridges you pass a small park to the right of the path. Across the path from it are two locking bathrooms. We normally stopped at the bathrooms on the way to the Magical Bridges playground and I used this smaller playground to entice the girls to leave Magical Bridges when we needed to leave... or go to the bathroom. 

![Image shows my knees as I sit and watch the kids spin or run she equipment course... how they were taking turns on the spinning that day.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_MagicalBridges_PaloAlto_A658D889-CD48-4D93-9FF0-DD096A5DA5F1.jpeg)

There are steps you can sit on to watch the kids play. Only issue, if you're watching multiple younger kids, are the swings are just far enough away to feel stressful.

### [Magical Bridge Playground](https://www.yelp.com/biz/magical-bridge-playground-palo-alto-4?ref=simplykyra.com)

This is the magical bridge playground we spent the most time at though I especially loved it on colder weekdays when it wasn't quite as crowded. To get to it from the parking lot you follow the path past the tennis courts, the smaller playground, and then go over a bridge. There you'll see a 3D map of the park and a gate to get in. Once through you have a ramp going down to the main playground or you can run to the right to go directly to the upstairs of the playhouse or to the top of the hill. 

![Image shows the guardrail on a bridge with a kid looking out at the water below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_MagicalBridges_PaloAlto_0003.jpeg)

The kids always loved it when we passed over water flowing in Adobe Creek.

![Image shows the girls looking at a wet metallic three dimensional map. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_MagicalBridges_PaloAlto_2756.jpeg)

The map is 3D making it perfect to visualize by hand or by eye. 

![Image shows the girls running along a wide wooden platform towards the hill in the background. Both are carrying a piece of cardboard to slide in more ways. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_MagicalBridges_PaloAlto_5344.jpeg)

From the gate you can run directly to the sliding hill or the upper level of the wheelchair-accessible playhouse... or instead go to the left to use the ramp down and find a spot to watch from the main playground.

![Image shows Zoey going down the rolly slide with Matt behind her while Ada uses the metal loops to climb the hill beside the slide.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_MagicalBridges_PaloAlto_6848.png)

The different slides are all grouped on one hill along with stairs, access to the platform for wheelchairs, and climbable areas. Plus any and all of the empty areas on the hills are used for cardboard sliding. 

![Image is looking out from a chair in the lower level of the playhouse showing the stage, benches to watch from, and kindness wall. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_MagicalBridges_PaloAlto_2749.jpeg)

The lower level of the playhouse includes a stage to perform but also works as a place to stay dry if your kids want to stay to play in any surprise rainfalls... that said they may get mad when their cardboard box starts falling apart. 

### [Mitchell Playground](https://www.yelp.com/biz/mitchell-park-palo-alto?ref=simplykyra.com)

The kids loved the Magical Bridges playground but I adored the Mitchell Park playground so much more. You'll find it if you walk away from both Magical Bridges and the [Mitchell Park Library](https://www.yelp.com/biz/city-of-palo-alto-mitchell-park-library-palo-alto-3?ref=simplykyra.com). It has a water area, stone elephant, a sandy play area with a bridge, and concrete gopher holes to play at. The perfect open ended play! Like the smaller playground the swings are a bit further from the main area but this park was my absolute favorite and sometimes we came to Mitchell park just for this one.

![Image shows Zoey hugging Ada's waist as both girls sit on a concrete elephant. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_MagicalBridges_PaloAlto_5356.png)

When the kids were little I was called over to get them onto the elephant but they eventually figured out how to get on their selves. 

## [Palo Alto: Rinconada Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/rinconada-park-palo-alto?ref=simplykyra.com)

## [](https://www.yelp.com/biz/red-morton-community-park-redwood-city?ref=simplykyra.com)

### Overview

[Rinconada Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/rinconada-park-palo-alto?ref=simplykyra.com) was my favorite area for different reasons over the time we lived in the Bay Area. Though somehow I can't find any photos I took of the places. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_PaloAltoMuseumAndZoo.png)

This screenshot of Apple Maps taken on January 14th, 2024 and marked to show the spots.

### Playground

It's been awhile since we checked out the playgrounds but I remember them being at the two sandy and grey circled areas in the green. The left one was a bigger kid park we skipped out on while the right one was a smaller gated park that we absolutely loved. 

### [Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo](https://www.yelp.com/biz/palo-alto-junior-museum-and-zoo-palo-alto-2?ref=simplykyra.com)

When the girls were little we absolutely loved the [Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo](https://www.yelp.com/biz/palo-alto-junior-museum-and-zoo-palo-alto-2?ref=simplykyra.com) and visited frequently with friends where we'd start there but end at the toddler playground in the back for a picnic with food we brought and play until the kids got too grumpy. On this map the black lower left circle is parking while the grey circle next to it is the [Museum and Zoo](https://www.yelp.com/biz/palo-alto-junior-museum-and-zoo-palo-alto-2?ref=simplykyra.com). Before Covid the [Museum and Zoo](https://www.yelp.com/biz/palo-alto-junior-museum-and-zoo-palo-alto-2?ref=simplykyra.com) closed for renovations and it wasn't the same visiting the temporary exhibit at the nearby [community center](https://www.yelp.com/biz/cubberley-community-center-palo-alto?ref=simplykyra.com) so we just stopped doing any of it. That said, they've since reopened and the girls attended a birthday party there right atfter so we were able to check it out. It all looked amazing and was bigger and more involved than before so it understandably costs more and I could see needing to justify a longer visit and not being able to pack as much in as we used to if the kids were still as little. If you're interested [their main website can be found here](https://www.paloaltozoo.org/Home?ref=simplykyra.com).

### Libraries 

When I started researching libraries nearby I found both [a children's library](https://www.yelp.com/biz/childrens-library-palo-alto-2?ref=simplykyra.com) within toddler walking distance and a slightly further away main branch called [Rinconada Library](https://www.yelp.com/biz/city-of-palo-alto-rinconada-library-palo-alto-6?ref=simplykyra.com). 

### [Rinconada Pool](https://www.yelp.com/biz/rinconada-pool-palo-alto?ref=simplykyra.com)

I don't think I ever checked out this pool until peak pandemic when they opened the kiddie section for two families at a time. The change rooms were closed and it was a straight in and out of the one pool but it was our saving grace that summer. They later opened it to larger groups but we then stopped going. That said, I had to include it because of its proximity and awesomeness at that time. 

## [Sunnyvale: Fair Oaks Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/fair-oaks-park-sunnyvale?ref=simplykyra.com)

### Overview

I must admit that we only checked out the [Magical Bridges playground](https://www.yelp.com/biz/magical-bridge-playground-sunnyvale?ref=simplykyra.com) at the [Fair Oaks Park in Sunnyvale](https://www.magicalbridge.org/sunnyvale-playground?ref=simplykyra.com) and nothing else there but based on Yelp it has soccer fields, a skate board park, and tons of room. We never had issues parking but we also went at less busy times too. 

![Image is a screenshot of the map of Fair Oaks Park marked with grey and black to show the playgrounds and parking spots.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_MagicalBridgesSunnyvale.png)

This screenshot of Apple Maps taken on January 14th, 2024 and marked to show the spots.

### [Magical Bridge Playground](https://www.yelp.com/biz/magical-bridge-playground-sunnyvale?ref=simplykyra.com)

The first time we went to this playground we stayed for hours and we only went home because my phone was close to dying. The kids absolutely adored it because in addition to the stuff similar to their regular location this park also had a water play section with raised areas that the kids dubbed showers. They were soaked through and having a blast!

![Image shows a picnic table, tree, and the park stretched out. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_MagicalBridges_FairOaksSunnyvale_84E2086B-653C-4880-9B48-A9EDFD098F64.jpeg)

I started out the visit sitting at the picnic tables with their water bottles and a view of the entrance. 

![Image shows Zoey running away under the bridge holding a sheet of cardboard behind her. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_MagicalBridges_FairOaksSunnyvale_5264.jpeg)

After a quick check of the park Zoey was back asking for cardboard and then was quickly away again. 

![Image shows Ada sitting while Zoey stands behind her in the rocks beside a spray of water. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_MagicalBridges_FairOaksSunnyvale_5270.jpg)

Once they found the water play section they were hooked and I moved to a bench with a better view. 

![Image shows the girls spinning with the sliding hill behind them. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_MagicalBridges_FairOaksSunnyvale_5284.jpg)

They took quick spinning breaks and then were immediately back in the water again. 

## [Redwood City: Red Morton Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/red-morton-community-park-redwood-city?ref=simplykyra.com)

### Overview

The Friday before moving we were in the general area of Redwood City to use up our trampoline park voucher from [the girls' birthday party](https://www.simplykyra.com/ada-and-zoeys-joint-trampoline-party/). Our friends weren't available and Matt was working so I wanted to make a day of it just us three for old times sake. I knew there was another Magical Bridges Playground on the way home so after the trampoline park and a lunch at [In 'n Out](https://www.in-n-out.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) we checked out [Red Morton Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/red-morton-community-park-redwood-city?ref=simplykyra.com)... thus I've only visited this park once, but it was a great one! 

![Image is a screenshot of the map of Red Morton Park marked with grey and black to show the playgrounds and parking spots.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_RedmondMagicalBridges.png)

This screenshot of Apple Maps taken on January 14th, 2024 and marked to show the spots.

There was tons of parking available close to the park that early Friday afternoon (the circles on the left) that said I made the kids walk over to check out the roses (circle to the right) before playing. 

### Roses

When researching the park I found out there was a rose garden so I had the girls detour over to it with me before we headed to the playground. 

![Image is a closeup of pink and orange blooms with pinker ones behind.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_MagicalBridges_RoseGardenRockinJump_5396.jpeg)

The flowers were all gorgeous.

![Ada posed in front of the fountain with roses and pathways around. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_MagicalBridges_RoseGardenRockinJump_5409.jpg)

The kids had fun asking for photos in front of their favorite blooms or even the fountain.

If you do live in the area and love roses a while back, pre-covid, when I decided to check out all the libraries around us I found the [San Jose Municipal Rose Garden](https://www.yelp.com/biz/san-jose-municipal-rose-garden-san-jose?ref=simplykyra.com) which made for an awesome outing though we only went a couple times. Depending on which direction you're coming from the first time I splurged at a [Zanotto's Market](https://www.yelp.com/search?find%5Fdesc=zanottos&find%5Floc=San+Jose%2C+CA&ref=simplykyra.com) on my way over for sandwiches and cookies before wandering amongst the roses, picnicking on the field, reading at the [Rose Garden Branch Library](https://www.yelp.com/biz/rose-garden-branch-library-san-jose?ref=simplykyra.com), stopping at the mini playground there, and then going back to the car and home. It made for a good outing. 

### [Magical Bridge Playground](https://www.yelp.com/biz/magical-bridge-playground-redwood-city?ref=simplykyra.com) 

By this time I had gone on the [Magical Bridges website](https://www.magicalbridge.org/visit?ref=simplykyra.com) and confirmed that this was the last Magical Bridges park we'd be able to fit in before we moved out of the Bay Area. Like the Sunnyvale location this one also had a water feature though this was shaped to be a climbable waterfall with bench rocks along the side. The park was good but the rocks were hot against the kids' feet and they were tired so although they had fun we didn't stay as long as I had expected. 

![Image shows a portion of the water play section highlighting the rock benches and stream. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_MagicalBridges_RoseGardenRockinJump_CCBD02B2-A906-4515-8566-54F25E6CDB3D.jpeg)

The kids were able to walk up the waterfall stream and I found a hot spot off to the side on one of the rocks as they played. 

## [Walnut Creek: Heather Farm Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/heather-farm-park-walnut-creek?ref=simplykyra.com)

## [](https://www.yelp.com/biz/red-morton-community-park-redwood-city?ref=simplykyra.com)

### Overview

A while back we drove up to Walnut Creek to have [The Sewing Machine Shop](https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-sewing-machine-shop-walnut-creek-2?ref=simplykyra.com) clean my machines. Since we were driving all that way anyway we figured we'd make it a day and I hopped onto Yelp to find the [Heather Farm Park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/heather-farm-park-walnut-creek?ref=simplykyra.com). It was the perfect stop! The weather was perfect, the park was the perfect amount of crowded, we had a blast exploring, and the kids didn't want to leave. The next time we went it was a colder day, the park was empty, and it wasn't as great of a time as the kids had built it up in their heads. That said, this is a [perfect park](https://www.yelp.com/biz/playground-at-heather-farm-community-center-walnut-creek?ref=simplykyra.com) that comes with a [free walking garden](https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-gardens-at-heather-farm-walnut-creek?ref=simplykyra.com) to explore. 

![Image is a screenshot of the map of Heather Farm Park marked with grey and black to show the playgrounds and parking spots.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_HeatherParkWalnutCreek.png)

This screenshot of Apple Maps taken on January 14th, 2024 and marked to show the spots.

### [Playground](https://www.yelp.com/biz/playground-at-heather-farm-community-center-walnut-creek?ref=simplykyra.com)

Looking back I realize we didn't take very many photos of the park but it was a big size with many different zones including a sliding hill so definitely bring some cardboard. 

![Image shows various views of the Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Screenshot-2024-01-14-at-09.12.57.png)

Screenshot of the image search for `heather farm park in Walnut Creek` was on DuckDuckGo taken on January 14th, 2024.

### Lake

Along the path to the gardens there's a small lake with a fountain that the kids loved stopping at to watch. 

![Kids approaching the fence surrounding the lake with a fountain and rainbow beam.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_HeatherParkFarm_Sewing_3153.jpeg)

The kids loved coming across the fountain. 

![Image shows the kids in the distance approaching the lake with the community center in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_HeatherParkFarm_Sewing_3237.jpeg)

On the way back to the park we approached the lake from the other less exciting side.

### [The Gardens At Heather Farm](https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-gardens-at-heather-farm-walnut-creek?ref=simplykyra.com)

The gardens were my personal favorite part of the park as we meandered through and discovered fun bits. 

![Image shows a tunnel under the raised garden with Ada inside and Zoey ready to follow.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_HeatherParkFarm_Sewing_3169.jpeg)

The kids loved going through the tunnel we found.

![Image shows a pool of water surrounded by rocks and a guardrail behind with a spot of orange hiding behind. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_HeatherParkFarm_Sewing_3215.jpeg)

Further in we found stairs with pools and trickling streams and waterfalls. 

![Image shows the girl ahead on the path with trees on either side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_HeatherParkFarm_Sewing_3223.jpeg)

The kids had fun charging ahead again and again. 

![Image shows a sigh saying "stroll garden" with a bench under a tree behind.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_HeatherParkFarm_Sewing_3224.jpeg)

I loved the benches and signs throughout. 

![The bird statue appears to fly between the plants blocking it's base.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_HeatherParkFarm_Sewing_3231.jpeg)

From this vantage point the statue looks like it's soaring away. 

![Zoey crouched down staring at the ant trail. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_HeatherParkFarm_Sewing_3232.JPG)

The kids even found the ants along the trail fascinating. 

My absolute favorite part was this sign I found pointing to different children book locations like Mr McGregor's Garden, 100 Acre Wood, Narnia, Hogwarts, Wonderland, and the Shire. 

![A wooden post showing some fictional locations with a weather vane at the top.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_HeatherParkFarm_Sewing_3158.jpeg)

I loved coming across this sign. 

![Girls side by side pointing at the sign. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_HeatherParkFarm_Sewing_3162.jpeg)

I had to snap a photo of the kids pointing to it. 

![A wooden post showing some fictional locations with a weather vane at the top.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_HeatherParkFarm_Sewing_3165.jpeg)

And then snag a clearer photo showing both Narnia and The Shire. 

---

With all the parks we visited I couldn't include them all but I wanted to try to share all the ones we enjoyed the most so you could enjoy them too. 

I hope these tips help you find fun parks in your neighborhood and beyond! If they did or if you have any other tips to help find fun parks please let me know in the comments below. Additionally, I'd love to hear about your favorite playgrounds so also share that. Overall I hope you're having a truly amazing day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Snowshoeing in the Lowlands of Mount Baker
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/snowshoeing-in-the-lowlands-of-mount-baker/
Last updated: 2024-03-10T16:00:58.000Z
Back near the end of January I decided to purchase a snowshoe tour through [](https://www.rei.com/events/94445/mt-baker-lowlands-snowshoe-tour?ref=simplykyra.com)[REI Events](https://www.rei.com/events?ref=simplykyra.com) that took me [snowshoeing through the Mount Baker lowlands](https://www.rei.com/events/94445/mt-baker-lowlands-snowshoe-tour?ref=simplykyra.com). I'm so glad I did as the excursion was fun, the weather was great, and it was a winter wonderland. So come along with me as we snowshoe the trail!

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Snowshoeing-in-the-Lowlands-of-Mount-Baker---Pinterest.jpg)

---

## **Good to Know**

The excursion was in [Mount Baker, Washington](https://www.rei.com/events/94445/mt-baker-lowlands-snowshoe-tour?ref=simplykyra.com) with two [REI guides](https://www.rei.com/events?ref=simplykyra.com) so I had full confidence in our safety. If I were to repeat this snowshoe outing; however, I wouldn't go as far by myself unless the weather was good and I did a more thorough research into avalanche awareness. 

### **Trail**

While on the excursion I used AllTrails to track where we went so afterwards I was easily able to see exactly where we had gone. We went above the tree line as the weather was good and the guides were experienced in spotting potential avalanche areas. Even so they told us, on the last section, to not stop just in case. 

![Image shows the snowshoe path taken from AllTrails that we took that day.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_2024-01-28-at-14.32.25.png)

We started and ended at the parking lot, shown near the top, and stopped for a food break by [the Artist Point trailhead](https://www.mtbaker.us/summer-info/artist-point/?ref=simplykyra.com) near the bottom. This was a "there and back" trip and we mainly followed our previous path on the way back. 

![Screenshot of the total stats screenshotted from AllTrails. It shows the length, elevation gain, moving time, average pace, calories, total time, and the splits. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_2024-01-28-at-14.32.47.png)

In case you're interested here are the stats afterwards. I didn't pause it when we took breaks so that would have affected the pace too.

### **Trail Links**

I went looking for an alternative link to give you for the [Mt. Baker Lowlands Snowshoe Tour](https://www.rei.com/events/94445/mt-baker-lowlands-snowshoe-tour?ref=simplykyra.com). On AllTrails the [Upper Lodge to Artist Point Trail](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/upper-lodge-to-artist-point-trail?ref=simplykyra.com) might be the closest match but it does go a bit further than we went. That said, the Washington Trail Association website looks way more helpful as the links I found, using their map function, are specific to snowshoeing with two links found in the general area: [Huntoon Point Snowshoe](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/huntoon-point?ref=simplykyra.com#hike-trailhead-and-map) and [Artist Point Snowshoe](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/artist-point-snowshoe?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Screenshot shows the map and trail on the right and the hike information on the left.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Screenshot-2024-01-28-at-14.33.39.png)

Took this screenshot of the [Upper Lodge to Artist Point Trail](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/upper-lodge-to-artist-point-trail?ref=simplykyra.com) on the AllTrails website on January 28th, 2024\. 

![Collage of two side by side screenshots. The left shows the Huntoon Point Snowshoe while the right shows the Artist Point snowshoe.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Screenshot-2024-01-29-at-10.06.16.png)

Took this screenshot of two side by side browser windows both showing the Washington Trail Association website that might match up with the area: [Huntoon Point Snowshoe](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/huntoon-point?ref=simplykyra.com#hike-trailhead-and-map) and [Artist Point Snowshoe](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/artist-point-snowshoe?ref=simplykyra.com). Screenshot taken on January 29th, 2024\. 

### **Other Activities There**

The first hill we went up was alongside a ski slope where people were skiing down. I later discovered that they were manually going up using [climbing skins](https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/skinning-tips-for-uphill-travel-by-skis-or-splitboard.html?ref=simplykyra.com) and on the weekend, if the weather is good, there's a ski lift in operation. I looked online and found [this trail map for the ski hill](https://www.mtbaker.us/the-mountain/trail-map/?ref=simplykyra.com) if you're interested. Additionally, closer to the parking lot on the way back there were several families with kids playing and tobogganing in the snow. 

### **On The Way There**

On the way there we stopped at the [Skagit Valley Food Co-op](https://www.skagitfoodcoop.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) for a quick stop at the bathrooms along with optional food, coffee, and gift shop browsing. Once we arrived at the trailhead parking lot there was the option of vaulted toilets but if you prefer a more flushable option there was also an earlier rest stop, through [the Forest Service](https://www.fs.usda.gov/mbs?ref=simplykyra.com), on the way there. 

### **Alternatives**

If you're just looking to rent snowshoes I know REI offers rentals from various locations including, if you prefer the Snoqualmie area for instance, onsite at the [Hyak Sno-Park](https://www.rei.com/rentals/seattle/snoqualmie?ref=simplykyra.com). If you want a tour there's always the [REI ones](https://www.rei.com/events?ref=simplykyra.com) like what I took but I've since noticed that the forest service has a [Snowshoe with a Ranger](https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mbs/home/?cid=FSEPRD690771&ref=simplykyra.com) version. Additionally, Cherlyn at *Alpine Wanderlust* wrote an awesome post titled: [beginner’s guide to snowshoeing | resources for 20+ washington hikes](https://www.alpinewanderlust.com/wa-snowshoeing-guide/?ref=simplykyra.com). She has a comprehensive guide to what you need and, if you're in Washington, a list of potential hikes with links. For example here's the one for Artist/Huntoon Point: 

> artist point-huntoon point – caution   
> Description: 4 miles round trip, 1000 ft gain, above tree line, open slopes  
> Avalanche Risk: [NWAC](https://nwac.us/avalanche-forecast/?ref=simplykyra.com#/west-slopes-north), risk increases due to open slopes and passes near a lot of avalanche terrain, minimized if you stay along the ridge and don’t venture under steep slopes  
> Footwear: Almost always snowshoes or skis, snow is deep here  
> Drive: 2.5-3 hr from [Seattle to Bagley Lakes Loop Parking](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Seattle,+Washington/Bagley+Lakes+Loop,+Deming,+WA/?ref=simplykyra.com), Highway [SR 542 conditions](https://www.wsdot.com/traffic/passes/passinformation.aspx?ref=simplykyra.com#mt.bakerhwysr542link), paved road  
> Trip Reports: [WTA](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/artist-point-snowshoe?ref=simplykyra.com), [AllTrails](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/heather-meadows-and-artists-point-trail?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

## **Now Onto The** Photo**s!**

As I went on a group tour they stopped specifically to let as take photos at the more popular spots including occasionally offering to take our photos for us. That said, the other photos were taken based on whether the tour paused and if you had a chance to snap them. 

### **Parking**

The parking lot seemed huge at the time but it was also mostly empty seeing that it was a Friday morning. At one end of this parking lot there are two vaulted toilets with, at that time. toilet paper but we definitely needed our own hand sanitizer. 

![Image shows a view of the plowed parking lot with the mountain in the back.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5605.jpeg)

### **Heading Out**

At the last stop they handed out [gaiters](https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/gaiters.html?ref=simplykyra.com) so we'd have time to put them on. At this final stop they handed out [trekking poles](https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/trekking-poles-hiking-staffs.html?ref=simplykyra.com) and [snowshoes](https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/snowshoes.html?ref=simplykyra.com) before we headed to the snow so we could put them on, get a feel for them, and head on out.

![Image shows a hill covered with trees, snow, and some fog with a blue cloud streaked sky behind. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5609.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5612.jpeg)

![Snowy hill with trees in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and a mountain slope rising on the right the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5613.jpeg)

![A clear path with snow with trees to the left and in the background along with mountains and clouds. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5617.jpeg)

### **Heather Meadows Visitor Center**

When looking into the hike I was curious why the [Heather Meadows Visitor Center](https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mbs/about-forest/offices/?cid=STELPRDB5160279&ref=simplykyra.com) closed back in September since this was where we were going. Then we passed by the building inaccessibly surrounded by snow and I fully realized that the road to the center wasn't plowed and couldn't be accessed by vehicles. I had to include some shots in case you've hiked this area in the summer so you can see how much the snow changed the area.

![A trail goes in front with trees to the left, the snow covered building to the right on a hill, and mountains in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5619.jpeg)

![This photo is taken from a bit higher looking down at in nestled within the trees at the base of a hill with mountains in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5623.jpeg)

### **Heading up the Ski Slope**

With the visiter center pointed out we continued on but this time went up a steeper incline next to a cordoned off ski area. Here the slope was being groomed so the quiet of the slope was broken every time the vehicle came closer. While going up it was fun to watch the infrequent skiers going down and, on the way back down later, we needed to get out of the way for them heading up using [climbing skins](https://www.rei.com/search?q=climbing+skins&ir=q%3Aclimbing+skins&r=category%3Asnowsports&ref=simplykyra.com). 

![Snowy slopes, trees, Ridgeline, and a more cloudy day in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5625.jpeg)

![Empty slope with tracks and a hint of trees beyond the hill line.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5628.jpeg)

### **Above the Ski Slope**

Above the ski slope we had a break to breathe, enjoy the view, and take photos. In the next photo you can see a small flag to the right showing the top edge of that slope. 

![Image shows me in snowshoes with my poles grasped in one hand standing smiling with snow covered hills and mountains in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5629.jpeg)

![Image shows me in snowshoes with my poles grasped in one hand standing smiling with snow covered hills and a ridgeline.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5631.jpeg)

### **Continuing On**

We continued on after the break for photos enjoying the flatter terrain, for a bit, after that last hill.

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5635.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5639.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5641.jpeg)

### **View at the Top**

We lucked out with the weather and favorable conditions so after a pause to check how everyone was feeling we decided to continue on and ultimately go up another steep hill where we could stop, according to the map afterwards, near [the Artist Point trailhead](https://www.mtbaker.us/summer-info/artist-point/?ref=simplykyra.com), for a picturesque lunch. At the top we stomped out a spiral in the snow creating a flattened area, made sure to add a layer of clothing as we weren't moving, and sat down to rest, eat, and have a hot drink. 

Word of warning: The guides had been trained to spot avalanche dangers and after confirming that we were good to go warned us to not stop over that final stretch, both there and again while heading back, just in case there were issues. 

![Some stomped down snow on a hill with picturesque snowy trees, hills, mountains, and the sun through the clouds.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5643.jpeg)

![Some snow on a hill with picturesque snowy trees, hills, and mountains.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5647.jpeg)

![Pano image of a snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5648.jpeg)

![Image shows me in snowshoes with my poles grasped in one hand standing smiling with snow covered hills and mountains in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5650.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5652.jpeg)

![One of the guides noticed the glacier being visible so I quickly snapped this image of it with a tree in the foreground. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5653.jpeg)

### **Heading Back**

This trek is a "*there and back*" so once we finished eating and snapping photos we headed back down. On [previous hikes](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/hiking/) heading back still looked amazing but seemed similar to everything we saw before. This time it was different though I'm not quite sure if it was because I was in a larger group that didn't stop as much, looked down more with the pace and snowshoeing itself, or because of the clouds cover changed but heading back was so much more picturesque. 

![Snowy hill in the foreground with a treed hill and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5657.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5661.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5663.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5665.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5669.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5670.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5672.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5674.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5675.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5677.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5679.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5681.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5682.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and the sky in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5683.jpeg)

![Snowy treed hill in the foreground, mountains in the background, and cloudy sky above.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5684.jpeg)

![Snowy treed hill in the foreground, mountains in the background, and cloudy sky above.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5685.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and the sky in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5686.jpeg)

![Snowy hill in the foreground, trees in the middle range, and the sky in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5690.jpeg)

![This photo is taken from a bit higher looking down at in nestled within the trees at the base of a hill with mountains in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5689.jpeg)

### **And Done**

With that the snowshoeing adventure was over so we returned our gear and climbed back into the van to be driven back to the pickup spot. It was a great time with amazing snowy views that I had to share with you! 

I hope all these photos find you well and you're having a great week.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Potential Tips From Our Long Distances Moves
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/potential-tips-from-our-long-distances-moves/
Last updated: 2024-02-25T16:00:39.000Z
My family and I have been on two long distance moves. Both moves were over land rather than requiring air travel so although we downsized we didn't need to start completely fresh in a new location. Here is what we did along with some potential tips we learned and I'd also love to hear yours in the comments below!

![Pinterest geared image with a collage of four images, my post title, and website url.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Potential-Tips-From-Our-Long-Distances-Moves---Pinterest.png)

---

I know that there are a lot of blog posts and articles out there for the logistics of planning a long distance move and which companies to trust so instead I decided to share more generalized tips and tricks I've learned as the logistics themselves will change over time

The first move we did was international (from Canada to the United States) so it consisted of way more paperwork and limitations on just when we could first cross the border. As such we scheduled the process so we could be at the border the night before we were allowed to cross which optimized the time we had before Matt's job started to drive the rest of the way and set ourselves up. 

In contrast the more recent move was within the United States, about half as far in distance, and we had way more time to prepare so it had way less pressure. 

## Scoping Out The Location

### The Unknown 

The first move was about 24 hours away via Google maps. We also weren't 100% sure about the move until Matt was indeed hired so between an almost one year old daughter, packing everything up, Matt finishing up projects at his current job, and selling our house all within a month or so it was busy. We had visited San Francisco proper earlier but hadn't checked out the rest of the Bay Area so everything we knew was based on research online. We decided to rent a furnished short-term rental ahead of time to use as our base while we got used to the area, switched over to a new country, and looked for a longer term rental. As such, other than finding that first rental, online, we didn't actual scope out the location ahead of time. 

### The Vague Area

With the second move we made the decision months in advance and were able to talk to people who lived in the general area for recommendations on cities, school districts, and neighborhoods. This second time around, with the kids, we knew we wanted to skip a furnished short-term rental and have something with less transitions than last time but we still wanted the flexibility of moving again if we wanted a different neighborhood or even city. As such we cautiously chose to rent to get a feel for the area and have the freedom to look around once we were situated. 

With the extra time we had to plan we were able to see what rentals options were on [Zillow](https://www.zillow.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and narrow down the potential areas ahead of time. We were also able to plan a vacation to roadtrip to the new area with the kids. About a week before that trip we picked homes, based on previous research, and messaged the owners to book in person viewings. We had a couple cities picked out but seeing the location and potential homes in person truly helped make that decision. Beyond the knowledge that the school district was good and, once we signed our lease, doing a drive through the elementary school parking lot that we were zoned to we didn't do too much in depth research. That said, the act of seeing the area in person gave us, and especially the kids, peace of mind with our decision and helped with the final packing and goodbyes as we knew exactly where we were going. It also helped that we had spotted a restaurant that we wanted to check out that we looked forward to eating at that first full day in our new home. 

### In Depth Research

We didn't do too much in-depth research either time. That said one person I know was deliberating on a long distance move to a new house purchase rather than a rental. When she checked out the area in person she brought her workout clothes and went running through the potential neighborhood to talk with the neighbors and get a feel for the area. She also booked in-person visits with all the local schools her kids were slated for. 

## Planning Ahead

### Choosing Our Moving Company

What we looked for in a moving company changed between moves. The first time around we planned to stay in a furnished short-term rental while we looked for our new home so we choose a company that could take our packed items in one country, store them for us until we knew where we'd be, and then deliver it to the new location. The second time around, in contrast, we wanted our stuff on a quicker timeline.

I can't remember exactly how we chose the moving company that first time but the second time around we contacted four moving companies and got four different quotes. The first company did a video chat walkthrough and gave us a weight and cost estimate. The second company took that pre-determined weight to make their estimate. The third company had us install an app where we recorded short videos of our stuff which were analyzed to calculate their estimate by their AI. And the fourth company scheduled an in-person walkthrough. 

We had read to go with the company with the mid-range estimate and planned to do the same here but quickly noticed that the numbers in each estimate were quite different and that the estimated weight from that first company was drastically larger than we expected. That said, we liked their reviews online so after some back and forth we got another estimate assuming that we had only half our weight which let us to realize that they may be charging us just under a $1 a pound. We then bought a [heavy duty scale](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09TN8BGPC/?ref=simplykyra.com) so we could decide if our items were worth moving or replacing as we went. With this purchase we ended up weighing our boxes as we packed, looking up the weight listed online of our heaviest items, and choosing to potentially getting rid of more items than we had initially thought which ultimately lead to sending a more accurate weight estimate to that first company. In response they offered to switch us to volume-based moving which ended up cheaper but meant we had a general delivery window and had to wait several weeks to get a firm delivery date and our stuff. And with that the first company was chosen.

### Replacements

With the move we analyzed our items, especially the larger ones, to see if they were worth moving or if we should just donate it. In hindsight I realize that this move we were able to take advantage of replacing items while the first time around, since our items were newer, it felt more like a forced downsizing. 

One example of this was with the kids' bunk bed. We had bought a sturdy one that we pictured growing with the kids as it had stairs with storage and, if needed, could be taken apart to make two separate beds. With the move; however, we calculated the cost and space of moving the bunk bed and knew the kids would probably prefer a regular twin sized bed instead. This simple realization led to donating their bunk bed, junking their mattresses, and even donating their dressers. It then expanded to the rest of the house where we also donated all of our bookshelves and junked both our couch and entertainment stand. This saved so much space and weight while moving and allowed us to upgrade our items (bed, mattress, and couch) or simply not replace them (dresser and bookshelves). This also allowed us to research, purchase, and set up the needed replacements before our stuff even arrived. 

### Buy Nothing

On the topic of replacements I found my local [Buy Nothing](https://buynothingproject.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) group on Facebook years ago and, especially downsizing for the move, found them so helpful to have. At first I did posts with individual and grouped items and scheduled pickups but closer to the move I just put everything outside for an unmanned free *garage sale* and posted quick photos online in the group. 

### Shopping Apps

We used to pay for Instacart and during that time I discovered the app was useful to scope out which store a particular item might be located in. An example of this was years ago when I was looking for lots of cornstarch for the [kids' birthday party](https://www.simplykyra.com/oobleck-a-simple-two-ingredient-sensory-material/) and realized a kitchen supply store unknown to me was the best bet. When we stopped our subscription I kept the app downloaded in case I had trouble finding a particular item again. 

As such, this time around, I was able to go back into the app and set my location to some business in the general area we thought we'd move to so I could see which grocery stores were nearby and what they had. This was particularly helpful when the kids were concerned about items they may miss like [Ghirardelli branded brownie mix](https://www.simplykyra.com/pineapple-brownie-cake/) which I realized through the app was available everywhere. That said, if you're using it just to find an ingredient and already know the stores in the area I've recentlynoticed using a store-specific app can be more helpful in seeing if they have it in stock and, potentially, where it might be located or if the item needs to be shipped to you. 

### Restaurants and Fast Food 

Before the move the kids kept mentioning fast food locations they loved so I kept looking up locations online to show whether they already existed in our new home area or not. Places like [In-N-Out](https://www.in-n-out.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) weren't in the new area so they were focused on repeatedly along with a goodbye meal both times we drove out of California. The fast food restaurant concerns were numerous enough that I showed the kids where the stores existed in the new area on a map and made sure to check out a few of them, like [Panda Express](https://www.pandaexpress.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), while searching for our new home to prove that it did in fact taste the same as in California... a frequently mentioned concern once the location was shown. For Matt and I we made sure to visit favorite restaurants each time we went out hoping to get our fill before we moved and couldn't eat there anymore. 

![Kids enjoying their burger and fries together.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_5949.jpeg)

We had only ordered In-N-Out to take home until closer to our move when we dined in. The kids loved eating in as it was so novel. 

### Stores and Experiences

I absolutely adore the local flowers, Farmer's Market, and the [ginger beer from Ginger Labs](https://drinkgingerlab.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) so when I knew I was moving away I made sure to make all three a priority whenever I could. I had actually hoped to get tired of the ginger beer... unfortunately I now love it even more and in the process discovered some amazing sheep milk yogurt popsicles I'm also now missing. 

![Tree with large white and purple blooms.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/11/compressed_IMG_0530.jpeg)

I love all the flowers but the magnolia trees were my absolute favorite.

![Image is a closeup of me holding a yogurt popsicle and bundle of flowers with a sunbeam in front. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/11/compressed_IMG_4553.jpeg)

Loved the solo walk to the farmers market and tried to go often especially closer to the move. 

### Social Media

First through numerous [sewing groups](https://www.simplykyra.com/what-i-made-during-the-2022-sewing-challenge/) and later through city-specific mom groups I’ve discovered a large community within Facebook. As such, when we first made the decision to move I immediately hopped onto Facebook to see what location-specific groups were close to our potential hometown. There I was able to search for home-related questions, ask for recommendations (found and booked our orthodontist and pediatrician before moving), and get a general feel for the community. After the move I searched for more specific groups based on the activities I was interested in and hoped they would provide me with ideas of what to do, gorgeous views of my new area, and potential meetups. 

### Events

Are there any birthdays or occasions coming up that might be better to celebrate early with your current friends than right after you move and haven't met anyone yet? My girls' birthdays are a couple of months apart right before and after when we planned to move. I realized it would be much easier to invite guests pre-move which led to [an early venue-based joint birthday party](https://www.simplykyra.com/ada-and-zoeys-joint-trampoline-party/) that the kids had an absolute blast at while the parents visited.

![Image shows an orange lined table with food and decorations,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/11/compressed_IMG_3529.jpeg)

Quick set up at a venue made for a party with less work and more visiting. 

### Memberships

Make a point of checking what the expiration date is on your membership cards so you can take advantage of a final visit before you have to justify paying the daily admission fee for a quick goodbye. I dropped the ball on this but luckily a friend brought up the local zoo and amusement park only a couple weeks before mine expired but it felt rushed trying to get it in. I completely missed out on another one, the local [LEGOLAND® Discovery Center](https://www.legolanddiscoverycenter.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), but as we made a point of visiting a [LEGOLAND®](https://www.legoland.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) prior I was able to point out that we did have a LEGO® goodbye... I cared more about missing it than the kids and if they were younger I would've paid for one more time.

![Image shows the kids playing at one of their parks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/11/compressed_IMG_3844.jpeg)

We absolutely enjoyed [Happy Hollow](https://happyhollow.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) as the kids grew up and I'm so glad we had an opportunity to visit it before our membership ended. 

![Image shows a goat resting in an empty water barrel while another one rests in the back. Zoey approaches with grass. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/11/compressed_IMG_5205.jpeg)

And how can you not enjoy hanging with the goats!

### Appointments

Do you have any appointments booked before you move? Don’t forget your records! Knowing we were moving ahead of time led to requesting our medical records when attending our final appointments. Although I'm still having difficulty moving my medical records over I was able to request and receive our vaccination record (for our new school but it also helped at the first well-child appointment too), all of our most recent dental x-rays, and our current optometry prescription. I knew it would be easier to reach out when we were still in the area than attempting to get it post-move when we were further away and it may be more time specific.

This isn't just for medical appointments. The girls and I had a hairdresser that we absolutely loved so when I went to our last appointment I made sure to understand what she did and take lots of photos of my hair immediately after so I better know what to ask for with a new hairdresser later. 

![Selfie I took after my haircut. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/11/compressed_IMG_3775.jpeg)

Say cheese!

## Enjoy Your Current Location

Before your move be sure to enjoy your current location. For instance are there any bucket list places you've been meaning to check out? Any favorite go to places you're going to miss? Or even a particular view on your commute? Try to take some time to experience them more. 

Leading up to moving we did check out some new locations but mainly focused on current favorite places. For the last several months I told the kids to assume each visit might be the last visit whether it was a simple playground or something larger like our final vacation to LEGOLAND® and the beach. Each time I tried to also remember to say goodbye to both the location and the experience when we left.

Since we had time I always tried to prioritize visiting friends and locations and loved when friends could visit the locations with us. That extra time, compared to our first long distance move, meant packing could be done in the times between while my website and other hobbies took a break since I could pick them back up again post-move. My biggest regret from my first move was not saying goodbye to the area and not having enough time to hang out more with my friends. 

![Image shows the kids posed by the Welcome sign outside the entrance.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/11/compressed_IMG_1787.png)

Loved that we could visit LEGOLAND® again.

![Kids looking at the chickens.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/11/compressed_IMG_1355.jpeg)

But I think I enjoyed visiting our old haunts like [Deer Hollow Farm](http://deerhollowfarmfriends.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) even more. 

![Image shows the kids eating while looking through a window with a heard on it showing the Golden Gate Bridge. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/11/compressed_IMG_5485.jpeg)

Although I had biked the Golden Gate Bridge years ago even before moving to the area we had only driven on it ever since.... so we made a point to walk over it, grab some food, and head back. 

## Moving 

### Our Stuff

During the first move we downsized to a single vehicle and imported it by driving it over the border and to our new location. Since it would be months until we got our stuff we made sure to pack the van full of our important documents and bare necessities. I hadn't included any kitchen items as the short-term rental came furnished so looking back I wish I had brought more of our essential day to day items (like a favorite pot and smaller utensils) along with a playpen so the days in the new place could have gone easier for me. 

The second time around we moved to an empty home but knew it would only be weeks until the movers came with our stuff. As such we again took advantage of the room in our van and the fact that we took two trips. The first drive up, when checking out rentals, we made sure to pack items we thought were essential to our new home but that we also knew we didn't need before the move. In case you're doing the same the first time there we stored:

- sleeping essentials: sleeping bags, air mattresses, and backup sheets
- kitchen essentials: pots (split them up so I'd have some at both places), cookie sheets (perfect as a flat bottom in bin), pizza stone (heavy and breakable to pack), and some backup essential items like steak knives, a cutting board, and an extra grater.
- important awkwardly shaped items: Matt fit a heavy and cumbersome project he was working on in an old suitcase
- activities: yarn and a hook, sourdough kit, card games, and some craft kits that the kids' had received for their birthday and seemed better to save for after the move
- surprises: ordered some map magnets of our old and new location that I could pull out if and when the kids missed it or were sad. Also added [the kids signed birthday party shirts](https://www.simplykyra.com/ada-and-zoeys-joint-trampoline-party/) to surprise them with at the new place.

All these items were packed up along with our suitcases, for what we needed on the actual trip, and our first stop before even going to the hotel was the storage company we had checked out online ahead of time. After our move, right after getting our keys and unpacking what we currently had, we went back to the storage facility and grabbed our stuff so we could set up for the night. 

In that second trip, while moving, we made sure to bring the items that couldn't be moved (batteries) and the essentials we couldn't live without. We also made sure there was room for our two suitcases with one containing everything we needed for the hotel. That along with our backpacks containing electronics, important papers, and water bottles also needed to be readily accessible on the road for whenever we stopped. Looking back some of these items included:

- important papers
- batteries: movers didn't let us pack them
- electronics: day to day laptops, ipads, and game system
- internet: wifi/router and related power cords for easy internet hookup
- all our favorite dishes: so we could use it right away and it's protected in the move
- kitchen essentials: coffee machine, kettle, teapot, instapot, knives, silverware, dishclothes, and linen that had a double duty to pack everything securely
- suitcases with ten days worth of clothing for each of us and main toiletries
- vacuum with the charging cord but not the stand or extra accessories: I missed our vacuum with the first move and this way I could vacuum after the movers left
- general fun: inflatable paddleboard and my life jacket: we planned to buy lifejackets for everyone else and head out when we still had more time before our stuff arrived
- kid stuff: closed bin for each kid and open basket at their feet for their chosen essential toys and activities

This load was more pivotal than the last because if something didn't fit we wouldn't have any way to take it with us as the movers had already gone so we did two practice loads in advance. 

The first practice load was a week or so before the move. In this one we brought out more bins than we needed, suitcases, backpacks, empty boxes, and some larger items. This run was to figure out what we could bring based on what fit and what configuration would work best. Everything that fit was put in a special pile which I packed into over the next week. During this process we made sure to plan to only include a basket of toys, accessible to the kids, in the seat area as that would be ideal and, realistically, there's always extra items you forget about so there needs to be extra space unaccounted for. 

The second practice load was a day before the move once I had switched to paper plates and everything we wanted in the van was packed up. This was the final dress rehearsal where all the spots were figured out and anything that didn't fit could still be packed. Once we figured it all out the items were removed, the essentials for that night and the next morning were made accessible, and everything went back into its own pile for the movers to ignore. 

In hindsight I'm so glad we did the practice runs as Matt knew each empty space we could've used in the first two runs so when we inadvertently discovered new things we needed to bring we somehow found space for it. 

### Day

It's a tough day but you've got this!

This time around we simplified the process by scheduling a junk pickup the day after the move so we could leave things at the curb. During the move itself we let the kids binge on their iPads while sitting on their mattresses in the corner of their room while the movers emptied everything out and we cleaned. When lunch came Matt and I kept going while the kids helped empty the last of the pantry outside and out of the way. 

![Room mostly packed up with the kids on their iPads in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/11/compressed_IMG_5914.jpeg)

The kids hung out out of the way as we all packed, moved, and cleaned.

![Two baskets of snacks, water bottles, paper plates, and two happy kids at the patio furniture outside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_5932.jpeg)

And when one of the batteries ran out and they got hungry I sent them outside with the last of the snacks I had saved, a compost bin. a garbage bag, and their water bottles for a snacking extravaganza!

The first move Ada was just under one so I think we added toys to a play pen and stayed close. I do remember the move going longer than expected so we moved her play pen to a quiet walk in closet for a nap and frequently checked in on her. 

The local move, between these two longer ones, were filled with playdough, art, kitchen toys, picnics, and, of course, the emergency electronics once the toys disappeared. 

![Image shows a table strewn with playdough toys, playdough, and toy cars along with two kids.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/11/compressed_IMG_1176.jpeg)

Leading up to the move there was a lot of [playdough](https://www.simplykyra.com/make-your-own-playdough/) fun while I packed which was made funner when combined with the [kitchen set](https://www.simplykyra.com/kids-play-kitchen/) with toy pots and pans. 

![Image shows a simple marbled disc of playdough saying Zoey with two hearts above and below beside a box of washable markers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/11/compressed_IMG_1111.jpeg)

Adding in [markers](https://www.simplykyra.com/coloring-on-playdough/) was simple to clean but also upgraded their **cakes* while adding a cool marbling effect on their own terms. 

![Cheersing water bottles as we picnic.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/11/compressed_IMG_2091.jpeg)

I premade a simple lunch of [tortilla wrapped bananas](https://www.simplykyra.com/simple-banana-wraps/) for the girls and set aside a picnic blanket so when we got to the new place the kids and I stayed out of the way with an outside picnic while Matt helped the movers bring in our boxes.

This time around with the movers gone, the van packed for the last time, the place cleaned, and the keys passed on we were on our way! 

![View of the space between the girls and the full back. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_5944.jpeg)

On our way and truly packed in. 

## Enjoy Your New Space

And remember to enjoy your new space after the move! Life gets crazy and then suddenly there's a new routine you may feel stuck in. 

I had made sure the potentially messier craft kits and some window markers we'd never used before were in the first van load so in the downtimes the kids had fun personalizing their new space. It was also cool to see what they picked when given an item limit at the local Dollar Tree... we quickly were glitterized. We also enjoyed the local area with a lot of swimming and local walks. 

![Room with outdoor chair, cushion, and a blanket covered air mattress for a couch.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_6363.jpeg)

Once the kids got their new beds their air mattress became a temporary couch while we waited for that purchase to arrive.

![Image shows a collage of Dollar Tree toys, crafting snow globe, and drawn on windows. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Potential-Tips-From-Our-Long-Distances-Moves----Image.jpg)

Crafts, new toys, and window markers both gave them something to do and helped personalize their new space. 

![Image shows a dirt path through trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/11/compressed_IMG_1755.jpeg)

With life back on track I returned to coding and blogging while also making a point to check out the area. 

---

I hope this helps you as you're going through your own move. If you have your own tips or tricks I'd love to hear about it in the comments below so it can help someone else. And with that I leave you with the double rainbow we saw on the road after driving through the lightening our first drive up!

![Double rainbow after the lightening our first drive up!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_4417-1.jpeg)

I hope you're having a great day and a good week!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Quick and Easy Valentine’s Day Themed Breakfast Idea
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/quick-and-easy-valentine-day-themed-breakfast-idea/
Last updated: 2024-02-11T16:00:56.000Z
Last year, on Valentine’s Day morning, the girls asked about a Valentine’s Day surprise. I had planned to gift them their chocolate after school and hadn’t thought beyond that so I quickly offered to have the girls exchange their [valentine’s](https://www.simplykyra.com/2023/02/07/simple-valentines-for-school/) with each other and put them on the table… and then the mom guilt hit at not having had anything planned and so I looked around the kitchen to try to figure out something special I could quickly whip up before school. This is what I came up with.

![Pinterest-geared image showing my post's title, my main UR?L, and a collage of four images all shown below in the post too. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_Quick-and-Easy-Valentines-Day-Themed-Breakfast-Idea-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

## *Preparations*

I quickly looked through my kitchen to see what I had to work with and found some frozen homemade waffles and leftover cream cheese. I realized I could use my kitchen scissors to cut the waffles into a heart shape, dye my cream cheese pink, and let the kids decorate the heart shaped waffles themselves. With that plan in place I quickly grabbed the waffles, tried to cut them, failed, and tossed them in the toaster oven to heat up first.

At this time I had several blocks of cream cheese that needed to be used up so, earlier this week, I had opened one and put it in a leftover cleaned out Bonne Maman jam jar so the girls Ould spread it on their toast. As such I was able to grab the jar of cream cheese, remove the metal lid, and toss the bottom into the microwave to warm it up. I had chosen to warm up the cream cheese so it would be easier to mix in the dye to turn pink and, especially, for the girls to spread and ideally decorate the waffles quicker. I used just a couple drops of food dye before mixing it up and loved the final color.

![Image is a closeup, taken slightly from above, of the jar of pink cream cheese with a knife sticking out of it. Beside it is a large bottle of red food dye coloring.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_IMG_9601.jpeg?resize=750%2C547&ssl=1)

Once the cream cheese was softened I added a couple drops of red food dye and grabbed a knife to mix it in. Thus the cream cheese **icing* was ready! If the cream cheese was in a plastic container and/or I had wanted less dyed cream cheese I would’ve moved some into a small container or bowl before warming it up.

![Closeup of the same jar but now you can see lighter lines where the knife had scrapped off the cream cheese. The top is red, center pink, and bottom white with marbling between the layers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_IMG_9632.jpeg?resize=750%2C616&ssl=1)

While they were eating I admired the ombre affect as the bottom hadn’t gotten mixed in properly and the top was redder. I snapped a photo before putting the lid back on and putting it back in the fridge for the kids to finish over the next several days.

While the cream cheese was warming up, before dying, and the waffles were toasting I grabbed my sprinkles and two small cups (leftover from medicine) and started pouring out some of my Valentine’s themed sprinkles so the kids could decorate the heart waffles. I ended up going with some XOs from years ago, unicorn sugar sprinkles from [Ada’s last birthday](https://www.simplykyra.com/ada-exciting-eighth-birthday-party-at-home/), and some heart sprinkles leftover from a cookie decorating kit that very year (leftover as I had supplemented with other sprinkles). Previous years I simple sprinkled the sprinkles directly onto the edge-ish of their plate but I figured this year they had full control over where they ended up.

![Image shows two measured cups with about two teaspoons of sprinkles in each composed of three types creating layers. Behind and beside them you can see the packages the sprinkles were taken out of. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_IMG_9604.jpeg?resize=750%2C512&ssl=1)

I selected the most Valentine’s themed sprinkles and two small medicine cups before pouring some of each into the cups for the girls.

Once the waffles were heated, after making the cream cheese and laying out the sprinkles, I turned the square waffles into hearts by choosing a single corner to be the heart tip and trimming the remaining bits off to have the angled edges and dipped center. I then repeated this three more times making four hearts in all. In case the kids were still hungry and as I was trying to be quick I just left the leftover waffles bits on the plate so they could *ice* those pieces if needed too.

![Image shows two white plastic plates side by side next to the kitchen sink beside the kettle. On each are two heart shaped waffles and, to the side, the cut off edging.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_IMG_9599.jpeg?resize=750%2C363&ssl=1)

Since I never know which kid is hungrier than the other lately I divided up the waffles so one plate had the two medium ones while the other had the larger and smaller hearts. I then attempted to equal out the edge pieces too.

As a quick aside this is a perfect use of those not quite square waffles that come out of the waffle iron when you don’t add enough mix… since they have less to cut away.

And with that the Valentine’s Day themed breakfast was ready for the girls!

---

## *Breakfast*

After selecting the sprinkles, dying the cream cheese, and shaping the waffles breakfast was ready and waiting for the girls. They absolutely loved it and couldn’t wait to decorate, sprinkle, and eat them.

![Image shows the two plates from before out on the table spaced further apart. They both contain two heart waffles and the extra pieces. Beside them on the inner side sits the small container of sprinkles while between them sits the pink dyed and softened cream cheese with a knife in it for dishing. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_IMG_9606.jpeg?resize=750%2C409&ssl=1)

The quickly photographed table before the kids came.

![Image shows the two plates at a different vantage point so one is in the foreground and the other angled back into the background. Both have one waffle heart now pink with some sprinkles being added to it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_IMG_9608.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After grabbing their own knives and/or spoons the kids sat down to decorate their Valentine’s Day themed breakfast.

![Image shows a closeup of one of the plates with two hearts coated in pink cream cheese and sprinkles. The edge pieces aren't decorated. Beside it sits the cream cheese and container of extra sprinkles while Zoey is blurred in the back waiting to eat it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_IMG_9612.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Before eating Zoey wanted a quick photo of her finished heart waffles. I didn’t realize until later how much they looked like cookies once the waffle squares were covered up.

![Image shows both plates with the one in front just with edge pieces and Ada about to eat the last of it. In the back the mostly un-eaten hearts sit on Zoey's plate.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_IMG_9616.jpeg?resize=750%2C574&ssl=1)

Both girls enjoyed eating the heart waffles but decided to skip the edge pieces. Looking back, if this was planned, I could see not dishing the edges and, if not needed, turning them into croutons or something for later meals.

---

The girls loved their breakfast feast and I’m super glad I came up with it at the last minute…. and had waffles in my freezer.

If your kids are more pancake people I could see making dyed oven pancakes, if you have time, and then using a cookie cutter to shape them. I haven’t done this for Valentine’s Day yet but years ago I premade dyed green oven pancakes and, once cooled, I used a heart shaped cookie cutter to make shamrocks. I tossed them, prepped, into a container in the fridge so the morning of I just needed to plate and microwave them for a quick and simple breakfast. I just realized I’ve only done this once and I guess could surprise the kids again… anyway if you’re interested [you can check it out here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/03/16/easy-saint-patricks-day-themed-shamrock-sheet-pan-pancakes/).

Did you make these for Valentine’s Day? Do you prefer waffles or pancakes? If you did something else I’d love to hear about it! Maybe I could do the same in the future too. Whatever you did or plan to do I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And I hope you have a good Valentine’s Day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Dressing "Ginger" For Valentine's Day
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/dressing-ginger-for-february/
Last updated: 2024-02-04T16:30:23.000Z
Before Christmas [Ginger Lab](https://drinkgingerlab.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) came out with a wintery Christmas-feeling gingerbread person bottle which I had to have... I'd been missing the ginger beer itself so it was an easy choice to make. I absolutely loved her outfit and ended up later [filling her with mainly brown sand](https://www.simplykyra.com/creating-ginger-our-ginger-beer-bottle/) so she'd look more like a gingerbread cookie. With the decision to keep her as a year round decoration made I knew I needed to also create her a new outfit since it was no longer Christmas. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Dressing-Ginger-For-Valentine-s-Day---Pinterest.jpg)

---

## Quick Overview

I had decided I'd go simple and make her a pink scarf for Valentine's Day. Then it got more complicated when Zoey wanted to make *Ginger* some hair using a simple crochet chain. This decision led to me creating, essentially, a hat to use as a wig base but then after two strands of hair Zoey grew bored with making it, understandably, so I finished it off with a few more chains and moved them all to one location to look more like a pony tail. And with that *Ginger's* hat/hair and scarf was done. 

![Flat lay with the hat on its side with the hair to the left. The scarf is bent in the center to frame the hat below and to the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5366.jpeg)

The final hair and scarf for "Ginger"

![Back view showing the scarf and hair on Ginger.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5398.jpeg)

The back of the final outfit!

## Yarn Choices

We shopped my yarn stash for *Ginger's* clothing. Zoey went through looking for rainbow colors and seemed to ignore my stash of cotton yarns and went for the more special ones. She finally settled on the this unlabelled rainbow-ish yarn I had but later didn't like how it randomly got thicker in some spots. 

![Two unlabelled balls of yarn and four rolls of crochet thread on top of a clear bin full of yarn.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5312.jpeg)

The final yarn choices. 

Originally, for the scarf, I had pictured a pink and perhaps red sparkly yarn(s) but I didn't own anything like that. Instead I chose an unlabeled pink acrylic or cotton blend yarn for the scarf and paired it with four balls of [crochet thread](https://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/south-maid-crochet-thread-size-10?ref=simplykyra.com) I bought second hand years ago to add the idea of sparkle. I went with the pink Valentine's Day theme with two light pinks and a dark one before throwing in a blue to hopefully match the hair Zoey was creating. 

## Hair or Hat

The hat, or should we call it hair, started off with Zoey choosing her favorite rainbow yarn and then deciding to create crocheted chains for the hair strands. With her idea in place I decided to use the same yarn to make essentially a hat to attach Zoey's strands to. After two strands, which she loosely attached herself, she was done so I pivoted by making more hair strands and attaching them to the center of the now hat. Figured this way it can cover up the hole in the center and I could simply called it a ponytail. 

### TLDR: How To

**Hat**

1. [Magic circle](https://sarahmaker.com/crochet-magic-ring/?ref=simplykyra.com) with a round of [double crochet stitches (dc)](https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-make-double-crochet-stitch-3987790?ref=simplykyra.com) until it covered the lid and then close it off.
2. Another round of [double crochet stitches (dc)](https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-make-double-crochet-stitch-3987790?ref=simplykyra.com)
3. Increased the size with one [dc](https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-make-double-crochet-stitch-3987790?ref=simplykyra.com), one dc, two dc repeated all the way around
4. Finished off with a round of single stitches (sc)
5. [Cut my yarn, pulled to knot it, and used a large needle to hide my ends](https://blog.treasurie.com/how-to-finish-off-crochet/?ref=simplykyra.com).

**Hair**

1. Zoey made two [chains](https://www.wikihow.com/Crochet-a-Chain?ref=simplykyra.com) for each strand of hair
2. I made two chains twice as long so I could fold them in half to make a total of four additional strands of hair.

**Putting It All Together**

1. Tied Zoey's two strands together end to end to make one long one
2. Folded my two strands in half and tied the center with Zoey's making six strands gathered together
3. Sewed them to the center of the hat making sure they stuck out the top together

Done!

### How To Make The Hat

After listening to Zoey's hair idea and explaining how we'd make it happen I reminded Zoey how to make a [crochet chain](https://www.wikihow.com/Crochet-a-Chain?ref=simplykyra.com) with the pink thread while I quickly created the hat or wig base with her chosen rainbow yarn.

![Image shows our legs and yarn as we work on our own projects. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5318.jpeg)

She worked on her chaining while I looked up how to make [a magic circle](https://sarahmaker.com/crochet-magic-ring/?ref=simplykyra.com) and got started on the wig base (aka hat).

I quickly looked up a tutorial to remind me how to start [a magic circle](https://sarahmaker.com/crochet-magic-ring/?ref=simplykyra.com) and used [double crochet stitches (dc)](https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-make-double-crochet-stitch-3987790?ref=simplykyra.com) rather than [single stitches (sc)](https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/single-crochet-stitch-tutorial-979083?ref=simplykyra.com) to speed up its creation. Every once in a while I compared what I had with the bottle lid so I'd know how large to make it and when to [finish off the round with a slip stitch](https://blog.weareknitters.com/crochet-stitches/how-to-close-a-round-in-crochet-with-a-slip-stitch/?ref=simplykyra.com). Once ready I pulled it tight and closed it off with a slip stitch. Thus the original center circle was done!

![Image shows the circle almost complete with a red crochet hook still attached leaned up against the lid. It the back is the ripped off piece. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5322.jpeg)

I kept comparing my circle with the lid so I would know when to close the first round. 

To start the second round off I [chained two stitches](https://www.wikihow.com/Crochet-a-Chain?ref=simplykyra.com) to give me the height I needed before starting the round of simple [double crochet stitches (dc)](https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-make-double-crochet-stitch-3987790?ref=simplykyra.com). I kept the circle the same size by only adding one dc to each prior stitch. Once I returned to the beginning I [closed it off again with a slip stitch](https://blog.weareknitters.com/crochet-stitches/how-to-close-a-round-in-crochet-with-a-slip-stitch/?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows the current hat iteration fitted on the lid with the crochet hook behind it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5324.jpeg)

After the second round of [double crochet stitches (dc)](https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-make-double-crochet-stitch-3987790?ref=simplykyra.com) the hat was a bit tight but worked.

At this point the hat was a bit tight on the lid so I decided to increase the circle by adding a new stitch for every three stitches. To do this, in my third round, I again started by [chaining two stitches](https://www.wikihow.com/Crochet-a-Chain?ref=simplykyra.com) to give me the height. I then stitched a single [double crochet stitch (dc)](https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-make-double-crochet-stitch-3987790?ref=simplykyra.com) into the first stitch, a single dc into the next, and then two dc into the third stitch. I repeated this pattern of one dc, one dc, two dc all the way around the outside. I didn't count my stitches but I had two stitches remaining at the end so I simply repeated only the part of the pattern that I had room for with a single dc into each of them before ending that round. At the end I again [closed it off again with a slip stitch](https://blog.weareknitters.com/crochet-stitches/how-to-close-a-round-in-crochet-with-a-slip-stitch/?ref=simplykyra.com). 

At this point the hat looked good but I wanted a better edge so I chained one more stitch and did a round of [single crochet stitches (sc)](https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/single-crochet-stitch-tutorial-979083?ref=simplykyra.com) to finish it off. With the last round closed off with a slip stitch [I then cut my yarn, pulled to knot it, and used a large needle to hide my two ends](https://blog.treasurie.com/how-to-finish-off-crochet/?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows the hat on the lid with the lid fully hidden within. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5326.jpeg)

The finished hat before weaving in my ends. 

![The lid is now flipped upside down so you can now see the excess yarn out the sides. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5325.jpeg)

As you can see it goes beyond the lid bottom fully hiding it. 

![Image shows an empty and wet dapped bottle wearing the just finished hat and looking truly see through. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5330.jpeg)

[The bottle hadn't fully dried, was making the clothing while waiting to fill it with sand](https://www.simplykyra.com/creating-ginger-our-ginger-beer-bottle/), but I had to grab it for a quick fit test. 

And with that I passed the hat and rainbow yarn over to Zoey to start making the hair.

### How To Make The Hair

Zoey want to make the hair so I started the scarf while being available for consults. She started making a single [chain](https://www.wikihow.com/Crochet-a-Chain?ref=simplykyra.com) for the first strand of hair, put it in the hole in the center, and knotted it to keep it in place. She then made another strand and pushed it through another hole. Then she decided to work on something else so I had permission to continue the project on my own. 

![The hat is flipped upside down showing the interior of the hat and the know while the chained hair goes to the left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5348.jpeg)

She wanted a photo of the inside after adding the first strand to the hat. 

![The hat with the single strand of hair attached sit precariously on Zoey's blonde head. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5343.jpeg)

And of course she also wanted to wear the hat. 

Once she was done I decided to switch the plan from attaching each single strand individually to the wig base and instead gather them in one place and call it a ponytail. Zoey was in agreement so I quickly crocheted two more [chains](https://www.wikihow.com/Crochet-a-Chain?ref=simplykyra.com) twice as long as the first two with the idea we could fold them in half thus upping Zoey's count of two strands of hair to a total of six strands. 

### Putting It All Together

Before continuing it was time to prep the hair. After trying a few things I realized Zoey had cut the excess yarn on one of her chains a bit short so I decided to tie her two strands together making it as long as my two strands. I then gathered my two, folded them in half, and used Zoey's to tie them all together at that center point. 

![Image shows the two strands knotted together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5359.jpeg)

After thinking about it I decided to start by tying the two strands Zoey made hair end to end to make a new longer one. 

![Image shows the center point of all six strands tied together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5361.jpeg)

After finding the center point of my two strands I used Zoey's to knot them all together into one bundle.

With the ponytail knotted together I centered it in the hole made from the magic circle, flipped the hat mostly inside out, grabbed a scrap piece of yarn, and stitched it together to secure it. 

![Image shows the inside of the hat with the yarn already brought through it all once and the needle poised to do it again. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5363.jpeg)

I used a large yarn needle and a scrap of excess yarn Zoey cut off to attach the knotted stands to the hole in the hat. I brought it through everything four times before it felt secure and I realized I was running out of yarn to tie it closed.

![Image shows the hat inside out resting on the table with the hair going off to the right and the top knotted. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5365.jpeg)

I left either end free while sewing so once I was done I could tie the ends together to secure it all in one place. 

With the ponytail secured to the hat it was now done and ready to go!

## Scarf

While Zoey worked on the hair strands I started on the scarf. Here's how I made it!

### TLDR: How To

1. Used a [chainless foundation single crochet](https://www.sigonimacaroni.com/chainless-foundation-crochet-stitches-benefits-tutorials-fsc-fhdc-fdc/?ref=simplykyra.com) composed of [single stitches (sc)](https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/single-crochet-stitch-tutorial-979083?ref=simplykyra.com) for the first row
2. Preferred the look of the top side better so I stitched into the last stitch to go in a round rather than doubled back. Had to increase height so did: sc, sc, [chained two stitches](https://www.wikihow.com/Crochet-a-Chain?ref=simplykyra.com), [dc (double crochet stitch)](https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-make-double-crochet-stitch-3987790?ref=simplykyra.com)
3. Continued with a row of dc stitches
4. [Returning over what I did](https://chabepatterns.com/stitch-guide/crocheting-back-and-forth/?ref=simplykyra.com) with [a single chain](https://www.wikihow.com/Crochet-a-Chain?ref=simplykyra.com) and a row of [single stitches (sc)](https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/single-crochet-stitch-tutorial-979083?ref=simplykyra.com)
5. [Cut my yarn, pulled to knot it, and used a large needle to hide my ends](https://blog.treasurie.com/how-to-finish-off-crochet/?ref=simplykyra.com).

Done!

### How To With Photos

I didn't have a sparkly yarn so I decided to combine the pink one I had with four strands of [crochet thread](https://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/south-maid-crochet-thread-size-10?ref=simplykyra.com) to create the look of dimension and add both a bit of rainbow for Zoey and allow it to match with her chosen hair color. I opened, unrolled them, and lined up their ends together and got started being careful to untangle any bits before it got too complicated and tangled up as I went. 

![Image shows all five strands together next to a blue crochet hook... Zoey wanted to keep the red one. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5333.jpeg)

I combined all five yarns and threads together and decided to treat it as one piece for the rest of the scarf. 

![Shows all four balls of crochet thread, the pink yarn, my started scarf, the no-hair hat, and part of Zoey and I. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5336.jpeg)

I had all five balls next to me and was careful to watch the lines in case they started tangling. 

I remembered I used to prefer the look of crochet better when I started with a [chainless foundation crochet stitch](https://www.sigonimacaroni.com/chainless-foundation-crochet-stitches-benefits-tutorials-fsc-fhdc-fdc/?ref=simplykyra.com) rather than crocheting directly into a chain so after looking up how to do it again I was on my way. At the end [you're technically supposed to return back](https://chabepatterns.com/stitch-guide/crocheting-back-and-forth/?ref=simplykyra.com)... essentially going back and forth like a typewriter, but I liked how that side looked better than the reverse so I instead decided to circle around to the back for the next row by crocheting into the last stitch three times. In addition to going around I also wanted to switch from sc to dc so into that stitch I decided to stitch two sc, [chained two](https://www.wikihow.com/Crochet-a-Chain?ref=simplykyra.com), and then did a single dc thus increasing the height for the second row. I then continued crocheting along the length of it with a single dc into each stitch.

![Image shows the end of the first chainless foundation crochet stitch with the reversed side stitched into it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5340.jpeg)

At the end I decided to crochet around the end by single crocheting twice into the reversed stitch, chaining twice, and then doing a single double crochet into the same stitch giving me the height needed and switching to the reversed side.

![Image is the same as the last with two more double crochet stitches added. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5341.jpeg)

After that first stitch I continued with a row of double crochet stitches. 

After finishing that second row of dc I did [a single chain](https://www.wikihow.com/Crochet-a-Chain?ref=simplykyra.com) and [returned over what I did](https://chabepatterns.com/stitch-guide/crocheting-back-and-forth/?ref=simplykyra.com) with [a row of s](https://www.wikihow.com/Crochet-a-Chain?ref=simplykyra.com)[c](https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/single-crochet-stitch-tutorial-979083?ref=simplykyra.com). I then [cut my yarn end, pulled to knot it, and used a large needle to hide my two ends](https://blog.treasurie.com/how-to-finish-off-crochet/?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows either end of the scarf with a sewing needle trapping the one end to weave it in. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5357.jpeg)

And with essentially a single row of single stitches, a single row of double stitches, and another single row of single stitches the scarf was done. I cut and weaved in my ends using them to strengthen the end of the scarf. 

And with that the scarf was done!

## Finished Outfit

And here is *Ginger* in her new Valentine's Day outfit! 

![Image shows the ginger girl bottle wearing the hair and the scarf laying on the floor.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5439.jpeg)

Her clothing was ready but the scarf would't stay on. 

The scarf wasn't quite thin enough and/or long enough to stay on itself so I decided to use a simple pink stitch marker as a brooch. This worked great until I took it off to snap a few photos and the cheap plastic broke. That said, for now I was able finagle the broke piece to be more hidden and still hold the scarf all together... so success!

![Image shows the ginger girl bottle with a focus on her face wearing the hair and the scarf closed with a stitch marker holding it in place.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5400.jpeg)

I used a pink plastic stitch marker as a brooch.

![Image shows the ginger girl bottle wearing the hair and the scarf closed with a stitch marker holding it in place.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5396.jpeg)

I loved how it all looked!

![Image shows the ginger girl bottle wearing the hair and the scarf closed with no stitch marker in sight.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5444.jpeg)

And once the stitch marker broke I was able to use the larger piece to hold it all together and be more hidden. Win win.

I hope this post found you well and you're having a good day. If you have any ideas of other outfits for *Ginger* let me know in the comments below. I haven't fully decided on whether we'll make her a whole wardrobe or not so I am taking recommendations... and maybe there will be future posts.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simple Valentines for School
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-valentines-for-school/
Last updated: 2025-09-01T01:13:29.000Z
Last year, as Valentine’s Day approached, I started wondering what to do for the kids’ cards. I remembered the previous year when I took the girls to Walmart where Ada chose scratch art Valentines while Zoey choose Gabby Dollhouse-themed ones. I briefly considered doing the same but hadn’t yet gotten an official headcount from the school, remembered repeatedly calculating box sizes versus class sizes, that the kids changed their minds so many times, and worried the selection in stores would rapidly dwindle by then. I then remembered seeing someone share a simple heart design repeated on paper through Facebook or Instagram and decided to do something similar with my kids. Here’s what we came up with.

![Pinterest geared image showing the title, my main blog URL, and four images that are also below but the top ones appear to be eight images alone.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_Simple-Valentines-for-School-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

## *Designing the Cards*

Before presenting this idea to my kids I wanted to sketch out some potential ideas so they’d know what I meant. Before starting I went online for inspiration and found these:

![Collage showing six Valentine's card-related screenshots from online. Most show the website it's taken from. Each image is separated by a purple divider. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_Collage_Screenshot_Simple-Valentines-for-School-Image.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

These are all screenshots I took through a Valentine’s card idea search on January 30th, 2023\. I share all the links, from what I could find, right below this image.

Starting from the left image and going clockwise around the screenshots above were taken from:

- A Pinterest geared image showing their *It’s great to be your friend* bee themed cards through [Mom Endeavors](https://www.momendeavors.com/bee-valentines-free-printable/?ref=simplykyra.com)
- A six by two collage of simple hearts. I loved this idea but didn’t use it in the end. I found this on Pinterest and managed to find [the URL here](http://graceannouncements.com/blog/2012/01/19/valentines-cards-for-kids-free-download/?ref=simplykyra.com) *but* it links to a legal services now.
- Another overview image showing the most adorable animal cards. This image was at the top of a list of Valentine’s Day card ideas on [Cool Mom Picks](https://coolmompicks.com/blog/2014/02/08/printable-valentines-day-cards-for-classroom/?ref=simplykyra.com). This specific listing links to [Susie O](https://susieo.art/printables/suites/18,cuddly-animal-valentines-day-cards-for-kids/?ref=simplykyra.com) and seems to have changed since then.
- A collage of 12 card ideas. I found them so adorable and needed to share. This printable is through [World Label here.](https://blog.worldlabel.com/2015/classroom-valentines-day-labelsprintables.html?ref=simplykyra.com)
- Although I didn’t plan to do a craft I did love this loving ladybug and had to include it [through Simple Mom Project](https://simplemomproject.com/ladybug-craft/?ref=simplykyra.com).
- And finally these alicorns. This didn’t come up in my first search but the girls requested an alicorn card and thus I found this for inspiration; through [Hi Clipart here](https://www.hiclipart.com/free-transparent-background-png-clipart-pmofl?ref=simplykyra.com).

With all these images open for inspiration I grabbed my reMarkable and sketched some simple ideas. Once done I told the girls about it and showed them the pages. I had expected them to choose only one or two images that I could easily collage to a page and print out. Instead Ada rapidly chose four before I cut her off. When I asked Zoey what she wanted she did the same before choosing the bee and demanded a second one with an alicorn saying *I hope you have a good Valentine’s Day*. Ada realized she loved that idea but wanted the alicorn to instead say *Happy Valentine’s Day*. Thus I looked up cute alicorns, sketched out another card, and once again showed the girls for a final critique. Here’s the favorites:

![Image shows a collage of eight hand drawn Valentine cards separated by a purple line. The center has a larger line with the text "My Valentine Sketches", a heart, and my URL SimplyKyra.com. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_Collage_Screenshot_Simple-Valentines-for-School-Image2.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

Other than the alicorn both girls chose completely different cards. That said, I had to include the pizza one in this collage as it was the choice for both of them if I hadn’t drawn an alicorn.

They loved all the images. Zoey chose the bee and alicorn while Ada insisted on four unique images. With the final choices given I went back to my reMarkable and moved the images around so each girl had a single page with a grid of her chosen images on it. Zoey’s final result had eight cards to a page consisting of two repeating and alternating images making a two by four grid. Since Ada had more images I decided to put the paper in landscape mode so I could fit all four across. I then adjusted their size so I could have three rows. Thus her page has a total of twelve images consisting of four unique ones. Here are the final results:

![Another collage consisting of Zoey's portrait page on the left and Ada's landscape one on the right. The space between the two images are off center and show which side is which, the title "Our Final Valentines Cards", two hearts, and my main URL SimplyKyra. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_Collage_Screenshot_Simple-Valentines-for-School-Image3.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

The final printable pages!

I exported the final results from my reMarkable to my computer before test printing it onto normal paper. I realized 100% scale wouldn’t work and instead checked off the *fit* option and tried again. I then ran it past the girls to get a final go ahead before calculating, based on their class numbers, how many pages I’d need, rounded up, and printed both pages out three times each onto cardstock.

![The first, second, and final draft of the printing process... so the image shows many of the printed pages laid out on a table.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_IMG_9249.jpeg?resize=750%2C533&ssl=1)

The first time I printed them I forgot to hit fit so the images were a bit too small. The next time was a success! I then added some cardstock to the printer before printing three copies of each for the final version.

With the cards printed it was now time to pass the task to the girls who got to cut them out, color them, and write their name on it. I let them set up on some plastic lap tables which hung out in the living rooms so they could work on it on and off over the next week or so. I got them to complete the cards the weekend before Valentine’s Day so we wouldn’t be rushed the night before and I’d have time to attach the add-ons to the card. I absolutely love, with this method, how if we forgot to count someone I just need to print another sheet instead of rushing to the store and hoping they had more of whichever one the girls picked.

If you want to do the same you can download these Valentine’s printouts here:

### Get this printable (and more!)

All my templates and printables live in one easy member hub. 

[Go to Downloads](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/) 

---

## *Add-Ons*

Although I loved the idea of the cards I wanted to add something to them. I briefly considered buying packaged chocolates but realized it would simplest to attach the item to the card using hot glue which would melt the chocolate. Instead I considered using suckers or lollipops instead as I could glue the stick to the card without damaging the candy part. I headed off to Target and chose some Tootsie Roll lollipops as the kids loved them at Halloween.

![Image shows the four bags of Tootsie Roll pops I bought. The one bag is turned around so you can see the serving size amount under the Nutrition Facts header. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_IMG_9251.jpeg?resize=750%2C522&ssl=1)

I started off in the candy aisle and decided to get these bags of Tootsie Roll lollipops for $2.99 each. At first I tried to count the number of lollipops by feeling the bag before realizing I could go by the nutritional facts on the back that lists **about 17 servings per containe*r. I then added up the girls’ classes to get three bags before rounding up a bag in case we needed more. Later I went through the Valentines aisle and found some themed Tootsie Roll lollipops with messages on the wrapper but they only came in one flavor, cost a bit more, and were smaller with **16 servings* listed instead.

Five days before Valentine’s Day, a week after getting the class count, we got an email from Zoey’s teacher saying no food. I told Zoey she couldn’t bring the lollipops which she was surprisingly happy with as she had already realized that meant we got to keep more and thus she could have more lollipops for herself. After checking with Ada and confirming that food was good for her class I knew we could still proceed with the lollipop idea for Ada. I had considered leaving Zoey’s class with just the cards but then looked through my stash of kid stuff and found a roll of animal stickers. Thus after her cards were done I handed her the roll of stickers and some tape so she could cut four stickers out for each person and tape it, using the backside, to each card. She loved the stickers and I had to cut off a selection from the roll for the girls’ too.

![Image shows a bag of finished valentine's with three pulled out and sitting on table to show them better. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_IMG_9541.jpeg?resize=750%2C551&ssl=1)

Zoey’s class couldn’t bring in food so I pivoted, found stickers, and we used masking tape to attach a strip of four stickers to the back of each card.

For the lollipop cards I set up a station at the table where I laid out four to five lollipops in a row, added glue to each stick, and then pressed a card to each lollipop. Once the batch was secured I moved it to a bag and did the next set. This process was simple but I did get glue on the table so you might want to put down some cardboard or something first.

![Image shows five Tootsie Roll lollipops laid out on the table. My glue gun sits to the left, the bag and extra sticks behind it, and the cards with and without the lollipop attached to the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_IMG_9534.jpeg?resize=750%2C313&ssl=1)

I did this in sets of four to six at a time. I grabbed the lollipops, made sure their wrapper was secure, and then laid them out in a row.

![Image shows five lollipops laid out. The three on the left have a card attached while the two on the right only have the glue as they're waiting for the card. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_IMG_9537.jpeg?resize=750%2C384&ssl=1)

I then used my glue gun to drop some glue onto each stick and quickly grab some cards to press on top. Here I’ve attached three cards and the two on the right just have the glue on them.

![Image shows the finished and attached cards in the center (just done) and off to the side (bottom right). There are more cards waiting to go on the top right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_IMG_9536.jpeg?resize=750%2C353&ssl=1)

After they’re all done and confirmed to be secure I next move them to the side and do the next set.

![Image shows the finished cards in one of two bags.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/02/compressed_IMG_9539.jpeg?resize=750%2C574&ssl=1)

Once they were all done I carefully placed them into a bag. She had some cards with the name of who it’s for on them so those went into an emptied lollipop bag before going into the main bag so they’d be easier to find.

---

## *Downloadable*

I designed these cards on my ePaper reMarkable device which allowed me to move each image around to tile them onto a page. I can’t remember who it was but the original post that gave me this idea used a text editor to tile their images. I could also see using [Canva](https://www.canva.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) to tile an image and/or design Valentine’s from scratch. If you choose to go this route I’d love to hear what you make and how you go about it so feel free to share what you did in the comments below. It might help someone wanting to do the same.

That said, if you’re interested in these specific Valentine’s themed printouts I shared them here:

### Get this printable (and more!)

All my templates and printables live in one easy member hub. 

[Go to Downloads](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/) 

If you’re looking for colored printables I saw, last year, that [The Space Gal](https://instagram.com/thespacegal?igshid=MDM4ZDc5MmU=&ref=simplykyra.com) had [the most adorable science-related Valentines on her site](https://thespacegal.store/products/diy-science-experiment-valentines-day-cards-digital-download?ref=simplykyra.com). It’s a double sided colored Valentine that comes with an experiment on the back. If I hadn’t already started this idea *and* I had a color printer I could totally see buying them.

I hope your month is going well and you have a great Valentine’s Day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Creating “Ginger” Our Ginger Beer Bottle
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/creating-ginger-our-ginger-beer-bottle/
Last updated: 2024-01-26T16:30:24.000Z
Since moving away from California the product I've been missing the most is the ginger beer from [Ginger Lab](https://drinkgingerlab.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). I still follow them on social media so when they added a limited run of these adorable gingerpeople bottles I actually awww'ed. I can't recreate the walk over to the farmer's market but when they opened these bottles up to shipping I jumped at buying it! Since this bottle was smaller than their main growler I only bought one of her and included three of the larger growlers thus filling a shipping box and getting to drink each of the four available flavors. And that is how *Ginger* came into our home.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Creating--Ginger--Our-Ginger-Beer-Bottle----Pinterest.jpg)

---

## The Bottle 

I somehow didn't expect the bottle to actually come with its little adorable hat and scarf so that was an amazing surprise... which Ada attempted but failed to steal for her dolls. After enjoying and sharing the ginger beer inside the bottle I cleaned it up, waited for it to dry, and set it up on display with the other Christmas decorations. 

![Image shows a partially filled festive ginger beer bottle standing next to an ice added Ginger Lab mule glass with a two thirds full growler behind it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_3195.jpeg)

I forgot to take a photo when she first arrived but snagged a couple photos a day later when pouring a drink for supper. 

![Image shows an open and emptied festive ginger beer bottle standing next to an ice added Ginger Lab mule glass getting topped up with more ginger beer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_3198.jpeg)

I ended up mixing two of the flavors... doesn't matter how you drink it it's always amazing!

![Image shows that open and emptied festive ginger beer bottle standing next to a Ginger Lab mule glass with opened lids next to it. It has bunny ears given by Ada. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_3203.jpeg)

Ada wanted to give the ginger bread bottle bunny ears so I snapped a couple more.

## The Plan

I had a vague idea that I wanted to fill the bottle up with sand to add some color; yet, I was also worried the act of filling it up would scratch the bottle and we couldn't go back to an empty one. So I kept putting off deciding... until one night I couldn't sleep and apparently had snow people stuck in my head. After looking around on Amazon I purchased [white Hygloss Colored Craft Sand](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001M1AQ78?ref=simplykyra.com) and two colors of [TORC Fine Glitter](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JNHPP7Y?ref=simplykyra.com) in champagne and purple. I pictured using the two colors of glitter to make the white sand look snow sparkly. 

![Image shows the sand I bought on the left and the glitter I chose on the right in side by side browsers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-07.30.32.png)

Screenshot of both the options I bought for the [sand](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001M1AQ78?ref=simplykyra.com) and [glitter](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JNHPP7Y?ref=simplykyra.com).

The next day while telling Matt he looked at me confused as a gingerbread person is not a snow person and I realized what I did. I pivoted and bought a second container of [Hygloss Colored Craft Sand](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001M1AQ78?ref=simplykyra.com) in a dark brown this time and figured I could use the white sand to lighten it up along with my glitter idea to add sparkles. 

I was excited to get the project started and was pleasantly surprised when the sand arrived and already seemed to glitter a bit. Unfortunately, the champagne colored glitter kept not shipping and I kept waiting. Finally I was able to cancel it and I knew I now had all of my supplies… which I put off a bit longer until I couldn’t anymore and decided to craft this during some Zoey and me time. 

## Cleaning It Out

When the bottle was first emptied I had cleaned it out in the sink with soapy water and let it fully dry before going back out as a display item. After Christmas I packed away her scarf and hat but knew I wanted to do something with her so I left her out. Once I had [the plan](https://www.simplykyra.com/creating-ginger-our-ginger-beer-bottle/#the-plan) down and was ready to get going I realized I should clean the bottle out a bit better as there were the odd marks and residue left inside. This time around, as it will definitely not hold food, I poured some isopropyl alcohol in, put the lid back on, and both Zoey and I gave it a good shake to clean. I then removed the lid, dumped it out, and laid it out on the drying rack to fully dry. 

![Image shows me holding the bottle on its side with the glitter, two sand colors, and isopropyl alcohol in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5306.jpeg)

Supplies assembled and about to begin... first let's clean it a bit more.

![Image shot the bottle sideways with the liquid sloshed around showing movement. Zoey's hand is holding it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5311.jpeg)

After making sure the lid was secure I let Zoey shake it first to clean before I took my turn.

Now we just needed to let it dry out fully. Using the alcohol rather than water sped this up but you still have to wait a bit. Here I took a break to make her outfit and have lunch before going on to filling it up with sand. Here's a quick peek at the finished look. Will post the how to for the outfit later (and update this bit with a direct link).

![Image shows the bottle's face with the supplies in the back and part of its outfit showing. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5394.jpeg)

Filled in and all cozied up for Valentine's Day!

## Fill It Up With Color

With the bottle dried and her outfit ready it was time to use the sand and glitter! I had wanted to premix the sand and glitter together to get the perfect shade but figured it would be easier to pour the layers, shake it up, analyze the shade, and change the ratios when you add in more instead. I then repeated this process until the bottle was mostly filled up. That said, I had originally planned to fill the bottle up to the very top, maybe this was when I had layers planned, so the sand would stay in place but instead decided to leave a bit of room in case it later needed additional space to allow me to actually shake and mix it. 

I wanted to make pouring the sand and glitter easy but also didn't want to use any of my food funnels so I instead made a quick one out of a piece of scrap paper. I didn't cut it to shape and simply rolled it up to create a funnel shape with a large enough hole at the bottom and used some tape to hold it in place. When I was done I tossed it out as it was coated in craft sand and glitter. Mine was a quick and precarious job but here's a [WikiHow article](https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Funnel-or-Cone-from-Paper?ref=simplykyra.com) if you want a more legit funnel for youself.

![Image shows the ginger bread bottle with no lid and the paper funnel in. It's surrounded by the sand and glitter container and has purple, brown, and white layers near the bottom.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5383.jpeg)

I started filling the bottle up with brown and white sand along with the purple glitter. 

![Image shows the ginger bread bottle with no lid and the paper funnel in. It's surrounded by the sand and glitter container and has a purple tinged brown sand at the bottom. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5384.jpeg)

I then removed the paper funnel, put the lid on, and had Zoey shake it all up. I found this seemed to be the right ratio of brown and white but also seemed a bit too purple-y so I planned to use less glitter and maybe even less white next time. 

![Image shows the ginger bread bottle with no lid and the paper funnel in. It's surrounded by the sand and glitter container and has a purple tinged brown sand at the bottom then a large amount of brown and smaller layers of white and purple.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5387.jpeg)

I had Zoey put a lot of brown in, for the main color, and less purple and white this time so it would be darker. I made sure to keep the head empty so we can adjust the colors by changing the ratios on the next round. 

![Image shows the ginger bread bottle being shaken with the purple and brown sand containers off to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5390.jpeg)

Again I had Zoey shake it up to mix... once the lid was back on.

![Image shows the ginger bread bottle with no lid and the paper funnel in. It's surrounded by the sand and glitter container and has a purple tinged brown sand at the bottom with brown covering half the face. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5391.jpeg)

I continued with these steps by adding mostly brown sand to tone down the purple and white but did it in two steps so we could still alter it if we needed. 

![Image is taken from above showing the space left in the top.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5393.jpeg)

Originally I had planned to leave no space at the top but this time around I decided to leave a bit for future mixings. 

And with that the sand and glitter step was done. I noticed the purple glitter stuck to the bottle in places, mainly to the center front and back, causing purple splotching. Not sure if that would've still happened if I premixed it in advance. I could see in the future dumping it out and trying with pre-mixed sand or creating layers like [one of my old sand art kit bottles](https://sandartsupplies.com/bottles/?ref=simplykyra.com) but for now I'll leave it as is.

## Introducing *Ginger* 

And here is the finished gingerbread girl *Ginger*!

![View from the front showing the markings on the bottle against a purple and brown interior. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5433.jpeg)

![View from the front showing the purple splotches against the main brown interior. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5435.jpeg)

![I left a bit of space that you can see on the feet when upside down. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5436.jpeg)

![Close up of the face and chest showing her adorable face and heart. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_IMG_5437.jpeg)

And with that we had our epic *Ginger* decoration! You'll have to let me know if you do something similar and if so what you used to make it in the comments below.

Regardless, I hope you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Update: Which Version of the reMarkable’s Templates Are Emailed Out?
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/update-which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/
Last updated: 2024-12-01T15:19:55.000Z
The other day I was playing and I decided to test out the `SVG` versus `PNG` question on my reMarkable again just to discover that they had changed their system and my old post [*Which Version of the reMarkable’s Templates Are Emailed Out?*](https://www.simplykyra.com/which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/)was no longer accurate. As such I wanted to share the new updated results with you!

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Copy-of-Which-Version-of-the-reMarkable-s-Templates-Are-Emailed-Out----Pinterest-1.jpg)

---

This experiment and the resulting chart was created while running version 3.9.3.1986 on my reMarkable. How I carried it out and the old results can be found in my previous post: [Which Version of the reMarkable’s Templates Are Emailed Out?](https://www.simplykyra.com/which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/).You can find all of [my reMarkable related posts through the reMarkable tag here](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/remarkable/).I also have an app out that allows you to set the templates and their image(s) from your iPad, iPhone, or Mac. For more information check it out [here: Simply Customize It!](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) 

---

## Experiment

As before I started by creating three custom templates:

1. One with just the `PNG` image and not the associated `SVG` image
2. One with just the `SVG` image and not the associated `PNG` image
3. And one with both the `SVG` and `PNG` set but to drastically different looking images

I then uploaded all three to my reMarkable and used each one on a separate notebook page. Here I was able to see what image type was displayed before going on to export the page, via emailing it, three separate times so I could compare the results of all three of the offered file types: `PDF`, `PNG`, and `SVG`. This was the longest part of the experiment as I had to wait to see if I would receive each email and whether I'd need to resend one or more of them.

![Tall image showing three of the emails received when emailing out the PDF, PNG, and SVG version of this template.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_2024-01-05-at-07.10.08.png)

The results of some of the emails sent to my inbox.

## Previous Results

[The last time](https://www.simplykyra.com/which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/) I ran this experiment, in the summer of 2022 while running `version 2.12.3.606` of the software, I noticed that in most cases (excluding exporting as a `PDF`) the `PNG` version of the template was sent out rather than the `SVG` file and when the `PNG` wasn't available it just didn't show the image. This supported my prior realization that it made no major different creating custom templates with just the `PNG` image uploaded.

![The chart is shown with a large X over it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Update-Crossed-OutWhich-Version-of-the-reMarkable-s-Templates-Are-Emailed-Out----Graph.jpg)

The old results.

## Current Results

When I redid this experiment; however, I noticed drastically different results... thus leading me to share this post with you. This time around the `SVG` file was used in *all* cases unless it couldn't be found. When it wasn't found it switches to using the `PNG` version, in all cases, without a blank file showing like before. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/01/compressed_Copy-of-Which-Version-of-the-reMarkable-s-Templates-Are-Emailed-Out----Graph.png)

While writing this I was curious what would happen if neither the `PNG` or `SVG` files were available so I connected to my reMarkable via `SSH`, removed all of those custom files while also leaving the `JSON` file untouched (so the templates still show up), and manually restarted my device. When I reopened the notebook I saw those pages, as expected, were now blank but I also saw that the thumbnails, shown when looking at all the pages at once, displayed the old image. That said, if I drew on the page or switched to another template the thumbnail was updated and, if still set to one of my custom ones, now blank. 

And with that I hope this post helped you out. Feel free to share in the comments if you know something that can expand on this as I’d love to have your comment help other readers too. Also share if you have a question and I'll see if I can answer it. 

I hope you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### My Sews in 2023: Infrequent but There When I Wanted It
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-sews-in-2023-infrequent-but-there-when-i-wanted-it/
Last updated: 2025-05-29T23:16:12.000Z
Over the previous five years I've posted a year in review recap for my sewing projects as I followed the [52 week sewing challenge on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/groups/52weeksewingchallenge2023/). I started making the posts to share with you what patterns and fabrics I used, but also found, through curating it each year, that I loved seeing all the projects in one place and being able to simply and easily revisit my sews in the future. This year; however, between a long distance move, spending more time coding in SwiftUI, and maybe even because Facebook has stopped showing me the challenge posts I found I didn't sew that much. That said, I was still happy that when I did want to sew it was available to me and I decided to keep curating, for now, this year in review.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_My-Sews-in-2023-Infrequent-but-There-When-I-Wanted-It---Pinterest.jpg)

---

The 52 week sewing challenge started up in [2018](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/12/31/52-weeks-of-sewing/) and I found my sewing ability increased so much having the challenge there to help me progress. In [2019](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/01/52-weeks-of-sewing-in-2019/) I focused on sewing more consistently while in [2020](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/30/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/) I used it as an escape and accepted every challenge. Since then; however, I've chosen to not stress myself as much over sewing and instead listened to what I wanted and needed to do. As such in [2021](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/01/05/my-2021-sewing-challenge-skipped-rejected-and-came-out-feeling-good/) and [2022](https://www.simplykyra.com/what-i-made-during-the-2022-sewing-challenge/) I was more relaxed while also enjoying the awesome [sewing community](https://www.facebook.com/groups/52weeksewingchallenge2023/). 

But you didn't come for the past years (if you have I did link them in the years above or check out [the entire topic list here](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/52-weeks-sewing-challenge/)) so without any further ado these are the items I sewed this year in 2023... and never submitted to the challenge itself but did keep track of.

## March

### Fixed My Purse

Back in the [2020 sewing challenge](https://www.simplykyra.com/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/#week-13-%E2%80%93-march-25th-to-march-31st) I explored faux leather (vinyl) making a large bag and then several smaller totes. Back in March while lugging stuff to playground playdates, I realized I needed to stop putting off fixing their slowly ripping straps. The large tote I decided I needed heavy duty thread, ordered some, got caught up, moved, and just now while typing this realized I still need to fix it. The smaller tote; however, I did fix by clipping the straps in place, as the top of the bag always flipped inside, and sewed it all with the sewing machine... hence why I decided to record it as a win!

![Image shows the purse with the front straps folded down showing where it was separating with the bit of white. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_0358.jpeg)

The top of the bag always folded in causing the straps to pull away from the purse and rip. I knew they needed do be sewn down. 

![Image shows the top of the finished bag with the straps sewn on with a separate box holding it in place.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_0362.jpeg)

All fixed!

As a quick aside my other tote I've been meaning to fix, [found here](https://www.simplykyra.com/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/#week-11-%E2%80%93-march-11th-to-march-17th), was created based on a free pattern, that I just checked and it's still active, which I then customized with several free tutorials. I always meant to share how I made it and took lots of pictures but as time went on I lost the drive to finish the post. That said, if you want to see how I made it, based on the older photos, let me know in the comments below and based on the interest I'll prioritize working on it so it comes out sooner.

## April 

### LEGOLAND® Themed Shirts

In April we had plans to visit LEGOLAND® as we'd wanted to go back for awhile. At first I hadn't planned to sew anything but everything from our first two trips didn't fit and this was a goodbye vacations as we were going to move out of California. I went through my fabric stores and made the girls each two shirts using the last of my themed fabric from the first two trips. Both the long sleeved shirt and the short sleeved one (ran out of fabric so shortened the sleeve pieces) were made with [The Ellie and Mac Unisex Raglan](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/unisex-raglan-top-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com) a pattern I'd used for years. The fabric was bought years ago through retail but the blue was [at Geek Garden Fabrics](https://www.thegeekgardenfabricretail.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) while the bricks were [from Peek a Boo Pattern Shop](https://www.peekaboopatternshop.com/pab-building-bricks-cotton-lycra-fabric/?ref=simplykyra.com).

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_1278.jpeg)

I had just enough of the blue fabric to eke out two shorter sleeved tops!

Quick aside in case you're looking for themed outfits. Our first visit I could only find brick fabric ahead of our trip and I kind of went overboard customizing the clothing to each girl creating custom designed fronts of the dress and shirt using traced coloring pages and fabric markers. The simple long sleeve shirt I also made them was so quick in comparison. Then it rained the whole time and we were only there for two nights so I recognize I went over the top but I had wanted to go to LEGOLAND® ever since I heard about the one in Denmark as a kid so I don't regret it at all. You can find a post about [these outfits here](https://www.simplykyra.com/outfits-for-legoland/). The next visit after that was less than a year later and in that time I had preordered custom fabric so I made them a simple shirt and we brought along the outfits that still fit from the last time. So much easier. This shirt information was shared [at week 51 of the 2019 sewing recap post](https://www.simplykyra.com/52-weeks-of-sewing-in-2019/#week-51-december-16th-to-december-22nd). 

![Image is a collage of several c](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_My-Sews-in-2023-Infrequent-but-There-When-I-Wanted-It----Image-2.jpg)

My various past LEGOLAND® sews shared mainly in [Outfits for LEGOLAND®](https://www.simplykyra.com/outfits-for-legoland/) but also near the end of my [2019 sewing recap post](https://www.simplykyra.com/52-weeks-of-sewing-in-2019/#week-51-december-16th-to-december-22nd). 

### Two Piece Swimming Suit

This same month I realized Ada needed a new swimsuit so after she picked from my stored fabric (Zoey had originally picked this fabric from [Boho Fabrics](https://www.bohofabrics.com/collections/swim-activewear-fabrics-1?ref=simplykyra.com) the [last year](https://www.simplykyra.com/what-i-made-during-the-2022-sewing-challenge/#april)) I whipped her up a new swim suit using two patterns: the [Ellie and Mac raglan](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/unisex-raglan-top-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com) once again and the [Stitch Upon a Time boxerwear](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/kids-boxerwear/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) pattern. You can read [how I make the swimming suits here](https://www.simplykyra.com/kids-swimming-suits-second-round-with-an-extra-year-of-experience/) with newer comparisons and tips included in [this newer post here](https://www.simplykyra.com/an-upgrade-on-my-girls-home-sewn-swimsuits/). 

![Image shows a palm frond long sleeved shirt with hidden superhero placket on the one shoulder. There lined matching underwear to the right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_1289.jpeg)

Ada's new swimming suit! Years ago I made the placket 5.5 by 2.5 inches but this time I increased it to 6 by 2.5 inches and found it took the entire seam so I could see going smaller next time. 

## August

### Lunch Bag with Cinched Top

Leading up to school I realized, from lunchbox packing Facebook groups, that the kids may not have access to their main water bottle during lunch at their new school. I figured why worry since that might not be the case but then one teacher emailed to say that the students may not have access to their lunch during snack time so send a separate drink. I send the kids to their first day of school with two water bottles and a simple lunch container but then overanalyzed as they'd need a lunch bag to hold, at the utmost minimum, a water bottle and lunch container and, potentially, lots of loose packaged items. Since I sew I decided making my own simple lunch sack would be the easiest so I came up with an idea, further simplified it for the first draft, and sewed up two Bluey inspired cinch bags by the time they got home. The fabric was bought in 2022 from [Sweet Tickles Fabric](https://sweetticklesshop.com/search?q=bluey&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&ref=simplykyra.com) and the vague idea might've come from [my Christmas gift bag post](https://www.simplykyra.com/i-love-my-reusable-fabric-gift-bags-that-i-made-years-ago/). 

![Image shows two lunch bags side by side. The one in the front is open while the one beside is cinched closed. Behind them all sits a container of fabric markers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_8299.jpeg)

After writing a quick message on the inside with fabric markers I added some lunch stuff to see if the lunch bags worked out and snapped a photo. 

![Two side by side bags holding water bottles, thermos with something hot, and fruit leather. Beside sits their larger water for the rest of the day. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_8345.jpeg)

All ready for the day!

## September

### Lunch Bag with Foldable Top

I knew when sewing up the demo lunch sack that the girls would need more than one and I had considered trying a Velcro® closed version. I altered my lunch bag plans, got both of them to choose two woven fabrics they liked (all bought from [Joanns](https://www.joann.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) over the years for nightgowns) and made four new lunch bags. At first I didn't like this version as much as it's not as easy to fold and roll as I had imagined it would be but it's now been months since I made it and the girls prefer these over the Bluey ones that stay mostly unused.

![Image shows all four bags in a grid. The back left one is the tallest while the one in front is folded tight, ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_8670.jpeg)

Set it up to showcase the different sizes and storage of the folded and Velcro'd lunch bags. 

![Images shows two of the bags laid out next to two of the thermoses and a kettle. Behind it all a kid's hand has a thumb up. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_8929.jpeg)

Snapped a photo after using the kettle to heat the thermoses while the pasta cooked. 

Yet another quick aside. I took photos of how I made this and the cinched bag and have been meaning to post about it either as two separate posts of one long combined one. Feel free to let me know if you want the instructions sooner and what format you'd prefer in the comments below and, again, I can attempt to prioritize it. 

### Fixed the Girls' Towels

Now back to September and another quick fix on the sewing machine. Back in [May of 2018](https://www.simplykyra.com/recent-kid-patterns-for-me-made-may-2018/) I cut off the hoods of two baby towels the kids had outgrown, cut our largest towel in half, and stitched a hood onto each half. I guess in hindsight this might have been how I later came up with the idea to [hack a towel into two bath mats](https://www.simplykyra.com/simple-towel-to-bath-mat/). One frequent problem with this is that the towel unravels just enough for the hoods to start separating. This was bugging me but every time I washed the towels I forgot so this time around I grabbed them still wet from the washing machine, fixed them with a zig zag stitch, and tossed them back into the dryer. Fixed another time! 

![Image is a bit blurred but shows the girls with the hooded towel on them over their clothing while they look down at the new towel. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_9985.jpg)

Photo taken from a previous post back in 2018 when I first assembled the towel pieces titled [Recent Kid Patterns for Me-Made-May 2018](https://www.simplykyra.com/recent-kid-patterns-for-me-made-may-2018/)

## December

### Nightgowns

Years ago I used to make my girls [Peppermint Swirl Dresses](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/20/even-more-peppermint-swirl-dresses/) for Christmas but sometime during 2020 I realized that Ada didn’t like hers as the snaps were uncomfortable and so I embraced both simplicity and the season and switched to nightgowns as Christmas gifts instead. I then saw they had so many and last year just made pillowcases, with a warning so they wouldn't be disappointed, and now, this year, they again requested the nightgowns and I couldn't say no. Thus I made four more [nightgowns](https://www.simplykyra.com/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/#patsy-skirt-mashed-with-the-olivia-top) this month for Christmas.

![Image shows stacks of skirts, sleeves, and bodice all inside out and ready to go. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3077-1.jpeg)

I've gotten really good at batch sewing the project by clipping as much of the fabric together as I can then sewing it all one seam after another. Perfect time for podcasts or audiobooks. 

![Image shows two dresses. The one on the left is spread out to see the full circle of the skirt while the other one is laid next to it to better highlight the bodice and flow. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3262-1.jpeg)

I took a photo of Zoey's nightgowns as it fit the space better but completely forgot to snap a photo of all four of them together. 

![Image shows a closed bag in the back with the orange of the dragon Squishmallow hiding the dresses underneath. In front is an open bag with the dresses inside and the unicorn Squishmallow standing guard beside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_IMG_3269-1.jpeg)

I normally save the me-made gift for the end of the girls' presents. That said I was also proud of the Squishmallows I had found, bought for the girls, and wrapped in [my Christmas gift bags](https://www.simplykyra.com/i-love-my-reusable-fabric-gift-bags-that-i-made-years-ago/). So I combined them together using the Squishmallow to hide the dresses underneath. They knew about the one dress as they picked the fabric but I surprised them with a second from my fabric collection.

This nightgown is easy and their most favorite nightgown ever. In fact while writing this I was curious just how many I've made so I searched through my old 52 week sewing challenge posts for the word *nightgown* and saw I have made seven nightgowns in [2020](https://www.simplykyra.com/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/) (one in May, two for Halloween, and two at Christmas) and six in [2021](https://www.simplykyra.com/my-2021-sewing-challenge-skipped-rejected-and-came-out-feeling-good/) (two in October and four for Christmas). In fact [my earlier post about this nightgown](https://www.simplykyra.com/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/#patsy-skirt-mashed-with-the-olivia-top) was under another hacked nightgown (that I've never remade) and I've always meant to redo it so this last time I finally took the time to take some in progress photos. That said, I've haven't yet progressed past organizing the photos so let me know in the comments below if you want me to prioritize an updated nightgown post.

---

Through creating this post I realized that although I haven't sewn as much I still do miss seeing everyones project in the group and being a part of the community so I just went to [52 Week Sewing Challenge](https://www.facebook.com/groups/52weeksewingchallenge2023/) and increased the level of my in-app notifications. That said, I'm not sure what I'll do this upcoming year on the sewing front. 

Have you been a member of the sewing challenges or thinking of joining? Feel free to share in the comments below. And like always I hope you're having a good week.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### My Favorite Books From My 2023 Reads
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-favorite-books-from-my-2023-reads/
Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:02:56.000Z
I’ve been meaning to review my favorite fictional books on this website for awhile but every time I start compiling a list it quickly gets long, I see what else I could add, and I worry about what I may have forgotten. Essentially, I keep overanalyzing it all. That said, before Christmas, I saw a notification on Goodreads about my year in review and as I scrolled the page some book covers popped out at me reminding me just how good they really were.… and thus I realized, like the sewing challenges in the past, I could simply start with a 2023 year in review book post. And so voila!

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_My-Favorite-Books-From-My-2023-Reads---Pinterest.jpg)

So looking over my Goodreads 2023 year in review these are the books I read this year, in no particular order, that really jumped out at me. This isn't going to be an in depth review as there are tons of those online already. Instead it's simply a list of books that I remembered loving this year with links, in each title and author heading, to its corresponding Goodreads profile for more information.

Many of these books I did receive electronically through [NetGalley](https://www.netgalley.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) to read and review, but whether I chose to include them here and my reviews themselves are my opinion after reading the book. Also, although I haven't reviewed fictional books here before I have reviewed cookbooks. In case you're interested they were: [Healthy One Pan Dinners](https://www.simplykyra.com/healthy-one-pan-dinners-cookbook-review/), [The No-Fuss Family Cookbook](https://www.simplykyra.com/the-no-fuss-family-cookbook-review/), and [The Secret Ingredient Cookbook](https://www.simplykyra.com/the-secret-ingredient-cookbook-review/). 

---

## [*Charlie Holmberg*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7801879.Charlie%5FN%5FHolmberg?ref=simplykyra.com)

Rather than start with a book I decided to kick this off with an author as I found I read several of her books this year and many of them jumped out at me when going over my list. I've long realized that I will never say no to reading Charlie's books. Her character are always written well and her world building is well constructed. Some books are completely transformative like her [Star Mother and Star Father book series](https://www.goodreads.com/series/328107-star-mother?ref=simplykyra.com) while others are like a cozy blanket with just enough scariness to make it fun as you know the conclusion will be happy. 

### [The Hanging City](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63127235-the-hanging-city?ref=nav%5Fsb%5Fnoss%5Fl%5F12)

The first of her books I read this year and absolutely adored was [The Hanging City](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63127235-the-hanging-city?ref=nav%5Fsb%5Fnoss%5Fl%5F12). Like previously her world building is incredible with a seemingly dystopian future, magical seeming talents, and then entirely new species. I especially loved the Trollis city both architecturally, as a society, and the characters themselves. Plus the cover art was sublime. 

![The cover features the title “The Hanging City“ by Charlie Holmberg. The cover shows stained diamond shaped stairs with a building on top. A spider dangles tpom she center top, a large orange and red snake wraps through it, and purple flowers hang everywhere. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-7.jpg)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 14th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63127235-the-hanging-city?ref=nav%5Fsb%5Fnoss%5Fl%5F12)

### [Whimbrel House Series](https://www.goodreads.com/series/344657-whimbrel-house?ref=simplykyra.com)

I also was able to read the next book in the [Whimbrel House Series](https://www.goodreads.com/series/344657-whimbrel-house?ref=simplykyra.com) and loved falling back into that world too. 

![A Screenshot showing the three books in the Whimbrel House book series. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-2023-12-15-at-10.01.58-AM.png)

[Screenshot of the Whimbrel House series was taken on December 14th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/series/344657-whimbrel-house?ref=simplykyra.com)

### [Veins of Gold](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37839111-veins-of-gold?ref=simplykyra.com)

Later in the year I joined Audible for a bit and was overjoyed to find a book I'd been meaning to read. I was happy to quickly tumble into it finding a new epic world with believable characters doing amazingly unbelievable things. 

![The cover features the title “Veins of Gold” by Charlie Holmberg. The cover shows a silhouette facing to the left in blue against a blue background. She has a gold necklace and surrounded by golden birds in the air. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-43.jpg)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 17th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37839111-veins-of-gold?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

And now onto the individual books:

# [Super-Earth Mother: The AI that Engineered a Brave New World ](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/161912810-super-earth-mother?ref=simplykyra.com)

[*Guy Immega*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17377885.Guy%5FImmega?ref=simplykyra.com)

I love the entire premise of this story and found myself needing to keep reading to see what would happen next. The story felt unique, the world building was incredible, and I felt for all the many characters. 

![Image shows a photo of a robot holding and looking at the swaddled baby it's holding in its arms. The red haired and dark skinned child is looking out at the viewer. There's just enough space around them for a vague suggestion of a location.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-14.jpg)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 14th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/161912810-super-earth-mother?ref=simplykyra.com)

# [The Porcelain Maker](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65213589-the-porcelain-maker?ref=simplykyra.com)

[*Sarah Freethy*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22432519.Sarah%5FFreethy?ref=simplykyra.com)

This book was absolutely heart wrenching at times but the characters themselves made you unable to put it down as you needed to know what happened next. It does jump back and forth between World War II and the 21st century America but, I felt, it was done beautifully and was perfectly interwoven together. 

![The cover features the title “The Porcelain Maker” by Sarah Freethy. The cover shows a broke porcelain platter behind the title. Below are two people hugging with airplanes above. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-8.jpg)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 14th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65213589-the-porcelain-maker?ref=simplykyra.com)

# [Lessons in Chemistry](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58065033-lessons-in-chemistry?ref=simplykyra.com)

[*Bonnie Garmus*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21370624.Bonnie%5FGarmus?ref=simplykyra.com)

Yes, I didn't hear about this book until AppleTV announced the television show ([here's the IMDB link](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13911628/?ref=simplykyra.com)). Since both the show and the book sounded absolutely incredible... I immediately hopped onto the website of my local library to put both the book and the ebook on hold. The ebook came available first and it grabbed me from the first page... maybe even the first line. I laughed *so* much, almost teared up at parts, and absolutely enjoyed it so much that I wish I hadn't read it as quickly as I did. The book does jump between unrealistic bits to really dark scenes and back which I realized, based on Goodreads reviews (averaging 5 stars overall though) seems to mean you either really love this book or hate it. 

Word of warning: Rape and death

![The cover features the title “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus. The cover shows an orange background with a drawing of the face and hair of a person. A pencil is in the bun and glasses showing test tubes reflected lower in front of her eyes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-10.jpg)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 14th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58065033-lessons-in-chemistry?ref=simplykyra.com)

# [Antimatter Blues](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60784562-antimatter-blues?ref=simplykyra.com)

[*Edward Ashton*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10864410.Edward%5FAshton?ref=simplykyra.com)

This is the second book in [the series](https://www.goodreads.com/series/342283-mickey7?ref=simplykyra.com) and earlier I had listened to the first one and I ended it wanting to know what would happen next. This time around I didn't get fully into the book as I kept setting it aside for other things but once I switched to the audiobook version it pulled me, once again, into the world fully. 

It is a bit slower going at points and has less science to back everything up but I liked the characters, the world building, and I still want to know what happens next so if a third book comes out I may attempt the audiobook before the book itself. 

![The cover features the title “Antimatter Blues” by Edward Ashton. The cover shows a man in a space suit on a planet with a large moon in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-11.jpg)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 14th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60784562-antimatter-blues?ref=simplykyra.com)

# [The Andromeda Evolution](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44148860-the-andromeda-evolution?ref=simplykyra.com)

[*Daniel H. Wilson*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/33773.Daniel%5FH%5FWilson?ref=simplykyra.com) *and* [*Michael Crichton*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5194.Michael%5FCrichton?ref=simplykyra.com)

I absolutely love Michael Crichton and read so many of his books when I was in high school. I'd recently heard about [Eruption](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200742602-eruption?ref=simplykyra.com), a book coming out in June 2024 published posthumously and coauthored with [James Patterson](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3780.James%5FPatterson?ref=simplykyra.com), and through a bit more research stumbled upon this gem. I'd absolutely adored [The Andromeda Strain](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7670.The%5FAndromeda%5FStrain?ref=simplykyra.com), often wishing I hadn't read it so I could read it again, and recognized the name of the coauthor [Daniel H. Wilson](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/33773.Daniel%5FH%5FWilson?ref=simplykyra.com). This book didn't let me down. It was true [Michael Crichton](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5194.Michael%5FCrichton?ref=simplykyra.com) through and through leaving me hanging, rapidly connecting me to the characters, and kept amazing me truly as the book went on. Like the first it was presented as a post-incident report and I still wish I hadn't read it so I can read it again with no knowledge of what's about to happen. I guess the highest praise you can give a book. 

![The cover features the title “The Andromeda Evolution” by Daniel H. Wilson and Michael Crichton. The cover shows a hexagon tiled background with a single one missing with the world centered there. It also takes the place of the o in andromeda.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-5.jpg)

Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 14th, 2023 from Goodreads.

# [Parenting Is Weird: Tails from the Litterbox](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/100697947-parenting-is-weird?ref=simplykyra.com)

[*Chesca Hause*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/26904778.Chesca%5FHause?ref=simplykyra.com)

I follow this author on [Instagram (Litterbox Comics)](https://www.instagram.com/litterboxcomics/?ref=simplykyra.com) and absolutely love each and every cartoon she's posted so I jumped at the chance to read this book. If you also follow her then you've probably read them all before but I still really enjoyed having them all in one place. I haven't checked out the physical copy yet but can see this as a coffee table book or a gift for new parents. It's hilarious!

![The cover features the title “Parenting Is Weird: Tails from the Litterbox” by Chesca Hause. The cover shows all four cat characters floating surrounded bu items. The parents are holding devices and the kids are reaching for things. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-6.jpg)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 14th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/100697947-parenting-is-weird?ref=simplykyra.com)

# [Meru](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61183452-meru?ref=simplykyra.com)

[*S.B. Divya*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14879139.S%5FB%5FDivya?ref=simplykyra.com)

I actually didn't get this book through NetGalley but really wanted it as I remembered reading and loving [Machinehood](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54304067-machinehood?ref=simplykyra.com) back in 2021\. It didn't disappoint and offered a novel viewpoint and complex world building which I craved. I see on Goodreads it lists this as the first book in [The Alloy Era](https://www.goodreads.com/series/359995-the-alloy-era?ref=simplykyra.com) series and so I'm already planning on reading the next book whenever it does come out.

![The cover features the title “Meru” by S.B. Divya. The cover shows a chasm between red cliffs with purple sky and tinted water. A silhouette stands in the center. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image.jpg)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 14th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61183452-meru?ref=simplykyra.com)

# [The Book of Everlasting Things](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65139284-the-book-of-everlasting-things?ref=simplykyra.com)

[*Aanchal Malhotra*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17093338.Aanchal%5FMalhotra?ref=simplykyra.com)*; narrated by* [*Deepti Gupta*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4355623.Deepti%5FGupta?ref=simplykyra.com)

This audiobook was everything! I absolutely adored the characters, the story, the narrator, the scenes, the calligraphy, the perfume, and every little facet of it. It was written and read so well that I, who almost never wears perfume, wanted to research it more and take up calligraphy before life slowly seeped back in. Me who has never reread a book since being a child wrote a reminder to revisit this world again. I highly recommend experiencing this book. 

![The cover features the title “The Book of Everlasting Things” by Aanchal Malhotra and narrated by Deepti Gupta. The cover shows a purple ornate background with a golden statue on it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-2.jpg)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 14th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65139284-the-book-of-everlasting-things?ref=simplykyra.com)

# [Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60784627-swift-the-storm-fierce-the-flame?ref=simplykyra.com)

[*Meg Long*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20184562.Meg%5FLong?ref=simplykyra.com)

I adored the first book in this [Edge Worlds](https://www.goodreads.com/series/364061-edge-worlds?ref=simplykyra.com) series with its frozen landscape so I jumped at the chance to follow the characters to a jungle planet this time around. Once I fully got back into the world I was absolutely hooked though I did find that the first book in the series was better. That said, the conclusion walked the fine line between concluding the story and leaving it open for another book so I'm cautiously hopeful I'll be be able to walk in their world, wherever it is, again. 

![The cover features the title “Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame” by Meg Long. The cover shows a halt o fierce looking person (off page) and a glowing flower.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-1.jpg)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 14th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60784627-swift-the-storm-fierce-the-flame?ref=simplykyra.com)

# [The Thick and the Lean](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61273325-the-thick-and-the-lean?ref=simplykyra.com)

[*Chana Porter*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19124404.Chana%5FPorter?ref=simplykyra.com)

Oh my goodness! This book was stunning and world changing. The world building was great, the characters were sublime, and the thought and detail to the food made you want to luxuriate between the pages as you could almost taste it. 

Word of warning this is a dystopian world where food and sex have been flipped so there is clandestine eating and open religion entwined sex and nakedness.

![The cover features the title “The Thick and the Lean” by Chana Porter. The cover shows a women turned to the side facing you the viewer. Part of her body consists of fruit with a pear and pomegranates.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-3.jpg)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 14th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61273325-the-thick-and-the-lean?ref=simplykyra.com)

# [The Wife App](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62919768-the-wife-app?ref=simplykyra.com)

[*Carolyn Mackler*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/27621.Carolyn%5FMackler?ref=simplykyra.com)

I absolutely loved the concept of this book! The book switched well between the characters while offering the perfect blend of mental load sadness and hilarity. Since I've also started writing my own apps I loved the app and company startup parts too even though my ideas have nothing to do with theirs. 

![The cover features the title “The Wife App” by Carolyn Mackler The cover features a women with arms in hip winking. Behind her and to the sides are three silhouettes of other women in solid colors. One is shopping, one walking a dog, and one typing on phone. To the side it says “Every wife deserves her own happy ending”.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-13.jpg)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 14th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62919768-the-wife-app?ref=simplykyra.com)

# [Myriad](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62591876-myriad?ref=simplykyra.com)

[Joshua David Bellin](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7393959.Joshua%5FDavid%5FBellin?ref=simplykyra.com)

Sometimes you need *a mind-bending time traveling sci-fi thriller* and this book fit the bill perfectly. The characters were written super well and immediately grabbed me making the book so hard to put down. Well written with the perfect amount of science, unknownness, grit, and messy timey-wimey. 

Word of warning: This does open with a school shooting that is returned to (time travel) throughout the book.

![The cover features the title “Myriad” by Joshua David Bellin. The cover features a dark tunnel with a light at the end. In the light is a silhouette of a woman. At the bottom under the author it says “time travel is murder”](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-12.jpg)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 14th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62591876-myriad?ref=simplykyra.com)

# [A Thousand Recipes for Revenge](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62094214-a-thousand-recipes-for-revenge?ref=simplykyra.com)

[*Beth Cato*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2937730.Beth%5FCato?ref=simplykyra.com)

This book started in a world that felt like a simple but really well written historical fiction then it got really good. There's magic tied to food and drink, family ties, and really epically good plot. Finding these links for you made me realize that the next book in [the ](https://www.goodreads.com/series/369916-chefs-of-the-five-gods?ref=simplykyra.com)[Chefs of the Gods](https://www.goodreads.com/series/369916-chefs-of-the-five-gods?ref=simplykyra.com) series is slated to come out in January and I definitely just added it to my reading list.

Word of warning: There was violence and addiction included in the book and, although not as scary, several reviewers did note a strong veganism theme running through it all too. 

![The cover features the title “A Thousand Recipes for Revenge” by Beth Cato. The text is on a bottle filled with glowing lines. They also come out of the top looking magical.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-4.jpg)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 14th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62094214-a-thousand-recipes-for-revenge?ref=simplykyra.com)

# [The Downloaded](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201619703-the-downloaded?ref=simplykyra.com)

[*Robert J. Sawyer*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/25883.Robert%5FJ%5FSawyer?ref=simplykyra.com)

I remember reading a lot of [Robert J. Sawyer](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/25883.Robert%5FJ%5FSawyer?ref=simplykyra.com)'s books years ago so when I came across this audible version of a book I hadn't read yet I knew I needed to listen to it. It was amazing! The narration was on point and the book itself was incredible offering tantalizing details as you went. The book itself kept switching between different character as they were interviewed. This was a short but great read.

![The cover features the title “The Downloaded” by Robert J. Sawyer and narrated by Brendan Fraser and Luke Kirby. It shows a man with his eyes open and attachment points on his forehead in a cryobed. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-45.jpg)

[Photo of the audiobook's cover was taken on December 17th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201619703-the-downloaded?ref=simplykyra.com)

# [Snowglobe](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/171681724-snowglobe?ref=simplykyra.com)

[*Soyoung Park*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19884936.Soyoung%5FPark?ref=simplykyra.com)*; translated from Korean by* [*Joungmin Lee Comfort*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19420672.Joungmin%5FLee%5FComfort?ref=simplykyra.com)

Another dystopian book this time with a bit more of an old school vibe with similarities to the Hunger Game and Divergent type ideas. The book itself grabbed onto me right away and brought me along for a chilly, sometimes disturbing, and really great read. The ending felt like there could be more and if that's the case I really want to continue the story. 

![The words "when you're inside the world is watching", title Snow Globe", by Soyoung Park, and translated from Korean by Joungmin Lee Comfort. The cover itself looks like roses under ice but shattered with cracks.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-42.jpg)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 17th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/171681724-snowglobe?ref=simplykyra.com)

# [This is How You Lose the Time War](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43352954-this-is-how-you-lose-the-time-war?ref=simplykyra.com)

[*Amal El-Mohtar*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4175512.Amal%5FEl%5FMohtar?ref=simplykyra.com) *and* [*Max Gladstone*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3405346.Max%5FGladstone?ref=simplykyra.com)

I kept hearing about this book and finally put it on hold at my local library. The audiobook came in first and listening to this story was truly exquisite. That said any attempt to explain the book feels inadequate. There's a time war, two souls in love, timey-wimey-ness, messages, hope, and prose. I'm so glad I put it on hold so I could enjoy it and can see this being a book I could come back to time and time again. 

![The cover features the title "This is How You Lose the Time War" by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. The cover itself is light blue with a red and blue bird mirrored and slightly shattered. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-41.jpg)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 17th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43352954-this-is-how-you-lose-the-time-war?ref=simplykyra.com)

# [Whalefall](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62919162-whalefall?ref=simplykyra.com)

[*Daniel Kraus*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2782638.Daniel%5FKraus?ref=simplykyra.com)

Oh my fricken goodness! This book was amazing, awe-inspiring, and completely unable to put down. I gasped and laughed and luckily had no important plans so I read it all in one rather late day. I stumbled across this book and thought it had a lot to do with whale falls (when a fallen whale decomposes and creates its own ecosystem in the ocean). This was not that. But this was *so* much better that I'm okay with that. This book was a mix of Michael Crichton and Andy Weir with some family psychology thrown in and it was epic! 

![The cover features the title "Whalefall" and the author Daniel Kraus. The backgound is dark with the front of the whale facing the top and stretching down past the bottom. A light shines from above highlighting a lone minuscule diver. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-9.jpg)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 14th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62919162-whalefall?ref=simplykyra.com)

# [Machine Learning: New and Collected Stories](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33503613-machine-learning?ref=simplykyra.com)

[*Hugh Howey*](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3064305.Hugh%5FHowey?ref=simplykyra.com)

I'm going to admit right now that as of this post's first draft I haven't finished it yet. That said the ones I have read catch in your throat as you read and you need to take a brief break to recalibrate back to life or something. His books are amazing and so far this hasn't let me down. 

![The cover features the title "Machine Learning: New and Collected Stories" and the author Hugh Howey against a dark background with a center of silver with a glow. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-Image-44.jpg)

[Photo of the book's cover was taken on December 17th, 2023 from Goodreads.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33503613-machine-learning?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

## Update: Simply TBR

Since writing this, I've built an app so I can see all my ebooks, audiobooks, and physical books in one place. Simply TBR makes it so much easier to see my TBR, browse it, and keeps track of what's next without turning it into another list I lose. [Learn more about it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-tbr/), or [check it out on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6770712702?ref=simplykyra.com) directly.

---

And with that I'll leave you with a question... what book(s) have you read that you can't stop thinking about? Also what book on here did you read already and did you love it too? Feel free to share in the comments below. And regardless of anything I hope you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### SwiftData: Solving Fatal Errors and EXC_BAD_ACCESS While Handling Entities on Different Threads
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/swiftdata-solving-fatal-errors-and-exc_bad_access-while-handling-entities-on-different-threads/
Last updated: 2023-12-22T15:48:37.000Z
When SwiftData was first announced I considered leaving it alone before realizing this may be the best time to switch over. That said, I've had some difficulties getting the same functionalities working, like my earlier post where I had issues [filtering the browse lists by an entity relationship](https://www.simplykyra.com/swiftdata-problems-with-filtering-by-entity-in-the-predicate/), but having my app crash at random-seeming parts when creating entities on background threads was, for me, the most opaque and frustrating one yet... at least for now. And, once again, like all issues it was resolved with a simple solution. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_SwiftData-EXC_BAD_ACCESS-and-Fatal-Errors-While-Handling-Entities-on-Different-Threads---Pinterest.jpg)

---

## Back Story

Part of my back end code is written in a class that is composed fully of asynchronous functions that I call awaiting the returned results. Previously with CoreData I pass in a main entity and the data context to the method where new entities, all related and connected to that main entity, are created and saved. 

This has worked well in the past although it didn't act consistently once I updated my code to the new SwiftData methodology and dropped the data context as the `ModelContext` could be found through that passed in main entity. 

## But First Concurrency

First a quick aside in case you're also looking to speed up your code. To speed up my code I ended up using two posts I found on [Donny's blog](https://www.donnywals.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). [The first post](https://www.donnywals.com/running-tasks-concurrently-with-swift-concurrencys-async-let/?ref=simplykyra.com), which I started out on, used `async let` to run your steps serially rather than concurrently while [the second post](https://www.donnywals.com/running-tasks-in-parallel-with-swift-concurrencys-task-groups/?ref=simplykyra.com) was all about running tasks in parallel with task groups. I came across these while trying to solve my problem and although the new code compiled and ran so much quicker my issues weren't fixed and, in fact, it even broke my partial (and temporary) fix of adding a simple `sleep` command. I used the `sleep` command to prevent the race conditions I thought, at first, were causing the issues.

[![Image is a screenshot of the top the Running tasks in parallel with Swift Concurrency’s task groups post showing the website header, post cover image, and title.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-2023-12-10-at-5.17.46-PM.png)](https://www.donnywals.com/running-tasks-in-parallel-with-swift-concurrencys-task-groups/?ref=simplykyra.com)

Screenshot of the top of the [Running tasks in parallel with Swift Concurrency’s task groups](https://www.donnywals.com/running-tasks-in-parallel-with-swift-concurrencys-task-groups/?ref=simplykyra.com) post that I ended going with was taken on December 10th, 2023.

Word of warning: one spot I updated didn't work with task groups (didn't create all the needed entities) even once I fixed the main issue so I went back to the working `async let` there and it then worked beautifully. The other spot I used task groups is still set up and working perfectly though. 

In addition to those posts I also found Swift Senpai's post [Understanding Swift Task Groups With Example](https://swiftsenpai.com/swift/understanding-task-groups/?ref=simplykyra.com) that looked great at a glance in case you want another explanation.

[![Image is a screenshot of the top the Swift Senpai's post Understanding Swift Task Groups With Example showing the website header, post cover image, and title.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-2023-12-10-at-5.24.24-PM-1.png)](https://swiftsenpai.com/swift/understanding-task-groups/?ref=simplykyra.com)

Screenshot of the top of the [Understanding Swift Task Groups With Example](https://swiftsenpai.com/swift/understanding-task-groups/?ref=simplykyra.com) post was taken on December 10th, 2023\. 

## The Problems

### EXC\_BAD\_ACCESS

The first error I had was a generalized `EXC_BAD_ACCESS (code=1, address=...)` that showed up mainly in my entry App `@Main` struct but also popped up at various entity relationships spots all under various thread count numbers. 

![Screenshot of my code showing the failed EXC_BAD_ACCESS error.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_2023-12-09-at-8.57.01-AM.png)

One instance of thread 12 failing with bad access on the user relationship. 

I vaguely remembered a list of common SwiftData errors on Hacking with Swift so I tracked down his post [Common SwiftData errors and their solutions](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/quick-start/swiftdata/common-swiftdata-errors-and-their-solutions?ref=simplykyra.com) where he sums up the `EXC_BAD_ACCESS (code=1, address=0x0)` well in the very first sentence with:

*"If this occurs you're in trouble, because it could mean a whole range of things."*

He then went on to describe how to fix this issue when it shows up in a predicate which didn't help me here or with [my actual current, at that time, predicate issue](https://www.simplykyra.com/swiftdata-problems-with-filtering-by-entity-in-the-predicate/). 

[![Text explaining how if EXC_BAD_ACCESS "occurs you're in trouble, because it could mean a whole range of things" and then mentioning how to fix it if it's in a Predicate. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-2023-12-06-at-10.32.02-AM.png)](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/quick-start/swiftdata/common-swiftdata-errors-and-their-solutions?ref=simplykyra.com)

Screenshot taken from Hacking with Swift's [Common SwiftData errors and their solutions](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/quick-start/swiftdata/common-swiftdata-errors-and-their-solutions?ref=simplykyra.com) on December 6th, 2023.

When further researching this I came across Antoine Van Der Lee's blog SwiftLee that explained using [an address sanitizer once the source of the EXC\_BAD\_ACCESS was found locally](https://www.avanderlee.com/swift/exc-bad-access-crash/?ref=simplykyra.com) along with another post on using [the thread sanitizer to deal with data races](https://www.avanderlee.com/swift/thread-sanitizer-data-races/?ref=simplykyra.com). These couldn't be used at the same time and I found they didn't personally help me as anytime I had one of them enabled my app performed beautifully. Figured I'd share this with you though in case it could help you. 

### Fatal Error: Duplicate Keys

At some point in all of this when I couldn't figure out how to fix the issue I decided to at least help mitigate it by manually saving the `ModelContext` after each related entity was done being created. I figured this way if the program crashed at least the data that had been created before that point would be saved and the user wouldn't have to start back at the beginning each time. This didn't help as once I added saving, at any of the points, I got fatal errors on my entities complaining about duplicate keys. 

```
Fatal error: Duplicate keys of type 'EntityName' were found in a Dictionary.
This usually means either that the type violates Hashable's requirements, or that members of such a dictionary were mutated after insertion.
```

## The Solution

### Path to Solution

The StackOverflow question titled [SwiftData insert crashes with EXC\_BAD\_ACCESS using background thread from ModelActor](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/76925372/swiftdata-insert-crashes-with-exc-bad-access-using-background-thread-from-modela?ref=simplykyra.com) got me to where I needed to be. That said, I need to be completely honest and share that I didn't read the code section of the question and the approved answer was just scanned. What helped me specifically was the solution added to bottom of the question and in that solution mainly just the first sentence: [*"You have to create the ModelActor on a different thread than the main tread."*](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/76925372/swiftdata-insert-crashes-with-exc-bad-access-using-background-thread-from-modela?ref=simplykyra.com)

[![Image shows the solution part of the StackOverflow question along with its tags, two comments, and information about who asked it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-2023-12-09-at-8.37.28-AM.png)](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/76925372/swiftdata-insert-crashes-with-exc-bad-access-using-background-thread-from-modela?ref=simplykyra.com)

Screenshot taken from StackOverflow question [SwiftData insert crashes with EXC\_BAD\_ACCESS using background thread from ModelActor](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/76925372/swiftdata-insert-crashes-with-exc-bad-access-using-background-thread-from-modela?ref=simplykyra.com) on December 6th, 2023.

This line immediately reminded me of Hacking with Swift's post [How to discard changes to a SwiftData object](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/quick-start/swiftdata/how-to-discard-changes-to-a-swiftdata-object?ref=simplykyra.com) where he showed how to make an entity editable in a way where you can choose when to save or discard any changes instead of the default autosaving. Earlier I had followed this code to implement it in my edit views so a user can roll everything back if they choose to cancel (by just dismissing it all) or keep the changes by saving the `ModelContext` manually. 

[![Image shows two code sections on a dark background alongside text in the middle.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-2023-12-10-at-2.05.28-PM.png)](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/quick-start/swiftdata/how-to-discard-changes-to-a-swiftdata-object?ref=simplykyra.com)

Screenshot of Hacking with Swift's solution was taken on December 10th, 2023 from his [How to discard changes to a SwiftData object](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/quick-start/swiftdata/how-to-discard-changes-to-a-swiftdata-object?ref=simplykyra.com) post.

### Solution With Example 

With this idea I decided to update the problematic functions so rather than passing in the main entity itself I instead pass in the `ModelContainer` and the entity's `PersistentIdentifier` so it can be recreated within a new `ModelContext` for just this thread. 

Assuming you're using `async let` I created a quick code example to show how I fixed my problem. This also worked in my function using `TaskGroup` too. 

In this example I have a main function where I pass in my main entity (to connect with any other created entities) and an array of information to go through. This method just iterates through the array and calls the asynchronous method making sure to pass the entity by its `PersistentModelID` and send in the `ModelContainer`. 

```swift
public func mainEntryMethod(entity: EntityName, arrayToGoThrough: [objectType]) async {
   for thisObject in arrayToGoThrough {
      async let _ = createEntities(in: entity.modelContext!.container, entityID: entity.persistentModelID, thisObject: objectType)
   }
}
```

This asynchronous method is where the magic happens. Here the main entity is recreated in a new `ModelContext` based on the passed in `ModelContainer` and if it can't be recreated I exit the method. If it works I use the information passed in to create what I originally wanted before saving the whole thing and returning. 

```swift
private func createEntities(in container: ModelContainer, entityID: PersistentIdentifier, objectInfo: objectType) async {
   // First recreate the main entity in it's own ModelContext
   let modelContext = ModelContext(container)
   modelContext.autosaveEnabled = false
   let entity = modelContext.model(for: entityID) as? EntityName
   if entity == nil {
      // Can't continue without entity
      // TODO: Handle any error handling and...
      return
   }

   // ... creating the related entities and attaching them   

   do {
      try modelContext.save()
   } catch {
      // It can't be saved
      // TODO: Handle any error handling and...
      return
   }
   // Success!
}
```

With the different `ModelContext` used in my problematic asynchronous methods both my fatal and bad access errors are gone! 

I hope this solution helps you solve your problem. If it didn't quite get you all the way I'd love to hear, in the comments below, how you solved it! Maybe your solution can help someone else!

I hope you’re having a good day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### SwiftData: Solving Filtering by an Entity in the Predicate
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/swiftdata-problems-with-filtering-by-entity-in-the-predicate/
Last updated: 2023-12-15T18:45:36.000Z
When SwiftData was first announced I decided to leave it alone and migrate over later when hopefully there would be more support. Then I realized now, before my app enters the App Store and has users with data, may be the best time to switch over. That said, I've had difficulties getting the same functionalities working and have had to give up some of my loved bits for now. Filtering my browse lists by an entity relationship; however, wasn't one I could give up and I had trouble solving it for awhile. And like all issues it was [a simple solution](https://www.simplykyra.com/swiftdata-problems-with-filtering-by-entity-in-the-predicate/#tldr-the-code). 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, images from below, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_SwiftData-Problems-with-Filtering-by-Entity-in-the-Predicate---Pinterest.jpg)

---

My simpler app ideas have browse views that were easy to migrate over to SwiftData but my favorite app has more complicated browse views that limit the content based on a relationship in the data. Unlike the user filtering and sectioned lists that I decided to forgo for now, this filtering was pivotal to my app's functionality and as such I knew I needed to get it working. 

## The Problem

### Source Example Code

A quick aside on the example code. When getting a handle on SwiftData I started out with Hacking with Swift's free (as of right now on December 9th, 2023) [SwiftData by Example](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/quick-start/swiftdata?ref=simplykyra.com) online book. In case things change the download version, currently showing up as $30 for me in the U.S., can be [found here](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/store/swiftdata-by-example?ref=simplykyra.com). He starts the book by going over a sample project walkthrough ([starting here](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/quick-start/swiftdata/swiftdata-tutorial-building-a-complete-project?ref=simplykyra.com)) that can also be found on [his GitHub page](https://github.com/twostraws/iTour?ref=simplykyra.com). The project, iTour, creates a simple app that keeps track of potential destinations you could visit along with their related sights. So for this data each Destination entity can have zero to many attached Sight entities while each Sight has only one connected Destination. 

![Image shows the SwiftData by Example headline image with a "Join over 90,000 readers today".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-2023-12-09-at-11.24.16-AM.png)

Screenshot of the [Hacking with Swift download version page](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/store/swiftdata-by-example?ref=simplykyra.com) taken on December 9th, 2023\. There's also currently a free [SwiftData by Example](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/quick-start/swiftdata?ref=simplykyra.com) online book too.

### The Problem Itself

My problem was that I wasn't able to filter my query by another entity within the predicate. Whatever I tried failed to build while also taking some time for such attempts to fail which further aggravated the situation. Since I had already created the [SwiftData by Example](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/quick-start/swiftdata?ref=simplykyra.com) walkthrough project and have a membership with access to his forum I decided to recreate my problem using his code as the base and post it to [his forum here](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/forums/books/swiftdata-trouble-with-predicates/24724?ref=simplykyra.com). I didn't receive any replies but on there you can see the process I went through, the temporary solution I hacked together so I had a working browse allowing me to take a break to work on other things, and [my eventual solution whichof course is also shown below](https://www.simplykyra.com/swiftdata-problems-with-filtering-by-entity-in-the-predicate/#the-final-code-that-works).

To demonstrate this issue I took [the sample project](https://github.com/twostraws/iTour?ref=simplykyra.com) and changed the `SightsView` file to have two views so you can filter the list of Sights by a search term, change the sort, and, most importantly for me now, pass in an optional `Destination` entity to further filter the list of Sights. For the reasoning behind the two views for the browse you can check out this [section of his walkthrough](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/quick-start/swiftdata/sorting-query-results?ref=simplykyra.com) while the predicate logic itself is [in the next section here](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/quick-start/swiftdata/filtering-the-results-from-a-swiftdata-query?ref=simplykyra.com). For this code change, as I had trouble with compiling and wanted a quick example, I only passed in nil for the `Destination`. 

The code showing the problem, replacing the contents of the `SightsView` file, is:

```swift
import SwiftUI
import SwiftData

struct SightsView: View {
  @State private var path = [Sight]()
  @State private var sortOrder = [SortDescriptor(\Sight.name)]
  @State private var searchText = ""

  var body: some View {
    NavigationStack(path: $path) {
      SightsListingView(sort: sortOrder, searchString: searchText, destination: nil)
        .navigationTitle("Sights")
        .searchable(text: $searchText)
    }
  }
}

struct SightsListingView: View {
  @Environment(\.modelContext) var modelContext

  @Query var sights: [Sight]

  init(sort: [SortDescriptor<Sight>], searchString: String, destination: Destination?) {
    _sights = Query(filter: #Predicate {
      if destination == nil {
        return $0.name.localizedStandardContains(searchString)
        //                            below assuming it's equal now si
      } else if searchString.isEmpty {
        return $0.destination == destination
      } else {
        return $0.destination == destination && $0.name.localizedStandardContains(searchString)
      }
      // Other attempt
      //            if destination == nil && searchString.isEmpty {
      //                return true
      //            } else if destination == nil {
      //                return $0.name.localizedStandardContains(searchString)
      //            } else if searchString.isEmpty {
      //                return $0.destination == destination
      //            } else {
      //                return $0.destination == destination && $0.name.localizedStandardContains(searchString)
      //            }
    }, sort: sort)
  }

  var body: some View {
    List {
      ForEach(sights) { sight in
          VStack(alignment: .leading) {
              Text(sight.name)
                  .font(.headline)
          }
      }
      .onDelete(perform: deleteSights)
    }
  }

  func deleteSights(_ indexSet: IndexSet) {
    for index in indexSet {
      let sight = sights[index]
      modelContext.delete(sight)
    }
  }
}
```

## Building Issues

My problem was that anything I attempted in the `Predicate` to filter the listed Sights by the parent Destination hung when attempting to build and was never able to complete the build. One of the errors was: 

```
The compiler is unable to type-check this expression in reasonable time; try breaking up the expression into distinct sub-expressions
```

![Xcode screenshot showing the error list with my code alongside with the error and vague explanation open.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_2023-12-09-at-11.57.45-AM.png)

Screenshot of my code showing the error with the expanded explanation open.

In addition to that I also received the odd error where the compiler didn't time out but the predicate itself was problematic. These errors were still similar to the expanded code shown above.

## The Solution

### Path to the Solution

I tried many attempts to solve the issue before settling for a hacky version of the code that compiled, showed the right data, yet didn't update so I could temporarily set aside the problem and attempt to migrate other bits of my app over. That said, this problem hung over my head as I knew this was pivotal and thus needed to be fixed if I was ever going to keep using SwiftData in the future. 

After solving another major for me issue I decided to stop putting this off and again tried to look up solutions online where I found a StackOverflow question titled [SwiftData @Query with #Predicate on Relationship Model](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/77039981/swiftdata-query-with-predicate-on-relationship-model?ref=simplykyra.com). The question and solution didn't spark anything major but the backup answer, pictured here, did help me come to the proper solution. 

[![Image shows the follow up answer on the Stack Overflow. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-2023-12-09-at-10.13.28-AM.png)](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/77039981/swiftdata-query-with-predicate-on-relationship-model?ref=simplykyra.com)

Screenshot of [Joel's](https://stackoverflow.com/users/3377161/joel?ref=simplykyra.com) answer to the [StackOverflow question](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/77039981/swiftdata-query-with-predicate-on-relationship-model?ref=simplykyra.com) that lead me to the right solution was taken on December 9th, 2023.

I went back to my code and removed the `Destination` itself from the predicate and instead used its precomputed `id`. This worked in the sample project, shown in the next section, but didn't work in my actual app. A quick update from `id` to the `persistentModelID`; however, fixed it there and thus the final solution was found. 

### Compiled and Filtering Worked

With the solution finally found the code was able to successfully compile, the app ran, and the resulting Sights list was empty! Yes!!!!

![Image shows two iPhone simulator with the one on the left displaying a list of sights and the one on the right empty. Between the two is a purple and blue background, a white arrow, and white celebratory fireworks.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_SwiftData-Problems-with-Filtering-by-Entity-in-the-Predicate----Image-2.png)

We went from a list of sights to none! Exactly what I wanted.

With the code compiling and working properly by showing no Sights, as the `Destination` passed in was nil, I quickly moved to the Sights section within the `EditDestinationView` file and added a `Button` to open a sheet to the browse so I could pass in an actual `Destination`. 

```swift
// ...

// Bool to handle opening the sheet with the browse
@State private var showBrowse: Bool = false

var body: some View {

  // ...
  
  Section("Sights") {
  
    // Quick button to show the filtering in action
    Button(action: 
        showBrowse = true
    }, label: {
        Text("See All Sights (\(destination.sights.count))")
    })
    .sheet(isPresented: $showBrowse, content: {
        // And pass in the current destination 
        // so we only see the sights also shown below
        SightsView(destination: destination)
    })
    
    ForEach(sortedSights) { sight in
        // ...
    }
  }
  
  // ...
  
}

// ...
```

And here's what the sights looked like opened from different `Destination` views. 

![Image shows four iPhone simulators showing the different edit view and corresponding browse results for two different destinations.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_SwiftData-Problems-with-Filtering-by-Entity-in-the-Predicate----Image.png)

With the Destination passed in the proper sights were shown and we could then search within just those sights. 

### What the Problem Was

The simple solution to this problem was that you can't include an entity other than the one you're currently filtering which, in this case, was `Sight`. Thus the very act of including `Destination` broke the predicate. Spring boarding off of the [StackOverflow question](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/77039981/swiftdata-query-with-predicate-on-relationship-model?ref=simplykyra.com) listed above I instead took the `persistentModelID` from the `Destination` entity passed in and used that resulting `ID` within the predicate to filter the sights by. 

### The Final Code That Works

As such my code for the `SightsView` stayed the same while the `init` itself, in my `SightsListingView`, changed to the following:

```swift
init(sort: [SortDescriptor<Sight>], searchString: String, destination: Destination?) {
  // Make a point of grabbing 
  if let thisID = destination?.persistentModelID {
    _sights = Query(filter: #Predicate<Sight> {
      if searchString.isEmpty {
        return $0.destination?.persistentModelID == thisID
      } else {
        return $0.destination?.persistentModelID == thisID && $0.name.localizedStandardContains(searchString)
      }
    }, sort: sort)
  } else {
    // if id is nil than I don't want ANYTHING
    _sights = Query(filter: #Predicate<Sight> { currSight in
      // If you remove the 'currSight in' you get error: Cannot convert value of type '() -> Bool' to expected argument type '(Sight) -> Bool'
      return false
    }, sort: sort)
  }
}
```

I took a quick screenshot to show the gorgeousness of the resulting code in Xcode.

![Colorful code on a white background. The shown code is also found right above. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/12/compressed_Screenshot-2023-12-08-at-5.11.30-PM.png)

Screenshot of the final working code in Xcode.

## TLDR: The Code

The final browse form code showing all the changes to the [SwiftData by Example](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/quick-start/swiftdata?ref=simplykyra.com) sample project can simply overwrite the `SightsView` file with the following:

```swift
import SwiftUI
import SwiftData

struct SightsView: View {
    
  @State private var path = [Sight]()
  @State private var sortOrder = [SortDescriptor(\Sight.name)]
  @State private var searchText = ""
  
  @State var destination:Destination?
  
  var body: some View {
    NavigationStack(path: $path) {
      SightsListingView(sort: sortOrder, searchString: searchText, destination: destination)
        .navigationTitle("Sights")
        .searchable(text: $searchText)
    }
  }
}

struct SightsListingView: View {
  @Environment(\.modelContext) var modelContext
  
  @Query var sights: [Sight]
  
  init(sort: [SortDescriptor<Sight>], searchString: String, destination: Destination?) {
    if let thisID = destination?.persistentModelID {
      _sights = Query(filter: #Predicate<Sight> {
        if searchString.isEmpty {
          return $0.destination?.persistentModelID == thisID
        } else {
          return $0.destination?.persistentModelID == thisID && $0.name.localizedStandardContains(searchString)
        }
      }, sort: sort)
    } else {
      // if id is nil than I don't want ANYTHING
      _sights = Query(filter: #Predicate<Sight> { currSight in
        // If you remove the 'currSight in' you get error: Cannot convert value of type '() -> Bool' to expected argument type '(Sight) -> Bool'
        return false
      }, sort: sort)
    }
  }
  
  var body: some View {
    List {
      ForEach(sights) { sight in
        VStack(alignment: .leading) {
          Text(sight.name)
            .font(.headline)
        }
      }
      .onDelete(perform: deleteSights)
    }
  }
  
  func deleteSights(_ indexSet: IndexSet) {
    for index in indexSet {
      let sight = sights[index]
      modelContext.delete(sight)
    }
  }
}
```

Of course this also included the quick button I added to the `EditDestinationView` within the Sights section:

```swift
// Bool to handle opening the sheet with the browse
@State private var showBrowse: Bool = false

var body: some View {

  // ...
  
  Section("Sights") {
  
    // Quick button to show the filtering in action
    Button(action: 
        showBrowse = true
    }, label: {
        Text("See All Sights (\(destination.sights.count))")
    })
    .sheet(isPresented: $showBrowse, content: {
        // And pass in the current destination 
        // so we only see the sights also shown below
        SightsView(destination: destination)
    })
    
    ForEach(sortedSights) { sight in
        // ...
    }
  }
  
  // ...
  
}
```

---

And with that the code was fixed and my browse views could again be fetched and updated properly! 

I hope this code fix helps you have a great day. If you have any questions and/or tips I'd love to hear them so feel free to share them in the comments below. 

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simple and Adorable Snow People Sensory Kit
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-and-adorable-snow-people-sensory-kit/
Last updated: 2023-12-03T16:00:48.000Z
Two years ago I was trying to come up with a fun gift idea for two other girls and came up with this play dough sensory kit. After coming up with the idea I browsed Michael’s Arts and Crafts to help flesh out the plan. This is what I came up with… making sure to make extra for my kids while also mindfully packaging the gift to make it a bit better.

![Pinterest-geared image showing five images also shown in the post below, my main blog title "Simple and Adorable Snow People Sensory Kit", my main URL, and a snowman clip art image from Canva. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_Simple-and-Adorable-Snow-People-Sensory-Kit-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

While coming up with the gift I knew I wanted a simple sensory play idea that didn’t require too much clean up and would keep the kids happy for hours. As such I knew [my play dough recipe](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/) would be a good basis to start out with but I wanted some way to make it unique from previous times we played together and or gifted them items. I then thought of making snow people and realized it was perfect. I could keep the play dough simple, as I wouldn’t need to dye it, while also including extra parts thus gifting the kids hours of unique play.

---

## *Expanding the Idea – Accessories*

To expand on the idea I started by shopping in my sensory cupboard and found some brown and orange pipe cleaners (also called chenille stems) that I already owned. I knew the brown ones would make perfect branches for the arms and the orange would make the perfect carrot (which I later replaced) so I grabbed them all and sat down to plan.

For the carrot I took the orange pipe cleaners and cut them down a bit smaller. I attempted my first one by simply folding it in half but then realized that the carrot came out too skinny so I changed my method and instead rolled each piece into a spiral before squishing them down, to make the triangular shape, and then twisting it a bit to keep its shape.

![Image shows three piles of pipe cleaners. On the far left arching over the piles are two long and whole pieces. Next, below and to the right, sit two small straight pieces. The bottom right pile shows several finished carrots. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_IMG_3462.jpeg?resize=750%2C475&ssl=1)

I started by cutting the orange pipe cleaners down in size before shaping them into a carrot shape.

![This image is similar to before but shows the carrots' progress. The far left shows a pile of four short and straight orange pipe cleaners. There are then four single pieces in a row showing: a loosely spiraled piece, a tightly spiraled one, a puffy cone, and  a tighter twisted triangle. To the far right are a pile of finished carrots. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_IMG_3466.jpeg?resize=750%2C253&ssl=1)

I tried to fashion exactly how I made the carrots by giving you a progress shot showing the small pipe cleaner bits, on the left, leading to the finished carrots, on the right. In the middle you can see the spiral, squish, shape into a triangle, and twist to keep its triangular shape.

The brown pipe cleaners I had on hand were less fuzzy than the orange ones which worked for the branch idea. To make the main piece of the pipe cleaner branches I cut the pipe cleaners in half while the smaller offshoots were made by cutting them into thirds. I then took one long and one short pipe cleaner and crossed them near the end of the long one resulting in an X shape with one leg longer than the other three, equally sized, ends. I finally twisted them together and angled the three ends in one direction resulting in one long branch, or arm, with three pieces extending at the end, making three fingers. Thus each *branch* was made from just under one pipe cleaner; combining a half and a third. I repeated this process with all of the brown pipe cleaners I had.

![Like with the above carrots this image shows the brown branch construction. Here there are four piles that range from left to right to show: the two lengths of pipe cleaner used, the two pieces crossed near the end of the long piece, the twist to hold them in place, and finally (turned around) the finished piece with it's positioned "finger" twigs.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_IMG_3472.jpeg?resize=750%2C358&ssl=1)

Here’s another progress shot showing how I made the branch arms. I started with two pieces of brown pipe cleaners: one long and one short. I then crossed them near the end of the long piece (second part) and then twisted it in place (third part). I finally angled the **fingers* to form the branch end with its **hand* (hidden behind the watermark).

With my sensory cupboard not turning up any other ideas I decided to head to [Michael’s Arts and Crafts](https://www.michaels.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) to see what I could see. I knew going in that I didn’t truly love my carrot nose idea so I hoped to find some carrot-shaped beads or something to replace them with… which I couldn’t find even when typing *carrot* into their app. That said, I ‘m still glad I went as I found other items that would work for the kit. These included:

- Earrings shaped in a bow like you’d put on a gift. They were cheap enough that I wouldn’t want my kids to wear them *but* I figured they’d be perfect for the play dough kit. Once home I removed the earring backings and split them up so the snow people could have bows on their head… or anywhere else the kids decided. The metal posts in the back were perfect for sticking into play dough and holding them in place.
- Shimmery black pony beads that I decided would be a perfect replacement for coal. I pictured them going on the face (eyes and mouth) and on the body (buttons).
- Discounted, 70% off, solid plastic Halloween lights that became perfect carrot noses with the addition of some black paint pen lines. Thus my pipe cleaner noses were replaced (kept them for my kids so they weren’t just tossed).

And with that all the accessories for my snow people were decided!

In case your store still sells the *Mr. Halloween traditional bulbs*, or something similar, I wanted to go over how I converted the plastic bulbs to simple noses. I started by separating them out by color as I was only interested in the orange bulbs and not the purple ones. I then grabbed a fine tipped black paint pen and carefully and repeatedly sketched partial circles around each bulb several times. Since I didn’t know which angle each *carrot* would be looked at I wanted all sides to have enough lines to look like a carrot yet as I was copying nature I didn’t want the lines to go all the way around and look fake. Once all bulbs were marked the carrots 2.0 were finished.

![Image shows the closed package of Mr Halloween Tradition Bulbs half purple and half orange. A fine tipped paint pen sits to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_IMG_3487.jpeg?resize=750%2C564&ssl=1)

I found these Halloween plastic bulbs 70% off making it worth it to buy them for my second version of carrot noses.

![Now the package is off to the side and is only half filled with only purple bulbs. To the left all the orange ones sit marked up with black circling lines so they appear more carrot-like. The same black pen now sits at the top of the image. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_IMG_3489.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After splitting up the two colors so I only had the orange nose-like bulbs I opened my fine-tipped paint pen and marked each one to appear more carrot-like.

Quick aside I may still have the purple ones somewhere, not sure where, so if you have an ideas on how to use them that would be great.

---

## *Make It Look Pretty – Packaging*

I wanted to wait until the night before to make the play dough so it would be fresh. In the meantime I wanted some way to package the gift up prettily yet still be functional enough for daily use. For [a different sensory present](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/01/06/simple-and-exciting-sensory-play-gift-ideas/), in the past, I had used an Ikea lidded container to hold all the materials but this time around I worried it would be too large and too divided for this particular gift. Instead I remembered [the reusable fabric gift bags I made for Christmas presents](http://I Love My Reusable Fabric Gift Bags… That I Made Years Ago!) and decided to do something similar for these. This way all the accessories could go in the bag and would take up less room than a plastic container.

Before I could start I needed to look through my fabric to find some Christmas themed woven fabric. Rather than that I found one even one better! I had a remnant from [Joann’s](https://www.joann.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) perfect for two bags that emulated falling silver snow on a white background with the one end completely white while the other end was mainly silver. I cut it in half planning to make the top of the bag the whiter side in the hopes that it would appear to have falling snow piling up on a silver snowbank. With the pieces cut I quickly made two little sachets by:

- Folding over the top to make a channel for the drawstring and sewing it in place.
- Using a French seam to sew up the sides of the bag.
- Paused to decorate the bags since it was simple enough to press flat now. I inserted cardboard so the fabric markers wouldn’t bleed through and then drew a simple snow person making sure to include the items I included in the kit in the design.
- Added their name and the words *Snow Supplies*.
- Pressed the fabric to set the ink.
- Quick aside: I’ve heard of using the dryer heat if you don’t have an iron to help set the ink. I did that myself later when I had to add the bow to the snow people’s hair.
- Sewed the bottom closed using French seams again.
- Added box corners to the bottom so it would be larger.
- Finished the open edge of the channel.
- Threaded a white ribbon from my collection through the channel so I could cinch the bag closed.

And with that I was done! I had recently edited [my reusable fabric gift bags post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/12/15/i-love-my-reusable-fabric-gift-bags-that-i-made-years-ago/) so the process was fresh in my head and the construction of the bags went quickly.

![Image shows the two recently started bags side by side with a snow person on a hill waving at the viewer. The fabric itself is positioned so the bottom is mostly silver while the top is white. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_IMG_3481.jpeg?resize=750%2C479&ssl=1)

I waited until after I had cut and sewn up the side of the bag before drawing the snow person on as I wanted to be sure how it would be placed properly on the front of the bag. I also made sure to rip up some cardboard and place it between the layers so the ink wouldn’t bleed into the bottom side.

![The photo is taken from a bit further away to show some of the fabric markers used in the design. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_IMG_3483.jpeg?resize=750%2C488&ssl=1)

I was careful to keep the design simple while also only using items they’d be able to replicate with the play dough, pipe cleaner branches, carrot bulb nose, and coal beads.

![Image shows the bags with one on its side and the other upright to show what's inside it. Off to the side are more supplies. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_IMG_3498.jpeg?resize=750%2C566&ssl=1)

I had made the bags before going to Michaels so after buying the additional supplies I decided to quickly add a bow to the snow person’s head to show the additional choice. I then tossed them into the dryer to set the ink before packaging everything up.

---

## *The Main Event – Playdough!*

You can’t have a play dough sensory kit without the play dough! Years ago I tested several types of homemade play dough and settled on this [favorite recipe](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/). It’s the favorite that has been changed up over the years with food dye, flavor extracts for scents, markers, and accessories. I have so many other ways I’ve changed up my play dough over the years so if you want more ideas you can [check out the play dough tag here](https://www.simplykyra.com/tag/playdough/).

This time I didn’t need to add anything special to the play dough, since snow is white, and just made a plain double batch so we’d get a full batch for ourselves and gift the other full batch. I could see adding silver glitter but I didn’t want that to get all over my friend’s home. Once made I bagged it in a freezer zip lock bag, for easy storage, and used a paint pen to mark it as *SNOW*.

![Image shows two smaller balls of play dough next to one larger one with a piece removed. Between them sits a single undecorated snowman. In the background is some salt, cream of tartar, and canola oil. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_IMG_3503.jpeg?resize=750%2C524&ssl=1)

I made a doubled batch of [play dough](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/) so we’d have a batch for ourselves while gifting the other half. While making I couldn’t help but make a quick snowman for the photo.

---

## *Last Minute Additions – Felt Pens*

Right before wrapping the gift I felt it was lacking something so I grabbed a pack of felt pens and used my paint pen to label it with *to decorate them*. I figured this way the kids would have more freedom and opportunity to decorate the snow people however they wanted beyond the provided accessories or expand to further horizons! When my kids were younger [they spent hours making food with their play dough and decorating it with markers](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/05/22/coloring-on-playdough/) so I knew it was possible and so much fun.

---

## *The Final Look*

The gifts were a success and my kids appreciated their version of the kit with just the play dough and accessories. I pulled it out when we had family over and used a simple Dollar Tree tray to separate out all the accessories that could be used. That said, looking back I’m not sure where the pieces have since gone.

![Two snow people in the foreground with Zoey playing with two others in the background. From this angle it looks like one might be melting into a puddle. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_IMG_0237.jpg?resize=750%2C713&ssl=1)

![Closeup of Zoey's version of snow people. There's also a puddle of play dough between the snow people with the beads pressed in. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_IMG_0251.jpg?resize=750%2C354&ssl=1)

![All four snow people all lined up for the photo. In the background you can see Ada's arm and Zoey's body.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_IMG_0252.jpg?resize=750%2C310&ssl=1)

I’d love to hear if this helped you make your own snow people kit. Feel free to share in the comments below! I’d especially love to hear how you made it your own.

Hope you’re having an incredible day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Cascade Pass Trail in the North Cascades National Park
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/cascade-pass-trail-in-the-north-cascades-national-park/
Last updated: 2023-11-12T16:00:59.000Z
I hiked Cascade Pass Trail back at the end of September 2023 and took so many amazing photos that I wanted to share some of them with you in case you'd also love to come along on this adventure.

![Pinterest geared collage consisting of eight images all including me and the landscape at Cascade Pass Trail. All images can be found below. The collage image also include the blog title and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_Cascade-Pass-Trail-in-the-North-Cascades-National-Park---Pinterest.jpg)

---

## **Good to Know**

The Cascade Pass Trail is part of North Cascades National Park and doesn't require an entrance pass. That said, I wanted to share [their fees and passes page](https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/fees.htm?ref=simplykyra.com) in case you want to read more about the backcountry permit camping, northwest forest pass, or the dock permit.

If you do go to this trail just know that the last 23 miles of Cascade River Road switches from paved to gravel and back many times and also featured a bit of fallen rocks, blown over trees, and steep sections. I can't remember exactly for how long but the last while was just a single lane and so we were really glad not to encounter another vehicle while we were driving on it. That said, the road itself offered so many gorgeous views that we joked that that was all we needed when we reached the trailhead just after 8:30 on a Thursday morning. We were also happy to see that there were two unisex vaulted toilets there. I didn't check it out but there was also a sign saying toilet pointing to a set of steep rock stairs going up the hill at the end of the Cascade Pass Trail.

On the way there we had noticed all the campgrounds were closed and after the fact saw online, [through WTA](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/cascade-pass?ref=simplykyra.com), that that and the lack of picnic tables at the trailhead were because of *recent incidents of bears obtaining human food rewards from improper food storage*. As such you're supposed to *avoid stopping and eating along Cascade River Road and the trailhead* while also storing your *food properly.*

Additionally, my cell signal also dropped out sometime before reaching the park and stayed gone until well after we left so be sure to download or print your hiking map ahead of time and be prepared to drive out of the park without your directions connected. That said, it's also a simple road so we weren't too worried about making a wrong turn when leaving. 

## **Cascade Pass Trail**

If you're looking to do this hike yourself here's [the link for Washington Trails Association (WTA)](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/cascade-pass?ref=simplykyra.com) and another version through [AllTrails](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/cascade-pass-trail--3?ref=simplykyra.com). Now onto our adventure... in the order in which it was taken!

## Road to the Trailhead

As we got closer to the Cascade Pass trailhead the scenery got better and better. Here are some photos I snapped through the side and front windshields on the way. 

![Photo of the mountain wreathed in fog in the background with a stream and trees surrounding the road.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_9976.jpeg)

![Image of the single lane road surrounded in trees with snow capped fog strewn mountains to the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_9985.jpeg)

![Image of the road to the left with trees in the foreground, glacier in the mid ground, and mountains in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_9991.jpeg)

## **The Trailhead**

The trailhead itself was gorgeous showing a glacier, waterfalls, and epic scenery. There are some informational posters that I just realized I never took the time to read along with two gender-neutral vaulted toilet stalls with, at that time, toilet paper and hand sanitizer. 

![Panorama photo from the parking lot showing the informational posters with the mountains and streams in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_9992.jpeg)

![Sign at the trailhead listing the trail destinations and distance in miles. Cascade pass is the smallest at 3.7 while Stehekin is the longest at over 30 miles away. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0243.jpeg)

## **Hiking Up** 

The first 2.7 miles of the hike consisted of about 30 switchbacks before straightening out for the rest of the way. The hike itself goes mostly upward without many downward patches meaning the way back is consistently going down. The trees themselves were so pretty and any breaks between them offered pretty epic views too. As you approached the trail's end the trees thinned out offering a larger vista with minor amounts of fog adding definition to the view. 

![Image shows trees in the foreground with the snow capped mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_9994.jpeg)

![Image shows a steep hill going up to the right with assorted trees. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_9996.jpeg)

![Vertical image shows several trees stretching from below to above the image with the mountain in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_9997.jpeg)

![Image shows a smooth wet log on the patch with trees in the midground with the snow capped mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0003.jpeg)

![A root strewn path through the trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0005.jpeg)

![Image shows a couple trees in the foreground and smaller distanced trees and bushes to the right in the fore and midground. The snow capped mountains remain in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0006.jpeg)

![Image shows a couple solitary large trees to the left and smaller trees covering the rest of the foreground with the snow capped mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0009.jpeg)

![Image shows trees on the hill to the right in the foreground, hills in the mid ground to the left, and snow capped mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0011.jpeg)

![Image shows trees framing the photo to the left, right and bottom. A broken trunk sits to the right center with a view of the mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0014.jpeg)

![Closeup of the previous broken log with some branches below and to the right. The mountains and fog in the background make a sort of watercolor background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0017.jpeg)

![Image shows trees in the foreground with the snow capped mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0021.jpeg)

![Vertical panorama showing the height of the trees. They're in the right and left of the image with smaller bushes at the bottom and the snow capped mountain faded but showing in the center gap.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0023.jpeg)

![Image shows trees in the foreground with the snow capped mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0024.jpeg)

![Image shows trees in the foreground with the snow capped mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0025.jpeg)

![Image shows trees in the foreground with the snow capped mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0029.jpeg)

![I stand with my arms outstretched along the rocky path with smaller trees along the edge of the hill. Foggy mountains lie behind in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0037.jpeg)

![Rocks in the foreground, hilled trees in the mid ground, and glaciers and mountains in the background. The fog highlights the valley between the mountains and the clouds blur the top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0039.jpeg)

![Similar image as previous but now the fog in the valley is the forefront of the piece with the treed hills framing it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0041.jpeg)

![I stand smiling on the dirt path surrounded by yellowed plants and large boulders. The background of foggy mountains and trees is blurred. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0055.jpeg)

![Image shows the small path through the talus fields with the mountain in the background and plants in the foreground. If you look closely you can see two specks of orange of two hikers in the distance traversing the rocks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0061.jpeg)

![Image shows a hill along the bottom and rising on the right full of rocks and green, yellow, and red plants. The bright color offsets the white and grey of the mountains, clouds, fog, and glacier in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0063.jpeg)

![This image is similar to the before one but is panned a bit out to show more red hued plants along the bottom and grey rocks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0067.jpeg)

![Image shows a grey path on a hill surrounded by green, yellow, and red. The background is greyed out with fog and clouds. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0068.jpeg)

![Image shows rocks in the foreground, trees in the mid ground, and snow covered patches poking out from the fog in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0070.jpeg)

![Rocks strewn the back of the image with green, yellow, and red patches in the mid ground and trees behind. The background is all shades of grey with glacier, mountains, and fog. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0073.jpeg)

![Image shows a hill of green and red with a wet dirt path cutting through. Trees stand to the left and right highlighting the hill height and framing the clouds against the greyed mountainous hazy background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0077.jpeg)

## **Trail's End**

The vista at the trail's end was so gorgeous! To the left of this view the trail continues on while to the right there are steep steps going up with a sign marking it as a toilet stop. I never went up but I'm now wondering what the view would've been like from there. 

![Image shows a colorful vista of yellow, red, and grey with hills of trees, rock, and snow. A path cuts through on the left side.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0088.jpeg)

## Beyond the End

If you continue past the end of Cascade Pass Trail you'll next head towards Sahale Arm and Doubtful Lake. We knew we didn't have enough time for Sahale Arm but was told Doubtful Lake wasn't too far and as we weren't that hungry decided to continue on. After marveling at the vista and taking some photos on the way we then decided to turn back before reaching the lake as the rain and slush was picking up and we worried about doing the road back in the dark. 

I didn't get a good photo but we heard the calls of the [American pikas](https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/American-Pika?ref=simplykyra.com) and saw a couple at the base of the rocks (exact location shown in the last photo in this section) so keep an eye out if you're looking to spot them. 

![I stand in the center of a rocky path cutting through a field of yellow, red, and green grass and rocks. Trees and talus fields sit behind. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0095.jpeg)

![Similar image as before but now highlighting the landscape with the colorful red, yellow, and green against the greys of the clouds and rocks.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0097.jpeg)

![Image shows me at the foreground on the dirt path with the colorful hill falling away to the left and climbing on the right. In the background s another small colorful hill and talus to the left and grey of snow, cloud, and mountain in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0101.jpeg)

![Image shows a field of green, red, and yellow on the lower quarter of the screen with me standing on a mostly hidden path to the left of it. The rocky hills and snowy mountain stands behind fog strewn.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0106.jpeg)

![Vertical panorama showing the yellow fields then red then rock then tree topped hill. Behind it all stands a mountain fog strewn.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0140.jpeg)

![Image shows a yellow, red, and green hill slowly stretching to the white and grey mountain. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0144.jpeg)

![Image shows a yellow, red, and green hill rising to the left with the grey-ish mountain to the right and clouds roiling in between. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0146.jpeg)

![I stand with my arms outstretched and tongue out on the pathway surrounded by colorful hills in red, yellow, and green. In the background is the base of a grey background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0156.jpeg)

![Red, yellow, and green hill with a rocky path along the middle. In the background is a mountainous hill that's fog strewn. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0160.jpeg)

![A hil of red, green, yellow, and rock is cut through with a small rippling waterfall. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0178.jpeg)

![A hill of rock lays along the left and center of the image with trees to the left and right. In the background sits the snow capped mountain and clouds. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0179.jpeg)

![A field of green and yellow is cut through with a path. Rocks sit to the right and trees along the edge. The mountain stands in the background with fog covering the top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0182.jpeg)

![The bottom of the rocks (talus) field lays to the left with the grass to the right. Unseen are the American pikas hiding behind the rocks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0187.jpeg)

## Back at the Trail's End

Once back at the trail's end we sat on one of the larger rocks to eat while looking out at this amazing view. Quick word of warning we did see a chipmunk or two scoping out the area so be careful not to share while eating. 

![Image shows trees in the foreground in the mid ground, fields of green and red in the foreground, and snow capped mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0198.jpeg)

![Vertical image with yellow grass in the front, a single chipmunk, green bushes, red plants, small trees, a few large trees, and fields of rock and grass in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0205.jpeg)

![An image slightly darker to highlight the mountain and clouds in the background. In the foreground are the colorful hills of trees and grass. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0208.jpeg)

## And Back Again

Like [Tolmie Peak](https://www.simplykyra.com/tolmie-peak-trail-on-mount-rainier-tahoma/) before this trail is a "*there and back*" hike so once we finished eating we headed back down. While at the top the fog had gotten worse so we found ourselves walking into the fog as we went but still found the landscape amazing. 

![Image shows trees in the foreground with the snow capped mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0209.jpeg)

![Image shows trees in the foreground with the snow capped mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0211.jpeg)

![Image shows trees in the foreground with the snow capped mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0212.jpeg)

![I stand on the dirt path in front of a talus field with green and red grass behind and green trees. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0218.jpeg)

![Image shows a hill of red, green, and yellow with rocks to the right cut through with the path. To the left stand some trees highlighting the foreground from the grey mountainous background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0220.jpeg)

![Image shows a green treed hill rising to the right with layers of treed hils and mountains behind. Each layer is made more obvious by the opacity of the fog in front of it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0221.jpeg)

![Same image as before but panned back to show more trees and the mountains to the left highlighting the look of of the clouds and the red in the hills.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0222.jpeg)

![The puddles in the dirt and rock path reflect the trees surrounding it and contrast with the foliage while matching the grey skies. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0224.jpeg)

![Image shows trees in the foreground with the snow capped mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0227.jpeg)

![The rocky and red-tinged pathway cuts through the green and yellow trees surrounding it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0231.jpeg)

![The tall image highlights the tall trees surrounding the rocky path cutting through it. The fog hides the background from view. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0234.jpeg)

![Image shows trees in the foreground with the snow capped mountains in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0235.jpeg)

## **Drive Out**

Once back at the car we headed home but since the road was empty and the fog wasn't quite as bad as we had thought we stopped for photos at the waterfall on the way out the park. 

![A waterfall and creek burbles over the rocks surrounded by trees in green with hints of yellow and red. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0247.jpeg)

![Image is slanted highlighting more of the stream coming after the waterfall. More trees are also shown along the rocky path in mostly green but with hints of yellow and red. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0250.jpeg)

![I sit on a rock in front of the creek. The waterfall is behind me with the green trees to either side in the background. In the foreground to the right lays the road. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0264.jpeg)

![I turned around to snap a photo of where the water goes with the mountain and fog in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0265.jpeg)

![Another view of the stream but this time panned out to see a bit more of the road and the traffic cones lining the edge to help highlight where not to go. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0266.jpeg)

![A pile of moss coated rocks with the green and red trees in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0271.jpeg)

## And Goodbye

With that both the hike and the scenic part of the drive was over and I bid you adieu on this adventure. I will now leave you with the sun shinning through the clouds... yet another case of sun rays wishing us a good day after our hike just like when leaving the [Tolmie Peak Hike](https://www.simplykyra.com/tolmie-peak-trail-on-mount-rainier-tahoma/). 

![Image shows the top of trees and a pedestrian sign with clouds above and sunbeams shining through. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_IMG_0273.jpeg)

I hope all these photos find you well and you're having a great week.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Our Amazing Halloween Costumes: Costumed Hairstyle Ideas: Spider
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-costumed-hairstyle-ideas-spider/
Last updated: 2023-10-29T16:00:24.000Z
Last year, while chatting with a friend, it came up that I should do something themed with my hair. A pumpkin was mentioned and then a spider which led to me ordering some pipe cleaners but then putting it off. I’m so glad I decided to do this as the kids *LOVED* it and I ended it up wearing the spider for hours. I then realized if you happen to have the supplies at home it’s a perfect last minute idea and so I *had* to share it with you! Here’s how I did it.

![Pinterest-geared image showing my post's title, main URL, and three images also shown below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_Our-Amazing-Halloween-Costumes-Costumed-Hairstyle-Ideas-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Before Halloween last year my friend gave me the idea to do something with my hair by sharing a [MetDann video of a pipecleaner and bun spider](https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=342007801458291) based on [this longer video by SweetHearts Hair on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q5bF2l%5FmuQ&ref=simplykyra.com). I ordered a set of black pipecleaners and googly eyes but then put off prepping this any farther. On Halloween I decide why not and quickly scanned through the video, came up with a quicker way to attach the googly eyes, and made it happen.

All in all I’m supper glad I ended up doing my hair special. The girls had no idea I had planned this so it was a great surprise. Also everyone seemed to appreciate it and I had to crouch down several times so the girls could see the spider up close. The only downside to this was a slight headache as I’m not used to such a high bun or bobby pins. All in all this could be a good yearly default and, worst case, now the kids have a hair clip with two attached googly eyes.

---

## *Prep Work*

I started out by crafting the googly eyes for the spider. At first I was going to make something more involved like in the video but since this was more last minute and I was lazy I instead burgled the girl’s hair clips and found the perfect black one. I planned to keep the clip horizontal but worried a googly eye wouldn’t have enough to hold on to and so I turned it vertical thus creating something remarkably like Microsoft’s Clippy.

![Image shows a small zipped bag of googly eyes, a simple black hair clip, a heating hot glue gun, black pipecleaners, and some emergency just in case crazy glue. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5877.jpeg?resize=750%2C489&ssl=1)

I gathered my supplies and plugged in my hot glue gun. After laying out the googly eyes in different configurations… and after waiting for the glue gun to heat up, I went ahead and glued them onto the large end and thus created….

![Image shows a closeup of the hair clip sporting two eyes and looking adorable. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5880.jpeg?resize=750%2C443&ssl=1)

Something looking like Microsoft’s Clippy! Isn’t he adorable?

With the hair clip made it was now time to create the legs. The video I watched had you take two pipe cleaners and tie their ends together to make one really long pipe cleaner. I repeated this process to have four long pipe cleaners that would become eight legs. I then took the finished hair clip and pipe cleaners legs with me to the bathroom along with many bobby pins, two hair ties, and my hair brush.

![Image shows a pile of bobby pins next to some pipe cleaners that are twisted together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5900.jpeg?resize=750%2C389&ssl=1)

This angle shows were the pipe cleaners were twisted together to make a really long one.

---

## *The Hair*

The first step was to simply make a high pony wherever you wanted the spider to be on your head. You won’t want to turn it into a bun yet. With the pony secured it’s now time to take a long pipe cleaner and wrap it over the pony tail tie once and twist it to hold it in place. With each pipe cleaner you add you’ll want to angle it to point another way so all the legs (either end of the pipe cleaner) will come out at different parts. For instance I did the top (two front legs), back (two back legs), and then added one to either side (the center two legs). While doing it you’ll need to be careful to not catch your hair in the pipe cleaners. Once the legs are attached you can next wrap your hair up into a bun shape and use a second pony tail tie to hold it all in place. With the bun made now comes the fun part… where do you want the legs to be positioned? I took each leg, one at a time, and bent them in two places to create the knee and foot. I then positioned the foot where I wanted it, fiddled with the pipe cleaner leg until I liked how it looked, and used a bobby pin to attach the foot to my hair and keep the leg in place. With all eight legs positioned all that was left to do was make it a *real* spider by attaching the googly eyes. And finished!… although I then grabbed some more bobby pins to keep any loose hairs in place as my spider had some awesome side swept bangs.

![Image shows a pile of bobby pins, four long pipe cleaners, and the googly eyed hair clip. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5883.jpeg?resize=750%2C401&ssl=1)

I started by gathering my supplies in the bathroom.

![Camera is positioned up looking down at my pony. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5887.jpeg?resize=750%2C515&ssl=1)

I then create a single pony placed wherever you wanted the spider to be. I tried to make it as high as possible but I could see also making it close to the front of your head or angled on the side… if you could.

![Image shows the top of my head with a small black pipecleaner leg sticking out. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5892.jpeg?resize=750%2C420&ssl=1)

The first time I did it I thought the pipe cleaners I bought were long enough… they weren’t and this is what I ended up with. I removed it and made them twice as long by twisting their ends together. Attempt two ready!

![Image shows me holding my pony tail directly up so you can see the legs pointing out. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5903.jpeg?resize=750%2C439&ssl=1)

After twisting each pipe cleaner on I was left with this. A pony with eight pipe cleaner ends sticking out. I next twisted my hair and wrapped it around the base to create a bun and used a second hair tie to hold it all in place.

![The bun with the positioned legs and hair clip attached had some personality.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5911.jpeg?resize=750%2C541&ssl=1)

With the bun made it was now time to bend and position each leg and use a bobby pin to keep it in place. Now the spider look is coming together and the goggly eyed hair clip completed it! I also noticed some loose hairs creating a bang situation so I used some more bobby pins to hold them down and make the eyeballs fully visible… after I took this photo.

---

## *The Final Result*

And with that the hair style was done! Here’s some more photos of the final result:

![View of the spider from the back. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5916.jpeg?resize=750%2C491&ssl=1)

![Now with my head tilted down so you can see the front of the spider as it appears to climb up my head. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5926.jpeg?resize=750%2C640&ssl=1)

![And a further away view of the back of the spider. Can't tell if the back legs were twisted and I wasn't told or that was just the angle. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5921.jpeg?resize=750%2C844&ssl=1)

![And another view from the front with the spider apparently climbing up my head to join the conversation. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5918.jpeg?resize=750%2C766&ssl=1)

---

## *Word of Warning*

Make sure you’re already wearing whatever shirt you’re planning on wearing before doing your hair. I ended up changing between picking up my girls from school and Halloween night and let me tell you I had to be really careful. Just simpler, looking back, if I had already changed.

---

## *Some Other Ideas*

If I had the pipe cleaners on hand I might’ve chosen to do a pumpkin bun instead by pre-wrapping the bun with orange pipe cleaners and then tilting them up to make an orange structure with a green center stem. That said if this was a truly last minute hair decision I could have instead made a ghost by using a white tissue or napkin with a quickly sketched face and secured it over a bun for shape. That said, I love the copious amounts of options I’ve found online.

![Image shows a screenshot of YouTube results showing a two of two posts or spiders, this spider bun, and an eyeball with red lines coming out of it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_Screenshot-2022-11-07-at-4.40.43-PM.png?resize=750%2C458&ssl=1)

On November 7th, 2022 I did a quick search on YouTube for “quick Halloween hair bun ideas” and got these results. The eyeball one is pretty cool.

![Image is a screenshot of images all displaying different Halloween-themed hair styles. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_Screenshot-2022-11-07-at-4.41.58-PM.png?resize=750%2C585&ssl=1)

On November 7th, 2022 I did a quick image search on Duck Duck Go for “quick Halloween hair bun ideas” and got all these photos. Some of the pumpkins here look really amazing!

---

Whether you’re planning ahead or heading out and need something festive in your hair I hope this post helps you out. Feel free to share how it helped in the comments below and/or share what you end(ed) up doing!

Have a great time!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates you can join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Our Amazing Halloween Costumes: Ada's Carmen Sandiego
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-adas-carmen-sandiego/
Last updated: 2023-10-22T16:00:06.000Z
I knew going in that the most pivotal part of this Carmen Sandiego costume would be the jacket and its iconic red fabric. Once that was decided the rest of the costume fell into place nicely. I ended up creating some custom pieces and combined them with some store-bought staples to create the perfect costume!

![Pinterest-geared image showing my post's title, main URL, and five images also shown below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_Our-Amazing-Halloween-Costumes-Adas-Carmen-Sandiego-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

# *Backstory and Overview*

From the beginning Ada knew exactly who she wanted to be but wasn’t too concerned about how it was going to happen. Once I started tackling the idea of a Carmen Sandiego costume I immediately worried about what we would do for the jacket. I looked online and finally settled on a coat pattern but worried I’d make it only to have it not fit. Since I wasn’t sure how it would go *and* I wasn’t sure how often it would be worn I decided to buy the cheaper red fleece that Joann’s had. As Ada hasn’t really worn the coat since I’m happy it fit, for Halloween, and glad I didn’t spend more on different fabric. Also let me tell you that red stood out in a crowd! Anyway once I had planned it out I decided to have fun and make a sketch to show the final costume. This is what I ended up drawing and I was then able to show it to Ada to confirm that we were in fact on the same wavelength. Here it is:

![Image shows a sketch of Ada's planned outfit with labels showing what each item is. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_My-2022-Sketchbook-page-15.png?resize=689%2C1024&ssl=1)

---

# *The Parts of the Costume*

Here’s where we bought some items and how we created the rest to create this truly epic costume.

## ***Black Shirt***

- Pattern: [Little Ragamuffin Firecracker](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/09/ragamuffins-firecracker-kids-dress-and-top/)
- Fabric: Unknown – Thin Black Knit bought previously

Although the shirt can only be seen if the jacket is open I decided to make a black top to go with the whole costume. In the recent cartoon images Carmen Sandiego is wearing a high necked top but I figured Ada wouldn’t be comfortable in that so I decided to instead go with the [*Firecracker*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/09/ragamuffins-firecracker-kids-dress-and-top/) sewing pattern; a tried and trued one from years ago. The top turned out extremely comfy and Ada loved pulling the hem down so it looked more like a dress.

![Image shows a close up of Ada's torso while she wears a black tea that goes down to her upper thigh. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_4615.jpeg?resize=750%2C577&ssl=1)

I cut out the top pattern a bit longer and added a band to the hem. Ada loved the length and comfiness of it.

## *Hat*

- Pattern: [Rebecca Page Sun Hat](https://rebecca-page.com/product/sun-hat/?ref=simplykyra.com)
- Fabric: [Red Blizzard Fleece from Joann’s Online](https://www.joann.com/blizzard-fleece-fabric--solids/7353048.html?ref=simplykyra.com)

I knew immediately that I’d use the sun hat sewing pattern from Rebecca Page. I’d made it years ago and knew sewing it up with the matching fabric from the jacket would be perfect. The only change I made was to add a black band, using the same black knit fabric as the top, and skipping the binding along the bottom.

To create the band I traced out the bottom half of the *crown* pattern piece thus making a copy that was only about a third to a half in height to the original. I then used it to cut out two pieces in black knit fabric before lining them up right sides together, sewing along their top, and then lining up their edges to turn it into a round piece ([akin to sewing a band before attaching it to the top](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/21/simple-sewing-trick-for-neckbands-and-cuffs/)). After lining up its raw bottom edge with the bottom of the hat, around the crown, and clipping it in place I then went on to treat it as a single piece. Sewing the brim onto this hat piece secured it in place.

![Image shows the original pattern piece partially hidden by the newly created pattern piece and its matching fabric. My rotary cutter, pattern weights, and fabric lay off to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_4267.jpeg?resize=750%2C525&ssl=1)

I used the crown pattern piece to create my **black band* piece. I then used it to cut two band pieces in black knit.

![Image shows the hat top with the black band lined up and clipped together along the bottom edge. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_4573.jpeg?resize=750%2C497&ssl=1)

Once I sewed the two top sides together and joined them to make a round piece I next lined up the raw bottom edge with the hat bottom and clipped it in place to be treated as one new piece.

![Image shows the edge of the hat top under the sewing machine's foot as it's being stitched into place about half a centimeter from the top of the band. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_4577.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I worried the top of the band would flip down so I decided to sew along the top edge to hold it in place. If I were to do this again I’d either sew closer to the top or sew perpendicular to this to hold it together.

![Image shows the underside of the finished hat. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5356.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Technically, according to the directions, I’m supposed to finish this final seam but I decided to leave it as it was.

![Image shows the finished hat on Ada's head. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5402.jpeg?resize=750%2C516&ssl=1)

I absolutely love how this hat turned out! It’s perfect for Carmen Sandiego’s costume

## *Jacket*

- Pattern: [Ellie and Mac Duchess](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/kids-duchess-jacket-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com) (also available in [adult sizes](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/duchess-jacket-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com))
- Fabric: [Red Blizzard Fleece from Joann’s Online](https://www.joann.com/blizzard-fleece-fabric--solids/7353048.html?ref=simplykyra.com)

I was worried about the jacket as I hadn’t sewn one before and I worried it wouldn’t fit Ada properly. However, this process ended up going great and I’m so glad I decided to take the plunge. To make the jacket match Carmen Sandiego a bit better I chose to skip the button holes and, once the jacket was done, I put it on Ada, lined up the edges, and hand stitched some hook and eye closures to the inside of the jacket so it would be *magically* held on.

![Image shows the jacket under the sewing machine foot with sewing clips all the way along the edge. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5474.jpeg?resize=750%2C624&ssl=1)

I was worried about ironing the fleece so after turning the jacket right side out I carefully checked all the corners and edges before clipping them in place and topstitching along the entire edge.

![Image shows the two closure options I purchased along with a red bobbin, sewing needle, and some cut scissors. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5597.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Early on in the planning I knew I wanted hidden closures but wasn’t sure how so I ended up buying both some large snaps along with a pack of hook and eye closures. In the end I worried the fleece would tear under the strain of the snaps so I went with the alternative option: hook and eye closures.

![Image shows the edge of the jacket folded so it's three layers thick. The white chalk marker is held behind it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5601.jpeg?resize=750%2C429&ssl=1)

I decided to go with four closures and so folded the edge of the jacket twice to make sure they’d be equal-distance away from each other. Once I was sure where I wanted them to go I marked the spots with a white chalk marker.

![image shows the jacket closed with the eye on the one side and the marked spot on the other for the hooks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5606.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I sewed the eye side onto the jacket before lining up the two layers again, marking the other side, and sewing the hook side on.

## *Necklace*

- Materials: wire, masking tape, acrylic paint, and elastic
- Pattern: Made it up myself and posted it under [*Our Amazing Halloween Costumes: How I Made a Custom Carmen Sandiego Necklace*](https://www.simplykyra.com/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-adas-carmen-sandiego-necklace/)

I knew going into this costume that Carmen Sandiego's necklace was so distinct that I *had* to recreate it somehow to make Ada's costume recognizable. At first I looked for solutions online, debated grabbing an old black chocker I had somewhere that didn't quite fit, and then started wondering if I should just skip it. Then, while creating [Zoey’s black cat tail](https://www.simplykyra.com/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-how-i-made-a-custom-cat-tail/) I realized I could use the copper wire as a base for Ada’s necklace and this necklace was born. I love how [it turned out](https://www.simplykyra.com/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-adas-carmen-sandiego-necklace/)!

![Image shows a closeup of Ada's neck while wearing her costume and the necklace. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5860.jpeg?ssl=1)

I love the pop of yellow the necklace contributes to the costume but wish I had angled the elastic a bit more down when sewing it to the triangle pendant. Overall really happy with it and it did get worn again… although I haven’t seen it in a while.

## *Purchases*

Although Ada and [Zoey (black cat)](https://www.simplykyra.com/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-zoeys-black-cat/) chose completely different costumes there were some similarities. In addition to the above components I made Ada I also purchased black boots, gloves, and leggings for both girls. The first two items, [black rubber boots](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BN5VRN3?psc=1&ref=ppx%5Fyo2ov%5Fdt%5Fb%5Fproduct%5Fdetails) and [kid gloves](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1V1F6LM?psc=1&ref=ppx%5Fyo2ov%5Fdt%5Fb%5Fproduct%5Fdetails), were purchased from Amazon while we went to Carter’s website for the [black leggings](https://www.carters.com/oshkosh-shop-kid-girl-clothes/195861307761.html?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

# *Final Costume*

I absolutely love how this costume turned out! Ada absolutely adored being Carmen Sandiego and I loved how brilliantly she showed up in a crowd. Overall a costume I’m really proud of having made happen.

![Overall view of Ada's Carmen Sandiego from the back and slightly angled. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5683.jpeg?resize=677%2C1024&ssl=1)

![Overall view of Ada's Carmen Sandiego from the front showing the lack of buttons.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5677.jpeg?resize=750%2C799&ssl=1)

![Overall view of Ada's Carmen Sandiego looked down from a bit on high. Her hat is covering her face and she looks perfect. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5673.jpeg?resize=750%2C924&ssl=1)

I also absolutely adore how most of the costume elements can be worn on their own throughout the year without anyone thinking Halloween… although looking the hat and jacket weren’t worn that much.

I hope this helps you out whether you, or someone else, wants to be Carmen Sangiego or something else. If it does I’d love to hear how in the comments below. Either way I hope you have an incredible day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates you can join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Our Amazing Halloween Costumes: How I Made a Custom Carmen Sandiego Necklace
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-adas-carmen-sandiego-necklace/
Last updated: 2023-10-15T06:30:56.000Z
For last year's Halloween Ada wanted to be Carmen Sandiego and I knew the yellow necklace was just as distinctive as the red jacket and hat and needed to be included to make the costume recognizable. After much back and forth I realized just how I could make the necklace and it was so simple! I absolutely adore how it turned out and needed to share with you in case you wanted to make the same or something including similar steps.

![Pinterest-geared image showing my post title, main URL, and four images showing the final necklace and in progress steps also shown on its own below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_Our-Amazing-Halloween-Costumes-How-I-Made-a-Custom-Carmen-Sandiego-Necklace---Pinterest.jpg)

---

## ****Materials Used***

- Copper wire: I could see using floral wire or anything that would generate a skinny profile while holding it's shape. That said, if you're making a solid shape for the pendant a simple piece of cardboard might be even better.
- Elastic: I used a 1/4 inch black elastic I bought for sewing clothing that I realized would match the look of the costume and stretch over Ada's head thus making the project simpler
- Masking Tape: To cover up the wire, make it a bit thicker, and give a surface that's paintable
- Lighter: To melt the ends of the elastic so it doesn't unravel.
- Yellow Acrylic Paint: Chose a yellow kids' acrylic paint to make the pendant look closer to gold
- Yellow Thread: Thread used to attach the elastic ends to the pendant while the color was chosen to camouflage the thread by matching the pendant
- Sewing Needle: To hand sew the pendant to the elastic using the thread

---

## ****How I Made It***

While creating [Zoey’s black cat tail](https://www.simplykyra.com/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-how-i-made-a-custom-cat-tail/) I realized I could use the same copper wire I used to shape the tail as a base for Ada’s Carmen Sandiego pendant. That thought was the basis of this entire process and I jumped in immediately as the wire was already out. 

### *Pendant*

To create the pendant I unrolled some of the wire from it's spool and folded it several times to make a loose triangle. Once I saw exactly how much wire I needed to fashion the triangle I cut it from the spool and fiddled with it's shape a bit to make it better. I was going to leave the pendant like this and count the copper as gold-ish but then realized I wanted the pendant to be both bigger and bolder so I next wrapped the entire thing in masking tape and painted it with bright yellow acrylic paint. I set this aside to dry and later added a second coat of paint making sure to get any part that had come off in the first round. 

![Image shows a loose triangle coming off of a spool of copper wire. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5390.jpeg?resize=750%2C444&ssl=1)

I took the end of the copper wire and shaped it into a triangle before cutting it from the spool. After making sure I loved the shape I decided to wrap the entire thing with masking tape so it would be thicker, more secure, and wouldn’t scratch Ada.

![Image shows the yellow triangle laid out on a scrap of packaging. The yellow acrylic paint bottle sits behind a yellow smudged paper towel and a paintbrush. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5688.jpeg?ssl=1)

Once the masking tape was secured I grabbed some yellow acrylic paint and painted the entire thing yellow. After it dried I flipped it over and tried to get all the parts that were missed or smudged in the first round.

### *Chain*

With the pendant finished and drying it was time to figure out how to turn the pendant into a necklace. The image of Carmen Sandiego showed a black chocker so I realized I could simply use black 1/4" sewing elastic. This way it matched the image and could stretch over Ada's head without a chain fastener making the entire project simpler and stronger.

When Ada was next available I measured the elastic around her neck, cut the length from it's spool, and confirmed it worked by holding the ends in place and stretching it over her head. With that figured out it was time to figure out how to close the elastic. At first I was going to thread the elastic through the pendant and then sew the ends closed. One issue that popped up while doing that; however, was the elastic kept unravelling and thus the ends kept coming apart. I knew if I couldn't keep it together while stitching it closed it wouldn't hold up to wear and tear so I had to come up with a solution. I decided to grab a lighter and melted either end so the threads were fused together and wouldn't unravel again.

![Image shows the finished elastic ends being held up over the blue bic lighter I used to melt them. Top was melted and bottom is about to be melted.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5624.jpeg?ssl=1)

After cutting the elastic to the right length I tried to sew the ends together just to realize it wasn’t working. I then pivoted and cut the loose threads off before using a lighter to melt the elastic ends so they wouldn’t unravel again.

While melting the ends I realized that the pendant wouldn't lie flat if I proceeded with the current idea. Additionally the sewn seam might rub Ada's neck or rotate until it's visible by the pendant. Instead I realized I could simply stitch either end of the elastic to the pendant itself thus elimating the seam and hiding the hardened ends. I switched my thread to yellow to match the pendant and got to work sewing either end of the elastic to either side of the pendant making sure the elastic wasn't twisted and there was enough thread to cushion the hardened ends and stay secure. 

![image shows the one end of the elastic to the top right side. It is secure but the thread still needs to be tied off as it's still coming from the spot. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5702.jpeg?ssl=1)

With the pause to melt the ends of the elastic I came up with a new idea and decided to sew either end directly to the pendant. I started by taking one end and sewed, using yellow thread to blend with the triangle, it close to the top of the triangle.

![Image shows the finished necklace with the scissors and thread off to the side. All is laid out on the wooden table. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5706.jpeg?ssl=1)

With the one end sewed on I made sure there were no twists in the elastic and went on to sew the other end of the elastic to the other side of the pendant matching how the first side looked. This means Ada can’t *open* the necklace but as the elastic stretches she can still easily get it on and off by pulling it over her head.

I love how this turned out! Carmen Sandiego herself seemed to have hers more like a chocker (or attached to her top?) but I left Ada’s elastic a bit looser so it wouldn’t be too tight and this way she has room to grow if needed.

---

## *The Final Necklace* 

And with that the necklace was done and looked great. I especially love how it stretches to go over Ada's neck and how I don't have to worry about a chain breaking or the fastener giving her issues. 

![Image shows a closeup of Ada's neck while wearing her costume and the necklace. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5860.jpeg?ssl=1)

I love how this necklace added a pop of color to the entire look while being really simple to make.

Ada absolutely loved the necklace and I'm so happy I came up with a simple way to make it. She's worn it a couple times since then but it then disapeared. I guess we'll see if it's still a favored jewelry item in the future when it gets found again. This necklace combined with the classic red jacket and hat truly made the entire costume... which I'll post about closer to Halloween. 

Have a great day! And I'd love to hear from you in the comments below if used these instruction to make your own necklace or something else. Have a great day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates you can join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Our Amazing Halloween Costumes: Zoey's Black Cat
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-zoeys-black-cat/
Last updated: 2023-10-08T14:44:17.000Z
Last year, while figuring out Zoey’s black cat Halloween costume while shopping on Joann’s website, I came across several cute kitty headbands along with a spool of two inch fur trim that I knew would make [a perfect cat tail](https://www.simplykyra.com/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-how-i-made-a-custom-cat-tail/). I combined those elements with some black knit fabric I already had on hand and some black store-bought staples to create the perfect costume!

![Pinterest-geared image showing my post's title, main URL, and five images also shown below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_Our-Amazing-Halloween-Costumes-Zoeys-Black-Cat-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

# *Backstory and Overview*

From the beginning Zoey knew exactly what she wanted to be for Halloween. The only variation, over the month or two leading up, was specifying her hair style and adding a LEGO® ninja headband. Both of these elements were dropped on the morning of Halloween so she basically went with her first idea. After jotting all those individual elements into a single note on my phone I then decided to sketch out the final plan taking into account all the elements Zoey had listed. I was able to then show her the sketch to triple check that our visions matched up and I wasn’t forgetting any pivotal steps. This sketch was officially Zoey approved and I’m now sharing it for you here:

![Image shows a sketch of Zoey's planned outfit with labels showing what each item is. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_My-2022-Sketchbook-page-16.png?resize=750%2C909&ssl=1)

The sketch after getting Zoey’s preliminary ideas, figuring out how I’d implement it, and taking in her additions. I love the vision and how simple it turned out from the previous year’s [Princess Skateboarder](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/11/03/check-out-zoeys-epic-princess-skateboarder-halloween-costume/).

![Image shows the back of Zoey's Black Ninja Rock Star Kitty costume. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5659.jpeg?resize=440%2C1024&ssl=1)

When the costume was finished I asked if Zoey wanted to do a trial run for photos. This was still when she wanted her hair French braided and to include a LEGO® Ninjago headband.

---

# *The Parts of the Costume*

Here’s where we bought some items and how we assembled the rest to create this costume.

## **Black Dress**

- Pattern: [Ellie and Mac](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/kids-sweetie-tunic-dress-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com)*[ Sweetie](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/kids-sweetie-tunic-dress-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com)*[ Pie Tunic and Dress](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/kids-sweetie-tunic-dress-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com)
- Fabric: Unknown – Thin Black Knit bought previously

Zoey’s favorite two dresses are both [Ellie and Mac’s Sweetie Pie Tunic and Dress pattern](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/kids-sweetie-tunic-dress-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com) so when I found out she wanted to be a black cat I knew this *had* to be the new cat outfit. I decided to go with a simple thin black knit I already had in my fabric stash. Then, while cutting the fabric, I made sure to also include the optional pockets and then, momentarily, considered adding a cute cat decal or something sticking out from one of those pockets. I put off the work of adding a mini cat which I’m so glad I did as later, when Zoey saw me cutting other fabric with cats on it, was appalled at the idea of it being for her as *a cat can’t have a cat on it’s own skin*!

![Image shows the wrong side of the paper pattern laid out offset on the black fabric. The yellow chalk marking showing the pocket outline are obvious on the black fabric. The rotary blade and yellow chalk pen are both laid out at the bottom of the image.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_4258.jpeg?resize=750%2C526&ssl=1)

I used my rotary blade to cut parts of the pocket out of the main pattern piece which made it easier, when cutting out the front bodice piece, to quickly mark the pocket with some bright yellow chalk.

![Image shows a flat lay of the black dress on the tiled kitchen floor. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_4614.jpeg?resize=750%2C405&ssl=1)

And with that Zoey had an awesome and simple black dress that worked for her black cat costume and whenever else she might want to wear it in the future.

## *Tail* 

- Materials: wire, faux fur trim, and elastic
- Pattern: Made it up myself and posted it under *[Our Amazing Halloween Costumes: How I Made a Custom Cat Tail](https://www.simplykyra.com/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-how-i-made-a-custom-cat-tail/)*

I knew going into this costume that I had to make a tail but wasn’t quite sure how to approach it. One thing led to another and this incredible tail was born which even fits me! I’ve previously gone over how I put it together so you can [check it out here](https://www.simplykyra.com/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-how-i-made-a-custom-cat-tail/).

![Image shows the back of Zoey with a black curling tail descending from her black plush elastic waistband.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5399.jpeg?resize=653%2C1024&ssl=1)

The wire is made from some faux fur trim, copper wire for posable-ness, and plush elastic for the belt. I love how quick it was to put together once I stopped putting off making it.

## *Purchases*

Through Amazon we purchased [black rubber boots](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BN5VRN3?psc=1&ref=ppx%5Fyo2ov%5Fdt%5Fb%5Fproduct%5Fdetails) and [kid gloves](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1V1F6LM?psc=1&ref=ppx%5Fyo2ov%5Fdt%5Fb%5Fproduct%5Fdetails). Our go to place for leggings is Carters so when I realized we might not have [black leggings](https://www.carters.com/oshkosh-shop-kid-girl-clothes/195861307761.html?ref=simplykyra.com) I jumped on there too. While looking on Joann’s website for fabric I came across these adorable headbands with kitty ears already attached. I let Zoey choose and she went with [the furry and sparkly Rock Star ones](https://www.joann.com/hildie-jo-halloween-rock-star-kitty-headband/18775361.html?ref=simplykyra.com) over the alternative lacey option.

![Image is a close up of Zoey's head showing the furry and glitter encrusted black ears. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_3769.jpeg?resize=750%2C441&ssl=1)

This headband turned Zoey’s costume from a simple *Black Cat* to a *Black Rock Star Cat*!

### *Whiskers and Nose*

- Materials: Watercolor Pencil Crayons

I bought a tin of water color pencil crayons years ago when I was still in middle school. I’ve since used them when I need whiskers or really anything else by dipping the tip of my pencil in running water and using it to draw directly on my face. This time around I put off looking for them, discovered my black was missing, pivoted to using an eyeliner or something, realized I no longer own any, and, after several other options, finally went back to the watercolor pencil crayons but switched to brown rather than black for the whiskers. Zoey was fine with the brown but chose to *only* have the whiskers before school, but later after seeing other cats around school decided to add a pink nose before trick or treating.

---

# *Final Costume*

I absolutely adore how adorably cute this costume turned out! Zoey absolutely loved being a black cat.

![Image shows the front of the costume from the neck down. In the photo Zoey is holding moving her tail around so it blurs while her hands are positioned to emulate paws. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5666.jpeg?resize=632%2C1024&ssl=1)

![Image shows the back of Zoey's lower half with her tail in a corkscrew shape. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5662.jpeg?resize=750%2C980&ssl=1)

![The front of the costume once she tried to untwist the tail is it brushed the ground. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5653.jpeg?resize=565%2C1024&ssl=1)

I absolutely adore how most of the costume elements can be worn on their own throughout the year without anyone thinking Halloween… especially after the time spent on [the previous year’s Princess Skateboarder](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/11/03/check-out-zoeys-epic-princess-skateboarder-halloween-costume/) that wasn’t worn once after the main event.

I hope this helps you out whether you, or someone else, wants to be a black cat or something else. If it does I’d love to hear how in the comments below. Either way I hope you have an incredible day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates you can join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### My Past Design in the Giboard Contest
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/please-vote-in-the-giboard-design-contest/
Last updated: 2023-10-20T22:28:49.000Z
[\*\* Closed \*\* Vote Through Giboard Here!](https://giboardus.com/pages/giboard-design-contest?ref=simplykyra.com)

I'm loving my portable slackline (GiBoard) and have been using it frequently at my standing desk. Lately it's become even more perfect after a long hike to stretch my feet out. I'm so happy I bought it and I haven't even learned any tricks on it yet!  
  
As such, I jumped at the chance to design my own board and made sure to incorporate all the messages I want to frequently be reminded of. That said, it needs to win otherwise none of us can get it so please vote for it here under Design #5: [https://giboardus.com/pages/giboard-design-contest](https://giboardus.com/pages/giboard-design-contest?ref=simplykyra.com)

# Now Closed. Contest Over. 

## The Design

Please note the actual design doesn't say SimplyKyra at the bottom. I added a watermark to this version.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/10/compressed_compressed_GiBoard---Simply.png)

And bonus... if it wins they'll open up the purchase of this custom GiBoard design so you can buy it too!

# Now Closed. Contest Over. 

[\*\* Closed \*\* Vote Through Giboard Here!](https://giboardus.com/pages/giboard-design-contest?ref=simplykyra.com)

  
[Voting](https://giboardus.com/pages/giboard-design-contest?ref=simplykyra.com) closes on October 19th, 2023!
### Our Amazing Halloween Costumes: How I Made a Custom Cat Tail
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-how-i-made-a-custom-cat-tail/
Last updated: 2025-10-19T03:21:12.000Z
Last year, while browsing on Joann’s website for Zoey’s black cat Halloween costume, I came across a spool of two inch fur trim. I knew it would make a perfect cat tail so I purchased it and trusted I’d figure out how to make it into a tail once it arrived. Although I put off making it I’m so glad I bought it and forced myself to make the tail as I absolutely adore how it all turned out!

![Pinterest-geared image showing my post's title, main URL, and four images also shown below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_Our-Amazing-Halloween-Costumes-How-I-Made-a-Custom-Cat-Tail-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

## *Materials Used*

- Two inch wide fur trim
- Plush elastic: 1.25 inches wide
- Copper wire: I could see using floral wire… anything that keeps it’s shape as this is to make the tail bendable and shapeable
- Masking tape
- Serger
- Thread and sewing needle

---

## *How I Made It*

I didn’t go into this with an exact plan so I started by laying out all of my material and giving it a good look over to help decide exactly what I wanted to do. I did know that I wanted the tail to be long but I also wanted it to be easy to get on and off. I especially wanted the tail to grow with my kids so if either of them needed a black tail in the future we could easily repurpose this one with minimal trouble.

![Image shows the ends of the fur trim so it looks like two pieces. On top of it lays the unopened plush elastic and behind it lays the empty cardboard spool and my scissors. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5338.jpeg?resize=750%2C475&ssl=1)

I started out with the entire spool of fur, the unopened plush elastic, and my scissors laid out on the table.

In the end I chose to use some plush elastic as a belt that can be pulled on and off over Zoey’s head. I didn’t want to sew the elastic directly to the tail so I can easily replace it in the future whether the elastic breaks or my kids outgrow it. As such I decided to leave one end of the tail unsewn so I could create an opening, or a loop, to thread the elastic through.

With that decided it was time to create the tail itself. To make it I considered just folding the fur trim in half but quickly realized that the fur would then be going in two different directions. Instead I found the midway point and cut it in half so I could take the one half and flip it around so both sides of the tail would have its fur going down towards the tail tip. I then faced the two pieces together so their fur touched, lined up their edges, confirmed the fur was tucked safely inside, and clipped them in place with my sewing clips. With that done it was now time to take it to my serger where I used a three thread narrow stitch and was careful not to trim the edge too much with the blade so the tail could be as wide as it could be. Once the sides were serged I took the end of the tail, tucked the fur inside, flattened it, folded it in again, and then serged this end closed too. This became the tail tip. I then went over the entire tail finding all the [serger tails, unravelling them, and then tied them off so the seams would be secure](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/17/easily-unravel-and-tie-off-your-serger-ends/).

![Image shows either end of the tail with the one end flipped open and the other end serged to the corner. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5357.jpeg?resize=750%2C557&ssl=1)

With the fur trim cut in half and placed right sides together it was time to serge up the sides. I made sure that the fur was tucked inside as I went and left a space at the one end so I could, later, create a loop to thread the elastic through.

![Image shows the tail partially turned right side out but with the tail tip sticking out and sewn closed. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5365.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Part way through turning the tail the right way out I realized it would be easiest to close the tip of the tail now rather than later. I carefully tucked the fur inside of the tail, flattened the end, and serged this end closed too.

With the tail mostly sewn closed it was now time to turn it right side out. I started with the open end and then worked my way down until it got stuck. I then pivoted and switched to the tip of the tail where I pushed the tip in and then used the wooden handle of my spatula to push it further in until it reached the other side.

![Image shows the handle of my spatula stuck inside the cat tail as it helps push the tail right side out. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5359.jpeg?resize=750%2C506&ssl=1)

I started by flipping the open end of the tail over with the fur side sticking out and continued pulling until it got stuck. I then tried to help it along with my metal chopstick and then my wooden spatula before I gave up and switched gears.

![Image shows the tail inside the tail (halfway through turning right side out). The very tip of the inner tail is tucked in with the wooden end of a spatula handle shown about to push into it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5367.jpeg?resize=750%2C539&ssl=1)

After I got stuck pushing the tail right side out I switched gears and tucked the end of the tail tip in and started pushing that end right side out within the two other tubes. Eventually it reached the end and I was able to grab hold of it and pull it completely out making the tail right way facing all the way.

![Image shows both ends of the tail as the tail was folded in half (off screen). In the front is the open end with the two flaps opened. In the back you can see the tip of the tail ending at a point. Behind all that are my spatula, scissors, sewing clips, and a basket. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5372.jpeg?resize=750%2C559&ssl=1)

Once the tail was turned right side out I was left with this. One end of the tail ended with a tip while the other end ended in two flaps.

With the tail turned completely right side out it was now time to create the loop to thread the elastic belt through. Here I basically had two rectangular flaps at the end of the tail so I flipped one over and tilted both to the side so I could clip their ends together with the fur side facing. Once it was clipped into place I took it back to my serger and finished the end. This created a loop at the start of the tail showing the unfinished side of the fur trim. I left this as-is as the fur trim didn’t look like it would unravel, but if you were concerned I could see finishing the sides before sewing the end closed.

![Image shows the end of the tail with the flaps flipped over and clipped together. You can see the wrong side of the trim showing. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5374.jpeg?resize=750%2C461&ssl=1)

After folding the flaps over with the fur facing I clipped them securely together making sure the main tail part wasn’t stuck between them.

With that the tail was completely finished… but before adding the elastic belt I wanted to make it a bit better. I did this by including wire in the tail so we could shape the tail depending how we felt. When I first thought of this I pictured using floral wire from years ago (previously used on hairstyles to attach [a Dinosaur toy](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/30/dinosaur-themed-crazy-hair-day/) and later [a mermaid toy](https://www.simplykyra.com/?page%5Fid=26974) to my child’s head) but I couldn’t find it so I ended up using a spool of copper wire my husband had on hand. This turned out perfectly. I measured out the wire twice as long as my tail before folding it in half, twisting the folded end to create a loop, and pushed it all the way through the tail to its tip. Once there I handstitched the wire loop to the tail tip using some black thread. I then twisted the two open ends together creating another loop, protected it with masking tape, tucked it into the newly created fur tail loop, and stitched it into place.

![Image shows the two ends of the wire sticking out of the tail. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5377.jpeg?resize=750%2C485&ssl=1)

I measured the wire against the tail and cut off a piece twice as long.

![Image shows the wire end twisted to create a loop. It's held above the tail with the thread and sewing needle in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5379.jpeg?resize=750%2C446&ssl=1)

Once it was folded in half I twisted the folded end to create a loop.

![Image shows the tail tip with thread coming out from the end attached to a silver needle. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5381.jpeg?resize=750%2C376&ssl=1)

Once the wire was fully inserted into the tail and the loop was in the tail tip I handstitched it in place with matching black thread so the stitches would be hidden within the fur.

![Image shows the two wire ends folded over to create a loop and then twisted around to hold it in place. The two loops are connected by going through the other. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5383.jpeg?resize=750%2C431&ssl=1)

With the looped end in place it was now time to deal with the other end and its two sharp tips. Looking back I should’ve threaded some heat shrink tubing to one end of the wire so after the ends were twisted together I could’ve simple shrunk the tubing around the join and protected it that way. Instead I had charged forward and created two joined loops by folding one wire in half and twisting it around to create a second loop. I then took the other end, threaded it through the first loop, and then folded and twisted it. thus creating another loop… and then worried about the sharp wire ends that didn’t twist in easily.

![Image shows the loops still visible but there's now masking tape hiding the wire twists. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5385.jpeg?resize=750%2C480&ssl=1)

As it was too late to use heat shrink tubing I decided to go with the tried and trued masking tape. This way the sharp wire tip is blunted and I don’t have to worry about the wire untwisting.

![Image shows the loop at the end of the tail with the masking tape coated wire nestled in place and secured with thread. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5386.jpeg?resize=750%2C473&ssl=1)

I then carefully pushed the wire loop into the tail loop so it was nestled in place and picked up my sewing needle again to stitch it more securely.

With the wire fully secured to the tail it was now complete and all that was left was to fashion the belt. At this point Zoey was either in bed or at school so I checked her waist measurements and cut the plush elastic one inch longer than marked. I then threaded the tail onto the elastic before sewing the elastic closed making a belt that would need to be pulled on to wear.

I had planned to overlap the elastic ends and sew them together but my sewing machine was threaded with red and I was lazy. Instead I put the ends wrong sides together and took the elastic to my serger where I stitched them together. This ended up turning out and there were no complaints about the seam.

![Image shows the plush elastic laid out on a quilting ruler. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5373.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I checked Zoey’s waist measurement and cut a length of plush elastic about one inch larger.

![Image shows the tail threaded onto the elastic. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5388.jpeg?resize=750%2C488&ssl=1)

Before clipping and sewing the ends of the elastic together I first threaded the elastic through the tail’s loop.

---

## *The Final Tail*

And with that the tail was done and looked awesome. It ended up being adult-sized so I shaped the tail into a spiral so it wouldn’t drag on the floor. Zoey didn’t like that as she preferred it dragging so that ended up becoming its default position. Overall I’m so glad I made this! It was epic and even looked great on me.

![Image shows the back of Zoey while wearing the tail around her waist. The tail itself is spiraled at the bottom and curved near the top so it barely brushes the floor. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5399.jpeg?resize=653%2C1024&ssl=1)

The tail ended up really long but could be folded into a spiral or curling around Zoey keeping it off the floor.

![Image shows the tail from the front but this time placed around a black dress. Now it blends in rather than popping like the previous photo. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/compressed_IMG_5657.jpeg?resize=750%2C491&ssl=1)

With her whole costume black the belt didn’t stand out against her dress. If you do want it more finished I could see the belt being placed under the dress with the tail coming out from under the skirt.

Zoey absolutely loved the tail and I’m so glad I made it… I guess we’ll see if it survives future years and, potentially, other costumes. Such a simple project that delivers a big bang to the overall costume.

[Our Amazing Halloween Costumes: Zoey’s Black CatLast year when I asked the kids what they wanted to be for Halloween Zoey thought about it for a second and then immediately told me a black cat. I’m so glad she did as I absolutely adored how her costume turned out! Check it out here.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-27.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_5666-3.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-amazing-halloween-costumes-zoeys-black-cat/)

Check out the rest of the costume here!

Have a great day! And if you make your own tail I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates you can join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Tolmie Peak Trail on Mount Rainier/Tahoma
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/tolmie-peak-trail-on-mount-rainier-tahoma/
Last updated: 2023-11-08T04:05:02.000Z
I hiked Tolmie Peak trail back in mid-September 2023 with a couple other people and we took so many great photos. I wanted to share some of mine with you in case you'd also love to come along on this adventure. 

![Pinterest image showing a collage of four of the images featuring me and the mountain. All images can be found on the post too. This image also shows the post's title and my main URL for easy finding again.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_Tolmie-Peak-Trail-on-Mount-RainierTahoma---Pinterest.jpg)

---

## Good to Know

The Tolmie Peak Trail is part of the National State Park for Mount Rainier so if you do this hike you'll need an entrance pass or you'll need to go on a free-fee day. For more information here's a link to [the fees and passes page for Mount Rainier](https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/fees.htm?ref=simplykyra.com) on the National Park Service website.

We entered the park around nine on a Friday morning and stopped when we came to [the Paul Peak trailhead](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/paul-peak?ref=simplykyra.com) as there are two unisex toilets there along with a spot to get our entrance pass. This trailhead wasn't manned and as they don't accept cash or cheques in their lock box we needed to write out our credit card information, with the provided pen, as there was no signal to pay online (the only other choice). 

![Image shows a small little picnic table surrounded with tall trees with the sun shining through.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9139.jpeg)

[Paul Peak trailhead](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/paul-peak?ref=simplykyra.com) has two unisex toilets, garbage bins, picnic tables, and the opportunity to get your entrance pass.

Additionally, for the last sixteen or so miles from before you even enter the park the road is gravel so its much slower going and you'll want to be in a vehicle you can fully trust on these roads. We noticed the road before the park boundary was way more rocky and dusty than after when the going then got a bit easier. Additionally, on the way home the sun angle made it really difficult to see anything whenever we switched from driving on a sunny road to a shady one. That said, the sunbeams that formed when the late afternoon sun combined with the dust from the road was so gorgeous.

![Image shows a gravel road surrounded by tall trees. There's white beams of line coming down diagonally from the upper left side to the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9449.jpeg)

My cell signal dropped out before arriving at Rainier park and, except for one quick blip on the hike, stayed gone until after we left the park. Download or print your hiking map ahead of time and be prepared to drive out of the park without your directions connected. 

---

## **Tolmie Peak Trail**

If you're looking to do this hike yourself here's [the link through Washington Trails Association (Tolmie Peak Lookout - Eunice Lake) ](https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/tolmie-peak?ref=simplykyra.com)and the one through [AllTrails (Tolmie Peak Trail)](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/tolmie-peak-trail--2?ref=simplykyra.com). And now onto our adventure!

## Mowich Lake

The hike started out passing close to Mowich lake which we chose to skip on the way up but detour to on the way back. In case you're curious there were signs at the beginning of the hike that indicated toilets at the lake although we never saw them. That said, in hindsight and after looking at the map, it seems they're at the campground on the other side of the lake and we would've found them if we had walked farther.

![View of Mowich lake through the trees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9143.jpeg)

## From Mowich to Eunice Lake

This was the more popular section of the trail with some people stopping at Eunice Lake and others continuing onward.

![Loved the framing of this hill in the background with the trees in the foreground.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9146.jpeg)

![The trees were all gorgeous.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9147.jpeg)

![While this tree trunk was amazing!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9156.jpeg)

## Eunice Lake

This is a great spot to take a break within eyeshot of the fire lookout before heading up the last mile of the trail to get there. If you have trouble finding the lookout the airplane trail in the second photo is pointing straight to it. It's also at this point that I enjoyed finding two froglets in the lake when I looked down. 

![Eunice lake offered a perfect respite before continuing up the trail.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9166.jpeg)

![Image shows an airplane trail in the sky with the fire lookout right below it. The trees on the hill are reflecting in the water.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9186.jpeg)

![Looking into the lake I found two froglets that were floating with occasional kicks.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9168.jpeg)

![Loved how the tree to the right perfectly framed the reflections on the lake.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9216.jpeg)

![Heading back to the trail offered a different view of this lake offshoot.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9222.jpeg)

## From Eunice Lake to the Lookout

As I walked this steeper trail I was rewarded with epic views whenever there were gaps in the trees. 

![The trail up was steep but offered rewarding views down towards Eunice lake.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9234.jpeg)

![The first view of Mount Rainier/Tahoma was amazing!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9237.jpeg)

![Image shows me smiling in the foreground with Mount Rainier/Tahoma in the background and lake Eunice to the left in the mid-ground.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9248.jpeg)

![The trail with the sun shining throught the trees <3](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9257.jpeg)

![Mount Rainier/Tahoma frame by green trees and sunbeams.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9262.jpeg)

![If you can bear to look away from Mount Rainier/Tahoma this view facing the other way was incredible.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9267.jpeg)

![And the color to this one!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9271.jpeg)

![Mount Rainier/Tahoma framed with minimal trees to the bottom and right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9273.jpeg)

## Tolmie Peak Lookout

Lunch at the top! This lookout was crowded even though it was a weekday but if you wait patiently you can have the lookout to yourself. Just beware of the brazen chipmunks wanting your food.

![Photo of me in front of Mount Rainier/Tahoma.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9287.jpeg)

![Closeup of Mount Rainier/Tahoma.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9315.jpeg)

![Mount Rainier/Tahoma with the fire lookout balcony to the side.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9314.jpeg)

![Me in focus in front of a slightly blurred Mount Rainier/Tahoma.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9320.jpeg)

## Tolmie Peak Ridgeline

There was a ridgeline going away from the lookout that many people were continuing along. We went a little bit further while enjoying the epic view before choosing to head back.

![View from the top showing lake Eunice and Mount Rainier/Tahoma.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9343.jpeg)

![Another view from the top showing lake Eunice and Mount Rainier/Tahoma.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9350.jpeg)

![Looking back from the ridgeline at the fire lookout with lake Eunice down below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9353.jpeg)

![The trees along the ridgeline.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9355.jpeg)

![Another view from the top showing lake Eunice and Mount Rainier/Tahoma.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9357.jpeg)

![Me sitting on rocks to the side with lake Eunice and Mount Rainier/Tahoma in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9389.jpeg)

![Another view from the top showing lake Eunice and Mount Rainier/Tahoma.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9399.jpeg)

![Me standing in front of Mount Rainier/Tahoma with two trees framing us.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_PXL_20230915_203201531.jpg)

## And Back Again

This trail is a "*there and back*" hike so once we were done with the view, for now, we walked back the way we came enjoying any view that surprised us with this opposite direction. This time around we didn't stop at Eunice lake but did extend the hike by branching off to walk around part of Mowich lake before heading back to the main trail and going home. While there the campground appeared to be across the lake, from the below photo, and to the right.

![View from one of the beaches at Mowich Lake looking across the lake. Hidden to the right of this, across the lake, is the campground.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/09/compressed_IMG_9443.jpeg)

And with that the hike was over and I bid you adieu on this adventure. I hope these photos found you well and you're having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.

#
### Ada and Zoey's Joint Birthday Party
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/ada-and-zoeys-joint-trampoline-party/
Last updated: 2023-09-17T06:00:07.000Z
The girls' birthdays are a couple months apart and as such have always had separate parties. This year; however, we planned a long distance move between the two birthday dates. As such we decided to move the later party earlier so she could hang with her friends, then decided to make it joint, then decided to move the shared party even earlier so all their friends could attend as many had summer plans. As such we had their first (and only?) joint birthday party and they had an absolute blast! 

![Pinterest geared image showing the title "Ada and Zoey's Joint Birthday Party" along with my main URL and four images that can also be found below. The main image shows the two girls in matching outfits with their arms clasped. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_Ada-and-Zoey-s-Joint-Birthday-Party---Pinterest.jpg)

---

*Quick aside: If you want to check out [our previous birthday-related content you can find it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/birthday/).*

## Early Planning

Months ago, once we decided we wanted to move, I had the realization that we should host both birthday parties before we move so the girls could both celebrate with all their current friends. While talking the proximity between the parties, the estimated ramp up of the move, and the overlap of friendships naturally led to the idea of a joint birthday party. While discussing dates I quickly realized I had issues scheduling the party around the guests' summer plans, but then realized if we're having one party early why not do both early and chose a weekend several weeks before school got out. Then came the difficulty of deciding what the party should be...

Over the years we've only done parties at home and I considered doing the same this year as I could then take advantage of my fridge, oven, and stove when planning the food. When chatting with the girls about it I realized one was firmly for the party at our home while another was adamantly against it and instead wanted to have the shared party at a particular park. I started warming up to the park idea over the next week and, when packing up boxes, started setting aside all my bubble mix and chalk specifically for the party. I even debated whether it would be easier to get to the park early to save a table or rent a portable table for the day so we didn't have to worry. Additionally, I knew one of my friends had a hot bag for pizza and considered whether we should pick up Costco pizza, like she had for an earlier party, or order delivery directly to the park. 

Luckily I had started this planning process early but knew I shouldn't put off planning anymore and should get back to it. I touched base with either kid in case they changed their mind and quickly realized there's no good option between firm park only *and* a home-only party option. I needed something new to break the stalemate and thus started browsing Facebook groups and reaching out to party venues looking for something simpler but still in line with what we wanted in a party. 

## Venue

After several emails, waits, price quotes, and unavailability I finally decided on [Rockin' Jump](https://rockinjump.com/sancarlos/birthday-party/?ref=simplykyra.com) and both girls adored the idea. I decided a specific weekend, confirmed it was available with a few of our friends, confirmed with the kids, confirmed the party packages, and booked it! 

While deciding the tier we wanted we used the jump time itself as the main metric. The two lower tier packages included only an hour of jump time and we wanted a bit more. After seeing how much it was to add jump time to the lower packages we decided to instead go with the largest Mega VIP Party package which came with two hours jump time and no fee to bring desserts or additional food into the party room. So a three hour long party was set! 

![Screenshot shows the top of an invitation with the Rockin Jump frog and logo on the card paired with an orange envelop with matching yellow insert. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_Screenshot-2023-04-10-at-3.37.53-PM.png)

Part of the party package included branded electronic invitations on [Punchbowl](https://www.punchbowl.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). As I wasn't loving the ads on Evite and had been saving screenshots of the girls invitation images over the years I switched over. I found the RSVP section confusing and some guests texted me directly rather than using their messaging system. Not sure if that was on Punchbowl or a lack of experience so I'm currently not sure which electronic invitation system I'm going to use going forward.

With the party venue planned we next finalized our invation list and sent out the electronic invitations. Previously we used [evite](https://www.evite.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) but part of the Rockin' Jump package included branded electronic invitations through [Punchbowl](https://www.punchbowl.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) so we switched over. Somehow everyone RSVPed with a simple yes/no which meant I had to get specific numbers closer to but otherwise it seemed fine. 

## Plan

With the party decided, booked, and invited it was time to start planning the details. 

### Party Favors

When booking I noticed our package came with a water bottle, stickers, and a VIP pass to hand out... which I then forgot and thus, closer to the party time, I started planning the party favors. At this point we had already started boxing up our stuff and deciding what should be donated before our move. As such I was cognizant of what we had and didn't want to buy any unneeded items that we'd just have to then pack up. I had alot of white glue on hand along with other bulk slime making ingredients and saved up Bonne Maman jam jars so I decided to make slime. That then led to looking on Etsy for stickers as I wanted a simple way to both thank the guests and explain that the contents were in fact non-edible. I found some [customizable stickers through Sunshine Custom Labels](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1257264865/custom-roll-stickers-custom-labels-thank?ref=yr%5Fpurchases) and added some snacks to go with it. You can read more about [how I made the slime and what I added here](https://www.simplykyra.com/how-i-made-our-slime-party-favors/). 

![Image shows a curved row of seven slime filled jam jars across each topped with another one making fourteen. The top of each has a white and red plaid lid. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3345.jpeg)

I made three separate batches of slime and reused Bonne Maman jam jars to hold each one.

![Image shows the same basket from a different angle. This time the "thank you" sticker is attached to the top of each jar.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3495.jpeg)

I ordered stickers to go on each jar to better explain it and packaged up some KitKat bars and Pocky sticks in freezer bags to hand out for party favors. 

While researching the stickers I came across these other listings on Etsy and figured I'd share here in case you do a similar jump themed party. The listings stood out to me but I haven't used these sellers before.

![Image shows a listing for a trampoline party favor digital download. Store name is PartyPartyDesignShop.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-1.18.46-PM.png)

If I had a color printer I may have gone with [this simple customizable digital download](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1142809928/jump-favor-tag-birthday-party-trampoline?click%5Fkey=fd4fe0889a247f49787ec3544ccd14f6d28c9453%3A1142809928&click%5Fsum=a0087a7e&ga%5Fsearch%5Fquery=BTD034&ref=shop%5Fitems%5Fsearch%5F5&pro=1&sts=1) instead. Screenshot taken on May 9th, 2023.

![Image shows a listing for customizable trampoline themed party favor tags. Store name is SweetDesignsbyRegan.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-1.17.20-PM.png)

After ordering my stickers I came across these [adorable tags](https://www.etsy.com/listing/158689750/trampoline-party-favor-tags?click%5Fkey=0c5f861a668ef7ede55b5bf0907b0a03751a859d%3A158689750&click%5Fsum=0bb6dede&ref=shop%5Fhome%5Frecs%5F5&sts=1&variation0=707846940&variation1=707846942). I absolutely love them and wonder if I could've glued them to the lid! Unfortunately I had already checked out my stickers and so I left these unbought. Screenshot taken on May 9th, 2023.

Before settling on the snacks I had also considered purchasing some [push down popper toys](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=spring+launchers&ref=simplykyra.com) or [leaping frog toys](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=plastic+leap+frogs&ref=simplykyra.com) to go with the *jumping* theme. I found both through Amazon (have no affiliate) and decided against the first option as some reviews complained about them not being easy to figure out and either way I figured it would be better for the favor bag to be more consumable rather than just more stuff in homes especially with our move coming up.

### Food

Part of the party package included a pizza and bottle of soda/pop for every five jumpers. That said, part of the reason I chose this place over others was that I could allow the parents to stay if they wanted to watch their kids and/or visit. As visiting was my favorite part of home parties when the kids were younger and this was also, unofficially, a goodbye party we decided to pay for an additional pizza and I wanted to also include more variety in the food options for both the hungry jumpers, as they'd just jumped for two hours, and the parents. 

At [Ada's eighth birthday party last year](https://www.simplykyra.com/ada-exciting-eighth-birthday-party-at-home/) I had made a **Fruit Salad with Lemon Dressing* from [The Secret Ingredient Cookbook](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/05/05/the-secret-ingredient-cookbook-review/) along with **don’t-tell-anyone-it’s-vegan swiss chard caesar salad with hand-torn croutons* from the [No-Fuss Family Cookbook](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/05/26/the-no-fuss-family-cookbook-review/). It went over great and I figured these foods would travel well in an insulated bag with ice packs so I decided to do the same now. I went grocery shopping for all the ingredients the day before, left my favorite sourdough diced and drying out overnight for the croutons, and then the morning of the party I made a doubled batch of both. For the fruit salad I made it directly in a lidded bucket and packed a ladle to dish. The caesar salad was also made in a bucket but I kept the croutons off so they wouldn't get soggy and people could decide to leave them off (gluten free) or decide how much they wanted as they dished. I also brought the extra dressing on the side but it wasn't easy to pour so I wish I brought it in a wider container with a spoon. I also added a bag of pretzel chips to dip or eat on it's own along with a case of chilled water bottles and, when combined with the pizza and soda, we were ready.

![Image shows a bright orange table in front of a deep blue wall. There's a glittery Happy Birthday sign above with two tasseled paper globes from last year's party. I brought our LEGO decoration although I don't think the kids noticed it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3529.jpeg)

When we got the room the party host decorated the tables with branded tableclothes while we put up the party decorations we brought and laid out the food buffet style. She later added paper plates, silverwear, napkins, and pizza.

Another reason I made the fruit salad and doubled it was that I absolutely love the leftovers. Last year I had them on vanilla ice cream while this year I also used it as a drink by mixing it with pineapple ginger beer, carbonated water, or lemon gin depending how I felt each time. 

![Image shows to glasses with fruit inside and tinted red/pink drink. Off to the side sits a Ginger Lab, lemon gin, and Soda Stream bottles. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3697.jpeg)

I put some of the leftover fruit salad in a cup and topped it with a shot of lemon gin and pineapple ginger beer for a great drink. My husband instead combined it with some juice and carbonated water. I later had it with ginger beer and carbonated water for a quick afternoon pick me up after picking up the kids. 

I even created a second fruit salad using the remaining odd-shaped fruit leftovers cut directly into a Stasher bag and shook up with the *dressing* ingredients. The kids loved it!

![Image shows a purple slasher bag with mint flecked fruit and a spoon.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3753.jpeg)

I took all the leftover fruit, added the dressing ingredients, sealed the stasher bag, and shook to combine. Stuck a spoon in to serve and the kids loved it. Months later, as I go over this post, I'm actually planning on doing the same using the plums and apples in our fridge as Zoey requested a fruit salad last night. 

### Dessert

Even pre-covid we've been doing cupcake style desserts at our parties rather than a birthday cake as it seemed a bit more hygienic and easier to hand out when there's no need to cut it up. With the combination party; however, we came up with a disagreement over what type of cupcake we should make. I then decided why not combine the two and [these simple box mix brownie angel food cupcakes were born](https://www.simplykyra.com/our-simply-delicious-brownie-angel-food-cupcakes/). 

![Image shows a whole cupcake without liner being held up in front of the blurred pans. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_2783.jpeg)

Love the clear boundary showing between the brownie and angel food cake layers when it's pulled out of the cupcake liner. On the party day itself we squirted whip cream on top and followed it up with rainbow sprinkles.

## Party Time!

When moving their clothing out of their dressers a couple weeks before the party the girls found their matching *Birthday Girl* shirts they were given by my mom. That led to them planning their entire matching outfit with no input from me. I love how they matched and especially loved how it was on their terms. For our record I snapped some photos on the way to the party and again when we returned home after. I love having these photos and how their excitement is shown.

![Image shows the two girls side by side in matching "Then birthday girl" shirts holding their water bottles. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3516.jpeg)

Before the party the girls are barefoot (as bounce socks are given out there) and they're practicing their jumping.

![Image is similar as before but not they have bright orange socks on. Ada is trying to lift Zoey.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3565.jpeg)

Afterwards they were overjoyed at their experience. 

![Image shows the same outfit as before while the girls are standing with their arms interlocked. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3559.jpeg)

And that concludes their joint birthday party!

The girls absolutely enjoyed their party! Signing up I saw the party package came with a shirt and was confused when the girls weren't given one in the beginning although I also didn't want to cover up their shirts. I was happy to realize, in the party room after, that the venue waited until the end to do the shirt so they could ask the party girls if they wanted them to be signed. The party host then got all the guests to sign the back of both of their shirts.

![Image shows a blue shirt saying "I partied at SkyZone" and a "SZ" logo. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3575.jpeg)

The front of their new shirt. When I got home I made sure to toss them in the dryer on hot just in case the Sharpie marks needed to be set. I told them I wanted a picture of them with the shirts and they never took it so I instead packed the shirts to bring with us on the move and surprised the girls with the shirts once we got to our new city.

---

And with that the party was done and the girls had had a blast. I had wanted to have the party at our home again, so we had access to our appliances and could extend the party if everyone was having fun, and had warmed up to the playground party idea but this venue choice was a blast too. 

I'd love to hear from you if any part of this post helped you in planning your own party. What would you add if this was your party? What would you change? 

I hope you're having a great day and week. 

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Our Simply Delicious Brownie Angel Food Cupcakes
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-simply-delicious-brownie-angel-food-cupcakes/
Last updated: 2023-09-17T16:53:40.000Z
Out of a joint birthday party this novel brownie angel food cupcake was born and they taste *amazing*! All you need to make this yourself are box mix brownies, box mix angel food cake, and whatever the box themselves say. In this case I also used muffin pans, cupcake liners, two eggs, oil, and water. 

![Pinterest-create image showing this post's title, my main URL to learn more, and three images of the cupcakes before, in progress, and after. All three images can also be found below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_Our-Simply-Delicious-Brownie-Angel-Food-Cupcakes---Pinterest.jpg)

---

This year we chose to combine [the girls' birthday parties](https://www.simplykyra.com/ada-and-zoeys-joint-trampoline-party/) together into one event. This led to a simple issue with the cupcakes as, for the past several years, Zoey has wanted angel food cupcakes while Ada's wanted brownies. I considered making both types but then pictured the chaos this might cause as kids decided which one they wanted, requested both, and/or changed their minds. I then realized I could just combine these two simple types to create a novel cupcake and this idea was born!

## *TLDR* \- How They’re Made

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Decide how many boxes you need for what ratio and total number of cupcakes. My final version was two boxes of brownie mix (filled a third full for each liner) and one box of angel food mix. This made three dozen cupcakes.
3. Mix up the brownie mix according to the directions.
4. Fill each liner a third full with the brownies.
5. Bake for 10 minutes.
6. While baking mix up the angel food batter according to the box. Optionally, add food dye to change its color.
7. After the 10 minutes are up remove the cupcake tray from the oven and top each liner with the angel food batter.
8. Put back in the oven to bake for another 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
9. Let cool. *Warning:* layers will come apart easier when hot
10. Pack up for later or enjoy now.
11. *Optionally:* top each with whipped cream and sprinkles.

## Previous Iterations

If you're interested in the previous angel food or brownie pineapple cupcake iterations I've linked them below. That said, Zoey has had a differently dyed cupcake each of the last several years while Ada's stayed with pineapple brownies each year. Both types were always topped with freshly made whip cream using a whipped cream dispenser and then sprinkled with sprinkles right before served. Here are the links:

- Themed angel food cupcakes: *[Colorful and Simple LEGO® Themed Cupcakes](https://www.simplykyra.com/colorful-and-simple-lego-themed-cupcakes/)*
- Dyed angel food cupcakes: *[Super Simple Rainbow Colored Angel Food Cupcakes](https://www.simplykyra.com/super-simple-rainbow-colored-angel-food-cupcakes/)*
- Brownie mix experiment with a comparison between pineapple or normal add-ins: *[Pineapple Brownie Cake](https://www.simplykyra.com/pineapple-brownie-cake/)*
- Extending the previous experiment to cupcakes: *[Simple Halloween Themed Brownie Cupcakes](https://www.simplykyra.com/simple-halloween-themed-brownie-cupcakes/)*

## Backstory

When I first came up with this idea I did what I normally do and looked online. I didn't see any examples where box mix brownies were combined with angel food cake *except* for generalized 1-2-3 microwavable mug cake recipes. For the mug cake itself you'd combine angel food cake mix with a box of something else, in this case brownie mix, and store it so whenever you crave cake you only need to combine three tablespoons of the mix with two tablespoons of water in a mug, mix it up, and microwave it for one minute. Hence the 1, 2, and 3 in the title. As a quick aside I used to make this before the kids were born though I think I used chocolate cake mix combined with the angel food cake. Anyway here's [a link to the recipe on *The Hidden Pantry*](http://thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/11/aunt-bettys-1-2-3-cake.html?ref=simplykyra.com). Other than this example the only other similar recipe I came across was [a from scratch chocolate angel food cake recipe (*allrecipes*](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8252/chocolate-angel-food-cake-i/?ref=simplykyra.com)[)](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8252/chocolate-angel-food-cake-i/?ref=simplykyra.com) that included cocoa powder for the chocolate rather than using brownie mix. 

I decided this was a unique idea that may work as there was that chocolate angel food cake so why not experiment and try it out. We had two boxes of angel food cake and four bags of Ghirardelli brownie mix at home so I might as well grab one of each and see how it goes. But first I took my idea to the girls and asked what they thought of it. They were immediately on board... although Ada asked about pineapple brownies and Zoey then requested pineapple angel food cake. I jumped online again and found [this two-ingredient pineapple angel food cake recipe on Betty Crocker](https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/two-ingredient-pineapple-angel-food-cake/334f7a77-4252-4302-9716-09c764975d95?ref=simplykyra.com) so considered making half with pineapple and half with none. Unfortunately, at the time of the experiment, I was both rushed and out of pineapple and so decided just to skip the pineapple and, without the trial, decided to leave it out for the party too. I'm still curious how it may tast with the pineapple and might try it later. That said, if you beat me, I'd love to hear how it turned out so comment below!

## Cupcakes

Quick note: I made a trial version of these brownie angel food cupcakes before making the party version of them so you'll see photos from both cases combined here. The first time I made two cupcake pans and dyed the angel food cake batter purple while the second time I used three pans and attempted to dye it rainbow which became brownish-is when over mixed and then, when I added more red dye, pink-ish. 

### Planning

To decide on the oven temperature and bake time I looked over the directions on both the boxes. After comparing the two I realized the angel food cake had two different temperatures listed based on the pan type, 325**°**F or 350**°**F, while the brownies needed about ten more minutes to bake. As such I decided to go with 350**°**F for the oven, poured the brownie batter in the liners first, baked it for ten minutes, added the angel food cake batter, and then finish baking it for about half an hour. I tried this the first time using two cupcake pans along with a loaf pan, for the excess batter, in the oven and found it done the first time I checked it (can't remember the exact time) but then discovered that the two layers of the cupcake separated easily when taking it out of the liner. For the final version, for the party, I used less brownie batter in each of the three cupcake pans and lowered the oven temperature to 325**°**F. Otherwise I did the same thing, just at a lowered temperature, by adding the angel food cake and baking it for 30 minutes. It worked perfectly. That said, the one test one we opened right away still had the layers separating, but, once cooled, the cupcakes remained perfectly stuck together. 

The first time I used one box of each mix and tried to half the layers. The next time I used two boxes of brownie mix (filled each liner a third full) and one box of angel food mix which made three dozen cupcakes. 

### How They're Made

After gathering all my ingredients and tools I preheated the oven to 325°F, lined the cupcake pans, and followed the directions to make the brownie batter. The second time around I made up two bags of the Ghiradelli mix so I needed to add two eggs, two thirds of a cup of oil, and two thirds of a cup of water before mixing it with my paddle. Once the batter was mixed together I filled each liner only a third full and put them into the oven to bake for ten minutes. This gives the brownies just enough of a headstart to finish baking at the same time as the angel food cake layer and firm up enough to hold it in place.

![Image shows the box mix brownies and angel food cake to the left (showing the directions) and three cupcake pans with colorful silicon cupcake liners laid out side by side on the stovetop. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3453.jpeg)

I started by gather the two box mixes, cupcake pans, and liners before filling the pans and preheating the oven to 325**°**F.

![Image shows the same stove but this time from the right. All three dozen liners are a third filled with brownie mix. The metal stand mixer bowl sits to the side (background) reflecting the image back at us. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3460.jpeg)

Once the brownie batter was mixed up I used a small measuring cup and carefully filled the liners about a third full.

While the first layer was baking I started on the angel food cake batter. Since the layers were going to be combined anyway I didn't worry too much about the stand mixer bowl being dirty and simple switched from the paddle to the whisk attachment. This mix only needed me to add water but I decided to also add some food dye and give it another mix to, hopefully, get some pretty marbling. Overall, for the party, I went too far, combining the three primary colors to get brown, and then fixed it by adding more red. That said, there were some pretty photos for the first purple batch and some pretty progress photos before the batter went brown, [included below](our-simply-delicious-brownie-angel-food-cupcakes/#angel-food-stand-mixer-colors), if you're interested in seeing them.

![Image shows the brownie streaked stand mixer bowl with a pile of white at the bottom and water being poured in. The whisk is above poised to be lowered.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3462.jpeg)

After putting the brownies in to bake I switched the stand mixer paddle out for the whisk, carefully poured the mix into the bowl, and added the required amount of water. 

![Image is the same photo but now the brownie bits are rubbed a bit away, the mix is larger and browner, and there's red drops in the center and speckled outwards. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3470.jpeg)

After the batter was mixed up I added the food dye and mixed it again to combine. Here is where you have to be careful. This time I added all three primary colors hoping to make some pretty but lazy marbling and instead made a brown-ish hue. I fixed it by adding some more red and, here, was about to mix it in again.

Once the ten minutes were up I moved the pans out of the oven, brought over the mixed angel food cake batter, and carefully poured the angel food cake over each of the warm cupcakes. The first time I overfilled them but the next time, for the party, I made sure to keep some headspace so they had room to grow. Once I finished filling them I put the pans back into the 325**°**F oven for 30 minutes and, later on, used a cupcake tester to confirm that they in fact done. 

![Image shows a bowl of brownie streaked brown-ish angel food cake to the left and three cupcake pans to the right. The colorful liners are half filled with partially cooked brownies with the one on the far left two thirds filled with the angel food mix. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3472.jpeg)

After the bottom layer had baked for ten minutes I moved the pans out of the oven and topped each one up with the angel food cake batter.

![Same bowl as the previous photo but now there's a single cupcake pan missing a liner. This time around a red, blue, and lavender angel food mix is being poured into the brownie cupcake liners.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_2778.jpeg)

The first time I filled the cupcake liners up all of the way (pictured here) but the second time I left some headspace as the liners are easier to remove if the cake doesn't overfill and stick to the pans... plus it goes further.

![Three cupcake pans are in the oven. The top layer has two dozen side by side while the bottom shelf has a larger pan. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3473.jpeg)

Once filled I carefully put the pans back into the 325**°**F oven for thirty more minutes. 

![Same oven as before with the same two pans on the top side by side. Now the cupcakes are overfilling as they filled with the batter all the way. Underneath is a single loaf pan about a third full. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_2779.jpeg)

Any extra mix, for both the brownies and angel food cake, were poured into loaf pan(s) to be cooked separately and cut up for brownie squares.

![Two loaf pans on its side cooling with a thin layer of brownie and angel food cake at the bottom. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3498.jpeg)

The second time around I had trouble removing the thin layer of cake from the loaf pans so it became brownie crumble instead. I brought the crumble to a pool get together with a spoon for dishing but looking back I wonder if I could've dried it out on a cookie sheet and used it as an ice cream topping instead.

### The Finished Cupcakes

The first time around I had filled the liners all the way so they were tougher to remove from the pan but bigger. That time around the angel food cake layer easily split from the brownie bottom. As the oven was set to 350**°**F that time around I chose to keep the same timeline (bake the brownies for ten minutes, add the angel food cake, and then bake together) and instead decreased the temperature to 325**°**F. The second time around I filled the liners less full and, after cooling, the layers stayed together fine. 

![Image shows the two cupcake pans side by side with the gorgeously colored loaf pan behind it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_2781.jpeg)

The first experimental batch straight out of the oven. I love the variety in the red, blue, white, and purple marbling to the angel food cake especially in the loaf pan. 

![Image shows a green silicone cupcake liner flipped inside out with a steak knife a cut open cupcake behind it showing the layers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3485.jpeg)

When hot it was tough to pull the cupcakes out of the liner without spliting the layers apart; however, at 325**°**F the second batch stayed together better once fully cooled.

![Image shows a whole cupcake without liner being held up in front of the blurred pans. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_2783.jpeg)

Love the clear brownie and angel food cake divider line when pulled out of the cupcake liner.... I guess with the added whip cream it's was like a three layered cupcake.

## Party Time

And those were our brownie and angel food combination cupcakes. After the cupcakes cooled I put them into a large container, kept them in the fridge overnight, and left them out of the fridge during the party. I pre-filled and whipped the whip cream in a whip cream dispenser and brought it along in an insulated bag with ice packs inside. I also brought birthday candles, a lighter, and two containers of sprinkles so when it was time for dessert I could easily set it up. My normal process is bringing all the stuff out, creating the birthday cupcake using whip cream to hold up the candles, lighting the candles, and singing Happy Birthday. Since this was a combo party I did this twice, once for each kid, and then, once done, made a cupcake for each of the other kids. At previous parties we've had the kids line up for the cupcake as we churn them out. This time around the party host gave out clean plates and I went around to put a single cupcake on each plate. Matt, my husband, followed behind me with the whip cream and a friend brought up the rear with the sprinkles. All the extra cupcakes were then laid out so the adults could come up and decorate their own. I don't have any final images of these cupcake but I do have some photos of the last cupcakes we brought home after the party. That meal was random with yogurt and party leftovers. We each had a cupcake along with the last of the whipped cream and sprinkles. The kids loved it and these were created.

![Image shows a pink divided plate with fruit salad leftovers and yogurt. Zoey holds the cupcake above it with blue sprinkles, strawberries, blueberries, red sauce, and whip cream. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3600.jpeg)

Zoey loved adding the whip cream, sprinkles, and leftover fruit salad to hers. 

![Ada holds her orange liner above a similarly filled play while squishing down the whip cream inside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3602.jpeg)

Ada, in contrast, quickly ate hers but then used the silicone liner to create some whip cream related concoctions.

## Angel Food Stand Mixer Colors

Before ending this post I had to share the gorgeousness of the angel food cake's food dye marbling with you. The first set is from the experimental batch where I added a couple drops of red to the left side and a couple drops of blue to the right. Once I turned on the stand mixer the colors swirled along and eventually turned the white batter lavender. I stopped the mixer early enough that I still had the odd streak of white, blue, and red in the lavender colored batter and the final cupcakes and cake looked gorgeous!

![Image shows the bowl of a stand mixer looking down with the whisk down and turned off. There's red dye to the left and blue to the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_2770.jpeg)

![Image shows the bowl of a stand mixer looking down with the whisk down, turned on, and blurred. The red has streaked about an inch and the blue has been brought around and going up. Each droplet is now a dahs further to the left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_2771.jpeg)

![Image shows the bowl of a stand mixer looking down with the whisk down, turned on, and blurred. The blue is streaked around several times while the red only looks streaked around once. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_2772.jpeg)

![Image shows the bowl of a stand mixer looking down with the whisk down, turned on, and blurred. Both colors have been streaked around and there might be a faint lavender hue formed.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_2773.jpeg)

![Image shows the bowl of a stand mixer looking down with the whisk down, turned on, and blurred. Way more bubbles and all angel food cake is red, blue, or off white. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_2775.jpeg)

With the success of that first batch still hovering over me I decided to go bigger for the party and added a couple drops of each of the three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. I chose to do this as Zoey's current favorite color is rainbow but I flew too close to the sun, ran the stand mixer too long, and created brown although I had hoped for more marbling and less mixing. I was on a time crunch and this was my last box of angel food cake mix so I attempted to fix it by adding more red dye hoping to overcome the yellow and blue turning it a bit more pink-ish. That said, I did get some cool photos before this happened which I figured I'd also share. 

![Image shows the bowl of a stand mixer looking down with the whisk down and turned off. There's a red drop in the upper right, blue in lower right, and yellow on center left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3466.jpeg)

![Image shows the bowl of a stand mixer looking down with the whisk down, turned on, and blurred. The colors have streaked along the outside.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3467.jpeg)

![Image shows the bowl of a stand mixer looking down with the whisk down, turned on, and blurred. The colors are there in bit and starts the whole way around.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3468.jpeg)

![Image shows the bowl of a stand mixer looking down with the whisk down, turned on, and blurred. The center has turned browny greenish but the outside still looks great.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3469.jpeg)

---

And those were our brownie angel food cupcakes! They tasted incredible and I can definitely see making them again. 

If you do make these I'd love to hear how it went, what you changed, and how they turned out in the comments below. Did you bake them for a specific theme? How did you alter them to fit that theme?

I hope you have a great one!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How I Made Our Slime Party Favors
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-made-our-slime-party-favors/
Last updated: 2025-01-10T01:24:05.000Z
We had a long distance move this summer and as such, leading to the [girls' party](https://www.simplykyra.com/ada-and-zoeys-joint-trampoline-party/), I'd been going through our stuff and deciding what we should off-load and what's worth moving with us. This culmination of the girls' party, loot bags, and moving resulted in the idea to use up my stockpile of slime ingredients and [Bonne Maman](https://www.bonnemaman.us/?ref=simplykyra.com) jam jars to make these adorable slime party favors. 

![Pinterest geared image showing my post title, main URL, and three images of the slime that are also found below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_How-I-Made-Our-Slime-Party-Favors---Pinterest.png)

---

At the time of their party, with our long distance move approaching and attempting to downsize our stuff, I especially didn't want to buy small plastic toys for the girls' favor bags just to see the toys being ignored but still be packed for our move. In [the past](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/birthday/) we've often defaulted to [playdough](https://www.simplykyra.com/make-your-own-playdough/) for the bags as it's simple and fun without causing too much of a mess for the parents. I considered doing the same here but then came across my stockpile of slime ingredients and jam jars got an idea!

## Past Party Favors

In case you'd prefer one of my past ideas I figured I'd quickly go over them along with links to learn more. 

Years ago I figured out [my perfect playdough recipe](https://www.simplykyra.com/make-your-own-playdough/) that my girls absolutely adored. Over the subsequent years I've added different elements to the [playdough (link to the playdough topic)](https://www.simplykyra.com/topic/playdough/) to keep it fun and exciting along with using it, often, as part of the girls' party favors. For instance [Ada's science themed party](https://www.simplykyra.com/science-birthday-party-favor-bags/) had a color mixing theme so I made playdough in each of the three primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) and bought test tubes to keep their favorite dessert snacks on theme. Zoey, that year, chose an [orange LEGO® theme](https://www.simplykyra.com/zoeys-third-birthday-orange-duplo-lego-theme/) so I made different orange hued playdough, repacked it in leftover Play-Doh containers, and combined it with brick shaped candy, orange goldfish crackers, and homemade LEGO® shaped crayons. 

During the shelter-in-place year we hosted Zoom birthday parties where the girls had a special costumed princess attend. Between the special theme and the fact the kids were distanced I attempted to make the favor bags stay on theme, included a dessert, and passed them out before the party so the favor bags could be opened earlier and help make the party funner and more cohesive. These bags were more themed than previous years with either [Frozen (Princess Anna)](https://www.simplykyra.com/zoeys-shelter-in-place-fourth-birthday-party/) or [superhero (Wonder Woman)](https://www.simplykyra.com/announcing-adas-simple-zoom-birthday-party/) elements.

The next year we kept [the parties small and sweet at home](https://www.simplykyra.com/the-year-of-our-small-and-simple-birthday-parties/) so I went a bit larger with the favor bags by first splitting up the [LEGO® cupcakes (#41926)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/creative-party-kit-41926?ref=simplykyra.com) set and combining it with pumpkin scented playdough for Zoey's party and then, for the next party, limiting it to a $10 LEGO® set Ada thought would perfectly fit each guest's tastes. 

Last year the favor bags were a bit more random as I first shopped through the toys and food I had on hand. [Zoey's favor bags](https://www.simplykyra.com/zoeys-random-but-fun-sixth-birthday/) included playdough, pre-packaged chalk, bubbles and bubble pipes, fruit roll-ups, and Star Wars themed goldfish crackers. For [Ada](https://www.simplykyra.com/ada-exciting-eighth-birthday-party-at-home/) we used her love of eraser toppers and combined that idea with pencil crayons and pencils we already had on hand along with individually wrapped Costco oreos. Both girls loved it!

## Slime

Quick aside: I snapped these photos as I made the slime but didn't have any specific plan as I went. For your ease I'm going to go over how the slime is made before going over the types I made so the images may seem to jump around in the first section.

### How Slime Is Normally Made

A while back I jotted down the ingredients to a quick slime recipe on our fridge so whenever we made slime I could easily remember the ratios and help each kid make their own. Our recipe, can't remember where it's originally from, starts out by combining 3/4 cups of glue and a 1/2 tsp of baking soda together. Once mixed you then add 1 1/2 tablespoons of contact lens solution. Since slime is mostly only made when having a playdate I go around the table dishing out the 3/4 cup of liquid glue, tablespoon of baking soda, and optional add-ons like food dye, glitter, foam balls, and other little items. While the kids wait to choose and get each item they're mixing the contents in their bowl. Then, when ready, I squirt the contact lens solution in on demand so it can be both mixed between applications and each kid gets the independence of choosing the amount they want without getting slime on my bottle. Once they're happy with their slime I put away the ingredients while they play. I considered doing something similar this time around, just dramatically increasing the ingredient amounts, but instead decided to look online first. 

![Image shows a slightly peeling magnetic sticker on a black fridge with silver faded letters saying the ingredients for the slime. See caption for specific ingredients.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_4120.jpeg)

I have a magnetic blackboard sticker on my fridge and years ago jotted down the default slime making ingredients. This says 3/4 cup glue, 1/2 tsp (baking) soda, and 1 1/2 tbsp contact (lens solution).

### Recipe Used

I looked online for a larger slime recipe than I normally use and came across [Laura's post *Make a Big Batch of Slime for a Party or Classroom With This Easy Recipe* from *The No Pressure Life*](https://www.thenopressurelife.com/big-batch-slime-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com). I'm so glad I came across it and, other than needing less contact lens solution than called for (used about a half to three quarters of it), the recipe was perfect! Overall I made three batches of it (two single batches and one doubled) and it fit the fourteen Bonne Maman jam jars perfectly.

According to [The No Pressure Life](https://www.thenopressurelife.com/big-batch-slime-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com) you'll need: 

- 1-quart (32 ounce) Elmer’s Washable School Glue
- 4 tablespoons baking soda
- 8 tablespoons contact lens solution (I used 4 to 6 tablespoons for mine)

### How It Was Made Today

I had originally chosen to make slime for the party as I had several gallon (128 ounce) sized liquid glue jugs around along with some Costco-sized baking soda and contact lens solution. I also had leftover slime supplies on hand from a kit I bought back in 2018 and shared about with [the *floam (slime with foam balls)* post](https://www.simplykyra.com/floam-slime-with-foam-balls/). Between that and the bulk liquid food dye I wasn't quite sure if I should move (*spoiler they came with*) I had all the needed add-in ingredients too. 

[The recipe](https://www.thenopressurelife.com/big-batch-slime-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com) itself calls for a quart (32 ounce) of white glue so I started out by putting my large metal bowl on a weigh scale, tared it to zero, and then poured the glue until it hit the 32 ounce mark. I then removed the scale so it wouldn't get messy and measured out the baking soda before mixing it up. Now comes the add-on time. For each batch I added some small mix-ins and, for two of them, some food dye. Once all this was mixed in I added the contact lens solution and mixed and folded the mixture until a slime started to form. At this point I had excess contact lens solution in the bowl so I carefully removed the slime leaving behind the liquid and started kneeding and stretching the slime out on the table. Once the slime looked slime-like enough I divided it equally between the jars. For the next batches I used less contact lens solution so I had less excess at the end.

![Image shows a metal bowl sitting on a scale. Two spatula sit beside it with opened jam jars to the right of it. In the back sits all the ingredients. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3311.jpeg)

I started out by grabbing my ingredients, jars, and tared my scale. 

![Image shows glue being poured into the metal bowl. In the background the jars are partially filled with white rainbow specked slime.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3320.jpeg)

Once the scale was tared I started pouring the Elmer's white glue in while keeping an eye out to make sure the bowl didn't exceed 32 ounces.

![Image shows blue foam balls, glitter, and plastic gems sitting on top of the white glue in the bowl. A red spatula sits within and the jars to the right are topped off with purple slime. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3326.jpeg)

Once the white glue and baking soda had been mixed together it's time to add any additional elements.

![The bowl is filled with white slime speckled with pink and purple foam balls. There's red splotches on top. To the right sits the jam jars with white multicolor spotted slime. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3322.jpeg)

You can add food dye with the above add-in ingredients or, like here, wait until after they were mixed in so the materials might not be dyed too. Here I added some red food dye hoping to make the slime itself pink.

![Image shows the same slime as the previous image but not the base is red-ish pink-ish color with blue splotches in the center rather than white with red splotches. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3323.jpeg)

I wasn't sure if I liked the red so at this point I decided to add a bit of blue to make the slime a bit more purple-y (since red and blue makes purple).

![Image shows the white bowl with blue spotted white slime. A measuring cup is pouring clear liquid into the bowl and the jam jars sit to the side with the lavender slime in them. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3330.jpeg)

Once you're happy with your slime color and add-ins it's time to add the contact lens solution. This is the magical ingredient that switches your liquid to a slime. That said there are other recipes out there that use other ingredient combinations like borax or liquid starch.

![Image shows a closeup of the metal bowl with white blue specked slime and a red spatula inside. There's clear separated liquid around the perimeter.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3331.jpeg)

In this case my slime started looking slime-like before all the liquid was used so I carefully moved it out leaving the excess contact lens solution behind. 

### Types Made

All the slime batches were made with [the same recipe from *The No Pressure Life*](https://www.thenopressurelife.com/big-batch-slime-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com) using white liquid Elmer's glue for the base. They then deviated from one another with the different food dyes and add-on materials. The add-ons used where leftover from [a slime kit I bought in 2018](https://www.simplykyra.com/floam-slime-with-foam-balls/) and consisted of foam balls, crystalline plastic fishbowl beads, pom poms, and glitter flakes. I decided to keep the fine glitter out for the parents' sake so it would be, hopefully, easier to clean up.

Going in I wasn't sure how much slime the recipe made so I started out with a single batch and tried to make it the best. As Zoey's favorite color is rainbow I chose to add all the rainbow items left in the kit and kept the base white by leaving out the food dye allowing the rainbow items to shine. This included, I think, all the add-in options listed above ranging from star glitter to soft pom poms. I love how it turned out but quickly realized it didn't make near as much as I wanted. 

![Image shows four jam jars partially filled with the slime with another section to the left loose and undivided on the table. Over the jars sits one section pulled apart to better highlight the items inside it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3318.jpeg)

The first batch I made I left the slime white but included all the multi-color add-ins including pom poms, glitter, foam balls, and fishbowl beads. This became the first layer added to the jam jars.

Based on the amount I had from the first batch I decided to double the next one. This time around I added all the pink items, realized I didn't have enough, and then added all the purple ones too. I didn't get a good photo but i think these were only, or at least mainly, foam beads. I wanted this layer to differentiate itself from the first so I decided to make it pink, added what seemed like too much red dye, and then added a couple drops of blue to tone it down making the slime match the purple add-ins more than the pink ones.

![Like before some of the jars are topped up with the current purple slime with the remaining ones just with the first white layer. The excess slime is sitting to the left or pulled apart on top of the jars to highlight the small balls within the purple slime.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3324.jpeg)

The second batch was doubled and dyed purple using red and blue food dye. The only additional items used were purple and pink foam balls lending the slime a more lavender appearance.

With the single and doubled batch made there was still a bit more room in the jars so I decided to make one more, single-sized, batch. This time I added all the blue add-ins which included the foam beads, crystalline plastic fishbowl beads, and glitter flakes. I wanted a bit more bang so I added some red food dye. Looking back I didn't add enough dye, as I was worried about overdoing it, so the slime almost looked like another white layer but still looked great. 

![Image shows the blue specked white slime in a bowl with a splotch of red food dye in the center-ish. Off to the side are the first two batches already within the jars.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3327.jpeg)

I added the smallest amount of red to the third and final batch of slime but it wasn't enough for it to look pink next to the other layers. 

![The slime is spread from the spot on the table to the jars to better highlight the blue elements within it. The jars are filled with the white bottom and lavender layers already. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3332.jpeg)

That said the blue glitter, fishbowl beads, and foam balls looked great against the white base.

### Packaging

When I made the first batch I wasn't sure how much slime the recipe made. As such I started out with a single batch and quickly realized it didn't make enough for all fourteen jars. I considered, briefly, filling as many jars as I could with each batch one by one but I didn't want the kids arguing over which person got which color so I settled on filling each jar equally so everyone mostly got the same (the layer heights were slightly different). This resulted in each of the jars having three layers of slime in them. 

![Image shows all fourteen jars with different amounts of each batch making a white top and bottom layer with a purple one in the center. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3334.jpeg)

I filled each jars to the top with each of the three batches of slime. Love how the layers looked. 

![Image shows a curved row of seven slime filled jam jars across each topped with another one making fourteen. The top of each has a white and red plaid lid. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3345.jpeg)

Loved how they all looked together with their lids on. 

### Past Slimes

If you want other types of slime years ago I used to add the foam beads after the contact lens solution to make a [floam-like slime shared here](https://www.simplykyra.com/floam-slime-with-foam-balls/). You can also use other add-ons like shaving cream to make a fluffy slime or [Instant Snow](https://www.simplykyra.com/slime-creations-how-i-made-snow-slime/).

## Finishing It Up

### Topping the Jar Off

When I decided to make slime in glass jam jars I realized right away that I needed to make it obvious that they were glass and that the contents weren't edible. At first I was going to buy favor bags but realized just how weak the bags online seemed and I didn't want the jars slipping and cracking on the ground. I considered paying more for sturdier bags but then realized I could simply buy a custom sticker for the jar itself thus letting the guests know what it is and convey our *thanks for coming* message. I hopped onto Etsy and after looking at many great but not perfect for my case stickers I came across these [more general ones, through SunshineCustomLabels](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1257264865/custom-roll-stickers-custom-labels-thank?ref=simplykyra.com), that I could customize fully. I went with the stickers and made sure it told the guests *thanks for coming* along with what was in each the jar. 

![Image shows a screenshot of an Etsy listing. The image shows a thank you wedding sticker while the title says it's for, essentially, any event. It has five stars with 3,811 reviews and there's customizable options on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-1.19.10-PM.png)

After looking at different birthday themed stickers I chose these more generalized ones as I was able to customize it to the girls birthday party more. This screenshot was taken on May 9th, 2023.

![Image shows five slime lids each with the same sticker fixed to the top. The sticker itself says "Thanks for jumping with us! Now to relax with some slime. Love Ada and Zoey"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3494.jpeg)

Love how the sticker finished off the slime. It looked great!

In case there's an element of the stickers you like I ordered [this style, from SunshineCustomLabels](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1257264865/custom-roll-stickers-custom-labels-thank?ref=simplykyra.com), on May 9th, 2023 and, at that time, chose the following customizations: the #37 border design, font style #11, line option H and the text: 

```text
Thanks for jumping with us! 
Now to relax with some slime. 
---- (line) 
Love Ada and Zoey
```

Anyway, at first I decided to just leave the favor as the slime since the message was on the sticker but then I overanalyzed and decided to add some treats... which led to...

### Finishing the Favors Off

At first I was only going to have the slime with the simple sticker saying what it was and thanking the guest for coming. Then I debated adding a single item, pocky sticks, which then led to even more. As, at this time, I didn't want to order bags that may not come in time (I was already waiting on edge for the stickers), I briefly considered tying the dessert to the jar, then momentarily considered hot glue (chocolate may melt), debated driving to a store for gift bags after all, and then took the lazier way and grabbed some freezer bags that would work to hold all the desserts. I had bought snack-sized KitKats originally for the party but figured having them after the event would be better. This solution was a bit more cumbersome that simply using bags but still worked.

![Image shows the slime off to the side with three piles of KitKat bars (pink, white, and red) and piles of freezer bags.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3347.jpeg)

I divided the KitKat bars up by flavor, counted out the freezer bags, and doled each item out. Everyone ended up with one package of pocky sticks and two of each flavor of KitKat.

![Image shows the slime jars and freezer bags gathered up in an opaque frosted plastic bin. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3350.jpeg)

Once assembled I grabbed a plastic tote to hold everything and make it easier to hide as the kids weren't told about the party favors this time around.

![Image shows the same basket from a different angle. This time the "thank you" sticker is attached to the top of each jar.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_3495.jpeg)

The stickers arrived the day before the party so I grabbed the basket, applied each sticker, and put everything back inside again.

And that was our slime party favors. It was simple to make, used items I had previously bought, and made it just a bit easier to move. The girls loved the favors and, for that matter, [their party too](https://www.simplykyra.com/ada-and-zoeys-joint-trampoline-party/). 

I'd love to hear from you in the comments below if any of this helped you out or if you have any tips for someone else that may do something similar. 

Hope you’re having a great day. 

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How to Order Individual Parts and Find Instructions to Make a Retired LEGO® Kit
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-order-individual-parts-and-find-instructions-to-make-a-retired-lego-kit/
Last updated: 2023-06-14T06:30:56.000Z
In case you're interested in building a retired, no longer officially sold, LEGO*®* set I wanted to share the steps I used to recreate a set in the past. In this post I'll use the retired Wonder Woman™ BrickHeadz™ set that my eldest daughter really wanted.

![Pinterest-geared image showing my post title, my main URL, an seven images with an arrow going from the retired product image to the finished piece. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_How-to-Order-Individual-Parts-and-Find-Instructions-to-Make-a-Retired-LEGO--Kit---Pinterest.jpg)

---

First a quick aside. I have no affiliation with the LEGO® brand and make no money if you choose to purchase these products. I love building and playing with LEGO® and wanted to share what I’ve discovered in case it could help you.

Additionally, I originally went through this example back in September of 2021 but while editing the post in May of 2023 all the steps seemed about the same. Hopefully this is still up to date enough for you, whenever in the future you're reading this, and if not please let me know in the comments below along with the new process if you know it.

---

### *Find the Set Number* 

The first step is learning the identification number for your particular LEGO® set. For this I’d start by searching on the [LEGO® website](https://www.lego.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) or doing an online image search using any keywords from that set. So taking the example of the [retired Wonder Woman™ BrickHeadz™ (41599)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/wonder-woman-41599?ref=simplykyra.com) set above I’d search for `wonder woman` on LEGO.com or do an image search for`wonderwoman brickheadz`. Through these methods I’d be able to find the set number, in this case 41599, for the set.

![Image is a screenshot of the search results for Wonder Woman filtered to only show the retired products. On the left are all the filter criteria while the right shows six related and retired Wonder Woman™ products. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-19-at-9.54.23-AM.png?resize=750%2C562&ssl=1)

If I didn’t have the box and/or instructions and wanted to purchase more pieces or find the instructions I’d start by doing a search on [LEGO.com](https://www.lego.com/en-us/search?q=wonder%20woman&page=1&filters.i0.key=variants.attributes.availabilityStatus.zxx-US&filters.i0.values.i0=%22R%5FRETIRED%22&ref=simplykyra.com). Here I searched for Wonder Woman before filtering the results by it’s availability as I knew this was a retired product. Scrolling through the results I was able to quickly find the [Wonder Woman™ BrickHeadz™](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/wonder-woman-41599?ref=simplykyra.com) set I was interested in and clicked on it to see more. This search and screenshot was taken on September 19th, 2021\. Looking at this I’m now curious about the Wonder Woman™ Dorm.

![Image shows the Wonder Woman™ BrickHeadz™ entry on the LEGO.com website.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-19-at-9.52.20-AM.png?resize=750%2C479&ssl=1)

After clicking on the [Wonder Woman™ BrickHeadz™](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/wonder-woman-41599?ref=simplykyra.com) piece I was able to quickly determine the set number of 41599 by looking underneath the main photo beside the age and piece quantity for the set. This screenshot was taken on September 19th, 2021.

![Image shows an image search for "wonderwoman brickheadz" on DuckDuckGo. Below the search you see a row of Wonder Woman Brickheadz images and below a large image of Wonder Woman™ BrickHeadz™ box from vanloda.com.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-16-at-8.05.16-AM.png?resize=750%2C684&ssl=1)

If LEGO.com search didn’t work, or as an alternative, I could see instead doing an image search for the box and hope it’s clear enough to see the LEGO® set number. In this case it’s listed under the recommended age of 10+ on the upper left side of the box. This particular search, and resulting screenshot, was done [through DuckDuckGo](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=wonderwoman+brickheadz&iax=images&ia=images&ref=simplykyra.com) on September 16th, 2021.

### *Download the Instructions*

Once I found the set number the next logical step would be to use it to search on the LEGO® Customer Service [Building Instructions](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/buildinginstructions/?ref=simplykyra.com) page. This [resulting downloadable PDF](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/buildinginstructions/41599?ref=simplykyra.com) means I can later build the set and, most importantly at this point, see what bricks I’d need to buy in order to be able to build this set. In all the instruction books, so far, the page showing each brick used and it's quantity is located on the very last page or at least close to that last page of the book.

![Image shows the Customer Service Building Instructions portal. I've typed in the set number, 41599, and so the dropdown is open showing the matching BrickHeadz™ entry I'm interested in.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-17-at-2.17.27-PM.png?resize=750%2C378&ssl=1)

After clicking on the *Building Instructions* at the top of the page I next searched for the [retired Wonder Woman™ BrickHeadz™](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/wonder-woman-41599?ref=simplykyra.com) by entering it's set number 41599\. The dropdown immediately showed the correct set which I could click on to speed up the process if I wanted. This screenshot was taken on September 17th, 2021.

![Image shows the building instructions results for 41599 on the LEGO website.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-17-at-2.17.58-PM.png?resize=750%2C547&ssl=1)

When searching I received one result as I searched by the set number. If I wanted to I could’ve instead searched by something more vague and filtered this down using the theme or year. This screenshot showing the results was taken on September 17th, 2021.

![Image is a screenshot of the website showing a picture of the completed  Wonder Woman™ BrickHeadz™, the year it was made 2018, and a link to download the instructions and the size of the file 3.89 MB. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-17-at-2.18.09-PM.png?resize=750%2C618&ssl=1)

When I clicked on the result I was brought to [this page](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/buildinginstructions/41599?ref=simplykyra.com) where I could download the instructions for the set. This screenshot was taken on September 17th, 2021.

![Image shows the PDF with the parts listed in the center of the page between images of series 2 and the back cover of the book. On the left you can see the pages 33 to the back cover in the page overview. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-17-at-3.07.28-PM.png?resize=750%2C651&ssl=1)

Once downloaded I opened the file and navigated to the end of the book. Here I was able to see all the bricks used in the set including their part number and the quantity I’d need to make the same set. This screenshot was taken of the PDF downloaded from LEGO.com on September 17th, 2021.

## *Purchase the Bricks*

When first starting this post I had said I’d start with the [Buy Bricks](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/replacementparts/sale/location?ref=simplykyra.com) section of the LEGO® Customer Service website. I even posted about it years ago with [*How to Find and Purchase Extra LEGO® Parts Through LEGO.com*](https://www.simplykyra.com/how-to-find-and-purchase-extra-lego-parts-through-lego-com/). Sometime between taking the below screenshots and finishing this post the Buy Bricks section of the LEGO® Customer Service website seems to now redirect you to the [LEGO® Pick a Brick](https://www.lego.com/en-us/pick-and-build/pick-a-brick?ref=simplykyra.com). As such these photos may look bit different but they show a process that is still functional so I'm keeping them as is. 

Anyway to buy bricks now I’d start with the [LEGO® Pick a Brick](https://www.lego.com/en-us/pick-and-build/pick-a-brick?ref=simplykyra.com) website and search by the set number to see all of the related and available bricks. Hopefully this way you could purchase all of the needed bricks and build the retired kit yourself! Searching for the [Wonder Woman™ BrickHeadz™ (41599)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/pick-and-build/pick-a-brick?appearsIn=41599&ref=simplykyra.com) set I was surprised to only see 48 bricks listed as the instruction book showed that I'd need fifty. 

![Image shows the results of the set search showing a header with an image of the set, the set number, the name, and that 48 bricks are available for that set. Below two rows of parts are showing with a hint of the third row below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-16-at-8.04.54-AM.png?resize=750%2C932&ssl=1)

I then used that number to query the [Buy Bricks](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/replacementparts/sale/location?ref=simplykyra.com) section of the LEGO® Customer Service website to find the matching 48 pieces that go with this set. While scrolling through I saw only one piece wasn’t currently available although as it was bright pink I figured it wouldn’t be seen and could easily be replaced by a different colored part with the same design number. I also used another tab to search the [Building Instructions](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/buildinginstructions/?ref=simplykyra.com) section of the website so I could see how many of each piece I’d need and, later once the parts arrive, use it again to build the set. This screenshot was taken on September 16th, 2021\. UPDATE: The Buy Bricks section seems to be no longer. For these parts check out [Pick a Brick here](https://www.lego.com/en-us/pick-and-build/pick-a-brick?appearsIn=41599&ref=simplykyra.com).

While selecting the bricks for this set I took a screenshot of the brick list in the instructional PDF and went through each one individually. For the bricks available I added the quantity needed to my cart and then crossed that item off of the screenshot. If a brick was out of stock I knew I could wait for it to come in or, more likely, used the brick's design number to see if it came in a different color. If there were no similar bricks I next needed to do a bit more detective work and look through the instructions for where the brick was used to see if it was hidden or not. Depending on the brick and how it was used I could then combine different bricks together to make something similar, find something completely different that fulfills a similar purpose, or skip it all together. 

I went through all 48 of the bricks needed and either added them in the right quantities or knew I needed to figure out a substitute. With the physical crossing off of each item from my screenshot I knew I wasn't going to forget anything. 

## *And Now Wait...*

Once the bricks and any required replacements are ordered all that's left to do is wait for them to arrive and then jump into the build! 

![Closeup image of the slightly dusty Wonder Woman™ BrickHeadz™ years later. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_2937.jpeg)

The final Wonder Woman™ BrickHeadz™ LEGO*®* set built years ago and well loved.

---

## *Even More!* 

I love how LEGO® keeps all of their instructions available online making it easier to build past sets. 

### *Sewing Machines*

I especially appreciated this fact when I stumbled across a Disney Princess set number `40388`, including a sewing machine, that was out of stock but on sale through the LEGO® website. At first I waited patiently hoping it would come back but then I decided, just for fun, to look up the [instructions](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/buildinginstructions/40388?ref=simplykyra.com) and check out the coorelating [Pick a Brick](https://www.lego.com/en-us/pick-and-build/pick-a-brick?query=40388&page=1&ref=simplykyra.com) parts. I realized the resulting brick count matched the unique bricks shown in the instructions, ignoring the capes, so I assumed I could easily recreate the set. And I could! Other than the missing stickers and the capes I had the set! And then later when I found another sewing machine set I repeated the process again. This time the lack of stickers were a good thing as the white board now looks ready for a planning session. And technically it may have been even cheaper than the set if, both times, I had only bought the sewing machine and ignored the rest. More recently I heard about a vintage sewing machine included with one of the jazz sets so maybe I should go check out those instructions and buy the parts for just the sewing machine and ignore the rest of the set. 

![Image shows a dress up lego set with a sewing machine, a vanity, and a place to hang the capes up.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-25-at-5.54.45-PM.png)

I stumbled upon this set that was cheap but sold out on the LEGO® website. Screenshot taken back in Septeber of 2021.

![When searching the building instructions for the set number 40388 it pops right up.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-25-at-5.55.24-PM.png)

I looked up the [instructions for this set](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/buildinginstructions/40388?ref=simplykyra.com) and downloaded it so I could better see which parts were required and how they were used. Screenshot taken back in Septeber of 2021.

![Image shows three windows open on the computer. The right side is the Pick a Brick page taking the entire vertical space. To the left are two windows with the top one showing the bricks from the instructions with one crossed off and the bottom showing the main image to help figure out where they're from.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-25-at-5.57.55-PM.png)

With the three screens visible showing me the main image, bricks needed, and bricks available to buy it was time to get to work! 

![Image is a screenshot of the bricks listed in the back of the instruction set. It's been edited so bricks are slashed through or, if more work was needed, dashed or dotted.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_Pieces.png)

As I added bricks to my shopping cart I crossed them out so I knew they were covered. Bricks that needed more research got dashes or dots so I knew to go back to them and search by it's design number for alternative colors.

![Image shows the list of bricks including part number, image, technical name, and quantity. Next to it sits the bag of bricks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_0894.jpeg)

After waiting patiently my parts arrived and looked gorgeous!

![Image shows a finished set lacking stickers so the white board and post it notes look nice and clean. Other than the whiteboard there's a bow and bench spot, a sewing machine, a short chair, and a blue lamp. Can't remember if it came with it but I added a purple laptop and camera to go with my blog theme. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_IMG_0899.jpeg)

When assembling these photos for the post I grabbed what I thought was the set and then later realized was the one I later bought. Anyway once you get the parts all that's left is building it... hopefully you marked down which parts you replaced and with what making the job easier.

### *Botanicals*

I'd also been spending some time with the LEGO® botanical collection and realized I could hypothetical create my own uniquely colored bouquets so I hopped back online and searched for the flower sets online and then narrowed each set down to a flower or two. After selecting which flower I liked the most I next went through the instructions figuring out which bricks listed in the back of the book I needed and exactly how many. From this list I selected a brick and looked up the part number, recorded it's coorelating design number, and then looked it up again by the design number so I could see which colors were available to buy. I then opened a new tab and repeated this process with the next brick. After all the bricks needed for that flower were opened I compared the tabs to see if there were any matching colors I could use for the flower. I quickly realized that it would be tough to recreate the whole bloom in a single hue as so many bricks had mismatched colors offered so I temporarily gave up my pursuit but may try again in the future. 

![Image again shows a multi-page window set up. This time the main image was replaced with the Notes app showing the flower, page number it's on in the instructions, and a list of bricks with their part number, design number, and colors](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-25-at-6.59.07-PM.png)

With each set having a selection of flowers and then needing to narrow down the brick list for a single type made this process more difficult. On top of that only the part number was listed so I had to search for each brick twice. Once using the part number to get the design number and the next by that design number to see all the parts (colors) offered for that design.

---

And those are, I think, the only retired LEGO® sets I've bought through loose parts... at least so far. I'd image the price discrepency between the larger sets would be even greater so that combined with missing bricks and no stickers could make this venture a bit disheartening. That said if you *really* want that particular LEGO® set it is a possible option. 

On that note have you recreated retired sets before? If so did you do it similarily to me or in some other way. I'd love to hear about it so feel free to share in the comments below! Hope you have a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I share them to [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list by subscribing through the header, footer, or under member discussion at the bottom of this post.
### Quickly Create App Icons by Resizing Your Main Image With a Bash Script
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/quickly-create-app-icons-by-resizing-your-main-image-with-a-bash-script/
Last updated: 2024-02-07T19:54:43.000Z
While developing iPhone apps I realized the apps themselves look so much better with a custom app icon which led to me realizing just how cumbersome resizing an image multiple times can be. In case you're having a similar issue I had to share my script which made my process so much simpler and may help you too.

![Pinterest geared image showing the post's title, my main URL, two images showing XCode's before and after (with an arrow), and the terminal input and output of my script. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/04/compressed_Quickly-Create-App-Icons-by-Resizing-Your-Main-Image-With-a-Bash-Script---Pinterest.jpg)

---

**TLDR:** In case you want to skip directly to the code itself you can find it [embedded near the bottom of this post](https://www.simplykyra.com/quickly-create-app-icons-by-resizing-your-main-image-with-a-bash-script/#the-script-itself) or through [the GitHub Gist here](https://gist.github.com/SimplyKyra/a1aaa5925a24892acc35383d2654adf2?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

## *Background*

I'm currently developing Apple applications using XCode. In the process I quickly realized just how many differently sized images XCode needs when setting a simple app icon. The first couple times I did this manually by opening my image in Apple Preview and repeatedly resizing and exporting it for each required size. This took awhile and became especially onerous when I needed to make a minor change to the image thus requiring me to go through the entire process again to update all of the image versions. I realized this process needed to be automated and thus created a Bash script to speed it up. 

### *XCode and App Icons*

In [XCode](https://developer.apple.com/xcode/?ref=simplykyra.com), running Version 14.1, I can access the app icon by going to the Project Navigator, on the left sidebar, and looking for the `Assets` file. Once I click on `Assets` XCode will open an inner menu on the left, directly to the right of the current list I was on, showing `AccentColor` and `AppIcon`. As a quick aside here is where you add any other assets you want to include in your app like branding colors or images. Anyway, once I clicked on `AppIcon` the main view is opened showing where I can set each individual icon that the application needs for it's app icon. 

Your view, if you follow along, may look something like this: 

![Image is a screenshot of the AppIcon view in my test app. Here All Sizes is specified for each device type leading to many sizes showing in the main window. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/04/compressed_2023-04-24-at-6.33.05-PM.png)

Here you can see all the app icons listed for iOS. There's so many because on the right side I've selected `All Sizes`. Not shown are all the other sizes for the other devices if I scroll down in the center window.

On the right property menu I can change each drop down to specify which sizes I want to include in my app. Changing these selections affect the sizes shown in the main window. Each one of these shown squares will need an image, of the specified size, dragged onto it for import. This large number of required images is exactly why resizing my main app icon was so cumbersome and needed a script made. 

If you want more information about Apple's app icons you can check out their [developer](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/xcode/configuring-your-app-icon/?ref=simplykyra.com) or their [designer](https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/foundations/app-icons?ref=simplykyra.com) documentation.

## *My Script*

### *Requirements*

My script uses [ImageMagick (version 7.1.0-57](https://imagemagick.org/?ref=simplykyra.com)) to resize the given main image and output seven specifically sized images. I created and ran this script exclusively on my Mac computer using [iTerm2 (*Build 3.4.19*)](https://iterm2.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) so yours may look a bit different. I'm also not quite sure how the script would perform on a different device. If you don't have ImageMagick I installed mine by using [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/?ref=simplykyra.com) and typing the following into my terminal:

```bash
brew install imagemagick
```

### *Optional Global Execution*

Before we begin I wanted to let you know that I placed my script in my `bin` directory so I could execute it from anywhere on my machine. This means when I want a newly created image resized I can simply open my terminal where the image is and run the script directly from that location. If you want to do the same but are unsure how you can check out my previous post [*How to Run a Bash Script From Anywhere on Your Apple Computer*](https://www.simplykyra.com/how-to-run-a-bash-script-from-anywhere-on-your-apple-computer/). 

### *Running My Script in the Terminal*

To show how to run this script in the terminal I wanted to share an example of running it. For this example I created a `temp` directory on my `Desktop` and moved an image in called `myImg.jpeg`. To run the script I called the script's name `createAppIcons.sh` and followed that with the name of my image `myImg.jpeg`. If you hadn't moved your script into your bin directory you may need to start it with `./` so it knows that it's executing a file. In either case, with or without the `./`, you'd type in:

```bash
./createAppIcons.sh myImg.jpeg
```

Once I press enter the script runs, outputs messages so I know where it's at, and, if successful, outputs seven images in the same directory all labeled with it's size followed by the original image name. In this example the 1024 pixel-squared image is outputted as `1024 - myImg.jpeg`.

Since Apple wants square app icons my script first checks to make sure the image you passed in is square before it resizes the image. If it isn't squre it let's you know it can't continue and outputs the exact pixel width and height of your image. This is great if you mistakenly mis-cropped your image as you now know exactly how you'll need to fix it. In the following example I passed in a regular image I had taken recently on my phone so of course it wasn't square yet and, as you can see, it outputted a message to me and exited:

```
❯ createAppIcons.sh myImg.jpeg

Working in directory: /Users/kyra/Desktop/temp
Working on file: myImg.jpeg

Checking dimensions of image: myImg.jpeg
Image is not a square! It's height is 3024 and width is 4032.
Exiting program. Please fix and run this again.
```

![Image is a screenshot of my computer screen. On the left is the terminal showing the same text as directly above this image. To the right is the original image in Preview.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/04/compressed_2023-04-24-at-6.38.42-PM-blurred.png)

I passed in a regular photo I had recently taken on my iPhone so it wasn't yet a square. This meant the script exited, as resizing would alter the image's aspect ratio, and told me the image's actual height and width in pixels.

With that error demoed I next opened `myImg.jpeg` in Preview and carefully cropped it so it would in fact be a square. With the altered image saved I, again, ran the script. This time I wasn't given the error, the script continued until the end, and seven new images were outputted ranging from a 16 pixel square, labelled `16 - myImg.jpeg`, to a 1024 pixel square labelled `1024 - myImg.jpeg`. This is what I saw in the terminal when I successfully ran my script:

```
❯ createAppIcons.sh myImg.jpeg

Working in directory: /Users/kyra/Desktop/temp
Working on file: myImg.jpeg

Checking dimensions of image: myImg.jpeg
Image is a square so about to run the script on file: myImg.jpeg
```

![Image is a screenshot showing my screen after I executed the script on a square image. The terminal, in the top left, shows the proper output while below shows the folder with eight images inside including the original and the seven resized ones. On the right Preview has the all open ranging from a blurry 16 pixel large one at the top to less blurry as you go down.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/04/compressed_2023-04-24-at-6.49.32-PM.png)

After resizing that image so it's square I again called the script and passed it in. This time it outputted all the expected messaging and the final seven resized images.

With the images outputted I next brought the folder closer to my XCode window and began the slow process of dragging each one over to it's assigned slot. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/04/compressed_2023-04-24-at-7.09.55-PM.png)

Once the images are assigned I make sure the opened folder was near XCode and carefully filled in each square with it's matching image.

And with that my test app had an assigned app icon!

### *In Depth Look*

And without any further ado here’s the code with each line, or section, explained:

```bash
#!/bin/bash
```

Like with all of my Bash scripts I started my script by using the shebang `#!` characters followed by the interpreter it needs to execute the rest of the script. So in this case I used the shebang, or *bang* line, and followed it up with the `/bin/bash` as Bash, the interpreter I need to use, is installed in my `/bin` directory. If you want to explore this more you can check out [the *Shebang* wiki on the Linux Shell Scripting Tutorial page](https://bash.cyberciti.biz/guide/Shebang?ref=simplykyra.com) or read the three minute [*Bash Shebang*](https://linuxize.com/post/bash-shebang/?ref=simplykyra.com)[article on Linuxize](https://linuxize.com/post/bash-shebang/?ref=simplykyra.com).

```bash
# Run as: ./createAppIcons.sh filename
# Assumes you are running the script where you want it to execute.
# If you want a different size you just need to add a line, or edit one, at the bottom of the file.
```

I then follow it up with comments to you, the user of the script, so you know how to run it (script name followed by the image name) and to run it in the same directory (also called folder) as your main app icon that you want to resize. It also reminds you that you can add, or change, any outputted image size by going to the end of the script. 

```bash
if [ $# -ne 1 ]; then
    echo "Please call this script with one argument - the image file you want to resize."
    exit 1
fi
```

I next make sure an argument was passed in. Right now it just checks that one argument was passed in, not zero or two, and doesn't check what the argument itself is. If you prefer you can add more checks to your script. 

```bash
echo "Checking dimensions of image: $1"
```

I next echo, output, a line to you, the user running the script, letting it be known I'm next checking the dimensions of the image followed by the argument name that was passed in. This does two things. One it lets you know what's happening in the script while also outputting the name of the file in case it was entered incorrectly. In this line `$1` represents the name of the file passed in. 

```bash
width=$(identify -format '%w' "$1" )
height=$(identify -format '%h' "$1")
if [ $width -ne $height ]; then
    echo "Image is not a square! It's height is $height and width is $width."
    echo "Exiting program. Please fix and run this again."
    exit 1
fi 
```

And then a sanity check. Since Apple wants the app icon to be square I decided to check that the image passed in is in fact a square too. This way the script realizes and exits before doing any more work and allowing you to fix it before running the script again. 

To do this, specifically, I grab both the width and height of the image passed in using the `$1` variable again. Once I have the values I make sure the height and weight are the same number. I don't care how large or small the image is just that it's square and if not it outputs the issue to the user, includes the height and width in pixels, and exits. In the future, if it might be an issue, I could see making sure the dimensions are larger than the largest needed app icon, thus making sure the larger resizes don't get too blurry, but for now this is the last sanity check before the main body of the script. 

```bash
echo "Image is a square so about to run the script on file: $1"
```

Since the sanity checks are now done I next output another sentence to the user letting them know that the main part of the script is about to be run. 

```bash
# This currently outputs seven square files. If you want to add another size
# to the output copy and paste one of the below lines and edit it to the size. 
# For example in the line: magick "$1" -resize 16x16 "16 - $1"
#   16x16 specifies the size of the new file
#   "16 - $1" specifies the name of the file where $1 is the original filename
# So if your input is a file name myImg adding a line saying
#   magick "$1" -resize 10x10 "OTHER - $1" 
# Would output a file of size 10 by 10 pixels whose name is OTHER - myImg
```

Before the main code I added some more comments explaining that there's seven lines coming below this section and each of these lines result in a single image outputted coorelating to it's specified size. If you want to remove or change one of these outputted images you just need to find the coorelating line and either delete or edit it. If you want it to output a new size you just need to add another line making sure to use your dimensional requirements. These, final, lines are:

```bash
magick "$1" -resize 1024x1024 "1024 - $1"
magick "$1" -resize 512x512 "512 - $1"
magick "$1" -resize 256x256 "256 - $1"
magick "$1" -resize 128x128 "128 - $1"
magick "$1" -resize 64x64 "64 - $1"
magick "$1" -resize 32x32 "32 - $1"
magick "$1" -resize 16x16 "16 - $1"
```

To explain these more in depth I'll take the top line:

```bash
magick "$1" -resize 1024x1024 "1024 - $1"
```

This line first calls `magick` for the [ImageMagick](https://imagemagick.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) program and then passes in the following arguments:

- `"$1"`: This is a String, as told by the quotes, with the name of the original image that needs to be resized. As the image's filename was passed in and stored in the variable one this is shown with the variable `$` named `1`.
- `-resize 1024x1024`: Next we say we want the final image to be resized to be a 1,024 pixels wide and 1,024 pixels tall. For more information you can check out [this legacy documents from version 6 talking about resizing and scaling](https://legacy.imagemagick.org/Usage/resize/?ref=simplykyra.com).
- `"1024 - $1"`: And finally the new name of the file. I chose to use the original name of the file for the new image file but altered it slightly by adding the new size and a dash beforehand. This way each new image file outputted is obviously linked with the original image and by its size.

Continuing from the example in the commented script if you call the script and pass in your image file called `myImg.png` and you added a line saying:

```bash
magick "$1" -resize 10x10 "OTHER - $1"
```

Then the script would output an image of size 10 by 10 pixels named `OTHER - myImg.png`.

### *The Script Itself*

And without further ado here's the script in it's entirety. 

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I share them to [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list by subscribing through the header, footer, or under member discussion at the bottom of this post.
### How I Made Our Quick and Simple Luggage Tag
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-made-our-quick-and-simple-luggage-tag/
Last updated: 2023-12-30T17:01:44.000Z
Over the Christmas holidays we took a flight together to visit family and as our suitcases were so old I bought a new set from Costco. As the flight time approached I pictured confusing our suitcase with someone else’s since the girls’ Costco jackets matches so many other ones at their school and I imagined the same issue with suitcases. Last minute I quickly looked up luggage tags online and decided to whip up a simpler version to make our suitcase stand out from all the others. This isn’t the more traditional one as I didn’t care about a removable card with information and only wanted it to be recognizable to us. This is what I did to create two tags in under fifteen minutes.

![Pinterest-geared image showing the post's title "How I made our quick and simple luggage tag", my main URL, and a photo of the luggage tag on the top of the suitcase. The image without the text can also be found below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_How-I-Made-Our-Quick-and-Simple-Luggage-Tag-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

*Note: At the time I wasn’t sure if we were checking one or two bags so just in case I made two of these quick luggage tags. As such all progress photos will show two tags.*

---

Before starting I momentarily debated carefully sewing two rectangles right sides together, turning it right side out, pressing it flat, and then topstitching it to close the hole and look amazing. I then looked through my leftover fabric scraps, saw the cotton lycra super heroine fabric, and figured *who cares* how perfect it looks let’s just get it done. As I chose a knit fabric I knew the edges wouldn’t unravel so I decided to go even more simplistic and leave the edges unfinished. As such I just needed to cut out two rectangles, slap them together right sides facing out, insert a loop of fabric at the top, and sew along all four sides to keep it all in place. Once sewn I trimmed the excess fabric from the edges being careful not to knick the strap or stitches and I was done.

![Image shows the rectangular part of the luggage tags laid out side by side with the strap coming out the top. There are clips around the outside holding them together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_IMG_7809.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After looking over the scraps of fabric I was able cut out two long strips (to create the loop) and three rectangles. I put the two smaller rectangles wrong sides together and then folded the larger one in half also wrong sides together. I then took the long strips and folded them in half before carefully placing their raw ends inside the top of each of the rectangles. With the tags essentially made I clipped the edges so they wouldn’t come apart on the way to the sewing machine.

![Image shows the same tags as before but now the sewing clips are gone and there's black stitching along the edges keeping it together and the strap on.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_IMG_7811.jpeg?resize=750%2C553&ssl=1)

Normally I serge knit fabric but I wanted to be quick and not cut off the strap so I chose to instead simply sew along the edge this time. I also wouldn’t normally do a straight stitch on knit but figured no-one would take the time to pull the tag and pop the stitches.

![Image shows the two tags looking bit more put together with straight edges next to the stitches. They stacked overlapping to the left with the right side of the image shows the trimmed away pieces. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_IMG_7812.jpeg?resize=750%2C523&ssl=1)

I do have some pride in my work and took the time to carefully trim the excess fabric being careful not to knick the strap or the stitches.

Once made I set the finished tags aside and later, once the single suitcase was packed, I attached one of the tags to the top. To attach the tag all I needed to do was string it under the handle, pull the tag part through the strap’s loop, and then pull everything tight. And it worked! The tag stayed secured to our suitcase the whole trip and made it easier to spot when it came time to claim our bag. Voila a recognizable suitcase!

![Image is taken from above looking down at the top of the suitcase showing the luggage tag attached to the strap and dangling down. Around the tag is cropped out.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_IMG_8512.jpeg?resize=750%2C856&ssl=1)

I love how the tag stood out from the suitcase!

And with that I had two luggage tags that were unique enough that I’d easily be able to spot my suitcase(s) in the future *and* it only took fifteen minutes in total. I also love that I used a fabric I adored and that the two tags matched so if we had needed to take two suitcases I’d only need to keep an eye out for one type of tag.

Have you ever tried to make your own luggage tags? Did you make the more official looking ones with a spot for personalization or did you make one more simple and personalized to you like I did? I’d love to hear about it so feel free to share in the comments below. Hope you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Zoey's Great Mismatched Me Hairstyle
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/zoey-great-mismatched-me-hairstyle/
Last updated: 2023-05-02T22:21:48.000Z
Back near the end of the school year Zoey’s class had a theme day called *Mismatched Me*. I pictured mismatched socks and other clothing and hadn’t quite thought of hair… yet. Luckily Zoey came home from school the previous day with a fully formed hair idea (braid and pony tail) that I’m assuming was an example from her teacher. That idea became this mismatched hairdo that I needed to share as it’s so simple!

![Pinterest-geared image displaying the post's title, my main URL, and an image showing the back of Zoey's finished hairstyle. Image can also be found below. t](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_Zoeys-Great-Mismatched-Me-Hairstyle-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

First a quick aside. If you’re interested in other hair-related posts I’ve previously attached a toy to my kids’ head (see [dinosaur](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/30/dinosaur-themed-crazy-hair-day/) or [mermaid](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/05/25/crazy-hair-day-this-time-with-a-mermaid/)) along with [fashioning *bunny ears*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/07/06/our-incredibly-simple-bunny-ears-hairstyle/) using four hair ties. You can check out these and any, potential, future hair-related posts [under the tag *hair*](https://www.simplykyra.com/tag/hair/).

Anyway, the day before Zoey when came home from school I asked her about *Mismatched Me* day and she told me she wanted a pony tail and a braid. When I heard braid I assumed French braid which I confirmed as I talked it over with her. That night I had her lay out two ponytail ties along with her clothing and mismatched socks and we were ready to go!

That particular morning, after brushing her hair, I sat her down and realized I should make it more mismatched by giving her a zig zag part. I grabbed a pencil and carefully zigzagged along her head separating the left and right sides of her hair. To make this easier I first tilted her head slightly to the left, left the hair on the left side loose, and used two ponytail ties to keep the hair on the right side out of my way.

Once the hair was parted and the right side was secured with the temporary ponytail ties it was time to start braiding the left side. I started by grabbing the front triangle of hair, split it into three, and started French braiding along her head. At the base, once I had used up all of the loose hair, I continued braiding and then secured it with one of ponytail ties from the right side of her head. Once completed I released the rest of the hair on the right side and carefully brushed it out so it was smoothed back down.

![Image is taken from above looking down at Zoey's head. There's a zigzag part running down the center with the right side hair collected into two pink ponytails. The left side is French braided to the back top of her head as my left hand holds the strands in place. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_9466.jpeg?resize=750%2C741&ssl=1)

I started out by parting her hair down the center and secured the right side so all of the hair was out of the way from the left. I then started French braiding while bringing in all of the hair on her left side of the part.

![Image is taken from above and to the side so Zoey's loose hair is towards the camera as she looks to the right. You can see the zigzag and the braid on the backside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_9468.jpeg?resize=750%2C895&ssl=1)

Once I had collected all the hair into the French braid I continued braiding it until I couldn’t any longer and released one of the ponytail ties and used it to secure the end of the braid. I then released the other ponytail and brushed the hair carefully.

With the left side braided and done it was now time to make Zoey a pony on the right side. I carefully gathered all of the hair, positioned it where I wanted it to be, and brushed the hair towards the pony spot so it would be neat and tidy. Once I liked how it looked I secured it in place with the ponytail tie.

![Image shows the back of Zoey's head as she looks up. The braid is finished, the zigzag part visible on the top, and the hair is all brushed back. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_9470.jpeg?resize=750%2C921&ssl=1)

I started by brushing the loose hair back (pictured), gathered the hair up, positioned the pony up high on her head to help hold her face mask elastic in place, carefully brushed the hair smooth, and then used the hair tie to hold it in place.

And with that the hairstyle was done. She absolutely loved it when she looked into the mirror! And I absolutely loved how simple it was to do. Here are two final pictures of the final hairdo:

![Back view of the finished hairstyle.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_9471.jpeg?resize=750%2C780&ssl=1)

![Top view of the finished hairstyle. Zoey's looking up and the photo is taken from the back.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_9472.jpeg?resize=750%2C768&ssl=1)

And with that Zoey was ready for school with a hairstyle she rocked for *Mismatched Me* day. I hope this helps you regardless of which theme you’re trying to match. If it does I’d love to hear what you did and what theme it matched in the comments below.

Have a splendid day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Ada’s Exciting Eighth Birthday Party at Home
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/ada-exciting-eighth-birthday-party-at-home/
Last updated: 2023-05-02T22:22:05.000Z
As Ada‘s birthday approached this last summer I asked her what she wanted to do. She immediately started describing all the things we did during [Zoey’s party earlier this year](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/10/12/zoeys-random-but-fun-sixth-birthday/)… so that’s what we did because *if it’s not broke why fix it*…. and it turned out great!

![Pinterest image showing the post's title, main URL,  and a collage of six image also shown below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_Adas-Exciting-Eighth-Birthday-Party-at-Home-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Rather than go over the entire party in detail I figured I’d divide it up by topic so it’s easier to find what you may be looking for. And so without further ado here’s the:

---

## *Outdoor Sensory Stations*

For Zoey’s party our two main stations outside were [oobleck](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/09/12/oobleck-a-simple-two-ingredient-sensory-material/) and bubbles. For the oobleck I had bought four Tupperware containers but over the next several months lost several parts of them. The bubbles also weren’t easily repeatable as the jug I had used was now missing a lid and was grimy while I couldn’t find any disposable paper cups to hold each kid’s bubbles like last time. I decided in the store to pivot and switch to disposable casserole pans to hold the oobleck and bought some plastic cups I could keep better track of for future parties and let the kids pour their bubble mix themselves from the store-bought bottles. If you want to read more about the method last time you can check out [Zoey’s party post here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/10/12/zoeys-random-but-fun-sixth-birthday/).

![Image shows a package of two EZ Foil casserole pans from Walmart with a cart in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_68194212817__63549A6A-1308-458B-8A02-DDEDA6139475-2.jpeg?resize=750%2C840&ssl=1)

I switched from plastic Tupperware containers to foil casserole pans for the [oobleck](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/09/12/oobleck-a-simple-two-ingredient-sensory-material/) figuring if it was going to break and be lost anyway I might as well use something a bit more disposable this time around.

![Image shows the self f plastic tumblers priced at 50 cents each at Walmart. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_2832.jpeg?resize=750%2C606&ssl=1)

I couldn’t find a plastic drink dispenser or disposable cups for the bubble mix so I decided to switch to these slightly more pricy cups and let the kids pour it themselves from the bubble mix bottles. This time around I made sure to hunt them down, wash them out, and pack them away after the party so they didn’t get lost.

![Image shows an outdoor table with bubble wands and bathtub toys laid out. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_2960.jpeg?resize=750%2C408&ssl=1)

I had the girls gather up all the bubble wands in the yard in preparation for the party. Somehow these bath toys also ended up laid out… maybe to hold bubbles?

![Image shows red water getting poured onto a pile of white cornstarch on the left. The right container is covered in purple water with the odd bit of red and blue making an appearance. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3079.jpeg?resize=750%2C521&ssl=1)

The morning of the party I dumped some cornstarch in either casserole dish and then reused the jar to add some dyed water making a pink oobleck container and a purple one (by combining blue and red).

![Image shows the pink casserole partially mixed in while the marbled purple, blue, and white dish on the right shows a more oobleck-like consistency. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3083.jpeg?resize=750%2C557&ssl=1)

Ada used a metal spoon to carefully mix the water in. I was careful not to add too much water and so instead added a bit at a time, if it looked too dry, until it was the right consistency.

![Image shows some foam squares laid out in front of a playhouse with the two (pink and purple) casserole dishes out front and two buckets. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3085.jpeg?resize=750%2C755&ssl=1)

Once it was ready we took it outside to the oobleck area and added two buckets half full of water for easy hand rinsing and fun pretend play.

![Image shows the plastic cups, two bottles of bubble mix, and wands laid out on the table with a kitchen set behind to make even more concoctions. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3087.jpeg?resize=750%2C508&ssl=1)

Right before the party I added the cups and bottles of bubble mix making an easy bubble station for everyone to enjoy.

![Image shows the pink decoration hanging from our front overhang with the yard in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3090.jpeg?resize=750%2C551&ssl=1)

Ada had decorated a piece of paper saying “Happy Birthday Ada” for the front gate and I put up a pink decoration in front of our door to make the yard a bit more special. I bought it when Ada’s party was more pink themed from Zoey’s rainbow.

![Image shows a section of fake grass with bricks holding the corners down and toys laid out carefully showcasing Ada's vision of the party. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3086.jpeg?resize=750%2C423&ssl=1)

The rest of the yard consisted of play areas including this section consisting of unicorn bowling, balance toys, and for some reason boats… actually I think the buckets used to be here before they moved to the oobleck station so maybe it was for floating toys… maybe.

![Image shows the boats and fish organized on the freestanding beams supporting our patio.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_2957.jpeg?resize=750%2C800&ssl=1)

At some point before, during, or after the party the boats and fish were moved to our previously decorated patio.

![Image shows the same table as above with empty bubble mix bottles, cups, wands, kitchen set pot, and a pink oobleck coated pinecone. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3109.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

While cleaning up after the party I had to laugh at the oobleck coated pinecone I found on the bubble table. It was a mess but showed all the fun everyone had.

---

## *Indoor Stations and Decorations*

Inside we again turned the kids room into a dance party room. To do this Matt moved the smaller furniture around and used blankets to help block off the closet and beds. We then reused the door streamers from Zoey’s party and bought another multipack of crepe streamers for the ceiling. The party lights and home pod completed the scene!

This is the fourth time we hosted a dance party room so if you want more information on how it was handled before you can check out the previous posts: *[The Year of Our Small and Simple Birthday Parties](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/02/16/the-year-of-our-small-and-simple-birthday-parties/)* or[ ](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/10/12/zoeys-random-but-fun-sixth-birthday/)*[Zoey’s Random but Fun Sixth Birthday](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/10/12/zoeys-random-but-fun-sixth-birthday/)*.

![Image shows the metallic streamers pulled back like a curtain showing up the multicolor crepe streamers hanging from the ceiling and the red and green lights projected everywhere. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3098.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I pulled back the door streamers to take a quick photo of the room before the party.

![Image shows the metallic streamers pulled back like a curtain showing up the multicolor crepe streamers hanging from the ceiling and the purple, red, green, and blue lights projected everywhere. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3096.jpeg?resize=750%2C448&ssl=1)

I love how different the room can look depending what lights are currently projected.

![Image shows the two banners placed above and below each other on the wall.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3136.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

In the kitchen I put up both the glittery *Happy Birthday* banner along with the *Be Magical* unicorn themed one. I use masking tape to hang and carefully take it down so I can use it in the future too.

---

## *Goodie/Treat Bags*

Months and months before Ada had been going completely gaga over eraser toppers and so I had bought, in advance, two bags of erasers for her party. I wasn’t sure what else to put in the bags but closer to the party I decided to make that the theme and shopped through our school supply stash resulting in both new pencils and colored pencils for each kid. I added a ponytail to hold each set of pencils together, two types of packaged Oreos, and put each into an Ada-decorated paper bag and we were ready to go!

![Image shows the yellow basket for the school supply stash, the empty colored pencil boxes, and a row of piles of writing instruments and a small ponytail tie. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_2951.jpeg?resize=750%2C519&ssl=1)

Since we had two large packages of erasers perfect for the goodie bag I decided to shop our school supply stash and created a pile of pencil crayons and pencils for each guest. I then grabbed a ponytail tie to keep each kids’ collection together.

![Image shows the two bags of erasers (one unicorn and one food related), a pile of fireworks Oreos, a pile of double stuffed, and the packaged writing pencils. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_2953.jpeg?resize=750%2C577&ssl=1)

After sectioning out the writing instruments I went through a box of Oreos to lay out a firework popping package and a double stuffed one for each person. I left the bags of erasers aside until Ada finally finished decorating each paper bag and then I divided them up by type before tossing each one directly into a bag as I assigned each one.

---

## *Food*

We had decided to keep it simple and order pizza… but as we approached the party I wanted to have a larger selection of food for everyone while the kids played and the parents visited. I decided to come up with some food I could prepare ahead of time, so I could be present, while also being something unique they might not normally have. A that time our current favorite was bacon wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese and an almond. I figured I could prepare them the day before and, when people start arriving, quickly lay them out and bake them in the air fryer. I wanted something healthy to go with this and thought of the *Fruit Salad with Lemon Dressing* in the recently reviewed [The Secret Ingredient Cookbook](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/05/05/the-secret-ingredient-cookbook-review/) that I hadn’t gotten a chance to try yet. Figured it would be both adult and kid friendly and so I added it to the list. Some of the guests were vegetarian and I loved the *don’t-tell-anyone-it’s-vegan swiss chard caesar salad with hand-torn croutons* from the, also recently reviewed, [No-Fuss Family Cookbook](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/05/26/the-no-fuss-family-cookbook-review/). And thus the menu was planned. At the last minute, just to make it more obvious, I grabbed some pink post it notes I had and wrote down the foods so they’d be labelled.

![Image shows a plastic cutting board with some goat cheese and almond opened dates in the front, empty and cut open dates in the back, and closed stuffed dates in the container to the left. To the right sits the package of bacon waiting to be used and the empty glass containers waiting in the back for the finished items. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3072.jpeg?resize=750%2C303&ssl=1)

The day before the party I set up the bacon wrapped dates by going through a container of dates and removing their pits, adding goat cheese and a whole almond or two to each one, closing them up, and finally slicing up bacon and wrapping each one securely. I dropped each finished one into a container to put in the fridge for the next day.

![Image shows a small black cookie sheet with a grid of wrapped dates laid out. On top lays a basket tray about to be decorated. To either side sits two containers with more dates inside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3102.jpeg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

Once the first guests arrived I started the air fryer so it would preheat to 425**°**F, popped open the containers, and started lining the wrapped dates up. They didn’t all fit so some were put back in the fridge for a second round… or for the next day.

![Image shows three pink flowered notes lined up on the counter with the name of the recipe, any add ins (croutons and dressing for the salad), and any potentially problematic foods (cheese and almonds on the bacon wrapped dates).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3103.jpeg?resize=750%2C388&ssl=1)

I grabbed three flowered sticky notes and wrote out what each thing was so everyone would know any optional additions or any potential problematic foods.

---

## *Dessert*

Years ago Ada came up with the idea to mix pineapple with brownie mix resulting in our yearly pineapple brownie cupcakes. If you want to hear more about it you can check out [our original pineapple brownie cake](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/17/pineapple-brownie-cake/) or the [experiment between using pineapple or coconut and chocolate chips in the mix for our Halloween cupcakes](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/23/simple-halloween-themed-brownie-cupcakes/). This time around I used a 565 gram can of crushed pineapple, measured 1/3 cup of pineapple juice from it, and then dumped it all into the brownie mix. Other than skipping the water I otherwise followed the directions from the box. We baked them the day before and, once cooled, packed them away in a large lidded container in our fridge so they’d be ready to pull out and decorate with whip cream and sprinkles during the party.

![Image shows Ada using a spatula to scrape the pineapple can contents into a stand mixer bowl. Below you can see an egg sitting there already.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3043.jpeg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

Ada and I followed the directions for the packaged brownie mix BUT we tossed in the can of crushed pineapple along with the egg and skipped the water.

![Image shows two trays of brownie in colorful liners in the small oven with two extra ones laid overtop. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3044.jpeg?resize=750%2C528&ssl=1)

We ended up getting two dozen cupcakes along with two extras that I just balanced on top of the tray. Our oven was broken but luckily these muffin trays just barely fit in my air fryer so I used that on its bake function.

![Image shows the two cupcake liners with a single empty liner between it and the contents cut into four. You can see a chunk of pineapple in one of them. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3051.jpeg?resize=750%2C531&ssl=1)

The brownies smelled amazing and we *had* to break into our customary *tester brownie* to confirm it tasted as good.

If you’re looking for something else this year we also tried our hand at making our own ice cream cake on Ada’s actual birthday. We loved how it turned out and I shared [a post dedicated just to it if you want to hear more](https://www.simplykyra.com/2023/03/05/how-we-made-a-simple-and-delicious-ice-cream-cake/).

![Image shows the actual final cake coated in pastel colors, pink and red Xs and Os, and the birthday message. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3240.jpeg?resize=750%2C504&ssl=1)

Or you could go for a homemade ice cream cake. I used [*Princess Pinky Girl’s* Copycat Dairy Queen Cake recipe](https://princesspinkygirl.com/copycat-dairy-queen-ice-cream-cake/?ref=simplykyra.com) and posted how it went down [here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2023/03/05/how-we-made-a-simple-and-delicious-ice-cream-cake/).

![Image shows a small black outer bowl with ice cream and fruit salad (grapes, strawberries, and pomegranate seeds). ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3188.jpeg?resize=750%2C593&ssl=1)

Actually while thawing out the vanilla ice cream for that ice cream cake I realized it would go amazing with the last of the leftover fruit salad. It was *incredible* and I’m so glad it worked out timing wise.

---

I absolutely love how Ada’s party turned out and how fun it was to visit with everyone while the kids played. I wanted to share the parties here both for me and for you if something in it can help you plan your own. If it does help I’d love to hear how in the comments below.

Hope you have a great day… and a great event!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently share them on my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Welcome... And a Quick Word on My Website Migration
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/updates/welcome/
Last updated: 2023-09-06T17:54:48.000Z
I just wanted to welcome you to my part of the internet whether you're a frequent guest or just passing through. Hope you're having a great day! 

Over the last while I've been having issues with my old Wordpress website so I've recently migrated over to Ghost. The migration is ongoing as I'm converting blog posts and confirming images were moved over properly. That said, I figured it was time to go live! Over the next month or so if you see anything broken feel free to let me know at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto: mail@simplykyra.com).

Additionaly, I was unable to migrate any current comments over so I updated any posts with comments you may find helpful. I plan to look into how I can add the ability to comment on my posts again so, once I do, feel free to share. If there's something that's more urgent and you can't wait for the commenting to come back you can, again, email me at [mail@simplykyra.com](mailto: mail@simplykyra.com).

Welcome to my new space.
### How We Made a Simple and Delicious Ice Cream Cake
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-we-made-a-simple-and-delicious-ice-cream-cake/
Last updated: 2024-03-04T01:14:14.000Z
Over the last couple years we’ve started buying the girls’ a cake on their birthday in addition to whatever cupcakes they pick for their party. This last summer Ada picked an ice cream cake which eventually led to us making our own. The end result was amazing and I had to share the process with you in case you also wanted to do the same.

![Pinterest image showing the post's title, main URL,  and a collage of four image also shown below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_How-We-Made-a-Simple-and-Delicious-Ice-Cream-Cake-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

**This post goes over my version of someone else’s recipe. If you want to skip my photos and go straight to the recipe itself you’ll want to visit [Princess Pinky Girl and their Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake](https://princesspinkygirl.com/copycat-dairy-queen-ice-cream-cake/?ref=simplykyra.com)* *.*

---

## *History*

This year I asked Ada what type of cake she wanted on her birthday and after much deliberation she finally decided on a Dairy Queen ice cream cake. I love ice cream cake so I was excited with her choice but, unfortunately, realized that by the time she made her choice it was under 48 hours until her birthday and the website says it needs a minimum of 48 hours to order. I wasn’t sure if that was exact or not but decided to just go visit the local Dairy Queen the next morning and see what was available.

That morning I remembered jokily mentioning previously, with the last cake we bought, that we could always try to make it ourselves so I hopped online and found a [Dairy Queen copycat recipe through *Princess Pinky Girl*](https://princesspinkygirl.com/copycat-dairy-queen-ice-cream-cake/?ref=simplykyra.com) that looked amazing. I considered just making it ourselves but I wasn’t sure if Ada would love that idea or be disappointed and I couldn’t ask her as she was in school. After much deliberation I drove to Dairy Queen… just to find that they only had the really big cakes that wouldn’t fit in our freezer… and thus I decided to go back to the recipe, confirmed what it needed, and traveled to Walmart to buy the needed supplies to surprise Ada with making our own cake for the next day.

Of the ingredients listed in [Jenn’s recipe](https://princesspinkygirl.com/copycat-dairy-queen-ice-cream-cake/comment-page-1/?ref=simplykyra.com#comments) I already had butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and sprinkles. The jar of hot fudge topping was super simple once I found it. The other remaining four ingredients were a bit more problematic:

- Ice Cream: This Walmart may have had an issue with their freezer section as many of the sections were iced over… luckily for me the pint-sized ice creams were harder hit than the larger ones. I tried to find the least iced section and carefully chose both a chocolate and a vanilla container. This resulted in my next *issue* as the recipe called for only a single quart and these were 1.5 quarts. I planned to only use two thirds of each but in the end I just made a larger cake by multiplying the recipe by one and a half.
- Heavy Cream: I only needed two cups of heavy cream but I could only could find the four-cup cartons. I planned, again, to only use half the carton but ended up using it all by doubling the whip cream recipe and had WAY too much whip cream; though no complaints from the kids. Next time not doubling and will measure properly.
- Sandwich Cookies: Who knew this would be an issue. The name brand Oreos were only available in flavors that wouldn’t go with the cake so I went with the store-brand. Ended up using all of a package (minus a couple for the kids) since I figured why not since we were making a larger batch anyway.

And with that I came home, put them away, and waited on edge for Ada to be off school so she could find out the plan. At first she was disappointed but once she started helping make the main part she was on board and totally excited.

---

## *The Cake*

### *Day Before*

On the way home from school, after breaking the news, Ada was able to chose which flavor of ice cream went where. Once we got home we started thawing the chocolate ice cream, grabbed the supplies, and got started on the cookie crunch layer. After it was done I left it to cool and grabbed my 8 by 11 inch (2 quart) glass casserole dish, as I didn’t have the called for springform pan, and covered it with plastic wrap before the kids spread out the bottom layer of slightly thawed chocolate ice cream. We then followed the recipe directions using the increased amounts of cookie crunch fudge and vanilla ice cream pausing between layers to freeze it. The final cake went back into the freezer overnight so it could freeze properly and I could decorate it the next day when the kids were in school.

![Image shows the baked and cooling cookie pieces.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3185.jpeg?resize=750%2C412&ssl=1)

We started out by breaking the sandwich cookies, mixing them with melted butter, and baking them in the oven. This photo was taken as they cooled on the parchment paper afterwards.

![Image shows the the mostly smoothed out chocolate ice cream in the plastic wrap lined glass casserole dish with a spatula over top. The Breyers container lid is in the front of the photo while the container itsel is behind surrounded by either kid.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3183.jpeg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

The kids had a blast smoothing out the ice cream layers with clean hands before licking out the emptied cartons while I did a final check and put it back in the freezer.

![Image shows a moving blurred spatula and a smoothed vanilla ice cream to the top of the casserole dish. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3190.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Ada asked to do the final smooth out of the top before it went back in the freezer for the night.

### *Morning Of*

#### *Prep*

The next morning I wasn’t quite sure how to approach the cake so after making the whip cream I ended up transferring the cake to a larger (9 by 13 inch) casserole dish, then a cookie sheet, and then back to the same casserole dish deciding I could just fill in all of the open spaces on the sides with whip cream. Looking back, next time, I plan to make a few changes such as:

- Using more plastic wrap so I could more easily pull the cake out… or purchase the called for springform pan.
- My casserole plan is slanted so if using it again I plan to assemble the cake upside down so I can decorate the bottom as the top. Unfortunately Ada had asserted chocolate on bottom and I hadn’t planned ahead so the top was larger than the bottom.
- Plan out a sturdy piece of cardboard or something flat to decorate the cake on but still be manageable enough to pack up and put in the freezer.

![Image shows the smoothed out cake with plastic wrap sticking out the sides and a spatula and another glass dish in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3209.jpeg?resize=750%2C536&ssl=1)

I took the frozen cake out of the freezer and grabbed a larger casserole dish to transfer it to.

![Image shows the cake in a larger dish with the dirtied spatula, butter knife, casserole dish, and plastic wrap in the back. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3211.jpeg?resize=750%2C454&ssl=1)

After going along the edges with the spatula and attempting to hoist it out with the plastic wrap I managed to finally lift the cake into the larger casserole dish.

#### *Dying Whip Cream*

At one point in all of that I paused the cake drama by putting it in the freezer and followed the recipe to make the whip cream. I wanted to make the whip cream special so I decided to add food dye directly to the piping bag so the rosettes would be dyed with streaks of pink (using red) and purple (using red and blue together). This ended up dying my bag so looking back I should’ve used something disposable instead like a ziplock bag. The color also wasn’t crazy apparent so maybe I should have dyed the whip cream itself pink and used blue on the bag to dye sections a more purple-y tint.

![Image shows a piping bag with the tip already in it and both red and blue food coloring.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3214.jpeg?resize=750%2C503&ssl=1)

After making the white whip cream I grabbed my supples!

![Image shows the top of the bag with streaks of red going to the top (and out the bottom onto the napkin)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3216.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Ada wanted pink and purple so I started by dripping red down the sides (to make pink) and quickly grabbed some napkins to catch the excess.

![Image shows the top of the bag with streaks of red and blue going to the top (and out the bottom onto the napkin). The blue streaks are overlapping with the red ones in the hope to make purple.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3217.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I wanted some of the streaks to be purple (mixture of red and blue) so I dribbled some blue over half of the red streaks.

![Image shows the inside of the piping bag filled with red and blue dabbed whip cream. In the back some mixed to make a dark purple. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3219.jpeg?resize=750%2C536&ssl=1)

I then used a spatula to fill up the bag with the whip cream. In doing so some of the red and blue was transferred with the spatula.

![Image shows the outside of the closed piping bag with obvious blue and red streaks showing from the outside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3222.jpeg?resize=750%2C503&ssl=1)

After filling it as full as I could I realized there was too much whip cream. I used an elastic to tie the end closed and put it in the fridge to keep it cold while I figured out what to do with the rest.

#### *Coating the Cake*

With the whip cream piping bag put into the fridge it was time to ready the cake. I had the smart idea to line a cookie sheet with plastic wrap, using the underside so there was no lip on the edge, and flipped the cake onto it thinking it would be easier to decorate there. Ada had told me she wanted lines on the side so I unearthed an old tool I bought years ago and tried to *smooth* out the whip cream with the tool. I finally realized it wouldn’t work and flipped it back into the casserole dish which cracked the cake as I did. At this point I gave up and just plopped the rest of the whip cream on top and smoothed it out allowing the excess to fill in the sides. Once smoothed I decided this was good enough for the decorating prep and it was time to bring out the piping bag.

![Image shows a line streaked whip cream covered cake laid out on the underside of a cookie sheet with plastic wrap on it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3225.jpeg?resize=750%2C504&ssl=1)

I next flipped the cake onto the bottom of a plastic wrap covered cookie sheet and coated it in whip cream. Ada wanted lines so I attempted to add them to the sides with a tool I bought years ago and hadn’t used.

![Image shows the glass casserole dish with a cracked white-ish cake with space around the edges. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3228.jpeg?resize=750%2C582&ssl=1)

I gave up and flipped the cake back into the glass casserole dish and, in the process, cracked the top.

![Image shows the curved cake filling the casserole pan a bit better with lines coating most of it and the top smooth-ish. The cookie sheet, plastic wrap, edging tool, and knife lay behind it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3230.jpeg?resize=750%2C568&ssl=1)

Once I had all the whip cream on the cake I smoothed it out as well as I could with the spatula then added lines to the top since the tool was dirty anyway and Ada wanted lines.

#### *Decorating*

I had bought blue icing with a thin tip as a just in case for [Zoey’s party](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/10/12/zoeys-random-but-fun-sixth-birthday/) which I hadn’t used yet and Ada remembered. I opened it up and carefully wrote out *Happy Birthday Ada* over the smoothed top. I then grabbed the piping bag from the fridge and carefully added swirled flowers around the letters being careful not to overdo it. That said, I had more whip cream in the bag than I had realized so I just kept making more and more flowers eventually filling up the cake top until I had to add the last ones on top of other flowers. Finally I grabbed some sprinkles and carefully placed some Xs and O sprinkles around the letters and then shook some *unicorn* sugar sprinkles over the flowers.

![Closeup view of the top of the cake with lines in the top and blue letters saying "HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADA".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3231.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After the top of the cake was smoothed out I grabbed a small tube of Wilton sparkle blue gel and carefully wrote out the birthday message.

![Another close photo of the cake with the entire cake coated in white, blue, pink, and purple dappled swirled flowers with an opening for the text saying "Happy Birthday Ada". In the background you can see the tube of blue gel icing, the cookie sheet, the dyed piping bag, and the tip. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3238.jpeg?resize=750%2C530&ssl=1)

I then grabbed the piping bag from the fridge and carefully added various sizes of swirled flowers over the entire cake. At this point I took a *final photo* and then put the cake back in the freezer (uncovered so it wouldn’t be damaged)…

![Image shows the actual final cake coated in pastel colors, pink and red Xs and Os, and the birthday message. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3240.jpeg?resize=750%2C504&ssl=1)

… where, just as I got comfortable, I realized I forgot the promised sprinkles. I grabbed some Xs and O sprinkles and carefully placed them in the remaining spaces between the letters. I then took the leftover *unicorn* sugar sprinkles from her party and shook it over the entire thing.

And the cake was finally done! I carefully put it back into the freezer and couldn’t wait to surprise Ada with the final cake after supper.

---

I wanted to pause quickly and share the original recipe I followed to make my cake: [*Princess Pinky Girl’s* Dairy Queen copycat recipe](https://princesspinkygirl.com/copycat-dairy-queen-ice-cream-cake/?ref=simplykyra.com). She made her’s look so much more professional and I had to share an image from it here.

![Image shows Jenn's amazing and so professional looking ice cream cake all bright and colorful. Check out her website for more images: https://princesspinkygirl.com/copycat-dairy-queen-ice-cream-cake/comment-page-1/#comments](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/09/compressed_Screenshot-cat-dairy-queen-ice-cream-cake-59.jpg?resize=750%2C501&ssl=1)

Screenshot of Jenn’s amazing cake taken from [her website Princess Pinky Girl](https://princesspinkygirl.com/copycat-dairy-queen-ice-cream-cake/comment-page-1/?ref=simplykyra.com#comments) on September 15th, 2022\. Doesn’t it look incredible!!!

---

## *Ada’s Birthday… And Leftovers*

![Closeup of the words not eh cake with the small X and O sprinkles around it and surrounded by the swirled flowers and sugar sprinkles. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3241.jpeg?resize=750%2C552&ssl=1)

The final lettering.

![Carefully place in the freezer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3242.jpeg?resize=750%2C521&ssl=1)

And the final cake hidden away in the freezer for after a birthday supper.

The girls absolutely loved the final cake and Ada immediately asked for her name giving her a larger piece than I had expected. Then Zoey asked for the *birthday* part and as I started cutting and deliberating over it she changed her mind. In the end both girls couldn’t finish theirs so they packed up their leftovers for dessert the next day in smaller containers while I cut up and packed up the rest of the cake in sealed containers and Stasher bags so the cake could last a long time and take up less room in my freezer.

![Image shows a Happy Birthday message with the Ada missing and cuts around the word Happy. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3255.jpeg?resize=750%2C539&ssl=1)

The kids immediately requested what they wanted and funky shapes were cut out from the cake.

![On the left are two containers the kids used for their leftovers while the containers and Stasher bags on the left are fuller with the rest of the cake. The corner of the emptied and dirtied casserole pan sits at the bottom of the image.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3258.jpeg?resize=750%2C569&ssl=1)

Overall the cake was cut up and placed in containers or Stasher bags before going back in the freezer… and taking up so much less room.

While packing up the cake I had carefully cut off some of the whip cream topping and placed them in smaller Stasher bags as I pictured carefully placing them on top of hot chocolate mugs in the future.

![Image shows an overview of the cut up cake with some of the top missing and those missing bits in two smaller snack sized Stasher bags. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_3257.jpeg?resize=750%2C529&ssl=1)

Before cutting up the rest of the cake to pack up I skipped some of the frozen whip cream flowers and sprinkles off with images of perfect pieces floating in hot chocolate.

When we finally got around to trying this, on top of steamed milk with added hot chocolate powder, I ended up letting the kids decorate their own mug and so it didn’t quite match my imagined perfect mug image. That said, they had a blast decorating the mug, snaking whip cream snacks, and then drinking the hot chocolate. As they had fun I snapped these three photos:

![Short and wide image showing the mugs with whip cream and sprinkles placed in it while the kids reach for more in their Stasher bags. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/09/compressed_IMG_3698.jpeg?resize=750%2C230&ssl=1)

![Image is taken from above and to the front while they place whip cream in their mugs. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/09/compressed_IMG_3695.jpeg?resize=750%2C551&ssl=1)

![Ada is placing more in her mug while Zoey pops some in her mouth. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/09/compressed_IMG_3689.jpeg?resize=750%2C387&ssl=1)

---

Overall this was an easy to follow recipe that I’m really glad I came across. It was so much cheaper to make than to buy and tasted so much better. I can see investing in a springform pan just for this recipe and I want to make it exactly the same again. That said, I could also see playing with the flavors with maybe a chocolate and a cherry or strawberry together. Ada likes mint chocolate chip but I’m worried that it’s too random of a combo that we’d be stuck with if Zoey and I don’t like it. Overall though I’d definitely make this recipe again!

If you want to make this recipe check out *[Princess Pinky Girl](https://princesspinkygirl.com/copycat-dairy-queen-ice-cream-cake/?ref=simplykyra.com)*. It’s so easy! And if you do I’d love to hear how it went and how you changed it up to fix your holiday! Hope you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How to Run a Bash Script From Anywhere on Your Apple Computer
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-run-a-bash-script-from-anywhere-on-your-apple-computer/
Last updated: 2023-05-05T15:40:23.000Z
Once I started blogging I found I needed to compress my images, so they’d be smaller, before uploading them to my website. Over time I realized this could be done so much quicker if I put each single blog post’s images into its own directory (folder) and run a Bash script to compress all of the current images at once. This was amazing but quickly became cumbersome once again when I realized I had two options; either to move my script to each new directory of images each time I ran it *or* run the script from one place and pass in the location of the images as an argument. I had gone with the first option which meant I had to navigate to *where* I want the script to be, move it, and run it… then move it into another directory and run it again… and again and again. This was much too troublesome; I wanted it streamlined so I could run my script from anywhere freeing me to compress and, later, watermark my images at will.

![Pinterest-geared image shows two screenshots (also shown below), my post title, and my main URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_How-to-Run-a-Bash-Script-From-Anywhere-on-Your-Apple-Computer-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

## Quick Aside: Don’t Forget to Make Your Script Executable

When I first started working with bash scripts I saw, by default, they could only be run by using the `sh` or `bash` command unless I first made them executable, using `chmod`, in which case I could run them by simply calling their filename. I mentioned this as below I use executable files and `sh` isn’t used.

![Image shows the 'sh' file being created, executed with sh, unable to execute with the filename only, being chmod to be executable, and working. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_How-to-Run-a-Bash-Script-From-Anywhere-on-Your-Apple-Computer-Image-1.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

Here you can see a file created with `touch` which isn’t executable so you need to use `sh` on it to run it. Running `chmod u+x` against it converts the file to be executable, confirmed with `stat` for status, and now I can run it by just calling the file’s name.

Additionally, I use [iTerm2 (*Build 3.4.19*)](https://iterm2.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) so my terminal may look different from yours.

---

## So How Can I Run a Script From Anywhere?

When you run a command in your terminal the computer looks through a list of directories where the file might reside and, if found, executes it. This special list of directories is stored in the `PATH` environment variable on your computer. If your shell goes through all of these paths, in order, and can’t find the file it then lets you know that it can’t be found before exiting. If there are two matching files it will run whichever one it comes across first.

To show this I opened my terminal and ran one of the scripts I had previously created and put into a directory whose path was included in my `PATH` variable. As such it was found and executed. For contrast I next ran a file that doesn’t exist so this time the terminal returned `fish: Unknown command: thisIsNotInPath`. Here’s a screenshot of these two attempts:

![Image shows two commands in my terminal. The first matched an executable file existing in my bin directory and in my $PATH so it executed. The second was not so I received an unknown command error. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_Screenshot-2023-01-18-at-4.14.33-PM.png?resize=750%2C233&ssl=1)

To see what pathways are in your environment variable you just need to open your terminal and type in `echo $PATH`. The [echo command](https://phoenixnap.com/kb/echo-command-linux?ref=simplykyra.com) prints out the arguments as standard output thus showing it to you the user. The `$` signifies a variable and `PATH` is this variable name. When I run this command on my computer I get:

```
❯ echo $PATH
/Users/kyra/bin /usr/local/bin 
/System/Cryptexes/App/usr/bin /usr/bin /bin 
/usr/sbin /sbin /Library/Apple/usr/bin
```

This means when I execute a command my computer looks through these eight different directories (specifically `/Users/kyra/bin`, `/usr/local/bin`, `/System/Cryptexes/App/usr/bin`, `/usr/bin`, `/bin`, `/usr/sbin`, `/sbin`, and `/Library/Apple/usr/bin`) one by one to find that file. It does this in order so if you have two files with the same name it will always execute the first one it comes across each time.

The directory I manually added to the `PATH` and use is `/Users/kyra/bin`. This is the directory where I put all of the scripts I want to run from anywhere. So for the below example I created a new file named `testing.sh` and, for it’s contents, had it say `echo "Hello Readers"` so when the file is eventually executed I’ll see `Hello Readers` outputted. Here it is:

```
// First I called a file that doesn't exist to 
// show you the output
❯ neverCreated.sh
fish: Unknown command: neverCreated.sh

// I then call the script I just created. It 
// prints out, echoes, the words "Hello Readers".
// At this time the script isn't an executable 
// but it can be found
❯ testing.sh
fish: Unknown command. '/Users/kyra/bin/testing.sh' 
exists but is not an executable file.

// If I start with sh it works great and outputs 
// the message. 
❯ sh testing.sh
Hello Readers

// I can easily chmod it and make it executable 
// so now...
❯ chmod u+x bin/testing.sh

// I can now call it and it works. 
❯ testing.sh
Hello Readers

// To test this I navigate elsewhere on my 
// computer....
❯ cd Desktop/temp/

// And call it again. It works as my computer 
// looked through my paths and found it in the 
// bin directory.
~/Desktop/temp
❯ testing.sh
Hello Readers
```

And with that you can run your script from anywhere on your computer and you don’t need to navigate into the `bin` directory at all!

---

## How Is This Useful?

In my case I create a new directory each time I start planning a new blog post idea. I start by adding all the images I may want to use in my post, go through them individually to remove any excess ones, crop the remaining ones, manually create a Pinterest and Instagram image on Canva, and then compress these final remaining ones. To compress them I now only need to open a terminal to this directory and execute my script to have all my compressed images ready to upload. Before putting my script in the `bin` directory the compressing step took longer and was way more cumbersome than I wanted… now it’s simply a quick footnote to my process. If you’re more interested in the script itself than how I execute it you can read about it in my previous post *[Use a Simple Bash Script to Resize Your Images Quickly and Easily](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/10/use-a-simple-bash-script-to-resize-your-images-quickly-and-easily/)* or you can check it out on [GitHub](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/BloggingHelp/compress%5Fmy%5Fimages.sh?ref=simplykyra.com).

I also used this technique for my `vim` and `nvim`. Right now when I want to edit a file in the terminal I type `vim filename.extension` but in reality I have a symbolic link in my `bin` directory (where it can be found and so executed from anywhere) that links to `/usr/local/bin/nvim` and runs `neoVim` instead. It’s a simple trick so I could continue using muscle memory to open my editor without needing to type something else in.

Less personally but more pivotal is the way your computer already uses this. If you navigate to all those pathways listed in your `$PATH` you’ll see all the files and programs that can be found and executed from anywhere. One quick example is `vim`, `python`, or a myriad of all the programs you can run from *anywhere* in the terminal. Using `Python`, for instance, you can run your `py` files by typing in `python filename.p`y and your computer will know to run the filename using python.

![Image is a screenshot of Real Python's post How to Run Your Python Scripts showing using the python command. Specifically for the shell script showing "python3 hello.py" and it's results. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_Screenshot-2023-01-19-at-2.55.57-PM.png?resize=750%2C339&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken on January 19th, 2023 from [Real Python’s post *How to Run Your Python Scripts*](https://realpython.com/run-python-scripts/?ref=simplykyra.com) showing how they just need to type in `python3` and the computer knows to execute Python.

These are the main reasons I personally use this but I’d love to know more ways that work for you so feel free to share in the comments at the bottom.

But don’t just take my word for this. If you browse through all the directories listed under your $PATH variable you can see all the programs and files that also use this.

![Image shows three screenshots from my terminal all showing the contents of different directories whose pathway is listed in the PATH variable. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_How-to-Run-a-Bash-Script-From-Anywhere-on-Your-Apple-Computer-Image-2.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

---

## What if I Want My Script to Live Somewhere Else but Still Be Called From Anywhere?

If you want your script to live somewhere outside the list of directories in your `PATH` variable you could always create a symbolic link so it thinks it’s in one of those directories. In my case my computer sees two of my scripts in my `bin/` directory yet only one technical resides there. The other one actually lives in my `Development/scripts/` directory but is symbolically linked so the computer sees it in the `bin/` directory. When I navigate to the `bin/` directory and list the contents, using `-l` to show the long list ([link to StackExchange for more information](https://askubuntu.com/questions/517229/what-does-ls-la-do?ref=simplykyra.com)), I see this:

```
~/bin
❯ ls -la
total 8
drwxr-xr-x   5 kyra  staff   160 Jan 19 11:37 ./
drwxr-xr-x+ 32 kyra  staff  1024 Jan 19 11:07 ../
lrwxr-xr-x   1 kyra  staff    59 Oct 12  2021 compress_my_images.sh@ -> /Users/kyra/Development/scripts/compress_my_images.sh
-rwxr-xr-x   1 kyra  staff  1504 Jan 11 10:24 createAppIcons.sh*
lrwxr-xr-x   1 kyra  staff    19 Oct 12  2021 vim@ -> /usr/local/bin/nvim
```

Here the `createAppIcons.sh` file lives in the `bin/` directory while my `compress_my_images.sh` script and `vim` call doesn’t. The shell can see it in the `bin` directory and follow it to where it really lives (after the arrow).

I talked about creating symbolic links before in [my reMarkable template post under *Simplify the Process With a Symbolic Link*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/). Essentially, to create the symbolic link I open the terminal and use the link command, `[ln](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/ln.1.html?ref=simplykyra.com)`, followed by the `-s` parameter to specify that I want it to be a symbolic link. I next follow it with the target pathway, where the linked file is located, and then follow that with the location and filename I want to use for that link. So, for instance, in this below example I create an empty script on my `Desktop/temp/` directory and then link it to the `bin` directory. I can confirm it was created using the `ls` command and passing in the `l` parameter to get more information. Here’s what I did:

```
// Use the touch command to create an 
// empty script in my temp directory 
// on my Desktop
❯ touch ~/Desktop/temp/testingThis.sh

// Create the symbolic link making sure 
// to pass in the target file we just 
// created followed by what I want it 
// to be called in the bin directory.
❯ ln -s ~/Desktop/temp/testingThis.sh bin/testingHere.sh

// To confirm this worked can run ls -l 
// to see all the files and, if symbolic 
// linking, what they link to. 
❯ ls -l bin/
total 8
lrwxr-xr-x 1 kyra staff 59 Oct 12 2021 compress_my_images.sh@ -> /Users/kyra/Development/myBashScripts/compress_my_images.sh
-rwxr-xr-x 1 kyra staff 1504 Jan 11 10:24 createAppIcons.sh*
lrwxr-xr-x 1 kyra staff 39 Jan 19 15:50 testingHere.sh@ -> /Users/kyra/Desktop/temp/testingThis.sh
lrwxr-xr-x 1 kyra staff 19 Oct 12 2021 vim@ -> /usr/local/bin/nvim
```

But what if you have a whole directory of scripts you want to run from anywhere and don’t want to move or symbolically link them to a directory in the `$PATH` list…

---

## What if I Want to Add to $Path’s List of Directories?

Back when I was getting [my compression script](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/10/use-a-simple-bash-script-to-resize-your-images-quickly-and-easily/) to run from anywhere I decided to add my `bin/` directory to the list of directories in my `$PATH`. I accomplished this by editing my `config.fish` file in my `.config/fish/` directory (as I’m using the `Fish` terminal emulator) by doing:

```
vim ~/.config/fish/config.fish
```

Then at the bottom of my file I added one line of text:

```
set PATH $HOME/bin $PATH
```

And this is how I added my `bin/` directory to be recognized.

I haven’t had to do this in any other way so in case you don’t use `fish` or want a different method I figured I’d share some other links that look simple to follow for either adding a directory to `PATH` temporarily, in the current session, or more permanently. These are [TechRepublic: *Linux 101: What is the Linux $PATH?*](https://www.techrepublic.com/article/linux-101-what-is-the-linux-path/?ref=simplykyra.com), [How-To Geek: *How to Add a Directory to Your $PATH in Linux*](https://www.howtogeek.com/658904/how-to-add-a-directory-to-your-path-in-linux/?ref=simplykyra.com), [PhoenixNAP: *Linux: Add a Directory to PATH*](https://phoenixnap.com/kb/linux-add-to-path?ref=simplykyra.com), or [My Cyber Universe: *Create a personal bin directory (\~/bin) and run scripts without specifying their full path*](https://mycyberuniverse.com/create-personal-bin-directory-run-scripts-without-specifying-full-path.html?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

## Some More Information…

Looking into this more Warp gives great information if you’re more interested in how the terminal works and, specifically, *[what happens when you open a terminal and enter ‘ls’](https://www.warp.dev/blog/what-happens-when-you-open-a-terminal-and-enter-ls?ref=simplykyra.com#footnote-eleven)*. Their linked *[Bash Aliases](https://www.warp.dev/terminus/bash-aliases?ref=simplykyra.com#making-aliases-permanent)* was also interesting. [SysAdvent’s *down the rabbit hole with ‘ls’*](https://sysadvent.blogspot.com/2010/12/day-15-down-ls-rabbit-hole.html?ref=simplykyra.com) seems more in depth although I haven’t spent as much time reading but sharing so I can also go back to it in the future.

![Image is a screenshot from warp's What happens when you open a terminal and enter ‘ls’ article showing a diagram showcasing what happens when the user inputs characters into the terminal on their computer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2023/01/compressed_Screenshot-2023-01-16-at-5.33.04-PM.png?resize=750%2C594&ssl=1)

This screenshot was taken from [warp’s *What happens when you open a terminal and enter ‘ls’* article](https://www.warp.dev/blog/what-happens-when-you-open-a-terminal-and-enter-ls?ref=simplykyra.com) showcasing the steps your computer goes through when taking the input.

---

I hope this was able to help you move your script, or other file, so it was recognizable by your computer. If it helped I’d love to hear how in the comments below. If I missed something you think would be helpful feel free to share that too. I’m sure it will help someone.

Hope you’re having a great day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### What I Made During the 2022 Sewing Challenge
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/what-i-made-during-the-2022-sewing-challenge/
Last updated: 2023-12-17T17:11:11.000Z
This was the fifth year I’ve been with the 52 Week Sewing Challenge on Facebook and although I didn’t submit very much this year I loved seeing the posts within the Facebook community and, especially, love seeing all my makes in one spot. So once again I’m glad I kept tab with the challenge.

![Pinterest-geared image showing a collage of 25 images, my post title, and my main URL. All images can also be found below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_What-I-Made-During-the-2022-Sewing-Challenge-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

I started these sewing challenges back in [2018](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/12/31/52-weeks-of-sewing/) when I attempted to sew each week according to the challenge topic. I didn’t succeed and although it was stressful at times I found I improved my sewing greatly throughout the year and absolutely adored the new found community. The next year, in [2019](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/01/52-weeks-of-sewing-in-2019/), I decided to instead focus on sewing consistency and forgo the challenges if they didn’t serve me which I found much more enjoyable. Finally in [2020](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/30/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/) I decided to fully embrace each and every challenge although I worried about vacations getting in the way. I needn’t’ve worried as Covid came, I stayed home, and this challenge gave me something consistent to focus on amidst the changes. I did submit each challenge and accepted them! That said it was a bit much so in [2021](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/01/05/my-2021-sewing-challenge-skipped-rejected-and-came-out-feeling-good/) I let myself reject and/or skip the challenges outright. This year I had wanted to focus more on sewing but found I instead preferred developing my own apps and instead gave more time to that. As such, when the Sewing Challenge group changed up their submission criteria so there was a new Google form each month I decided to change my approach too and only submit at the end of the month. I stopped paying attention to the challenges themselves but still kept track each time I sewed something. Thus when the reminder, set on my phone for the last week of the month, went off I could look at if I had sewn something, look over that month’s challenge topics, assign each project to a particular week, and submit them all at once. If I hadn’t sewn oh well. Thus this year had less submissions (only 25) but I came out of it more relaxed and still wanting to share.

---

## January

I didn’t do much sewing this month; although I did wash my hot water bottle cover which led to me noticing a small hole at the bottom. This gave me my first submitted project as I flipped it the wrong way out and quickly serged the end closed.

![Image shows a collage of three images showing a hole in a pink knit bag (top left), the serged and finished edge (bottom right), and the right side of the bag (center). Overtop it says "January" and "1st".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_January-1.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

---

## February

I doubled my sewing this month… but again it was quick projects that rejected the current month’s challenges. The simplest sew was hand stitching closed a ripped hanger on [my housecoat I made back in December](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/01/05/my-2021-sewing-challenge-skipped-rejected-and-came-out-feeling-good/). The slightly more in depth project involved cutting a bath towel in half and serging the resulting two raw edges. This created two new floor mats to go with my newly bought bath towels making two complete matching sets. You can [read about this project here.](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/06/22/simple-towel-to-bath-mat/)

![Image shows a collage of two images showing a stack of folded matching towels (let) and the towel in question cut and serged (right). Overtop it says "February" and "1st".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_feb-1.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

![Image shows a single image showing the ripped hanger with a green/teal border. Overtop it says "February" and "2nd".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_feb-2.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

---

## March

With the break over the last two months I was able to ramp up my sewing this month. Looking back I think I decided to try to make a dent in my fabric stash, in particular the pricier custom cotton Lycra from [Whimsy Baby Customs](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), and thus things were made. Years ago I had bought some underwear panel surprise boxes and so turned the ones my kids currently loved into long sleeved tops (either [Ellie and Mac](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/unisex-raglan-top-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com) or [Ragamuffin](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-lil-rebel-raglan/?ref=simplykyra.com) raglans) and shorts ([Stitch Upon a Time Boxerwear](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/kids-boxerwear/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com)). I then went through what I liked and stitched up my favorite Stitch Upon a Time patterns: two new [bras](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/brazi-ladies-bra-and-dress-sewing-pattern/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com), [boxers](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/no-pouch-adult-boxerwear/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) for under my dress, and two new splurgy [underwear](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/scrundlewear-2-0-womens-underwear/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com). I also patched various skirts and older underwear.

![Image shows four image showing the ripped underwear (top left), fixed underwear (top right), fixed orange skirt (bottom left), and fixed pink skirt (bottom right). Overtop it says "March" and "Week 1".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_march-1-_.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

![Image shows four image showing the ripped underwear (top left), fixed underwear (top right), fixed orange skirt (bottom left), and fixed pink skirt (bottom right). Overtop it says "Martch" and "Week 1".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_march-2.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

![Image shows a single image showing two bras. One with sushi and faces and the other with a family of bunnies. At the bottom it says in matching pink "March" and "Week 3".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_march-3.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

![This image shows two image with the large background image showing two underwear with cactus, super toast, and sushi. The smaller image shown in the bottom left is sushi shorts. Overtop it says "March" while the bottom says "Week 4".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_march-4.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

---

## April

My super quick project this month was fixing the hole in the kids bath towels I cobbled together the previous year. My favorite project was the Bluey-inspired toddler blanket toppers from [Sweet Tickles Fabric](https://sweetticklesshop.com/search?q=bluey&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&ref=simplykyra.com) which I [turned into two afghans for our living room](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/01/03/toddler-blanket-topper-to-comfy-couch-afghan/) that both the kids, Matt, and I still adore. The more time consuming project was making the girls new swimming suits which resulted [in this updated post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/07/20/an-upgrade-on-my-girls-home-sewn-swimsuits/) if you’re interested in learning more. I essentially used two patterns: the [Ellie and Mac raglan](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/unisex-raglan-top-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com) and the [Stitch Upon a Time boxerwear](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/kids-boxerwear/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) pattern. The kids chose the fabric themselves from [Boho Fabrics](https://www.bohofabrics.com/collections/swim-activewear-fabrics-1?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows the two final blankets laid out beside and over top each other. Over it all it says "April Week 1".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_april-1.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

![Image shows a single photo of the newly fixed towels on either side of a curtain rod. Above it says "April" while below it says "Week 2".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_april-2.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

![Image shows a flat lay of Ada's cheetah print swim suit consisting of a long sleeved raglan and matching shorts. There's sharks where the Kamsnaps were placed on the placket. Below it says "April Week 3".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_april-3.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

![Image shows a flat lay of Zoey's palm frond print swim suit consisting of a long sleeved raglan and matching shorts. There's sharks where the Kamsnaps were placed on the placket. Below it says "April Week 4".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_april-4.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

---

## May

This month I was running out of steam but still went strong with technically four completed weeks. The first week I entered a quick fix when Ada pulled the [Kamsnap](https://kamsnaps.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) from her woven placket on the new swim top. The rest of the time I batch sewed three [Olivia](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/01/23/the-olivia-top/) tops for my girls using woven fabric giving me three weeks of challenges submitted although probably not accepted. That said Olivia doesn’t work too well with stiffer cotton woven fabrics so looking back I wish I had used a potentially more time consuming pattern than this simple go to one. If interested the cute Bluey-inspired fabric was once again from [Sweet Tickles Fabric](https://sweetticklesshop.com/search?q=bluey&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&ref=simplykyra.com) while I can’t quite remember where I bought the super-heroine fabric from. Let me know if you know and I’ll update it here.

![Image shows two stacked images displaying the ripped placket (top) and the fix with two additional Kamsnaps of Ada's choice (below). Over top it says "May" at the top and "Week 1" on the lower right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_may-1.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

![Image shows four images. The top one is angled showing the front of all three tops. The lower part shows the matching shirts on the left and right while the center shows the super heroine fabric. Over top it says "May" at the lower left and "Week 2-4" at the lower right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_may-2-4.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

---

## June

This month consisted of required fixes and nothing else sewing related. The simpler fixes were Zoey’s rainbow backpack stuffy and my ripped armhole on my top. The more complicated one was the ripped deck furniture cushions which I carefully glued to stop the fraying and stitched closed. I took several photos for a blog post then realized that this wasn’t a true fix as the fabric was old and worn and quickly ripped again just from sitting on it normally. That said, if you’re interested in a blog post about this please let me know.

![Image consists of two images. The top one is superimposed over the main one and displays the cloud only slightly sewn on showing the hole. The main image shows the finished and fixed rainbow. At the upper right it says "June" while it displays "Week 23" on the lower right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_june-23.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

![Image consists of a collage of three  images. The left one shows the rip, the top right one shows the underside of the seam as it's being fixed, and the bottom right image shows the right side of the fix. Over top it says "June" while it displays "Week 24" on the lower right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_June-24.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

![Image consists of a collage of three  images. The top one shows the fixed cushion, the bottom shows it partially fixed, and the center heart one sows the glued part before it's sewn. Along the center over the border it says "June Week 25".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_June-25.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

---

## July

Another month of quick fixes. This time Ada had holes in two of her nightgowns so I took them to my serger and quickly stitched them closed. Looking back this might be my last fix for her clothing as later she insisted on hand stitching the hole in her leggings herself. Based on the challenge topics I submitted these as week three and four. [If you’re interested in the nightgown itself I’ve blogged about it years ago here (about halfway down under *Patsy Skirt Mashed With The Olivia Top*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/02/27/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/))[ if you’re interested in learning more](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/02/27/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/). After these images were taken [I unraveled the stitching and tied them off](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/17/easily-unravel-and-tie-off-your-serger-ends/) so they wouldn’t, hopefully, rip open again.

![Image shows the white fixed stitches before they were tied off. Superimposed at the top it says "July" while along the bottom it also says "week 3".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_july-3.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

![Image shows the right side of the fixed dress with the new stitching coming off from where it's been fixed. They still need to be unraveled and tied off. Superimposed at the top it says "July Week 4".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_july-4.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

---

## August

My first month where I didn’t sew anything…. maybe I was gearing up for Halloween costumes.

---

## September

In September I sat down with the girls and found out what they wanted to be for Halloween. After confirming Joann’s website had a sale we went searching in my fabric stash and online to recreate the costumes and, hoping they would forget, also purchased nightgown fabric for Christmas. I planned, purchased, waited, and prepped all month long and had just enough time at the end to submit these two garments in the knick of time. The top photo is our favorite[ Ellie and Mac Sweetie Pie Tunic and Dress pattern](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/kids-sweetie-tunic-dress-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com) while the bottom was [Ragamuffin Firecracker](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/09/ragamuffins-firecracker-kids-dress-and-top/). Both were made with a thin black knit I already had on hand.

![Image shows two stacked images displaying the front of the finished dress (top) and the dress with the skirt laid out into a circle (below). Centered along the bottom it says "September" and "Week 1".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_september-1.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

![Image shows two side by side images displaying the flat lay of the finished shirt (left) and Ada wearing the final top (right). Centered along the top and bottom, on the left side, it says "September" and "Week 2".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_september-2.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

---

## October

In October I was busy sewing up the rest of the materials needed for Zoey’s Black Rock Star Cat costume and Ada’s Carmen Sandiego. As such I was able to submit something each week which consisted of a hand stitched nightgown fix and necklace creation, a black cat tail, Carmen inspired red jacket ([*Ellie and Mac Duchess*](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/kids-duchess-jacket-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com) jacket), and a Carmen inspired hat (slightly altered [*Rebecca Page Sun Hat*](https://rebecca-page.com/product/sun-hat/?ref=simplykyra.com)). All the materials were either on hand already (wire and elastic) or bought through Joann’s website (red flannel and fur trim). I will post about these outfits closer to Halloween and link back here.

![Image shows two stacked images displaying the fixed nightgown (top) and the handmade and stitched on necklace (below). Centered along the top it says "October" and "Week 1".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_october-1.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

![Image shows two side by side images displaying the tail with the entire costume (left) and the tail against a brighter outfit (right). Centered along the top and bottom of the left side it says "October" and "Week 2".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_october-2.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

![Image shows two side by side images displaying a closeup of the final jacket (left) and a further away shot (right). Centered along the bottom of the left side it says "October" and "Week 3".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_october3.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

![Image shows three images. The right one shows the final costume while the left side shows the hat. Top is on Ada's head and bottom shows the hat on the table. Centered along the top it says "October" and "Week 4".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_october-4.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

---

## November

After Halloween I decided to catch up on my coding so no new sews or fixes this month.

---

## December

Finally Christmas time approached. The girls’ absolute favorite nightgowns are my mashup between the Rebecca Page Olivia top and her Patsy skirt using Joann’s Snuggle Flannel fabric. To make it I essentially just chop the bottom off of the Olivia bodice piece and sew it together with the skirt. Over time the girls have decided that they only want the elastic in the neckline and not the sleeve making it even quicker. [As stated above I blogged about it years ago here (about halfway down) if you’re interested in learning more](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/02/27/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/). And with two nightgowns each I was able to finish the year out with all four weeks submitted though only partially accepted.

![Image shows four images each of the same dress pattern with different fabric. At the bottom it says "December" and "Week 1-4".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/12/compressed_December-all.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

---

In the last month or so [the current Sewing Challenge Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/52weeksewingchallenge) posted that they’re going to move to a new group and archive the current one. They changed the format, to make it easier, and I haven’t looked into it too much at this point but I have joined the new group and plan to follow along and mark the challenges in my planner although I don’t know how much I’ll actually sew. If you’re interested in [joining in too you can find the new group here](https://www.facebook.com/groups/52weeksewingchallenge2023/)!

Have you joined the challenge? How’s it going for you? Either way I hope you’re having fun with your sewing and you have a great 2023!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I normally share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Learn How I Easily Attached My Painting to My Kitchen Backsplash
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-i-easily-attached-my-painting-to-my-kitchen-backsplash/
Last updated: 2023-05-05T15:42:30.000Z
When we last moved I wasn’t sure where to put all of my artwork. One of my favorite pieces was a small painted canvas with an [M.C. Escher inspired spiral](https://www.wikiart.org/en/m-c-escher/spirals?ref=simplykyra.com) on it. I wanted to put it up above my kitchen sink and, at first, was stumped at how to do this. That said, once I considered using [Command™ picture hanging strips](https://www.command.com/3M/en%5FUS/command/contact-us/search/?Ntt=picture+hanging+strips&rt=sa&ref=simplykyra.com) I was all set to go!

![Pinterest-geared image displaying three photos (shown below), my post's title, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_Learn-How-I-Easily-Attached-My-Painting-to-My-Kitchen-Backsplash-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

*Just wanted to start out by pointing out that this isn’t an ad for the [Command™](https://www.command.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) brand and I don’t have any affiliation with them. That said, I’ve found over the years, that their products keep seeming like the right answer to many problems I have had and I wanted to share one of those solutions with you in case you feel the same.*

---

The backsplash behind my kitchen sink is a basic but amazing white tile that I didn’t want to mark up. I also wanted to add something since I was going to spend so much time doing dishes while staring at that point. My spiral painting had no other place to go and it seemed perfect for this spot so after much deliberation I realized I could use [Command™ picture hanging strips](https://www.command.com/3M/en%5FUS/command/contact-us/search/?Ntt=picture+hanging+strips&rt=sa&ref=simplykyra.com) to attach it to the wall and later on, if I change my mind, I can easily remove the painting and pull off the strips without too much difficulty.

Before starting I made sure to clean the wall and the back of the frame with hydrogen peroxide thus confirming both surfaces were clean and ready to go. While they dried I grabbed four picture hanging strips and put them together so I had two sets of two with the velcro sides together. I then peeled the backing off of the one and stuck it to the top left side of the wooden frame before repeating this step on the other side with the other set. I then peeled off the backing on the reversed side, lined up the painting on the tile, and pressed it to the wall. After applying pressure to either side I pulled the painting off the wall, making the velcro separate, and was left with the four command strips stuck to either the painting or the tiled wall. I then applied pressure to each of these command strips to confirm it was truly secure before putting the painting back up and applying a bit more pressure… again.

![Image shows the painting on the tiled backsplash with my hand pressing against the one command stripped spot. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_7834.jpeg?resize=750%2C536&ssl=1)

After pairing the command strips up, with the velcro sides together, I removed the paper backing and pressed the painting to the wall.

![Image shows me pulling the painting off the wall by grabbing the bottom and pulling it towards me. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_7824.jpeg?resize=750%2C468&ssl=1)

After making sure it was secured I pulled the painting up from the bottom thus releasing the Velcro points.

![Image shows the back of the painting with the two command strips attached vertically to either corner. Behind it you can see the other two matching strips attached vertically to the white tiles. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_7828.jpeg?resize=750%2C454&ssl=1)

The command strips were attached firmly enough to the wall and wood frame that they stayed on and the Velcro side, instead, separated. I then pressed firmly against each strip ensuring it stayed on before reattaching them together by pressing the painting to the backsplash again.

And with that the painting was hung and was ready to be enjoyed! It was so simple.

![Closeup of the painting against the tiled wall.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_7822.jpeg?resize=750%2C526&ssl=1)

![Further away view of the same painting but now you can see the towel hung up on the command hook to the left and some other hanging items. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_7816.jpeg?resize=750%2C349&ssl=1)

![The same photo but zoomed out a bit more to see the faucet, kettle, and other counter things. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_7818.jpeg?resize=750%2C467&ssl=1)

I put this painting up sometime before the pandemic and had worried about it getting splashed as it was so near to the sink. I needn’t’ve worried as I was able to simply wipe it dry the odd time it was marked. That said, if you were hanging something much more precious to you I’d recommend putting it somewhere safer and/or protecting it somehow. Years ago, with the paintings I put up outside our front door, I used [Mod Podge to better protect them](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/11/27/protecting-your-outside-artwork-from-the-weather/) and I can see potentially doing the same here at some point.

Have you been enjoying the magic of command hooks? Whether you have or if this is your first time I’d love to hear if this inspired you so feel free to share in the comments below. I hope your week is going superb!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Easily Make Your Stickers Last Longer, Moveable, and Sturdier by Turning Them Into Magnets
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/easily-make-your-stickers-last-longer-moveable-and-sturdier-by-turning-them-into-magnets/
Last updated: 2023-05-05T15:42:42.000Z
A couple months ago I switched computers which led to me peeling off my favorite stickers from the computer monitor. I was sad to lose them but wasn’t sure how I could keep them as they weren’t as sticky once peeled off. One thing led to another and I remembered the 4×6 inch peel and stick magnet sheets I bought years ago for photos and never got around to using. I grabbed one of them, peeled the backing off, stuck the adhesive side of the magnet sheet and sticker together, and then cut the newly made magnet out. The resulting magnets turned out perfectly and I’ve since created several more magnets from stickers! I’m so glad I stumbled upon this idea as it’s so simple and knew I needed to share it with you!

![Pinterest-geared image with a collage of four images, shown below, along with my post's title "Easily Make Your Stickers Last Longer, Moveable, and Sturdier by Turning Them Into Magnets" and main URL (SimplyKyra.com).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Easily-Make-Your-Stickers-Last-Longer-Moveable-and-Sturdier-by-Turning-Them-Into-Magnets-Pinterest.jpeg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

This all came to pass when I switched from my main computer to my laptop. Over the last several years I had made a point of not adding anything to my computer monitor; recently though, after seeing Matt’s decorated laptop so frequently I finally gave in and added several stickers to the bottom. Some of these stickers I figured I could easily replace but a few of them I knew would be close to impossible and I was disappointed at the thought of losing them. Those particular ones I carefully peeled from the monitor and stuck them, temporarily, onto the side of the fridge until I could figure out how to save them.

![Image shows the bottom of my computer monitor. On the left is a partially peeled sticker showing a circuit board version of The Great Wave off Kanagawa. To the right is a white circular sticker with a sewing machine and two people on it from Whimsy Baby Customs.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_1216.jpeg?resize=750%2C378&ssl=1)

I wasn’t too worried about the stickers from [Whimsy](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Tea Spot](https://www.theteaspot.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) as I figured they could eventually be replaced. That said I had one circuit board-esque sticker of *The Great Wave off Kanagawa* along with [a 2020 dumpster fire one from Geek Garden Fabric](https://www.thegeekgardenfabricretail.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) that I adored.

![Image shows two stickers attached to the grey magnetic sheet on my fridge. The one sticker is thicker and flat while the other one is curling up showing it's only attached at the top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_1218.jpeg?resize=750%2C393&ssl=1)

I carefully peeled my two favorite stickers off of the computer monitor and pressed them, slightly, against my fridge so they’d be safe while I figured out what to do with them later.

I had recently received a surprise Bluey-inspired magnet with my custom fabric order from [Sweet Tickles Prints](https://sweetticklesprints.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). At first I was slightly disappointed to realize it was a magnet as I had pictured it next to my other stickers on my computer monitor. Then Matt reminded me that I had a metal pegboard, bought from [the Container Store](https://www.containerstore.com/s/elfa/components/elfa-utility/platinum-elfa-utility-pegboards/123d?productId=10034897&ref=simplykyra.com), behind my computer and I stuck it there instead. I absolutely loved it there as I knew it would just get lost and ignored on the refrigerator door. Anyway, I wanted to share this quick magnet story with you as seeing it now made me wonder if I could turn my stickers into magnets. I knew I had a roll of skinny adhesive magnet tape and, once found, I also discovered an unopened package of 4 by 6 inch adhesive magnetic sheets I bought to attach to photographs. I realized this would work perfectly so I grabbed a sheet, removed the backing, and stuck the slightly less sticky stickers next to each other on the back of the magnet sheet.

![Image shows the magnetic sheet with the backing halfway pulled off. Underneath you can see the two stickers stuck to the black back. Beside it lays the remaining sheets in the package. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_1222.jpeg?resize=750%2C519&ssl=1)

I finally opened the pack of adhesive magnetic sheets, grabbed a sheet, peeled off the backing, and stuck the two stickers to the back of it.

Once the stickers were secured to the back I cut them out from the rest of the sheet and then cut them apart from each other. I then, very carefully, trimmed around the outside of each sticker making sure that no black magnet showed beyond the sides of the sticker.

![Image shows the two stickers stuck to the magnetic sheet. They're cut from the rest of the strip and set aside a bit from the rest. Scissors and the packaging is to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_1223.jpeg?resize=750%2C394&ssl=1)

I cut the stickers away from the rest of the magnet so the remaining portion of the magnetic sheet was ready for any future use.

![Image shows the two stickers with the magnetic backing trimmed away so you can't tell they’re magnets. In the background is the rest of the magnet sheet, scissors, packaging, and magnetic pieces. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_1225.jpeg?resize=750%2C451&ssl=1)

I the cut the two magnets apart and then, very carefully, trimmed each one so the sticker itself became the magnet without any sticky black magnet sticking out from the sides.

Once trimmed they were done! No waiting for glue to dry or any other awkward or lengthy steps. I immediately put them on the pinboard next to the Bluey magnet and loved how they all looked together. That said my favorite part was that I knew they could easily be moved without any potential damage unlike when they were stickers.

![The image shows the metal pegboard with the Bluey and dumpster fire magnets at the top and the circuit board art magnet at the bottom center. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_1227.jpeg?resize=750%2C544&ssl=1)

I loved how they all looked together on the metal pegboard and especially loved how they could be moved if needed.

Sometime during or after this process Matt found a website, [Make Stickers](https://www.makestickers.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), that allows you to order custom stickers. He ordered a pile of *SimplyKyra* ones as a surprise for me. When they arrived I quickly put two on my laptop and one on the base of my computer monitor. I also wanted to make one of the stickers more permanent so I followed this process again turning one of the *SimplyKyra* stickers into a magnet. I loved having the *SimplyKyra* sticker on the pinboard next to the other three magnets!

![Image shows the pile of custom SimplyKyra stickers spread out on the base of my computer monitor's stand. In the center is one stuck to the center stand. A plastic USB TARDIS sits off to the side.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0307.jpeg?resize=750%2C512&ssl=1)

I loved these custom stickers!

![Image shows the magnetic sheet with the SimplyKyra sticker on the left side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0323.jpeg?resize=750%2C458&ssl=1)

I had just enough room left on the remaining magnetic sheet to stick this *SimplyKyra* sticker onto it too.

![Image shows the SimplyKyra magnet trimmed so the backing is the same shape as the sticker. Behind it is the white sticker backing with pieces of the magnet still stuck to it. To the right are a pair of scissors.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0326.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once stuck I carefully trimmed the excess magnetic sheet from the edge of the sticker saving any larger pieces in case I needed it in the future.

![Image shows all four magnets attached to the metal pinboard above my laptop screen. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0327.jpeg?resize=750%2C440&ssl=1)

I was able to quickly and easily move them around making all four of the magnets visible above my open laptop screen.

Back in mid-November I was browsing my Etsy recommendations and decided I wanted to buy more from [Karen Hallion’s Etsy shop](https://www.etsy.com/market/karen%5Fhallion%5Fshop?ref=simplykyra.com). I love her artwork and have bought from her shop previously along with following her [Instagram page (karenhallionart)](https://www.instagram.com/karenhallionart/?ref=simplykyra.com) and backing her last two [kickstarter projects](https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/celara/created?ref=simplykyra.com). This time around I realized her magnets were a bit cheaper than her stickers but then quickly saw that I already owned the only two magnets in her shop. Instead I grabbed some postcards, a notecard that wasn’t available as a postcard that I needed to have, and several stickers that I knew I needed to turn into magnets for my pinboard. I then waited on edge until they arrived. They were gorgeous and I love that knowing this little trick meant that I had so many more designs from her shop to choose from.

![Image shows the postcards (Defy, Compute, and 13th) along the right side of the image. The Olaf Doctor Who snowmen notecard is to the left. At the bottom left are the three stickers I bought including "Never Never Quit", Bad Wolf, Mo Willems -esque, and one labeled "'Allo Seasonings" from Labyrinth. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_2876.jpeg?resize=750%2C483&ssl=1)

Loved when the new postcards, notecard, and stickers arrived. Especially enjoyed all the selection in the sticker area as the magnets only included two products I had already bought for my girls.

Two of her stickers fit perfectly together on one magnetic sheet. The other two stickers; however, were a bit larger and although I considered giving them each one magnetic sheet I instead decided to put them together on one sheet to save more of the magnets for later. This meant the edges of these two stickers overlapped so I curled the overlapping sticker back a bit to cut the two stickers apart and then grabbed two magnet remnants from before to back that sticker edge. I’m not sure, looking back, how long these smaller pieces will stay together… but it did work so far.

![Image shows two magnetic sheets side by side covered with stickers. The magnetic sheet backing and sticker backing lays off to the side in the background. The left sticker sheet shows the labyrinth-inspired sticker and the Mo Willems' one slightly overlapping. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_2877.jpeg?resize=750%2C528&ssl=1)

I had run out of room on the first magnetic sheet but these stickers were large enough that I would’ve needed new sheets either way. The *Never Never Quit* sticker fit great with the *Bad Wolf* one but the other two slightly overlapped.

![Image shows a closeup of the Labyrinth-inspired sticker with two other pieces of magnet attached to the lower left side of the sticker. It's turned around so in the photo it looks like the upper right side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_2878.jpeg?resize=750%2C432&ssl=1)

After lifting the *Labyrinth*\-inspired sticker up so I could cut between the two I then used the leftover pieces of magnets to cover the back of the last corner so the entire sticker would be a magnet.

![Image shows all four magnets with the magnetic sheet backing off to the side coated in excess little bits. Two magnets are trimmed completely, one partially with the scissors overtop, and one final one is waiting to be trimmed. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_2914.jpeg?resize=750%2C535&ssl=1)

With all four stickers backed with magnets it was time to trim the excess magnetic backing away making each of the magnets sticker-shaped and less sticky.

While writing this post I received another Bluey themed pre-order from [Sweet Tickles Prints](https://sweetticklesprints.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) that came with a sticker rather than a magnet this time. The sticker included a small, planned, hole in the center so I knew turning it into a magnet would be a bit more complicated as it would be [trifficult (link to correlating Bluey episode on YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5tR92dceJs&ref=simplykyra.com) to cut out.

Since both the magnet and the sticker were sticky on the back I decided to use something else to go between the two items thus making it simpler as I wouldn’t need to carefully cut out the center or even along each dip on the edge. I wanted the item to be smooth and shiny but, after going through my recycling bag, I settled on using simple cardstock instead. After grabbing a piece a bit bigger than the sticker I was ready to go!

![Image shows a new 4x6 inch magnetic sheet, a new shiny sticker, a white remnant of cardstock, and a pair of scissors. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_3670.jpeg?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Like before I assembled all the items I needed but this time I included a sheet of cardstock. I wanted to use something black and/or shinier but couldn’t find anything and I didn’t want to color it in in case it no longer stuck to the sticker.

With the items ready I removed the backing from the sticker and stuck it to the cardstock. I didn’t want to waste too much of the magnetic sheet so I made sure to trim the excess cardstock around the sticker before peeling off the back of the magnetic sheet, sticking the cardstock to it, and, once again, trimming around the magnet.

![Image shows the same 4x6 inch magnetic sheet but the items around it has moved ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_3671.jpeg?resize=750%2C436&ssl=1)

I started out by removing the backing from the sticker and sticking it to the cardstock remnant.

![The sticker is now stuck to a circular piece of paper with the excess pieces around. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_3674.jpeg?resize=750%2C373&ssl=1)

I then trimmed the excess paper off making sure not to go too close to the sticker itself.

![Image shows the magnetic sheet with the paper backing half off and sticking up. Underneath it is the circular cardstock and sticker. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_3676.jpeg?resize=750%2C410&ssl=1)

I then peeled the backing off of the magnetic sheet and stuck the cardstock to it.

![Image shows the final magnet laid out beside the rest of the magnetic sheet, paper, sticker backing, and scissors. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_3678.jpeg?resize=750%2C440&ssl=1)

With the three items stuck together all that was left to do was cut it out!

I love that the white cardstock allowed me to leave space around the sticker so it was easier to trim out. That said, I also didn’t like the little bits of paper fiber that pulled away from the edge so I could see using sharper scissors next time and/or using sandpaper or something to trim the little fibers away.

Anyway I absolutely adore my current pinboard and am debating whether I should move my sewing stuff elsewhere so I have more room to decorate. They all look amazing!

![Image shows the upper right corner of my reMarkable with the pinboard showing behind. You can see all the magnets along with some ELFA accessories to hold my scissors and ponytail ties. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_3007.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I absolutely adore my magnetic pinboard now with the custom, to me, magnets attached. It’s gone from something that simply holds my sewing supplies to an integral part of my desk that I enjoy looking at. I’ve already moved the sewing stuff to the far right side and am debating whether I should move it completely off so I have more room to work.

Have you ever turned a sticker into a magnet? Or turned anything into a magnet? If so how did it go and what did you use? I’d love it if you wanted to share what you did in the comments below. I hope your week is going great!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Frequently Asked Questions I’ve Seen Around About the reMarkable
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/frequently-asked-questions-ive-seen-around-about-the-remarkable/
Last updated: 2024-06-30T16:45:10.000Z
I’m not associated with reMarkable but I bought a reMarkable 2 about two years ago and absolutely love playing around with and customizing it. As such, I joined several reMarkable user groups on Facebook and keep seeing the same type of questions so I figured I’d write a frequently asked questions in the hopes that it can help you if you need it.

## Update: Apple App

That said I've since come out with an iOS/macOS app that you can use to change out your templates and screens with a simple button press while remembering them for the next update. More information can [be found about it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) with a direct link to [the App Store here](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com). 

![Image shows my app logo and screenshots from the App Store. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/image-2.png)

---

![Pinterest image showing the post's title "FAQs I've seen around about the reMarkable", my main URL, and some photos found below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_Frequently-Asked-Questions-Ive-Seen-Around-About-the-reMarkable-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

*All these photos were taken of my reMarkable while it was running version 2.14.2.1047 on October 3rd, 2022.*

---

# *Templates*

## *So… is a template the same as a PDF?*

Short answer no. For the reMarkable device the template is the background to your page when you’re using a notebook. The template is what you choose when creating a new notebook, it’s what is defaulted when you create a new page, and it’s what you can change so each page has its own background. If you want to upload a new template it’s called a *custom template* and it isn’t officially supported by reMarkable.

## *So why are PDFs and templates used interchangeably?*

In the Facebook user groups I’ve heard `PDF` and templates used interchangeably off and on from the time I bought my reMarkable and first joined the groups at the beginning of 2021\. This became more frequent once the reMarkable supported internal links within their `PDF` files and then allowed adding and moving pages within them. As such templates have different meaning depending what you do with your reMarkable and who you talk to. In this post all references to templates will be about the custom ones mentioned in the previous section.

![Image shows the pen laid out on a blank page of the reMarkable with its tip pointing to "Add Page". To the left and right of that icon are other options like "Send" and "Move".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_IMG_4791.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

In both the notebooks and `PDF` files you can now see the `Add Page` icon once you click the four squared icon on the left.

![Image shows the layers icon on the left selected and three options open showing "Layer 1", "Background", and "Add Layer".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_IMG_4788.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Unlike the notebook pages when you add a blank page to the `PDF` you cannot change its background. When you click the layers button you see the top layer you’re writing on, the background, and the option to add a layer. Clicking on the background option here doesn’t open anything.

## *What exactly is a template on the reMarkable?*

A template is essentially just the background to your notebook page. This would be similar to when you’re in a store and debating between buying a blank sketchbook, lined scribbler, graph paper, or something else. As such when you create a notebook one of options you need to choose is which template you want.

![Image shows the new notebook](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_IMG_4811.jpeg?resize=750%2C485&ssl=1)

When creating a notebook you need to name it, choose what the cover will look like, and select the **papertype* aka the template.

Unlike buying a sketchbook the reMarkable lets you change your mind and switch what paper you’re using in the middle of your notebook. Whatever *paper (template)* you choose last will be the one selected, on default, when you add more pages to your notebook either by swiping or going through the menu on the left side.

![Image shows the menu opened with the layers selected. The Template option is right below the pen. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_IMG_4797.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once the notebook is created you can change any page’s **paper* by hitting the layers button on the left side of your page, then `Template`, and finally choose a template (shown below).

![Image shows the Template choices once that option was chosen. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_IMG_4799.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once you click on template this view will pop open showing all the templates (or **papers*) you can pick for the page. Along the top you’ll see categories to filter down and show less choices and alongside the option to switch between Portrait or Landscape. Using a landscape template means the reMarkable assumes you turned it so the menu will be along the short side rather than the long side when in portrait mode.

## *Makes Sense. But how does a template work behind the scenes then?*

The default templates that come with your reMarkable consist of two image files (one `PNG` and one `SVG`) that measure 1404 by 1872 pixels. They are located on your reMarkable within the `/usr/share/remarkable/templates/` directory (folder).

![Image shows the navigation to and contents of the templates directory on the reMarkable.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_2022-10-03-at-7.50.52-AM.png?resize=750%2C413&ssl=1)

Once you connect to your reMarkable, I used `SSH` in iterm, and navigate to the `templates` directory you can see all the default templates each with a `PNG` and an `SVG` file with matching names.

If you upload an image to that directory your reMarkable won’t see it unless you also add it to the `templates.json` file also located there (see bottom right in last image). In this file each template has one entry consisting of it’s:

- name: The display name shown to the user when selecting templates
- filename: The file’s name within the `templates` directory. This doesn’t include the extension as it’s used to look for both the `PNG` and `SVG` files… which also means these two files *NEED* to have the same name.
- iconCode: This string matches to one of the pre-defined images they use to represent how the template looks. This means when uploading a custom template you’ll need to use an icon already used before.
- landscape: This value is optional (defaults to false if not included) so it’s not listed on every template. This dictates whether the template is in portrait (vertical/true) mode or landscape (false). Blank is a special template that has a single `PNG` and `SVG` file BUT is listed twice in the `JSON` file as the first time it’s in Portrait mode and second it’s in Landscape.
- categories: This is a list (surrounded by square brackets) consisting of one or more text strings (enclosed by quotes) that represent which category the template belongs in. So, for example, the blank template belongs to each category so it has all the categories listed in the below image. Other templates only have one. These strings become the categories listed along the top when choosing a template which means if you spell one wrong a new category will appear. This space on the reMarkable doesn’t expand so I try to only add one unique category when uploading custom templates otherwise it overlaps with the Portrait/Landscape selection.

![Image shows the "cat" command for the templates.json file and the first four templates listed in it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_2022-10-03-at-7.51.15-AM.png?resize=751%2C906&ssl=1)

When you look at the `templates.json` file you can see each template specified. This is what the reMarkable uses to identify its templates.

A `JSON` file is essentially a lightweight file format that makes it simple for your device or application to take in data which in this case is what templates exist. Here’s a quick explanation of what `JSON` is through [W3 Schools](https://www.w3schools.com/whatis/whatis%5Fjson.asp?ref=simplykyra.com). When working with this `templates.json` file you will need to restart you reMarkable for your device to see any of the changes. You can restart your reMarkable manually or, if you’re connected to it via the command line you can simply enter: `systemctl restart xochitl`.

## *What icon codes can I use with my custom templates?*

The reMarkable comes with many default templates already included and each one has an associated icon code. This handy image below, taken from [reMarkable Wiki](https://remarkablewiki.com/tips/templates?fbclid=IwAR0PLk976IOF6PC%5FNkPnTlZsap4dR9CRcLtRgPGkZUCTBGUoAY68ktvgFig&ref=simplykyra.com), shows which ones were included with version 2.3.0.16\. Under each image here you can see the specific string that matches to that image. If making custom templates you will need to pick one to use for each template you add and will need to add the `\u` to the beginning of the string. If there’s a reMarkable template not listed here (if they’ve added any since this version) then you could always check your `templates.json` file to see what the icon code string used is.

*Update June 2024:* Used to have a link to the [reMarkable Wiki](https://remarkablewiki.com/tips/templates?fbclid=IwAR0PLk976IOF6PC%5FNkPnTlZsap4dR9CRcLtRgPGkZUCTBGUoAY68ktvgFig&ref=simplykyra.com) from October 3rd 2022\. In it you see all the *iconCodes* included in version 2.3.0.16\. That is no longer active so sharing [the image from rmhack on Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/j75nis/reference%5Fimage%5Ftemplate%5Ficon%5Fcodes%5Ffor%5F23016/?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Here you see 79 Images with associated text starting with the "e9" below each image. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/TemplateIconCodes.png)

Image taken from [reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/j75nis/reference%5Fimage%5Ftemplate%5Ficon%5Fcodes%5Ffor%5F23016/?ref=simplykyra.com).

## *When creating a custom template do you need both an SVG and a PNG file?*

You do not need both types of files when creating your custom templates. You *need* to upload a `PNG` file but an `SVG` isn’t needed. So far I’ve only used `PNG` files and had no issues. In fact I was curious how each image type was used so I did a test where I created a custom template with two different images and exported them to see which image type was used. I explained my methodology and results my [*Which Version of the reMarkable’s Templates Are Emailed Out?*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/06/08/which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/) post.

*Update June 2024:* The original [*Which Version of the reMarkable’s Templates Are Emailed Out?*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/06/08/which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/) post shows results that are no longer accurate. Now it shows an `SVG` file if available and a `PNG` if not. [Here's the updated post](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/update-which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/).

## *How can I create and/or upload a custom template?*

So far I’ve mainly created my custom template image files by exporting a `PDF` I already have so each page becomes a `PNG` file. I then use these image files as my custom templates. You could also use [GIMP](https://www.gimp.org/?ref=simplykyra.com), [Canva](https://www.canva.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), or other methods to create the images themselves. After connecting to your reMarkable you then upload the images, edit the `templates.json` file, and restart my device so the changes take effect. For help connecting you can check out my [*Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Through the Command Line*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/) post and for the custom templates themselves you can follow along in my [*How to Make Template Files for Your reMarkable*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/).

## *All my templates disappeared!*

Have you edited the `templates.json` file? If so it’s super easy to *break* the file by using mismatched brackets or quotes. If this happens you won’t get an error *but* your reMarkable won’t be able to see any of its templates and thus nothing will be listed when you go to select a template. When this happened to me I found it easiest to paste the contents of the file into [a JSON formatter (link to JSON formatter dot org)](https://jsonformatter.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) to help figure out what went wrong.

## *What does “custom templates aren’t officially supported” mean exactly?*

If you upload a custom template it is local only to your reMarkable which means you can use it there *but* when you open other reMarkable apps the template isn’t found so you won’t see the background of those pages but may see your written text. I got around this once with a notebook by exporting it as a `PDF` and keeping both versions so I could open the `PDF` version on my phone and see everything while still being able to use the notebook itself on my reMarkable. Of course you’d need to re-export each time you made changes.

The main issue with *not being supported* comes when the reMarkable updates its software as there’s a chance your custom changes will be removed and/or reset. I don’t see this all the time so I’m assuming it only happens on larger version updates and not the smaller ones. When this happens you’ll need to re-upload your used custom templates with the same names as before otherwise the reMarkable will see them as a new template and you’ll have to manually re-connect each page they were used on. I previously wrote [*My reMarkable2 Updated! This Is What I Did Next*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/14/my-remarkable2-updated-this-is-what-i-did-next/) in case you want more information.

That said, some people prefer to turn off their automatic updates so they aren’t surprised by their templates disappearing. Then they can choose to manually update their reMarkable when they’re with their computer and able to restore the templates. If you want to do the same you can find the *Automatic updates* toggle by going through the menu, tapping *General* on the left, and then clicking on your version, under *Software*, on the resulting page.

## *Can I speed the template restoration process up?*

Sure. I sped up my process by creating a bash script that I can run whenever my reMarkable looses my templates. It does mean you’ll need to have access to your computer with your reMarkable turned on to run it AND you will need to take the resulting text and manually add it to your `JSON` file. That said it uploads your images for you (based on how you saved them to your computer) and creates the `JSON` snippet in one go. The code itself is on [GitHub here](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/reMarkable/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com) but if you want to be walked through the script you can follow my posts:

- [Part One: *Quickly Generate a JSON Template Code Snippet for Your reMarkable*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/31/quickly-generate-a-json-template-code-snippet-for-your-remarkable/)
- [Part Two: *Quickly and Easily Upload Template Images to Your reMarkable*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/07/quickly-and-easily-upload-template-images-to-your-remarkable/)

## *Can it be easier than that?*

Definitely! I came out with an app that keeps track of your templates with a simple button to sync. When an update occurs you can open the app, hit sync, and go back to doing what you enjoy on the reMarkable. [Check it out here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/).

![Image is a collage of my app icon and image in the App Store.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/image.png)

## *I prefer a video for my tutorial.*

Great. I created a video that goes over my process (summarizing all my template-related blog posts at that time) which you can find [here (if you want the written transcript)](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/12/29/watch-how-i-upload-custom-templates-to-my-remarkable/) or directly through [YouTube here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&ref=simplykyra.com).

---

# *Screen Images*

## *Some people are changing their sleep screen image. What is that?*

There are a set of `PNG` images located within your reMarkable’s `/use/share/remarkable/` pathway. These images are used by the reMarkable to display messages to you the user. In the case of the sleep screen image itself when your reMarkable is asleep it shows you the `suspended.png` image. If you overwrite this image with a different one and restart your reMarkable then the new image will be displayed the next time your reMarkable is put to sleep.

![Image shows a screenshot of my terminal where I connected to my reMarkable and ran a "find" command to show all the PNG images contained within the remarkable directory.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_2022-10-03-at-11.32.53-AM.png?resize=750%2C306&ssl=1)

These are all the `PNG` images located within the `/usr/share/remarkable/` directory. I’m assuming you can switch out any of the images to update what the reMarkable shows. That said, so far I’ve only switched out the `suspended.png` image to alter my sleep screen.

## *How exactly do you change the sleep screen image?*

This was the first thing I wanted to do even before my reMarkable arrived! First you need to be able to connect to your reMarkable which can be through the terminal (see my [*Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Through the Command Line*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/) post) or through another application like [FileZilla](https://filezilla-project.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) or [WinSCP](https://winscp.net/eng/index.php?ref=simplykyra.com). Once connected you can use `SCP` to upload and overwrite the `suspended.png` file. The reMarkable won’t see this file change until after it’s restarted which can either be done manually through the settings or by running one more command: `systemctl restart xochitl`. To get a more in depth explanation on this check out my related post: [*Switch Out Your reMarkable’s Sleep Screen… Plus Easily Back it Up*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/10/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/)

As a quick aside there are other images in the directory that I haven’t changed but based on their names and how they look I can assume. For instance when the reMarkable is turned off it uses the `poweroff.png`. You can follow the same steps as the sleep screen image to replace those too.

![Image shows my reMarkable displayed on its side with the self-drawn image displaying the text "You got this! Just keep going. It will come to you."](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_IMG_4839.jpeg?resize=750%2C462&ssl=1)

I love displaying my reMarkable by my computer with the sleep screen image showing. I often use an image of my kids but sometimes display a message to myself instead.

## *What happens on an update?*

Like the templates above the default screen images are reset when the reMarkable updates. I keep my default screen images stored on my computer so I can easily choose one and re-upload it after an update. I haven’t created a script to automate this yet but if I always wanted to use the same image I could see adding the `scp` command to my custom template bash script to make this process quicker (see above under *Can I speed the template restoration process up?* for more information).

## *Can you do this for me?*

Definitely! I came out with an app that you can use to set your screen images and you can easily pick one, upload a button, and have a new image set on your reMarkable. When an update occurs you can open the app, pick the same or different image, hit upload, and go back to enjoying it on your reMarkable. [Check it out here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/).

---

# *Marker/Pen*

## *Can I use other brands?*

I have only used my reMarkable Marker and haven’t tried other brands so I can’t personally recommend any. That said, there are many other recommended brands mentioned within Facebook user groups, blog posts, and videos.

## *What can you tell me about the pen tips?*

When receiving your marker make sure to look for your tips as many people toss them away with the packaging!

![Image shows a collage of three photos showing the box holding the pen and how the tips are hidden in the lid. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_Screenshot-reMarkable-Pen-Tips-Image.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

Within your packaging you’ll find a credit card shaped rectangle with your replacement pen tips. Don’t forget this! I didn’t take any photos of mine so I’m showing a collage of screenshots taken from [a video Jonathon uploaded to the **How to get the best of my reMarkable?* Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/100011668824589/videos/1734120600122893/?idorvanity=1125709061180003). These screenshots were taken on October 3rd, 2022.

![Image shows six tips in the marker tip card with the refill package and two loose tips behind it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_IMG_4815.jpeg?resize=750%2C570&ssl=1)

I don’t go through too many tips but when my husband ordered his reMarkable I made sure to include a refill package for us so we’d never be without.

## *How do I use the marker tip card and swapping tool?*

The replacement pen tips that came with the marker also came packed within the marker tip card and swapping tool which I absolutely love. Here’s how I use it:

![Image shows my pen tip coming out of my pen as its point is stuck inside the marker tip card. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_IMG_4814.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

When you’re trying to get the tip out of your pen you can simply slide it along the groove at the bottom until the tip gets stuck inside. A quick tug from the pen extracts the tip from the pen and then you can easily grab the freed tip from the groove.

![Image shows the card upside down and bent so the tips ends are facing out making it easier for the pen to slide onto one of them. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_IMG_4821.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

When you want to insert a new tip you can bend the card and push the pen onto the tip which will then easily fall out of the card.

For a more in depth explanation you can check out reMarkable’s [*Markers and Marker tips for reMarkable 2*](https://support.remarkable.com/s/article/Markers-and-Marker-tips-for-reMarkable-2?ref=simplykyra.com).

## *What is “mushrooming”?*

As you use your pen more and more the tip will start to bulge out a bit which many users call *mushrooming* as it looks like a mushroom. This *mushrooming* will happen quicker if your press harder against the reMarkable while writing or drawing.

To make your tips last longer before they *mushroom* out you can try to write softer and some people have found switching pen styles on the reMarkable makes this easier to do. Additionally, once the tip *mushrooms*, another solution is to use a glass nail file to smooth out the tip. Just be sure to remove the tip before you file it down as you don’t want to injure the pen itself.

![Image shows me filing the edge of the black pen tip against a white glass nail file. You can see the residue where I've previously used it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_IMG_4818.jpeg?resize=750%2C423&ssl=1)

Once I notice some **mushrooming* on my pen I remove the tip and smooth out the edges with a glass nail file. If I’m out and about I make sure to bring the marker tip card with me so I can easily switch out the tip and, once home, smooth out the **mushroomed* edges so it’s like new. I’ve been keeping a slight gap between the fixed tips and the **never-before-used* ones so I can more easily know which side is which.

![Collage of two different side by side photos showing a mushroomed pen tip. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_Screenshot-Mushroomed-Tip-Image.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

As I’ve been filing my tips I didn’t have any good examples to show you of a **mushroomed* one so I looked online and found these two within the [**How to get the best of my reMarkable?* Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1125709061180003). On the left is [Italo’s pen tip](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1125709061180003/permalink/1307412076343033/) while [Cassandra’s photo](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1125709061180003/permalink/1395324700885103/) appears on the right. Both screenshots were taken on October 3rd, 2022.

## *My writing isn’t matching up with the pen tip?*

Sometimes you may notice that the writing on your reMarkable doesn’t quite match up with how you’re actually writing. Most often than not this means your tips I unbalanced so you’ll need to fix it by removing and re-inserting the pen tip. If that doesn’t fix the issue restarting your reMarkable might clear it up. In the remote case neither works this could mean that the support around your marker tip is broken causing the irregularity.

![Image shows doodles on a reMarkable but the doodle is slightly off from where the pen tip is lined up.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_Screenshot-2022-10-03-at-9.35.25-AM.png?resize=750%2C502&ssl=1)

[Audra posted a video showing this pen and writing mismatch in the **reMarkable 2 ideas* Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/audrasanta1/videos/10164948841275618?idorvanity=1043066349528246). I took this screenshot of the video on October 3rd 2022.

## *My pen tip is broken!*

I’ve seen several people online mention that the end of their pen, holding their tip in place, is broken. Many people online reported it to reMarkable and received replacements. Mine hasn’t broken so I haven’t needed to look into any solutions myself.

![Image is a collage of two screenshots but appear to be four images. All show the broke Marker Plus tip.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_Screenshot-Broken-Pen-Tip-Image.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

On the left is [Arjan’s pen tip, posted in **How to get the best of my reMarkable?* Facebook group,](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1125709061180003/permalink/1540653983018840/) while on the right are [three images of Ken’s pen tip posted within the **reMarkable user group* Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/177424916140887/permalink/935992326950805/). Both screenshots taken on October 3rd, 2022.

As an FYI within the Facebook user groups I’ve seen more cases of the black Marker Plus being broken over the grey Marker. Consensus seems to be because the Marker Plus has an eraser so it’s getting flipped around more often and thus has more chances of being dropped.

While looking for the above examples of a broken tip I came across [Erin’s post within the *reMarkable user group*](https://www.facebook.com/groups/177424916140887/permalink/979611529255551/) who fixed their broken pen using [Sugru](https://sugru.com/what-is-sugru?ref=simplykyra.com). Had to share it in case it could also help you.

![Screenshot of the Facebook post showing what looks to be three images. If you click the link to the post the bottom right one is really a video. The other two images shows the process of using Sugru and plastic wrap to fix the pen.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/10/compressed_Screenshot-2022-10-03-at-10.25.49-AM.png?resize=750%2C673&ssl=1)

[Erin](https://www.facebook.com/groups/177424916140887/permalink/979611529255551/) fixed their broken pen using plastic wrap, Sugru, and a pen tip. After letting it cure it was working great. The screenshot of their collage was taken on October 3rd, 2022.

---

# *Miscellaneous*

## *The pages won’t swipe anymore!* or *It takes multiple attempts to turn the pages!*

Are you still holding your pen while swiping? To stop mistaken swiping while writing reMarkable sometimes doesn’t swipe as easily when the pen is near the page. That said, sometimes there seems to be updates that make this process more sensitive too and then there’s additional complaints in the user groups of this occurring. If you’re still having trouble this may be the case so look online and see if other people are having the same issue and there may be another update soon that makes it once again simpler to swipe.

## *Why is the menu on the wrong side of the page?*

There are two cases for the menu to move on your reMarkable.

The more common reason your menu moves is based on your template orientation. Each template is set to either portrait (default) or landscape mode. This doesn’t change the `PNG` image itself (hence why the `Blank` template image is used for both the `JSON` listings) but instead moves the menu as the reMarkable assumes you’re holding it differently. Switching to another template using the other orientation will switch the menu back.

The other more user pre-determined reason is whether you’re left or right handed. This option moves the menu from the left to the right side or vis versus. It can be changed by going into *Accessibility* under *Settings*.

## *Do the images NEED to be 1404 by 1872 pixels*?

UPDATE: On the last update I noticed my screen images no longer squished to fit. Instead it showed a section of the image (as mine was larger). I've had to start resizing it to fit. 

The default templates and screen images measure 1404 by 1872 pixels. I’ve heard online that they need to be that size and have never tested custom templates that were another size. That said, I have used several sleep screen images, saved under `suspended.png`, that weren’t 1404 by 1872 pixels. In those cases I find the reMarkable simple squishes the image to fit. If you were using an image more sensitive to its aspect ratio being altered this could be a problem but for simple photos and the like I didn’t notice any obvious issues.

## *Can I delete Quick Sheets?*

In short you can’t but you can remove the individual pages. At first glance the quick sheets option seems to be the same as the notebooks but they aren’t. Think of quick sheets as a pile of scrap paper or post it notes. When you have a random thought that you don’t want to lose you can simply tap the handy *`+ Quick Sheets`* button at the top for a new page which create an empty page within *Quick Sheets* where you can jot down your idea before you forget it. Once done you can leave it to file later or move it into whichever notebook it truly belongs in.

I personally also find Quick Sheets handy when testing if a custom template was uploaded, fixed, or something else without having to use one of my more favorite notebooks.

## *How do I connect to my reMarkable?*

If you’re on an Apple or Linux computer you can use my previous post [*Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Through the Command Line*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/) that walks you through how I used my terminal to connect to my computer; while on Windows you can follow along with Bash but I’m not sure if the commands will be slightly different or not. I’ve only ever connected this way but I’ve also heard of people connecting via other applications like [FileZilla](https://filezilla-project.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) or [WinSCP](https://winscp.net/eng/index.php?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows the GPLv3 Compliance showing the username "root" and the blocked out password and IP addresses. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9904.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Here’s an image from the [mentioned post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/) showing where your log in credentials are. To find this you need to click on the menu, **Settings*, **Help*, and then on the opened window **Copyrights and License*s. At the bottom under **GPLv3 Compliance* you’ll find the information you need to connect to your device.

## *Can’t connect! Getting a “no matching host key type found” error.*

*This happened to me between running the beta macOS Ventura operating system and my reMarkable updating to version 2.15.0.1067\. With the last update the reMarkable now accepts different host key algorithms so this fix is no longer needed. I’m keeping this question here in case something similar comes up and, if it does, you can check out my related post:* [*How I Solved My SSH Connection Error: No Matching Host Key Type Found*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/09/28/how-i-solved-my-ssh-connection-error-no-matching-host-key-type-found/)

## *Can’t Connect! Getting “WARNING: REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED!*“

When the reMarkable runs a large update the host identification changes so this warning, seen in the below photo, pops up when attempting to `SSH` in. To fix it you look at where the offending `RSA key` is (in this case line 3 of my `.ssh/known_hosts` file) before opening the file, deleting the line, saving the file, and attempting to `SSH` in again. At this point it thinks it’s a new connection and asks you to confirm before adding the fresh identification back into the file and proceeding. For more information about this you can check out [*My reMarkable2 Updated! This Is What I Did Next* post under *Hit an Issue*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/14/my-remarkable2-updated-this-is-what-i-did-next/).

![Image shows the terminal message after attempting to SSH into the device. I warns about a potential man in the middle attach and tells me which line to remove from my known_hosts file. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-03-26-at-3.41.07-PM.png?resize=750%2C340&ssl=1)

Here’s an image from [the mentioned post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/14/my-remarkable2-updated-this-is-what-i-did-next/) displaying the error I get when attempting to `SSH` into my reMarkable after it’s updated. Here you can see I need to go into the `known_hosts` file, remove the third line, and save before attempting to `SSH` again. I know this from: `/.ssh/known_hosts:3`

![Image shows the result of connecting to your reMarkable after removing the line from your known_hosts file.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-03-26-at-3.55.08-PM.png?resize=750%2C205&ssl=1)

Once the offending line is removed you’re asked to verify the authenticity of the host before connecting.

## *Is there any file location that isn’t reset on a reMarkable update?*

I’ve heard of people getting around their sleep screen image getting removed by uniquely named a copy and saving it alongside the other default screen images within the `/usr/share/remarkable/` directory. The reMarkable image gets reset but the uniquely named one doesn’t so they can run a simple `cp` command to restore it rather than an `scp` and needing to remember where the image is on their computer. Thus the `remarkable` directory doesn’t seem to be fully reset on an update. Additionally, I’ve also kept a couple directories with files inside them within the `/home/root/` directory and they remained the same after updates too. Other than that I haven’t done much experimentation.

## *How do I go about backing up my reMarkable?*

I haven’t had to restore my reMarkable so this is untested. That said, I’ve written a script that, when executed, creates a dated directory and backs up my reMarkable into it. You can find my [Bash script on GitHub](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/reMarkable/backupRemarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com) or follow along with the how and why in my post [*Simple Script to Help Backup Your reMarkable*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/05/11/simple-script-to-help-backup-your-remarkable/). At the bottom of that post I also go over how I sometimes manually backup my notebooks by exporting them from the reMarkable app; however, the custom templates won’t be visible that way so with those notebooks I need to email them to myself. When the notebook gets too large it fails to email so I then need to sent it in parts and, using *Preview*, [combine them together on my computer](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/04/27/how-to-quickly-combine-pdf-files-on-your-mac/).

## *I want to go WAY beyond this… what have you come across*?

Just a warning most of this stuff I’ve just glanced at and haven’t looked into it too much. I figured I’d include it in case it interests you and in case I have trouble finding it in the future.

- A GitHub organization called [reHackable](https://github.com/reHackable?ref=simplykyra.com) containing many reMarkable-related repositories.
- Through Hacker News I came across [*How I bricked then recovered my reMarkable 2*](https://operand.ca/2021/09/27/how%5Fi%5Fbricked%5Fthen%5Frecovered%5Fmy%5Fremarkable%5F2.html?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

# *Official reMarkable Support*

If you need help with your reMarkable here are the official reMarkable [troubleshooting questions](https://support.remarkable.com/s/topic/0TO7Q000000sxrZWAQ/troubleshooting?ref=simplykyra.com) and [FAQs](https://support.remarkable.com/s/topic/0TO7Q000000sxrUWAQ/faq?ref=simplykyra.com). If you have issues you can start a support ticket through [their website’s Contact Support](https://support.remarkable.com/s/contactsupport?ref=simplykyra.com). Their social media accounts are: [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/remarkable/?ref=simplykyra.com), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/reMarkablePaper?ref=simplykyra.com), and [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/remarkableAS/).

---

I hope these questions and answers helped you out with whatever you’re trying to do or solve. If you have another question feel free to post it in the comments below. If you’re a new user don’t forget to grab your extra reMarkable pen tips from the packaging! If you’ve been a user awhile is there something, looking back, that you wished you had known? If so you can also share that below.

Hope you’re having a good week and a great day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Zoey’s Random but Fun Sixth Birthday
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/zoeys-random-but-fun-sixth-birthday/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T23:46:26.000Z
When I started this blog I wanted to share the girls’ birthday parties as I loved the super simple sensory activities and themes I chose to use. Once COVID hit I shared how I found a simple solution to *host a party* while still sheltering in place. Since then sharing the parties have also became a way to store and share a memory of the day… and without further ado a glimpse at Zoey’s slightly random but still really fun sixth birthday party!

![Pinterest-geared image showing my blog post's title, my main URL, and a collage of five photos that can also be found below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_Zoeys-Random-but-Fun-Sixth-Birthday-Party-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

As Zoey’s birthday approached this year we debated what to do and even considered taking Zoey somewhere big instead of hosting a party. Then she was invited to two parties both the weekend before *AND* the weekend after her birthday and we worried she’d be excited to do something big at first but later be disappointed to not have a party with friends so we decided that we’d host a party.

When asked what she wanted to do for her party she kept telling me dance party as last year the girls were gifted strobing dance lights for their bedroom which Zoey wanted to use again with friends. She was adamant about the dance party portion and over time I added oobleck and a general rainbow theme to the party which she approved of. With the general plan decided we picked a day and time and sent out the party invitations.

## *Party Preparations*

### *Treat Bags*

A week or so before the party I grabbed some white paper bags, used a black paint pen to write the names of the guests, and had Zoey decorate them. Ada wanted to be a part of the action so she asked to decorate Zoey’s treat bag. Once they had finished [I made some playdough](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/), bought and gathered up some treat bag stuff, divided them out, and stuffed them all into the bags.

![Image show the contents of a treat bag including a mix of homemade (playdough), store-bought (chalk, bubble stuff, fruit rollups), and repackaged (goldfish crackers in a snack bag). The white decorated bags are in the back and the empty packaging (fruit rollup and goldfish crackers) are to the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0200.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I made two [doubled batches of playdough](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/) in blue and pink. I chose two primary colors so the guests could later mix part of it together to get the secondary color (purple – Zoey picked) or enjoy the colors separately. I also bought a bubble kit in the party section of Walmart so I could use the wands with bulk bubble mix at the party while using the little bubble mix bottles and bubble pipes in the bags. Some packaged chalk, repackaged goldfish crackers, and two fruit rollups finished off each of the bags.

### *Food and Dessert*

While planning the meal we decided to take it easy and order pizza the morning off. Looking back I’m so glad we did as the power went out right before the party started and we didn’t have to worry about cooking anything. To go with the planned pizza I had decided to cut up some raw veggies and toss together a fruit salad recipe I had ogled in the *[The Secret Ingredient Cookbook](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/05/05/the-secret-ingredient-cookbook-review/)* but hadn’t gotten a chance to make yet. I cut and assembled it the morning of the party and it didn’t disappoint. In fact the fruit salad was still amazing days later… as I had multiplied the recipe and made a big batch.

We ended up having a full house of parents and kids so, for drinks, we decided to grab a cooler and fill it with a selection of drinks so everyone would feel more welcomed to grab whenever they’d like. This included juice boxes, waters, flavored waters, ice, and otter pops (by Zoey’s request).

For the dessert Zoey wanted angel food cupcakes again and so the day before I mixed up a box mix of angel food cake and added some food dye to match the rainbow theme. [I shared them here if you’re interested to learn more](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/08/03/super-simple-rainbow-colored-angel-food-cupcakes/). The colorful interior colors, the rainbow themed paper plates and utensils, and the rainbow sprinkles against the white whip cream created a subtle rainbow theme.

![Image shows a cupcake cut into four pieces and spilling from an orange silicon liner. You can see the rest behind it on the cooling rack and cupcake tin.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0284.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I cut into one of the colorful cupcakes to check out the color, taste test, and snap a photo for my blog and for Zoey later on.

![Image shows Matt lighting up the candles on the cupcake while Zoey watches. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0342.jpg?resize=750%2C403&ssl=1)

The birthday girl gets the first cupcake with extra whip cream so the candles are secured for the birthday song. She loved the cupcakes and all the kids couldn’t wait to get theirs too.

### *Decorations*

The night before the party I grabbed a piece of computer paper and a back paint pen to create a sign for outside our gate. I left it on the table so the kids could decorate it before we taped it outside. I loved the simple and last minute sign.

![Image shows a white rectangular sign against wood saying "Happy Birthday Zoey!" "Welcome to the party. Come on in!". Surrounding the words there are pink hearts covering the page. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0339.jpeg?resize=750%2C518&ssl=1)

I love the super simple last minute addition of a sign and the lovely hearts the girls drew on them.

While I handled the kitchen prep and the final activity setup outside Matt entertained the girls and set up the epic birthday party room. [Last year](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/02/16/the-year-of-our-small-and-simple-birthday-parties/) we used one or two large crepe streamer rolls to decorate the ceiling while this year I bought a multipack of small crepe rolls to go with the rainbow theme and added a tinsel doorway curtain. If you do the same Matt got about six streamers per each roll of crepe.

![Image shows a white rimmed doorway with rainbow colored tinsel strands blocking the open door.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0336.jpeg?resize=750%2C499&ssl=1)

I love the rainbow tinsel curtain. Matt used some push pins to hold it up above the doorway and trimmed the excess tinsel so it barely brushed the floor. A couple days after the party we took it down and set it aside for Ada’s. Word of warning the girls did start pulling the tinsel off of it.

![Image shows the same view as before but now the streamers are pulled aside and you can see into the room. Hanging from the ceiling are many different colored streamers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0338.jpeg?resize=750%2C464&ssl=1)

I love all the different colored streamers inside the room. They stayed up for several days before the girls pulled them down and made streamer bundles to play with and/or stick in their hair.

Matt did an amazing job! Which was mostly for naught as our power went out right before the party though the kids did have fun jumping around the dark bedecked room.

### *Activities/Stations*

In addition to the dance party we planned several more activities that the kids could cycle through whenever they wanted. I’m so glad we did as the kids all had a blast outside and even came inside to play within the dimmed rooms.

Our main idea was to create oobleck for the kids to play with. Previous years we used to make it in a flat large storage bin but over the years they became brittle in the sun outside and broke. This year I decided to instead buy four cheap plastic containers and made the oobleck in them. The plan was to reuse them for Ada’s party later on but the girls are still playing with the resulting [dried out oobleck](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/08/21/dried-out-oobleck-oobleck-sand/) outside so we’ll see if the containers last. If you want to make your own I shared about it [here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/09/12/oobleck-a-simple-two-ingredient-sensory-material/) along with [several variations](https://www.simplykyra.com/?s=oobleck) we’ve tried out over the years. In all this took about six one-pound packages of cornstarch along with the water and food dye.

![Image shows three small clear containers with cornstarch and dyed water partially mixed. In the background sits three empty Argo cornstarch containers and a container of food dyes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0333.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I laid out all the materials I needed the night before and, after prepping the veggies and fruit salad, mixed up some colorful oobleck before having the kids take it outside. I used all three primary colors (along with a purple-ish one) so the kids could mix up whatever color they dreamed of.

Another activity I set up outside was bubbles. We had somehow lost our bubble wands over the years but this idea came together when I saw a party pack of individual bubble mix and bubble toys at Walmart. The wands and dishes created a bubble station in the backyard while the small bottles of mix and bubble pipes (germ hazard if shared) were put into their treat bags. For last year’s parties I bought a plastic drink dispenser to hold bubble mix along with a gallon jug of bubble mix to fill it with. Over the year somehow the dispenser had broken and I couldn’t find either the dispenser or the gallon size bubble mix in the stores. Instead I decided to buy smaller bottles of bubble mix and a package of disposable cups. The bottle was small enough for the kids to use themselves, if needed, and I wrote each kids name on a cup so they could control their own bubble mix whether they were at the station or not. Plus with a larger party they could see their name and not have to memorize a cup color like I did last year.

![Image shows a pink plastic drink dispenser with bubbly liquid inside and the words "Bubble Mix" and bubbles written on the outside. There are bubble wands to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_Zoey_IMG_6925.jpeg?resize=750%2C588&ssl=1)

[Last year](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/02/16/the-year-of-our-small-and-simple-birthday-parties/) I bought a drink dispenser from the Dollar Tree, labeled it with a paint pen, and filled it up from our large jug of bubble mix. I grabbed our plastic drinking glasses for the bubbles and cleaned it *really* well afterwards. I paired this with all the leftover bubble wands we already owned. If you’re having a party with smaller guests and don’t want the kids to spill bubble mix we once [taped bubble wands to our deck](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/09/26/stop-your-bubble-mix-from-spilling/) so we didn’t have to worry. I recommend not leaving them up for too long as it’s hard to open and close them when tapped up and hard to refill.

![Image shows an outside table with labeled disposable cups, bubble wands and trays, and a. tall bottle of bubble mix. In the background is a large Jungle Jumparoo for ht kids to hop and swing on. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0366.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

This year the bubble station was just as self-sufficient but looked different with labeled cups, simpler bubble mix bottles, and more diverse wands.

In addition to the fresh oobleck and bubbles I created several more activities or stations around the backyard based on what we already owned. I tidied up the backyard and set up these stations with Ada’s help a couple days before the party and it was perfect as it was less stress the day of the party. We gathered all the toys to a cleared off space, moved the chalk closer to the sidewalk, put the hula hoops and skip ropes by the playhouse, and made sure we had a space for picnic blankets for the kids to eat outside. We also made sure there were fun vehicles in the living room if people wanted to play inside. I didn’t; however, get any photos of this until hours after the party but here are some shots of the aftermath:

![Image shows an opened plastic suitcase filled with chalk next to the sidewalk with some white and pink doodles. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0367.jpeg?resize=750%2C500&ssl=1)

We gathered up all the new and old chalk next to the sidewalk so the kids could draw and doodle to their hearts content.

![Image shows multicolored interlocking foam squares with pink oobleck spread out on it and the containers, shovels, and toys to the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0369.jpeg?resize=750%2C463&ssl=1)

We laid out the oobleck on the foam squares by their playhouse and, during the party, lots of the plastic animals and other characters were brought over to join the fun. After the party the girls went back outside and played with the oobleck for hours. I snapped this picture after they had gone back in again. Even now, weeks later, [the oobleck is still outside](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/08/21/dried-out-oobleck-oobleck-sand/) and getting played with and rehydrated occasionally.

![Image shows two buckets. The one on the left has pink oobleck at the bottom. The blue one on the right is tipped over and you can't see if it's clean or not. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0368.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

A bit after the party started I realized the kids had nothing to wash their hands with. I grabbed some sand buckets and filled them with water so the kids could dunk their hands in. They then found smaller buckets and a plastic play watering can and transported water from the buckets to the oobleck. Hours later the buckets themselves were empty of water with dried out oobleck stuck to the bottom. I guess I call this a sign of success.

---

## *Zoey’s Birthday*

We hosted the party before Zoey’s birthday so we could enjoy the day without worrying about hosting anything. The day before her birthday I took the girls to Costco and planned to visit Dairy Queen for Zoey’s requested ice cream cake. When faced with the cakes at Costco; however, Zoey changed her mind, several times, and finally settled on the same one as last year as she remembered how amazing it tasted. Rather than worry about it in the trunk I carefully belted it into the front seat and snagged some photos with the girls when we got home.

![Image shows the side of Zoey's head and a hand placed on the passenger seat next to the belted in sheet cake. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0599.jpeg?resize=750%2C630&ssl=1)

Safety first with the tuxedo cake!

We had bought a boogie board for the wall so I used it to write an extra special message to Zoey to go along with the balloons, Zoey’s choice of meals, presents, and the Zoey’s choice outing the next day.

![Image shows a black board saying "Happy 6th Birthday Zoey!"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0636.jpeg?resize=750%2C604&ssl=1)

I wrote a quick birthday message on the boogie board for Zoey to find that morning .

![Image shows a red and yellow birthday balloon taped to the left chair and a matching green one on the right chair. In the background you can see kinetic sand and toys on the table.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0637.jpeg?resize=750%2C325&ssl=1)

Zoey wanted two helium balloons tied to her chair and one on Ada’s. The local Dollar Tree was out of helium so I used regular *Happy Birthday* balloons instead.

![Image shows two balloons hovering in the air in front of a painting and above black fan. Both are a bit blurred although you can tell the yellow one is spinning faster as it's more blurred. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0711.jpeg?resize=603%2C1024&ssl=1)

At some point the girls realized they could adjust our small black fan to point up and make the balloons hover and dance in the air. They were both able to get two balloons up there consistently.

---

Overall Zoey had an awesome birthday party and loved her birthday!

I’d love to hear if any of these ideas helped you plan your own party. Feel free to let me know if it did in the comments below. Hope you’re having a great day and have an awesome party.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/)
### How I Solved My SSH Connection Error: No Matching Host Key Type Found
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-solved-my-ssh-connection-error-no-matching-host-key-type-found/
Last updated: 2023-05-10T15:55:59.000Z
In the last month or so I stopped being able to `SSH` into my reMarkable as I normally do. After putting off fixing it for a bit I finally decided to just sit down and figure out what was wrong. I got it working and had to share how I know connect to my device in case the same thing happens to you.

![Pinterest-geared image showing the post's title, main URL, and four images also shown below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/09/compressed_How-I-Solved-My-SSH-Connection-Error-No-Matching-Host-Key-Type-Found-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

*Below I replaced my host IP address with XXX.XXX.X.XXX so instead of typing in XXX.XXX.X.XXX please enter whatever IP address you’re trying to connect to instead.*

---

## *Edits*

### October 7th, 2022:

*I just updated my reMarkable to version 2.15.0.1067\. Had issues connecting. Error: `Connection closed by ... port 22`. Fixed this by going into my `~/.ssh/known_hosts` file and removing the corresponding line.*

*With the update the reMarkable now accepts different host key algorithms so this below fix is no longer needed. Keeping the post around in case someone else has a similar issue.*

### March 22nd, 2023:

When moving my website over I lost my previous comments so I wanted to include [Jen Lampton's](https://www.jenlampton.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) comment where I was asked if I had ever found a solution that allowed me to connect using my SSH key again. I wasn't able to answer but she later replied:

> I just discovered a solution for the public key – I’ll post here in case anyone else finds your helpful article 🙂

> \`PubkeyAcceptedAlgorithms +ssh-rsa\`

And now on to the previously written post.

---

## *How I Connected Before*

Before going into how I now connect to my reMarkable I wanted to first mention my earlier post that showed [how I access my reMarkable through the command line](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/). In addition to the simple `SSH` command it also mentions how I used my public key to skip entering my password (using the `.ssh/authorized_keys` file) *AND* how I created a shortcut (using `.ssh/config`) so I could skip entering my username and IP address each time. In case you already know how to use `SSH` but can’t find the information you need to connect to your reMarkable you can find it on your device here:

![Image is a photo of my reMarkable showing the GPLv3 Compliance along with my username and blanked out password and IP addresses.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9904.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

*The information you need to connect to your reMarkable can be found under Settings > Help > Copyrights and licenses > General Information. Here you’ll see the GPLv3 Compliance which shows your username, password, and the IP addresses.*

---

## *The Problem*

After I upgraded my operating system to the macOS Ventura (13.0 beta) I was was no longer able to `SSH` into my reMarkable device. Specifically:

```
❯ ssh root@XXX.XXX.X.XXX
Unable to negotiate with XXX.XXX.X.XXX port 22: no matching host key type found. Their offer: ssh-rsa
```

`SSH` (Secure Shell) is a secure method to connect and communicate between two devices. The security comes from the public key cryptography it uses to verify that who you’re talking to is actually who you think it is. One type of algorithm it can use is `RSA`. Back in 2021 `OpenSSH` released version 8.8 where it deprecated the [ssh-rsa signature scheme as it used the SHA-1 hash algorithm in conjunction with the RSA public key algorithm (link to Icarus.sg)](https://ikarus.sg/rsa-is-not-dead/?ref=simplykyra.com). This change shouldn’t be an issue as most systems use the modern version of `OpenSSH` which will see the `RSA` key and switch to a stronger signature scheme. So it shouldn’t be an issue.

My problem was that my computer was using the updated `OpenSSH` so it disables `RSA` by default (doesn’t accept `ssh-rsa` signature schemes) while the way reMarkable is configured will *only* use `RSA`… hence the discrepancy.

---

## *The Solution*

### *Using SSH Command*

To get around the current error you’ll need to alter that command a bit to specify what the host key algorithm you want to use is by passing in the option command `-o` and following it with `HostKeyAlgorithms` and the specific algorithm you want which in this case is `ssh-rsa`. Here I just want to add `ssh-rsa` to the list of preferred host key signature algorithms so I used a `+` to specify that. If I wanted to remove it from the list I’d use a `-` while a `^` moves it to the head of the default list. You can learn more about this by typing in `man ssh_config` in your terminal and navigating down to `HostKeyAlgorithms`.

My `SSH` statement thus went from `ssh root@XXX.XXX.X.XXX` to `ssh -oHostKeyAlgorithms=+ssh-rsa root@XXX.XXX.X.XXX` and now, after asking my password, I’m able to connect to my reMarkable!

```bash
❯ ssh -oHostKeyAlgorithms=+ssh-rsa root@XXX.XXX.X.XXX
root@XXX.XXX.X.XXX's password:
ｒｅＭａｒｋａｂｌｅ
╺━┓┏━╸┏━┓┏━┓   ┏━┓╻ ╻┏━╸┏━┓┏━┓
┏━┛┣╸ ┣┳┛┃ ┃   ┗━┓┃ ┃┃╺┓┣━┫┣┳┛
┗━╸┗━╸╹┗╸┗━┛   ┗━┛┗━┛┗━┛╹ ╹╹┗╸
reMarkable: ~/
```

![Image shows the same text as above but in a screenshot of the terminal using color. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/09/compressed_2022-09-15-at-7.32.46-AM.png?resize=750%2C366&ssl=1)

Figured I’d share a picture of what this looks like with color.

---

### *Using a Shortcut*

If you don’t want to specify the key algorithm every time (or even the username and host) you can create a shortcut. To create the shortcut you’ll need to navigate to the `~/.ssh` directory and edit, or create, a `config` file. Here’s what my updated config file looks like now with the `HostKeyAlgorithms` specified (before it just had the first three lines):

```config
Host remarkable
    HostName XXX.XXX.X.XXX
	User root
	HostKeyAlgorithms=+ssh-rsa
	PubkeyAcceptedKeyTypes=+ssh-rsa
```

Here I call my connection `remarkable` so I just need to type `ssh remarkable` into the terminal when I want to connect. You can call yours whatever you want by changing the `remarkable` word at the beginning after `Host`.

If you want to learn more about how I did this, without the `ssh-rsa` additions, I talked about it in my [Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Through the Command Line](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/) post under the heading: *Forget the Username and IP Address by Creating a Shortcut*.

---

## *Addendum: What Version of SSH Your Device Is Running*

While working my way through this issue I found some other commands I could run to better understand the `SSH` my device(s) were running. In case you might also be interested in this I figured I’d include it here.

*First a quick aside: I ran these commands on September 15th, 2022 while running `Version 2.14.3.977` on my reMarkable (Dropbear v2019.78) and the beta macOS 13.0 Ventura on my computer (OpenSSH\_9.0p1, LibreSSL 3.3.6*)*.* 

To find the exact version of `SSH` your device is running you can run `ssh` with the version flag `-`V. This means you can run it on your computer or on any device you have `ssh` access to. For me, after fixing my `ssh` issue and shown below, I ran it on my computer and saw my Mac is using `OpenSSH_9.0p1` and `LibreSSL 3.3.6`. I then connected to my reMarkable and ran it again to see that my reMarkable is instead running `Dropbear v2019.78`.

![Image shows the `ssh -V` command on both my computer and reMarkable. Both output different ssh versions which makes sense as they conflict with `ssh-rsa`.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/09/compressed_2022-09-15-at-8.08.32-AM.png?resize=750%2C591&ssl=1)

Even if you can’t connect to a device you can still find out what version of `SSH` it’s running through the verbose mode `-`v command when attempting to connect; in this case a lowercase `v` rather than the capitalized version above. Verbose mode explains what’s happening when it attempts to connect and outputs the `SSH` version of your device before it realizes whether it can connect or not. I also tried doing this when my reMarkable was turned off but, as it was turned off, the operation timed out as it couldn’t connect and thus couldn’t output its `SSH` version.

```
❯ ssh -v remarkable
OpenSSH_9.0p1, LibreSSL 3.3.6 // My computer version
...
debug1: Remote protocol version 2.0, remote software version dropbear_2019.78
debug1: compat_banner: no match: dropbear_2019.78 // My reMarkable version
...
```

![Image shows the same text as before... just more colorful.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/09/compressed_2022-09-15-at-8.16.00-AM.png?resize=750%2C256&ssl=1)

If you travel down the output you’ll eventually come across what `SSH` version your devices are using.

---

Whether you’re having difficulty connecting to your reMarkable or some other device I hope this post has helped you. If so I’d love to hear how and what in the comments below! If my post was missing some crucial information feel free to share in the comments below and maybe it will help someone else later on.

Have a great day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Update to My Simple and Quick Dresser Drawer Fix
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/update-to-my-simple-and-quick-dresser-drawer-fix/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T23:43:14.000Z
Years ago [I fixed my daughter’s dresser drawers with a hot glue gun](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/08/simple-quick-dresser-drawer-fix/) and declared the task completed. However, recently, I noticed one of the drawers started to sag again. After a quick look I realized I needed to alter my previous plan and thus I ended up upcycling an emptied cereal box. Here’s what I did!

![Pinterest-geared image showing my blog title, main URL, an image of the sagging drawer, an image of the fixed drawer, and an arrow going from the old one to the new one. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_Update-to-My-Simple-and-Quick-Dresser-Drawer-Fix-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Both my girls have their own dresser in their bedroom to store their clothing but I noticed, years ago, that one of these dressers frequently had its drawers stuck open. On inspection I realized that the bottom of the drawers shifted enough that they weren’t being held up by the frame and had instead sagged down. This meant the drawer was able to be pulled out as the bottom was pressed up as it opened but when we tried to push it back in the sagging edge got caught and stopped the drawer in its tracks. I quickly realized I could get around this by shoving the bottom up as I pushed in but after a while I realized I needed an actual fix. After pulling all the drawers out and emptying them [I was able to fix the bottom of each drawer with my hot glue gun](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/08/simple-quick-dresser-drawer-fix/). This was a perfect fix and I had no complaint for years… though recently I noticed the top drawer has started sagging again. It wasn’t bad enough to get stuck open but I knew, given enough time, it would and so I needed to fix it again and soon.

I started removing all the drawers and was pleasantly surprised to see that the bottom two were still holding strong from the last time. I only needed to fix the top drawer! I carefully removed the contents, pulled it fully out, and carried it to the kitchen table where I had just plugged in my handy little hot glue gun. Upon closer inspection I was disheartened to realize that when I pushed the bottom into place it no longer reached the groove in the edges and thus couldn’t be held in place. I think this was also the case last time as I had used the glue gun to create a lip of sorts that the bottom could rest on. I knew this time we needed a better solution that would hold up for longer so I paused to think it over.

![Image shows the drawer laid upside down on the table with the side closest to the viewer and the small blue hot glue gun in the background partly hidden. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_9807.jpeg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

I emptied and removed the drawer from the dresser and placed it upside down on the kitchen table where I could see it better.

![Image shows a close up of the back of the drawer where the flat bottom is bowed enough to each the bottom of the drawer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_9808.jpeg?resize=750%2C270&ssl=1)

The sagging bottom was obvious especially when viewed from the center where the flat wood was almost even with the base of the back.

![Same view of the drawer as the previous one but now the bottom was pushed down (hands out of sight) so you can see the inside of the drawer including where the groove that the base was supposed to be in. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_9809.jpeg?resize=750%2C432&ssl=1)

Once I pressed down on the flat wood I could easily see the groove where the wood was supposed to rest within but I also saw the gap where it pulled away from the wall rather than nestle inside.

Looking around for inspiration I noticed my bag of recycling and realized I could use some leftover cardboard to create a surface for the bottom to rest on. After inspecting the groove I realized the cardboard boxes might be a bit too thick to fit but an emptied cereal box would be perfect. I grabbed one and lined it up with the groove to see that it fit perfectly!

Since this would be hidden within the dresser it didn’t matter how it looked. I quickly cut off a length of box about an inch or two wide. I then pushed the bottom of the drawer in, eyed how long the cardboard section was, and pushed a continuous bead of hot glue into the groove matching the length of the cardboard. Once the glue was in, without missing a beat, I gently shimmied the cardboard in so the glue would keep it in place. I then let go of the bottom and saw that the cardboard was capable of holding the bottom in place.

![Image shows the same close-up of the draw but now there's a cut piece of thin cardboard jammed into the groove and keeping the bottom from popping back up. The cardboard almost matches the wood but this piece has some white bits on it that pop.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_9812.jpeg?resize=750%2C313&ssl=1)

After cutting a strip of the cereal box I then pushed the bottom in, ran a bead of hot glue along the groove, and shimmied the cardboard in while making sure that the colorful side was down and hidden. Love how it kind of matches the surrounding wood.

To make sure this fix would last awhile I cut off two more strips of the cereal box and repeated the previous steps on either side of the first strip. This way the cardboard insert stretched from one end of the back of the drawer to the other.

![Image shows one side of the same drawer with another piece of cardboard touching the first one's edge and stretching almost to the edge of the drawer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_9814.jpeg?resize=750%2C234&ssl=1)

I repeated the same steps twice more so the left and right side of the first piece of cardboard would continue to the far side. Now there’s cardboard inserted into the entire groove from the far left to the far right side.

With the cardboard in place within the groove I next lifted the loose side up a bit and pushed some more glue in to hold the entire piece in place. Once the glue was there I pressed firmly against the cardboard to fix it in place. I did this as I wanted to make sure the cardboard would stay in place longterm and not have a chance to hang and/or get snagged on anything. With that done I next added more glue along the groove to help hold the cardboard and the drawer bottom within the groove securely.

![Image shows the cardboard again but there's now more glue bit showing along the grove and the odd bit showing from underneath in the upper right corner. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_9815.jpeg?resize=750%2C313&ssl=1)

I then lifted the loose edge of the cardboard up from the bottom, pushed some glue out along the edge, and pressed the cardboard firmly back down to hold it in place better. I also applied glue along the groove to help hold it in place and add a little ledge it could rest on.

And with that this drawer was officially fixed… again. I still can’t believe that [this simple glue gun fix](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/08/simple-quick-dresser-drawer-fix/) held for so long as the bottom two drawers are still going strong. I have high hopes that the addition of cardboard along with more glue will help keep this top drawer in place for a way longer time.

If you have the same issue I hope this fix helps you. If you don’t have a hot glue gun I bought this mini-gun from Michaels Arts and Crafts years ago along with the mini glue sticks. Looking online now (on July 17th, 2022) I see my older and much loved [Craft Smart® gun](https://www.michaels.com/craft-smart-mini-glue-gun-high-temp/10301549.html?ref=simplykyra.com) is only $2.99 while my other one, [a Fashion Mini by ArtMinds®](https://www.michaels.com/fashion-mini-glue-gun-by-artminds/10145047.html?ref=simplykyra.com), is $3.99\. Looking back I bought the ArtMinds® one as it was purple but it doesn’t work as well as the other older one as it’s not slated as a *high heat* glue gun. That said, the glue gets mighty hot so be careful while using it. Either way, whether you’ve used hot glue guns before or not, I hope this helps you fix your drawer. If so I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. If not I’d love to know if you used something else to fix it. Either way I hope you’re having a great day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Update to "My Custom Picker With Multi-Selection in SwiftUI" - Now With Images!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/update-to-my-custom-picker-with-multi-selection-in-swiftui-now-with-images/
Last updated: 2023-12-09T01:08:25.000Z
Back in February I wrote a post titled *[How To Make a Custom Picker with Multi-Selection in SwiftUI](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/02/23/how-to-make-a-custom-picker-with-multi-selection-in-swiftui/)* where I explained how I created a custom controller, akin to a [Picker](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/picker?ref=simplykyra.com), that allows the user to select multiple items at once. I’ve recently been emailed asking how one might be able to use images rather than text which led to me switching the `String` array used to a customizable `Struct` and I had to share the final code with you in case you’re also looking for something similar too.

![Pinterest-geared image showing the two images found below, my main URL, and the text "Update to *How to Make a Custom Picker with Multi-Selection in SwiftUI* Now customizable with a Struct. Works for Images!"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_Update-to-My-Custom-Picker-With-Multi-Selection-in-SwiftUI-Now-With-Images-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

*I’m currently running Beta software and figured I’d share in case it affects your results. Specifically macOS Ventura (13.0 Beta) and, for Xcode, version 14.0 beta. Also, as before, any links, unless mentioned, will direct you to either my blog or the corresponding Apple Documentation page.*

---

### *The Backstory*

If you want the backstory on why I created this control, what sources I used to come up with it, a closer comparison between the iOS and macOS version, more screenshots, or even just a more in depth explanation of how to code it check out my previous post *[How To Make a Custom Picker with Multi-Selection in SwiftUI](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/02/23/how-to-make-a-custom-picker-with-multi-selection-in-swiftui/)*. Both the original code and the `Struct` updated version can be found on my [*SimplyKyraBlog* GitHub repository](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog?ref=simplykyra.com). Specifically, [the original code file is here](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/SwiftExamples/CustomMultiSelectionPicker.swift?ref=simplykyra.com) while [the updated file can be found here](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/SwiftExamples/CustomMultiSelectionExampleWithImages?ref=simplykyra.com). 

---

### *The Updated Code Explained*

The update essentially takes the original `String` array and replaces it with a custom `Struct`. This way you can add whatever you want access to for the multi-selection picker. In my example I keep the `Struct` simple and include an `Int` id (to be identifiable), a `String` name (to display), and a `String` image name (to access a specific `[SF Symbol](https://developer.apple.com/sf-symbols/?ref=simplykyra.com)`). I could see potentially displaying custom images by either using a `String` identifier name or using another type like `Data` or `Image`.

My custom `Struct` is:

```swift
struct myItem: Hashable, Identifiable {
    var id: Int
    var name:String
    var imageName:String
}
```

I next changed the `selectedItems` and `allItems` variables at the top of my `ContentView` to use this `myItem` `Struct` rather than the previous `String`. It now looks like:

```swift
@State var selectedItems = [myItem]()
@State var allItems:[myItem] = [
    myItem(id: 0, name: "smile", imageName: "face.smiling"),
    myItem(id: 1, name: "heart", imageName: "heart"),
    myItem(id: 2, name: "music", imageName: "music.quarternote.3"),
    myItem(id: 3, name: "scribble", imageName: "scribble"),
    myItem(id: 4, name: "fire", imageName: "flame"),
    myItem(id: 5, name: "piano", imageName: "pianokeys"),
    myItem(id: 6, name: "puzzle", imageName: "puzzlepiece"),
]
```

In the macOS and iOS `Views` I also updated the `selectedItems` and `allItems` to be a `myItem` array rather than a `String` array.

Surprisingly there weren’t many changes in `MultiSelectPickerView`. Other than switching the type of `selectedItems` and `allItems` I only needed to change the display code for each row while the action of the `Button` stayed the same. Specifically I went from `Text(item)` to `Image(systemName: item.imageName)`.

The code to display my selected items, for debugging purposes, no longer compiled and took the longest to change but that wasn’t even that bad. Since this was a quick example I went simple and switched it to:

```swift
ForEach(selectedItems) { item in
    HStack {
        Text("\t*\(item.name) - ")
        Image(systemName: item.imageName)
    }
}
```

And with those minor changes you can now use `SF Symbols`, or whatever else you want, within your custom controller!

![Image shows a simulator of the iPhone SE running iOS 16.0 on the left and the macOS version on the right. Both show the custom control with 4 or 3 images selected and, below, a list of those images along with a name. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_2022-08-08-at-8.51.38-AM.png?resize=750%2C663&ssl=1)

Whether on the phone simulator or through the macOS app you can see the custom controller with the number of selected items still displayed. For debugging purposes I created a simple list below it showing both the display name and the corresponding image. Here anything in the custom `Struct` can be accessed as it’s seeing the `selectedItems` array of the `Struct` itself.

![The same apps are running but now the custom controller is open showing all the available items along with a checkbox to show which are selected. On the iPhone (left) you can only see this list while on the macOS it displays a popup and you can see the control and manual list updating as the selection is changed. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_2022-08-08-at-8.51.48-AM.png?resize=750%2C644&ssl=1)

Either version lets you show whatever you want to the user, in this case just the image, along with a checkmark to show whether it’s selected or not. As the macOS version opens in a popup you can also see the control and the below list updating in realtime as you select or de-select items in the popup.

---

### *The Code Itself*

If you want to implement this yourself I shared [the code on GitHub here](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/SwiftExamples/CustomMultiSelectionExampleWithImages?ref=simplykyra.com) and also created a public Gist.

---

### *Fixed the Previous Issue*

In [my last post, under **One Issue*,](https://www.simplykyra.com/how-to-make-a-custom-picker-with-multi-selection-in-swiftui/#one-issue) I mentioned a problem with the layout when this control was used in a `Form` alongside other controls as their leading and trailing edges didn’t line up.

![Image shows a popup macOS application with three simple labelled controls (a TextField, Picker, and this multi-select custom control) and they aren't lined up with each other on the left and right sides. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_XrlYM.png?resize=750%2C263&ssl=1)

Image taken from my previous post showing how I had issues with the controls lining up within the `Form`.

Since upgrading to the new beta I’ve been able to try the new [Grid control (iOS 16.0+ and macOS 13.0+)](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/grid?ref=simplykyra.com) which completely solved this issue. I had asked this question and then subsequently answered it on StackOverflow, under *[SwiftUI MacOS Form Custom Layout](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/70977168/swiftui-macos-form-custom-layout?ref=simplykyra.com)*, if you’re interested in a more detailed response.

Essentially I encircled the controls with a `Grid` and then each control was put in its own `GridRow`. All three `GridRow`s had the modifier `.gridCellColumns(3)` added to it so they took the entire three column space. You could play around with the modifier for more custom requirements.

In case the StackOverflow question is ever removed I wanted to show the code used in the above example:

```swift
Grid {
    GridRow {
        TextField("My Name:", text: $myName, prompt: Text("What's your name?"))
        .foregroundColor(.white)
        .background(Color(red: 0.4192, green: 0.2358, blue: 0.3450))
    }
    .gridCellColumns(3)
        
    GridRow {
        Picker(selection: $selectedPickerItem, label: Text("Pick Something:")) {
            Text("No Chosen Item").tag(nil as String?)
            ForEach(pickerItems, id: \.self) { item in
                Text(item).tag(item as String?)
            }
        }
        .foregroundColor(.white)
        .background(Color(red: 0.2645, green: 0.3347, blue: 0.4008))
    }
    .gridCellColumns(3)
        
    GridRow {
        HStack() {
            // Rather than a picker we're using Text for the label and a button for the picker itself
            Text("Select Items:")
                .foregroundColor(.white)
            Button(action: {
                // The only job of the button is to toggle the showing popover boolean so it pops up and we can select our items
                showingPopover.toggle()
            }) {
                HStack {
                    Spacer()
                    Image(systemName: "\($selectedItems.count).circle")
                        .font(.title2)
                    Image(systemName: "chevron.right")
                        .font(.caption)
                }
            }
            .popover(isPresented: $showingPopover) {
                MultiSelectPickerView(allItems: allItems, selectedItems: $selectedItems)
                // If you have issues with it being too skinny you can hardcode the width
                .frame(width: 300)
            }
        }
        .background(Color(red: 0.4192, green: 0.2358, blue: 0.3450))
    }
    .gridCellColumns(3)
}
.padding()
```

---

Whether you’re first coming across this post now or came here after seeing [my original custom multi-selection control](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/02/23/how-to-make-a-custom-picker-with-multi-selection-in-swiftui/) I hope it was helpful. I’d love to hear how you used this control so feel free to share in the comments below. I’d also love to hear of any improvements too. Hope you’re having a great day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simple Ways We Got Our Backpacks School Worthy
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-ways-we-got-our-backpacks-school-worthy/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T03:11:03.000Z
With school approaching it was time to set the girls’ backpacks up. Here’s what we did. Maybe it can also help you prepare for your own year.

![Pinterest-geared image showing four images also shown below, my title, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_Simple-Ways-We-Got-Our-Backpacks-School-Worthy-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

At the end of last year’s school year I had the girls empty out their backpacks and then I removed all of the extra ties and toys before running them all through our washing machine. I used a mesh laundry bag for all the loose small parts and later hung the backpacks up to dry so they wouldn’t get damaged. After returning the keychain stuffies to the girls I set aside the backpacks so they’d all be ready and waiting to go for the end of the summer.

---

## *Add-Ons*

### *LEGO®*

When Ada entered kindergarten she quickly realized she could add keychain toys to her backpack. She then went through all of our stuffed animals and put the three small animals she did find onto her backpack. Last year, when Zoey started school, I made the girls pick their favorite toy (we somehow still had the same three) and then added a [LEGO® keychain](https://www.lego.com/en-us/categories/keyrings?ref=simplykyra.com) to each. Over this last summer they each chose another LEGO® keychain but I also came across some [sew-on LEGO® patches](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/stitch-on-patch-41955?ref=simplykyra.com) from Target that I decided to surprise the kids with too. They loved them! Especially once they realized they also got to chose which thread color, where the patch should go, and in what pattern it should be sewn on. Ada had fun stitching hers on and then had me take over while Zoey didn’t want to try. They both adored looking through their LEGO® Dots to further customize their patch. Going forward I’m curious if the patches will stay the same all year round or whether they will get updated and how often this might happen.

![Image shows Zoey separating the contents of the box. She holds two bags and a blue square. Her hands are moving and thus a bit blurred.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_2570.jpeg?resize=750%2C494&ssl=1)

Each box came with a bendable LEGO® patch with holes around the outside and two small baggies of LEGO® Dots.

![Ada is bent over her backpack and she's stitching the patch to the front. The thread is creating dashes along the side of the patch. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_2568.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After choosing a thread color and the patch’s placement Ada got to town stitching hers herself before deciding I should finish it.

![Image shows a closeup of Zoey's rainbow backpack with a green brick keychain, a yellow ribbon, and the LEGO® patch edged with purple thread and festooned with random LEGO® dot circles, squares, curves, an eye, and two emojis. Other than a black circle it looks random and helter skelter. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_2579.jpeg?resize=750%2C495&ssl=1)

Zoey chose purple thread for her patch and I carefully wrapped the thread around the patch edge with each stitch. I went around the square twice creating crisscrossing Xs around the edges. I love the combination of her favorite LEGO® Dots and lack of pattern creating her favorite things.

![This image shows a closeup of Ada's heart backpack with a view of her patch and, in the background, the back of her Wonder Woman LEGO® keychain hanging from a zipper. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_2588.jpeg?resize=750%2C555&ssl=1)

Ada chose red thread and wanted it to create a solid line bordering her patch. She used the examples on the back of the LEGO® box as inspiration for her own design while also including her favorite pieces.

Writing this up I just realized that the girls haven’t gone looking for their old stuffies so right now their backpacks are just adorned with their new LEGO® items. That said, for fun decorations, any keychain works. Since starting this post the girls were gifted with mini popping fidget keychain toys and they requested it on their backpack too.

### *Sun Screen Lotion*

Back before COVID and this whole pandemic we had issues with Ada getting burnt at school so we threw a bottle of sunscreen lotion into her backpack along with a hat and hoped they were used each day. Last year, with both kids in school, we needed an easier option so about a month or two in I found some squeezable silicon travel tubes on keychains and bought the pack of three. I filled two of them with sunscreen lotion and clipped them to their backpacks so the sunscreen would be easier to access and thus hopefully be used more. Over the year we only had one loss. The only negative I had was trying to clean them out at the end of the school year as the sunscreen had expired and I figured I should fill it back up with fresh closer to when school started again. That said it was a small price to pay for easier sunscreen access for the girls plus they were easy to grab and fill when we ended up needing them for summer camp.

![Image shows the store name, the rating with 86 reviews (now 215), and an image of the product. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_Screen-Shot-IMG_9200.png?resize=750%2C798&ssl=1)

If interested here’s [a screenshot, taken about a year ago, of the product we bought from Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GLKLW4Q/ref=ppx%5Fyo%5Fdt%5Fb%5Fsearch%5Fasin%5Ftitle?ie=UTF8&psc=1&ref=simplykyra.com). I don’t have any affiliate so I’m only dropping it here for your convenience

![Image shows the pink keychain silicone travel tube with the top off and partially filled with white sunscreen. The lid is open to the right and the bottle of sunscreen is slightly showing at the top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_9270.jpeg?resize=750%2C533&ssl=1)

The cap screws off so I can more easily fill it up with sunscreen and the girls can easily flip the top open to get to it at school. When washing you can squish in the sides of the pink silicone part and pull it apart from the white lid too.

![Image is from last year and shows the back of two backpacks with the newly bought and filled tubes hanging from the top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_9274.jpeg?resize=750%2C621&ssl=1)

The small carabiner makes it a breeze to attach to the backpack so it’s accessible to the kids. Over the course of the school year we only lost one tube… not sure if it was the carabiner’s fault or something else. Overall a great track record and since it was originally a pack of three I just grabbed the third one to replace it.

![Images shows a green silicone tube attached to Ada's backpack with a Wonder Woman LEGO® keychain attached nearby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_2592.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Ada chose to put hers at the top of the backpack again while this year Zoey wanted hers attached to a zipper pull as she hated it getting trapped between her back and the backpack last year. We’ll see how this year goes.

---

## *Fixing Up the Zipper Pulls*

Ada’s backpack is now three years old and over the course of last year she lost two of her three zipper pulls as the zipper pull base itself opened up just enough for the pulls to slip off. As such, for this year, I decided to pull out my hot glue gun to close the hole and make that last zipper pull more secure and, hopefully, last the year. I was careful to not glue the pull itself, so it can still be angled any which way, and reminded Ada to watch the glue bits and let me know if it comes off so I can fix it again. I repeated this glue gun process with each of her pulls so all the extra toys would also be secure. This does mean, looking back, that I can’t add more keychains to the pulls that were completely closed up.

![Image shows a closeup of the zipper pull and its clear glue gunned opening. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_2576.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I used my hot glue gun to close the opening in the zipper pull so the dangly bit would stay secured and stay on this year. Hoping this lasts the year but I was sure to ask Ada to keep an eye on it and tell me if I need to fix it again.

When we bought Zoey’s backpack last year it came with ribbons on each of the zipper pulls that, over the course of the year, kept loosening and falling out. When we cleaned the backpacks I carefully removed the remaining ribbons and used a mesh laundry bag to keep them together in the laundry. While setting up the backpacks this year I gave them back to Zoey and she chose to give two of them to Ada so now both girls have two ribbons each. Like last year Zoey just wanted them knotted on even though I recommending sewing them together so they don’t fall off this time around. Ada agreed to the sewing and after switching to purple thread I carefully threaded the ribbon through her chosen zipper pulls, scrunched them in so they’d fit, sewed them on, and used my hot glue gun so they wouldn’t slip off like the prior pulls.

![Image shows a closeup of the two teal ribboned zipper pulls. On is fully stitched together while the other one has the end of purple thread coming from it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_2572.jpeg?resize=750%2C485&ssl=1)

Ada chose which of the zippers needed the ribbon and then I attached them and sewed them closed. I also needed to scrunch them in as the ribbon was wider than the zipper opening.

![Image shows a closeup of one of the teal ribboned zipper pulls but now there's clear hot glue around the base. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_2577.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once the ribbon was sewed on I scrunched them further in and used the hot glue gun to keep it in place. Later Ada wanted a keychain added to one of these pulls but it no longer would work… she put it in her strap webbing instead.

---

## *The Inside*

Last year I made [a mask command center for my girls](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/08/18/my-daughters-mask-command-center-and-how-i-made-it/) so they had agency over which masks they wanted to wear to school and when. It included two zippered *clean mask* bags and five cinched *dirty mask* bags as I assumed they’d be switching out masks daily. They didn’t but they did have clean masks on hand for the odd time they did need them so I’m still glad I made it. This year I figured I wanted the option open so I had them grab one zippered bag, choose four masks to go inside, and grab a cinched bag for their backpack.

![Image shows two plastic Dollar Tree containers each containing new fabric masks, two zippered pouches, and ten ribbon cinched bags. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8236.jpeg?resize=750%2C463&ssl=1)

Image taken from last year’s [mask command center post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/08/18/my-daughters-mask-command-center-and-how-i-made-it/). It’s now more used and messier and I’m so glad I took the time to put them together.

In kindergarten the girls were asked to bring a change of clothing to school just in case. I figure with the heat outside, PE (physical education or gym class), and potential spills at lunch they may still feel comfortable knowing they have a change of clothing on hand. Thus at the beginning of the year and over Christmas break I have them choose a set of clothing they don’t care as much about and we lay it out in a pile and carefully roll it up for school. Throughout the year they can change the clothing out but they never seem to do so hence the not favorite selection. I then use a zippered wet bag, leftover from our cloth diapering days, so it stays clean and secured in the backpack. This way the wet bag can also be used to bring their potentially wet clothing home without worrying about anything in their backpack getting wet. Actually as I type this out I realize how handy these wet bags are and just hopped onto Amazon to buy a four-pack so the kids can choose which bag they want with extras for the beach or pool.

![Screenshot shows a product photo of four colorful wet bags with two zippers and a ribbon to hang it up with. Off to the right is the title, brand, rating, price, alternate colors, and details. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_Screen-Shot-2022-08-04-at-10.02.12-AM.png?resize=750%2C379&ssl=1)

Here’s [a screenshot (taken on August 4th, 2022) of what I just ordered off of Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Diapers-Waterproof-Washable-Reusable-Toddler/dp/B0983CB3V7/ref=cm%5Fcr%5Farp%5Fd%5Fproduct%5Ftop?ie=UTF8&ref=simplykyra.com). Haven’t had a chance to stress test it yet but sharing in case you’re interested.

---

With the clean backpacks festooned with toys, the sunscreen at the ready, and just in case clothing and masks inside the backpacks we are now ready for the first day of school!

![Image shows the backpacks side by side with the sunscreen tube and toys visible. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_2745.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

![The back of the girls with their ready-to-go backpacks. Water bottles, sunscreen bottles, and decorations completely ready!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/08/compressed_IMG_2806.jpeg?resize=750%2C449&ssl=1)

Whether you are preparing for a new school year to start or are already within a year I hope this post helps. And if it does feel free to comment how in the comments below. I’d also love to hear any tips for future years!

I hope you’re having an awesome day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Super Simple Rainbow Colored Angel Food Cupcakes
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/super-simple-rainbow-colored-angel-food-cupcakes/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T03:10:19.000Z
Every year for the girls’ birthday parties we’ve been making some kind of cupcake so it’s simple to serve to a group and, an awesome side effect, they can easily blow out their candles without worrying about germs on an entire cake. This year Zoey once again decided to go with angel food cupcakes which led to this rainbow theme. These were super simple to create and I figured I’d share the final results with you.

![Pinterest-geared image displaying a finished cupcake, the cupcakes before they were baked, my post's title, and my main URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_Super-Simple-Rainbow-Colored-Angel-Food-Cupcakes-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

If you’re curious about other cupcake options here are some that we’ve made before:

- Several years ago we did this same idea with a single color [making a range of orange to white cupcakes with cool marbling effects](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/07/10/colorful-and-simple-lego-themed-cupcakes/). That time the food dye was added to the entire bowl of angel food mix and partially stirred in to create the marbling.
- Last year Zoey wanted [strawberry cupcakes](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/09/01/incredibly-simple-to-make-jello-cupcakes/) so I switched out our normal angel food with a box of white cake instead and then added strawberry Jello for the most incredibly moist and flavorful cupcakes.
- Over the years, for Ada, we keep making [brownie cupcakes](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/23/simple-halloween-themed-brownie-cupcakes/) with various mix-ins including pineapple tidbits.

---

## *What You Need*

This is super simple. All you need to make this is a box of angel food cake, food dye, and, optionally, any toppings. We frequently make these the day before and top them with whip cream and sprinkles right as we serve them. To bake I used three cupcake tins with silicon liners and simplified mixing it up by using my stand mixer.

## *What I Did*

Following the directions on the box I started by combining the angel food mix with one and a third cup of water in my stand mixer. Once it was ready I split the mix between three bowls and added food dye to each one so I had three unique colors matching the three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue.

![Image shows three bowls side by side. From left to right they're red, yellow, and white with blue dye in the center. Left of this is an empty and dirtied stand mix bowl with spatula and an empty Betty Crocker mix. To the right is a blue basket of food dye and flavor extracts. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0245.jpeg?resize=750%2C367&ssl=1)

I mixed up the box mix according to the directions, split it between three bowls, added food dye to each one, and stirred it in so I had three solid colored bowls of angel food cake batter.

With the mix ready I put silicon liners into two of my cupcake tins and started filling them up with the dyed angel food cake batter. To get the maximum number of unique cupcakes I decided to fill a third of the liners halfway up with each color. This meant, from the two dozen, I had eight with yellow bottoms, eight with blue bottoms, and eight with red bottoms. I then halved each of these sets of colors and filled them the rest of the way up with the alternate color. This meant my eight yellow bottomed cupcakes became four cupcakes with yellow topped with red and four cupcakes with yellow topped with blue. Once I filled all two dozen cupcake liners I took a chopstick and lightly mixed them together so each cupcake became marbled rainbow composed of its two primary colors along with its resulting secondary color. For example the red and yellow cupcake became a mix of red, yellow, and orange.

![Image shows two dozen cupcakes halfway filled up. From left to right there are four yellows, eight blues, eight reds, and four more yellows. The bowls of colorful angel food cake batter are to the left with spoon handles sticking out.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0251.jpeg?resize=750%2C459&ssl=1)

After making the three colors I filled each cupcake liner halfway up with a single color making eight yellow, eight blue, and eight red bottomed cupcakes.

![Image shows a closer look at the cupcakes from before. Now the left eight are red and then the center eight are yellow. The two rows on left are only half filled and consist of four reds and four yellows.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0253.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once the bottom halves were done I topped them up with another color so I’d have four of each set of colors. At this point I had already topped the cupcakes with red and yellow and was about to top the last eight with blue.

![Image shows three cupcake liners in a row each displaying a color (red, yellow, and blue). Two arrows come out of the yellow liner each pointing two a different liner below (side by side from each other). The one on the left has red at the top, yellow at the bottom, and orange below. On the right it says blue at the top, yellow at the bottom, and green below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_cupcake-reMarkable_drawings.jpg?resize=750%2C577&ssl=1)

I drew a quick sketch on my reMarkable to show this. There were three colors put into the liners at first (see top row). Then each color section (here it shows yellow) were split in half and each half was topped with the other primary color. In this yellow case half of them were topped with red and the other half were topped with blue.

![Image shows the same two cupcake tins but now the far right ones are blue. My hand is poised over a second one stirring the contents with a metal chopstick. The mixed ones show a bit of the orange, purple, or green through the marbling of the top and bottom colors. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0255.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

With all the cupcake liners filled I next grabbed a chopstick and started mixing them up so we’d have a rainbow composed of the two primary colors and its secondary color.

![Image shows the two cupcake tins with, from left to right, columns of orange, purple, green, orange, purple, and green. The same three bowls with red, yellow, and blue are off to the left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0258.jpeg?resize=750%2C468&ssl=1)

Once I partially mixed them all there was a marbling and it was easy to see what the bottom and top colors were based on the result.

![Image shows a row of six cupcake liners showing the individual color combinations created. The two primary colors are written inside and the resulting secondary color is written below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_cupcake-reMarkable_drawings2.jpg?resize=750%2C189&ssl=1)

To highlight all the combinations above I drew another sketch. Here it shows all the permutations along with the mixed secondary color written below. As you can see two different combinations make the same secondary color but as it’s primary colors are flipped the final cupcake still looks different as it wasn’t fully mixed in.

I had leftover angel food cake batter after filling the two dozen cupcake liners so I grabbed a third tin, filled it with more liners, and randomly emptied out all three bowls into them. I had one cupcake with hardly any mix at the end so I moved it over to another cupcake liner, gave them all a final mix with my chopstick, removed the empty liners, and declared the tins ready to be baked.

![Image shows a larger muffin tin with most of the liners filled in. To the left sits the red bowl and an emptied yellow bow. In the foreground there's a fork and multicolored spatula. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0259.jpeg?resize=750%2C440&ssl=1)

I grabbed a third cupcake tin and started scraping the leftover angel food batter into them making sure they became a variety of colors. One liner only had a bit of batter in it so I made sure to move it into another liner after this photo.

![Image shows the colorful angel food cake splattered cupcake tin with so many different colors showing. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0262.jpeg?resize=750%2C407&ssl=1)

I then removed the excess liners so the tin was ready to go.

While I was mixing the colorful angel food cake batter together I had set the oven to 350°F so it could preheat. This meant I could easily toss them right into the oven to bake for 28 minutes.

![Image shows the first two tins side by side on the top shelf in the oven while that larger tin is sideways below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0264.jpeg?resize=750%2C290&ssl=1)

Once the cupcakes were prepped and the oven preheated I carefully put them inside and baked them for 28 minutes at 350°F.

![Image shows all three tins with browned and colorful cupcakes laid out on the stovetop.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0270.jpeg?resize=750%2C497&ssl=1)

Once the 28 minutes had past I carefully pulled one out, tested the largest cupcake with a cake testing stick, and then pulled the others out too.

![Image shows two dozen colorful cupcakes lined up on a cooling rack while the rest sit propped up between the muffin divots on the other tin.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0278.jpeg?resize=750%2C547&ssl=1)

I then used a clean spatula to help pop each one out of the tin so I could let it cool quicker on a cooling rack.

Once they had cooled I carefully cut one of the cupcakes in half to check on the colors, take a photo for this post, and then divided it up so we could all have a small taste test.

![A cupcake cut into four pieces spilling out of its liner on the stovetop. Behind it sits the other, cooling cupcakes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/07/compressed_IMG_0284.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The final cupcake turned out so colorful!

The remaining cupcakes were carefully put into a container in my fridge for the party the next day. At the party I used a whip cream dispenser to create my whip cream so I could then top each cupcake with the whipped cream before sprinkling sprinkles on top and handing them out. This process also meant I didn’t have to worry about the cupcakes getting too squished or jostled before the party and could store them in stacked in a container on its side if need be.

Zoey absolutely loved her cupcakes and I had to share them with you. Whether you choose to use [a single dye color](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/07/10/colorful-and-simple-lego-themed-cupcakes/) or create a rainbow effect like here I’d love to hear about it so feel free to share in the comments below. How did it go? How did they turn out? What was your party theme?

As a quick aside I could see this also being a fun sensory activity if you’re teaching color mixing to your child whether it’s a watched toddler activity or an accompanying art project for a teen.

Hope you’re having an awesome day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### An Upgrade on My Girls’ Home Sewn Swimsuits
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/an-upgrade-on-my-girls-home-sewn-swimsuits/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T03:10:09.000Z
Over the years I keep sewing up raglan tops for my girls’ swimming suits and pair them with a variety of bottoms ranging from underwear to leggings. I realized that although I keep changing how I attach the neckband to the top of the raglan overall not much really changes. Thus, once seeing all the swimming suits in one place, figured I’d give you a comparison in case you’re thinking of making the same. Looking back I love them all and I’m so glad I made them.

![Pinterest-geared image showing my post's title, five images also found below, and my main URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_An-Upgrade-on-My-Girls-Home-Sewn-Swimsuits-Pinterest.png?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

## *Past Swimming Suits*

In the past I shared, over two posts, my first version of our swimming suit (in [Sew a Rash Guard Swimsuit Top Using your Favorite Raglan Pattern](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/06/03/sew-a-rash-guard-swimsuit-top-using-your-favorite-raglan-pattern/) and [The Lead Up to Sewing My Raglan Swimsuit](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/06/06/the-lead-up-to-sewing-my-raglan-swimsuit/)) which included a quick test with a magnetic enclosure. I loved their swimming suits but had trouble doing the placket and noticed the snaps kept trying to slip out of the slippery swim fabric.

![Both girls exploring a creek in their new swimming suits. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2018/05/Compressed-IMG_0983.jpg?resize=750%2C489&ssl=1)

My first set of [swimming suits](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/06/06/the-lead-up-to-sewing-my-raglan-swimsuit/) with awesome sparkling mermaid scale fabric (from [Surge Fabric](https://surgefabricshop.com/collections/swim?ref=simplykyra.com)) paired with red sleeves and bands.

The next year I bought custom swim fabric through [Whimsy Baby Customs](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) for the girls and knew I needed to up my game. Using a tutorial through [Made For Mermaids, *How to Add a Snap Placket to a Romper*](https://www.madeformermaids.com/howtosnapplacket/?ref=simplykyra.com), I upgraded the placket while using the same sewing patterns as last time – [a knit raglan shirt pattern (through Ellie and Mac)](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/unisex-raglan-top-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com) and an [underwear pattern (through Stitch Upon a Time)](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/kids-scrundlewear/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com). I shared my upgraded process here: [Kids’ Swimming Suits – Second round with an extra year of experience](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/08/07/kids-swimming-suits-second-round-with-an-extra-year-of-experience/).

![Image shows a flat lay of two swimming suits. Both suits consist of a raglan and a pair of bottoms. The one is Pete the cat with stripes and a panel on the front. The other is a mermaid saying "believe" and coordinating scales and waves. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/07/compressed_IMG_5755.jpg?resize=750%2C431&ssl=1)

I absolutely adored how the girls were able to choose their suit from [Whimsy’s custom fabric preorder](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and I loved how they looked together.

Since those posts went live I’ve since made the girls two new swim tops and three new swim bottoms. The next set was another raglan (temporarily switched to the [Ragamuffin](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-lil-rebel-raglan/?ref=simplykyra.com) one) but, this time, paired with swim shorts using the [Apostrophe Pattern’s MyFit Leggings](https://apostrophepatterns.com/products/myfit-leggings?variant=29458037964844&ref=simplykyra.com). I was especially proud of these as they copied the girls Halloween costumes that year with a [pumpkin](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/21/zoeys-simple-and-updated-pumpkin-costume/) and [Wonder Woman](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/19/adas-epic-wonder-woman-halloween-costume/).

![Image shows two swimming suits one orange like a pumpkin and the other looking like Wonder Woman with blue shorts and a red top with yellow bands at the arms. At the bottom it says Week 42 as it was submitted that week in the 2020 sewing challenge. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_Week-42.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

The pumpkin and Wonder Woman inspired swimming suits were a favorite I was proud of. I especially love that I could do this using scrap swim I bought in [a scrap box from Boho Fabrics](http://rwrd.io/zampms1?c&ref=simplykyra.com) in the past. This image is taken from [52 Week Sewing Challenge in 2020… All Challenges Accepted!](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/30/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/)

The next year the swim tops still fit but the bottoms were a bit too small so I resized them in the [MyFit Leggings](https://apostrophepatterns.com/products/myfit-leggings?variant=29458037964844&ref=simplykyra.com) generator and made them a new pair to go with their old top. It was kind of funny to see how faded Zoey’s suit had gotten as the new shorts were darker in comparison. Ada took advantage of the opportunity and requested red and yellow swim bottoms instead of the original blue. I had just enough left to make it a reality for her!

This year I knew they needed new swimming suits again and so I let them pick out their own fabric through [Boho Fabrics](https://www.bohofabrics.com/collections/swim-activewear-fabrics-1?ref=simplykyra.com). I kept my go to raglan pattern but extended the placket and changed the neckband once again. I also switched to the [Stitch Upon A Time kids’ boxerwear pattern](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/kids-boxerwear/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) for the swim bottoms.

![Image shows the two new long sleeved tops with a matching shark-themed plackard on the one shoulder. The shirt behind is green cheetah spots while the one in front is colorful palm leaves. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8662.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Their new swim tops with woven shark fabric for the placket and matching snaps. These shirts are hacked from the [Ellie and Mac raglan pattern](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/unisex-raglan-top-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com).

![The two new swim bottoms matching their corresponding top with lining showing through the openings. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8665.jpeg?resize=750%2C443&ssl=1)

I sized them into the [Stitch Upon A Time kids’ boxerwear pattern](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/kids-boxerwear/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) and, like the swim bottoms before, hacked it to have a swim lining for more coverage. I basically made two boxers, put the liner one inside the swim outer one wrong sides together, and then sewed them in place by adding the waistband and leg bands.

In case you’re looking at making your own swimming suit I figured I’d share a comparison over the years before going over how I specifically changed the suit this time around.

---

*Quick Note: I wanted to mention that each of these times I either used a pattern I sized the girls in recently or sewed up a new muslin, a wearable garment, in cotton Lycra to confirm the pattern size fit before going ahead with the swim fabric. This way you can check if the sleeves need to be lengthened (I did and then forgot to do so this time) or make other needed changes.*

---

## *Comparing the Swimming Suits by Pattern*

The first years I used the [Stitch Upon a Time Scrundlewear](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/kids-scrundlewear/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) pattern and, as mentioned in the previous photo, hacked it to create a lining inside the underwear. As such I skipped the official liner piece as it wasn’t needed. I followed this same idea for all the swim bottoms I made over the years regardless of the sewing pattern used.

![Image shows three pairs of swim bottoms of the same shape as normal underwear. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8717.jpeg?resize=750%2C404&ssl=1)

I then switched the bottoms to [Apostrophe Pattern’s MyFit Leggings](https://apostrophepatterns.com/products/myfit-leggings?variant=29458037964844&ref=simplykyra.com) so I could generate a custom set of shorts based on my girls’ measurements, the fabric they wanted, how high they wanted the waistband, and where the short bottoms should end up. The girls loved being able to dictate the custom fit but I found they grew out of them quicker as they fit so perfectly to their current size.

![Image shows four pairs of long shorts laid out. The two on the left are orange (of different hues), then a blue one, and finally a yellow one with red bands. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8716.jpeg?resize=750%2C374&ssl=1)

This year I went back to [Stitch Upon A Time but switched up the pattern to use their kids’ boxerwear](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/kids-boxerwear/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com). It fits perfectly. I love that I have options based on what they want and I can make them a truly custom fitting swimming suit.

![Image shows two swim boxer wears laid out on the kitchen table. Both have a front section and are lined. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8665.jpeg?resize=750%2C443&ssl=1)

In contrast with the swim bottoms I found their swim suit top hardly changed over the years. Though I guess I did do a few changes like upgrading to a woven placket after the first year, continuously changing the neckband, and somehow switched the side of the placket this year along with extending it.

![Image shows six swim raglans laid over top of each other in such a way that all the neckbands, plackets, and a sleeve are shown. The newest is on top and the oldest at the bottom furthest away from the viewer.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8720.jpeg?resize=750%2C408&ssl=1)

For the neckbands themselves I used to simply sew them on meaning the neckband easily flipped down and the ends of the seam were visible (shown in the blue and white top below). The next year I used the [Ragamuffin raglan](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-lil-rebel-raglan/?ref=simplykyra.com) which told me how to bind the neckline (red swim top below) which I liked compared to the previous version yet still didn’t like the look of the ends. This year (palm frond top) I encased the neckline inside the folded neckband and topstitched it together. It’s not perfect but I like how it turned out compared to the other years.

![Image shows a closeup of the neckbands and plackets of three of the swimming tops. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8722.jpeg?resize=750%2C539&ssl=1)

---

## *This Years*

Like the previous years I sewed up the swim bottoms by making an outer and inner layer and then nested them together, to be treated as one piece, before sewing the bands on. That was the only hack I made to the swim bottoms. For the swim top; however, I hacked the placket and changed up the neckband since the neckline was now open. As such that’s what I’ll go over here:

### *Placket*

I followed the same steps I used before but this time cut the placket longer. I’m not sure if I like the entire seam becoming a placket but we’ll see how it goes this year.

![Image shows the open seam with a placket clipped to the underside or upper side of the fabric. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8575.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Left: Placed the placket against the wrong side of the fabric before clipping it and, after this photo, serging it together. It will then be flipped around and topstitched in place becoming the underside of the placket. Right: Placed the placket against the right side of the swim fabric, clipped the raw edges, and serged the seam. This will then be flipped out and become the top side of the placket. I didn’t topstitch along the seam but you can if you can do so if you want it to lie flat.

While lining up the raw edges I realized that Ada’s cheetah print suit had the placket go to the end of the seam while Zoey’s palm frond suit had excess fabric at the end. For Ada’s cheetah I overlapped the plackets, clipped them in place, and lined up the side seam making sure that the placket didn’t shift while it was sewn. The side seam sewed over the placket edge so it’s covered up a bit with the seam allowance. For Zoey’s palm fronds I laid out the rest of the raw edge of the remaining fabric right sides together and serged it from the edge of the woven placket to the armpit of the shirt. This is how it was with the earlier raglans as they had shorter plackets. To keep it doubly secure I then [unraveled the serger tail and carefully tied it tight](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/17/easily-unravel-and-tie-off-your-serger-ends/) before clipping the side of the shirt together and serging the side seam together.

![Image shows both seams with the top shirt clipped and showing the underside of the fabric. The bottom shirt is open showing both sides of the placket. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8579.jpeg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

Zoey’s shirt (top) had the placket end before the end of the seam so I carefully lined it up right sides together so it could be sewn closed. Ada’s (bottom) had a placket that went to the end so the side seam was more stressful but I could also skip right to that step.

![Image shows the one inch long seam with the placket opening above it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8581.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I carefully lined up my serger so it would start right at the end of the woven placket and serge off along until the end. I needed it to stay secure so I quickly [unraveled the tail against the placket and tied it in place](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/17/easily-unravel-and-tie-off-your-serger-ends/).

![Image shows the placket pieces being clipped together so they overlapped and the edge of the two pieces of fabric met up.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8583.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Since Ada’s placket went straight to the end I couldn’t serge it in place. Instead I lined it up carefully and clipped the end so it wouldn’t budge in the next steps.

![Image shows a closeup of the armpit section with three clips holding it in place so it stays lined up and secure.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8584.jpeg?resize=750%2C478&ssl=1)

I then started at the armpit and carefully clipped the sides together making sure that the placket didn’t open as I adjusted the clips.

![Image shows the two shirts laid overtop of each other showing the clipped side seam and the opening of the placket. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8587.jpeg?resize=750%2C448&ssl=1)

With the placket seams finished or clipped securely I went along the rest of the side seams and clipped them in place before serging them together.

If you want more photos showing the placket creation you can check out my earlier post: [Kids’ Swimming Suits – Second round with an extra year of experience](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/08/07/kids-swimming-suits-second-round-with-an-extra-year-of-experience/).

### *Neckband*

Since the neckline was open, with the placket, I couldn’t follow the normal neckband directions. I also remembered how much I disliked the ends of the neckband the previous years so I decided to change it up once again. This time around I started by folding the neckband in half lengthwise, right sides together, so I could serge the ends closed and, hopefully, use it to hide the top of the placket. I then quartered the neckband and neckline so I would better know where to start attaching the two together. Before proceeding I next flipped the edges of the neckband inside itself, so it was halved in height, and ready to go. I then attached the folded neckband to the neckline making sure that the neckline was fully enclosed within the neckband before replacing the clips. Once those points were attached I stretched the fabric between them, while checking that the neckline was fully in the neckband, and clipped them some more. Once secured I used the lightening stitch on my sewing machine to topstitch along the edge and hold it all together.

![image shows the band folded in half with the two ends folded lengthwise and clipped in place. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8577.jpeg?resize=750%2C414&ssl=1)

I started by folding the ends in half, clipping them in place, and, after this photo, serging them closed.

![Image show the shirt laid out with the band folded lengthwise above it. Both have three clips on it showing the halfway and two midpoints. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8646.jpeg?resize=750%2C468&ssl=1)

With that done I quartered the neckband and neckline to find the center point and the two quarter points. Normally there’d be four points, hence quartering, but since the placket opens I used their edges as the last points making five in total for each.

![Image shows the neckline enclosed within the neckband at one point with a clip holding it in place. The rest isn't connected but the midpoint clips are there. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8648.jpeg?resize=750%2C405&ssl=1)

I started putting the two together at the three clipped points before going onto the ends and then between those points.

![Image shows a red chalk mark where the green transparent clip is and a red chalk pen beside it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8652.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

With Zoey’s suit I was able to use the fronds to remember where the clip was when I had to remove them. With Ada’s it was more difficult so I quickly chalked, in a hopefully hidden spot in case it didn’t come out, where each clip was before continuing.

![Image shows the folded neckband above the neckline. Both shows a chalk mark under or below the clip.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8653.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then matched up the halfway point clips, removed them, and had the chalk marks to see how to specifically line up the fabric.

![Image shows the two chalk marks meeting with the neckline right against the folded over neckband. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8655.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I folded both edges of the neckline in so the raw edges met in the middle, placed the neckline above the bottom so it also lined up with the raw edges, and then, after this photo, folded the top down so the raw edges were all hidden.

![Image shows the clip over the red mark holding the folded neckband on the neckline.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8656.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then re-added a clip to keep it secure before going over to another section and repeating these steps.

![Image shows Zoey's neckline with one end completely clipped in place, the quarter points done, and the remaining end and spaces left to do.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8651.jpeg?resize=750%2C558&ssl=1)

After doing the halfway and quarter points I folded in the end of the neckband and did the two end points. Here only one end point is done at the upper left side and I’m about to do the other end. After those first points where secured I took the space between them, stretched the fabric, confirmed the neckline was nestled in the folded neckband, and clipped them in place too. Once it was all done I topstitched it down.

### *Final Step – [KamSnaps](https://kamsnaps.com/?ref=simplykyra.com)*

All that was left to do was the [KamSnaps](https://kamsnaps.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). Like before I choose to use only three with the idea I could add more if there were gaping areas. I used my Crop-a-dile II to punch a hole at the top and bottom of the top placket before folding it in half to find the center and punching a third hole there. For the bottom placket I first lined up the plackets as if it were closed and used my disappearing ink pen to mark where the top holes lined up. I then punch three more holes at those marked locations. With that done I inserted the snaps… and, only lost three pieces as I made a few mistakes, thanks Matt for removing the one I inserted backwards.

![Image shows the placket lined up with a pen tip inside one of the holes marking the lower placket. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8657.jpeg?resize=750%2C474&ssl=1)

After punching holes in the top placket I used my pen to mark where the bottom holes should be.

![Image shows the two plackets with one open and the other snapped closed. There's also a box of bagged KamSnaps, the Crop-o-Dile II, the KamSnap tool, and three broken leftover KamSnap pieces. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8660.jpeg?resize=750%2C518&ssl=1)

And with the snaps in place the swimming suits were done!

And with that they were done for another year! The kids absolutely love them and have already switched to these without any regret about their old suits!

---

Whether you’re looking to sew your first swimming suit or looking to adjust your current setup I hope this post helps you. If you do use it to sew your swimming suit I’d love to hear how it goes in the comments below.

Hope your week is going great!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Our Incredibly Simple "Bunny Ears" Hairstyle
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/our-incredibly-simple-bunny-ears-hairstyle/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T03:09:59.000Z
This year at school Zoey had a themed *Zany Hair Day*. A couple days before the scheduled day I was walking home from school with her and brought it up. On her very own she decided she wanted *bunny ears* and so I talked it over with her, came up with a simple idea, and sketched it out to confirm we were on the same page once we got home. She adored them and thus these *bunny ears* were born. She had an absolute blast showing them off at school and, miraculously, they were still in when it came time to pick her up and they stayed in and were adored until bedtime.

![Pinterest-geared image showing two views (back on top and front on the bottom) of Zoey's bunny ears hairstyle. The very top shows the post's title and the bottom shows my main URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_Our-Incredibly-Simple-Bunny-Ears-Hairstyle-Pinterest.png?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

If you’re looking for other hairstyles that would work for themed hair days two years ago I posted about Ada’s *[Dinosaur Themed Crazy Hair Day](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/30/dinosaur-themed-crazy-hair-day/)*. There I used floral wire as a scaffold attached to a toy dinosaur and combined it with Ada’s hair and elastics to keep it all in place. The next year I followed similar steps to [attach a toy mermaid](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/05/25/crazy-hair-day-this-time-with-a-mermaid/) to her and then French braided around it to hold it in place. This year it was much more simple and Zoey absolutely adored it making it all the more perfect. So without any more ado here are the bunny ears:

That day I grabbed my reMarkable when we got home and quickly sketched out my idea to confirm that it matched Zoey’s expectation. I drew a circle for the head, added eyes and a mouth, before working on the hair. I started out with the parted hair and two ponytails to show the first step with the pigtails. I then added a braid going up and then immediately back down on the one side to show the braided hair looped back to make an *ear*. I then scribbled another ponytail tie on top of the first and added some loose hair to show how it would be secured. Zoey loved it so far. I then explained how it might not stand up and might instead flop over as I sketched out the other possibility on the other side. She loved it either way and the plan was born!

![Sketch sewing a circle-ish head with wide eyeballs and a smiling mouth. The one pigtail has a braid going straight up and then back down while the other one is folded over while still being two layers thick. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_Quick-sheets-3.png?resize=750%2C645&ssl=1)

Quick sketch of the plan. As I drew it out I explained to Zoey what I was thinking while also cautioning her that the ears may stand up or flop over. She was on board with the plan.

The night before I had Zoey lay out four ponytail ties along with her clothing for school so we’d be all ready to go. That morning I had her point out her two favorite ponytail ties and set them aside so they’d go on last and be more visible. After brushing her hair I divided it into two halves and made the two pigtails coming out from the top of her head. I used the two darker ponytail ties she didn’t like as much here as they’d be mostly hidden by the other ones later.

Once I had the two pigtails I chose a side, split the hair coming out of the pony into three, and braided it as far as I could go. I then folded it in half, made sure the loose ends went towards the center of her head, and grabbed the purple ponytail tie to keep it in place. I then duplicated this process on the other side and locked it in place with a pink ponytail tie. This resulted in two braided loops standing straight up and looking exactly like bunny ears. The mission was a success and Zoey was so happy once she looked in the mirror and saw how it looked!

![Image taken from above and looking down showing the perfect mid-point highlighting this process. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8601.jpeg?resize=750%2C522&ssl=1)

I didn’t take too many photos as I did this but I made sure to get this one halfway through. It shows the right side with the simple upright ponytail highlighting the first step. The other side shows the next step with a folded over braid fixed in place with a purple hair tie.

![Image is taken from the front showing the two looped braids sprouting out from two pigtails. One has a grey ponytail mostly hidden within a pastel purple one while the other one is black inside a pastel pink ponytail tie. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8610.jpeg?resize=750%2C552&ssl=1)

I then quickly snapped some photos from the front…

![Same image but this time taken from the back. In addition to the ponytail ties you can also see the wisps of hair ends meeting and crossing between the two ponytails. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8606.jpeg?resize=750%2C499&ssl=1)

… and the back. I love how upright the *ears* stayed.

Zoey absolutely adored the bunny ears and after school told me how many people told her that they looked adorable. We had plans for a playdate that afternoon and she loved showing her friends and kept them in until we took them out at bedtime. I’m so glad she loved them and I especially love how simple they were to do after the previous two years of [dinosaur](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/30/dinosaur-themed-crazy-hair-day/) and [mermaid](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/05/25/crazy-hair-day-this-time-with-a-mermaid/) themed hairstyles from her sister. I could also see this being perfect for any bunny-loving day rather than just *Zany Hair Day* and you could easily change it a bit to fit many other animal ear styles too.

If this helps you out and/or you used it to create a different idea I’d love to hear how it went and what you did in the comments below. Either way hope you’re having an awesome day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simple Towel To Bath Mat
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-towel-to-bath-mat/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T03:09:49.000Z
Over the last decade I’ve enjoyed having a matching set of towels for our bathroom. That said, we’ve recently replaced our towels with a set that doesn’t include a bath mat and I didn’t realize until then just how much I wanted my bathroom to continue to match. I came up with this idea to turn an extra towel into two bath mats and thus returned my bathroom back to it’s awesome cohesiveness! This is how I did it in case you’re interested too.

![Pinterest image showing my blog title, my main URL, and two collages with a total of five images. All images can be found below too. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_Simple-Towel-To-Bath-Mat-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Back when Matt and I were planning our wedding we added matching purple bath towels, hand towels, washcloths, and floor mats to our wedding registry through [Bed, Bath, and Beyond](https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). Looking back I’m so glad we did as I loved having the entire bathroom match. I especially adored, over the years, the fact that I could fold them into two sets each containing a bath mat, two bath towels, and two hand towels. Whenever we needed to launder the one set I switched to the other one and thus they were evenly used over the years. This meant our ensuite or main bathroom, depending where we lived, had a matching set always in use. Our other bathroom also had a purple hand towel and I justified it’s need for a bath mat by attempting to [Tunisian crochet one](https://www.ravelry.com/projects/ArtsyBakingGeek/simple-tunisian-bath-mat?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows a pile of towels with the bath mat on top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_IMG_5696.jpeg?resize=750%2C537&ssl=1)

I adored these towels over the years but realized that the bath towels were starting to rip with normal use and it was time to replace them with something new. As you can see in this photo the towels, lower down in the pile, were made differently than the bath mat, at the top, although they all matched.

![Image shows a closeup of the tag attached to the purple towel. The label says: Springmaid my finest towel. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_IMG_5708.jpeg?resize=750%2C435&ssl=1)

I checked out their tags, which apparently I never removed, in case you’re interested. The tag says *Springmaid* and we bought them through Bed, Bath, and Beyond in Canada over ten years ago. Looking online I see *Springmaid* pop up through Target and other stores now.

I knew over several months that we should replace our towels but wasn’t sure who to go with. Finally I went down the home goods section at my local Costco as I knew I’d rather shop in person for towels then online. One particular design caught my eye but I didn’t want bath towels that didn’t match my hand towels… then I noticed they came in both and decided to splurge on them. I ended up buying four indidivual bath towels ([online they seem to come in a two-pack](https://www.costco.com/gaya-2-piece-bath-towel-set.product.100841913.html?ref=simplykyra.com)) and a pack of four hand towels and four washcloths (I thought this was in two packs but [online this would be only one](https://www.costco.com/gaya-4-piece-hand-%2526-washcloth-towel-set.product.100841876.html?ref=simplykyra.com)). At the time I was disappointed that they didn’t have a bath mat that matched but still bought them and brought them home as I liked how they looked. After prewashing them we started using it and loved them but I then realized just how much I loved having two separate sets that included everything and I really missed the cohesion within our bathroom.

![Closeup image of the tag for the new towel. It says Luxury 100% cotton towel by Trident home|decor|design. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_IMG_5709.jpeg?resize=750%2C584&ssl=1)

Looking online at Costco the matching [bath towels](https://www.costco.com/gaya-2-piece-bath-towel-set.product.100841913.html?ref=simplykyra.com) and [other set](https://www.costco.com/gaya-4-piece-hand-%2526-washcloth-towel-set.product.100841876.html?ref=simplykyra.com) both say *Gaya* in the title but the tag itself says “by Trident Home|Decor|Design”

![Image shows the new towel dangling, blurred, to the left and the Tunisian crocheted bath mat laid out on the floor. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_IMG_5297.jpeg?resize=750%2C456&ssl=1)

After washing the towels I decided to steal the kids bath mat to go with the towels in the main bathroom and left them, for now, with one of the older purple ones.

I knew I needed a better matching bath mat and considered briefly bringing one of the washcloths into stores with me so I could match colors but I never really got around to doing it before going back to Costco again for groceries. While there I went down the home goods aisle again and noticed most of the towels picked over but they still had a couple blue ones left. I decided then and there to experiment by creating my own bath mat and quickly grabbed another towel as it was only $10 and I knew that if I didn’t buy one now I didn’t know if I would ever be able to again as things always seem to move quickly there. I then set it aside for weeks before decided I really needed to just do it.

![Image shows a stack of bath towels and hand towels behind an newer folded towel with it's tag still on. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_IMG_5642.jpeg?resize=750%2C489&ssl=1)

Before beginning I quickly snapped a photo of the new towel, with its tag still on it, folded on top of the ones we had been using for a couple weeks already.

With the bath towels so large I had realized I could simple cut the one I bought in half and have two bath mats from that single towel. This meant I would be back to my two sets and be at ease once again.

---

## *Single Bath Towel to Two Bath Mats*

I knew my serger would make this really simple as I could easily cut the towel in half while simultaneously serging the one half so it wouldn’t unravel. Once done I could then grab the other half and serge it, without trimming, to finish off it’s cut side too. I didn’t want a large and obvious stitch showing so I decided to use a three-threaded rolled hem so it would be tighter and not as visible. This is similar to how I did my [simple napkins](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/07/08/quick-and-simple-fabric-napkins-with-your-serger/) years ago.

With my plan decided I next realized that my biggest issue with this would be making sure, while serging along, that my serger blade lined up perfectly with the center point so I wouldn’t end up with any weird zig zags or anything once done. I decided I’d fold my towel in half with the short ends together and use some tailor’s chalk to mark that center line. This didn’t work at all as none of the chalk transferred to the towel. I then considered switching to a rolling chalk pen or even a disappearing ink pen but I worried the marks wouldn’t disappear completely. Instead, I grabbed my purple tomato filled with sewing pins and carefully inserted them, along the center line at the fold, all the way across the bath towel.

![Image shows the edge of the folded towel beside a triangle of red tailor chalk and purple tomato with multi-colored sewing pins in it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_IMG_5649.jpeg?resize=750%2C494&ssl=1)

I folded the towel in half with the short ends touching so I’d know where the center line was and then folded it again the other way so it would fit on the cleared off part of the kitchen table beside the girls. They were making Valentine’s while I did this.

![Image shows the folded towel with small dots of color along the folded edge showing where the sewing pins were inserted and thus where the center of the towel is. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_IMG_5651.jpeg?resize=750%2C225&ssl=1)

Once I determined that the chalk wouldn’t transfer I switched over to using the sewing pins to mark the center line of the bath towel.

Once the center line was marked I brought the towel, and purple tomato, over to my serger. I wanted to use white serger thread to better match the towel so after confirming that I had three spools already loaded up I next confirmed that the rolled hem stitch was properly set. With that all done I started serging carefully down the center of my towel making sure that the blade lined up with my sewing pins and that they were removed before coming too close for comfort.

![Image shows the towel under the pressure foot with about two inches already cut into the center. The green and blue sewing pins lead away from the pressure foot towards the edge of the photo. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_IMG_5661.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I carefully lined up the sewing pins with the edge of the blade and started serging across the towel so it would be equally halved.

![Image shows the towel half way through being cut in half with the serger. The pins are still lined up in front of the pressure foot and the cut halves are laid out behind (serged side) and to the right (unfinished side). ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_IMG_5663.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

As I serged across the towel I was left with more and more cut towel bunching up behind and beside my machine. I serged a bit slower and carefully kept the sewing pins lined up with the blade trusting how I pinned them rather than analyzing the straightness.

Once I serged the whole way across I was left with one finished bath mat and I only needed to serge along the other half to finish it too. Before starting, however, I examined the stitch on the first half and noticed it was wider than I thought it would be as the towel was thicker than the woven fabrics I had previously used this stitch one. I decided to flip the other half around so it was reversed from before making the whiter side the side with the wider stitch and the bluer side the smaller stitched side. Thus both of my bath mats look slightly different if their finished edge were examined and contrasted with each other.

![Image shows the finished half of the towel laid out on the serger table while the trimmed and unfinished side is laid out in front of the serger beside the purple tomato. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_IMG_5665.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After cutting the towel completely in half I examined the finished half and saw that the rolled hem stitch was wider on the thicker fabric. As the widest side of the stitch was against the bluest side of the towel I decided to flip the other half so, hopefully, the white stitching is a bit less apparently on this bath mat than the first.

![Image shows the second side being serged with its beginning corner still connect, via the rolled hem stitch, to the other half. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_IMG_5667.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once decided I laid out the second half of the bath towel so the newly made raw edge lined up with the edge of the blade. I then carefully serged along its edge while making sure that nothing extra would be trimmed with the blade.

And with that I had two new bath mats that perfectly matched my new towels! All I needed to do was trim the excess threads off either end of their newly finished edge.

![Image shows the finished bath mats folded in such a way that you can see the serged edges on either side of both newly made bath mats. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_IMG_5672.jpeg?resize=750%2C437&ssl=1)

With that done I carefully trimmed the excess thread off and lined up with edges for a photo.

---

## *Finished Bath Mats*

At this point I still hadn’t removed the tag from the towel yet so I had two newly made bath mats with one still sporting it’s tag and looking a tad more professional than the other. I absolutely adored how simple this was to do!

![Image shows one of the stacks consisting of the bath mat encircling the two bath towels and two hand towels. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_IMG_5679.jpeg?resize=750%2C532&ssl=1)

I am again able to have a fully matched bathroom and kept these towels in two different stacks consisting of a single bath mat, two bath towels, and two hand towels (one, in this case, for each bathroom).

![Image shows both bath mats overlapping a bit but side by side on the wooden floor.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_IMG_5700.jpeg?resize=750%2C438&ssl=1)

I love how the blue side of the bath mat and towels look and as the pattern goes along the length of the towel the bath mats ended up reversed from each other.

![Image shows the same two bath mats as before but now the overlapping one is flipped over to show the underside. Where it was blue it's now white and vis versa making this one more white than blue. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_IMG_5703.jpeg?resize=750%2C483&ssl=1)

Plus I can always flip it over to give a different look to the area.

![Pile of one set of folded towels.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_IMG_5707.jpeg?resize=750%2C519&ssl=1)

Then I set them into two piles. Each containing one newly finished bath mat, two bath towels, and two hand towels (one for each bathroom).

I love the immediate effect the bath towel had when added to the bathroom with the rest of it’s set.

![Image is taken from above looking down at a bath towel folded and hung up with the bath mat blurred underneath. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_IMG_5684.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I absolutely love how perfectly the bath mat fits between the wall, toilet, and shower. And that’s without measuring it or anything.

![Image is taken from the side further away than the last. Here you can see two towels hung side by side and the bath mat folded and hung on the bath of the sliding shower door. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_IMG_5688.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

With all the towels folded and hung it looks so gorgeous!

---

## *Potential Alterations*

If I didn’t have a serger I could have, instead, used my scissors to cut the towel in half, thus skipping the sewing pins, and then use a zigzag stitch on my sewing machine to finish the edges.

Overall I’m happy with how my bath mats look and am going to leave them alone. That said, I could always go over the edges again if I want to change up how the edge appear. For instance I could going over it again with either my sewing machine or serger so the white edge is more obvious.

If I were to do this again with a new towel I could see playing with the edge more. If the towel was thinner, for instance, I could see using a decorative stitch that matched the theme. Or I could play with the thread color whether it was to better match the bath mat colors, my other towels, or the bathroom itself. Or even a variegated or metallic thread could be fun. I could see my kids loving that!

---

I hope you’re having a great day and this post helps you out. If you end up turning a bath towel into two bath mats or, especially, if you use this to inspire you to do something else I’d love to hear about it in the comments below so do please share. I hope you’re having a great day.

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Which Version of the reMarkable’s Templates Are Emailed Out?
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/
Last updated: 2024-01-14T17:41:51.000Z
A while back, while working with custom templates on my reMarkable, I wondered which of the two associated files gets emailed out when exporting a custom template page from a notebook. I couldn’t let go of this question and decided I needed to find this out for myself thus creating this experiment and this blog post as I had to share my results with you in case it was something you also wondered about.

![Pinterest-geared image showing three images also shown below, my post's title, and a learn more at my main website URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_Which-Version-of-the-reMarkables-Templates-Are-Emailed-Out-Pinterest.png?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

*I conducted this experiment over April 29th, 30th, and May 1st 2022\. While typing this up, on May 2nd, I checked my reMarkable and saw I was currently running Version 2.12.3.606 of the software.*

***UPDATE (January 14th, 2024):*** These results are no longer accurate. To see the new chart see [the updated post here](https://www.simplykyra.com/update-which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/). 

---

## ***TLDR***

Here’s the graph showing my results if you want to quickly look it over. As you can see below when the custom template has both types of images assigned to it the `PNG` is used for display and exporting as a `PNG` or `SVG` file. The `SVG`, in this case, is only shown when exported as a `PDF` file. When the custom template is ONLY associated with a `PNG` image and not an `SVG` one it defaults to the `PNG` in all cases. When the custom template can’t find an associated `PNG` file (when it’s only associated with an `SVG` file) we come across issues. Exporting as a `PDF` still works but displaying the page on the reMarkable switches back and forth between a blank background with any doodles or a blank page with a message saying it can’t be viewed. When exporting this to a PNG we result in a white rectangle while exporting it as an `SVG` results in a white square centered vertically within a transparent rectangle.

![Image is a graph showing what is viewed and exported with different types of custom templates. The specific custom template is shown in the first column while the second column subdivides that into being shown on the reMarkable or exported as a PDF, PNG, or SVG. The final resulting column shows whether you see the PNG file, SVG file, or something else. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-Which-Version-of-the-reMarkables-Templates-Are-Emailed-Out-Graph.png?resize=750%2C590&ssl=1)

Going into this I assumed you’d see the `PNG` file shown on the reMarkable itself and when exporting it as a `PNG` file. As I heard `PDF` files were scalable I assumed both the exported `SVG` and the `PDF` would show the `SVG` image. I was surprised to see that the `PNG` image was displayed when exporting the notebook page as a `PNG` and as an `SVG` file while the `SVG` image was only shown on the exported `PDF`.

---

## *Background*

Over the last year I’ve been playing around with custom templates and, when creating them, I only upload a `PNG` file to the reMarkable and never upload an `SVG` one to go with it. I have never had an issue doing it this way and wondered if I was missing anything.

As a quick aside if you haven’t worked with custom templates before the templates are the background choices the reMarkable comes with when working within notebooks. You set what template you want to use when creating a notebook and then, using layers, you can change that background of any notebook page at any point. Any additional pages you add to the notebook will automatically use whatever template you last picked. Each of these templates are seen by the reMarkable by the `templates.json` file and matches up with an associated `PNG` file and an `SVG` file based on the filename. When I upload a custom `PNG` file I need to edit the `templates.json` file and restart the reMarkable so the new template is seen. I’ve never noticed any issues with my template not having an associated `SVG` file.

I’ve previously posted about the reMarkable before if you want to learn more. They include:

- [Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Through the Command Line](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/)
- [Switch Out Your reMarkable’s Sleep Screen… Plus Easily Back it Up](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/10/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/)
- [How to Make Template Files for Your reMarkable](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/)
- A bash script to quickly upload your images and create the `JSON` code snippet
- Part 1 – [Quickly Generate a JSON Template Code Snippet for Your reMarkable](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/31/quickly-generate-a-json-template-code-snippet-for-your-remarkable/)
- Part 2 – [Quickly and Easily Upload Template Images to Your reMarkable](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/07/quickly-and-easily-upload-template-images-to-your-remarkable/)
- [My reMarkable2 Updated! This Is What I Did Next](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/14/my-remarkable2-updated-this-is-what-i-did-next/)
- A video walkthrough combining the previous posts: [Watch How I Upload Custom Templates to My reMarkable](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/12/29/watch-how-i-upload-custom-templates-to-my-remarkable/)
- [Simple Script to Help Backup Your reMarkable](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/05/11/simple-script-to-help-backup-your-remarkable/)

Any of the associated code snippets from those posts can be found on GitHub through [my *SimplyKyraBlog* repository here](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog?ref=simplykyra.com).

Anyway, once I realized I needed to know what file is shown when exporting a template I started what I thought would be a quick evening experiment…

---

## *The Experiment*

*Quick Aside:* I conducted this experiment both with notebook pages with doodles and with pages that only had the template background set. I found the doodles did not change the results and so I left this out in the results graph.

To start this out I created three custom templates. The one template used two different images as the `SVG` and `PNG` files. I figured this way I could look at the exported page and easily determine which file I was looking at based on how it looked. The other two custom templates I created consisted of either the `PNG` or `SVG` file only and not the other one. I figured this way I’d either see how robust the reMarkable software is. I kept track of what image was showing for which type to make it easier to determine what was happening.

Once the custom templates were created I assumed the rest of the experiment would be really quick so I threw these into some pages on my *Quick Sheet* notebook and started exporting them to my personal email. Unfortunately, most of these didn’t get sent out and I found myself attempting to export them off and on throughout the evening and the next day before realizing that I was confused on which file was what and decided to simplify the process.

Thus I then restarted this experiment by creating three notebooks each with one page showing the associated custom template. I used the name of the notebook, named to match the template shown, to differentiate between which notebook page was received via email as the subject line of any exported file is automatically set to its notebook’s title. This made it way easier to keep track of which answers I received.

*Quick Aside:* I quickly typed out the notebook title and mistakenly entered a *u* instead of an *y* when inputting the word *only* so the screenshots use the word *onlu*.

![Photo of my reMarkable showing the three notebooks displaying the three custom templates. The caption explains what is displayed on them.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8678.jpeg?resize=750%2C400&ssl=1)

These are the three main notebooks used. As you can tell from their titles the far left is for the custom template with only an associated `SVG` file (and thus fails to display in the thumbnail) while the middle one only has an associated `PNG` image and the far right one has a custom template with both (and displays the `PNG` image in the thumbnail).

With each notebook I marked what image type was shown on the reMarkable page itself and then emailed the page to myself three times so I’d receive one `PDF` file, one `SVG` file, and one `PNG` file. I noticed this often didn’t immediately send so I kept track of my results and repeated the export at different times keeping the ones I hadn’t received yet bolded so I could tell easily tell what I still needed to do. I also started pausing between each export as I don’t know if the time delay or the actual time I exported made a difference in getting all the emails.

![Image shows the flowers in the PNG with the share menu option open allowing you to see "Present with Screen Share", "Send by email", and "Convert to text and send". ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8705.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After opening the notebook and then the sidebar I tapped on the share button, second from the bottom, and then tapped the **Send by email* option.

![Image shows the bottom two thirds of the "Send by Email" page showing the empty message, empty filename, all pages, and the export format (PDF, PNG, and SVG).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8696.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After clicking on my email address, at the top, I selected which **Export format* I needed at the lower right side. I made sure to send and receive one of each.

![Image shows the bottom of the flower covered notebook and a black banner along the bottom saying at the far right side "File sent".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8704.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then waited a bit to see if the “File sent” banner popped up at the bottom.

Both the *PNG* only custom template and the one with both images associated with it performed well. I did notice a problem with the *SVG* only custom template though. Since the `PNG` image is displayed on the reMarkable I noticed the thumbnail for the `SVG only` notebook showed either a blank page or just my doodles with a blank background behind it. Once I opened the notebook I saw a message saying it’s “Unable to view page background” and if there was any previous doodling I wouldn’t be able to see it. If I marked up that page it would wait a bit and then switch the background to blank and I’d be able to see my current marks and any previous ones I’d made. That said, after emailing the page or switching away and back, the page would again revert back to “Unable to view page background” and the previous writing will be again hidden.

![Image shows a blank notebook page with a message saying "Unable to view page background" in larger letters than the text underneath saying "Try restarting your reMarkable tor contact support if the problem persists".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8689.jpeg?resize=750%2C525&ssl=1)

The `SVG only` page didn’t have a `PNG` image to display so instead I saw a message saying it can’t be viewed with a white background behind it hiding all my previous doodles.

![Image shows the same message as before but now there's a skinny black heart drawn over it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8692.jpeg?resize=750%2C387&ssl=1)

I then did a quick heart on the page and, after waiting a little bit,…

![The reMarkable now shows many doodles including the heart in the previous image. There's no message and the background is blank. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8693.jpeg?resize=750%2C494&ssl=1)

… the background went blank and I could see the current and previous doodles on the screen.

![The view three images up is back with a blank page and the message "Unable to view page background" displayed. The bottom has a banner saying "file sent".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_8697.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then went through the sidebar, selected “Send by email”, and emailed it to myself. When I returned the doodles were once again hidden, the message was back, and a banner appeared saying it had been emailed. After a photo and another mark to the page the doodles were back and the message was gone.

I also noticed changes with the exported file. For the `PNG only` custom template all three exported types showed the `PNG` image. For the custom template with both images associated with it I saw the `PNG` image for both the exported `SVG` and `PNG` image while I saw the original `SVG` image when exporting the `PDF`. For the `SVG only` custom template the exported `PDF` looked great showing the set `SVG` image. Then the others were weirder. The exported `PNG` file was a blank rectangle which was, granted, to be expected after seeing the notebook page on the reMarkable. What surprised me was the exported `SVG` image. When opened in [*Pixelmator Pro*](https://www.pixelmator.com/pro/?ref=simplykyra.com) I saw that the size of the canvas seemed to match the reMarkable but the blank space was a square centered vertically in the space. Above and below the square was transparent space.

![Screenshot of Pixelmator Pro showing the image on a transparent 1404 by 1404 pixel white square with a transparent layer above and below to make a rectangle. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_PNG-only-SVG-No-Drawing.png?resize=750%2C660&ssl=1)

When I exported the `SVG only` custom template I was surprised to see a rectangular canvas with a white square centered vertically.

With all my exported files received I was able to quickly organize the results into a layout that made sense and came up with the below graphic. Here the first two columns show what I did with the first column showing specifically what images are associated with the custom template while the second column lists how it’s viewed: through the reMarkable (display) or exported as a `PDF`, `PNG`, or `SVG` file. The final column shows what image type was viewed or, in the case of the `SVG only` custom template, if something else resulted.

![Image is a graph showing what is viewed and exported with different types of custom templates. The specific custom template is shown in the first column while the second column subdivides that into being shown on the reMarkable or exported as a PDF, PNG, or SVG. The final resulting column shows whether you see the PNG file, SVG file, or something else. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-Which-Version-of-the-reMarkables-Templates-Are-Emailed-Out-Graph.png?resize=750%2C590&ssl=1)

I decided to show the results with two columns showing what I did (first being the custom template itself and second column showing whether it was viewed on the reMarkable or exported and as what). Then the third column, in blue, shows whether a `PNG` image or `SVG` one was shown or whether something else happened.

Whether you were curious about how the custom templates exported from your reMarkable or you just stumbled across this post I hope it enlightened you. Have you learned something that expands on this? If so I’d love for you to add it to the comments below so other readers can be helped too.

Hope you’re having an awesome day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Crazy Hair Day - This Time With a Mermaid
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/crazy-hair-day-this-time-with-a-mermaid/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T03:08:19.000Z
Last year for *Crazy Hair Day* Ada wanted a mermaid in her hair. After much thinking this is what I came up with! It involves a plastic mermaid toy, floral wire to help keep it in place, ponytail ties for both the mermaid and the hair, along with some hair clips to help keep it all in place and provide *mermaid* friends for the mermaid toy. It also involves simple braids and a bit of French braiding.

![Pinterest geared image showing the finished hair style taken from above along with two headings saying "Crazy Hair Day" "This Time With Mermaids" and the main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_Crazy-Hair-Day-This-Time-With-Mermaids-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

The previous year, for *Crazy Hair Day*, Ada [requested a dinosaur in her hair](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/30/dinosaur-themed-crazy-hair-day/) which led to me building a scaffold for it out of floral wire, researching hair dye to turn her hair into a grassy field, and copious amounts of ponytail ties to keep it all in place. She ended up loving it, but it was heavy and I needed to remove it the second she got out of school. During that day; however, she noticed one of her friends’ mermaid styled hair. It was done amazingly with the upper half of a Barbie doll as the mermaid top, a French braid as the tail, and hair chalk or temporary dye to color it all. She loved it and thus when *Crazy Hair Day* came around the next year she requested a mermaid too. Luckily, she had her own idea, picked a mermaid from her toys, and I talked over my ideas with her on how we could attach it to her the morning of. This is what we came up with:

With the dinosaur having succeeded last year I decided to use floral wire to accomplish this again. I started with cutting two long pieces and folding over the ends into loops so they wouldn’t hurt her head by mistake. I then looped the center of one of the wires around the mermaid’s armpits and then the other above the tail bend. Unlike the dinosaur the wire didn’t stay in place and moved up and down a bit. To help keep it immobile I grabbed some of the ponytail ties and looped it around several times. I ended up with a purple and blue wrapped mermaid with floral wire sticking out but it was ready to go for the next morning.

![Image is taken from above showing the wire wrapped around two spots on the mermaid. To the right are the two mermaid hair clips and some colorful ponytail ties. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_0324.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

In advance I attempted to attach floral wire to the mermaid so it would be easier to attach to Ada’s head. I also grabbed all the ponytail ties and looked through the girls’ hair clips and found two mermaid clips that I realized would go perfect with the theme.

![Image shows the mermaid on it's side with blue and purple strips around it's torso with two wires sticking out from either side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_0327.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The wires kept moving so I ended up grabbing two of the ponytail ties to help keep it all in place.

The morning of *Crazy Hair Day* I had Ada hold the mermaid on her head so it stayed in place while I attached it to her head. I started by grabbing a small section of her hair, right by the one wire, and sectioned it into three parts with the wire joining one of those sections. I then braided the hair along with the wire and, once done, wrapped it around the mermaid. That helped keep the mermaid attached to Ada’s head and the wire helped keep it in place too. I then repeated this process with each of the wires. By the time the wires were hidden the mermaid was secured and all that was left to do was make it look nicer and stop the tail from twisting to the side.

To do this I decided to take the remaining hair and French braid over top of the mermaid to keep it straight. Once I got to the end of the tail, before the fin, I stopped the French braid, split the rest of the hair down the center, and created two French braids to finish up the rest of the hair. I then went back and added two mermaid clips to either side of the toy mermaid giving her friends to *swim* with and confirming it would hold.

![Image shows the mermaid from the front with her arms raised up resting on top of Ada's head. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_0336.jpeg?resize=750%2C580&ssl=1)

A quick view from the front!

![Image taken from above looking down at the top of Ada's head showing how the doll is kept in. You can see a looped floral wire end sticking out from a thin braid wrapped around the doll. The lower half is braided in and there's two mermaid clips on either side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_0331.jpeg?resize=750%2C870&ssl=1)

From above you can see the small braids used to keep the wire in place wrapped around the mermaid. I then French breaded over the mermaid until I got to the tail. Once done I used two mermaid hair clips to help keep it all in place and give the mermaid friends to *swim* along with.

![Image is once again taken from above but this time a bit more to the side. You can see the part at the back of Ada's head and the hair French braided on the way down. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/05/compressed_IMG_0328.jpeg?resize=750%2C634&ssl=1)

Its a bit hard to see but once I braided the mermaid into place I split the hair into two and finished off with two French braids.

Ada absolutely loved it and was proud to show it off. We were currently doing school through her laptop so it was more for Ada to tell people about than them getting a close up look which may have been for the best. I can’t exactly remember but I think it may have been more comfortable than the previous year as she kept it in for longer.

Has this post helped you come up with something for your own *Crazy Hair Day*. If so I’d love to hear what you did (will do) and how it helped so feel free to share in the comments below. I hope your week is going great.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simple Script to Help Backup Your reMarkable
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-script-to-help-backup-your-remarkable/
Last updated: 2023-05-10T16:36:10.000Z
Back when I first bought my reMarkable I was enamored with switching out the [sleep screen images](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/10/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/) which quickly led to playing with [custom templates](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/07/quickly-and-easily-upload-template-images-to-your-remarkable/) too. I knew I needed to come up with some way to backup the contents of my reMarkable in case the worst thing happens and so I came up with this small and simple script. Since creating this script I make a point to run it occasionally so if something happens at any point I hopefully have a recent backup. That said I’ve never needed to recover my reMarkable so this hopeful precaution is all that I can share with you.

![Pinterest geared image showing the post title "Simple Script to Help Backup Your reMarkable", my main URL "simplykyra.com", and five images also shown below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_Simple-Script-to-Help-Backup-Your-reMarkable-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

*TLDR*: If you’re looking for the script that runs the backup it can be found on [my blog’s GitHub repository page](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog?ref=simplykyra.com) or directly here: [backupRemarkable.sh](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/reMarkable/backupRemarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com). You’ll need to update line 5 to include your I.P. address before running it. I embedded the [GitHub Gist](https://gist.github.com/SimplyKyra/45cdc80c324d9c0ee3084d8c97c8f099?ref=simplykyra.com) at the bottom of the post.

---

## *Quick Warning*

I have never needed to use these backups to restore my reMarkable so I haven’t needed to confirm if they have everything I would need. Hopefully, if it comes to that for you, this gives you something to start with and, if so, I’d love to know in the comments below if it was enough. If not what would be helpful next time?

---

## *The Process*

After deciding I needed to come up with some way to backup my reMarkable I took it in bits and pieces. One of the earlier steps was shared at the beginning of my *[Switch Out Your reMarkable’s Sleep Screen… Plus Easily Back it Up](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/10/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/)* post. Here I navigated to where I wanted the files to be located on my computer and then used `scp` to copy all the contents of the `/usr/share/remarkable` directory on my reMarkable to this spot (`.`).

![Image is a screenshot showing the command I used and what each part is. You can check out my post in the caption to see the actual text. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2022-02-08-at-10.13.58-AM.png?resize=750%2C543&ssl=1)

Screenshot of my blog post *[Switch Out Your reMarkable’s Sleep Screen… Plus Easily Back it Up](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/10/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/)* from February 8th, 2022\. Here you can see the command I used in the terminal and what each section of the command does.

After a bit I came across [reMarkableWiki](https://remarkablewiki.com/tech/file%5Ftransfer?ref=simplykyra.com) (specifically the *Making Local* *Backups* part at the bottom of their *[File Transfer](https://remarkablewiki.com/tech/file%5Ftransfer?ref=simplykyra.com)* post) and realized I should be backing up the `xochitl` related directory and files too.

![Image shows the "Making Local Backups" part of the website. If you click the link in the caption you can see the text without it being in photo form. That said the main commands are shown below when going over the script.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2022-02-08-at-10.10.31-AM.png?resize=750%2C458&ssl=1)

Screenshot of the bottom of [reMarkableWiki’s *File Transfer*](https://remarkablewiki.com/tech/file%5Ftransfer?ref=simplykyra.com) page taken on February 8th, 2022\. This shows an alternative to the reMarkable cloud sync backup service by using three `scp` commands to back up the system files locally.

Like the site says I start by making a directory and navigating to it in the terminal so I have somewhere to store the backed up files. I then run the three commands one after the other. For me I connect to my reMarkable through `SSH` over `WiFi` so the last command, backing up the xochitl binary, takes a while. That said the wiki mentions it would be faster if connecting via `USB` rather than `WiFi`.

![Image is a short screenshot showing the terminal where the first two commands are executed. It also goes into the directory and lists the new contents. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_backup-remarkable-2021-02-20-at-2.43.09-PM.png?resize=750%2C108&ssl=1)

The last two commands `scp root@remarkable:~/.config/remarkable/xochitl.conf remarkable-backups/` and `scp root@remarkable:/usr/bin/xochitl remarkable-backups/` run the quickest.

![Image shows my failed attempts to run the command (as remarkable-backup/ doesn't exist as I pluralized it) but then shows the command executing. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_backup-remarkable-2021-02-20-at-2.43.35-PM.png?resize=750%2C445&ssl=1)

The first command listed, `scp -r root@remarkable:~/.local/share/remarkable/xochitl/ remarkable-backup/files/`, takes the longest… though it kicks off a bit faster if you remember what you named the backup directory you want to use.

![Image shows the files being transferred on the terminal window with the File Dialog open at the bottom showing the file with the images being uploaded to the cloud.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_backup-remarkable-2021-10-21-at-10.40.56-AM.png?resize=750%2C736&ssl=1)

This command takes a while to run so I normally kick it off before making tea or something. Like I mentioned before I only run it over `WiFi` but the wiki mentions connecting over `USB` to make the transfer execute faster.

![Image is a split screen showing the file dialog with the backed up files on the left and the terminal showing the contents of the files on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_backup-remarkable-2022-02-08-at-10.01.32-AM.png?resize=750%2C386&ssl=1)

In case you’re interested I checked out some of these files through the terminal by looking at the first ten lines `head -10` and this is what I saw.

As I’ve never needed to restore my reMarkable I wasn’t quite sure which of the files I’d need so when I started creating my backup script I decided to include both my original command along with these three newer to me commands.

---

## *The Script Explained*

To create the script I took the four commands above, threw them into a script, and padded it with a bit of user friendly text. In it’s entirety it’s:

![Screenshot of the script in the terminal. There's a black background with blue, pink, yellow, and white text. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_backup-remarkable-2021-10-21-at-10.41.55-AM.png?resize=750%2C256&ssl=1)

Here’s a screenshot of the script. You can also find it in [my GitHub blog repository](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog?ref=simplykyra.com) under [backupRemarkable.sh](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/reMarkable/backupRemarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com).

But I’ll quickly go over it in case you want to make it your own. Of course it starts out with:

```bash
#!/bin/bash
```

I started out with `!/bin/bash` so the interpreter knows how to execute the script which, in this case, is `Bash` installed in my `/bin` directory. If you want to explore this more you can check out [the *Shebang* wiki on the Linux Shell Scripting Tutorial page](https://bash.cyberciti.biz/guide/Shebang?ref=simplykyra.com) or read the three minute [*Bash Shebang* article on Linuxize](https://linuxize.com/post/bash-shebang/?ref=simplykyra.com).

```bash
myConnect="YOUR IP ADDRESS" 
myDate=`date +%Y-%m-%d`
```

I then declare and define my main two variables used in the script. The first, `myConnect`, stores the username and I.P. address information which is the one thing you’ll need to change to run with your reMarkable. You’ll need to replace the “`YOUR IP ADDRESS`” with your username at I.P. address so, for example, `root@111.111.1.111`. This is used to access your files when using `scp` to copy them off your reMarkable. The next variable, `myDate`, creates a string containing the current date in the right format. This is used as the name of the directory to store the copied files.

```bash
echo "Using \"$myConnect\" I'm about to back up your reMarkable to the file \"$myDate\". If this doesn't work you may need to configure your reMarkable not to need a password and turn it on!"
```

With the two variables created I next output a string letting you, the user, know that the script is about to create a directory and backup the files into that directory. It also warns you that you may need a password to make it work. For me I use a public key so when I `SSH` into my reMarkable or use `scp` to copy files it doesn’t ask me for my password. If you’re interested in doing the same I shared about how I did it in my *[Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Through the Command Line](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/)* post. I also included the two variables in this string so it also shows you what the script sees and, if it fails, it may be easier to troubleshoot as you can quickly see these variables printed out on the terminal screen.

```bash
mkdir $myDate 
cd $myDate
```

Since this script is going to live, and be executed in, the directory storing all the backups all I next need to do is create a directory for this specific set of backed up files. In this case I use `mkdir` to `make the directory` and then use the date variable I created to name the directory. I then use `cd` to move into the new directory so I’m ready to create the backups.

```bash
scp -r $myConnect:/usr/share/remarkable/ .
```

With the prep out of the way it’s time to start backing up the reMarkable’s files. Here I start out with the original command I used by copying all of the files in the reMarkable’s `/usr/share/remarkable/` directory onto my computer and into the current directory.

```bash
mkdir -p remarkable-backup/files
# all your content (this will likely take the longest, and could be up to 8GB of data)
scp -r $myConnect:~/.local/share/remarkable/xochitl/ remarkable-backup/files/
# your configuration file, which also contains your ssh password
scp $myConnect:~/.config/remarkable/xochitl.conf remarkable-backup/
# the xochitl binary, if you plan on replacing or modifying it in any way
scp $myConnect:/usr/bin/xochitl remarkable-backup/
```

I then want to execute the commands listed on [reMarkableWiki’s *File Transfer*](https://remarkablewiki.com/tech/file%5Ftransfer?ref=simplykyra.com) page. To do this I need to start by making the proper directory needed to store the files. Here the `-p` flag is added which means to *[create a directory structure with the missing parent directories (if any)](https://phoenixnap.com/kb/create-directory-linux-mkdir-command?ref=simplykyra.com)*. Once the directory is made I execute the three commands.

```bash
echo "All Done!"
```

With that we’re done so I output the proper text just to make in a bit more obvious before the script fully ends.

---

## *Running the Script*

With the script created I saved it to a directory that will hold all the reMarkable’s backed up files. I then open a terminal here and use `./` to run the script. Of course you’ll also need to make sure your reMarkable is turned on so it can connect properly.

![Image shows the file dialog for the "reMarkable Backups" directory showing a single file "backupRemarkable.sh". The right-click menu is open with "New iTerm2 Tab Here" selected. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_backup-remarkable-2022-02-08-at-9.30.16-AM.png?resize=750%2C639&ssl=1)

I downloaded `iTerm` so when I have the file dialog open I can right-click on a file and open a new `iTerm` tab with a pathway already set.

![Again this image is split vertically. The left side shows the file dialog with the script and a dated directory being uploaded to the Apple cloud. On the right you see the terminal with the script executed, the string outputted, and the files being copied over one by one. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_backup-remarkable-2022-02-08-at-9.30.51-AM.png?resize=750%2C280&ssl=1)

I then run the script by typing in `./backupRemarkable.sh`. Essentially a `.` and a `/` followed by the script’s filename. You can see on the left side that the dated directory was created and, on the right side, the string was outputted with the variables and now the reMarkable’s files are being copied over and thus backed up.

![Image shows the bottom bit of the terminal once the script ended. My terminal outputs the total time "5m41s" that the command took to execute. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_backup-remarkable-2022-02-08-at-9.38.22-AM.png?resize=750%2C417&ssl=1)

Once the script finished it output `All Done!` and then waits for you to enter any other commands. In all, this time, it took 5 minutes and 41 seconds. I’ve only done this over `WiFi` and haven’t tested this over `USB` so I’m not sure how much quicker it would take in that case.

![Image shows the file dialog after the script has run. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_backup-remarkable-2022-02-08-at-9.57.16-AM.png?resize=750%2C428&ssl=1)

Once the script finishes you’re left with a dated `Directory` filled with, hopefully, all the files you’d need to restore your reMarkable if something does happen.

While typing this up I was curious what would happen if the script was run twice in one day so I kicked off the script twice in a row to answer this. It tells you that the `file exists` when attempting to create the directory but then continues on and backs up all the files. As it takes the same amount of time to execute as the first time and as we can easily see that there’s no duplicate files we know that the script is just overwriting the files from the first run. Thus if you want to backup your reMarkable twice in one day I recommend you either change the script to include the time in the `myDate` variable or manually rename the directory after the first backup before running the next one.

Anyway I keep my backups in this one directory and make sure to run the script every once in a while so I’m hopefully covered if something happens. I also make sure to run the script before executing any potentially problematic commands so I know I have a failsafe. Sometimes I go back after running an update and add text after the date in the directory name explaining why I ran the backup or when I ran it… like if I ran it right after a reMarkable update or before trying thing `X`.

I also sometimes create another directory named *date – notebooks* and manually export any notebooks I know I wouldn’t want to lose.

![Image shows my reMarkable-backups directory with five script backups directories and two manual notebook PDF directories along with the script itself. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_backup-remarkable-2022-02-08-at-9.48.42-AM.png?resize=750%2C279&ssl=1)

Here’s how this directory looked back in February before I deleted some of the backlog directories that I know I didn’t need anymore.

---

## *Manual Backups*

Sometimes I want to be extra secure so I decided to backup my notebooks. I’m assuming the backup from before includes the notebooks themselves but just in case I wanted a more human-readable method. So far I’ve only exported my notebooks as `PDF` files and haven’t figured out an easy way to do this… but I figured I should show you how I do it manually.

Anyway before exporting the files I go to my backups, create a new directory, and add the text ` - notebooks` after the date.

![Image shows the backup directory with the right clicked menu open at the bottom and "New Folder" highlighted. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_backup-remarkable-2022-02-08-at-9.39.13-AM.png?resize=750%2C417&ssl=1)

You can do this through the file dialog or the terminal. Here I right-clicked on an empty spot and created a new directory.

![Image shows the same file dialog but now the highlighted row shows "2022-02-08 - Files".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_backup-remarkable-2022-02-08-at-9.39.30-AM.png?resize=750%2C337&ssl=1)

I then named it the current date and added ` - Files` to the end. Later ones I instead named `Notebooks`.

With the directory created I next went into the official reMarkable application on my computer and filtered the results by `Notebooks` on the left hand side. After clicking on one I could either right-click to export or I could go up to `Document` on the menu to see the same options. If I wanted to backup all the notebooks I make sure to select a single notebook, press `CMD` and `A` at the same time to select them all, and then right click or go to the menu to export them all as PDF files to be save to this newly created directory. This does take a bit of time to happen but, as of April 14th 2022, there will be a loading line under each file as they export and the finished pathways will be listed at the bottom.

![Image shows a screenshot of the reMarkable app taken in February with the Notebooks showing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_backup-remarkable-2022-02-08-at-9.40.51-AM.png?resize=750%2C462&ssl=1)

After opening the reMarkable app I clicked on `Notebooks` on the left to only see Notebooks in my window.

![Image shows the same view as the previous photo only now the first notebook is selected and the top banner shows I can close or favorite it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_backup-remarkable-2022-02-08-at-9.41.08-AM.png?resize=750%2C363&ssl=1)

Once I click on a notebook I can either export it right now or press `CMD` and `A` at the same time to select all of the notebooks at once.

![Image shows the menu choices at the top of the reMarkable app. Document is open and "Export as PDF..." is selected. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_backup-remarkable-2022-02-08-at-9.42.15-AM.png?resize=750%2C169&ssl=1)

To export you can right-click on the notebook itself or, once selected, go to the menu and click on `Document` and then `Export as PDF...`.

![Image shows the notebooks being exported to my computer. Some say how many pages they are while others show a line representing how close they are to exported. The bottom has a banner showing the last completely exported notebook and where it went. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_backup-remarkable-2022-02-08-at-9.43.09-AM.png?resize=750%2C274&ssl=1)

If exporting a lot at once you’ll need to wait but each one, as it exports, will show a loading line below it. As each finishes the banner at the bottom will update and show the final location of the `PDF` file.

![The file dialog is showed again but now there's two PDF files shown within the backed up Files directory. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_backup-remarkable-2022-02-08-at-9.44.45-AM.png?resize=750%2C343&ssl=1)

And thus all the PDF files were saved to the new directory making me feel a bit more secure in case something did happen.

Word of warning about this if you use custom templates. The custom templates are stored on the reMarkable itself so the application doesn’t see them. This means any notebook page that uses a custom template will only show a blank background behind your text if you export it from the app. If you want the notebook backed up with the custom template visible you’ll need to export it from the reMarkable itself. So far I’ve only done this by emailing the `PDF` to myself but I have noticed that large notebooks won’t email. Thus I’ve gotten around this by emailing subsets of the notebook and [combining them on my computer later](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/04/27/how-to-quickly-combine-pdf-files-on-your-mac/). This is a longer process though.

---

## *The Code*

Here's the Github Gist:

---

## *Conclusion...*

I considered, briefly, looking into making this script into a cron job so my device could be backed up regularly and automatically but quickly realized that wouldn’t work as my reMarkable would have to be turned on for the `scp` connection to take place. That said, if you do deck out this script I’d love to hear how in the comments below.

I hope you never need to use this BUT if you do I’d love to know how you recovered your reMarkable. Was there something you wished you had backed up that I could add to this script? Was there something you were really glad you had? And how did you go about recovering it? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below and maybe it can help someone else in the future too.

I hope you’re having a good day and a great week.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How to Quickly Combine PDF Files on Your Mac
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-quickly-combine-pdf-files-on-your-mac/
Last updated: 2023-05-10T16:33:41.000Z
Back in January I realized that I needed to combine multiple `PDF` files into a single larger one. It was so simple to do…. once I finally figured out how… so I wanted to share this process with you.

![Pinterest-geared image showing my post's title, main URL, and two images that can be found below too. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_How-to-Quickly-Combine-PDF-Files-on-Your-Mac-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

## *Backstory*

Over the past year I’ve been using my reMarkable, an electronic paper device, instead of paper which, amongst other things, included replacing my regular paper planner. This meant, back in January, when I went to export the last year’s planner I quickly realized a couple things. One was that my planner was way too big to email to myself from the device and, two, I couldn’t simply export it from the Mac application because then it didn’t see the custom templates I had used on many of the pages. Exporting the file in parts didn’t seem to be worth the loss of my time so I decided to use the `PDF` exported from the Mac app as I could still see what I wrote although there were no background templates showing. I knew, however, going forward that I needed to solve this issue before the new year’s planner notebook got too big again. I needed to change up how I do things.

I decided to regularly email myself the new pages and combine the resulting `PDF` files together into a new larger 2022 `PDF` on my computer. This way I could use whatever custom templates I wanted and they’d show up when looking through the finished `PDF` at the end of the year. The only thing standing in my way was figuring out a simple way to combine the files together.

---

## *How To*

I was looking at many options before realizing that I could simply use the Preview app which I already used on my computer to edit photos. Before when I used *Preview* I’d open multiple photos and see them all individually listed on the left hand side. I could then go through each one and crop or delete them before closing to save. Using it for `PDF` files was just as simple and I didn’t need to buy or download anything to my computer.

To do this I opened the file dialog to see the `PDF` files I wanted to edit and combine. I then right-clicked on one of them and chose to open it in *Preview*. Once opened it automatically showed the sidebar with all the pages showing as thumbnails exactly where I used to see the image thumbnails. I could then click on any thumbnail and then hit delete to remove them or use my mouse to rearrange them. When I was done I could simply close the *Preview* window and the `PDF` file with the changes would automatically be saved. I didn’t even have to export it. It was that simple!

![Image shows the Downloads file dialog with four PDFs all selected showing. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_PDF-Editing-2022-02-01-at-7.49.30-AM.png?resize=750%2C246&ssl=1)

I selected one or more of the `PDF` files and then right-clicked on them to open the popup menu.

![Image shows the popup menu with the Preview option selected. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_PDF-Editing-2022-02-01-at-7.49.52-AM.png?resize=750%2C332&ssl=1)

I then went to `Open With` and selected `Preview`.

![Image shows the preview window with three of the 17 thumbnails showing on the left and a lined page on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_PDF-Editing-2022-02-01-at-7.54.57-AM.png?resize=750%2C635&ssl=1)

Once it’s open you can see a thumbnail of each individual page on the left. At the top you can see I’m on page two of seventeen. Here you can click on one of the thumbnails to select the page and, right after this screenshot, I then hit the delete button to remove it.

![Image shows the same preview window as before but now there are 16 pages as the second one was deleted. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_PDF-Editing-2022-02-01-at-7.55.03-AM.png?resize=750%2C716&ssl=1)

Here the second page was deleted leaving me with 16 pages in total. If I wanted I could also rearrange the order by simply dragging the thumbnails up or down.

With that tested I decided it was time to try editing two `PDF` files at once. This time I could either repeat my process to open each file one at a time *or* I could select all the `PDF` files I wanted to open and then right-click on one of them to open all of them in their own *Preview* windows. Once they were open I could then select one thumbnail and drag it into the other *Preview* window before arranging it where I wanted it. I did notice, when moving thumbnails between the `PDF` files, that when you drag one to another *Preview* window the original one also stays. Thus if you are keeping both `PDF` files you’d want to delete the original page after copying it over.

![Image shows two Preview windows open and overlapping. You can see the one thumbnail being dragged over to the other one. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_PDF-Editing-2022-02-01-at-7.57.06-AM.png?resize=750%2C861&ssl=1)

I opened the second `PDF` and dragged it over so I could see all the thumbnails side by side. I can then easily click on one of the thumbnails and drag it over to the other *Preview* window. There I can drag it up or down until it’s in the proper place and, when I release the mouse button, it settles into place.

If you’re editing a `PDF` with only one page the sidebar won’t open automatically so you can’t drag it’s thumbnail around. To open the sidebar you only need to go up to *View* and then select *Thumbnails* right under the *Hide Sidebar* option.

![Image shows the opened View menu in the Preview application.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_PDF-Editing-2022-02-01-at-7.52.56-AM.png?resize=750%2C331&ssl=1)

If you go into the *View* menu you can make the thumbnails appear and disappear by clicking on *Hide Sidebar* (disappear) or *Thumbnails* (appear).

I haven’t looked into it but I remember seeing once, in a Facebook group, people mentioning editing `PDF` files through [Canva](https://www.canva.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) (I’ve only used it for image creation), [I love PDF](https://www.ilovepdf.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) (only went to it now for the link), and on the iPhone using this tutorial on 9to5Mac *[Hands-on: How to edit PDFs with iPhone and iPad in the iOS 15 Files app](https://9to5mac.com/2021/11/03/how-to-edit-pdfs-with-iphone-ipad-in-ios-15/?ref=simplykyra.com)*. The last looks a bit cumbersome but great if you only wanted to rotate or remove a couple pages in a `PDF` file located in your device’s `Files` app.

I hope this helps you out whether you need to remove pages in a `PDF` file or move them to another. If it does I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. I hope your day is going great.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Easily Mix Two Different Types of Pasta
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/easily-mix-two-different-types-of-pasta/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T03:04:28.000Z
The other day, while thinking about pasta, I had the idea to share simple thoughts I’ve had that make my day easier in case you haven’t yet thought the same. I use today’s simple trick whenever I need to make a large batch of pasta and only have mismatched bags left.

![Pinterest-geared image showing my blog title (Easily Mix Two Different Types of Pasta), my main URL, and four images that are also shown below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_Easily-Mix-Two-Different-Types-of-Pasta-Together-Pinterest-1.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

The only thing more fun, for my kids, than having pasta for dinner is when I combine two favorite types of pasta together. This started several years ago when, in a bind, I had to try to combine two mismatched packages of pasta together although they had different cook times. It turned out great and the girls loved it. Now when I want to make two pounds of pasta, whether we have company over or I just want to have leftovers, I’m not concerned when there isn’t a set of matching boxes or bags as I know I can combine two of them together with reliable results.

First, for this to work properly, you need to reliably know how long your pasta will need to be boiled for to be cooked to your liking. If you’ve made a specific brand of pasta a lot you’ll know whether you can trust the number printed on the packaging or how you’ll need to adjust that number. For this you’ll want to go by the number of minutes you know the pasta needs to be boiled for.

In this particular example I’ll be using the pasta we buy from Costco. My normal process involves bringing the pot of unsalted water to a heavy boil, dumping the pasta in, immediately setting the time to the larger of the two numbers on the package, leaving the burner on high until it vigorously boils again, and then bringing it down to medium (low if it’s about to boil over and then up to medium again) until the timer goes.

![Image shows the pasta I currently had in my pantry when I snapped this photo. There are three bags of a shelled pasta, two multicolor rotini, two multicolored bowties, and three individual mismatched bags in the center front. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7190-1.jpeg?resize=750%2C286&ssl=1)

Going from one package of pasta to two, if using the same type, is as simple as using a larger pot, adding more water, and waiting a bit longer for it to all come to boil. Here I could easily make one of three kinds of pasta by just grabbing two duplicate bags.

When I only have random bags of pasta left I can sort them based on their cook time that I know I’ll need to boil them for. That way, if there’s two or more bags of pasta with matching cook times it’s as simple as grabbing those two matching bags. When there aren’t any bags with matching cook times I can easily grab two different ones and stagger when I start boiling each bag of pasta so they’re done at the same time. Normally I attempt to use the same brand when doing this but I have mixed two brands together once or twice and had it work out.

Just a warning: when combining two types of pasta I make sure to taste test both kinds to confirm that both are done at the same time. If one of them is too undercooked I boil both for longer so the lesser cooked one is el dente and the other one is a bit more done.

In this case I grabbed two bags of pasta that were as far apart in cook times as I could manage. The single hued gemelli pasta only takes nine minutes to boil while the tricolored farfalle (bowtie) pasta takes a whole fifteen minutes.

![Image shows two types of pasta, an Ikea container of orange grated cheese, and two cans of Kirkland diced tomatoes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7163-1.jpeg?resize=750%2C575&ssl=1)

My kids absolutely love [pasta, tomatoes, and cheese](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/03/01/pasta-tomato-and-cheese/) so I decided that’s what I should make when showing this simple trick. If making the same you’ll need, in addition to the pasta, butter (optional), milk (if too dry), grated cheddar cheese, and diced tomatoes (pre-kids I preferred to cut up canned whole plum tomatoes).

While a large pot of water comes to a boil I stop to do some quick math. I need to find the difference in cook times between the two bags of pasta that I chose. In this example the difference between the two types of pasta is six minutes: `15-9=6`. This means that once the water comes to a hard boil I toss the pasta that takes the longest time in (fifteen minutes), set the timer to the difference between the two (six minutes), and stir the pasta. Once the timer goes off I throw the second bag in (nine minutes), set the timer to it’s cook time (nine minutes), and give it another stir.

![Image shows a pot of steaming water with the haze of pasta already in it. A wooden spoon is laid on top and a you can see the empty pasta bag beside the second bag of pasta in the back. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7172-1.jpeg?resize=750%2C487&ssl=1)

I bring the water in the pot to a boil, toss the pasta that takes the longest in, set the timer to the time difference between the two packages, stir the pasta, and cook as normal until the timer goes.

![Image shows the empty second bag of pasta held up showing the pot containing both packages of pasta and boiling water in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7176.jpeg?resize=750%2C501&ssl=1)

Once the time goes I toss the second bag in, set the timer to whichever cook time is on the bag (in this case nine minutes), and continue boiling the pasta as normal.

Once the final timer goes off I taste test both pasta types and confirm that they’re both done. I then strain and follow whatever steps I need to finish the recipe I’m making. In this case I was making [Pasta, Tomato, and Cheese](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/03/01/pasta-tomato-and-cheese/) so I combined the strained pasta with milk, canned tomatoes, and grated cheddar cheese. Other times I’ve left this plain, added some avocado oil, mixed it with [baked cherry tomatoes and feta](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/24/simple-and-incredible-baked-feta-bruschetta-on-toast/), topped it with meat or tomato sauce, turned it into a [lasagna](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/07/01/simple-lasagna-ish-from-leftovers/), or used it with [taco meat](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/01/13/tacos-three-simple-meals-in-one/). There are so many different options!

![Image looks down at a pot filled with beige gemilli pasta and tricolored farfelle. The three colors are mixed with brighter orange cheese and red tomatoes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7180.jpeg?resize=750%2C533&ssl=1)

This time around I added diced tomatoes, milk, and cheddar cheese to the strained pasta and stirred until it was all melted and gooey.

![Image shows a mix of beige, red, orange, and green pasta mixture on a while plate sprinkled with black flecks. A metal spoon and purple rainbow and donut covered napkin sits beside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7184.jpeg?resize=750%2C513&ssl=1)

Once the pasta is plated I added some ground pepper (and occasionally some sriracha sauce).

And with that the multi-package pasta is done. I’ve only combined two bags of pasta but I’m assuming, if your pot is big enough, you could do more at once.

For example if you had three bags of pasta with cook times of 4 minutes, 8 minutes, and 10 minutes this is what I’d do. I’d bring the water in the pot to a boil, put the pasta with the largest boil time (10 minutes) in, boil for the difference between that and the lesser one (`10-8=2`) so in this case two minutes, add the middle one (8 minutes), boil for the difference between that and the smallest boil time (`8-4=4`) so four minutes, toss the last bag in, and boil for the final cook time of four minutes. The more bags you add there’d be more difficulty so using matching bags so there’s only one or two cook times would be the simplest.

---

I hope that this simple concept helps you out whether you’ve thought of it before or you haven’t yet come up with it. Have you done this before? What are you making with your pasta? Feel free to share in the comments below. I hope you’re having a great day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Learn How I Created a Captain Marvel-Inspired Emblem for a Skirt
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-i-created-a-captain-marvel-inspired-emblem-for-a-skirt/
Last updated: 2025-05-21T21:06:26.000Z
A month or so ago I took my daughter’s outgrown peppermint swirl dress, seam ripped the skirt from the bodice, patched a slit in the top of the skirt, and added a waistband resulting in a swirling and twirling skirt. [In the process](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/08/25/how-i-easily-altered-a-too-small-peppermint-swirl-dress-by-converting-it-into-a-skirt/) the skirt’s colors made me think of Captain Marvel’s logo which lead to me making Ada a Captain Marvel inspired skirt. I wanted to share with you just how I patched the skirt’s slit in case you also want to make a Captain Marvel inspired outfit.

![Pinterest geared image showing the post's title (middle), main URL (bottom), and a collage of four images. The top two show the process of making the star, the middle one shows the finished logo on the skirt, and the bottom image shows my plan on how to make it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/06/compressed_Learn-How-I-Created-a-Captain-Marvel-Inspired-Emblem-for-a-Skirt-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

While converting the [outgrown Peppermint Swirl dress into a skirt](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/08/25/how-i-easily-altered-a-too-small-peppermint-swirl-dress-by-converting-it-into-a-skirt/), using [the free tutorial found on the Candy Castle website](https://payhip.com/b/X5ZmG/af682cdb34c8728?ref=simplykyra.com), I realized quickly that the skirt portion of the dress had a slit in the back from where the opening with the snaps started. I knew that the slit needed to be patched before I could add the waistband to the skirt otherwise there would be a small hole under the waistband. I wanted to find some way to securely close the slit and briefly considered simply sewing the slit closed but I couldn’t find the blue fabric I used before and I wanted that portion of the skirt to look like part of the design process rather than just a hasty fix. My daughter loves Wonder Woman so I looked online at her costume and logo for inspiration to design a patch for the skirt. Although I didn’t go ahead with my Wonder Woman idea I did want to share my preliminary idea with you in case you’d rather go in that direction. The below diagram shows how far I got before abandoning it for my next plan. Specifically, I was going to sew a red `W` and then angle it so one of it’s arms covered up the slit. I was then going to topstitch around the `W`‘s edge to secure it in place and then add the waistband according to [the free tutorial](https://payhip.com/b/X5ZmG/af682cdb34c8728?ref=simplykyra.com). As the slit measured two inches tall the side edge of the `W` would need to be longer than that to fully cover the slit properly.

![Image is a screenshot of the Wonder Woman inspired skirt patch. It's titled "Plan 1 - Wonder Woman" and then shows the slit in the skirt, a plus sign, a red labelled W, an equal sign, and then the W placed at an angle on the skirt so the slit is hidden with the band sketched on above it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_WonderWoman.png?resize=750%2C181&ssl=1)

I wasn’t sure if I liked how it looked but then looking at the skirt itself I realized the swirls’ colors were similar to Captain Marvel’s outfit. I looked online to verify and then one thing led to another and I was recreating the center of Captain Marvel’s bodice on the top of Ada’s new skirt thus converting her too small dress into a Captain Marvel inspired skirt simply by trying to patch the slit. Specifically, the top of Captain Marvel’s outfit is red, the bottom is blue, and both parts are separated by a golden border with a eight sided star in the center. To recreate this I decided to make the waistband of the skirt red since the top of the logo is red. Essentially I assumed the multi-colored skirt itself was the blue bottom which was made easier as the slit itself was placed in a blue swirl. I then used my yellow fabric to create the border and star. Since I didn’t want this to take up too much space on the skirt I angled the border up more drastically than in Captain Marvel’s and decided to use red fabric above the star. This way the star didn’t need to completely cover the slit as the red fabric above it would also help cover it up.

![Again the image shows a screenshot of the plan but this time for Captain Marvel. The top is labelled "Plan 2 - Captain Marvel". The next section shows a simple diagram of the slit, a plus sign, a labeled eight pointed star, another plus sign, and then a yellow tube with a seam down the center so it looks like two lines. There's a x2 showing I want to make two of these. Below it is a sketch of the final idea once all four pieces are brought together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_captain-Marvel-Idea.png?resize=750%2C439&ssl=1)

I knew the biggest and most complicated part of this design was the star so I decided to tackle that portion first by looking online for a simple template I could use. Once I found one that looked similar to Captain Marvel’s I printed it making sure to change the settings before hitting `Print` so the star would be small enough to use. Since the space above the star was also going to be covered I didn’t need the star itself to be over two inches tall like I had planned for the Wonder Woman `W` to be. Instead I went for the star to be about two inches, or a bit less, in height and later ended up placing the star below the slit rather than on it so the border strips would work.

![Image is a screenshot from my computer showing the yellow star in the background with the grey print screen overlapping it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-04-23-at-2.22.09-PM.png?resize=750%2C596&ssl=1)

I found a star online that looked similar to Captain Marvel’s and printed it off making sure it was the proper size by playing around with the scale in the print settings.

Once I had the star printed I cut it out using my scissors and then used the paper star as a template by placing it on the wrong side of my yellow fabric and tracing around it with a disappearing ink pen.

![Image shows my hand holding up a piece of paper with the grey star printed on it. Each point has one edge cut while the opposing point is holding the paper in place. Behind it sits the rest of the paper and the bright yellow fabric I'm going to use for the star. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4305.jpeg?resize=750%2C471&ssl=1)

I found it quickest to cut out the star if I went around cutting the one edge of each point first and then going around again cutting the other edge.

![Image shows me pressing some fingers down on the grey star placed on top of the two-layered yellow fabric. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4309.jpeg?resize=750%2C488&ssl=1)

I folded the yellow fabric in half with the wrong sides facing outward. I then placed the paper star on top making sure it wouldn’t be cut off with the fabric’s edge or overlap too far with the selvage.

![Image shows me holding the grey paper star in place on the yellow fabric. A black disappearing ink pen sits beside. You can see an outline around the outside of the star were I already traced around it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4310.jpeg?resize=750%2C506&ssl=1)

I then traced around the edge of the star with my black disappearing ink pen.

Once I had the outline marked I clipped the fabric in place so it wouldn’t budge and removed the paper template. I then took the fabric to my sewing machine where I sewed along the edge of the star making sure to stop before I got back to the beginning so there would be enough space, albeit small, to turn the star right side out afterward. I also made a point to stop my machine, lift my pressure foot, and pivot at each tip of a star point and divot between the points.

![Image shows the yellow fabric folded over with the grey paper star placed lightly on top with the outline already marked. Three clips keep the fabric in place. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4312.jpeg?resize=750%2C517&ssl=1)

I clipped the fabric in place so it wouldn’t budge.

![Image shows a closeup of the yellow fabric with the black inked outline of a star. There are five sewing clips placed around the fabric and the paper template is off to the side at the top of the photo. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4313.jpeg?resize=750%2C536&ssl=1)

I removed the paper, trimmed the excess fabric off with my fabric scissors, and added more clips to keep the fabric securely together.

![Image shows the scrap of yellow fabric in my sewing machine with four sewing clips still attached. The needle is in the outline and yellow thread is traced along it's length as it's fed to the needle point.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4318.jpeg?resize=750%2C375&ssl=1)

I took the yellow fabric to my sewing machine and carefully sewed along the outline making sure to stop and pivot the fabric around the sewing needle at each sharp turn. I removed the clips as I went and made sure to keep one star edge unsewn so I could turn the small star right side out.

![Image shows the same scrap of fabric on the kitchen table. The black star's outline is obscured by yellow thread overlapping it. The loose thread ends show where the stitching was started and ended. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4319.jpeg?resize=750%2C493&ssl=1)

Here’s what it looked like fresh from the sewing machine before the threads or fabric was trimmed.

I next grabbed my pre-heated iron and pressed the fabric so the ink would disappear. This step could’ve been left for later but I wanted to confirm that all the ink had disappeared before the star was turned right side out.

![Image shows the fabric scrap with no black ink on it and a vague yellow outline. In the background sits the iron. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4320.jpeg?resize=750%2C402&ssl=1)

I pressed the star so the heat from the iron would make the ink disappear.

I then grabbed my fabric scissors and carefully cut into each star divot and then along the stitching so there would be less fabric bulking up the star once I finally turned it right side out.

![Image shows the same fabric with the yellow star but now there are cuts leading to each inner corner in the star and the metal scissors lay beside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4322.jpeg?resize=750%2C369&ssl=1)

I used my scissors to carefully cut into the fabric leading to each divot in the star.

![Image shows the yellow fabric with the excess fabric around the star cut off. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4323.jpeg?resize=750%2C511&ssl=1)

I then cut across so there was no excess fabric at each star point.

![Image shows the yellow star with only a thin seam allowance along each edge. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4324.jpeg?resize=750%2C539&ssl=1)

I then cut along each edge so there would be no excess fabric adding extra bulk to the star later on.

Finally it was time to turn the star right side out which was rather difficult. I ended up using the tip on my sewing machine’s lint brush to push the star’s points out but then switched to a metal chopstick when the lint brush poked through one of the star’s tips creating a small hole.

![Image shows the lint brush pushing the bottom of the star up, within it's body, so the tip would come out of the hole in the top. The tip of the lint brush is hidden in the star. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4326.jpeg?resize=750%2C496&ssl=1)

Instead of trying to jam the wrong side of the star into a small hole from the outside of the star I instead used my lint brush tip to push the star through the inside and out the hole. I was then able to pull the tip out of the opening and use the lint brush to push each point right side out.

![Image shows the star right side out with one and a half points sticking out. The two bottom points are hidden within the star and the last ones are off photo. The tip of the lint brush is beside the star and you can see loose threads in the one star tip where the tip poked through.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4328.jpeg?resize=750%2C473&ssl=1)

I continued to use the lint brush to push each star point out until the brush went through one of the tips causing a hole. I then switched to a metal reusable chopstick so the tip would be more blunt and have less chance of poking through the fabric.

![Image shows the yellow star with all points mostly outward. Behind and beside it you can see part of the chopstick and lint brush used to poke out the tips. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4329.jpeg?resize=750%2C530&ssl=1)

I carefully used my chopstick, as it had a blunt tip, to poke each star tip out. I then went around again with my lint brush carefully getting into each tip.

Once the star was fully turned out I attempted to fold the raw edge inside the star and pressed the entire star to hold the points and folds in place.

![Image shows the star now flattened with the lint brush and chopstick pushed to the back of the image. If you look closely you can see where the seam allowance is along the edge as the star is more opaque in those spots with the added layers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4333.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I carefully tucked the raw edge into the star and used my iron to press the entire star into place.

The next step was to use the leftover yellow fabric to make the golden border between the top and bottom part of the skirt. Captain Marvel’s outfit looks like it has two golden stripes close to each other. I considered duplicating this but I didn’t want to mess around turning a small fabric tube right side out or having to fold and hide the raw edges of a skinny strip of fabric. Instead I decided to go simpler and instead created a larger tube of yellow fabric and press it so the seam runs along the center of the flattened strip. This way it gives the illusion of being two skinnier strips with only the work of one wider one. To determine how wide I needed to cut my fabric strip, to make the yellow tube, I grabbed a ruler and measured the space between two star points. This space was one inch wide and as I knew I wanted my strip to be balanced between those two points I knew this meant my flattened strip should be one inch across when sewn.

![Image shows the yellow pressed star with a metal ruler across showing it's width to be about 2.5 inches. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4335.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Since I had the ruler out anyway I checked the width and height of my star and found it to be two and a half inches across. Figured I’d share in case you need to know.

![Image again shows the yellow star but this time the ruler has shifted to highlight the one inch space between the right side point and the point a bit above it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4336.jpeg?resize=750%2C504&ssl=1)

After consulting images of Captain Marvel I determined I wanted the yellow strip to come out of the star angled up balanced between a large side point and the smaller point above. Thus I measured the distance between these two points, on either side of the star, and determined they were about one inch apart.

Once I knew my strip should be one inch, after sewn and pressed, I was able to calculate the width of the fabric strip I needed to cut. Since there’d be a front and back layer I doubled the width I wanted (`2*1"`) and then added half an inch to account for the quarter inch seam allowance (`2"+1/2"`). This brought me to a width of two and a half inches. The fabric piece wasn’t too long so I skipped calculating the length I needed the fabric strip to be and instead just cut the strip from the entire remaining length of fabric.

![Image shows a rectangle of yellow fabric on a cutting board. The clear ruler overtop shows I'm about to cut a strip of fabric thats 2.5 inches by 12. A rotary cutter sits near the bottom. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4338.jpeg?resize=750%2C440&ssl=1)

After determining I wanted a strip that’s two and a half inches wide I found a space on my fabric that gave me a twelve inch long strip.

I then folded the fabric strip in half lengthwise, making sure the right sides faced each other, clipped it in place, and sewed along the raw edge with a quarter inch seam allowance. I then turned the fabric tube right side out and carefully pressed it making sure that the seam stayed centered on one side of the flattened tube. I then folded this in half to find my center point and cut across the strip so I’d have two equally long strips that could be placed on either side of my star.

![Image shows two six inch long strips of yellow fabric, a pair of metal fabric scissors, and a yellow eight point star. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4343.jpeg?resize=750%2C532&ssl=1)

With that all my yellow pieces, the most fiddly ones, were ready to go. I had two matching yellow strips with a seam down the center to give the illusion of the two strips on Captain Marvel along with an eight pointed star.

Finally it was time for the skirt itself. Earlier I had seam ripped the bodice from the skirt portion so I was left with a hemmed skirt with the slit remaining where the back of the dress used to be. I planned to make the new emblem the center front of the skirt, thus switching the skirt from back to front, so I laid out the skirt with the slit at the center top. I then placed the star and strips around the slit playing with how it was laid out before settling on my preferred placement. I chose to have the star right below the bottom of the slit with the strips overlapped behind the star and angled up so their raw edges overlap with the raw edge of the skirt. I then grabbed a scrap of red fabric and cut it to fit the space behind and between the star and strips so the slit will be fully covered up. I loved how it looked all laid out!

![Image shows the star laid out below the slit on the blue fabric. The strips are angled up going to the top of the dress making a triangle. Behind the yellow fabric you can see the yellow, orange, blue, and red swirls. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4344.jpeg?resize=750%2C363&ssl=1)

I started by playing around with how the star and strips were laid out until I was happy with the arrangement. I made sure the raw ends of the strips were hidden behind the star (one end) and overlapping with the skirt top (the other end).

![Image is again showing the stars and strips from the previous photo. This time; however, a red circle of fabric is covering it up. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4345.jpeg?resize=750%2C547&ssl=1)

I grabbed one of my red scraps of fabric and confirmed it covered all the background between the stars and the strips.

![Image shows the layout now with the red fabric a half circle so it's more even with the skirt top. Above it sits the remaining fabric and my fabric scissors. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4347.jpeg?resize=750%2C487&ssl=1)

I then trimmed the excess fabric from the top and confirmed that the red wouldn’t peek out the bottom.

![Image shows the skirt with the final layout carefully placed overtop. The slit is no longer viewable but the one strip blends in with the yellow swirl behind it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4349.jpeg?resize=750%2C418&ssl=1)

I carefully laid out how I wanted the final emblem to look with red fabric laid down first, then the yellow strips, and finally the star.

With the final layout decided I carefully pinned and clipped the layers in place so they wouldn’t shift before taking it over to my sewing machine. I decided to keep the yellow thread in my machine, from sewing the star and strips, and thus topstitched along the edge of the yellow fabric only. These stitches would also fix the red fabric, overlapped under the yellow, in place. I started by sewing along the top of either strip by starting at the top edge, sewing until I met the star, locking the stitch, lifting my pressure foot, moving my fabric so the needle is on the other side, and sewing up the other side of the strip to the skirt edge. I started here so the red fabric would be locked into place, along it’s bottom edge, and I could remove all the sewing clips keeping the top in place. With that done I sewed along the edges of the star locking both of the strips’ edges underneath. Finally I repeated my process from the top of the strips and secured the bottom edge by topstitching along it.

![Image shows the fabric laid out with several pins keeping the strips and star in place. The top edge has sewing clips keeping it secure. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4350.jpeg?resize=750%2C468&ssl=1)

Without jostling the fabric I carefully used pins, on the interior, and sewing clips, on the edges, to keep the fabric in place on the way to the sewing machine.

![Image shows me sewing the bottom of the left strip. In front of the foot sits a sewing pin along with three others along that and the other strip. There's visible topstitching along the edge of the star and the top of either strip. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4355.jpeg?resize=750%2C476&ssl=1)

I carefully sewed along the top of both strips, slightly moving each pin as I came across it, so the strips would remain secure and I could still topstitch the edge. I then removed the clips before topstitching around the entire star. With that done it was time to topstitch the bottom of the strips.

At one point in this process I realized the slit would gape open underneath the red fabric so I used a wide zigzag stitch to close the slit and keep it in place. I didn’t keep track of the slit’s facing while sewing so at one point I noticed it had bunched up under the star’s stitching. I left it as it was but next time I could see using some dissolving hem tape or something to keep the facing in place as I sewed and thus there would be no bunching.

![Image shows the back side of the skirt's front (previously dress back). Here you can see the blue facing, bunched at the bottom, along with the yellow zigzag stitch, at the slit, and along the star and strips' edges. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4360.jpeg?resize=750%2C427&ssl=1)

From the back you can see the yellow topstitching better along with the zigzag stitch used to close the slit. At one point the facing, from the slit, got bunched up so it can be seen bunched at the star’s top point when looked at from the inside.

![Image shows the skirt laid flat with the underside of the front peeking above the right side of the back above. You can see a clip marking either side of the skirt. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4362.jpeg?resize=750%2C193&ssl=1)

I didn’t trim any of the excess fabric peeking over the top of the skirt’s raw edge since I was planning on serging the waistband later and the serger would trim it for me as a I sewed.

I then followed [a free tutorial](https://payhip.com/b/X5ZmG/af682cdb34c8728?ref=simplykyra.com), found on the Candy Castle Pattern’s website, to add a waistband to the skirt. You can check out [my previous post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/08/25/how-i-easily-altered-a-too-small-peppermint-swirl-dress-by-converting-it-into-a-skirt/) if you want more information about this process. And with that I was done! I love how the final Peppermint Swirl skirt looks and it wasn’t that much work since the skirt itself was already made, along with the rest of the dress, a while back.

![Image shows a closeup of the emblem showing it's vertical wrinkling hiding how it should look. Above it the red waistband is flat. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4372.jpeg?resize=750%2C338&ssl=1)

This wasn’t so much an issue per se but I figured I’d share it in case it bugs you. I had gathered, using my sewing clips, the skirt to the waistband along it’s entire circumference including where Captain Marvel inspired emblem was. This means the logo is crinkled up near the top so next time, I might, keep the emblem area ungathered so it lays flat under the waistband instead.

![Image shows a flat lay of the skirt with the entire emblem at the bottom, the open waistband in the upper half, and the skirt swirls reaching out. The photo is cropped to not show the excess swirls. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4381.jpeg?resize=750%2C569&ssl=1)

And with that the skirt was finished! I love how it turned out!.

And with that I had created a Captain Marvel inspired skirt using an old outgrown Peppermint Swirl dress, [a free tutorial](https://payhip.com/b/X5ZmG/af682cdb34c8728?ref=simplykyra.com), and some fabric scraps. I love it! If you want more information about how I altered the free tutorial since I was upcycling the dress you can check out [my previous post here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/08/25/how-i-easily-altered-a-too-small-peppermint-swirl-dress-by-converting-it-into-a-skirt/). Have you ever upcycled a Peppermint Swirl dress to make a skirt? If so how did you hide the slit from the placket? Are you planning on using this Captain Marvel inspired idea? If so what do, or did, you plan to add it to? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below whether this post inspired you to make something or not. Hope you’re having an amazing day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every second Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Easy Saint Patrick's Day Themed Shamrock Sheet Pan Pancakes
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/easy-saint-patricks-day-themed-shamrock-sheet-pan-pancakes/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T03:04:11.000Z
A while back I posted how I’ve changed up a regular oven pancake recipe to make it my own. This involved the pancake preparation, mix ins, add ons, toppings, and how I dealt with the leftovers so it became [a rather large post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/09/15/how-i-changed-up-my-sheet-pan-pancakes-to-make-them-more-exciting/). I wanted to talk about another pancake-related idea as St Patrick’s Day is now coming up and I have the perfect pancake if you choose to celebrate. Although we don’t normally celebrate St. Patrick’s Day last year my daughters wanted something special to mark the occasion. I was able to come up with simple shamrock-shaped pancakes for the girls using my go to oven pancake recipe with no extra trouble on my part. In fact I was able to surprise the girls the day of in addition to making them the weekend before so there was minimal effort on my part on that day. I knew I needed to share them with you in case you’re looking for something similar this year.

![Pinterest geared collage image showing my post's title, my main URL, and three images that are also found below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Easy-Saint-Patricks-Day-Themed-Shamrock-Sheet-Pan-Pancakes-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

The previous year, in Kindergarten, Ada was introduced to leprechauns and the whole Americanized idea of the holiday. Last year, while doing school from home, Ada wanted to do something for the occasion and I didn’t want to let her down. The weekend before St. Patrick’s Day, while scrolling through very involved ideas online, I came up with the idea to make simple green shamrock-shaped pancakes and knew, from experience, that I could make them ahead of time and serve them reheated on St. Patrick’s Day without having to get up earlier that morning to make it happen. As such I chose to surprise the girls with pancakes the following day, on Sunday, so I could ultimately prepare the main surprise for St Patrick’s Day. I’d been making two separate batches of pancakes each time so I knew I could make one green pan and one pan of some other type for the girls to eat fresh. Although the girls saw one pan was green and could, maybe, guess that it was for St. Patrick’s Day they didn’t know exactly what I had planned so nothing was given away. And so, without further ado, this is how I made my shamrock-shaped pancakes:

I started making a regular doubled batch of my go to pancake batter and, after pouring half into a greased sheet pan, added some yellow and blue water-based food dye to the bowl. I mixed it all up and, once I was happy with the color, poured the green pancake batter into the other greased sheet pan.

![Image shows a bowl of white pancake batter with splotches of yellow (kind or orange looking) and blue. A white spatula sits in the bowl. Off to the right you can see one mostly full sheet pan and one empty one beside it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_2462.jpeg?resize=750%2C507&ssl=1)

Since I was making two separate pans of pancakes I poured half of the plain batter into a greased sheet pan before adding the blue and yellow dye to make the green pancakes in the other pan.

I then tossed the filled pans into my preheated oven for the regular bake time. Once they were ready I topped the plain pan of pancakes with marshmallows and colorful chocolate chips and heated it a bit longer in the oven. As I didn’t want the girls to eat the green pancakes just yet I decided to make the girls’ favorite pancakes on the other pan.

![Image shows two pans of pancakes side by side. The one closest shows slightly inflated mini marshmallows and slightly melted pink and blue swirled chocolate chips on a plain layer of pancake. The one behind isn't decorated but is a solid green color with the odd white fleck of flour chunks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_2471.jpeg?resize=750%2C588&ssl=1)

The baked pancakes fresh out of the oven! I made their favorite s’more inspired ones for breakfast that morning so I could save the green ones, more easily, for the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day.

I let the pancakes cool while the girls ate breakfast and waited until they had left the room before I went onto the next step. I normally cut my pancakes into squares or rectangles before packing them away. This time around I did something different. I had seen online that you could make a shamrock shape by combining three hearts and a single small rectangle for the stem. As such I grabbed a medium metal heart cookie cutter and attempted to get as many hearts as possible cut into the sheet pan of green pancakes. Once they were all cut I used my metal flipper to get them out and stacked the hearts in a container for later. I then took the larger pancake remnants and attempted to cut them into small rectangles for the shamrock stems. Those went into the other end of my container.

![Image shows a pan of green pancake with hearts and the odd circle cut into it. Beside it sits two metal cookie cutters, one circular and one heart shaped, and then the half filled pan of s'more inspired pancakes and a metal flipper for dishing. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_2473.jpeg?resize=750%2C559&ssl=1)

I, unfortunately, started out cutting circles before switching to the hearts. Either way I was able to press the metal cookie cutter into the pan and, after making as many shapes as I could, remove them to a container. The remnants were cut into rectangles for the stem or set aside for later mismatched pancake eating.

With the hearts on one side of the large container and the pancake remnants on the other end it was time to stick them in the fridge and wait a couple of days for St. Patrick’s Day to come around. If it was any later I would’ve froze these hearts on a Silpat lined baking sheet and then transferred them into a Stasher bag so they’d be easy to remove and microwave, from frozen, the morning of St. Patrick’s Day.

Anyway, the morning of I popped the container out of the fridge, grabbed two saucers, and assembled a shamrock pancake on each of them. To make the shamrock I took three hearts and laid them together with their points and sides touching. On the open side I put a skinny rectangular piece of pancake as the shamrock stem. Once assembled I microwaved them and drizzled syrup on top. The kids absolutely loved them!

![Image shows a partially assembled shamrock on the right plate, and fully assembled one on the left plate, and a container of leftover green pancake pieces on the far left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_2579.jpeg?resize=750%2C352&ssl=1)

I assembled the shamrock by grabbing three similarly sized heart pancakes and one skinny rectangle (right plate). I then moved them closer together to be joined in the center making a shamrock shape (left plate). There were enough pancakes for the girls to have several shamrocks and, later, green pancake pieces with the remnants.

I love that I was able to mark an occasion that the girls wanted to celebrate with items I already had in a way that wasn’t too much extra effort on my part. They absolutely adored the green shamrock pancakes and I could see surprising them with it again this year. Who knows maybe they’ll ask closer to the day this year too.

Have you made specially shaped pancakes for holidays before? If so I’d love to hear about it. Are you planning on making these shamrock shaped pancakes this year? I hope it goes spectacularly and I’d love about it in the comments below. I hope your week is going great.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Use a Canning Jar to Easily Steep Your Tea
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/use-a-canning-jar-to-easily-steep-your-tea/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T03:04:03.000Z
Recently I’ve started sharing simple ideas I’ve come across in case they can also help you with your day to day life. A couple weeks ago one thing led to another and I had the genius idea to use a canning jar as a teapot. This canning jar was simple to steep, okay to pour from, and made it so much easier to simply toss in the fridge so I could have leftover, iced, tea the next day. I knew I needed to share this with you so I quickly snapped a couple photos along the way!

![Pinterest-geared image showing my blog post's title, my main URL, and three images that can also be seen below. Specifically the top one shows tea steeping in a canning jar and below it are two side by side photos of hot (left) and cold (right) tea. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_Use-a-Canning-Jar-to-Easily-Steep-Your-Tea-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Several weeks ago I really wanted to make a new batch of tea but the teapot was already filled with an earlier batch. I briefly considered brewing it in my mug with a single infuser but I really wanted to brew more than a single cup at a time so it would be much simpler to pour a second or even third cup without needing to rebrew the tea. Something made me think of my canning jars, which I had bought specifically to [store yogurt in](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/09/how-i-make-my-own-yogurt-for-my-simple-breakfast/) and have since gone on to use for so many other things, so I pulled one of them out. These hold about four cups of liquid so I knew I’d be able to get at least two mugs of tea out of it.

I was planning on brewing my tea using a teabag, bought from [Teeccino](https://teeccino.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), so I next needed to come up with some way to keep the tag out of the canning jar and yet still make it simple to remove the teabag when done. I realized I could use the outer ring of the canning jar’s lid so I laid the teabag’s string over the edge of the jar’s lip and carefully screwed the outer ring on over top of it. This worked beautifully the second time I tried but the first time I had trouble getting the lid on so I jiggled the lid back and forth and ended up cutting through the string. That said this worked beautifully, with the second attempt, and I was able to brew my tea.

![Image is taken from above, at an angle, showing the canning jar with the outer ring on and the teabag hanging from it where the string is caught. To the left is the inner section of the lid and to the right you can see the emptied tea bag package and the tag with a string sticking out. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7725.jpeg?resize=750%2C587&ssl=1)

The first time I tried to trap the string in the outer ring of the canning jar’s lid I wiggled it too much and ended up sawing the string in half. The next time I gently twisted the lid on and it worked amazingly.

![Image shows the same canning jar filled with brown transparent liquid with a tea bag now floating at the top with a string attached to the outer edge under the lid. To the left is a electric kettle with light on and to the right is the empty tea packaging and tag. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7729.jpeg?resize=750%2C452&ssl=1)

I boiled my water and poured it over the tea bag until the canning jar was filled. I then left it alone to brew for five full minutes.

Once the tea was fully brewed I was able to, carefully as it’s hot, twist the outer ring of the lid off. The string from the teabag was bought along with the lid but stayed secured to the jar’s lip when I raised the lid up making it easy to grab the string and pull the bag out of the jar.

![Image is once again taken from above looking down at the canning jar. The lid is lifted up, shown on bottom left, with the inner lid blurred below. The string is stuck to the rim of the jar and the teabag floats below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7736.jpeg?resize=607%2C401&ssl=1)

Twisting the canning jar’s lid off meant the string was pulled a bit. That said it stayed secured and I could easily grip the string to grab it out.

The biggest issue with this is how hot the canning jar gets since it’s glass and there’s no handle like with a teapot. I didn’t want to wait to pour my tea so I grabbed a large dry dishcloth and used it to hold the canning jar carefully while I poured. Just remember to grab a dry dishcloth, tea towel, or whatever instead of a wet one as the water in a wet cloth will cause the [heat from the tea to reach your hand quicker (link to a physics Stack Exchange explaining the why)](https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/308576/why-does-a-wet-towel-become-more-hot-than-a-dry-one?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows a purple mug with light brown tea in it. To the left is a two thirds full canning jar with a purple dishcloth surrounding two sides. To the right is a half full jug of milk.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7740.jpeg?resize=750%2C504&ssl=1)

I used a *dry* cotton dishcloth to hold the canning jar carefully so I could pour the tea into my mug and then followed that with a splash of milk from my jug. It tasted amazing and I was easily able to refill it without waiting to brew more once I finished my first mugful.

I didn’t wait too long between both mugs of tea so I don’t know how quickly it cools when in a canning jar. That said this method did give me a quick break from the main teapot flavor we were brewing and I was able to easily resume our regular tea afterwards. After having two small mugs of tea I still had some leftover so I screwed both lids back onto the jar and put it in the fridge overnight. The next day it was so simple to grab the jar out of the fridge and pour myself a third mug, this time full of *iced* tea, with another splash of milk.

![Image is taken from above showing a milk bottom mug, a jug of milk, and a third filled canning jar with condensation clouds. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7760.jpeg?resize=750%2C545&ssl=1)

The next day I grabbed a larger mug, my canning jar of leftover cold tea, and poured just enough milk in to cover the bottom of my mug.

![My mug is filled with light brown liquid. Behind it sits an empty canning jar, the upside down lid, and a jug of milk. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7764.jpeg?resize=750%2C519&ssl=1)

I had the perfect amount of tea left as it just fit in my mug. This tasted so refreshing with minimal effort!

A couple days later I had another craving for a dessert tea in the middle of the day so once again I grabbed a canning jar. This time the tea was a loose leaf one so I decided to try this process using one of my extra infusers. It worked almost as good with one small issue. After I had poured my water into the infuser the air inside the canning jar was trapped so the water stopped dripping through and the process was stuck. In fact some of the water started going out the sides and dribbled down the outside of the canning jar instead. To address this I had to wiggle the infuser out of the canning jar and hold it up a bit so the water could dribble into the jar and the displaced air inside the jar could escape through the space around the infuser. Once the canning jar was filled up I put the infuser back in and left it there for the tea’s entire steep time. Once the tea was steeped I removed the infuser and, using a dry dishcloth to help hold the canning jar, poured some along with a splash of milk into my mug, and saved the rest of the tea in the fridge for the next day. Another success!

![Image shows the metal kettle pouring water into the metal infuser inside the canning jar's opening. Behind and beside it sits a closed tin of tea alongside a tea measuring spoon. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7896.jpeg?resize=750%2C559&ssl=1)

I added looseleaf tea to the infuser, placed it in the canning jar, and started pouring boiling water in. At first it worked great and the slightly tinted water dripped through into the jar.

![Image shows the infuser filled up to the top with water. The jar is only halfway, or less, filled and you can see water on the counter under it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7899.jpeg?resize=750%2C541&ssl=1)

Once the infuser was filled all the way to the top the water stopped going into the jar and some of the excess water spilled out the sides.

![Image shows the canning jar filled with tinted water with the infuser placed on top steeping it further. Underneath it sits a blue and white speckled knitted dishcloth. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7902.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After wiggling the infuser out a bit the water started going through again. I held it up so the canning jar could fill before placing it back in so it could steep properly. I then grabbed a dishcloth to sop up the spilled water and used it like a coaster.

![Image shows an image taken from above. You can see the half filled canning jar, with dark liquid, to the left. To the right sits the used tea in the infuser on a blue dish. At the bottom is my mug filled with light brown tea. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7904.jpeg?resize=750%2C532&ssl=1)

Once the tea was steeped I was able to enjoy a hot mug of dessert tea then and, the next day, and mug of iced dessert tea. Once finished with the tea I was able to go back to the teapot we had on the go for that day.

![Image shows a stirred glass of white-brown liquid. To the right is a carton of heavy whipping cream and in the back is a half emptied canning jar of cold tea. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_8830.jpeg?resize=750%2C571&ssl=1)

More recently I followed this exact same process using my caramel flavored [chicory herbal coffee from ](https://teeccino.com/products/caramel-nut-herbal-coffee?variant=39688608383145&ref=simplykyra.com)[Teeccino](https://teeccino.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and the [pour over drip cone](https://teeccino.com/products/gold-pour-over-accessories?ref=simplykyra.com). I had opened a carton of whip cream to make both chocolate and caramel sauce for the kids and had a bit leftover so I stirred some into my cold drink. It was so yummy.

---

Do you keep a teapot going during the day? If so what do you use when you want a simple mug or two of a different tea in the middle of the session? Have you ever used a canning jar as a teapot? If not what did you use instead? If so have you found an easier way to pour from a screaming hot canning jar? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. I hope to hear from you and hope your day is going splendidly.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How To Make a Custom Picker with Multi-Selection in SwiftUI
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-make-a-custom-picker-with-multi-selection-in-swiftui/
Last updated: 2025-02-16T15:21:34.000Z
Over the last several months I’ve been trying to get a custom controller working in my SwiftUI code that would allow me to select multiple items at once. I thought I had a solution and then realized it only worked when editing the main item and not when adding it from a blank page. This lead to me changing it up and I finally came across this solution. In case you’re also having similar difficulties I wanted to share my solution with you.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post's title, my main URL, and two images showcasing my solution to the multiple selection picker problem. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_How-To-Make-a-Custom-Picker-with-Multi-Selection-in-SwiftUI-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

*Quick aside*: Unless mentioned any links below will direct you to the corresponding Apple Documentation page.

*TLDR: If you want the GitHub Gist you can find it at [the bottom](https://www.simplykyra.com/how-to-make-a-custom-picker-with-multi-selection-in-swiftui/#the-code).* 

---

## *Update*

I’ve since updated this code to allow for `Images` by switching the `String` array to a `struct`. This means you can link any object you want to the `Picker` rows. If you’re interested in going beyond `Strings` then after checking this out you should check out the update here: [Update to “My Custom Picker With Multi-Selection in SwiftUI” – Now With Images!](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/08/31/update-to-my-custom-picker-with-multi-selection-in-swiftui-now-with-images/)

---

## *Backstory*

A while back I realized I needed the ability to select multiple objects at once as I had a one-to-many relationship set on the CoreData object I was editing in my code. I assumed I could do this easily through the default [Picker](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/picker?ref=simplykyra.com) and was disappointed to find that I could not. After searching online I was excited to find a tutorial by Paweł Madej, titled *[Multi Select Picker for SwiftUI](https://www.pawelmadej.com/post/multi-select-picker-for-swiftui/?ref=simplykyra.com)*, and I quickly implemented it in my code. At first I thought it was perfect but after awhile I realized it only work properly for me when editing my `[CoreData](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/coredata?ref=simplykyra.com)` object and not when I was adding a new one from a blank form. I spent some time trying to figure out a fix before deciding to try something new. I then came across a [*SwiftUI Multi-Select Picker*](https://gist.github.com/dippnerd/5841898c2cf945994ba85871446329fa?ref=simplykyra.com) gist by Aaron Dippner that I decided to implement and, if it worked, remove my earlier code. I couldn’t find an example where the struct was called but I was able to get it working within my code for both add and edit! I figured since I had so much trouble getting a functional picker with multi-selection working I should share my results with you. So here it is!

---

## *How It’s Coded*

First, if you want the code example in it’s entirety I added [the file](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/SwiftExamples/CustomMultiSelectionPicker.swift?ref=simplykyra.com) to my [*SimplyKyraBlog* GitHub repository](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog?ref=simplykyra.com) and linked to it from the bottom of my ReadMe. This file assumes you created a new Multiplatform project and that you replaced the `ContentView.swift` file with its contents. The file itself contains four structs.

The first struct is the expected `ContentView` that declares an empty string array which will hold any selected items, `selectedItems`, along with a pre-filled string array of the items you can select from called `allItems`. It then checks if you’re running a macOS application or an iOS one so it can call the proper struct.

```Swift
// Binding to the selected items we want to track
@Binding var selectedItems: &#91;String]

var body: some View {
    Form {
        List {
            ForEach(allItems, id: \.self) { item in
                Button(action: {
                    withAnimation {
                        if self.selectedItems.contains(item) {
                            // Previous comment: you may need to adapt this piece
                            self.selectedItems.removeAll(where: { $0 == item })
                        } else {
                            self.selectedItems.append(item)
                        }
                    }
                }) {
                    HStack {
                        Image(systemName: &quot;checkmark&quot;)
                            .opacity(self.selectedItems.contains(item) ? 1.0 : 0.0)
                        Text(item)
                    }
                }
                .foregroundColor(.primary)
            }
        }
    }
}

```

I’ll go over the next two structs, `macOSview` and `iOSview`, below. Before that; however, I wanted to go over the final struct in the file. This [View](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/view?ref=simplykyra.com) will display the list of items, `allItems`, and allow the user to click to select or de-select them. I called it `MultiSelectPickerView` and this is the code that is mostly a copy of Aaron Dippner’s [**SwiftUI Multi-Select Picker*](https://gist.github.com/dippnerd/5841898c2cf945994ba85871446329fa?ref=simplykyra.com) gist that I mentioned in the previous section. It shows a list of `[Buttons](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/button?ref=simplykyra.com)`, one for each item in `allItems`, that, when clicked on, adds or removes that item from `selectedItems`. The label for each button will display a checkmark if it’s in `selectedItems` and, either way, lists its name. This means when you click on an item without a checkmark it’s added to `selectedItems` and then a checkmark appears. If you click it again it’s removed from the `selectedItems` array and the checkmark disappears.

```swift
struct MultiSelectPickerView: View {
    // The list of items we want to show
    @State var allItems: [String]
 
    // Binding to the selected items we want to track
    @Binding var selectedItems: [String]
 
    var body: some View {
        Form {
            List {
                ForEach(allItems, id: \.self) { item in
                    Button(action: {
                        withAnimation {
                            if self.selectedItems.contains(item) {
                                // Previous comment: you may need to adapt this piece
                                self.selectedItems.removeAll(where: { $0 == item })
                            } else {
                                self.selectedItems.append(item)
                            }
                        }
                    }) {
                        HStack {
                            Image(systemName: "checkmark")
                                .opacity(self.selectedItems.contains(item) ? 1.0 : 0.0)
                            Text(item)
                        }
                    }
                    .foregroundColor(.primary)
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

```

I lied. I guess there’s one final struct… the `ContentView_Previews` that’s in every `SwiftUI` file that you’d want so you can preview the code. For the sake of showing everything here it is:

```swift
struct ContentView_Previews: PreviewProvider {
    static var previews: some View {
        ContentView()
    }
}
```

Also you’ll want to type in `import SwiftUI` at the top of your file.

---

## *The Custom Picker Made From a Button: `macOSview`*

This is the code I started out implementing and it works great on both macOS and iOS. That said it displays the list of items to select from, the `MultiSelectPickerView` shown above, through a `[popover](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/musickit/artworkimage/popover%28ispresented:attachmentanchor:arrowedge:content:%29?ref=simplykyra.com)` that looks great on the macOS but I don’t like it as much on the iOS simulator device. Here’s a [*Hacking with Swift* example](https://www.hackingwithswift.com/quick-start/swiftui/how-to-show-a-popover-view?ref=simplykyra.com) of a popover view if you want to see an animation. Anyway, when I run this on the iOS the `popover` takes up the full screen and needs to be pulled down from the top to exit which in my mind feels like a cancel rather than a set or a save so I went on to make an iOS version, shown in the next section, instead.

For the macOS version I implemented this within a `[HStack](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/hstack?ref=simplykyra.com)` that displays a `[Text](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/text?ref=simplykyra.com)` object, for the label, next to a `Button` that I want to appear like a Picker when closed. To appear like a `Picker` I implement, from left to right, a:

- `[Spacer](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/spacer?ref=simplykyra.com)` so everything following is on the far right of the `Button`
- A count of the selected items using the system images of a number within a circle
- And finally a right chevron so it appears like a `Picker` and you can assume something will open when you click on it.

Below it, for this example, I created a `Text` object to display the contents of the `selectedItems` array more visibly. When run the `Window` is small and you’ll need to expand it depending on how many items you end up selecting otherwise you won’t see them all. The final result on the macOS, with [custom colors](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/02/09/how-i-easily-used-my-custom-color-in-my-swiftui-project/), looks like:

![Image shows a purple macOS Window with a popup above it showing six items with five checked off. There's a five with a circle around it on the button and the five checked items are written behind the popup at the bottom of the window. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_MultiPicker-2022-02-06-at-7.55.51-AM.png?resize=750%2C667&ssl=1)

When you click on the `Button`, that appears like a `Picker`, a popup appears above showing all the items that the user can select. When you click on one a checkmark appears so you know it’s selected. The checkmark disappears when you click on it again. On the `Button` itself you can see a count of the total number of items selected along with seeing them displayed on the left below the `Button`. When you click off of the popup it closes but the selected items still exist in the `selectedItems` array on the main `View`.

![Image shows the same as the previous one but now the popup is below the button rather than above. The background is also slightly different as the Window had been moved up to shift the popup.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_MultiPicker-2022-02-06-at-7.57.06-AM-1.png?resize=750%2C556&ssl=1)

If you shift the `Window` up to the top of the computer, so you’d assume there would be no room for the popup, the popup now appears below the button blocking the `Text` showing the selected items.

As I said above the code will work on iOS in addition to the macOS example shown. In case you want to use this version on both devices I figured I’d show them together.

![Image shows the iOS iPod Touch simulator on the left with the macOS form overlapping to the right. Both show a zero with a circle around it before the chevron on the button. They also both show "My selected items are" below with nothing showing below it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_MultiPicker-2022-02-06-at-8.55.21-AM.png?resize=750%2C840&ssl=1)

When first opening the example, with no selected items, they look like this.

![Image again shows the iPod touch simulator on the left with the macOS windows form on the right. Now the list of allItems is displayed on both. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_MultiPicker-2022-02-06-at-8.55.38-AM.png?resize=750%2C849&ssl=1)

When you click on the button the iOS version opens the list from the bottom and takes up most of the screen. To close you need to click on the top and drag it down. The macOS, as shown before, popups from the button and it seems more obvious to just click off, when done, to close.

![Image again shows the iPod touch simulator on the left with the macOS windows form on the right. Now the popover is closed, the button has a four with the circle around it, and there's a list of all four selected items below "My selected items are". ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_MultiPicker-2022-02-06-at-8.55.49-AM.png?resize=750%2C852&ssl=1)

After selecting the items and closing the `popover`, in the device’s own way, you can see the selected items listed at the bottom along with the total count of selected items showing on the button itself.

The code for this struct is:

```swift
// This View is functional on macOS and iOS; however, I prefer 
// using a NavigationalLink for iOS rather than the popover so 
// setting this one to macOS for this example
struct macOSview: View {
    @State var selectedItems:[String]
    @State var allItems:[String]
    // Needed to show the popover
    @State var showingPopover:Bool = false
     
    var body: some View {
        Form {
            HStack() {
                // Rather than a picker we're using Text for the label 
                // and a button for the picker itself
                Text("Select Items:")
                    .foregroundColor(.white)
                Button(action: {
                    // The only job of the button is to toggle the showing 
                    // popover boolean so it pops up and we can select our items
                    showingPopover.toggle()
                }) {
                    HStack {
                        Spacer()
                        Image(systemName: "\($selectedItems.count).circle")
                            .font(.title2)
                        Image(systemName: "chevron.right")
                            .font(.caption)
                    }
                    .foregroundColor(Color(red: 0.4192, green: 0.2358, blue: 0.3450))
                }
                .popover(isPresented: $showingPopover) {
                    MultiSelectPickerView(allItems: allItems, selectedItems: $selectedItems)
                    // If you have issues with it being too skinny you can hardcode the width
                     .frame(width: 300)
                }
            }
            // Made a quick text section so we can see what we selected
            Text("My selected items are:")
                .foregroundColor(.white)
            if selectedItems.count > 0 {
                Text("\t* \(selectedItems.joined(separator: "\n\t* "))")
                    .foregroundColor(.white)
            }
        }
        .padding()
        .background(Color(red: 0.4192, green: 0.2358, blue: 0.3450))
        .navigationTitle("My Items")
    }
}
```

---

## *The iOS NavigationLink: `iOSview`*

I didn’t like how my `Button` and `popover` code looked on the iOS so I decided to implement it with a `[NavigationLink](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/navigationlink?ref=simplykyra.com)` instead which needs to be housed within a `[NavigationView](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/navigationview?ref=simplykyra.com)`. Since I planned to only use this specific example in iOS, for you right now, I also housed either part within its own `[Section](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/section?ref=simplykyra.com)` too.

Like before I linked to the same `MultiSelectPickerView` but as I was using a `NavigationLink` I assigned it to be its `Destination`. For the label I also used an `HStack` but this time I needed to include the label, as `Text`, and leave the chevron off as it’s included with the `NagivationLink` itself. Specifically, the label is:

- `Text` object as a label saying “Select Items:”
- `Spacer` so the label is on the far left and the image and chevron are on the far right
- And finally the same system image as before using the `selectedItems` array count so it shows the total items selected with a circle around it.

Like before I show a `Text` object with all the selected items displayed. This time I use the `Section` to encircle it so I don’t need a `Text` label above it. The final result on the iOS looks like:

![Image shows a NavigationView within an iPod touch simulator showing the title "My Items", the "Choose Your Items" section with the number four showing, and the "My Selected Items Are" section with the four items listed one after each other. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_MultiPicker-2022-02-06-at-2.15.52-PM.png?resize=487%2C1024&ssl=1)

I love how the sections defaulted to fully capitalized headers in my secondary color. My `NavigationLink` displays my `Text` label, a `Spacer` so the items are spaced out, and an image showing the total number of items currently in the `selectedItems` array. Since it’s a `NavigationLink` the chevron is automatically included in the secondary color too. Below, within its own section, I show the items that have already been selected.

![Image shows the same simulator as the previous photo but now there's a blue back button at the top, a title saying "Choose Your Items", and then the list of items with the four center ones selected.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_MultiPicker-2022-02-06-at-7.56.25-AM.png?resize=750%2C1573&ssl=1)

When I click on the `NavigationLink` it opens a new screen showing all the items in `allItems` and lets me select, or de-select, each one as many times as I want. When done I click the `Back` button and I can see those selected items listed on the previous screen.

Although I made this specifically for the iOS application it does also work, without changes, on the macOS too. Like before, in case you’d rather implement this, I included screenshots of both applications side by side running the same code.

![Image shows the iOS iPod Touch simulator on the left with the macOS form overlapping to the right. Both show a zero with a circle around it before the chevron on the NavigationLink. They also both show "My selected items are" below with nothing showing below it. The macOS now has all these parts squished on the left with another empty pane on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_MultiPicker-2022-02-06-at-8.56.38-AM.png?resize=750%2C827&ssl=1)

When first opened the example, with no selected items, looks like this. Because of the `NavigationView` the macOS version now has two panes side by side so once I click the `NavigationLink` the `MultiSelectPickerView` will always be visible on the right pane.

![Image shows the iOS iPod Touch simulator on the left with the macOS form overlapping to the right. The iOS  one shows a list of the items you can choose with a title "Choose Your Items" and a back button. The right macOS one shows two panes with the text and navigationLink on the left pane and the items you can choose, with and  without checkmarks, on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_MultiPicker-2022-02-06-at-8.56.52-AM.png?resize=750%2C836&ssl=1)

When you click on the `NavigationLink` the iOS version on the left opens up to let the user choose the items. There’s a title and back button at the top to easily go back. In contrast the macOS window shows both and there’s no going back to having the right side blank.

![Image again shows the iPod touch simulator on the left with the macOS windows form on the right. The iOS version is back on the main page with three items selected. The macOS window on the right shows the same view as the image before as there's no way to go back coded in. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_MultiPicker-2022-02-06-at-8.56.59-AM.png?resize=750%2C856&ssl=1)

In the iOS version, like with the previous code example, once you select the items you can easily go back to see the main screen. This isn’t the case for the macOS version as the `NavigationView`, needed for the `NavigationLink`, created two panes in the window. That said, the selected items image and the text below updates whenever an item is selected or deselected in the right pane.

The code for this struct is:

```swift
// The iOS version uses a NavigationLink that requires being 
// in a NavigationView to work so I chose to move the entire 
// thing into a new View.
struct iOSview:View {
    @State var selectedItems:[String]
    @State var allItems:[String]
     
    var body: some View {
        NavigationView {
            Form {
                // Since this is for iOS I included sections
                Section("Choose your items:", content: {
                    // Rather than a button we're using a NavigationLink but passing 
                    // in the same destination
                    NavigationLink(destination: {
                        MultiSelectPickerView(allItems: allItems, selectedItems: $selectedItems)
                            .navigationTitle("Choose Your Items")
                    }, label: {
                        // And then the label and dynamic number are displayed in the label. 
                         // We don't need to include the chevron as it's done for us in the link
                        HStack {
                            Text("Select Items:")
                                .foregroundColor(Color(red: 0.4192, green: 0.2358, blue: 0.3450))
                            Spacer()
                            Image(systemName: "\($selectedItems.count).circle")
                                .foregroundColor(Color(red: 0.4192, green: 0.2358, blue: 0.3450))
                                .font(.title2)
                        }
                    })
                })
                // Made a quick text section so we can see what we selected
                Section("My selected items are:", content: {
                    Text(selectedItems.joined(separator: "\n"))
                        .foregroundColor(Color(red: 0.4192, green: 0.2358, blue: 0.3450))
                })
            }
            .navigationTitle("My Items")
        }
    }
}
```

---

## *One Issue*

I’ve since noticed an issue with the layout when combining the macOS control with a `[TextField](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/textfield?ref=simplykyra.com)` or regular `Picker` within a `Form`. It’s as if, since those controls have a built-in label, SwiftUI sets up two columns so the label goes in the first and the white textbox or combobox goes in the second one. When I add an `HStack`, with the `Text`, `Spacer`, and `Button`, the entire thing is put in the second column and there’s a blank space under the other labels for its row.

I couldn’t figure this out and ended up posting a question on StackOverflow, *[Customize the SwiftUI Form label layout for MacOS](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/70962859/customize-the-swiftui-form-label-layout-for-macos?ref=simplykyra.com)*, and had help from *[ChrisR](https://stackoverflow.com/users/17896776/chrisr?ref=simplykyra.com)* that got me to a solution… I thought. Then I realized the label and button were still slightly off, although spread out over both columns, and I couldn’t make the form skinner than about 20 to 30 pixels. I can make the form as wide as I want but can still only shrink it down a bit from whatever width I’m at. This means the macOS window will eventually get as big my mouse can make it if I keep fiddling with it. I’ve since posted this question, in more detail, in a new StackOverflow post, *[SwiftUI MacOS Form Custom Layout](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/70977168/swiftui-macos-form-custom-layout?ref=simplykyra.com)*, so if you want to help tackle it feel free to join me there.

![Image displays a new Form Layout macOS Window showing a "My Name" labeled textbox with a purple background, a "Pick Something" with a blue background Picker saying "No Chosen Item", and finally a "Select Items" button with a zero on it slightly mismatched in lining up with the ones before it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_XrlYM.png?resize=687%2C240&ssl=1)

The closest I’ve gotten to having the `Text`/`Button` layout working like the `TextField` and `Picker` above is this.

![Image shows the same window as the previous question but now the left and right edge is cut off. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_ZCgup.png?resize=750%2C261&ssl=1)

Regardless of how wide I make it I can only go this much smaller. Just enough to cut off “*Pick S*” on the left and the edge of the `Picker` on the right. If I make the window way bigger I can still only bring it in this much so eventually it gets really wide.

In the [second question](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/70977168/swiftui-macos-form-custom-layout?noredirect=1&ref=simplykyra.com#comment125477955%5F70977168) *ChrisR* recommended setting a fixed width for them as `Buttons` and `Pickers` look funny if too wide. I’ve considered doing that but I really want the user to be able to resize the window to whatever they’d like with the knowledge that the controls will follow along. Plus I want the labels and control edges to perfectly line up.

If you have any tips I’d love to hear it in the comments below or on the [StackOverflow question](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/70977168/swiftui-macos-form-custom-layout?noredirect=1&ref=simplykyra.com#comment125477955%5F70977168).

---

## *Conclusion*

I love how functional this code is (even if the layout is lacking) and how it works for me whether I’m displaying already saved and loaded data or having a user create the data from a blank form. If you’re interested in using it the code in it’s entirety is saved to my [*SimplyKyraBlog* GitHub repository](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog?ref=simplykyra.com) and, if you want a direct link, the file [CustomMultiSelectionPicker.swift is here](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/SwiftExamples/CustomMultiSelectionPicker.swift?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image is the same as the cover image at the top of the page. It shows an iPod touch simulator showing four selected items on the main page of the demo application.  The two section titles are grey, the background white or grey, and the font is purple. In front of this is the macOS form with a purple background, three items selected, and white font and button. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_MultiPicker-2022-02-06-at-7.55.35-AM.png?resize=736%2C1024&ssl=1)

As a quick aside if you’re interested in including custom colors, like in the above photo, I recently wrote a post that explains how I go from a color’s hex number to a custom SwiftUI Color perfect for my code. [Check it out here!](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/02/09/how-i-easily-used-my-custom-color-in-my-swiftui-project/)

Also if you’re interested in using a `struct` rather than a `String`, allowing for images, check out: [Update to “My Custom Picker With Multi-Selection in SwiftUI” – Now With Images!](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/08/31/update-to-my-custom-picker-with-multi-selection-in-swiftui-now-with-images/)

---

## *The Code*

If you just want the code here's the public Gist

---

I hope you’re having a great day and this code can help you! If it does I’d love to hear what you’re working on and how it helped so feel free to share in the comments below. If you have any way to improve it I’d also love to hear. I hope you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### The Year of Our Small and Simple Birthday Parties
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/the-year-of-our-small-and-simple-birthday-parties/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:59:06.000Z
After the virtual parties of 2020 we decided we needed to have an actual party for the girls last summer. With Covid; however, we didn’t feel comfortable with crowds so we decided to keep it within our bubble so we didn’t need to worry as much. This meant the guest list was small so we were able to justify spending a bit more on the treat bags while also choosing to keep it simple and easy so the adults could have a chance to visit while the kids were having fun. The parties turned out great; however, as there wasn’t something drastically unique about them I put off posting about it. Lately I decided I still wanted to share and thus combined both girls’ party into one post with links included to our previous parties.

![Pinterest-geared image showing the post's title, my main URL, and a collage of five images that can be found below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_The-Year-of-Our-Small-and-Simple-Birthday-Parties-Pinterest.jpeg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Before posting the girls’ parties I wanted to share what we did previous years in case it helps you out so:

- Last year we hired [Elsa for Zoey](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/06/24/zoeys-shelter-in-place-fourth-birthday-party/) and [Wonder Woman for Ada’s](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/02/announcing-adas-simple-zoom-birthday-party/) Zoom parties.
- Ada’s fifth party included [salt dough fossils in a dinosaur dig](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/09/11/dinosaur-fossil-dig/).
- [Zoey’s third party](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/07/31/zoeys-third-birthday-orange-duplo-lego-theme/) was a combination theme of orange and LEGO®.
- [Ada’s fourth party was science themed](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/05/01/adas-4th-birthday-party/).
- [Zoey’s second party](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/09/05/zoeys-2nd-birthday-party/) was all about the sensory bins!

And so without any further ado here’s what I did for their birthday in 2021!

---

## *Decorations*

Like in previous years the month of the girls’ birthday had their [painted *Happy Birthday* canvas](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/11/13/happy-birthday-door-sign/) hung outside so they can see it whenever they came home. In addition, the day of their birthday or party, whichever comes first, I try to surprise them with helium balloons and decorations put up above the table. This year I used our LEGO® themed banner, from the previous years, for Zoey while for Ada I found the perfect unicorn banner at the Dollar Tree when getting the balloons. Both worked perfectly with their current interests.

![Image shows the balloons floating in front of the LEGO-themed banner on the wall. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_Zoey_IMG_6829.jpeg?resize=750%2C382&ssl=1)

At Zoey’s birthday the girls were loving their favorite colors so I got Ada a red star balloon while Zoey got orange ones to go with the LEGO® banner and *Happy Birthday* balloon. I tied the balloons loosely to their chairs so they could easily know whose was whose since we use [name tags](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/03/25/simple-and-washable-name-tags-for-your-kitchen-table/) and switch the chairs each night.

![Image shows the LEGO cake with a clown holding a flag saying 5. Behind it is the Happy Birthday table centerpiece sign, an empty glass of water, and a nametag.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_Zoey_IMG_6832.jpeg?resize=750%2C484&ssl=1)

The LEGO® banner and decorations went perfectly with this adorable [birthday set (#40382)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/birthday-set-40382?ref=simplykyra.com) I found through LEGO.com. The set came with two flags but I recently bought some more so I can keep Ada’s old stickers on for Zoey’s later birthdays. That said, although I already stuck a 7 sticker on the second flag for Ada we did completely forget to pull it out when Ada’s birthday rolled along (and with Matt’s and mine) so only Zoey has gotten to use it so far this year.

![Image shows a pink tablecloth covered table with a Happy Birthday centerpiece, two happy birthday balloons on the left chair, a rainbow balloon on the right, and a "be magical" banner on the wall behind. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_8849.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

By the time Ada’s birthday rolled around the girls had switched favorites resulting in a pink and purple unicorn themes for Ada’s party and a rainbow balloon for Zoey. Forgetting the LEGO® cake centerpiece I went with a Dollar Tree balloon and weight that Ada still has…. those things last forever.

![Both girls are crouched on the floor wearing their Bluey dresses and punching balloons. They're surrounded by other balloons. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_8742.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The day of the parties we blew up balloons and, for Ada, added some punching ones I found that came with elastics on the end.

---

## *Dance Party*

Given that this is both a decoration and activity I gave it its own section. Anyway, the girls’ friends have dance parties at their home where they pull out a really cool strobing light which my girls love. They wanted the same activity for their party and so their grandma bought them a strobe light.

Zoey and Ada has been loving the orange crepe paper leftover from Zoey’s party the year before so they started decorating their bedroom orange a month early. That lead to the idea to hang crepe streamers from the roof so I made sure to buy more orange ahead of Zoey’s party so Matt could make it happen! We repeated the idea for Ada’s party but this time used pink and purple streamers to go with her theme. I can’t remember if I shopped at the local Dollar Tree or Walmart but the pink streamers came in a pack of two in the baby shower section while the purple and orange rolls came individually wrapped with the rest of the birthday party stuff.

Leading up to their party I also sat down with the birthday girl and we created an epic playlist of their favorite music. It was cute as they got to pick their favorite songs, I took a photo of them for the cover on my phone, and they heard me say the description out loud as I typed it up. We still have the playlists on my account although we’ve played them less and less as time went on. In total Zoey’s playlist consisted of 136 songs that lasted 4 hours while Ada’s was 128 songs that lasted 4 hours and 13 minutes so there wasn’t really an opportunity for repeated songs. In case you’re looking for fun song ideas these mainly included *The Kiboomers*, *Parry Gripp*, *Raffi*, *The Laurie Berkner Band*, *KIDZ BOP Kids*, *Peter and Evynne Hollens*, and some soundtracks from the *Disney* movies, *My Little Pony*, and *Gabby’s Dollhouse*. For the Happy Birthday song itself I grabbed some from *Mickey Mouse* and *Thomas & Friends* in addition to searching for songs using different spelling variations of their names. For Zoey we found an album by *White Cats Music* labeled *Happy Birthday Zoe* that was just different versions of the same song. Ada didn’t have as much selection but the *Birthday Songs* musical group in the app did have one for her.

Matt decked out the ceiling of their bedroom the morning of either party and found it much faster the second time around after he developed a system. The system was basically cutting and attaching tape to a whole batch of crepe strips before getting on the chair and sticking them to the ceiling. Right before the party I turned on the playlist with shuffle and repeat all turned on, turned off the ceiling light, turned on the strobe, and left it all going the whole entire time. The kids then had the choice of going in and out depending what they felt like.

![Image is a collage of four photos. The top left one shows orange crepe paper and masking tape wrapped around the stair railing. The top right and bottom left images show two views of the pink and purple crepe streamers on the ceiling. The bottom right shows the leftover orange and masking tape bits leftover after they were all pulled off. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_The-Year-of-Our-Small-and-Simple-Birthday-Parties-Image4.jpeg?resize=750%2C500&ssl=1)

The kids had a blast decorating the stair railing on their bunk bed along with parts of their wall. Matt did awesome attaching streamers from the roof. The only issue, the first party, was removing all the pieces of tape from the ceiling after the kids pulled them down. The second time around we asked them not to and it was much simpler.

---

## *Activities*

In addition to the epic dance party going on in the bedroom I tried to set up stations outside and in the living room so the girls and party guests could switch back and forth based on how they felt. Inside I kept it simple so the adults could easily chat and just pulled out their bins of vehicles, dinosaurs, and other similar toys. I kept the rest of the activities outside.

Before Zoey’s party I bought a small plastic drink dispenser from the Dollar Tree that I marked up with my black oil-based sharpie pen and filled with bubble mixture. I laid it on a small table beside plastic cups for bubble mix, random bubble wands to dip in the cups, and some other bubble-y items. The girls had a blast with this and I made sure to refill it for Ada’s party. That said, if you have a party of younger kids and want something more spill proof I did once [tape the bubble wands to our deck](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/09/26/stop-your-bubble-mix-from-spilling/) so the kids could use them but not spill the mixture as easily. Just a heads up before doing it… first think of how you’d refill it and protect it from rain if you’re leaving it up long-term. I once came out to see them full of rain water and over time had difficulties pouring more bubble mix in them. Eventually the kids got tired of it and I pulled them all down.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_Zoey_IMG_6925.jpeg?resize=750%2C588&ssl=1)

I bought a cheap plastic drink dispenser from the Dollar Tree and labeled it with my oil-based Sharpie pen. The kids had a blast dispensing bubble mix into cups and playing with it.

Also we used what we had, including a [Jungle Jumparoo](https://junglejumparoo.com/products/jungle-jumparoo?ref=simplykyra.com) that we bought at peak Covid when we wanted the kids move more. Near to it I laid out hula hoops, jump ropes and other movement based fun items and decided to call it the *jump zone* or at least something similar.

I also considered pulling out my trusty dyed ice for Zoey’s party but when the day rolled around it wasn’t quite as hot as I had thought it would be and they were left in the freezer for the kids to play with at a later time. I’ve used these silicon molds in the past to make [crayons](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/07/24/create-custom-crayons/), [frozen oobleck](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/03/06/making-frozen-oobleck/), [color mixing oobleck](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/03/27/frozen-oobleck-color-mixing-sensory-play/), and these simple ice shapes. I’ve also used washed out plastic containers to [freeze toys in ice](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/27/ideas-for-when-its-hot-outside/) so there are many different ways you can cool the kids down if having a summer party.

![Image shows two plastic containers with plastic toys and orange water at the bottom. A glass measuring jug sits beside it. In the back are LEGO inspired silicon molds resting on a cookie sheet to be easier to move while filled with the orange water. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_Zoey_IMG_6772.jpeg?resize=750%2C952&ssl=1)

I layered dyed water in emptied cottage cheese and yogurt containers along with silicon LEGO® inspired molds. The idea was to cool the kids down, if the party was on a hot day, with ice and toys.

Sometime between the two girls’ birthdays I came across a video on Instagram from [Maggie Tompkins (@JetPlaneMommy)](https://www.instagram.com/jetplanemommy/?ref=simplykyra.com) where she showed cookies with an outline that the kids could decorate themselves. I immediately had big plans to purchase the cookie cutters, from [Cut It Out Cutters](https://cutitoutcutters.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), to make my own that the kids could then decorate, as their birthday party activity, and then either eat it instead of a birthday cupcake or bring it home in their treat bag. After emailing the owner of [Cut It Out ](https://cutitoutcutters.com/?ref=simplykyra.com)Cutters I ultimately decided to keep the party simple and skipped this although the owner did message back right away. That said, although we didn’t end up doing this I had spent some time debating whether I should so I decided to include it here in case it helps you and to also remind me about it in case I choose to use it for a future birthday party idea.

![Image is two screenshots side by side of the same video. The left side shows the person's name and an image of scrapping black over a cookie. The right image shows the cookie with a princess outline on it and the caption below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/01/compressed_Screen-Shot.jpeg?resize=750%2C500&ssl=1)

I took screenshots of the cookie decorating Instagram video by [Maggie Tompkins (JetPlaneMommy)](https://www.instagram.com/jetplanemommy/?ref=simplykyra.com) so I could remember it but I can no longer find it on Instagram. The video showcased the [Cut It Out Cutters](https://cutitoutcutters.com/?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

## *Food*

Before their birthday I made [sheet pan pancakes](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/09/15/how-i-changed-up-my-sheet-pan-pancakes-to-make-them-more-exciting/) and froze the leftovers. This meant the morning of the party I could easily spread Nutella on top of a frozen pancake, microwave them on a plate, and quickly dish them out with sprinkles to make an epic birthday breakfast with hardly any more trouble on my part. The kids loved it!

![Image shows Ada cutting into a pancake coated in Nutella and rainbow sprinkles. It's sitting on a happy birthday plate next to a napkin. Leftovers from her party stuff. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_8836.jpeg?resize=750%2C500&ssl=1)

The girls love the Nutella and sprinkle topped pancakes as a special treat. I loved how quick and easy they are when made ahead of time.

For the party itself I kept it small and wanted more time for the adults to visit so I decided to keep the food simple to optimize our time. I can’t remember exactly what we had for the main meal but based on my notes from then it was something like easy to order pizza, salad, snack food, pre-cut fruits and veggies, juice boxes for the kids, and maybe homemade tzatziki for the veggies and pretzels. Basically, things that would be easy to make in advance, dish ahead of time, or order through an app. I vaguely remember barbecued sausages and weiners for hot dogs but I can’t remember if that was for both parties or if we ordered pizza for one of them instead.

---

## *Dessert*

I’ve realized in the last couple years that I’ve always made cupcakes for the girls birthdays as it’s simpler to dish and hand out in a rush along with being cleaner as the girls can just blow on their own cupcake. I figured this year was no different and went with cupcakes yet again.

Zoey had an orange LEGO® theme yet when I asked what she wanted for her birthday cupcake she asserted that she needed strawberry cake with rainbow sprinkles on top. That made me remember the Jell-O cakes we had as a kid that were super simple to make so I made the Jell-O cake in a cupcake form using boxed white cake mix and strawberry Jell-O. To go with the theme we dyed whip cream orange and topped it with little candy LEGO® bricks I bought a previous year. I blogged about [the cupcakes here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/09/01/incredibly-simple-to-make-jello-cupcakes/).

![Image shows a white saucer with two pink cupcakes and tons of orange whip cream on top. The saucer sits on the orange tablecloth covered table.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_Zoey_IMG_6952.jpeg?resize=750%2C478&ssl=1)

I snapped a quick photo of the leftover cupcakes we dished up to enjoy later after supper.

I didn’t get any good photo of Ada’s cupcakes but we made the brownies from the [No Fuss Cookbook](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/05/26/the-no-fuss-family-cookbook-review/) I had reviewed earlier in the year. Actually, we doubled the recipe and may have rushed it and overanalyzed it thus making it a bit more complicated than the previous time I made it. That said, it tasted incredible! We topped it with whip cream and sprinkles and everyone loved it! If you want a simpler brownie we have made the Ghirardelli box mix in the past and experimented by adding canned pineapple. I’ve blogged about the [cake form](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/17/pineapple-brownie-cake/) and the experiment we did with the [cupcakes](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/23/simple-halloween-themed-brownie-cupcakes/) in the past. Oh, also to go with Ada’s unicorn theme, and because I wasn’t sure with Covid if the party would go ahead, I found a shop on Etsy called [MKCraftHouse](https://www.etsy.com/shop/MKCraftHouse?ref=simplykyra.com) that had adorable unicorn themed cupcake and cake toppers. I ordered both and almost completely forgot about them. The cupcake toppers were remembered just in time and the everyone loved them. The cake topper was to go on the wall above the table but I surprise Ada with it after the party and she to put above her bed instead.

![Image shows a plastic container with several birthday candles and a lighter.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_8764.jpeg?resize=750%2C455&ssl=1)

Although I didn’t get a good shot of the brownie cupcakes I did get a photo of all the potential candles I might use on Ada’s cupcake that I laid out ahead of time so I could easily grab it when it was dessert time.

![Image shows the storefront of MKCraftHouse with the location, logo, sale numbers, and five star rating. There is currently only one unicorn related topper in stock. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/Screen-Shot-2022-02-04-at-10.16.42-AM.png?resize=1024%2C880&ssl=1)

I loved how pretty the custom toppers were! I took this screenshot of the *unicorn* search results on [MKCraftHouse’s Etsy shop](https://www.etsy.com/shop/MKCraftHouse?ref=simplykyra.com) on February 4th, 2021 many months after I ordered.

That said last year the girls were incredibly excited with the idea that they could have actual cakes on their birthday rather than just cupcakes. I didn’t realize it was a big thing they were lacking. As such, this year, I knew I needed to give them a cake on their actual birthday so I went out and bought a simple [Tuxedo cake](https://www.costcuisine.com/post/costco-kirkland-signature-tuxedo-cake-review?ref=simplykyra.com) for Zoey from Costco. She adored it!

![Image shows a grocery store cake festooned with birthday candles. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_Zoey_IMG_6872.jpeg?resize=750%2C463&ssl=1)

I surprised Zoey with a birthday cake I picked up from Costco and added a 5 candle and several orange ones.

When Ada’s birthday came along I wanted to surprise her with a cake too but when asked she didn’t know what she wanted. I ended up going with the simple cheesecake, also from Costco, and then wondered if it might seem disappointing after Zoey’s. I ended up making homemade caramel and chocolate sauce to drizzle overtop and she loved it! I [posted about it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/12/22/how-i-made-a-simple-grocery-store-cheesecake-look-supreme/) if you want more details.

![Image is taken from above looking down at the cheesecake drizzled in caramel, dolloped with chocolate, and with a strawberry slice flower near the center. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_0059.jpeg?resize=750%2C534&ssl=1)

We decorated it after slicing that day but I later bought another one so I could take photos for the [blog post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/12/22/how-i-made-a-simple-grocery-store-cheesecake-look-supreme/) and made it look even prettier.

---

## *Treat Bags*

Each year I grab white paper bags, mark the names of the kids invited, and have the girls decorate the bags. We did the same this year but let the non-birthday girl draw on her own bag so they could decorate bags together.

With Zoey’s party orange themed I gravitated to the idea of including some of my [homemade playdough](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/) in the treat bags. I considered adding [flavor extract](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/09/easily-change-up-your-playdough-with-scents/) to it and so asked Zoey what it should smell like… she wanted pumpkins yet we didn’t have a pumpkin extract. After a quick search online and consulting [Natural Beach Living for their recipe of Pumpkin Pie Playdough](https://www.naturalbeachliving.com/pumpkin-playdough-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com) I decided to alter my current playdough recipe by adding pumpkin pie spice to the dry ingredients. With the playdough made I decided to take it on step further and shaped it into pumpkins before wrapping it up.

![Image is a collage of three photos including a screenshot of the recipe I referred to, and image of the playdough being mixed together in a large metal bowl, and the pumpkin playdough shaped into pumpkins before being wrapped up. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_The-Year-of-Our-Small-and-Simple-Birthday-Parties-Image3.jpeg?resize=750%2C500&ssl=1)

After consulting with the [Natural Beach Living](https://www.naturalbeachliving.com/pumpkin-playdough-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com) recipe (screenshot on the left) I made my own recipe but added pumpkin pie spice to it so Zoey could have pumpkin flavored playdough.

Before Zoey’s party, when looking for birthday gift ideas, we found the LEGO® centerpiece, above, and a set of [LEGO® cupcakes (#41926)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/creative-party-kit-41926?ref=simplykyra.com) that I figured would be perfect for her party. I didn’t tell her we had them as leading up I debated whether I should use them as an activity during her party or save them for Ada’s. With so few kids invited I finally decided to put them in the treat bag along with the pumpkin playdough making the bag’s contents match her party’s orange and LEGO® theme. When I opened the box of LEGO® I was pleased to find them all individually wrapped and all I needed to do was cut apart the directions and split up the stickers.

As Ada’s party approached I hoped to find another party kit for her treat bags but could only find the cupcakes one. After talking to Matt we decided to keep her treat bag simple and purchased a small LEGO® kit ([LEGO Friends Cubes](https://www.lego.com/en-us/themes/friends/about/cubes?ref=simplykyra.com) or a [Minecraft](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/the-taiga-adventure-21162?ref=simplykyra.com) kit) for each guest. Ada had a blast picking out which kit should go to who when ordering and all the guests loved bringing it home to build. I’m so glad we went ahead with the LEGO® products.

![Image is a collage of two images. On the left it shows the cubes and Minecraft kits while the right shows the cupcakes laid out on the bed. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_The-Year-of-Our-Small-and-Simple-Birthday-Parties-Image2.jpeg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

We bought LEGO® for the treat bags this year. Ada chose kits for her friends and herself while Zoey was surprised with the cupcake kit in her treat bag.

---

And with that the girls parties were over. We kept it simple and had an absolute blast!

I hope you’re having a great week and something in this post helped you out. Feel free to reach out!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How I Easily Used My Custom Color in My SwiftUI Project
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-easily-used-my-custom-color-in-my-swiftui-project/
Last updated: 2023-12-09T01:08:15.000Z
The other day I decided to put off my coding conundrum by distracting myself with how I could bring in one of my favorite colors to my SwiftUI project using the [SwiftUI.Color struct](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/color?ref=simplykyra.com). This was super simple to do once I figured it out so I knew I needed to share it in case it can help you with your own project.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_How-I-Easily-Used-My-Custom-Color-in-My-SwiftUI-Project-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

***TLDR:*** Take your color and find it on [Color Hex](https://www.color-hex.com/color/60364f?ref=simplykyra.com). Scroll down to find the `RGB Percentages` of your color and use that in the `SwiftUI.Color` struct to create the color in your code. In the below example the color `#60364f` becomes `Color(red: 0.4192, green: 0.2358, blue: 0.3450)`.

---

The other day I was playing around with a small project in [XCode](https://developer.apple.com/xcode/?ref=simplykyra.com) and I wanted to easily tell where each [View](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/view?ref=simplykyra.com) was. To see this better I decided to change the background color of the views in question. At first I considered something simple like using the default colors (example: `Color.black`) but then I decided to procrastinate fixing the rest of my code and instead figured out how to use one of the colors I love from my website.

For this example we’ll go with the purple color you can see around this post, specifically `#60364f`, but I also followed the same steps for my blue-ish one, `#405161`, too.

As you often do, I started out by typing in `Color(` within my XCode window and looked through the auto-complete recommendations within the resulting popup that appeared.

![Image shows a popup with the "(_:red:green:blue:opacity:)" line highlighted. There are several other options above and below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_myCode-popup.png?resize=750%2C340&ssl=1)

Once I typed in `Color(` I was able to see what I could use to set the color.

![Image shows a screenshot of the "@frozen struct Color" along with the top portion of the overview showing many ways you can create colors. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2022-02-03-at-2.35.43-PM.png?resize=750%2C722&ssl=1)

As a quick aside you can also check out the documentation page for the [SwiftUI.Color](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/color?ref=simplykyra.com) struct on the Apple website. This screenshot of the `Declaration` and the top portion of the `Overview` was taken on February 3rd, 2022.

After taking a quick glance around I next looked online and found [CodeWithChris’ SwiftUI Color](https://codewithchris.com/swiftui/swiftui-color/?ref=simplykyra.com) page that went over, amongst other things, custom colors by using the RGB (red, green, and blue) values to display the color. Their example was for the color cyan and showed `Color(red: 0.0, green: 1.0, blue: 1.0)`. As a quick aside, they also recommend, at the bottom, adding color sets to the `Assets.xcassets` of your project. I haven’t looked into this yet but I’m writing it here so I don’t forget that’s an option when using custom colors in the future.

With that read I checked what my RGB values were, as I had it written it down along with its hex number, and quickly jumped into some failed experiments. This purple color (`#60364f`) had an RGB value of `96,54,79` so I used the `SwiftUI.Color` struct and attempted `Color(red: 96.0, green: 54.0, blue: 79.0)` which gave me the color white and then `Color(red: 0.96, green: 0.54, blue: 0.79)` which gave me the color pink. I then realized that I should stop experimenting and figure this out another way so I searched online using the hex number and found [Color Hex](https://www.color-hex.com/color/60364f?ref=simplykyra.com). I love how this website looks although I’ve mainly just used it to convert any colors to another format. While scrolling down the page I found a section, right after shades and tints and before triadic and analogous colors, that showed the `RGB Percentages`.

![Image shows the top banner of the Color-Hex website along with the color and most of its values. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2022-02-03-at-4.24.02-PM.png?resize=750%2C401&ssl=1)

This is what the top of the website looks like. I love how clean and pretty it is while also being really informative. This screenshot was taken [of Color-Hex](https://www.color-hex.com/color/60364f?ref=simplykyra.com) on February 3rd, 2022.

![This image shows the same website as before but further down this time. Here we can see the Tints, RGB Percentages, CMYK Percentages, Triadic Colors, and Analogous Colors of the shade #60364f.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2022-02-03-at-2.23.05-PM.png?resize=750%2C533&ssl=1)

What I needed, at this time, was the `RGB Percentages of Color #60364f`. Here I can see the percentage of red, green, and blue used together to make this color. This screenshot was taken [of Color-Hex](https://www.color-hex.com/color/60364f?ref=simplykyra.com) on February 3rd, 2022.

I knew immediately that the `RGB Percentages` was what I *had* to use and so I quickly returned to my code, converted each of the three [percentages into a decimal number](https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/math/percent-to-decimal-calculator.php?ref=simplykyra.com), typed them in. Voila it created the perfect shade of purple!

![Image shows my popup window showing the proper colors. In the background you can see the frame and background modifiers with the Color part highlighted with the mouse. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/02/compressed_myCode.png?resize=750%2C378&ssl=1)

Once I went back to the code I switched the background color to `Color(red: 0.4192, green: 0.2358, blue: 0.3450)` and it turned out perfectly! In the `Form Layout` window the `My Name` was left alone, the `Pick Something` was set to my blue-ish color (`#405161`), and the last one, `Select Items` was set to this purple (`#60364f`).

And with that I brought my custom color into my code. Going forward, if using these colors in a project, I could see creating an asset, setting a shared variable, or something else. Either way I’d want the color set in one place and accessed throughout the project making it easier if I were to change the color to something else later down the road.

Hope this helps you out and, if so, I’d love to hear how in the comments below! Have a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How I Sewed My Daughters’ a Simple Tooth Fairy Door Hanging
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-sewed-my-daughters-a-simple-tooth-fairy-door-hanging/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:58:00.000Z
A while back, when Ada’s first tooth became wiggly, I wanted to come up with some way to make the tooth to coin exchange easier on Matt and I while also keeping the *story* alive for the girls. As they share a bedroom I knew there was going to be a much greater chance that one of them might wake up while we were trying to find an errant tooth under their pillow. The girls share a bunk bed so Ada’s top bunk is much too high for me to easily search and Zoey’s bottom bunk has a space along the side and headboard that often loses toys so I saw the whole process, for either of my night owls, troublesome. This idea to make the overall tooth exchange process easier resulted in the final idea to have a special tooth holder hanging on the outside of their bedroom door thus decreasing the chance of a wake up in the middle of the night and making the tooth so much easier to nab last minute before bed.

![Pinterest geared image showing the blog post's title at the top, my main URL at the bottom, and a collage of five images (all found below) between them,. The background is purple to match my website. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_How-I-Sewed-My-Daughters-a-Simple-Tooth-Fairy-Door-Hanging-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

I made Ada’s tooth fairy door hanging a while back when her first tooth became wiggly. At that point I made sure to take lots of photos for my website but never got around to writing up this post. Just this summer; however, Zoey fell off of her bike hard enough to make one of her teeth wiggly and although, later, we were told it would naturally heal and stop wiggling I did promise her, in that moment, to make Zoey her very own tooth fairy door hanging. By the time her tooth healed the pieces were already chosen, cut, and were waiting for her to finish decorating. As such I have photos from making both tooth fairy door hangers below and I combined them together as they follow the same process.

---

## *Finding a Template*

For both projects I started out by looking online for a tooth outline I liked. I unfortunately didn’t save the one I used for Ada and had to go back online to look again when it came time for Zoey’s. Anyway, both times I opened up my free [Gimp IDE](https://www.gimp.org/?ref=simplykyra.com), created a blank canvas the size of my printer paper, and pasted the newly found image onto a new layer multiples times. I then took each layer and resized it so I’d have a variety of sizes and moved them around so they wouldn’t be overlapping one another. I did this as it seems simpler to get all the computer work out of the way before printing rather than printing, resizing, printing, resizing, again and again, until you have the proper sized template.

![Image shows the Gimp IDE with five differently sized smiling teeth. At the bottom you can see part of the File window with the tooth image selected. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-07-18-at-2.09.05-PM-1.png?resize=750%2C711&ssl=1)

I started out with a blank canvas on [Gimp](https://www.gimp.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) and then filled it in with many differently sized teeth.

---

## *Making the Tooth*

For Ada’s, once I choose one of the printed teeth, I grabbed some white fabric, plugged in my light box, lined up the layers, and traced the tooth onto the wrong side of the fabric using my disappearing ink pen. For Zoey’s I was a bit more particular on which size of tooth I should use as a template as I wanted her final tooth fairy door hanging to be a similar size compared to Ada’s. As such I grabbed my quilting ruler to quickly compare the printed teeth to Ada’s final one, picked a similarly sized one, and then, like before, traced it out onto the wrong side of the fabric. This tracing step was also harder than before as Zoey wanted an orange tooth rather than a white one, like Ada’s, and so it was much harder to see the tooth template through the fabric even with the bright light box underneath it all. I ended up giving up the tracing and laid the fabric beside the tooth template so I could copy it instead.

![Image shows the printed teeth laid out on a cutting mat and obscured by a transparent quilting ruler. On top sits a red pen while orange fabric is laid out above and a turned on light box is to the left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7526.jpeg?resize=750%2C479&ssl=1)

I wanted the girls’ tooth fairy door hangings to be similarly sized so I started out measuring Zoey’s printed teeth before choosing one to use as the template.

![Image shows a blue inked tooth on white fabric with the paper and then turned on lightbox underneath it. The blue disappearing ink pen is laid out beside the fabric. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_1863.jpeg?resize=750%2C540&ssl=1)

It was super simple to quickly trace out Ada’s tooth template onto the wrong side of her white woven fabric.

![Image shows the tooth outlined in red ink overtop of the printed page of tooth templates. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7530.jpeg?resize=607%2C404&ssl=1)

Zoey’s fabric was thicker and colored and was thus harder to see through to see the printed tooth template underneath. As such I moved the fabric beside the template and copied the remaining outline myself.

I traced out the tooth shape onto the fabric as I wanted to put a tooth pocket on the girls’ fabric door hanging to hold their newly freed tooth and, later, the newly gained coin. Since the tooth is a weird shape I knew it would be hard to finish the raw edges of the pocket if it was made from a single layer of fabric. As such, once the tooth outline was drawn with the disappearing ink, I knew it was time to sew a stand-alone tooth shape. For Ada’s I took another small remnant of the white fabric, placed it right sides together with the drawn tooth, clipped it in place, and sewed along the outline making sure to leave a space along the top to turn the tooth right side out later. I chose the top as it had an area that looked straight enough to easily fold closed later and long enough to turn the tooth right side out. Plus if I topstitched the tooth, so the top matches where I later sew the sides and bottom to the main fabric, the hole would also be sewn closed without any extra effort.

With Zoey’s larger piece of orange fabric I simply folded it in half, at the edge of the tooth, making sure the drawing was on the outside and the right sides of the fabric were facing each other. After that the steps were the same as Ada’s as I clipped the two layers in place and sewed along the inked lines making sure to keep an opening at the top to turn the tooth right side out.

![Image shows two scraps of white fabric sewn together along a purple inked tooth shaped path. There's a thread coming from the top suggesting that the opening to turn it right side out is there and to the left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_1864.jpeg?resize=750%2C486&ssl=1)

After clipping the two layers together I took it to my sewing machine and sewed them together making sure to follow along the inked path and leave a space to turn the fabric right side out.

Once the fabric layers were sewn together I used my pinking shears to trim the excess fabric around the tooth making sure there was a bit more seam allowance left around the opening so it would be simpler to tuck within when turned right side out later. I knew I needed a smaller seam allowance along the stitching so the finished tooth would have less bulk within it. With Zoey’s I also took the time right now to press the tooth to make the ink disappear under the iron’s heat while Ada’s previously made tooth wasn’t pressed until after the tooth was turned right side out so it would lay flat.

![Image shows the purple outlined tooth with a jagged edge along the entire thing. My purple handled pinking shears, a metal chopstick, and the trimmed fabric remnants lays to the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_1865.jpeg?resize=750%2C478&ssl=1)

Once sewn I used my pinking shears to trim the excess fabric away from the tooth’s stitches. I chose my pinking shears rather than my straight edged sewing scissors as fabric is supposedly less likely to unravel with a jagged edge like this.

With the seam allowance trimmed it was time to turn the tooth right side out. In both cases I grabbed one of my metal chopsticks to do the deed. Once the tooth was fully right side out I switched to how I used my chopstick and now ran the tip of it along the inside of the seams so the edge would also be firmly turned out. I then folded the visible raw edge of the opening and clipped the two folds in place so the tooth can now be fully finished.

![Image shows a white tooth with sewn smoothed edges along most of it. The top left corner is raw with thread showing where the opening is located. Off to the top right side yo can see the handle of the pinking shears and the metal chopstick.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_1867.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I used my metal chopstick to turn the tooth right side out before poking the tip into the legs and dragging it along the seams so the tooth can lie fully flat.

![Image shows a flat tooth laid out on a blue wrinkled ironing matt with a orange and clear sewing clip attached to it's top right side like a bow. Looking closely you can see where the trimmed seam allowance is on the inside as that space is more opaque that the center of the tooth. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_1868.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I tucked the raw edge inside the opening and used my iron to press the tooth flat. I then grabbed a sewing clip to hold the opening closed until I could get it to my sewing machine. The heat from the iron also caused the ink in the first step to disappear.

Once the raw edges were folded down and clipped into place I took the tooth to my sewing machine to topstitch along the very top of the tooth and, thus, close the hole. I didn’t topstitch around the rest of the tooth as that’s where I’ll be sewing the tooth to the main fabric later on, yet I did need to topstitch the top anyway as that’s where the opening to the pocket will be and I wanted it to match the rest.

---

## *The Rest of the Pieces*

Ada’s was the first tooth fairy door hanging I made so at this point, after essentially completing the tooth, I had to stop so I could fully plan out how I wanted to proceed. Once I had a plan written down I continued on by measuring and cutting out the two required pieces of white fabric and two pieces of matching interfacing needed to make the final item. I chose to include interfacing so the final hanging item could be thicker and feel more cushioned. I then pulled out all of my ribbon and had Ada, and later Zoey at this point, choose a ribbon they wanted to hang it with and I cut a piece that would fit the height needed.

![Image shows an extra large tooth printout with my quick sketch doodled in the blank center. To the top is a used pencil sharpener, to the left the white finished tooth, and to the bottom a pencil. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_1869.jpeg?resize=607%2C424&ssl=1)

At this point I wanted to quickly draw out my idea so I knew for sure how to proceed. I drew a doorknob with a rectangular tooth-decorate fabric hanging around it with a string using a scrap when I attempt to print a way too big tooth template.

![Image shows white fabric laid out over a cutting mat. In the 90 degree raw edged corner is laid out the clear quilting ruler and above that the white tooth. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_1871.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I hadn’t yet determined how large I wanted the fabric rectangles to be so I laid out my tooth on top of a corner of the fabric to help determine the size.

![Image shows a transparent marked quilting ruler laid out over a rectangle of white fabric. You can see it measures 5 inches by 6.5 inches. Another matching rectangle of white fabric is off to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_1872.jpeg?resize=750%2C509&ssl=1)

I then cut out two equal pieces of white fabric measuring five inches wide by six and a half inches tall.

![Image shows a stack of pieces. Each of the two rectangles of fabric has a rectangle of interfacing matched up underneath it. Both are angled a bit to make the two pieces distinct. Above them sits the white tooth. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_1874.jpeg?resize=750%2C454&ssl=1)

After I cut out the two rectangles of fabric I then cut out two matching rectangles of white interfacing. With all five pieces cut out it was finally time to let Ada decorate her tooth fairy door hanger.

With Zoey’s door hanger the pieces looked less organized at this point. For hers I had used my iron earlier on to make the ink disappear so once I turned her tooth right side out I decided to skip the ironing step and just lay it flat, later, when sewing the tooth to the fabric. I also didn’t need to stop to figure out the fabrics measurements as I used my previous photos of Ada’s to determine how large I should also cut Zoey’s. Zoey had also decided to have a white one background so I cut two five by six and a half inch rectangles for hers just like Ada’s. Then I deviated from before. Rather than cutting out two matching pieces of thicker interfacing I saw a soft strip of fabric with the right width that I could use to stuff the door hanging with instead. It had no glue to hold the layers together like the interfacing before so I chose to leave it uncut and later, after folding it and sewing it into the door hanging, I could trim the excess away.

![Image shows a folded piece of soft fabric with selvage at one end folded next to the slightly stacked two white rectangles of fabric and an orange puffed up tooth. Below them lays the cutting mat and quilting ruler. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7533.jpeg?resize=750%2C397&ssl=1)

Zoey’s final pieces looked less put together at this point compared to Ada’s.

As a quick aside I think this was leftover selvage from some [double sided minky toddler blanket topper fabric I used to make two afghans](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/01/03/toddler-blanket-topper-to-comfy-couch-afghan/) with.

---

## *Coloring the Pieces*

Regardless of interfacing or batting once the pieces were prepped I stopped the process so the kids could take their time coloring all the visible sections of fabric with my fabric markers and thus truly make their tooth fairy door hanging their own. Both kids took several days before declaring they were done as I didn’t want to rush them or make them work on it when they weren’t feeling it. Zoey at one point completely lost interest and then picked it back up when Ada started coloring her [face masks](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/11/04/i-sewed-up-three-free-face-mask-patterns-and-here-is-my-takeaway/) for school. This project was why Zoey only colored her face mask pouches and not the masks themselves when [we made our face mask command center for school](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/08/18/my-daughters-mask-command-center-and-how-i-made-it/).

![Image shows a closeup of Ada's newly pink tooth with black eyes, a black smile, and a pink nose. One marker lays off to the side and you can see a bit of her dinosaur dress. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_1956.jpeg?resize=750%2C425&ssl=1)

Ada took the time to color all her fabric pieces including the originally white tooth that became adorably pink.

Once Ada finished coloring all of her white fabric pieces I took them all to my pre-heated iron to set the ink and attach the interfacing to the back of the two larger pieces. Then I had a few more questions for Ada so she could have a truly custom piece. First I pulled out all of my threads and ribbons so she could choose how it would be sewn together. She ended up going with a variegated thread and a flowered ribbon to hang the piece up with. Next she chose which rectangle was the front and which was the back. Then, on the front, she choose where the tooth should be positioned which I quickly pinned into place before cutting some of her chosen ribbon off so I could pin it to the top of the back piece.

![Image shows the tooth pinned, with four sewing pins, to the white, orange, and purple marked rectangle of fabric. Off to the side you can see four different variegated threads, one variegated bobbin, and part of the decorated other rectangle. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_2291.jpeg?resize=750%2C545&ssl=1)

Ada quickly chose the variegated threads but took her time picking which one was the best. While deliberating I had her choose which rectangle was the front and lay out where on it she wanted the tooth to be. I then used my sewing pins to keep it in place.

![Image shows the spiral and figured decorated rectangle of fabric with a flowered ribbon looping from the left top to the right top. The center almost reaches the bottom but is just far enough away that I won't need to worry about it in the seam allowance later. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_2292.jpeg?resize=750%2C542&ssl=1)

Ada quickly chose the flowered ribbon, bought from either Joann’s or Michael’s near Easter, and I clipped it to the top of the back rectangle of fabric making sure the decorated side was facing away so it would be front facing once sewn.

Other than the interfacing itself Zoey’s process was the same as Ada’s was so long ago. I already knew which rectangle was for the front as she had carefully added an X to be hidden within the tooth. I had her place the orange tooth on the fabric which I quickly pinned into place while she chose her ribbon, same flowered one as Ada, and her thread, she went with orange. I then had her decide which way the back went, pinned the ribbon to the top of it, and folded the soft selvage to act as a multilayer stuffing.

![Image shows the back rectangle stacked on top of the folded white fabric with the ribbon pinned to the top. To the right the other rectangle sits with the orange tooth pinned with two sewing pins. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7981.jpeg?resize=607%2C335&ssl=1)

Like before I pinned the tooth to the front rectangle and the ribbon to the back. Unfortunately I pinned the ribbon facing down so, once sewn, the decorated ribbon faced the back instead of the front.

I then took the front piece to my sewing machine and sewed around the sides and bottom of the tooth creating a little pocket.

---

## *Putting It All Together*

Once the tooth was sewn on and all the pieces were decorated it was time to put it together. I started by putting the two rectangles together, facing one another, with the tooth and ribbon sandwiched between. I then used my sewing clips to clip the two together while making sure that the ribbon was secured at the top and away from the sides and bottom so the loop itself doesn’t get sewn down.

![Image shows the back of Ada's interfaced tooth with color changing thread. The top is open as it is a pocket. There are many colored clips holding the edges and corners in place with a container of more clips off to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_2294.jpeg?resize=750%2C569&ssl=1)

I love how pretty the variegated thread looks from the back of the tooth. Anyway I carefully pinned the two rectangles together making sure the corners and edge were lined up and the ribbon was securely in place.

I made sure to start sewing with an open straight space behind the needle so I could easily leave an empty space to turn the tooth fairy door hanging right side out. I also made sure to backstitch when going over the ribbon ends to make sure that the ribbon would be secure later on. Once I was done sewing around the rectangle I trimmed the excess threads and seam allowance. I did this so there would be less bulk within the door hanging. I also made sure to leave a bit larger of a seam allowance at the opening so it would be easier to tuck inside later on.

![Image shows the inner side of Ada's with variegated thread around the sides. The excess trimmed seam allowance is at the top with the scissors beside, and above it, and the sewing clips beside that. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_2296.jpeg?resize=750%2C525&ssl=1)

Once I was done sewing around Ada’s I grabbed my fabric scissors, trimmed off the corners, and then trimmed the sides down. I made sure to leave the full seam allowance at the top where the opening was.

![Image shows the backside of Zoey's tooth fairy where you can see the orange thread around the entire thing and around the tooth. You can faintly see the orange toothed fabric and the blue fabric marker on the other side of the thin fabric. The ironing mat and pinking shears lay to the left and the top is trimmed off and laid above. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_8140.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

When it came time to trim Zoey’s I grabbed my pinking shears instead and had more to trim off as the inner fabric stuck out so much farther than the fabric seam allowance.

![Image shows a closeup of the opening in Zoey's door hanging with the fluffy fabric facing up showing the trimmed opening and the selvage dots. The woven white fabric can be seen behind the fluffly zigzag trim.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_8142.jpeg?resize=750%2C313&ssl=1)

This time around there was a smaller seam allowance than before. To make it easier I chose to leave the outer fabric untrimmed where the opening was but trimmed the inner fluffy fabric so the outer layers could easily fold in around it.

I then turned the tooth fairy door hanging right side out, using my chopstick to push out all of the corners, tucked the raw edges inside of it, and then pressed the entire thing flat while carefully not ironing the ribbon just in case it might melt. I then used a sewing clip to keep the opening in place and brought it over to my sewing machine to topstitch around all four sides. I chose this to easily close the opening, keep it flat, and add more of the chosen thread around it. Instead I could’ve hand stitched the opening closed but I was too lazy and liked this way instead.

![Image shows the back of Ada's tooth fairy door hanging with a flowered ribbon coming out of the top. The original roll of ribbon is beside and labelled: Easter.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_2297.jpeg?resize=750%2C533&ssl=1)

After poking the corners out I laid it flat, folded the raw edges inside, and pressed it so it would stay in place.

![Image shows the Zoey's on the table, with the ironing mat placed to the side, and four clips holding it flat. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_8144.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once I was happy with how it looked I used sewing clips to keep the opening closed and to help keep the edge folded the right way as the excess stuffing caused it to puff up bit.

And once I stitched around it we were done!

---

## *The Final Item*

The girls absolutely adored their customized tooth fairy door hanging.

![Image shows Ada's final tooth fairy pouch hanging from a silver doorknob in front of a white door with a pink curling ribbon behind it. The tooth itself now has a heart on it's one cheek.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_2300.jpeg?resize=750%2C527&ssl=1)

Ada was so excited to hang her tooth fairy pouch on the door and couldn’t wait for when she’ll loose her first tooth.

![Image shows the back of Ada's tooth fairy pouch with swirls and figure on it. It somehow matches with the curling ribbon too. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_2298.jpeg?resize=750%2C528&ssl=1)

I quickly flipped it around to snag a photo of the back too.

![Image of Zoey's orange tooth hanging.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_8145.jpeg?resize=750%2C727&ssl=1)

Although Zoey’s mouth healed and her tooth was no longer wiggly we did finish hers and put it on the doorknob for a quick photo to remember how amazing it looked. It’s now ready for whenever she loses her first tooth too.

![Closeup of the front of Zoey's tooth fairy hanging showing the x inside the orange tooth pocket.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_8149.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I absolutely love that Zoey went out of her way to add an X on the fabric and planned to have the tooth hiding it so you can open up the pocket and see it. Later Zoey explained it to Matt, her dad, by saying “rockets don’t exist in tooth fairy’s tummies”. Regardless of the logic I absolutely love the foresight.

![Back of Zoey's Tooth Fairy pillow showing a rocket ship and the flowered ribbon.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_8151.jpeg?resize=750%2C903&ssl=1)

I also had to switch it around so I could get a photo of Zoey’s awesome drawing including a rocket ship.

---

## *Lost?*

I loved this idea as we never had to sneak into the kids’ bedroom and quietly look for the tooth. That said you could always come up with a simpler method than this. When Ada’s second last tooth became wiggle she started carrying her tooth fairy pouch around with her wherever she went, just in case, and then lost it a couple days before her tooth finally fell out. She was worried about what to do if it fell out so I quickly tried to come up with another idea we could use instead and remembered her toy mermaid on the shelf by her bed that’s stored in a blue plastic shell. I quickly grabbed the shell and told her she could put her tooth in the shell when it finally fell out and put the shell on the bathroom counter so the tooth fairy can easily find it. It worked and as it was still lost with the last tooth it was used again. Who knows if the door hanging will be found before the next tooth or if all the trouble was for naught as the simple shell is now the new tooth holder.

![Blue shell on counter. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_8043.jpeg?resize=750%2C511&ssl=1)

Our backup plan, lately, when Ada lost her tooth fairy door hanging is to put the newly freed tooth in her plastic shell and place it on the bathroom counter.

So whether you spend time planning, creating, or buying a solution or just repurpose something you already own at the last minute it will work out. Either way we can hear her rush out of the bedroom in the morning to see what’s there and we don’t have to go sneaking once they fall asleep.

Do you do something similar? Where do you hide the tooth when it falls out? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below and then, if these get lost, maybe Ada or Zoey could use your method as a backup plan. I hope your week is going great. Have a good day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Use Leftover Tomato Soup to Make an Amazing Pasta Sauce
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/use-leftover-tomato-soup-to-make-an-amazing-pasta-sauce/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:57:52.000Z
A while back I made some truly incredible tomato soup, from *[The No-Fuss Family Cookbook](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/05/26/the-no-fuss-family-cookbook-review/)*, that completely blew our minds. It tasted rich, restaurant quality, and we couldn’t get enough of it. Since it also had you make waffle dippers to go along with it we managed to leave about four cups of the soup uneatened which I stored in a canning jar in the fridge. I considered simply reheating the leftovers for the kids but worried they’d be disappointed with the meal as we had already consumed all of the waffle dippers and there wasn’t enough leftover soup to justify making another batch. Finally I decided to treat the soup like jarred tomato sauce and turned it into an amazing meat sauce for our pasta. It turned into an incredible meal that was enjoyed by all. As such I had to share the process with you in case you’re looking to use up some leftover tomato soup yourself or are looking for ways to change up your go to meat sauce.

![Pinterest geared image showing the post's title. the main URL, and three images. The topmost image shows the stove top with a frying pan half filled with ground beef and diced red pepper. To the left its the jar of leftover tomato soup and to the right a pot filled with boiling pasta water. Underneath it sits two images. The leftmost shows the filled skillet this time with the meat sauce and, on the right, a bowl with macaroni topped with meat sauce. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Use-Leftover-Tomato-Soup-to-Make-an-Amazing-Pasta-Sauce-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

The tomato soup recipe I used was taken from *[The No-Fuss Family Cookbook: Simple Recipes for Everyday Life by Ryan Scott](https://www.hmhbooks.com/shop/books/the-no-fuss-family-cookbook/9780358439141?ref=simplykyra.com)* that I had [reviewed in this previous post here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/05/26/the-no-fuss-family-cookbook-review/). It’s a simple recipe that has you throw all the ingredients into a slow cooker, keep it on high for four hours, and then blend together. I used an immersion blender making even that last step easy as I didn’t have to transfer the soup, in batches, into a blender. The only downside to the immersion blender was that sometimes it missed garlic chunks so I could see dicing them, the next time, before tossing them into the slow cooker but even then they still tasted fine. Technically, the recipe is a bit more complicated than that if you choose to make the accompanying waffle dippers that are essentially cheesy waffles cut into strips. The first time we devoured the waffle dippers and were left with only four cups of tomato soup. The resulting meat sauce I made from that soup was so good that the next time I doubled both the soup and the waffles. Those waffles dippers were served with smaller cups of soup, rather than larger bowls, so that there would be more leftover soup which could go towards another batch of meat sauce. That time the meat sauce was again eaten over pasta and then those leftovers were [turned into a lasagna](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/07/01/simple-lasagna-ish-from-leftovers/). So many great meals resulted from that double batch. Finally I made the soup a third time but this time skipped the waffles all together so that the meal was even quicker to make. That’s saying something when the kids were still excited with the thought of having this soup for supper even though there were no waffles to go with it. Like the last time I doubled the soup and this time served it with toast so we’d have lots of leftovers again (three and a half canning jars full!). One leftover jar became another batch of meat sauce, two went into the freezer (one became meat sauce a while later and the other stayed as soup), and the last half canning jar was mixed into leftover plain pasta and microwaved for an incredible simple and delicious meal for the girls. Anyway… enough about the soup as you’re here to see how I used it to make my meat sauce. And if you don’t have the soup don’t worry as you could simply do the same with some store-bought tomato soup or sauce and, if needed, add your normal go to seasonings.

I started out by grabbing my large pot, filled it with water, and started bringing it to a boil so I could cook a pound or two of pasta while the sauce simmered. Once the water was heating I grabbed my tall edged skillet and started heating it on the burner, under medium high heat, before tossing a pound or two of ground beef on. I used a wooden spoon to break the meat apart and mix it up while it cooked. I had some diced peppers in the fridge we needed to use so I tossed them in while the ground beef was cooking away along with a single diced garlic clove. Any veggies you may want cooked a bit more can be tossed in at this step.

![Image shows a skillet with ground beef, red bell pepper, grease, and a wooden flipper. To the right is a boiling pot of pasta in water and to the left is an opened canning jar of leftover soup. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_1255.jpeg?resize=750%2C414&ssl=1)

I started out browning my ground beef and added a bit of minced garlic and diced red peppers as it cooked. The great thing about using seasoned soup is that you don’t need to add too much seasonings to your meat to make an amazing sauce. During this process I brought water to a boil in a larger pot and started my pasta.

Once the ground beef was fully cooked it was time to pour the leftover four cups of soup into the pan. This is why I made sure I used a taller skillet rather than a short frying pan. I then added some water to the canning jar, added a lid, shook it up, and poured that over the skillet too so I didn’t waste any of the leftover soup. After stirring it all together to combine I brought it back to a boil, turned down the burner, and simmered it while the pasta finished boiling so the flavors would all meld together. At this time you could take a quick taste and confirm it’s to your preference or if you may want to add a final seasoning.

![Image shows a closeup of the skillet with the wooden spatula laid in it. The sauce is orangey-red with floating bits of ground beef, red pepper, and spices in it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_1256.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I love how simple this sauce was to throw together and how I didn’t need to add tons of spices as the soup carried the dish.

Once the pasta was ready and the excess water was drained from the pasta with the strainer it was time to eat. This meat sauce was truly sublime on the pasta. I’m assuming part of this awesomeness could be attributed by the heavy cream in the original soup but the final sauce tasted so creamy and slightly as if we had already topped it with cheese even though we didn’t. We finished the food way too quickly and knew we needed to make it again!

![Image shows the kids sitting and eating from their white plates with macaroni and the meat sauce. One is closer to the camera and the other is a bit further back. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_1258.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The final sauce tasted amazing on the pasta. The kids had more pasta with less sauce, compare to us, and love it too!

![Image shows a bowl with pasta and meat sauce on top. A fork and spoon rest to the left of the bowl with two rye pieces of toast resting on top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_1261.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Matt and I served ours with more sauce and a side of toast we needed to use up. It was delicious!

![Image shows a large pot of meat sauce with a soup ladle in it to the right. To the left is a mostly filled 9 by 13 inch glass casserole dish and in the back is a mostly filled 8 by 8 dish. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_3809.jpeg?resize=750%2C461&ssl=1)

One time I made a large batch of tomato soup specifically for the leftovers, turned it into a large pot of meat sauce, and then turned those leftovers into two lasagnas (one small one for the fridge and a larger one for the freezer). It was *amazing*!

![A white bowl with a mound of quinoa sits topped in ground beef, diced tomatoes, and tomato soup leftover sauce. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_7061.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Another time I made up a batch of quinoa so the kids could have their meat sauce, with added diced tomatoes, on leftover microwaved pasta while Matt and I could have ours on quinoa instead. It also tasted so good!

I am so glad I had that one lonely canning jar of leftover tomato soup the first time I made *[The No-Fuss Family Cookbook’s](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/05/26/the-no-fuss-family-cookbook-review/)* *slow cooker creamy tomato soup with cheesy waffle dippers* as without it I wouldn’t have thought to up my meat sauce game. I absolutely love this recipe and just typing it up for you makes me really want to make it again. I don’t know if you have a similar tomato soup recipe you love or not but I hope this post helps you turn your leftovers into another incredible meal. If you did the same, or something similar, before please share in the comments below. I hope your week is going awesome.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Fix Your Holey Flats and Make Them Beautiful With Embroidery Floss!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/fix-your-holey-flats-and-make-them-beautiful-with-embroidery-floss/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:57:36.000Z
While picking the girls up from school one day I looked down and noticed a couple holes in my favorite flats. I later noticed similar holes in my other pair and from there on in I couldn’t ignore them. I looked them up on the [AllBirds](https://www.allbirds.com/products/womens-tree-breezers?ref=simplykyra.com) website hoping to get more but I didn’t liked any of the current colors offered. I figured I had nothing left to lose and, noticing the slight holes all over the shoe, thought of cross stitch fabric and thus decided to patch the holes with embroidery floss. Surprisingly the one I was most excited about wasn’t that great and the one I didn’t care about turned out fantastic. Looking back I’m so glad I jumped in and I figured I’d share what I did in case you want to do the same too.

![Pinterest-geared image showing, from top to bottom, a collage of three images, the title of this post, a before and after photo of my brown flats, a final photo of my blue flats, and my main URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Fix-Your-Holey-Flats-and-Make-Them-Beautiful-With-Embroidery-Floss-Pinterest.jpeg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

I first bought my [AllBirds Women’s Tree Breezer flats](https://www.allbirds.com/products/womens-tree-breezers?ref=simplykyra.com) in the summer of 2019 and loved them so much that the next summer, 2020, I bought them again in brown. My new brown ones were kept at the front door for whenever I went out while my older blue ones were at the back door so I didn’t have to go grab my first ones. As such they were both worn consistently over the last year or so and thus it was understandable but disappointing when I noticed the holes.

As I love the brown flats more I decided to keep it simple on them and experimented, first, on the blue ones instead. I wasn’t quite sure what to do though so I decided to look online for ideas first. I’m so glad I did as I absolutely love how they turned out and they’re now my favorite of the two flats. With the brown flats I choose something safer and although I like how they turned out I don’t love them. All this to say although I started with the blue flats I figured I’d start by showing you the embroidery floss, then how I fixed the brown flats, before finally going over my favorite ones.

---

## *Getting Started*

I started out by washing my flats before beginning so I’d start with a fresh and clean canvas for the embroidery floss. After jumping online to confirm that we can in fact [wash the shoes](https://www.allbirds.com/pages/shoe-care?ref=simplykyra.com) I removed the insoles and tossed both pairs in the washing machine with a couple old towels as I remember my washing machine having difficulty getting soap out when the load was too small. I then skipped the dryer and laid them over a cooling rack to dry overnight.

![Image shows both pairs of flats laid out in a row on a cooling rack on the kitchen table beside a LEGO planter. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_0937.jpeg?resize=750%2C460&ssl=1)

After washing the flats in the washing machine I laid them out to dry on a cooling rack over night.

In case you’re curious here’s a link to the frequently asked questions for [Are Allbirds Washable?](https://www.allbirds.com/pages/help?a=Are-Allbirds-washable---id--IN1nOp9KRVOuXgs-XN5BQg&ref=simplykyra.com) and [Can you wash Allbirds insoles?](https://www.allbirds.com/pages/help?a=Can-you-wash-Allbirds-insoles---id--ZnauMOY9QYicZ1QyjwhMdQ&ref=simplykyra.com). As a quick side note I’m not an affiliate or anything just wanted to share how I restored my favorite flats.

---

## *Embroidery Floss*

Before beginning I figured I’d go over my embroidery floss. I’ve been interested in embroidery for a while but never got fully into it. That said I dabbled years ago when putting together my girls’ quiet book pages with several pages including [appliqué animals](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/30/quiet-book-page-applique-animals/), [threading a bumblebee through flowers](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/02/13/quiet-book-page-threading-with-a-bumblebee-through-flowers/), and [a decorative embroidery sampler](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/04/19/quiet-book-page-embroidery-sampler/) page. Since then I’ve added to my threads both with packages of mixed threads and the odd kit ([love the TARDIS one](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/09/04/finishing-your-embroidery/)) and have used them for small projects including [patching a hole in lightweight fabric](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/08/28/patch-your-lightweight-fabric-with-embroidery/). As such I was able to simply grab my container of embroidery floss along with one of my larger eyed sewing needles and I was ready to go.

I knew going in that I didn’t want to use the default embroidery floss on the flats and instead used a single strand taken from the six strands that the floss came in. As such, after choosing my color, I cut the length I wanted and then carefully untwisted the length so I ended up with six lengths of thread rather than the original larger one. I then selected one, threaded it on my needle, and tied the ends together so I was working with two threads as it was doubled over. This untwisting was hard as I hadn’t had a lot of practice and I ended up with some knots and even broke one of the threads so I did loose some pieces along the way. Over time I realized I should use my needle to unravel *just* the end of the floss, select one of the threads, and pull it out from the others. Somehow this didn’t tangle it up as much and worked so much better.

![Image shows an opened pink square container filled with open circles and many colors of thread. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_0942.jpeg?resize=750%2C406&ssl=1)

I use a plastic container meant for scrapbooking paper to hold my embroidery hoops, embroidery flosses, and the remnants of my older kits.

![Image shows my pinching near the end of some orange thread. The end splays out and the thread on the other side is bunched up. The table below shows a freed thread along with a blunt embroidery needle.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_0957.jpeg?resize=750%2C414&ssl=1)

Over time I realized it was simpler to unravel the end of the thread, choose a single piece, and carefully pull it out. This cinches in the thread while you’re pulling but once the thread is out it loosens up and with the thread gone the twisting is a bit looser for the next thread you remove.

![Image shows a reddish brown thread on a table with a sewing needle nearby. The end of the thread is frayed away with bits scattered around in front of it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_0960.jpeg?resize=750%2C477&ssl=1)

I had a mix of threads in my container and quickly realized not all embroidery floss is made the same. This one wasn’t composed of twisted threads like the others and instead tore apart into pieces when attempted to be made thinner.

If you want more information about embroidery floss you can check on [this brief guide on Needle ‘n Thread](https://www.needlenthread.com/2018/02/a-brief-guide-to-cotton-hand-embroidery-threads.html?ref=simplykyra.com) or look over [the thirteen types of hand embroidery thread on Sew Guide](https://sewguide.com/hand-embroidery-thread-types/?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

## *My Brown Flats – Keeping It Simple*

I started out fixing my blue flats, shown after these, and then went to work on my favorite brown flats afterwards. I don’t know if I just blanked but these didn’t turn out as nice as I had hoped. That said, as the process is simpler, I decided to start with these and then go over the blue ones below.

To start out with I went through my floss and tried to pick a color that would best match the brown so I could start by patching the holes before deciding how to continue. The first embroidery floss I chose, shown above, wouldn’t separate into strands so I switched to a lighter brown instead. After cutting a piece off and pulling one of the strands away from the rest of the floss I threaded my needle and tied the ends together. This meant I was working from a double stranded thread as the single ply embroidery floss was doubled over. When cutting the thread you’ll want it long enough that you won’t need to constantly tying it off to go to a new space, but you’ll also want it short enough to not get tangled easily. So basically you’ll want the Goldilocks length. Goldilocks here meaning [*having or producing an optimal balance usually between two extremes* (Merriam-Webster definition)](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Goldilocks?ref=simplykyra.com) so not too short and not too long.

![Image shows the thread and embroidery floss on the table next to my flat. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_1127.jpeg?resize=750%2C543&ssl=1)

I cut a section of embroidery floss then pulled a single strand from the rest of it. This strand was threaded through the eye of the needle before both ends were knotted together.

At this point I had already stitched the blue flats and noticed that that although they looked great they felt a bit tighter than before. As such, while I went ahead closing each of the holes in my flats, I attempted to make any knots on the outside of the flat rather than the inside so there would be less thickness applied directly to my foot.

![Image shows the front of my flat with my finger inside the shoe helping highlight where the hole is. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_1130.jpeg?resize=750%2C454&ssl=1)

Once I threaded the needle I grabbed my first shoe, pressed a finger against the hole from the inside to confirm the edges, and then stitched it closed.

Once the holes were patched I started wondering what I should add to make them better. At this point the floss wasn’t apparent so looking back I wish I had stopped here. Instead I decided to add more of the same color and attempted to make them look artsy. After covering the main two holes I chose to go simpler on the third smaller hole with a little heart.

![Image shows the front top of both shoes side by side over the brown table. They both have a decorative triangular or heart-ish criss-crossing design over their main hole. The left shoes also has a small left covering a little patch on the top side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_1131.jpeg?resize=750%2C468&ssl=1)

Once I minimally patched each of the three holes I went back and tried to add a decorative artsy aspect to each one. The smallest hole, on the left, had a heart stitched on after I attempted to make the other two looks artsy and heart-like.

Before stitching these shoes I was excited to see what I’d add as these were my very favorite. While doing it; however, I noticed a cut on the back that I hadn’t noticed before. Luckily for the shoes, and crappy for the decoration, I quickly noticed that the inner rubber made it’s way up the back so I couldn’t really get my needle in to stitch it closed although it was making my shoe still wearable. I decided why bother, for now, and ignored the back and kept the front simple. Maybe I’ll leave them as they are or maybe… in a couple months I’ll find a way to cover or fix the back and tie it in with the front.

![Image shows the back of the shoe with a cut in it that I don't remember happening. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_0959.jpeg?resize=750%2C411&ssl=1)

At some point in the stitching I noticed the cut on the back and wondered when that had happened. Between the fact that I wasn’t sure how to fix it and the lack of inspiration I decided to leave it as is for now and kept the front simple.

All in all the shoes fit awesomely and they looked better than before so, I guess, all’s well that ends well!

![Image is taken looking down at my patched brown shoes while I wear them with jeans. Under my shoes is cement and tons of fallen yellow and tan leaves. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_0014.jpeg?resize=750%2C446&ssl=1)

The final shoes… for now!

---

## *My Blue Flats – Adding Flowers*

These flats were older than my brown ones and felt a bit tighter so I started out being less excited about them which lead to me deciding to work on these first to experiment, as a trial run, before stitching on the brown flats. I’m so glad I did as I absolutely adore how these shoes turned out and they’re now my favorite! That said with the additional embroidery floss inside the flats they were tighter once made… but over time they stretched back out and I don’t notice any tightness anymore. That extra tightness, though, was why I tried to keep the knots to the outside with my brown flats I stitched on after.

Before starting I searched online for stitch ideas and came across [Sew Guide’s post *6 of my favourite FILLING STITCHES in Embroidery*](https://sewguide.com/embroidery-filling-stitches/?ref=simplykyra.com). I especially loved the third one showing a combination of long and short stitches; a precursor to [needle painting](https://sewguide.com/needle-painting/?ref=simplykyra.com) which looks really interesting.

![Image shows the title from the Sew Guide along with four images from their website and their URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-_IMG_0971.png?resize=750%2C938&ssl=1)

I loved the article from [Sew Guide](https://sewguide.com/embroidery-filling-stitches/?ref=simplykyra.com) showing their six favorite stitches. I took a screenshot of the top portion on October 16th, 2021.

![Image shows three overlapping images. The top right one shows the flower drawing with the tips embroidered with staggered dark pink lines. The middle is a closeup of the flower with red stitches added. The last image shows the finished flower with three colors used for each petal, yellow center, and green stem. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-_IMG_0939.png?resize=750%2C970&ssl=1)

The set of images showing the combination of long and short stitches to make the petals were my absolute favorite. Screenshot was taken from [Sew Guide](https://sewguide.com/embroidery-filling-stitches/?ref=simplykyra.com) on October 16th, 2021.

I loved the petals and pictured using the staggered stitches for the center of the flower and petals leading to both sides of the shoe. I was super excited to start but decided to first grab my tailor’s chalk and mark what I was thinking on the flats so I’d have a guide and be able to mirror them against each other easier. For each flower itself I decided to center the bulb over the hole so the patch job wouldn’t be apparent and, since the holes were mirrored, this would help keep the flats a matching pair.

A quick aside. This is where I came across my first issue. There was a hard material along the bottom edge of the shoe that overlapped with the blue cloth top. From the shoe perspective this is awesome and helped my flats last as long as they did. From an embroidery patching perspective this sucked and I couldn’t make my stitches go all the way down as I had planned. That said I went as far as I could. This is why, later for me but above for you, I couldn’t fix the cut on the back of my brown flats as this material went up the entire way on the back of the flats. So great on AllBirds part but limiting on my design process here.

![Image shows the pair of flats side by side with an outline of a flower sketched on either. The cooling rack, flat tailor's chalk, and box of chalks rest beside it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_0940.jpeg?resize=750%2C406&ssl=1)

After the inspiration struck I grabbed some tailor’s chalk and sketched out an outline of the flower I was picturing. I kept the center of the flower over the hole I had to patch, tried to mirror the two blooms, and had the petals arch all the way to the edge of the fabric where it met the soles.

With the design in place it was time to start. I decided to start with the center of the flower so I could patch the hole and chose some lavender embroidery floss for this task. After removing a single thread from the floss, threading it through the eye of the needle, and tying the two ends together I was ready to go with, essentially, two threads on my needle. With the thread prepped I then patched the hole before then following the outline of the chalk to outline the center bulb. Each time my thread ran short I tied it off, trimmed the ends, and threaded a new length of thread.

![Image shows the chalk marked flats on the right, the embroidery floss on the right, and the threads in the center with the chalk and scissors laid out. Right beside the flats you can see the needle with a double set of threads extending from it and ending at a knot. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_0943.jpeg?resize=750%2C403&ssl=1)

I grabbed some lavender embroidery floss, cut off a section of it, and then used the tip of my sewing needle to separate out the threads in it. I then took one of those threads, threaded it through the eye of the needle, and tied the two ends together making a double threaded length to stitch on the flats.

![Image is a closeup of the tip of the flats showing the lavender patch in the back and the thread extending from the front flat. In the background you can see the rest of the threads, mu scissors, and the paper that had held the floss together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_0945.jpeg?resize=750%2C684&ssl=1)

I used the thread to patch the first shoe and expanded out until I ran out of thread. I then tied off a new thread on the needle and started patching the other flat. I wanted to keep them mirrored so I kept switching between the two so it was simple steps of design and copy rather than a large *it has to match* job.

![Image shows the shoe tip with the back flat only patched and the front flat with a vague outline and two threads extending after it was knotted but not trimmed. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_0947.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once the holes were patched I started going along the chalk outline to create the edge of the flower’s center. Once I ran out of thread I tried to tie a knot and, if there wasn’t enough left, cut the thread in two and manually knotted it as you would a shoe… if you wanted a knot.

![Image is a closeup of the first flat with an outline halfway through being stitched. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_0949.jpeg?resize=750%2C413&ssl=1)

After doing the outline on the flat I returned to the first one and added the outline to that one too. Both times I did a backstitch to create the outline.

With the outline of the center in place I started zigzagging within that outline so I could build up some height. At this point I stopped taking photographs but I then used the small and longer stitching described in the [Sew Guide’s post](https://sewguide.com/embroidery-filling-stitches/?ref=simplykyra.com) to *paint* each petal using two colors of thread going as far as I could before I hit the hard inner edge. With the petals done I then returned to the center of the flower and used the lavender and the matching dark purple from the petal to *paint* the center too. I chose to use the dark purple in both parts to tie the parts of the flower together as a whole bringing the lavender center and orange tinged petals together.

![Image is taken from above showing the structure stitched underneath the paint threading which happened after this photo. To the side you see the chalk, needle, floss, scissors, and glass of water. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_0951.jpeg?resize=750%2C447&ssl=1)

Once the outline was in place I zigzagged back and forth to create height for the thread painting later on. After this photo I used two embroidery floss colors for the petals before returning to the center to fill in the spaces and *paint* two colors there too.

These flats felt a bit tighter than the brown ones before I even stitched them. Then with all the threads added they felt way too tight to wear but I made a point to wear them in smaller chunks of time where I could remove them easily if needed. Over time they stretched out and I slowly forgot that they had been too tight and started wearing them for longer periods of time without worrying. Now they’re perfect again and don’t feel tight at all. I love how they turned out and wear them more than the brown flats too!

![Image shows the flats taken from above looking down at them on dead yellowy fallen leaves. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_1020.jpeg?resize=750%2C292&ssl=1)

![Image shows the flats taken from above looking down at them against greenery and dead yellowed leaves. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_1031.jpeg?resize=750%2C337&ssl=1)

![Image is taken from a high selfie angle of me smiling and looking at the camera. I'm wearing sunglasses, a blue Doctor Who face mask around my neck, a blue Doctor Who top, jeans, and my blue flats. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_1230.jpeg?resize=712%2C1024&ssl=1)

I had to snap a photo on the way to pickup the girls from school when I realized I was wearing all blue. Love the pop of color by my toes!

---

I went into this excursion loving both my flats and saddened by the small holes at my toes. I loved my brown flats a bit more and was afraid to touch them. As such, I started out experimenting with the blue flats and created works of art that I absolutely love wearing. The brown flats, that I put off touching, also turned out okay but I now don’t love them as much as the blue ones. That said both are patched, unique to me, and work great. I’m so glad I experimented as it made both of them feel like new and I didn’t have to buy anything to do it!

Have you worn [AllBirds tree breezers](https://www.allbirds.com/products/womens-tree-breezers?ref=simplykyra.com)? Have you needed to fix them? If so, for these or some other shoe, how did you patch them? I’d love to know more ways to extend the use of my footwear while making them unique to me so feel free to share what you did, or plan to do, in the comments below. Also how did it turn out? As expected, better, worse, or horrible?

Either way I hope this post finds you well and you’re having a great day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### New Year, New LEGO® Bonsai Tree
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/new-year-new-lego-bonsai-tree/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T23:39:30.000Z
With Christmas over it was again time to change up my LEGO® bonsai tree. I had actually thought about it ahead of time and ordered some white and gold LEGO® bricks for this exact purpose… so without further ado here is the new tree!

![Pinterest-geared image showing (from top to bottom) the bonsai tree in progress, my blog's title, a collage of four finished images, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/03/compressed_New-Year-New-LEGO--Bonsai-Tree-Pinterest.jpg)

---

## *LEGO® Bricks Purchased*

I had decided to do a white version of the bonsai tree, a nod to Winter, with gold leaf and flower elements attached to celebrate the New Year’s. Like my previous two themed bonsai posts I started out using the [LEGO® Bonsai Tree (10281)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/bonsai-tree-10281?ref=simplykyra.com) with the *classic green leaves* version made. I then removed all the green leaf bricks, leaving the connection points, and replaced them with three other LEGO® brick pieces I had bought special for this before Christmas through the [LEGO*®* Customer Service Buy Bricks website](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/replacementparts/sale/location?ref=simplykyra.com). They are:

- `Limb Element` (6266969) *White* – bought 10 at $3.20
- `Flower 1x1` (6209691) *Gold* – bought 10 pieces for $0.40
- `Plant, w/ Plate 1x1, No. 1` (6219088) *Gold* – bought 33 pieces for $1.98

As a quick aside… in addition to the [Christmas tinseled version](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/12/01/my-tinseled-iteration-of-the-lego-bonsai-tree/) I’ve also made an [autumnal themed bonsai](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/11/24/my-simple-and-fun-autumn-lego-bonsai-tree/). Next month I plan to switch out this white version and finally make the other official version of the bonsai (*vibrant pink cherry blossom blooms*) as a nod to Valentine’s Day. As such I’m not sure when I’ll next be posting one of my bonsai MOCs (my own creations).

---

## *The Build*

After grabbing my [tinseled bonsai tree](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/12/01/my-tinseled-iteration-of-the-lego-bonsai-tree/) and the baggie with all the loose parts I had ordered it was time to jump in! Before I could begin building; however, I needed to carefully remove all the wired tinsel. The first color, silver, was simple to remove as I easily found the end, untwisted it, and unwound each section. The green, on the other hand, was much harder. The only end I could find was the one I had started out with when decorating the tree thus I had to constantly unravel the twists and turns as I went. That said I eventually got the bonsai un-tinseled although the tree broke during the process so I can to stop, grab my instruction book, and attempt to rebuild it before continuing with my own take on the tree.

![Image is taken from above looking down at the top of the bonsai draped with silver and green tinsel. To the right lays a slightly blurred clear zip locked baggie of LEGO® bricks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/01/compressed_IMG_4236.jpeg?resize=750%2C542&ssl=1)

I started out with a [tinseled tree](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/12/01/my-tinseled-iteration-of-the-lego-bonsai-tree/) and a baggie of loose LEGO® bricks I had bought last month specifically for this purpose… along with some other fun bricks for later.

![Image shows the black bonsai dish at the center of the image with the trunk broken and laid out behind the base. To the left are all the extra green pieces that fell off while, to the right, lay all the new bricks, the tinsel, and some scissors. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/01/compressed_IMG_4239.jpeg?resize=750%2C500&ssl=1)

While removing the tinsel the bonsai suffered several small misshapes that eventually lead to the loss of most of its leaves and left its trunk in pieces.

While building the tree back up I paused to carefully dump out all the loose *dirt* bricks so they wouldn’t fall out and bounce all over the place. Once the tree was rebuilt I then removed each one of the green leaves for later while making sure to keep the required green pieces I hadn’t thought to buy on the tree, or at least, accessible to later connect the white leaves to the branches.

![Image shows the brown trunked bonsai with a few green bricks at the end of each branch. Behind it, from left to right, lay the green bricks, the dirt, the baggie of new pieces, the scissors, rolled up tinsel, and a wet paper towel used to wipe the dust off the black base. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/01/compressed_IMG_4243.jpeg?resize=750%2C366&ssl=1)

After removing the green leaf bricks it was time to get started building my Wintery New Years bonsai tree!

With the green bricks packed away it was time to get started! I carefully pushed all the dirt bricks to one smaller pile so I had room to dump out all of the new bricks. I then moved all the excess green leaves to the emptied baggie, set it aside, and attached each of the large white leaves to each connection point. I didn’t like the green showing so I removed the three green circles that kept the trunks together hoping that wouldn’t make it structurally unsound… so far, a week later, it’s doing fine. I then was able to go through my new bricks making sure to grab every gold brick and placed them onto the white snowy leaves, the top of the branches, and onto any connection point left on the bonsai trunk thus bedazzling it and attempting to hide all the green.

![Image is taken from above looking down at the tree with green "twigs" attaching each white leaf to the brown branches. Below and around it are the green leaves in a bag, the multi-colored dirt, and a pile of the new bricks in bright colors. The tinsel and scissors are off to the right side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/01/compressed_IMG_4244.jpeg?resize=750%2C425&ssl=1)

After attaching all the white leaves to the tree I quickly snapped a photo and then attached each of the gold pieces I had bought thus bedazzling and de-greenifying it some more.

This resulted in an awesome white and gold bonsai tree perfect for January!

As a quick aside I don’t like how the green connection points between the brown branches and white leaves show up so next year, or on my next LEGO® brick order, I plan to maybe buy those pieces in brown or white so my next Wintery bonsai tree seems more snowy and less green. Other than that; however, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

In case you choose to do the same I just looked up the [building instructions page](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/buildinginstructions/10281?ref=simplykyra.com) and see that I’d need to buy 10 of the green hinge bricks (part no. 6253140; design no. 26047) and 20 of the green connection pieces (part no. 6210271; design no. 35480) to convert all the green pieces used above. As I also removed the green circles used above each end branch right before the leaves were put on and had worried momentarily about it’s structural integrity I could also see buying three more of the *plate 2×2 round* with four connection points (part no. 6138624; design no. 4032) in brown to better match the branch there.

And now for the final photos of the finished themed bonsai:

---

## *The Final Bonsai*

![Image is taken from the side showing the left side of the finished bonsai tree showing the gold leaves on its base. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/01/compressed_IMG_4413.jpeg?resize=750%2C512&ssl=1)

![Image is taken from the side back of the tree showing the gold leaves pointed down on the trunk. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/01/compressed_IMG_4417.jpeg?resize=750%2C645&ssl=1)

![Image shows the tree from the other side, at an angle, highlighting the white, green, and gold. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/01/compressed_IMG_4418.jpeg?resize=750%2C647&ssl=1)

![Image is taken from the side showing the final bonsai tree. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/01/compressed_IMG_4421.jpeg?resize=750%2C601&ssl=1)

![Image is taken from the side angled at the back of the tree. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/01/compressed_IMG_4422.jpeg?resize=750%2C606&ssl=1)

![Image is taken from below looking up at the tree branches angled from the back. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/01/compressed_IMG_4423.jpeg?resize=750%2C626&ssl=1)

![Image is taken from above looking down at the branches and the black base. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/01/compressed_IMG_4426.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

![Image is taken from the side with the black base on the wooden surface and no brown base between them. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/01/compressed_IMG_4427.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

![Image is taken from above looking directly down at and through the leaves and branches. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/01/compressed_IMG_4433.jpeg?resize=750%2C620&ssl=1)

![Image is taken from the side looking vaguely downward at the tree, trunk, and shadows there. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2022/01/compressed_IMG_4437.jpeg?resize=750%2C590&ssl=1)

---

I absolutely love how this tree turned out and could see repeating it next year! That said, have you made your own MOC (my own creation)? If so what was it? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below so feel free to share! I hope you had a great Winter holiday and your New Year is going great. Have an awesome day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### My 2021 Sewing Challenge: Skipped, Rejected, and Came Out Feeling Good
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-2021-sewing-challenge-skipped-rejected-and-came-out-feeling-good/
Last updated: 2023-12-17T17:11:34.000Z
Going into this year I was feeling pretty burnt out with all of my sewing from the [previous year](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/30/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/) so I decided to take each week as it came without looking ahead. I planned to not stress out about the challenges and didn’t even attempt to keep track of what each week requested. Instead, if I sewed anything I entered it regardless of whether it matched the challenge topic or not. Heck many times I decided whether it was accepted or rejected while filling out the Google form to submit it. Many weeks I didn’t sew anything. As I didn’t worry about doing each week I also ignored the quarterly make up posts which made it simpler as I didn’t need to save or plan for any extra sews. As such I have way less entries than previous years but I think I came out of this year feeling better as I was able to balance my sewing wants with blogging, coding, family, and other things that came up this year. This more relaxed plan in addition with Ada returning to in person school and Zoey starting kindergarten gave me so much more time the second half of the year. All that said here are my sews for 2021!

![Pinterest geared image showing my post's title, main main URL, and a collage of all 30 challenges I submitted one or more sews for. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_My-2021-Sewing-Challenge-Skipped-Rejected-and-Came-Out-Feeling-Good-My-2021-Sewing-Challenge-Skipped-Rejected-and-Came-Out-Feeling-Good-Pinterest.jpeg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

I’m so glad that this sewing challenge, [found here on their Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/groups/192544541303173), was created as it greatly expanded my sewing horizons. I first heard about it before it even started that first year, [in 2018](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/12/31/52-weeks-of-sewing/), and loved finding my footing balancing the sewing challenges with my own projects. That said it was a bit stressful as I tried to accept all the challenges and worried about missing a week. Thus, for the next year [2019](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/01/52-weeks-of-sewing-in-2019/), I attempted to submit something each week but gave myself the permission to reject any and all challenges as needed. This made it more fun and I was able to actually sew something each week. By the end of that year I was mostly recovered and decided to grab [2020](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/30/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/) with both hands and thus attempted to sew something for each challenge. I even went through my paper planner before the year began and wrote out each challenge and one or more possible submissions I could use making it easier on me to follow along as I went. Looking back I even worried about whether I could keep this up if and when I went on a vacation. Boy did the year go differently. That year made me especially glad I found the sewing challenge as it gave me something consistent to focus on each week and I’m so glad I had [my sewing community](https://www.facebook.com/groups/192544541303173) to keep me company. I actually managed to sew an accepted challenge each and every week. The one pro to the year? That said, by the end of that year I was burnt out on sewing; yet, I also didn’t want to drop the challenge as it was a big part of my life in [2018](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/12/31/52-weeks-of-sewing/), [2019](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/01/52-weeks-of-sewing-in-2019/), and [2020](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/30/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/). Thus this year I decided to screw the challenges. I didn’t write any of them down! I didn’t even look ahead at the next week or even that current week. Instead if I sewed I submitted it. If I didn’t sew that’s fine too. This actually made me lose track of the weeks so I really appreciated the routine I had set up the previous years as I could look at my Notes or my 52 Weeks Photo Album to see what and when I submitted sews for. The Google Form email was also really helpful. I even started a weekly reminder on my phone to check if I had sewn and if so it reminded me to submit. This made the year so much less stressful and I may do the same next year too.

Without further ado here are all my submitted challenges from this year!

---

### Week 1 – *January 4th, 2021 to 10th*

#### Organize Your Sewing Space – Accepted

![Image shows a collage of five images and the text saying "week 1". In it is a messy fabric strewn closet, left, with the top two images on the right showing the final organized closet. The bottom two images on the right shows the pile of yardage I serged (right) and me serging it on the left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-1.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

*Organize Your Sewing Space* is my absolute favorite challenge category as even if my sewing area was completely cleaned up (almost never) there’s always something I could organize, streamline, or change. This time around I went through my closet and organized the fabric enough to be able to put most of it back in a bin. I also returned all of the sewing patterns I had used over Christmas break back to their folders and made new folders for all the new ones I had recently tried out. I also grabbed some fabric I bought years ago and serged the ends so I could prewash it without the it unraveling. Other than the odd remnant it was the only fabric I have in my stash that hadn’t been pre-washed.

### Week 2 – *January 11th to 17th*

#### Sew a WIP (work in progress) or UFO (unfinished object) – Accepted

![Image shows a heart shaped photo on a white background with the words "week two" along the bottom in orange. The image shows four horizontally pleated face masks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-2.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I didn’t have any works in progress that I wanted to work on and so I needed to plan ahead with this challenge to accept it. I started making four [Iris Luckhaus](https://www.irisluckhaus.de/en/2020/diy-cloth-mask/?ref=simplykyra.com) face masks the previous week and was thus able to finish them and accept the challenge this week.

### Week 3 – *January 18th to 24th*

#### Make a pattern you already own but have never sewn – Rejected

![Images is a collage of four views of the same foldable shopping bag. The text, saying "week 3", is in teal along with the curved dividers between the photos. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-3.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I was pattern testing this week making [a foldable shopping bag](https://rebecca-page.com/product/fold-up-shopping-bag/?ref=simplykyra.com) for Rebecca Page and thus didn’t use a pattern I already owned.

### Week 4 – *January 25th to 31st*

#### Sew Something for Your Feet or Head – Rejected

![Image shows the text "week 4" in pink with five images. The main large one, top left, shows a pink and orange flowered shirt with two longer flowered dresses in a different fabric. The other four images (two to the right and two below) show me wearing the flowered top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-4.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I was, again, pattern testing for Rebecca Page this week and made a shirt length [T-Shirt Dress](https://rebecca-page.com/product/tshirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com) for myself and a tunic length one for my girls.

### Week 5 – *February 1st to 7th*

#### Sew Something for Storage – Accepted

![Image shows two photos one above the other. The top is the ripped garments while below they're fixed and folded into piles. The words "week 5" are along the top and there are two white arrows pointing down from the top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-5.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Over the last while I had accumulated several pairs of pants with holes along with a ripped Zoey nightgown and a workout top for me. These were piled up behind my sewing machine and driving me crazy so I figured rather than sewing something to store them in I’d fix the holes (sew something) and gain back my space as we can now *store* them with the rest of our clothing… so I guess accepted as technically it removed items from storage!

### Week 9 – *March 1st to 7th*

#### Sew Something Timeless and/or Classic – Rejected

![Image shows three items spread out on the floor including a pillow case, a dress, and some pants. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-9.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I took my first break from sewing and, in the meanwhile, accumulated more clothing that needed patching. I used a quick zigzag stitch on the items after supper on Sunday and managed to submit the sewing project right before the challenge week was closed. I guess a pillowcase is timeless but I won’t try to stretch it out and decided to go with rejected this time around.

### Week 10 – *March 8th to 14th*

#### Sew a bag – Rejected

![Image shows a collage of four images with two larger and two smaller with an angled divider between. Three of the images are modeled and one is a flat lay. There's white text saying "week 10".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-10.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Tested out the [shapewear](https://rebecca-page.com/product/shapewear/?ref=simplykyra.com) pattern from Rebecca Page patterns this week.

### Week 16 – *April 19th to April 25th*

#### Make Something inspired by a Character – Accepted

![Collage uses the same layout as the previous photo. The top two images shows the seam ripped dress (on right) and final skirt (left) while the bottom two images show the pants. The text says "week 16".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-16.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Looking back I know this sewing project was in the works for awhile but I can’t remember if the sewing challenge made me start it or if it was just happenstance. That said I took my daughter’s too small peppermint swirl dress, removed the bodice, and used the Captain Marvel logo to hide the slit from the dress’s opening. Overall a skirt inspired by a character! If you’re interested in taking your own dress and changing it into a skirt I shared how I did it [here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/08/25/how-i-easily-altered-a-too-small-peppermint-swirl-dress-by-converting-it-into-a-skirt/). I also sewed up a pair of pants for her and marked it with a `W` to go with the theme.

### Week 17 – *April 26th to May 2nd*

#### Sew a Wardrobe Staple – Accepted

![Image shows a plain black tee laid out on the floor with the words, in white, laid overtop saying "week 17".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-17.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Since I only have girls my husband, Matt, normally ends up with a new shirt whenever the challenge is *Sew something for a man or boy*. This year I’ve allowed myself to skip weeks and reject challenges so I wasn’t sure if he’d get one… here’s your shirt Matt. [A plain black tee](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/06/16/rebecca-pages-simple-and-boxy-toronto-tee/) which is definitely a wardrobe staple.

### Week 19 – *May 10th to May 16th*

#### Face Your Sewing Fears – Rejected

![Collage shows three images with angled lines separating them. The left one shows a rainbow nightgown with stitching along the seam keeping it together longer. The two right ones show the front (top) and back (bottom) of a mermaid dress. Along the top it says "week 19"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-19.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I removed stitches from one of my [daughters’ dresses](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/01/16/the-patsy-party-dress/) to extend the strap, fixed the other strap that had pulled free, and handstitched the holes closed in her [rainbow nightgown](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/02/27/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/). Quick hacks that allowed me to submit but definitely did not facing my sewing fears.

### Week 20 – *May 17th to May 23rd*

#### Procrastination Sew – Rejected

![Collage shows four images with the words "week 20" going down sideways along the top right image. All four show me wearing a green flutter sleeved top in front of a brown fence and leafy bushes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-20.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I sewed up the [Rebecca Page Flutter Sleeve](https://rebecca-page.com/product/ruffle-sleeve-tunic-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com) in advance of the deadline so this was the very definition of the opposite of a procrastination sew.

### Week 21 – *May 24th to May 30th*

#### Sew a Bathing Suit – Accepted

![Single image showing a pair of orange swim shorts with the words "week 21" overlaid overtop. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-21.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Going into this week I realized that my daughters’ swimming suit tops still fit but their bottoms were too small. I quickly sewed up another pair of orange shorts for Zoey this week and cut out some bottoms for Ada that I didn’t quite finish in time making it part of next week’s submission. You can check out how I made these bottoms and their matching tops in [this post from 2019](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/08/07/kids-swimming-suits-second-round-with-an-extra-year-of-experience/).

### Week 22 – *May 31st to June 6th*

#### Sew Something Rainbow Inspired – Rejected

![Image shows a small image, top right, superimposed over a larger photo. The words "week 22" are along the top left. The large photo shows the red banded yellow swim shorts I sewed up. The smaller image shows the same shorts laid out over last year's top.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-22.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Finished Ada’s new swim bottoms but I don’t think the two colors are rainbow-ey enough to count as a challenge accepted. Ada chose the color for the swim suit bottom from my stash keeping with the Wonder Woman theme but doing it in her own way. Last year I paired this top with blue shorts to match Wonder Woman’s costume a bit more.

### Week 24 – *June 14th to June 20th*

#### Fix the Fit of a Garment – Rejected

![Collage shows two images with a zigzag separating it along the center. The top of the image says "week 24" while the top image shows the opened seam and the bottom the stitched closed seam. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-24.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

The seam in Zoey’s swim shorts had opened up so I needed to handstitch it closed which allowed me to submit something although I’m rejecting the challenge as the fix didn’t affect the fit that much.

### Week 31 – *August 2nd to August 8th*

#### Mash Patterns – Rejected

![Collage shows four images along with teal text saying "week 31". The top large image shows all the finished masks spread out along the table. Along the bottom are three images. The center one shows my elastic system while the outer two shows the front and back of the tooth fairy door hanging. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-31.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I did a lot of sewing this week but didn’t mash up any patterns. I instead made a tooth fairy tooth holder, of my own design, and many masks so we’d be ready for back to school. I later created a caddy system for the masks and shared it [here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/08/18/my-daughters-mask-command-center-and-how-i-made-it/).

### Week 32 – *August 9th to August 15th*

#### Make Something for Back to School – Accepted

![The text "week 32" is overlaid over the top image of the four finished zippered pouches while the bottom image shows the cinched bags, inside out, before the ribbon is added. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-32.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I finished the back to school masks last week but had also planned on making zippered pouches and ribbon cinched bags for the clean and dirty masks when the girls go to school. Since it was for school I could accept the challenge this week and finished up the [mask command center](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/08/18/my-daughters-mask-command-center-and-how-i-made-it/) I had planned! We ended up hardly using the dirty mask bags as my girls only wear one mask all day but it’s in their bag along with a zippered pouch containing a couple clean masks so I know it’s available.

### Week 33 – *August 16th to August 22nd*

#### Sew Something with a Zipper or Placket – Rejected

![Image shows a collage of four images along with blue text saying "week 33". The two left images show the clothing laid out on the floor and folded for the next morning. The two images on the right show the dress being worn. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-33.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I realized I should start sewing back to school clothing for the girls so I cut out four garments but only managed to finish two, the best ones, this week. I absolutely love them! To make them I used the base [Stitch Upon a Time Wendybird dress](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/wendybird-dress-nb-12y/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) paired with bamboo lycra Bluey inspired fabric I bought through a pre-order with [Sweet Tickles Custom Fabrics](https://sweetticklesprints.com/?ref=simplykyra.com).

### Week 34 – *August 23rd to August 29th*

#### Sew Something Inspired by Art – Rejected

![Image shows a smaller image with the ripped backpack on the lower left side while the main image shows a back of the backpack with the edge zigzag stitched closed. The text along the top says "week 34"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-34.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I spent much of my time this week batch sewing four dresses for the girls but as I only worked on them when they were in school I ran out of time and didn’t have a finished dress to submit. I thought I wouldn’t be able to submit anything this week but then Zoey came home with a hole in her backpack. Although the backpack is very artsy, as she painted it, the patch job, a quick zigzag on the machine, was not so challenge submitted but rejected.

### Week 35 – *August 30th to September 5th*

#### Sew with a Stash Fabric You are Afraid to Cut Into – Accepted

![Image shows four Magnolia tops laid out on the floor. Two of them match with a Mo Willems quite "Books bring me joy!" while the other two look different. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-35.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I finished sewing the four back-to-school dresses for my girls and hadn’t looked at the challenge until after. That said, as I’ve had many of these fabrics for quite while and never got myself to cut into them (especially the super-heroine ones) I’m counting this as accepted! The fabric is all custom cotton lycra from [Whimsy Baby Customs](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and I used the [Stitch Upon a Time Magnolia](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/16/my-favorite-simple-kids-knit-sewing-pattern-the-magnolia/) for all four.

### Week 36 – *September 6th to September 12th*

#### Sew Something Two Ways – Accepted

![Collage is a large image on the left with the text at the top saying "week 36". Along the right side are three other images. One of the images shows the shirt laid out on the floor while the other three shows me wearing it and taking selfies in the bathroom mirror. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-36.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I made myself a top using two machines (serger and sewing machine) while also using my sewing machine in two different ways (single needle at times and double needle to hem) so I’d call this challenge accepted. No affiliate but this is the [*Sienna drawstring knit dolman top* ](https://sinclairpatterns.com/products/shelby-relaxed-cut-longline-knit-shell-tunic-and-dress?ref=simplykyra.com)[from Sinclair patterns](https://sinclairpatterns.com/products/shelby-relaxed-cut-longline-knit-shell-tunic-and-dress?ref=simplykyra.com).

### Week 37 – *September 13th to September 19th*

#### Sew Something with a Woven Fabric – Rejected

![Collage shows three images with yellow text saying "week 37" at the bottom. The top image shows a hole in fuzzy fabric while the bottom image and the heart image in the center shows the stitched up seam. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-37.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I cut out three new garments this week but didn’t have time to start sewing any of them so I assumed I’d be skipping this week. Then my eldest discovered a hole in her stuffed kangaroo’s neck and I was able to make her day by hand sewing it, with my easily available black thread, closed. Doc McStuffins saves the day! I’m not sure if the fur is a woven or what so I’m going to go with rejecting this challenge to be safe.

### Week 38 – *September 20th to September 26th*

#### Embroider or Hand Sew Something – Accepted

![Image is a collage showing three images on top of each other with angled dividers. At the top it says "week 38" in green. The top image shows a pink knit belt around a red dress with a glimmer of silver under it. The center image shows a light green felt leaf with dark green veins being stitched in. The bottom image shows a brown branch in a cross shape with red thread connecting the red felt sail with the wood.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-38.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I started working on Zoey’s Halloween costume earlier this month and finally got to the sewing stage! I took an old red dress and added a simple pink belt to go over top that involved both the serger and some hand sewing to close the hole after I turned it right side around. I also embroidered a felt leaf and attached it and a rectangle of red felt to a homemade mast with embroidery floss so I’d say this challenge was accepted without even meaning to! Her Princess Skateboarder costume in all its entirety [is posted here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/11/03/check-out-zoeys-epic-princess-skateboarder-halloween-costume/) with the sail specifically [shared here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/27/how-i-put-together-a-stupendously-amazing-sail-for-princess-skateboarders-skateboard/).

### Week 39 – *September 27th to October 3rd*

#### Make Something with a Hood – Rejected

![Image is a collage of three images with the text saying "week 39". The top two images show the dress with the one on the left laid out on the ground and the right one a mirror selfie with a Zoey beside me. The bottom image shows a closeup of my flower patched flats. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-39.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I continued to sew this week but didn’t add a hood to anything so I’m going to have to reject this challenge. That said I count this week as a personal success as I finished a wearable muslin, using the [*Violet* pattern through Sinclair Patterns](https://sinclairpatterns.com/products/violet-ruched-accent-top-tunic-and-dress-for-knit-fabrics-pdf-sewing-pattern?ref=simplykyra.com), and finally patched up a pair of my flats with some embroidery floss making them gorgeous.

### Week 40 – *October 4th to October 10th*

#### Weave Fabric – Rejected

![Image is a collage of six angled images. From bottom left to upper right they go: patched hat, embroidery patched flats, two twirly polka-dotted dresses, two nightgowns, one sleeve cropped nightgown, and one pumpkin dress. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-40.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Back before school started I cut out several outfits for the girls but then never got around to sewing them. I then started worrying that the girls would grow out of the outfits so I decided to focus on sewing them up this week and ended up making [two nightgowns](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/02/27/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/), [two twirly dresses](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/kids-sweetie-tunic-dress-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com), and [one *no-pocket* dress](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/16/my-favorite-simple-kids-knit-sewing-pattern-the-magnolia/). I also quickly fixed another nightgown, a sun hat, and patched my other pair of shoes! None of which involved weaving so challenge rejected.

### Week 42 – *October 18th to October 24th*

#### Make or Embellish Fabric – Accepted

![Image is one large photo at the top and two smaller side by side ones below. The text, in pink, says "week 42". The top image shows all four finished masks. On the bottom left you see the pink pieces for the drawn "Pink Princess" mask while on the right you see the pieces for the "Princess Skateboarder"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-42.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

At first I didn’t think I’d have anything to submit for this week but then realized that if we were going to have custom masks for our Halloween costumes I should get on it soon… plus since we’re *embellishing* with fabric markers and/or glittery fabric it also fit the challenge. Two custom [Iris Luckhaus](https://www.irisluckhaus.de/en/2020/diy-cloth-mask/?ref=simplykyra.com) masks for both girls perfectly matching their Halloween costumes for this year: [Pink Princess](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/11/10/check-out-adas-amazing-pretty-pink-princess-halloween-costume/) and [Princess Skateboarder](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/11/03/check-out-zoeys-epic-princess-skateboarder-halloween-costume/).

### Week 44 – *November 1st to November 7th*

#### Sew Something you Would Normally Purchase – Accepted

![Image shows three photos side by side with slated angles between. It says "week 44" along the top center. The left and right image shows the hole and the fix. The center image shows the jeweled flower once it was sewed back on. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-44.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

My oldest ripped a hole in her pants, [from her 2020 Wonder Woman costume](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/19/adas-epic-wonder-woman-halloween-costume/), and [one of the jewels on this year’s costume](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/11/10/check-out-adas-amazing-pretty-pink-princess-halloween-costume/) was coming off. I handstitched the hole closed and the gem back onto the dress. I guess this fits the challenge as fixing these means they won’t need to be bought later on… so accepted?

### Week 47 – *November 22nd to November 28th*

#### Sew Something with a Stretchy Waist – Accepted

![Image shows a ripped center seam in the leggings and the fixed dolly head. Across the top it says "week 47" in pink letters. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-47.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I didn’t think I was going to submit anything this week but Ada spotted a stuffy that had been forgotten in my todo pile for the last while. I quickly hand stitched the hole in her head closed and, in doing so, discovered the pants that I had fixed in the last challenge. The thread had come out either before or in the wash so this time around I used my serger to close the hole in the hopes that it would last longer without throwing off the fit of the leggings. I guess since the pants have a stretchy waist this counts as an accepted challenge!

### Week 48 – *November 29th to December 5th*

#### Sew Something Purple – Accepted

![Collage of four images showing two items in each. The bottom right says "week 48" in light blue. The top left image shows a hexagon shaped quilted pillowcase while the top right shows two large skirted eyeball decorated black dresses. At the bottom there's two long sleeved raglan style sweaters in two colors (left side) and two dresses on the right festooned with cacti or insects with the odd bit of color showing. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-48.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Two weeks ago I cut out six tops for my girls’ for Christmas. I realized going into this week that I *needed* to sew them up before I ran out of time. As such, I managed to sew them up, in three school days, along with a new pillowcase for each of them! I hadn’t looked at the challenge ahead of time but as some of the fabric I used in the pillowcases has purple I counted this week’s challenge as accepted!

From upper left going clockwise: Pillowcases based vaguely on a [free potholder pattern](https://sewcanshe.com/2014-9-26-log-cabin-hexi-potholders-a-tutorial-with-partial-seams/?ref=simplykyra.com) using Walmart-bought fat quarters, two pocketed [Ellie & Mac Sweetie Pie Dresses](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/kids-sweetie-tunic-dress-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com), two pocket-less Magnolia dresses using color-changing fabric from [Whimsy](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), and two sweaters using [Ellie & Mac’s raglan pattern](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/unisex-raglan-top-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com). The sweater fabric and black eye fabric are both from [Girl Charlee](http://www.girlcharlee.com/create%5Faccount.php?refid=85387&ref=simplykyra.com).

### Week 49 – *December 6th to December 12th*

#### Sew Your Inspiration – Rejected

![Collage has three images stacked on top of each other showing a closeup of the fix (top and bottom) and an image of the whole top of the shoe (center). The words in white say "week 49".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-49.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I didn’t think I’d get a chance to sew this week… but then the velcro fell off my daughter’s shoe strap. I used super glue along the center to help attach it down and then quickly hand stitched along the edge to keep it even more secure. That said, I don’t think it was an inspired sew so challenge rejected.

### Week 50 – *December 13th to December 19th*

#### Sew a Gift – Accepted

![Collage has a pentagon in the center showing two little snowmen kit baggies. Along the outside are five more images showing a ripped monkey, two views of the nightgowns, my purple and teal housecoat, and a heart pot handle cover. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_week-50.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Going into this week I planned to cut some patterns out but hadn’t planned to sew anything up. Then, on the first day, I realized Matt had a ripped open monkey on his desk and I quickly handstitched it closed knowing that I could now submit. Then, while cutting out nightgowns, Zoey wanted one of them for pajama day at school this Friday which led to me sewing all four rather than waiting until after Christmas. Then I made two little sachets and a pot handle cover for some friends and finally figured why not and sewed up a housecoat with some fabric I was scared to cut into. So all in all the simple hand stitched monkey has transformed into something for me, three small gifts for friends, and four pajama gifts for my daughters… so challenge accepted.

From upper left going clockwise and ending in the middle: the ripped monkey stuffy, four nightgowns using my [Olivia Patsy mashup](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/02/27/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/) and [Joann’s snuggle flannel](https://www.joann.com/search?q=snuggle+flannel&lang=default&ref=simplykyra.com), a housecoat using [Rebecca Page’s pattern](https://rebecca-page.com/product/adults-bathrobe-sewing-pattern/?ref=simplykyra.com) and some gorgeous wax print fabric my sister bought me in Ghana that I was afraid to cut into, a pot handle cover (slightly altering and referring to a [Deb’s Day video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaAHqCeZNMU&ref=simplykyra.com) and a [Crazy little Projects blog post](https://crazylittleprojects.com/skillet-handle-cover-tutorial/?ref=simplykyra.com)), another view of the nightgowns, and two little sachets that followed the same steps as [my Christmas reusable gift bag post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/12/15/i-love-my-reusable-fabric-gift-bags-that-i-made-years-ago/).

---

All in all a good year and I’m so glad, looking back, that I gave myself permission to ignore the challenge and only submit something if I felt like sewing that week… or was pressed into a quick fix. Although I bid this year adieu on a tired note I’m glad I had time to focus on other things like getting back into coding and working with my [reMarkable](https://www.simplykyra.com/tag/remarkable/). Overall I was able to submit something for 30 of the 52 weeks and of those there was a fifty fifty split between accepted and rejected!

Going into 2021 I plan to continue to sew only when I feel like it, continue to ignore the upcoming challenges, and create a collage to submit and save whenever I do sew whether I accept the challenge or reject it. I’m so glad I found the [52 week sewing challenge](https://www.facebook.com/groups/192544541303173) and it continues on! Here’s to another year!

Have you followed along with the sewing challenges? It doesn’t matter what time of year it is you’re always welcome to join in. You’re also welcome to share your thoughts in the comments below. I’d love to hear what your most challenging and/or most fun sews of the year were? Ooh and what sews did you find the most helpful?

I hope your year went well and here’s to a great 2022!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Watch How I Upload Custom Templates to My reMarkable
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/watch-how-i-upload-custom-templates-to-my-remarkable/
Last updated: 2024-06-30T16:43:59.000Z
Since buying my reMarkable, almost a year ago, and figuring out [how to connect](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/) to my device, change out [my sleep screen image](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/10/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/), [upload custom templates](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/), writing my own script to make the entire process simpler (part [one](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/31/quickly-generate-a-json-template-code-snippet-for-your-remarkable/) and [two](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/07/quickly-and-easily-upload-template-images-to-your-remarkable/)), and [handling reMarkable updates](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/14/my-remarkable2-updated-this-is-what-i-did-next/)… I’ve been meaning to make a video showing the process. I figured no time was like the present and created this hoping it would help make the entire process simpler for you. Hope this helps you upload, and maintain, your own custom templates!

## Update: Apple App

That said I've since come out with an iOS/macOS app that you can use to change out your templates and screens with a simple button press while remembering them for the next update. More information can [be found about it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) with a direct link to [the App Store here](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com). 

![Image shows my app logo and screenshots from the App Store. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/image-2.png)

---

![Pinterest-geared image showing, from top to bottom, a purple video logo, my blog title, a play symbol, and my watermark. Behind it all is a collage of blue tinted images used in the video. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Watch-How-I-Upload-Custom-Templates-to-My-reMarkable-Pinterest.jpeg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

I find I learn better with written blog posts over videos so I wanted to include the transcript for my video. For your ease I also included:

- As the video was split into chapters I also started each chapter, in the transcript below, with a linkable header so you can find the sections easier in this post and know where they are in the video. Format: mm:ss – minutes and seconds into the video
- Each paragraph of the transcript shows the starting timestamp (not linkable) so you can find the related clip easier in the video. Format: h:mm:ss – hour, minutes, and seconds into the video
- I’ve added hyperlinks to whatever was mentioned in the video.
- Any more obscure links have been added below the paragraph it is mentioned in.
- I’ve also included additional helpful links that weren’t mentioned in the video. These start with “`Learn More:`” so you can find them easier.

Anyway, here it is!

---

## *The Video*

> *Update:* I conducted an experiment to see which file type (`PNG` or `SVG`) would be used when exporting a notebook page from the reMarkable. [Here are the results if you’re also interested!](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/06/08/which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/)

---

## Closed Captioning

In case you'd rather read or use the text to find your localtion (ctrl f to search).

---

### [*00:00 – Introduction*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=0s&ref=simplykyra.com)

![Image is a screenshot of the beginning of the video showing the title of the post and the first line of the video: "Hey everyone! It's morning where I'm from so I hope you're having a good morning and a great day."](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.28.30-PM.png?resize=750%2C421&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Introduction](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=0s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

0:00:01.360 – Hey everyone! It’s morning where I’m from so I hope you’re having a good morning and a great day.

0:00:06.640 – I bought my reMarkable about a year ago, received it after Christmas, and while waiting for it to arrive I fell in love with the idea of being able to customize my sleep screen image. This meant, when it did arrive, in addition to learning how to use it, I was super excited about figuring out [how to connect to it via SSH](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/) and then [change out the sleep screen image itself](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/10/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/). After that I quickly looked into [making custom templates](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/) and I made some blog posts to show people how to do it. [That template blog post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/) has become my most popular one.

0:00:37.289 – Anyway, since then I made a bash script that I can run from my terminal that uploads any images that I want to use as a template to my reMarkable and generates the JSON snippet that I need to still put into the `templates.json` file, but, that said, it so much easier.

Here are the links to the mentioned script explanation blog post.

- Part One:[ Quickly Generate a JSON Template Code Snippet for Your reMarkable](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/31/quickly-generate-a-json-template-code-snippet-for-your-remarkable/)
- Part Two: [Quickly and Easily Upload Template Images to Your reMarkable](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/07/quickly-and-easily-upload-template-images-to-your-remarkable/)

0:00:55.348 – That said, I’ve gotten a couple emails and several comments asking me to explain different parts of my posts so I wanted to make a video walkthrough, I had been meaning to for awhile, just to combine all my posts together and show you how I do it.

### [*01:09 –* ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=154s&ref=simplykyra.com)[*Overview*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=69s&ref=simplykyra.com)

0:01:09.907 – So to quickly go over the reMarkable when you open your reMarkable and go into layers and go to switch out the templates you’ll see a list of all the default templates that reMarkable has. At the top you’ll see all the categories and a general one `All`. If you go to `All` you see all the templates on your reMarkable. If you click on the category itself you’ll see that specific one.

![Screenshot of the video taken from the Overview chapter. You can a reMarkable listing the templates with the "Weekplanner 2" highlighted. The caption says "go to switch out the templates you'll see a list of all the default templates that reMarkable has."](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.30.29-PM.png?resize=750%2C421&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Overview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=69s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

0:01:31.829 – The reMarkable doesn’t officially support any templates. When you upload it you’ll need to know some specific details about your template. Obviously, you’ll need to upload a `PNG` file for your template. You’ll also need to know what its name is, what its filename is, what it’s icon code is, what categories it’s in (it can be in one or more), and if it’s in landscape or portrait mode.

0:01:54.137 – My script takes in the structure of your folders to determine what its filename is and what its name is. It assumes all your templates are in portrait mode so it sets a landscape boolean to `false`, because it’s not in landscape mode. It also assigns the same icon code to all the custom templates. The icon code is what you see on your reMarkable when you’re scrolling through your templates, because, like I said, custom templates aren’t officially supported there’s a limited amount of icon codes and if you’re uploading a custom template there’s a high chance none of the icon codes will make sense so all that to say I just set one. If you want to go into the script later and change that icon code to a different one you can but it just batch assigns it all.

**Learn More**: This [reMarkable wiki](https://remarkablewiki.com/tips/templates?ref=simplykyra.com#specifications) has an image displaying all the possible icon codes for system 2.3.0.16.

### [*02:34 – Organization and Reasoning*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=154s&ref=simplykyra.com)

0:02:36.650 – Anyway, to start I’m going to go over how I organize my templates to upload.

0:02:41.478 – First I create a folder. Let’s call it myTemplates and to create it I just right clicked on my desktop. In this folder I’ll want to create any folders I want to use for my categories. In this case I just right click to create, but you could also do it through the terminal. If you haven’t used one it might look like this. I have installed [iTerm](https://iterm2.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) (and [fish shell](https://fishshell.com/?ref=simplykyra.com)) too so the one I prefer looks like this. I’ve also turned on a couple things so it might look different than your terminal. I’m going to close the default terminal. And then I’m gonna use `cd` to change directory, because folders are also called directories, and I’m changing to the `desktop` and then to `myTemplates`. If you want to list everything in a directory it’s `ls`, but as you can see by the window there’s nothing in it yet. If you want to make a directory it’s `mkdir`… oops. And then I want to create one called `Custom` and I want to `mkdir`, make directory, one called `2021`.

0:03:44.403 – Then within these categories I want to add the `PNG`s that I’m going to be using on my reMarkable. For my custom ones I’m just going to copy some that I wanted to use before.

![Screenshot of the video shows a terminal on the left with mk (make directory) commands. On the right you can see the two created directories within the main myTemplates one. The caption at the bottom says: "Then within these [mouse clicks] categories I want to add the PNGs that I'm going to be using on my reMarkable."](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.32.17-PM.png?resize=750%2C423&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Organization and Reasoning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=154s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

0:04:03.251 – Basically three:

1. from the PDF I got from [my Balanced Life](https://thebalancedlifeonline.com/friend/ref/14822/?ref=simplykyra.com) one. It’s a great one at the start of the year to show your intent for the year.
2. A little kids’ one `All About Me` that I had the kids fill out on paper last year and I’m excited to start creating a reMarkable version.
3. And then just a weekly PDF I made through a third party website ([NoTeTo](https://noteto.needleinthehay.de/?ref=simplykyra.com)). [I will link it below](https://noteto.needleinthehay.de/?ref=simplykyra.com).

0:04:24.525 – I create the `Custom` category to hold all my custom templates. I also created a `2021` one to hold any templates specific to this year.

0:04:36.419 – I mentioned [a Balanced Life membership](https://thebalancedlifeonline.com/friend/ref/14822/?ref=simplykyra.com). She comes out with a new calendar every year (edit: month) that I like to follow so at the end of the year I plan to export the whole year’s workout calendars and then I can delete all my `2021` templates and start a `2022` category.

0:04:53.166 – The reason I’m keeping the names simple and small and the reason I’m only having two custom categories is because of the reMarkable itself. The reMarkable doesn’t officially support templates. This means that they don’t also have to make it easy for you to upload it or display it.

![Screenshot of the video shows a folder with a list of directories (Category names) filled with PNG files (custom templates) all with long names needing ellipses to display. On the right is the resulting JSON code displayed. At the bottom you see a caption: "The first time I made my script I got excited about uploading so many templates to my reMarkable"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.32.56-PM.png?resize=750%2C424&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Organization and Reasoning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=154s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

0:05:10.750 – The first time I made my script I got excited about uploading so many templates to my reMarkable and I made long descriptive names to explain what each template is since the icon code doesn’t show it and I also made several different categories so the category itself would help explain. When I did upload it I was dismayed to realize that the tabs across the top don’t get smaller and don’t create a second row so whatever doesn’t fit on the first row just doesn’t get shown. So any templates in the hidden categories, whether it’s a default category or your category, aren’t shown and you can only access them by going to the `All` tab. If you’re uploading a lot of templates this can be difficult to find.

0:05:51.985 – In addition the names of the templates are centered under the icon code, but it doesn’t look at the edge so when I had long template names they overlapped and looked really confusing. As such, I’ve decided, to just limit myself to two categories, which was fine before but since the last update I’ve noticed, once I added these two categories, that the last default category is (now) overlapping with the portrait radio button so I might need to, in the future, go down to only one category; depends what they do and how they lay it out.

![Image of my reMarkable showing the long overlapping titles under lined icon codes. This image was used in the video and displayed on its own here. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_0.-generated_squashed_titles.jpeg?resize=750%2C541&ssl=1)

As you can see the longer titles overlapped with each other making them hard to read. Looking back I love how the Portrait and Landscape radio buttons were above the Category headers and wish it was still that way now.

0:06:23.594 – Anyway, with this we can make our script!

0:06:25.766 – I don’t know how you normally make a file. For me I go back to my terminal which is, of course, on `desktop/myTemplates` and I use the editor `Vim`.

**Learn More**: [Daniel Miessler’s *Learn Vim For the Last Time: A Tutorial and Primer*](https://danielmiessler.com/study/vim/?ref=simplykyra.com) Or there’s also games online like [VIM Adventures](https://vim-adventures.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). I did the free part of Vim Adventures a while back but didn’t go any further. Currently, I look online for what I want to do and learn as I go.

### [*06:35 – Bash Script: Creation, Execution, and Contents*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=395s&ref=simplykyra.com)

0:06:36.000 – Vim is a bit difficult to go around in so you can use whatever you want to use. To do mine I’m going to say `vim myScript` and then end it with `.sh`. Whatever you call your script, and you can call it whatever you want, you need to end with `.sh`.

![Screenshot of the video still displays the terminal on the left and the myTemplates folder open on the right showing Custom and 2021 directories. The caption at the bottom says: "Whatever you call your script, and you can call it whatever you want, you need to end with .sh."](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.33.23-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Bash Script: Creation, Execution, and Contents](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=395s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

0:06:51.015 – And then, I’m not going to write anything, I’m going to press `esc, :wq`. And `w` is for save and `q` is for quit. I’m going to press `enter` and it created an empty file. If you double click it I have [XCode](https://developer.apple.com/xcode/?ref=simplykyra.com) installed so I can see it with line numbers. Or you’re probably more likely to have a [TextEdit](https://support.apple.com/guide/textedit/welcome/mac?ref=simplykyra.com). Either way you have a file and can edit it.

**Learn More**: Rather than using `vim` to create an empty file, like above, there are two other commands you can use from the command line to make this blank file. They are:

- `touch myScript.sh` – The touch command is used to create a file without any content. You can learn more about it in [this GeeksforGeeks post: *touch command in Linux with Examples*](https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/touch-command-in-linux-with-examples/?ref=simplykyra.com)
- `echo "" > myScript.sh` – `echo` outputs the string, what’s between the quotes, that’s passed to it so in this case an empty string. Then the `>` writes the result from `echo` to the file `myScript.sh`. In this case `myScript.sh` doesn’t exists so it creates it. If the file existed then using `>` would overwrite the contents for the file with your string. If you replace the `>` with `>>` if appends your string to the end of your file’s contents.

0:07:13.891 – I created this script and uploaded it into [GitHub](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/reMarkable/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com) so I can show you how to grab it, but first, this script is missing something. It needs to be executable. To execute a file you go `./` and it doesn’t see your script here, because it doesn’t see (it) as an executable. But if I manually type it all in and press `enter` it tells me the file, `myScript.sh`, is not executable by this user. To make it executable you need to use `chmod`. Chmod will grant the user, `u`, the file execution permissions, `x`. So `u` to grant the user `+` (plus) `x` for execution. I’m going to press `enter`. And then, like before, I’m going to go `./` and automatically I can press `Tab` to auto-complete my script, because now it’s an executable file. If I press `enter` nothing happens the file is empty.

**Learn More**: [*7 Chmod Command Examples for Beginners* by Sathiya Moorthy on The Geek Stuff](https://www.thegeekstuff.com/2010/06/chmod-command-examples/?ref=simplykyra.com)

**Learn More**: [*The Chmod Command and Linux File Permissions Explained* by Joel Lee on MakeUseOf](https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/chmod-command-linux-file-permissions/?ref=simplykyra.com)

0:08:05.241 – To add I’m going to go into `vim` again and I’m going to press `i` for insert mode. Insert mode allows me to type, delete, (and) basically insert your text.

0:08:15.204 – I am then going to drag over my browser for you and show you [my SimplyKyra blog GitHub page](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog?ref=simplykyra.com). This is a public GitHub repository that I created to store any of the scripts or code, right now mostly just shell scripts as you can tell by the language down here, that I share on my blog. If you scroll down past `Blogging Help` you can see how I shared a `Batch Resize and Compress Images` script and also one that applies watermarks to your images. I figure anything that I create for my blog I’ll share with you.

Here are the direct links to my [SimplyKyraBlog readMe](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog?ref=simplykyra.com) and the script [Upload\_PNG\_and\_Directories\_To\_reMarkable.sh](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/reMarkable/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Screenshot of the video shows the empty script file in the terminal using vim on the left. On the right is the opened SimplyKyraBlog GitHub readme page. Near the bottom the captions says "This is a public GitHub repository that I created to store any of the scripts or code,"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.33.45-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Bash Script: Creation, Execution, and Contents](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=395s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

0:08:44.449 – Underneath (it all) is `reMarkable`. It then links to the four blog posts I made before:

1. [how to connect to your reMarkable via SSH](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/)
2. [how to switch out your reMarkable sleeps screen](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/10/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/)
3. [how to make template files for your reMarkable](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/)
4. [and my reMarkable updated. This is what I did next](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/14/my-remarkable2-updated-this-is-what-i-did-next/)

0:08:58.480 – Next it mentions uploading a `PNG` image to the reMarkable and generating accompanying `JSON` snippet. This is what we’re doing here.

0:09:05.571 – Before you begin, as a quick aside, you may want to backup your reMarkable’s files. I have created a [script](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/backupRemarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com) that backs up using multiple ways I’ve seen people use online. I have never needed to restore my reMarkable, that said, I know I have the backup files if need be. If you want to use it you can; if you want to back it up a different way you can. I also mention backing up my reMarkable on, I think it was, [Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Through the Command Line](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/) so you can always refer to [How to Access Your reMarkable Through the Command Line](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/) and then, if you want, you can refer to the [script](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/backupRemarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com) to see if I do it a different way and you can do your own process. Just figured I’d mention that way if something gets messed up you can still, hopefully, recover.

![Text in image is shows the code to backup your reMarkable. Specifically: 
<h1 id=](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-10-at-11.59.06-AM.png?resize=750%2C420&ssl=1)

Screenshot showing the entire [backupRemarkable.sh script uploaded onto GitHub](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/reMarkable/backupRemarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com). Taken on December 13th, 2021.

**Learn More**: I touched on backing up my reMarkable in my [Switch Out Your r*eMarkable’s Sleep Screen… Plus Easily Back it Up* post under *First Backup Your reMarkable’s Software*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/10/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/). I’ve since written a script to automate the process a bit more. The readme for this is on [GitHub on SimplyKyraBlog under *Backup Your reMarkable’s Files in One Easy to Execute Script*](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog?ref=simplykyra.com) along with the script itself: [backupRemarkable.sh](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/reMarkable/backupRemarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com).

0:09:45.537 – Anyway, for the uploading your `PNG` images, I have a quick description, and then I have the [file](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com) itself. You don’t need to input anything. The only thing (username and IP address) that changes between users will have to be manually changed within the code on [line 7](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com#L7). It then lists my assumptions:

- For one each `PNG`, the future reMarkable template file, needs to be in a single directory within the directory the program lives in. That’s why I made the `myTemplates` directory (earlier). And then it needs to be in another directory, within that, which will become the templates’ category so if you want to match one already on your reMarkable you will need to name the directory the same name. If the image is in the same directory as the script, so if you put it in `myTemplates` and not `Custom` or `2021` in our case, the category will be assigned a period `.` This is because the script will see it’s location as (a) period because `.` means `this directory`.
- Also your filenames can’t contain an extra period as I use a period to remove the extension from the filenames. Additionally, I haven’t tested it on the reMarkable to see how it works with a file with a period so just a heads up. Not sure. If you want to test it out and leave a comment I would love to know. I’m not going to take the time to figure it out right now.

0:10:54.238 – I also wrote [two blog posts](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/07/quickly-and-easily-upload-template-images-to-your-remarkable/) that go over this script in more detail. I split it into two as best as I could because one would’ve been way too long.

Part one ([Quickly Generate a JSON Template Code Snippet for Your reMarkable](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/31/quickly-generate-a-json-template-code-snippet-for-your-remarkable/)) and part two ([Quickly and Easily Upload Template Images to Your reMarkable](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/07/quickly-and-easily-upload-template-images-to-your-remarkable/))

0:11:02.420 – Anyway, I’m clicking [Upload\_PNG\_and\_Directories\_to\_reMarkable.sh](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com). It opens my script. You can highlight it however you want with your mouse, but there’s this handy dandy little button that copies the raw contents to your clipboard. Checkmark means it’s done. We don’t need this anymore.

0:11:17.696 – I then go into this (the terminal) and we had already clicked `i` to show we can insert so.. I’m going to go command (`cmd`) and `v` and paste. I’m going to press escape (`esc`) to leave the insert mode `:wq` to save and quit.

0:11:36.372 – Just to quickly say if I went in here and changed random stuff and I want to save without quitting I can go escape (`esc`), colon `:`, no `w`, `q` for quit. (`:q`). If you don’t want them to ask you and you just want to quit without saving `:q!`. Just remember there’s no auto-saving so if you wanted to save halfway through your script you’d do just `:w` so just remember that everything you did since you opened or last saved won’t be saved but `q!`.

0:12:09.022 – If you just want to have the terminal list your script without anything else you can (`cat myScript.sh`). Here let’s make this bigger for you… Or, like before, if you double click it… for me it opens in [XCode](https://developer.apple.com/xcode/?ref=simplykyra.com). You can get the color coding in XCode. Or you can open with [TextEdit](https://support.apple.com/guide/textedit/welcome/mac?ref=simplykyra.com) or [Notes](https://support.apple.com/guide/notes/write-and-format-notes-not9474646a9/mac?ref=simplykyra.com#:~:text=Write%20a%20new%20note&text=In%20the%20Notes%20app%20on,note%20becomes%20the%20notes%20title.) or whatever you want. TextEdit will just be black. It doesn’t have any code awareness. But here’s the XCode version. This script has comments, all in grey, so you can kind of have it explained what it’s doing. You can also use [those two blog posts](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/07/quickly-and-easily-upload-template-images-to-your-remarkable/) I mentioned to understand more.

![Image shows the opened terminal and window in the background. In front and to the side is the script opened in XCode (to the left) with color highlighting and in TextEdit (to the right) all in black text. Caption says: "TextEdit will just be black. It doesn't have any code awareness."](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.34.32-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Bash Script: Creation, Execution, and Contents](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=395s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

### [*12:45 – SSH Connection*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=765s&ref=simplykyra.com)

0:12:46.193 – At the time I wrote this I used a SSH key and set up the host in SSH config so when I said `ssh remarkable` it would connect to my reMarkable. This line, [line 7](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com#L7), declares a variable called `sshReMarkable` and that is how you want to connect. This will need to be changed to `root@ipAddress`. So I’m going to quickly show you how to find `root` (your username) and IP address. If you want to learn more about this you can check out that first blog post.

![Images shows the video with the terminal mostly cut off and the window in the background. The script is shown in XCode with color highlighting. The text sshRemarkable is highlighted. The caption says: "At the time I wrote this I used a shortcut so when I said ssh remarkable it would connect to my reMarkable."](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.34.48-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [SSH Connection](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=765s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

My first post: [Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Through the Command Line](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/)

**Learn More**: [Wikipedia’s wiki for Secure Shell (SSH)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure%5FShell?ref=simplykyra.com).

0:13:09.302 – But basically to find your username, which is `root`, your IP address, and your password you’ll need to go on your reMarkable. At the top left you’ll click the `Menu` and at the very bottom you’ll see `Settings`. The bottom, underneath `General` on the left side, you’ll see a question mark and `Help`. Click that and then it’ll say `About`. You’ll want that `Copyrights and Licenses`. You click on it. And you scroll down, or I guess on mine reMarkable now you don’t need to scroll anymore, and at the bottom you’ll see `GPLv3 Compliance`. In the bottom three paragraphs you will see your username, you’ll see your password, and, underneath it, you’ll see two IP addresses. You’ll want the shorter one (IPv4 not IPv6).

![Image is a photo of my reMarkable showing where to find the required information to log in through SSH. The password and I.P. addresses are blackened so only the username root shows. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_2.-SSH_GLP-v3-compliance.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Under GPLv3 Compliance you’ll find your username, password, and IP addresses.

**Learn More**: [WhatIsMyIPAddress.com’s *IPv6 is Here and You Need to Know What It Is*](https://whatismyipaddress.com/ipv6-questions?ref=simplykyra.com)

0:13:46.445 – You might want to copy this onto your computer. That way you don’t need to actually look at your reMarkable to know your username and password and you can easily copy and paste it without having to type it out.

0:13:56.362 – As a quick aside… Let’s go into this I’m gonna create a new tab on my terminal and I’m going to go `ssh root`… Here let’s just delete. I was playing around with `tar`ing earlier. I’m going to go `ssh root@192.168.1.114`. This is how you connect to your reMarkable using `ssh` a secure channel over an unsecured network connecting a client and server. In this case you with your reMarkable.

0:14:27.348 – I’m going to stop right here, and not press enter, to go over several cases:

0:14:31.211 – If I press enter right now it might ask me for my password. It won’t, in this case, because I shared my public key with the reMarkable so it sees that I’m authorized to go into the reMarkable and I don’t have to remember my password. I’m not going to go into how to set it up right now. You can check on [my SSH Connection blog post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/). That said, my script assumes you did this. My script will not store your password and I never tried to run my script without this public key shared. So you may need to do that first. That said, if you run my script and it works or doesn’t work without setting this public key I would love to know.

![Screenshot of the video shows the terminal on the left with a line saying "ssh root@192.168.1.114" on it. To the right is a screenshot of my first post showing how to use your public key to skip using the listed password. The caption at the bottom says "It won't, in this case, because I shared my public key with the reMarkable"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.35.30-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [SSH Connection](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=765s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

0:15:07.619 – If you have never connected via `SSH` with your reMarkable it’s going to ask you to confirm to trust this new connection. If you say yes it will connect for you and it will store this trust in the file in your dot ssh directory slash known host file (`.shh/known_hosts`).

![Image is a screenshot of the terminal while it's asking me to trust the reMarkable.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_5.-updated_authenticity.png?resize=750%2C205&ssl=1)

When you first try to connect to the reMarkable the authenticity of the host will need to be verified so the computer knows it’s trusted. This trust will be put into the `.shh/known_hosts` file.

0:15:24.619 – If your reMarkable updates, or when it updates, if you connect via `SSH` again it will give you a warning that looks really scary but it’s basically seeing that this trust has been changed and it’s telling you which line it had added to the known host file (`.ssh/known_hosts`) and you need to go in and delete that line (and) save the file. If you’re opening that file in `vim`, when you’re not in insert mode, you can navigate to that line by colon `:` so, in my case, if this was my warning right now I’d open that file (`.ssh/known_hosts`) in `vim`, go `:3` to go to line three, press d d (`dd`) and it will delete that line and then I’d press `:wq` and `enter` to save. Then if I try to connect again it won’t have that line in the known hosts file and it will ask me if I want to trust my source again. And then I’ll keep going through that every time it updates.

![Image shows a screenshot of my terminal warning me about the identification change as the reMarkable had updated. It lists the file and the offending RSA key I'll need to remove to make this go away. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_4.-updated_known-hosts.png?resize=750%2C340&ssl=1)

When the reMarkable updates you will have difficulty connecting as the “remote host identification has changed”. You’ll need to go into the `.shh/known_hosts` file, remove the offending line, re-run the `ssh` command, and trust it again so a new line is added to the file.

0:16:14.892 – In this case my reMarkable hasn’t updated recently. I connected to it just yesterday and I have my public key shared so when I press `enter` I’m automatically on my reMarkable.

### [*16:27 – Sleep Screens Overview*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=987s&ref=simplykyra.com)

0:16:27.744 – To go into the reMarkable templates directory I change directory (`cd usr/share/remarkable`) and you can always press `tab` for it to auto-complete if that’s the only thing with that name in that directory and then templates (`cd usr/share/remarkable/templates`).

0:16:42.806 – If I didn’t add templates (`cd usr/share/remarkable`) it would take me to the remarkable directory. That’s the directory where all the screen images are stored including the sleep screen image. The sleep screen image is called `suspended.png`. If you upload an image to that directory and name it `suspended.png`, so it overwrites the previous image, that will be your sleep screen. Restart your reMarkable. The new sleep screen will show. If your sleep screen image is a different size than your reMarkable (`1404×1872 pixels`) it will just be squished to fit.

![Screenshot of the video shows two photos of my reMarkable with the same sleep screen image. The overlapping one shows it in landscape mode while the screenshot is angled at the top left corner. The other image, on the right, shows the same image in portrait mode. The caption says: "Sometimes this works, and looks better than the original image, sometimes it doesn't. And you can always upload one in landscape and just rotate your reMarkable if you want a landscape one showing. Same thing with portrait."](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.36.36-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Sleep Screens Overview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=987s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

If you want more information about changing out your sleep screen image you can check out [my post here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/10/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/). The same process can be used for your other screen images but I’ve personally only changed out my sleep screen `suspended.png` one.

0:17:10.326 – Sometimes this works, and looks better than the original image, sometimes it doesn’t. And you can always upload one in landscape and just rotate your reMarkable if you want a landscape one showing. Same thing with portrait.

### [*17:21 – Navigation and Images*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1041s&ref=simplykyra.com)

0:17:22.129 – I’m going to press enter and `ls` to list all the directories… I just remembered I still have my files from doing this before so I’m just going to remove `2021` and remove `Custom` and remove `templates_backup.json`.

![Screenshot of the video is mostly focused on the terminal with the window cut off on the right. It shows a list of all the default templates (PNG and SVG for each name) and the templates.json file. The caption is centered on the screen, to not block the image, and says "So this is (edit: these are) all the ones that you have if you have not worked with custom templates before."](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.37.37-PM.png?resize=750%2C421&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Navigation and Images](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1041s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

0:17:39.490 – So this is (edit: these are) all the ones that you have if you have not worked with custom templates before. As you can see each file is listed twice. There’s a `PNG` and an `SVG` file. `PNG` is a portable network graphic. It’s a pixel based image which means it will degrade if you’re zooming into the image. An `SVG` image is a scalable vector graphic meaning its vector based thus it does not degrade and you can zoom in as much as you want.

![Image is a screenshot of a grid highlighting the difference between a PNG and SVG image file. There are four columns with the headers: Sr. No., Key, SVG, and PNG. The caption includes the url. Source: https://www.tutorialspoint.com/difference-between-svg-and-png](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-10-at-12.51.43-PM.png?resize=750%2C376&ssl=1)

Screenshot showing the difference between PNG and SVG image files was taken from [Tutorials Point’s **Difference between SVG and PNG*](https://www.tutorialspoint.com/difference-between-svg-and-png?ref=simplykyra.com) on December 12th, 2021.

0:18:06.258 – When I’ve been making custom templates I’ve only been uploading `PNG` files and I haven’t needed to upload `SVG` files. I haven’t noticed a problem. That said, I’ve seen online that people hypothesized that the `SVG` file is used when exporting your notebook as a `PDF`. Like I said, I haven’t had a difficulty. I haven’t looked into if I should do both. That said, if you do upload an `SVG` to go with your `PNG` it needs to be in the same directory as your `PNG` and named the same thing, the only difference being the extension, because they use the same filename to find both files.

![Image shows a comment on Reddit from "rmhack" It says: 
<p>The PNG is used as the background layer on-device, but the SVG appears in rendered PDFs. IIRC there was something about the SVG being used in thumbnails, but I'm hazy on the details.</p>
<p>quote: If developing a custom template, the .png file is the image shown when drawing on the remarkable device. The .svg vector file will be used when exporting the template to .pdf via the USB web interface (Enabled under Storage Settings). The .svg file presumably must be in the SVG 1.2 Tiny profile.1)</p>
<p>quote source: <a href=](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-11-at-9.32.04-AM.png?resize=750%2C231&ssl=1)

Screenshot was taken from [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/m8eeuj/why%5Fthe%5Fneed%5Ffor%5Fboth%5Fpng%5Fand%5Fsvg%5Ftemplate/?ref=simplykyra.com) on December 12th, 2021\. Here’s the [reMarkable wiki](https://remarkablewiki.com/tips/templates?ref=simplykyra.com#specifications) it links to.

### [*18:40 – Backup Templates File*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1120s&ref=simplykyra.com)

0:18:40.297 – If you want to do a quick backup you can say `cp`, for copy, `templates.json` and then let’s call it `backup_templates.json` so in all `cp templates.json backup_templates.json`. If, for some reason, you want a space you can always do a slash space (`cp templates.json backup\ templates.json`). This slash is showing that it’s a space in your filename and not a different word. It’s still part of your filename. I’ve never actually tried to do that on the reMarkable. See. And then as you can see if I cat that file, for instance, I’m not going to actually, but it adds a slash when you’re auto-completing (`cat backup\ templates.json`). I created this cause then if anything happens you have your backup templates file to compare your templates file with to see what might be wrong.

![Screenshot of the video shows the same view as before with the default template images listed in a terminal. Now, at the bottom, you can see the line: cp templates.json backup_templates.json. The caption says "backup underscore templates dot json (cp templates.json backup_templates.json)" ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.38.06-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Backup Templates File](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1120s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

0:19:24.380 – Now that that’s been shown I’m just going to go back… here. Oh! Also if you don’t like how messy this is you can type `clear` and press `enter` and it looks like it wipes everything but as you can see by the scroll bar you just have to scroll up to see more.

### [*19:38 – Editing the Script*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1178s&ref=simplykyra.com)

0:19:38.695 – So going back to the script. You’re going to have to replace this. Oh, I’m just going add… If you want to leave your reMarkable you can just type `exit`.

![Screenshot of the video shows the terminal on the left after exiting the reMarkable. The I.P. address used to connect is highlighted. On the right you can see the script with the sshRemarkable highlighted as it's about to be replaced. Caption says "and with that I'm gonna copy my I.P. address"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.38.59-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Editing the Script](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1178s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

0:19:50.539 – And with that I’m gonna copy my IP address and go over here and you don’t have to say `ssh` first, in fact you shouldn’t, because I say `ssh` below. This is just what comes after the space after the ssh. So in my case it would `root@192.168.1.114` And then I’m going to save the file and you could even close it. If I did this through the terminal, of course, I’d go `:wq`. And with that done your script should be fine to go.

![The bottom of the script lists the name: "Upload_PNG_and_Directories_To_reMarkable.sh". The rest is blue, pink, and yellow text against a black background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-10-at-10.02.12-AM.png?resize=750%2C782&ssl=1)

Here’s the screenshot of my entire script when I opened it with vim on my computer. You can find it through [GitHub here](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/reMarkable/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com).

### [*20:19 – Running the Script*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1219s&ref=simplykyra.com)

0:20:20.351 – So I’m gonna go back to the first tab and, like before, I’m gonna go `./myScript.sh` (and `enter`) and it’s compressing the directories and files and then it’s uploading that compressed directory to the reMarkable. And then in one line it executes `ssh root@192.168.1.114` and then on that connection it cds, changes directories, into your templates directory, it extracts that tarball it made on your computer, and then it removes that tarball.

![Image shows the terminal on the left and the open window. The terminal shows mostly black text from cating the file. At the bottom it executed the script with "./myScript.sh" 
Caption says: "So I'm gonna go back to the first tab and, like before, I'm gonna go space (edit: dot) slash my script (./myScript.sh) (and enter)"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.39.41-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Running the Script](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1219s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

0:20:48.530 – So if we go back into your reMarkable and change directory into `/usr/share/remarkable/templates` and then go `ls` we will see that `2021` folder and the `Custom` folder… and the templates. If you want more information you can go `ls -la`. If you want all the information including the subdirectories you can go ls dash `R` for recursion (`ls -R`), and I’m going to combine it together as `ls -Rla`. This way you can see all the information including the `2021` directory and it’s contents and the `Custom` directory.

0:21:25.103 – Right now, on my Mac, my user ID is `501`. This is new but I think when I compressed the file and uploaded it it sees me as a user ID that was on the Mac while I compressed the file. On the Linux reMarkable device it associates that ID with `dialout` instead of me the user. If I `SSH` in and uncompress the file it would be as `root`. I haven’t noticed a problem with having a 501 dialout.

**Learn More**: [The Eclectic Light Company **The 501 orphan problem:* why you shouldn’t delete the primary admin user*](https://eclecticlight.co/2016/05/11/the-501-orphan-problem-why-you-shouldnt-delete-the-primary-admin-user/?ref=simplykyra.com#:~:text=Your%20Mac%20has%20long%20user,a%20group%2C%20in%20its%20permissions.)

**Learn More**: If interested I used this [GitHub Drupal-vm *501 dialout Files and Folders* issue](https://github.com/geerlingguy/drupal-vm/issues/1735?ref=simplykyra.com) to figure out my issue as *“They aren’t changed to anything. That’s the representation of your host computers files group id and user id on the vagrant box through NFS. Eg the id matches on some of them.”*

0:21:53.295 – I recently also noticed these dot underscore files. I think it has something to do the Mac preview image. I’m not 100% sure. I’m going to go in and change how I compress all the files so this won’t be there. That said, I’m recording this video now because I know editing will take awhile. So I’m just going to go remove 2021 slash dot underscore asterisk (`rm 2021/._*`). It’s going to remove all the files that start with dot underscore in that directory. And then I’m going to go and do the same thing with `Custom` and then I’m going to go `ls -Rla` and you will just see the files you want.

0:22:35.162 – As a quick note I want to point out that the reMarkable doesn’t put a whole lot of extra space in the templates directory so if you want to add lots of custom templates you may run out of room eventually.

![Screenshot of the video has hidden terminal and window as its overlapped with two screenshots. The top one shows an SSH of the reMarkable with a "df ." command showing the templates directory is 100% full. The bottom screenshot shows the error when trying to add more to that directory. The caption says: "As a quick note I want to point out that the reMarkable doesn't put a whole lot of extra space in the templates directory"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.40.11-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Running the Script](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1219s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

### [*22:47 – JSON Code Snippet*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1367s&ref=simplykyra.com)

0:22:47.675 – So you’ve uploaded your images, our `templates.json` file is still not edited, but our script generated the code snippet. As you can see here each (image) file had a template section created. It shows the name of the file by replacing the dashes with spaces. It shows the filename. It shows the icon code. It shows that it’s a `false` landscape (so in portrait mode) and it belongs to the `2021` category.

![Screenshot of the video shows the newly created JSON snippet file opened. This overlaps with the terminal showing the contents of the templates directory. In the window this snippet file is highlighted with the mouse overtop. The caption says "So you've uploaded your images, our templates.json file is still not edited, but our script generated the code snippet. [mouse clicks]"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.40.24-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [JSON Code Snippet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1367s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

0:23:09.948 – When the script ended this (edit: the) contents of the file was also placed on my clipboard, but just in case I’m going to copy it. That said, if you don’t lose your access to your clipboard you don’t even need to open this file and if I ran the script again later, because I added another image or something, this would be regenerated. So over here I’m going to go `vim`

0:23:30.773 – Oh a quick aside. Over here I’m going to edit in vim but first I heard about another edit program called Nano. That you might find easier to navigate in. So if you go nano and the name (`nano templates.json`) it will open the file in nano and at the bottom you can see commands. So it’s supposed to teach you how to use this. First thing I want to say is that it says `^X` to exit. X does not have to be capitalized. It’s just pressing the `x` button. And `^` is not pressing carrot; it’s pressing control (`ctrl`). So in this case if I wanted to exit I’d press `ctrl x`.

**Learn More**: I personally haven’t used Nano before but here is [How-To-Geek’s *The Beginner’s Guide to Nano, the Linux Command-Line Text Editor*](https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/42980/the-beginners-guide-to-nano-the-linux-command-line-text-editor/?ref=simplykyra.com)

0:24:02.181 – I am more experienced in vim even though I’m by no means an expert. I forget how to navigate all the time. So I’m going to go into `vim templates.json` and then if I press `gg` really quick I go to the top (and) `G` goes to the very bottom. If I highlight this bracket I can see it matches with the one above and as I can see there are two brackets at the bottom that need to be kept the same. I’m gonna press insert (`i`) and that allows me to go past the bracket and then I’m gonna paste my new code and then I’m going to press `delete` one more time for that empty space. And there we go. Escape w q (`esc :wq enter`) to exit.

![Screenshot of the video shows the terminal on the left with the custom JSON code pasted in. On the right the code snippet file is highlighted. The caption at the bottom says "and then I'm going to press delete one more time for that empty space. [button presses]"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.41.18-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [JSON Code Snippet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1367s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

0:24:38.559 – I’m gonna cat templates.json file (`cat templates.json`) for a second here (are) the categories, you can have multiple categories, so the square brackets means categories is an array of strings, in this case it just has `Custom`.

0:24:51.486 – So the `PNG` files are uploaded, the template file (`templates.json`) has been saved…

### [*24:53 – Restart Device*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1439s&ref=simplykyra.com)

0:24:55.481 – But the reMarkable still won’t see the custom templates because it needs to be restarted so it reads the `JSON` file.

0:25:02.265 – So, if you have done this before, a really handy command is control r (`ctrl r`). It lets you search your previous commands and I’m gonna type `xo` and it’s gonna find it. (`ctrl r xo enter`). I’m gonna press an arrow to the right and it leaves the search.

0:25:14.667 – So basically to restart your reMarkable you’ll have to run this command “`systemctl restart xochitl`“. And you can’t see anything happening, but right now my reMarkable is restarting and loading and when it opens up I can check to see if the templates are there.

![Screenshot of the video shows the terminal with the restart command "systemctl restart xochitl" typed in right after the arrow was tapped in the search. The caption below says "So basically to restart your reMarkable you'll have to run this command "system c t l space restart space x o c h i t l" [keyboard presses] (systemctl restart xochitl)"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.41.58-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Restart Device](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1439s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

### [*25:29 – Templates Shown*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1529s&ref=simplykyra.com)

0:25:32.469 – I’m gonna quickly go to the top menu and only show my notebooks so it’s easier to find. I’m going to click a notebook and if I swipe through I can see my templates are still there. If you go to a page and press layers (icon) and Template you can see all your templates and at the top of mine I now see all 2021, Creative, Custom, Grids, Life/Organize, and the last one is hidden behind the Portrait radio button so maybe I should not add two custom categories.

![Screenshot from the video shos a closeup of the reMarkable with all the categories across the top and the last category overlapping with the Portrait radio button. 2021 is selected and all the calendar templates show a lined icon code. The caption says "and at the top of mine I now see all 2021, Creative, Custom, Grids, Life/Organize, and the last one is hidden behind the Portrait radio button"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.42.26-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Templates Shown](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1529s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

0:25:57.289 – If I go into 2021, or Custom, all the templates I see listed have a lined paper as their icon code, but the names let me tell them apart.

### [*26:04 – Error: No Templates Found*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1564s&ref=simplykyra.com)

0:26:04.877 – If you see no templates, when you go on, then you know there’s something wrong with your `JSON` file whether it’s a mismatched bracket or something else. I know when I was playing with icon codes if I had a double slash (`\\ue9d8`) in the text it wouldn’t read the `JSON` file properly and I’d have no templates.

![Screenshot of the video shows an image of the reMarkable with NO templates or categories showing. There's an overlaid image showing the JSON code with a double curly bracket at the end  on line 1084. The caption says "If you see no templates, when you go on, then you know there's something wrong with your JSON file"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.42.53-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Error: No Templates Found](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1564s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

0:26:21.128 – If you’re having an issue and you can’t see what your problem is there are online JSON websites that let you check your file by copying and pasting your code into it, seeing if there’s any problems, fixing it, and then pasting it back in. If your `JSON` had personal data in it I wouldn’t recommend it but this is just all about your templates so I don’t think you’ll have a social security number or anything listed.

![Screenshot of the video shows two screenshots over the MacOS background. The main one is of jsonformatter.org displaying my template code and where the error is. On the left, smaller, is my search results. The caption says "that let you check your file by copying and pasting your code into it, seeing if there's any problems, fixing it, and then pasting it back in."](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.43.17-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Error: No Templates Found](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1564s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

For the video I went to [JSON Editor Online (jsonFormatter.org)](https://jsonformatter.org/json-editor?ref=simplykyra.com) for this example and screenshot. There are lots of websites listed if you do [a search](https://www.google.com/search?q=online+JSON+editor&oq=online+JSON+editor&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60.3011j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&ref=simplykyra.com).

0:26:42.570 – And that’s how I upload my templates now.

### [*26:46 – Templates Not Officially Supported*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1606s&ref=simplykyra.com)

0:26:45.438 – Before I let you go I just want to quickly go over what I mentioned before about reMarkable not officially supporting (custom) templates. This means if you go onto your computer or phone application and go into a notebook that uses one of your custom templates it will still show your writing on that page, but instead of the template in the background it’s going to show a blank page with a message saying it can’t be found. This has nothing to do with not having an `SVG` file. This is just the reMarkable not supporting it. I’m not sure what their behind the code way is but that’s how it works.

![Screenshot of the video displaying two images. Both show a view of an app, one my macOS and one my iPhone, where the template isn't shown. The caption says: "it will still show your writing on that page, but instead of the template in the background it's going to show a blank page with a message saying it can't be found."](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.44.06-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Templates Not Officially Supported](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1606s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

0:27:18.156 – The other issue is the reMarkable updates. When the reMarkable is updated it reverts any sleep screen images, or any screen images, to their original one. It also removes any of your custom templates, in your templates directory (`/usr/share/remarkable/templates`), and reverts your `JSON` script (edit: file). This means, after an update, if you go into your templates you will no longer see your custom templates.

0:27:38.066 – This is why I keep two versions of this folder around whether I delete this or not. That’s basically an empty directory that just has my script. That way if I want to add one more file to `2021` or one more template to `Custom` I can just create a `Custom` or a `2021` folder, add the `PNG`, and just upload that one and add that one’s template code to my `templates.json`. I then keep one like this around so if (edit: when) my reMarkable updates I don’t have to go hunting for any of my calendar pages or for any of my custom templates and I can just run my script then I have my `JSON` snippet on my clipboard and I repeat these steps to add it to my `templates.json` file and I restart my reMarkable and it’s back working.

0:28:24.374 – Because I have not changed any of the category or directory names and I haven’t changed any of these file names it automatically hooks up to my notebook once I restart. If I, for example, change this `Kids About Me` title before I ran it after the update it would have a new name, it would have a new filename, and the reMarkable wouldn’t see that template as the same as the old version and I would have to manually reconnect it on every page I used it on. This makes it way simpler than it was before manually having to figure out the `JSON` or keeping your manually created `JSON` snippet on hand. With my script I can just delete this and it doesn’t matter because I can just run my script again.

0:29:04.043 – Also you don’t have to worry if you’re rerunning it because these files if they get put on your reMarkable again it will just overwrite the old version, or it won’t even overwrite, I can’t remember BUT you won’t have two copies of it (edit: unless you add it to the templates.json file twice. Then there would be two. Just remove one section leaving the other and you’d be good.)

0:29:15.674 – I’ve seen some people, on Facebook, who like to turn off their automatic updates so that they know when the update will happen because they are manually going in and checking for updates and they won’t be surprised on the fly or when they’re out and about and they don’t have their computer with them. I have not turned off my manual (edit: automatic) updates because I figure I can just rerun my script when it updates. That said, if I am out and about, or something, and I don’t want to run the script right away but there’s one of the pages I really want to access to I can quickly just manually change the template on that page to a blank page or a lined page or one of the default pages and I will be able to see my writing and I can estimate based on my writing where I should write the next thing. Say if it’s a weekly template and that’s where the next day’s is or I’m writing in my calendar so just right next to the text before and then later when I run these templates (through the script) and fix the template I can manually change that page back and then just move around the texts so it makes sense.

![Screenshot of the video shows two images. The lower larger on shows where on the reMarkable you can go to check for updates and turn the automatic updates on and off. The top smaller image shows where to go to get to that point. The caption says "and they won't be surprised on the fly or when they're out and about and they don't have their computer with them."](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.44.57-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Templates Not Officially Supported](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1606s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

0:30:15.783 – That said, when there is an update the reMarkable used to be like when you’re in the app. You used to still be able to see your writing. Since the last update (edit: or recently) I’ve noticed that when you open a notebook and the page flickers you can see your old template with the writing but as soon as it loads fully you just see a blank page with the message and your writing is not visible. Then if you navigate within the notebook you don’t even see that flicker hence why, if you want to see your writing, you need to switch back to a default template.

![Screenshot from the video shows two images. The one on the left is from before the update when you could see your text but not the template. The one on the right is from later and only shows the message on a blank background. The caption says "hence why, if you want to see your writing, you need to switch back to a default template."](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.45.23-PM.png?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Templates Not Officially Supported](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1606s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

### [*30:41 – Conclusion: Thanks for Listening*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1841s&ref=simplykyra.com)

![Screenshot of the video is the default collage showing the title of my post. The caption at the bottom says "Have a great day!"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-12-13-at-12.46.05-PM.png?resize=750%2C423&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from the [Conclusion](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJb4rcR0Bxw&t=1841s&ref=simplykyra.com) on December 13th, 2021.

0:30:41.861 – I think that’s all the information I have to share with you today. If you want to see more I will create a blog post with all these closed captioning so that you can navigate to that if you just want to scroll through specific sections. I will also link all my previous blog posts if you want any of this stuff in more detail. And comment if you have anything you want to share about your process

0:31:02.341 – Have a great day!

---

I hope this video and walkthrough helps you upload and maintain your own custom templates. Feel free to share what your process is in the comments below and maybe it can help someone else. I'd love to hear your tips and tricks. Hope you're having a great day and your week is going well!

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How I Made a Simple Grocery Store Cheesecake Look Supreme
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-made-a-simple-grocery-store-cheesecake-look-supreme/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:56:45.000Z
Last year, with sheltering in place, we baked a special birthday cake for the girls’ birthday separate from their party and its own dessert. This year we continued the tradition and made it simpler by buying a Costco cake. For Zoey I grabbed a Tuxedo cake as how could you go wrong with chocolate but when Ada’s birthday came around I wanted to try something else, especially when Ada didn’t know she wanted. At the store I made a quick decision to grab the plain cheesecake but then started worrying that it was too plain and lacked flavor for the kids. As such things go one thing led to another and I ended up making a homemade chocolate sauce and caramel sauce the afternoon before her birthday and then included brownie bits leftover from her party the weekend before. Looking back I don’t know if the girls would’ve loved a plain piece of cheesecake but they *LOVED* the three optional toppings I included for their pieces!

![Pinterest-geared image showing four images of a supreme cheesecake (shown below), my post title, and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_How-I-Made-a-Simple-Grocery-Store-Cheesecake-Look-Supreme-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

## *Toppings*

### *Brownie Bits*

For Ada’s birthday party the weekend before I had made brownie cupcakes topped with whip cream and sprinkles using the *foolproof gooey brownies* recipe found in *[The No-Fuss Family Cookbook ](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/05/26/the-no-fuss-family-cookbook-review/)*[I reviewed a while back](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/05/26/the-no-fuss-family-cookbook-review/). Some of the cupcakes were made using paper liners, as I ran out of the silicon ones, and I found those cupcakes stuck to the liners. As such, while packing up, I crumbled them to create brownie bits and saved them in a container. We hadn’t used them yet so I grabbed them for the cheesecake and they were perfect! That said if you want the same and don’t have any leftover brownie bits on hand I could see making it homemade (love *[The No-Fuss Family Cookbook](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/05/26/the-no-fuss-family-cookbook-review/)* one), buying a store-bought brownie to break up, making a box mix (we *love* [the Ghirardelli one with or without canned pineapples](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/23/simple-halloween-themed-brownie-cupcakes/)), or, if you prefer the hard crunchie brownies, buying [Brownie Brittle](https://www.browniebrittle.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) (we’ve only tried the chocolate chip one from Costco but it was fantastic). Whatever you do you can’t go wrong with brownies.

![Image shows a container of brownie bits with lines showing where the cupcake liner was when it baked. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_8873-copy.jpeg?resize=750%2C272&ssl=1)

While packing up the leftover brownies from Ada’s birthday I realized any brownie cupcake in a paper liner was hard to remove. For those ones I crunched up the brownie into pieces, making it easier, and put all the pieces into a container for later.

### *Caramel Sauce*

I planned to make both caramel and chocolate sauce for the cheesecake topping but after looking over the recipes for both I decided to start with the caramel as it looked a bit more finicky. I wanted to simplify the dirty dishes for later by reusing the pot and figured I’d rather have caramel in the pot when melting down chocolate chips than chocolate residue in the pot when caramelizing sugar. This ended up working out for the best as some of the caramel hardened to the pot and reusing the same pot for the chocolate sauce meant a way easier clean up as most of the rock hard caramel melted into the chocolate.

For this I went with the [Caramel Sauce from Simply Recipes](https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/caramel%5Fsauce/?ref=simplykyra.com) and followed the directions specified. I didn’t need to use a candy thermometer, which I vaguely remember doing pre-kids, and had no trouble making it.

![Image shows the pot with brown liquid and a metal whisk in it and, to the left, the cut up butter and pre-measured whipping cream in a jug. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_0051-1.jpeg?resize=750%2C379&ssl=1)

Following the directions I made sure to have all the ingredients prepped and ready before turning on the burner and caramelizing the sugar.

![Now the pot is closer up. The whisk holds the brown liquid but the rest is covered with clear bubbles. The measuring cup of whipping cream still sits beside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_0052-1.jpeg?resize=750%2C398&ssl=1)

Once the sugar was caramelized I added the butter, waited for it to melt (mistakenly letting it boil for a bit), and, after this photo, added the heavy whipping cream.

After the caramel sauce was made I poured it into an empty jar and made sure to get every drip out with a spatula. It smelled and tasted incredible!

### *Chocolate Sauce*

After scraping the caramel sauce from the pot it was time to make the chocolate sauce. For this I chose the [Easy-To-Make Chocolate Sauce I found through The Spruce Eats](https://www.thespruceeats.com/chocolate-sauce-recipe-3056253?ref=simplykyra.com) and boy was it easy. The chocolate sauce was even easier as I only needed to combine heavy whipping cream and chocolate chips, melt it, and then add the vanilla extract. It smelled incredible and I quickly moved it into a jar to cool before putting it into the fridge.

![Image shows a pot with the odd bit of hardened caramel showing at the bottom and a pile of chocolate chips. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_8815.jpeg?resize=750%2C445&ssl=1)

Started out by melting the chocolate chips with the heavy whipping cream. I snapped this photo before adding the cream to show the hardened caramel residue left behind in the pot.

![Image shows a pot of brown liquid place between the burners with dirty measuring cups and spatulas to the left of it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_8817.jpeg?resize=750%2C531&ssl=1)

Once combined together I removed it from the heat, added vanilla extract, and gave it another mix.

With the caramel and chocolate sauce done it was time to let it cool before putting it in the fridge. I wanted to cover it as it cooled so I balance a measuring cup on their edge to help hold up a thin tea towel.

![image shows a metal one cup measurement balanced between two old Bonne Maman jam jars. The one on the left is a light caramel brown and the one on the right is a dark chocolate brown. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_8820.jpeg?resize=750%2C482&ssl=1)

I wanted to leave the lid off as it cooled but also didn’t want the tea towel to get inside the jars. As such I balanced one of my measuring cups on the top of the jars before placing a thin tea towel overtop.

![Image shows a light tea towel in a mountain shape as it covers the jars in the previous photo. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_8821-1.jpeg?resize=750%2C549&ssl=1)

The measuring cup worked perfectly and the sauces were covered as they cooled.

![Image shows the back of Zoey's head as she uses a spoon to taste the sauce. In the background you can see Ada's hand tilting her saucer as she does her own tasting. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_8824.jpeg?resize=750%2C471&ssl=1)

The chocolate and caramel sauces didn’t magically fit completely inside the jars. I did end up pouring the excess sauces onto a saucer for the kids to *taste* and hopefully approve.

---

## *And Finally It’s Time for the Cheesecake*

With the caramel and chocolate sauces made and the leftover brownie bits in the fridge from last week I was finally ready to make the cheesecake I bought from Costco spectacular for Ada’s birthday.

![Image shows four slices of cheesecake still unsliced on a large cardboard cheesecake base from Costco. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_8973.jpeg?resize=750%2C451&ssl=1)

I somehow didn’t think to snap a photo of the cheesecake until we were almost done eating it.

![Image shows a whole cheesecake on the black plastic base without the clean lid overtop. The left side is cut off and in front of it, on a white square plate, sits an unadorned slice of cheesecake. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8983.jpeg?resize=750%2C725&ssl=1)

As I didn’t have a good photo I went onto Instacart to snap a screenshot of their listing for the Costco cheesecake. This screenshot was taken on August 26, 2021.

For Ada’s birthday and going forward we ended up cutting each piece and decorating it according to each person’s specifications. As such, from this time, I only have photos of single slices of cheesecake. Later on I realized I should’ve gotten a pretty photo of the entire cake and so justified buying another cheesecake (mmmmm…) mainly blog photos…. both were delicious.

For now here’s some photos of how a slice of cake can be served:

![Image shows a mostly gone platter of cheesecake with a knife, two square saucers with a slice each and a pile of brownie bits, and a container of brownies. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_8975.jpeg?resize=750%2C377&ssl=1)

You could go simple with a slice of cheesecake served with a side of brownie bits.

![Image shows a circular saucer with a large piece of cheesecake coated in caramel with drizzles dripping down. Behind the slice you can see pieces of brownie on the saucer. Beside the saucer is a half filled jar of caramel sauce and behind it is a plastic container of brownie bits. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_8981.jpeg?resize=750%2C403&ssl=1)

If you want more you can warm up the caramel (I tossed the lidless jar in the microwave for a bit) and drizzle it over the piece of cheesecake.

![Image shows a slice of cheesecake from above with chocolate sauce covering the bit of caramel on and beside the slice. A fork and part of a pizza adorned napkin are laid out behind and beside the saucer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_8931.jpeg?resize=750%2C489&ssl=1)

Or forgo the brownies and only use the sauce-y toppings of your choice.

![Image shows a stack of white saucers with a large slice of cheesecake sitting in a light brown pool of caramel with chocolate coating the top. Under the saucer you can see the pink tablecloth covering the table. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_8875.jpeg?resize=750%2C555&ssl=1)

On Ada’s birthday I dished the caramel onto the saucers, warmed it up in the microwave, dished the slice of cheesecake onto the sauce, and then finally topped it all with some the chocolate sauce.

![Image is the same as above but this time the container of brownie bits are held slightly in front of the cheesecake blurring the background a tad. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_8873-1.jpeg?resize=750%2C559&ssl=1)

Then I offered brownie bits to go on top if anyone wanted.

Looking back I realized all those slices would have tasted, and looked, so much better with some sliced fruit on them. As such, when I later justified buying a cheesecake, mostly, for the photos I made sure to also buy some strawberries although I’m sure so many different berries would go great with this. With all the pieces of my plan in place I was ready to create an amazing photo-ready dessert then suddenly realized that I didn’t have a firm plan in place. I ended up microwaving the jars of chocolate and caramel sauce so they’d be runnier and easier to use. I then kind of slopped the chocolate sauce down make a decorative pattern before drizzling the caramel sauce back and forth over top. Finally I grabbed a strawberry or two, sliced them, and attempted to make a flower centerpiece. This is what I came up with:

![Image shows the final chocolate, caramel, and strawberry festooned cheesecake taken from above and to the side.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_0056.jpeg?resize=750%2C498&ssl=1)

![Image shows the final chocolate, caramel, and strawberry festooned cheesecake taken from above and looking down. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_0059.jpeg?resize=750%2C534&ssl=1)

With the photos taken I quickly sliced pieces for us, added more strawberries, and finally drizzled more chocolate and/or caramel sauce depending what each person wanted.

![The slice is on its side with the sliced strawberries laying beside it as if it was topped with them. There are drizzles of chocolate sauce crisscrossing the length of it going from top to bottom and back again.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_0061.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

This slice had extra strawberries placed above it and was then drizzled with more chocolate sauce.

![Image shows two plates with one in front of the other. Both have strawberries and chocolate sauce while the one in front also has caramel drizzled over it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_0069.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I wanted all three topping so started with strawberries before drizzling both chocolate and caramel sauce over top.

![Image shows a slice of cheesecake on its side on a square white saucer. There are light and dark brown dollops all over it make it look arty. Behind the saucer you can see the rest of the bedazzled cheesecake.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_0070-2.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The slice without strawberries even looked amazing with drizzled and speckled chocolate and caramel sauce all over the plate.

After that first night we went back to leftover slices but now had a bit of chocolate and caramel on each piece as I had decorated the cake as a whole on the first night.

![Image shows the hardened chocolate and caramel topped cheesecake slice sitting in a pool of hot caramel on a white saucer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_0181.jpeg?resize=750%2C516&ssl=1)

This time I dished the cold caramel sauce onto a saucer, microwaved it so it boiled (was too slow with the camera to show the bubbles well), and then dished the cold slice of cheesecake onto the hot sauce.

![Image is taken looking down at a slice on its side with a heap of caramel on top and a sprinkling of cinnamon showing. To the side is a large jar with cold caramel and a spoon inside to dish. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_0089.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

On other nights we were lazier and so I served the caramel sauce cold. Even then, though, I brought it a step further by sprinkling the entire slice with cinnamon. So good.

![Photo is taken from the side looking at an upright slice of cheesecake sitting in melted caramel and topped with whip cream mostly hiding the leftover cold chocolate and caramel on top of the slice. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_0424.jpeg?resize=750%2C493&ssl=1)

Once we even made some whip cream and combined it with hot caramel for an amazing change. Looking at this now I wish I had added cinnamon on top too.

![Image shows a white saucer held up in front of a white wall. On it is whiter cheesecake, dark brownies, and brown caramel. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_9034.jpeg?resize=750%2C383&ssl=1)

For the first cake I took the last piece, broke it up, plated it with brownie bits, and drizzled the whole entire thing with caramel and chocolate sauce. It was divine and placed in the center of the table for all of us to share with a supper snack tray.

---

## *Leftovers? Make Frozen Cheesecake Balls…. So Messy but So Delicious*

Even though it was delicious we were getting tired of cheesecake by the end so I decided to freeze it so it could last longer. Rather than just putting the slices into the freezer I wanted to try something new and came up with making cheesecake balls by using my hands to mould the cheesecake into balls. I wasn’t sure how this would turn out so I just went for it without thinking or planning. Looking back, if planning for company, I would have used gloves but this time around I didn’t have any on hand.

To make these I basically grabbed hunks of cheesecake, shaped it into a haphazard ball, and placed it on a Silpat lined cookie sheet to go into the freezer. I had leftover whip cream and caramel so I used some to top some of the balls in addition to the chocolate, caramel, and whip cream that were already on the original pieces.

Word of warning: If making these with bare hands you’ll be able to feel the greasy residue left even after washing your hands once or twice.

![Image shows a Silpat lined cookie sheet to the right and a partially eaten, only five pieces left, decorated cheesecake to the left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_0459.jpeg?resize=750%2C476&ssl=1)

I started out grabbing the leftover cake and lined a cookie sheet with my Silpat sheet so the frozen balls would be simpler to remove later on.

![Image shows seven lines of cheesecake balls laid out across the cookie sheet. The six leftmost ones are topped with caramel while the nine ones beside it are topped with whipped cream.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_0462.jpeg?resize=750%2C452&ssl=1)

After breaking pieces of cheesecake off and forming balls I decided to use my leftover whip cream and caramel to decorate some of the cheesecake balls.

![Image shows a light blue Stasher bag filled with cheesecake balls and open at the top. The brown and white dirtied Silpat liner is seen in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_0467.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once they mostly froze I popped them off of the Silpat and into a Stasher bag for longer term storage.

![Image shows the popped open Stasher bag from above so you can see the cheesecake inside. A fork holding a caramel coated one is poised above the bag. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_0676.jpeg?resize=750%2C494&ssl=1)

They tasted amazing straight from the freezer! Even better than fresh from the store.

![Image shows three cheesecake balls on a white square saucer. Each is topped with a spiral of whipped cream. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_0703.jpeg?resize=750%2C538&ssl=1)

Although they were great straight out the freezer I did take the time to plate them, with added whip cream, a time or two too.

---

Looking back two cheesecakes were way too much for our family of four. That said its since been awhile and these photos are making me miss it… maybe that’s why I broke down and made [pumpkin cheesecake twice over Thanksgiving](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/12/08/my-spin-on-an-amazing-pumpkin-cheesecake-recipe-i-came-across/). Anyway, I hope this post helps you whether you have a plain cheesecake you’re hoping to spruce up or are looking to make a cheaper cake look more gourmet. This cheesecake was simple and tasted incredible.

If you buy plain Costco cheesecakes do you eat them plain or spruce them up first? If you do add stuff what do you use? I’d love more ideas so feel free to share what you do in the comments below. Hope you’re doing well and your week is going great!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### I Love My Reusable Fabric Gift Bags... That I Made Years Ago!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/i-love-my-reusable-fabric-gift-bags-that-i-made-years-ago/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:54:57.000Z
I’d been debating making fabric sacks for gift bags for awhile and as Christmas 2019 approached I decided now was the time. It was perfect as I had Christmas fabric on hand from previous projects I had already sewn up along with some other small pieces that had caught my eye from the remnant bin at my local Joann’s Fabrics. Looking back now I’m so glad I made them as it saved so much time wrapping gifts that year and I’ve pulled them out each year since. On a more specific note that year we also planned a LEGOLAND® trip right before Christmas and I had sewn some [themed outfits](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/20/even-more-peppermint-swirl-dresses/) for the girls that I wanted to surprise them with once we were there. The girls didn’t know where we planned to go so I was able to use these bags to store their gifts which meant they couldn’t see what was inside, I didn’t have to worry about paper ripping, and I could just fold the excess fabric over and stuff it in the suitcase with the rest of the clothing. It was perfect! Just the trip itself and the ability to quickly wrap the presents so they were ready when we got home made making the bags so worth it and now I get to use them without any of the extra work! Fitting since [the challenge topic I sewed them for that year was *Sew Something for Yourself*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/01/52-weeks-of-sewing-in-2019/).

![Pinterest-geared image showing found images found below, my title, and my main blog URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_I-Love-My-Reusable-Fabric-Gift-Bags...-That-I-Made-Years-Ago-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Since I didn’t have time to create a post before Christmas that year I set aside this idea to share with you the next Christmas. I then forgot and this year I knew I *needed* to share and not put it off any longer. So without any further ado here is what I did to make my reusable fabric gift bags.

---

## *Inspiration*

I’d been debating making these bags off and on but what really made me think seriously about it was the [below post](https://www.facebook.com/groups/PDFellieandmacsewingpattern/posts/2984360868456463) shared in the [*PDF Ellie and Mac Sewing Pattern Group* on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/groups/PDFellieandmacsewingpattern). The photo, caption, and all the comments written on the post made me think I could easily do the same. Some of the comments included:

- Creating the bags by simply adding a drawstring to a pillowcase
- Making a flat wrap by adding Kam Snaps allowing you to close the wrapping *paper*
- Embroidering the recipient’s name on the fabric sacks so there’s no need for paper tags
- Still getting the joy of unwrapping paper wrapping by wrapping some of the gifts and putting them all into a larger fabric bag

Overall, I could see lots of people successfully did this each year and it looked amazing.

![Image shows a photo of several fabric wrapped gifts with name tags added to the ribbon. Above it is the text: "For all your sewing creations this Christmas, don't forget to wrap them in reusable Christmas bags ??? I made these up last year with reusable labels and it makes my wrapping life so much easier around the holidays"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_Screen-Shot-IMG_0838.png?resize=750%2C595&ssl=1)

This was the post that made me start seriously debating creating my own reusable Christmas bags. It was [posted on November 20th, 2019](https://www.facebook.com/groups/PDFellieandmacsewingpattern/posts/2984360868456463) in the *PDF Ellie and Mac Sewing Pattern Group* on Facebook. I took my screenshot at some point that or the next month but verified it was still there on December 3rd, 2021.

While pondering this someone I follow on Instagram posted an in depth explanation on their stories showing us how they make a gift bag from simple scraps. I quickly snapped several screenshots so I could refer back to them and knew I needed to do the same. Nothing was holding me back now.

![Image shows a collage of four images side by side showing how to make a gift bag from scraps. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_I-Love-My-Reusable-Fabric-Gift-Bags...-That-I-Made-Years-Ago-Screen-Shots-Image.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

Some of the screenshots taken from the Instagram story back in November or December of 2021\. I can’t remember who shared this so if you do know let me know and I’d love to add a link for credit.

---

## *Time to Make Them*

That year I made the kids [peppermint swirl dresses](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/20/even-more-peppermint-swirl-dresses/) for Christmas so while I was at Joann’s getting the supplies Zoey and I wandered over to the remnant section and grabbed all the Christmas-themed cotton fabric we saw and liked. At home I went through my stash and found some winter camping fabric from Fabric.com that I had leftover from some other Christmas gifts so between the sets I knew I was set to make these fabric sacks.

From the Instagram story I knew that I wanted to make the bags by folding them in half and sewing two of the three open sides to create a bag shape. I also wanted to include a drawstring at the top so I knew I needed to keep the top of the sides open. As such, after gathering and pre-washing all the fabric, I next checked the directionality of each fabric piece along with it’s size to determine if it would make one or two bags and how I’d fold it. Some remnants were small with no direction to the print so I simple folded the fabric in half, based on the size I wanted the finished bag, and sewed down the sides to create the bag-shape. Other fabric needed to be cut, to make two bags, or rotated before folding, so I’d then sew along the bottom and a side instead, making the print on the fabric be facing upright instead of sideways.

![Image shows a long rectangle of white fabric with glittery dots laid out on a cutting mat on my kitchen table. The quilting ruler is poking out from underneath and my water glass is seen in the back. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_1789.jpeg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

Although this remnant in this case was larger I decided to use it to make a single large bag. Here I folded it in half so the short ends met, right sides together, and sewed up the sides to create a sack.

![Image shows the fabric folded in half lengthwise, so the fold is on the left, and cut in half so there's essentially two bags stacked on top of each other. This is laid out on the table with a cutting mat below it. f](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_1790.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

With the dog print on this fabric I knew I needed to keep them standing upright but that meant the resulting bag would be too tall if I kept the fabric whole. I also knew that the kids would both love a bag made from this fabric, ergo fighting ensue, so I decided to cut the fabric in half, keeping the original width, so I’d create two shorter bags that both the kids could use.

Once I cut and determined the top of each piece of fabric I realized my next issue. Going into this I loved the idea of having a drawstring coming out of either side of the bag so I could simply pull both knots and thus easily cinch the bag in the middle. The directionality of the fabric confused this as some bags were now folded from the side rather than up from the bottom. I could’ve then gotten around this by cutting the fabric in half and thus sew up the bottom and both sides leaving a space at the top for the drawstring channel. Instead I decided to keep the fabric as it was, having a single channel opening and thus a single drawstring, and only sew up the bottom and a single side. I was rushing and thus going for simple rather than perfect.

With the top figured out I then finished the top of the side edges by sewing a quick zigzag so the channel end wouldn’t unravel over time. This was a quick hack that I later duplicated using a serger on the cinch bags in our [mask command center](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/08/18/my-daughters-mask-command-center-and-how-i-made-it/). That said I’ve seen other bags where you fold the corner in at an angle and sew it down making a more pretty drawstring opening so depending on whether you want quick or look good you could handle this step in other ways. Looking online right how I found [a *How to make – easy DIY drawstring bag* from I Can Sew This](https://icansewthis.com/easy-drawstring-bag/?ref=simplykyra.com) who hemmed the sides and top of the fabric before putting together their bag. Looking back this would’ve made mine look nicer if inspected closely.

![Pile of all the cut remnants with their top corners finished and their openings (both sides on some and a single side and bottom on others) clipped closed to sew. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_1792.jpeg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

I went through each remnant and fabric scrap to decide if they would make one or two bags, which way I’d fold the fabric, and where the top would be. I then used a zigzag stitch on the top of the two or four sides, depending on if the channel had one or two openings, so the drawstring channel wouldn’t later unravel. I then clipped the open sides and/or bottom of each bag and piled them up so I could sew all of them into their bag-like state at once.

![Image shows an inside out grey bag with multicolors thread zigzagging up the sides. The top isn't sewn down so the top part is flipped over showing the snowflake fabric and the zigzagging edge so the sides don't unravel. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_1807.jpeg?resize=750%2C537&ssl=1)

In this case you can see I had a long remnant so I folded it so the short ends would meet with the right sides together. After zigzagging up the four top edge pieces I sewed up the left and right side of the bag leaving room at the top for the channel.

I next decided, for most of the bags, to add box corners so a bag base would be created and there would be more space inside for the gifts. I had previously sewn box corners when making [two bags earlier in the year](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/01/52-weeks-of-sewing-in-2019/), following [Kristin Omdahl’s free tutorial](https://www.kristinomdahl.com/2017/01/04/2017-1-4-how-to-sew-fully-lined-flat-bottomed-drawstring-bag-free-pattern/?ref=simplykyra.com), and remembered what to do. To make them I took both bottom corners, flattened them so the side and/or bottom seam(s) would be centered, and then marked a line equidistant on both at a perpendicular angle from the corner. With the sewing clips in place I took the bags to my sewing machine and sewed along that line and then used my pinking shears to trim the corners off.

![Image shows the two corners of the same snowflake bag as before. It's folded so the photo shows the two corners stacked on top of each other. The line is seen on the top one. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_1808.jpeg?resize=750%2C685&ssl=1)

I took each bottom corner and pulled the sides out so the side seam would be centered flat along the top. This basically rotates the corner 90 degrees from how it was before. I then used my sewing clips to keep the fold in place and grabbed my disappearing ink pen to mark a straight perpendicular line.

![Image shows the same bag with the corners trimmed off with a zigzag pattern. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_1809.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once the drawn line was sewn down I went over each corner and used my pinking shears to trim the excess fabric off. With the corners sewn the bag’s bottom is now more rectangular and larger on the inside.

After creating the box corners the only step left is the top of the bag itself. To create the drawstring channel I simply folded over the top of the bag, clipped in place, and sewed along the edge thus creating the channel along the fold. Some fabrics had a selvage so I didn’t need to worry about the edge unraveling. That said I could see also sewing the edge down twice if you wanted to hide the raw edge *or* hem the opening before folding the edge down to create a channel. In some cases I somehow hadn’t left a large enough opening at the top so my drawstring channel was smaller for those bags compared to the others.

![Image is a closeup of the silver bag with clips holding the fold in place. You can see the black glittery fringe coming from the edge. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_1816.jpeg?resize=750%2C345&ssl=1)

My silver remnant had an awesome fringed selvage along the top so I simple folded it over and sewed it in place without worrying about it unraveling later and love the way it turned out.

![Image shows the silver opened up but sewn. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_1821.jpeg?resize=750%2C466&ssl=1)

Once I sewed the channel closed the only step left was adding the ribbon.

![Image shows a staggered pile of bags so you can see all their channels. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_1818.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

All the bags with their finished drawstring channels

Once the channels were all made I brought my pile of bags to the living room along with my box of assorted ribbons. I then matched a ribbon to each bag and threaded the ribbon through its channels. For the bags with a single drawstring opening I threaded a single ribbon all the way through, making sure the bag isn’t cinched at all, before trimming the ribbon and tying the two ends together. For the bags with two channel openings I did these steps twice, once from either end, so there would be two knotted ribbons I could pull to cinch the bag closed. Hence these bags took twice as much ribbon as the single drawstring bags. To make these steps easier I used a safety pin attached to the ribbon end to help thread the ribbon through the channels.

![Image shows the same silver bag this time cinched closed with a loop of black ribbon coming out of either side. The rest of the bags are blurred slightly in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_1826.jpeg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

And with two lengths of black ribbon threaded through the top of the silver bag I could declare this fabric sack complete.

As I added ribbon to bags I started running out of ribbon and had to start confirming I had enough before going to the trouble threading the ribbon through the channel. If the ribbon ended up being too short I didn’t want to use it as I wouldn’t be able to open the bag all the way.

![Image shows a Christmas camping themed bag with a loop of black ribbon coming out of the left side and a loop of red from the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_1845.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The lack of ribbon worked out in this bag’s favor as it ended up with one red ribbon and one black. Loved how it turned out.

As a quick aside I had one set of bags that followed a slightly different set of rules. In this case I sewed up the side of the fabric before realizing I didn’t like how tall the resulting bag would be. With the steps already being changed I, for some reason, decided to sew the bottom closed with the seam running up the center of the bag rather than the side. I then chose to leave the box corners off and, after creating the channel, threaded my ribbon from the center opening rather than the side opening like with the other bags.

![Image shows two inside out bags with the seam along the center front. The bag on top has the bottom seam sewn while the bag underneath is clipped along the bottom place. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_1802.jpeg?resize=750%2C517&ssl=1)

These bags were made slightly differently with the *side* seam up the center rather than down the side.

![Image shows the fabric flipped over twice with the sewing clips holding it in place. A tin of sewing clips sits to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_1814.jpeg?resize=750%2C491&ssl=1)

This meant the drawstring opening was at the top of the seam centered in the middle rather than the side.

![Image shows a red zig zag trim coming out of the channel opening right above the seam. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_1840.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Then I cut one length of ribbon, this time a red fabric zigzagging trim, and threaded it through before tying it off.

---

## *The Finished Fabric Sacks*

And with that the bags were finished. I absolutely love how they turned out!

![Image shows the same two bags from before but now the one on the right is flat with only a bit of trim sticking out while the one on the left is cinched close with lots of trim trailing on the table. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_1836.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Love how the bags look when filled up and closed or when they’re just waiting to be filled.

Going into this project I debated whether I should make reusable gift tags but never got around to figuring out how. I had also wondered if I should tie a tag to the drawstring which would also help keep kids away from peaking as the tag wouldn’t be able to be removed until it’s time to open the gift. Rather than either of these I instead, the first year, used sticker labels and just stuck them to each bag. This did mean that the odd one attempted to fall off but with only two kids getting the gifts it was easy enough to know whose was whose. That said if the bags were going to be handled a lot I would want to use a more permanent solution.

![Image shows a stack of eight gifts wrapped in the fabric bags laid out on the kitchen table. An empty extra white glittered one lays in the front overlapping the cute dogs. You can see Santa or penguin labels stuck to the back ones. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_1855.jpeg?resize=750%2C551&ssl=1)

I love how simple and quick it was to wrap Christmas presents that first year and I easily marked whose was whose with a quick label stuck to each. I didn’t have to worry too much about the stickers falling off as we pull out the gifts the night before Christmas so the kids can’t peek.

![Image shows the yellow leafed bags laid out on the table. The one on the right is cinched close and the one on the left has a dress sticking out. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_1848.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I loved the ease of tossing the girls [surprise LEGO® themed dresses](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/20/even-more-peppermint-swirl-dresses/) in a bag, folding them up, and tossing them into our suitcase without worrying about any extra space the gift wrapping took, paper ripping, or the girls seeing them.

![Image shows the two dog bags in front of our lit up Christmas tree. The bag on the left is cinched closed with white ribbon while the bag on the right is open showing red and eyeball covered fabric and the sparkly ribboned drawstring. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/12/compressed_IMG_2809.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Both last year and this year I grabbed a fabric bag for either girl and carefully placed all the folded up homemade garments I made for them. Last year I put this in the back to be opened last and loved it! This year I just ordered them some more leggings so I plan to cover up these homemade goodies with the store-bought ones and they’ll have a whole bag filled with new clothing for the new year. I skipped labeling the bags this year and plan to remember whose is whose based on the drawstring used or, maybe, peak in when laying them out to remind myself… we’ll see what happens.

And nothing says these bags have to be Christmas themed. After Christmas that year I grabbed some cute monster fabric, in my stash from Joann’s, and quickly sewed up two more bags. They’re adorable and could be used for Christmas, birthday, or anything else.

![Image shows both a cinched and a flattened monster coated bag laid out on the table.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2446.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I later used some cute monster fabric to sew up two more bags that could be used for any season or task.

I’m still thinking of making some kind of more permanent but reusable tag going into the future. Originally, I was thinking about sewing tags with vinyl and an opening so we could insert paper to customize the tags for each gift. I was also deliberating using chalkboard labels that could be written on each year and erased after the holiday. I never got around to making labels but, thinking about it now, I could see buying wooden Christmas tree ornaments or gift tags and decorating a couple for each member of the family using paints or paint markers. Then when you’re wrapping gifts you could tie one of the tags to each of the drawstrings. If you leave any Christmas imagery off you could use the tags for their birthday or other holidays too. Mixing and matching the bags with the tags could offer new permutations with each holiday. And… now I’m wondering if I should try to do this now or wait until I have more time after Christmas. Writing these ideas out made me curious so I just looked online and quickly came across these three ideas:

1. Wooden tags with chalkboard paint through [ctrl + Curate: *DIY REUSABLE CHALKBOARD GIFT TAGS FOR GREENER GIFT GIVING*](https://ctrlcurate.com/diy-reusable-chalkboard-gift-tags-for-greener-gift-giving/?ref=simplykyra.com)
2. Paper tags coated in duck tape for dry erase marker labels through [Mod Podge Rocks: Dry Erase Holiday Gift Tags with Duck Tape](https://modpodgerocksblog.com/reuseable-christmas-gift-tags/?ref=simplykyra.com)
3. Embroidered felt or paper tags through [The Crafty Gentleman: Reusable embroidered gift tags (with free printable templates)](https://www.thecraftygentleman.net/2019/12/06/reusable-embroidered-gift-tags-with-free-printable-templates/?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

Have you ever made fabric bags before? If so did you make them the same or different? How did you make them standout and how did you label them? I’d love more ideas so feel free to share your version in the comments below, on my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/), or through [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). I hope you’re having a great day and have an amazing holiday season.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### My Spin on an Amazing Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe I Came Across
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-spin-on-an-amazing-pumpkin-cheesecake-recipe-i-came-across/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:54:49.000Z
Right before Thanksgiving I came across a really simple recipe for pumpkin cheesecake through a Facebook group I’m a member of. I had recently returned from grocery shopping but, luckily enough, already had most of the ingredients so I decided to just give it a go. The cheesecake turned out incredible and as I still had some pumpkin puree left I decided to change it up and, two days later, tried it again. Here are my results!

![Pinterest-geared image showing a collage of four image (also shown below), my blog title "My Spin on an Amazing Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe I Came Across", and my main URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_My-Spin-on-an-Amazing-Pumpkin-Cheesecake-Recipe-I-Came-Across-Pinterest.jpeg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

The recipe I came across, through the [Struggle Meals Facebook Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/2555137817845553), was the [Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe](https://www.spendwithpennies.com/easy-as-pie-pumpkin-cheesecake/?ref=simplykyra.com) by Spend With Pennies. It was really simple as you only need to blend the filling up, pour it into the crust that was pressed into a pie plate, and bake. The hardest part of the whole thing was the fact that it called for room temperature ingredients… I messed this up both times and used mine straight from the fridge but baking the cheesecake longer (about five to ten minutes) seemed to solve that self-inflicted problem. Other than that I also substituted the half cup of sour cream, that I didn’t have, for [my homemade plain yogurt](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/09/how-i-make-my-own-yogurt-for-my-simple-breakfast/). Once baked we let the cheesecake cool in the pie plate, covered it up, and then put it in the fridge for Thanksgiving the next day. It tasted incredible especially topped with fresh whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

After trying the cheesecake I kept thinking about the rest of my can of pumpkin puree and how good the cheesecake tasted. I didn’t have any more graham cookies, the main ingredient in the crust, but I realized I could get around that by using our remaining Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe-Joes’ to experiment with. I then debated whether the cookies’ peppermint filling should be used in the cheesecake filling or it’s crust so I then searched online for `peppermint`, `pumpkin`, and `chocolate`. I didn’t get any results for all three ingredients but did confirm that pumpkin and chocolate goes well together. With that I knew I should use the outer cookie bits and leave the cookie filling out and so looked up `oreo pie crusts` for a better idea on how I should proceed. I can’t remember exactly which recipe I used so I’m not linking to anything and, as I was using the last of the cookies, I didn’t have enough to cover the sides of our pie plate. That said here is how I made the hacked pie:

---

## *Our Spin on the Pie*

After setting the oven, so it could preheat, I grabbed my blender, the cookies, a couple cutlery knives, and the kids. I put them to work opening and scrapping the Joe-Joe’s so we could use the cookie part, in the blender, without the peppermint filling portion. Once all the scrapped cookies were in the blender we turned it on to make chocolate crumbs.

![Image shows the blender with the base blearily seen behind it. In front is a clear circular container with pink speckled white stuff in it and and orange lid beside it. You can see the hands of Ada and Zoey's toes to the left of the table. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2401.jpeg?resize=750%2C1005&ssl=1)

I started out by having the kids use a knife to scrape the candy cane (peppermint) filling from each Joe-Joe. The filling went into a container for them to eat (play with) later and the cookie parts went into the blender to be turned into chocolate crumbs.

While they scrapped the cookies I melted some butter so, once the crumbs were ready, we dumped them into the butter and I set Ada to mixing the two together with a spoon. Once mixed I had Zoey press the mix evenly over the bottom of the pie plate. With the original recipe you press this along the bottom and sides but we didn’t have enough so I just had her coat the bottom of the pie plate instead.

![Image shows a tall white bowl on a folded tea towel. It's filled with a dirt-like consistency and someone, you can only see the arms and part of the body, is mixing it together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2402.jpeg?resize=750%2C523&ssl=1)

After we dumped the chocolate crumbs into the bowl of melted butter I had Ada mix it together with a spoon.

While Ada mixed the two crust ingredients together I took the blender and added all the cheesecake filling ingredients to it. Like before I substituted the sour cream for yogurt while making the odd other change too. This time around I was lazier and thus only used cinnamon, rather than pumpkin pie spice, and dumped the remaining pumpkin puree in without measuring to confirm it was an entire cup (looking it up now [a 15 oz can is 2.5 tablespoons less than two cups](https://www.foodnewsnews.com/news/how-many-cups-are-in-a-15-ounce-can-of-pumpkin/?ref=simplykyra.com) so I was under). With all the ingredients ready I was able to have Ada run the blender while Zoey pressed the crust into place.

![Image shows Zoey in the foreground using a blue spatular to press the chocolate crust into the glass pie plate. She's looking into the background at Ada and the blender as all the ingredients are mixed together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2405.jpeg?resize=720%2C1024&ssl=1)

As Zoey pressed the chocolate crust into the pie plate Ada manned the blender and mixed all the filling ingredients together.

Once mixed I removed the blender from the base, noticed some pumpkin puree hadn’t been mixed in properly, and took that to indicate that we should add some chocolate chips to the blender before blending it some more. Once the filling is ready all you need to do is pour it into the prepped pie plate. Last time the filling fit perfectly but this time we used a different, potentially smaller, pie plate in addition to adding chocolate chips so we had excess filling. To mitigate this I quickly grabbed a cupcake tin and our silicon cupcake liners and, using a small measuring cup, moved the excess liquid from the pie plate to the liners before dumping the remaining chocolate chips that were still in the blender.

![Image shows a glass pie plate filled with bubbly liquid to the left. To the right you can see six and a bit colorful cupcake liners half filled with more cheesecake mixture. To the top you can see the blender, on the left, and the blender accessories, measuring cup, and tea towel on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2410.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Either because of the change in pie plate or the extra chocolate chips I ran out of room. I quickly grabbed my cupcake tin, silicone liners, and a small measuring cup to help transfer the excess from the pie plate to the liners.

I’m not sure if it was, again, my lack of room temperature ingredients or if it was something else but I ended up baking these longer than before and still ended up underbaking the cheesecake. It was hot all the way through so we counted the cheesecake as done, let it cool, wrapped it, and put it in the fridge. Either way it tasted so good although the first one did look better.

![Image shows a slightly underbaked cheesecake resting on a black grilled cooling rack. Below it you can see multi-colored silicone wrapped cupcakes on the stovetop. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2415.jpeg?resize=750%2C514&ssl=1)

I ended up pulling the cheesecake out a bit too early… I’m so bad at knowing if the recipe doesn’t say stick something in it and it should come out clean when done. Either way I used a cooling rack for the pie plate and put the cheesecake cupcakes below it.

Although the pie itself turned out a bit underbaked it tasted incredible and, as we still had some of the original pie left, we were able to dish both and have a taste test. Personally, I think I prefer this recipe with the chocolate crust BUT wish I hadn’t added the chocolate chips as they all sunk to the bottom of the filling while it baked and was a bit much. The original filling was much better though how much of that was because of the chocolate chips, under measured pumpkin puree, minimal crust, or proper bake time who knows. I would love to make both versions again and see how they measure up…. but first I’ll give myself a break from this dessert.

![Image shows two cupcakes on two white saucers. One is in a red liner and the other orange. Both are topped with a swirl of white whip cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2666.jpeg?resize=750%2C425&ssl=1)

The cupcakes ended up only being half filled with cheesecake but the kids didn’t complain as I topped them off with a swirl of whip cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

![Image shows two pies both in glass casserole dishes with piece(s) cut out to better see the interior. The one in the front was the altered one with dark crust and blobs of chocolate near the bottom. The one in the back is the original and is lighter crust and firmer.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2429.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Looking back my one major wish was having baked the second cheesecake longer. That said, although a bit more sloppy, it did taste good. In this photo you can see how all the chocolate chips sunk to the bottom melding with the chocolate cookie crust.

![Image shows both pie pieces placed side by side on a pile of white saucers in front of the large pie. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2431-2.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I’m not quite sure if the difference between the two is only attributed to the bake time or if the, potential, difference was in the pumpkin puree, crust, support with the crust edge, or chocolate chips. Either way I’d love to make both again leaving the filling as a control to better compare the two crusts.

![Image shows the two pieces of pie side by side on a square white saucer on a counter beside a fork. The original one is in the front and is much smaller than the larger piece in the back. Both are topped with whip cream and sprinkled with cinnamon. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2628.jpeg?resize=750%2C367&ssl=1)

They both tasted incredible especially topped with whip cream and more cinnamon. Definitely a make again!

---

I’ve been scared away from making cheesecake over the years and love how simple this recipe was to make. It makes me wonder if you know of another simple cheesecake recipe? Also have you tried this recipe? If so did you hack it to make it into something new? If it was a success I’d love to hear of new ways to make it. Either way feel free to share in the comments below.

Hope you’re having an awesome and delicious day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### My Tinseled Iteration of the LEGO® Bonsai Tree
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-tinseled-iteration-of-the-lego-bonsai-tree/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T23:36:55.000Z
Back in October I altered my LEGO® bonsai tree to create [an Autumn themed one ](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/11/24/my-simple-and-fun-autumn-lego-bonsai-tree/)for the season. I loved how it turned out and immediately started wondering how I should alter it for Christmas. This post shows what I did with it in case you’re also looking to change up your bonsai, or some other LEGO®, for the season.

![Pinterest image showing a collage of three images, all found below, along with my post title and main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/03/compressed_My-Tinseled-Iteration-of-the-LEGO--Bonsai-Tree-Pinterest.jpeg)

---

Sometime after buying the [LEGO® bonsai tree (10281)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/bonsai-tree-10281?ref=simplykyra.com) I started following some LEGO® fan groups on Facebook and Instagram. One of the first ones I joined, [the Adult Fans of LEGO® (AFOLs)](https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdultFansOfLego/), had two people within the group who shared their own take on the bonsai tree including one Halloween themed one along with a more generic Autumnal version that I adored. This lead me to create [my own simple and fun autumn themed bonsai tree](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/11/24/my-simple-and-fun-autumn-lego-bonsai-tree/), that I shared with you right before Thanksgiving, and made me start wondering how I could change up my LEGO® bonsai tree for each season. One thing led to another and this Christmas themed version was created. I wanted to show the final version with you in case you’re interested in making the same and, I figured, share some of the ideas along the way in case another thought interests you more.

Word of warning: I didn’t use LEGO® to change up my bonsai so it you’re a LEGO® purist you may not be interested. That said you’re still welcome to check it out and I share a more LEGO®-related idea near the bottom.

---

## *My Plan*

Originally, I remembered seeing a pom pom trimmed fabric ribbon in a craft store once and I used that vague idea to trim my bonsai with a Christmas themed one making the suggestion of having Christmas lights without the expense of LEGO® bricks, complication of LEDs, and with a much smaller time and money footprint in case it doesn’t turn out.

I kept putting off actually visiting any craft stores before finally loading up the app for [Michael’s Arts and Crafts](https://www.michaels.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Joann’s Fabrics](https://www.joann.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). Neither app showed stock that fit my idea but I did learn that what I wanted was pom pm trim and not ribbon itself. I next jumped onto Amazon and started looking to see if they had anything that fit my criteria. The pom pom trim wasn’t quite what I pictured but it did lead me to tinsel and then I realized I wanted it to be wired so, if needed, I could position the tinsel easier throughout the bonsai branches. Thus my original search for *pom pom trim* became more specific with the word *Christmas* and then went completely different with *tinsel wired*.

![Image shows one full row of results and two part rows all showing fabric ribbon with different sized and colored pom poms either attached or hanging down. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-11-17-at-9.15.33-AM-pom-pom-trim.png?resize=750%2C746&ssl=1)

I started out by looking for *pom pom trim* and although I loved the top-right one and the rainbow one on the second row it didn’t scream Christmas enough for me. Screenshot taken showing my results from Amazon on November 17th, 2021.

![Image again shows one full set of Amazon results and two part rows. These are more Christmas related but are mainly red, green, or white solid pom pom trim rather than multicolored. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-11-17-at-9.15.23-AM-pom-pom-trim-christmas.png?resize=750%2C711&ssl=1)

I next added *Christmas* to my search and received slightly better results. I liked some of the red ones but wanted it more multi-colored. The tinsel festooned one in the center row caught my eye which lead to my tinsel-related searches next. Screenshot taken showing my results from Amazon on November 17th, 2021.

![Image show two entire rows of wired tinsel mostly Christmas themed but one more Halloween themed. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-11-17-at-9.15.09-AM-tinsel-wired.png?resize=750%2C656&ssl=1)

The previous searches led me to search for *tinsel* and then add the word *wired* so I could better place the strands in my bonsai tree. I absolutely loved the tinsel garlands with stars in them but decided to go more simplistic this time around. Screenshot taken showing my results from Amazon on November 17th, 2021.

![Image shows the Amazon listing with three spools of 5 yard wired tinsel about 3/4" thick. There are three spools side by side in the photo showing green, red, and silver. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-11-17-at-9.19.05-AM.png?resize=750%2C347&ssl=1)

I ended up settling for this set of three spools of wired tinsel knowing I could come up with other ideas, eventually, with the excess. Screenshot taken showing what I ended up purchasing from Amazon on November 17th, 2021.

With the tinsel chosen it was time to wait for it to arrive… and then I decided to wait until after Thanksgiving so I could use the Autumn bonsai for a centerpiece which I then forgot.

---

## *Making the Christmas Bonsai*

The day after Thanksgiving we pulled out our Christmas tree, set it up, and then, later on, I couldn’t put it off any longer and decided to finally turn my bonsai into a Christmas tree. I started out by removing all the extra pieces I had added for [the Autumn theme](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/11/24/my-simple-and-fun-autumn-lego-bonsai-tree/), uncovered the missing pieces I had removed back in October, found my instruction book, and grabbed the wired tinsel. Another quick aside… I still need to return the autumnal LEGO® bricks to their rightful displays.

![Image is taken from above showing my bonsai with the green connection pieces at the end of each branch but without any green leaves on it. To the left is my instruction book, to the right my unopened wired tinsel, and above is a blue bowl with all the removed Autumn LEGO® bricks inside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2439.jpeg?resize=750%2C535&ssl=1)

I started out by removing all the Autumn-themed LEGO® bricks that I had added back in October turning my bonsai tree back into it’s original, unfinished, state.

I then separated out my green bonsai LEGO® bricks, found the right page in my instruction book, and got to work rebuilding my bonsai so it would be back to it’s original green-leafed version.

![Image is taken from above showing the leaf-less bonsai tree to the right, the tinsel and scissors above it, the instruction book laid out open along the top, and the empty marked Ziploc bag and green pieces along the bottom. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2445.jpeg?resize=750%2C335&ssl=1)

With the green end pieces still on the ends of the branch the instructions were really simple to return the bonsai leaves back to its LEGO® directed settings.

Once returned to its original, for me as I haven’t made the pink version yet, state it was time to break open the wired tinsel, grab a pair of scissors, and decide how to bedeck the tree. I decided to start with the green tinsel to make the bonsai look larger and fuller. I grabbed the end, encircled one of the LEGO® leaves, and twisted the wire to close it to the end. I then unspooled sections of the wire and carefully wrapped it around the leaves traveling up and down the leaves, branches, and trunk until I was happy with the result. I then trimmed off the excess, twisted the cut end into some already placed tinsel to secure it, and was done with the green.

![Image shows the tree taken from above. All three rolls of tinsel are to the left of the tree with the green one unspooled and its end tied around the end of a leaf. The scissors are off to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2451.jpeg?resize=750%2C545&ssl=1)

I decided to start with the green tinsel so the bonsai tree would look more full.

![Image is a closeup of the mentioned leaf with the tinseled wire wrapped around the long point before the final LEGO® connection point. The base of the bonsai and the red wire is blurred in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2454.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I wrapped the end of the wired tinsel around the tip of one of the leaves and then gently twisted it to secure it down. I knew it couldn’t slide off as the LEGO® tips would keep it on.

![Image shows the tree from above encircled all over with green tinsel. The base is hidden below the tinsel and leaves making for a very green tree. Behind and above you can see the other two spools of red and white tinsel along with a pair of scissors to the right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2457.jpeg?resize=750%2C470&ssl=1)

Once the entire tree was properly green tinselfied it was time to cut the wire and twist the end to keep it in place.

With the green done I had to decide how to proceed as I was just winging it as I went along. I quickly made the decision to leave the red off and instead just use the silver in conjunction with the green. With that decided I then secured the end of the silver wire to another tip of a LEGO® leaf before unspooling the wire bringing the silver tinsel around every leaf, branch, and trunk before securing the newly cut end to another length of tinsel like I did with the green tinsel before.

![Image is taken from above showing the bonsai tree festooned with silver and green tinsel. Below and to either side is the three colored tinsel put away and a pair of scissors. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2458.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Following the same steps as before I added silver tinsel wire to the bonsai and then put the excess tinsel away for any future plans.

With that the tree was done!

---

## *The Final Christmas-Themed Bonsai Tree*

Here are all the final photos of my Christmas-themed bonsai tree in all it’s glory!

![Image of the tinseled tree from its side; angled. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2460.jpeg?resize=750%2C619&ssl=1)

![Image of the tinseled tree from its front; angled. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2463.jpeg?resize=750%2C612&ssl=1)

![Image of the tinseled tree from its other side; angled. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2466.jpeg?resize=750%2C631&ssl=1)

![Image of the tinseled tree from its back; angled. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2470.jpeg?resize=750%2C630&ssl=1)

![Image of the tinseled tree from its top where its height is taller than its width and you can see the shadow below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2471.jpeg?resize=750%2C685&ssl=1)

![Image of the tinseled tree from above angled 90 degrees from the previous photo.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2476.jpeg?resize=750%2C561&ssl=1)

![Closeup of the tinseled tree taken above and to the side. The tinseled branches further away blur a bit while the table and base are blurred further separating the branches in the foreground from the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2478.jpeg?resize=750%2C592&ssl=1)

---

## And Now With Lights!

That morning we had just set up and decorated our Christmas tree and we had an extra roll of indoor lights we hadn’t used yet. Something made me thing of them and I realized I should snap some photos of my little Bonsai LEGO® tree surrounded in lit up lights. Here are the results of that quick shoot!

![Image shows a closeup view of the bonsai from above with the lights surrounding the base below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2494.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

![Image shows a closeup view of the lit up tinsel on the bonsai from above with the lights surrounding the base below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2497.jpeg?resize=750%2C502&ssl=1)

![A side view looking down at the tree with the lights draped over top.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2503.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

![An angled side view looking down at the tree with the lights draped over top.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2504.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

![Looking at the lights draped over the bonsai with the slightly blurred lights in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2506.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

![The bonsai surrounded with Christmas lights taken from the base looking up. The light was played at making the background brighter.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2487.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

![The bonsai surrounded with Christmas lights taken from the base looking up. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2485.jpeg?resize=750%2C498&ssl=1)

---

## *Other Ideas for in the Future*

Today I went onto the Joann’s Fabrics website to check out the sale on flannel and spotted some Christmas themed apparel trim… so I guess I could go back to my original idea and just use trim to trim the tree in the future. They even have one with Christmas lights on it and I really love the little candy canes and snowflakes too. That said, I don’t know how they’d look against the bonsai tree. This is a slightly more gaudy version of what I was originally looking for and I almost bought some but forgot before checking out.

![Image shows eight different holiday trim ranging from pom poms on trim (white snowballs or sparkly Christmas ons) to stocking, gingerbread people, or even lights. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-11-27-at-10.29.31-AM.png?resize=750%2C659&ssl=1)

Screenshot of eight results from the [apparel trim search](https://www.joann.com/fabric/fabric-trims/apparel-trims/?ref=simplykyra.com) on Joann’s Fabrics on November 27th, 2021.

This year we decided to buy the three Christmas LEGO® kits that LEGO.com came out with and adored building them together throughout November. The one kit, [the Elf Club House (10275)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/elf-club-house-10275?ef%5Fid=Cj0KCQiAy4eNBhCaARIsAFDVtI0QftgVE2BnZj-eae9IPjigIwkcju00ihavt9yG4cpyvPTo3aAzsOsaAjXsEALw%5FwcB:G:s&s%5Fkwcid=AL!790!3!564579480221!p!!g!!lego%20elf%20house&Buffer&cmp=KAC-INI-GOOGUS-GO-US-EN-RE-PS-BUY-CREATE-CREATOR-SHOP-BP-PH-RN-ELF%5FCLUB%5FHOUSE&ref=simplykyra.com), has a string of non-lit LEGO® Christmas lights across the front of its roof that I love the look of. I wonder if I bought the parts to make, say five of them, if I could wrap, drape, and dangle them over different parts of the bonsai with the ends attached to a leaf or trunk. The white string and multicolor lights would pop against the brown and dark green bonsai. I could then take it a step further by using lights or leaves to try to hide the ends of the strands so it would be hard to tell where they’re connected. Checking the instructions each strand (6096959) takes nine white connector pieces (6052824) and nine lights composed, in this case, with three of each color: red (6171762), blue (6171877), and green (6171864). Although, looking right now, the first two pieces only come in white their design IDs are: strand 14210, connector 11090, and non-functional lights 28624.

![Image taken showing the front of the completed Elf Club House highlighting the two strands of lights lining the front of the center roof. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2536.jpeg?resize=750%2C497&ssl=1)

I had to take a photo of the completed Elf Club House highlighting the amazing lights. I didn’t build this kit instead Matt did.

![Image is a closeup taken beside the partially deconstructed strand of LEGO® brick lights. Behind it, blurred out, you can see another strand and then the bottom of the club house itself. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_IMG_2535.jpeg?resize=750%2C474&ssl=1)

Each strand has nine white connector pieces with a non-functional *light* piece inside it.

Adding the Christmas lights for the photoshoot made me wonder how the bonsai would look with a smaller version of either white or multicolored functional lights on it. I wonder if, after Christmas, I should go looking for a battery operated strand of LEDs to bedazzle the bonsai with next year either on it’s own or in combination with the tinseled wire. That said, just the other day, I’ve saw LED lighting kits put together to go with LEGO® sets through an Australian company called [Light my Bricks](https://www.lightmybricks.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) so for fun I decided to check out their website and found that they picture the [bonsai being lit from the base](https://www.lightmybricks.com/products/lego-bonsai-tree-10281-light-kit?%5Fpos=2&%5Fsid=8d2a3f51c&%5Fss=r&ref=simplykyra.com). Looking up *Christmas* and *tree*, separately, on their site made me love the idea of the lights on the top branches of the [tree house](https://www.lightmybricks.com/products/lego-tree-house-21318-light-kit?ref=simplykyra.com) and the roof of [Santa’s workshop](https://www.lightmybricks.com/products/santas-workshop-10245-lego-light-kit?ref=simplykyra.com). That said, building on my LEGO® Elf Club House Christmas light strand idea in the previous paragraph, [their version](https://www.lightmybricks.com/products/lego-elf-club-house-10275-light-kit?ref=simplykyra.com) of the lights were amazing. I have never bought from [Light my Bricks](https://www.lightmybricks.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and just came across them yesterday but figured I had to share since we’re talking about a Christmas-themed tree and they, or some derivative idea, seems perfect.

![Screenshot shows the lit up bonsai on the left one a black background. The light comes from below and the rocks surrounding the tree. On the right you can see their main listing information. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/11/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-11-27-at-8.28.55-AM.png?resize=750%2C425&ssl=1)

The [Light my Bricks Bonsai Tree](https://www.lightmybricks.com/products/lego-bonsai-tree-10281-light-kit?ref=simplykyra.com) idea. Screenshot taken on November 27th, 2021.

![Image is a collage of three images taken from the Light my Bricks website showing a lit up LEGO® kit against a black background. The two right images show their logo on the lower right corner while the Elf Club House on the left was trimmed off to showcase the lit Christmas lights and tree. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/03/compressed_Screen-Shot-My-Tinseled-Iteration-of-the-LEGO--Bonsai-Tree-Image.jpeg)

I love how they light up the tree and Christmas sets and how great they look in the photos. All three screenshots were taken on November 27th, 2021 and, from left to right, are the [Elf Club House](https://www.lightmybricks.com/products/lego-elf-club-house-10275-light-kit?ref=simplykyra.com), [Tree House](https://www.lightmybricks.com/products/lego-tree-house-21318-light-kit?ref=simplykyra.com), and [Santa’s Workshop](https://www.lightmybricks.com/products/santas-workshop-10245-lego-light-kit?ref=simplykyra.com).

I have no idea if next year I’ll still be festooning my LEGO® bonsai tree with different themes so I decided I needed to share these ideas here in case I don’t use them later and they’d interest you now.

---

Have you made your own Christmas themed MOC (my own creation)? If so what was it? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below so feel free to share! If you did make one did you add lights and if so how did you go about it?

I hope your December goes well and any builds go superb!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### My Simple and Fun Autumn LEGO® Bonsai Tree
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-simple-and-fun-autumn-lego-bonsai-tree/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T23:34:50.000Z
When October first rolled around I started seeing a bunch of Halloween-themed bonsai trees in [the Adult Fans of LEGO® (AFOLs) Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdultFansOfLego/) I’m a part of. This eventually led to me taking my own bonsai tree, stealing autumn-themed pieces from my other LEGO® sets, and creating my own autumnal spin on the tree. I love how it turned out and I had to share it with you in case it might also inspire you to make your own creation too.

![Pinterest-geared image showing three photos of my completed bonsai tree, the blog post's title, and my main URL. All three images are also found below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/03/compressed_My-Simple-and-Fun-Autumn-LEGO--Bonsai-Tree-Pinterest.jpeg)

---

First, in case you’re interested, these are the two main images that inspired me to take my [bonsai tree (10281)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/bonsai-tree-10281?ref=simplykyra.com) and make it my own for the season:

![Image is a collage showing two themed bonsai trees side by side. The one on the left is Halloween themed while the one on the right is more autumn rather than scary. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/03/compressed_My-Simple-and-Fun-Autumn-LEGO--Bonsai-Tree-Screen-Shot-Image1.jpeg)

The photo on the left is titled [Halloween Bonsai](https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdultFansOfLego/posts/4564664080221255) while the photo on the right was titled [Autumn Bonsai](https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdultFansOfLego/posts/4564043843616612). Both photos, and links, go to the [AFOLs Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdultFansOfLego/).

I didn’t want to take too much time buying more LEGO® for this project and I kind of wanted to see what I could come up with on my own while using the LEGO® we already had especially as my last several kits seemed to include pumpkins. Thus I went around and stole pumpkins, leaves, and more leaves from all my built kits. Basically anything that came in shades of brown, yellow, orange, and light green were nabbed.

![Image is a collage of four photos showing the kits I got the parts from. Specifically each kit is named and linked to in the caption below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/03/compressed_My-Simple-and-Fun-Autumn-LEGO--Bonsai-Tree-Screen-Shot-Image2.jpeg)

My [Bookshop (10270)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/bookshop-10270?ref=simplykyra.com) had a poplar tree with yellow and green leaves in front of the building (top left) and, out the back, a mini garden with a baby and medium pumpkin inside (bottom right). The [Tree House (21318)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/tree-house-21318?ref=simplykyra.com) I bought a while back had a couple pumpkins near the picnic table (top right) and a whole bunch of large yellow leaves ([limb element – 2417](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=2417&ref=simplykyra.com#T=C)). My [Medieval Blacksmith (213125)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/medieval-blacksmith-21325?ref=simplykyra.com) also had a pumpkin patch offering a range of stages including the bloom to a full grown orange pumpkin (bottom left).

Once I collected the leaves and pumpkins I realized I didn’t have anything Halloween-esque so I checked out the kids collection and asked Ada if I could borrow her spider web. She told me yes but only until Halloween so after that the Halloween bonsai lost it’s spiderweb turning it less *scary* and more Thanksgiving-themed leading up to the American holiday. Once I had all the potential parts I needed laid out I got to work prepping my bonsai tree by dumping the little dirt pieces ([flat tile 1×1, round 35381](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=98138&name=Tile,%20Round%201%20x%201&category=%5BTile,%20Round%5D&ref=simplykyra.com#T=C)) out into a bowl, for later, and removing the green leaves carefully while leaving the branches in place for my new construction. All the green pieces I removed were put into a ziplock bag so I could easily find them later when the bonsai needs to be reverted. Once the tree was ready I then started constructing my autumn themed bonsai and, in the process, used every single pumpkin, all three mushrooms, and all of the adorable little leaves ([32607](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=32607&name=Plant%20Plate,%20Round%201%20x%201%20with%203%20Leaves&category=%5BPlant%5D&ref=simplykyra.com#T=C)). For the spider web itself the only spot that seemed possible was underneath the branches so I used a small green flower to attach it to one of the branches. Once I was done I cleaned up all the extra pieces and used the tree as a display by my computer and then, later, on the kitchen table.

![Image is a collage of six images. The right two thirds are two images above each other. On the left side are four smaller images stacked. The caption explains each one.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/03/compressed_My-Simple-and-Fun-Autumn-LEGO--Bonsai-Tree-Screen-Shot-Image3.jpeg)

I started with the green leaf version of my bonsai tree (top right) and removed all the green leaves leaving the branches bare. Then, using images from the left going down, I used a single green flower to attach the spider web, laid out all my pieces for a photo to help remember where they all go back, removed the little dirt pieces to add back when done, and got started decorating the tree. Once done I place it by my computer and, at one point, stole all the little Star Wars LEGO® pieces my husband had to see how long it took him to notice.

And with that the tree was done and looked great! Here it is in all it’s glory:

![Image is the tree taken from below looking up at the spider web and one of the branches. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0970.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

![Side view of the autumn bonsai tree.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0969.jpeg?resize=750%2C593&ssl=1)

![Front view of the autumn bonsai tree. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0966.jpeg?resize=750%2C660&ssl=1)

![Another angle looking up at the tree from below. This time the other side from the spider web. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0965.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

![The other side of the autumn bonsai tree.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0963.jpeg?resize=750%2C582&ssl=1)

![The back of the autumn bonsai tree.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0962.jpeg?resize=750%2C689&ssl=1)

![The angled front view of the autumn bonsai tree.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0958.jpeg?resize=750%2C673&ssl=1)

![Closeup of the top of the tree taken from below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0953.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I am so glad I saw the themed bonsai trees on the Facebook group as it compelled me to make my own autumn-themed bonsai that looks great on display. I’m already debating whether I should make a Christmas themed one or go back to one of the default displays after Thanksgiving. I haven’t really forced myself to decide yet. That said, I’m not looking forward to returning each piece to it’s own display and reconstructing it… although that’s a plan for after Thanksgiving and not now.

Have you made your own MOC (my own creation)? If so what was it? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below so feel free to share! I hope you had a great Halloween and are having an awesome autumn. Have a great day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Check Out Some Really Delicious Canadian Desserts Just In Time For Christmas
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/check-out-some-really-delicious-canadian-desserts-just-in-time-for-christmas/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:53:45.000Z
As the Canadian Thanksgiving rolled around this year I kept debating making Nanaimo bars as our custard powder is best before November and I wanted to use more of it before then. One thing led to another and I ended up making four or so batches of Canadian-themed treats with Ada’s help. Looking back I’m not quite sure whether this is going to become a Canadian Thanksgiving tradition or not but I figured with both the American Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays coming up I needed to share the links in case you’re also looking for some really yummy treats.

![Pinterest-geared image showing the post's title, my main URL, and a collage of five images showing the desserts. All images can also be found below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_Check-Out-Some-Really-Delicious-Canadian-Desserts-Just-In-Time-For-Christmas-Pinterest.jpeg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

## *Thanksgiving History*

First a quick aside. Although both the Canadian and American Thanksgiving holidays are named the same they aren’t exactly alike.

The American Thanksgiving is believed to be modeled on the 1621 harvest feast shared by the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people; according to this [Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Thanksgiving-Day?ref=simplykyra.com) article. It was then proclaimed to be a national holiday upon enactment of the Constitution in 1787 but in 1798 was left to the declaration of each State and wasn’t fully adopted nationally until October 3rd, 1863 during the Civil War when “[Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26.](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Thanksgiving-Day?ref=simplykyra.com)” As time went on the holiday became bigger with football (specifically the Yale and Princeton game in 1876), costumed revelers in the late 1800s, and then finally the parade which first started in Philadelphia with the Gimbel’s department store in 1920 and then, since 1924, the annual New York City Macy’s parade with huge balloons ever since 1927\. All this information was found in the linked [Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Thanksgiving-Day?ref=simplykyra.com) article.

In contrast the Canadian Thanskgiving is believed to have been first celebrated on the 6th of November in 1879 when Sir Martin Frobisher and his crew celebrated landing in, what is now, Nunavut. This is apparently widely contested as the first true Thanksgiving so we might go on to the next celebration held by the inhabitants of New France in 1606 who started a series of rotating Thanksgiving feasts to help prevent the scurvy epidemic and lift their spirits. Either way it seemed to be more a combination of traditions from both the “[Indigenous peoples in North America \[who\] have a history of holding communal feasts in celebration of the fall harvest](https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/thanksgiving-day?ref=simplykyra.com)” and the European settlers’ harvest celebrations that included the cornucopia or horn of plenty. Either way the first national Thanksgiving was first celebrated in the province of Canada in 1859 as a religious holiday while the first national civic version of the holiday, after the Confederation, was on April 5th, 1872\. Unlike the United States the holiday frequently moved each year as it was determined annually by Parliament. Sometimes Thanksgiving coincided with the American holiday yet the Canadian Thanksgiving could also occur as late as December 6th. Back in 1921 Thanksgiving was finally given a stable date on the Monday in the week of November 11th, coinciding with Armistice Day introduced in 1919, but with the introduction of Remembrance Day in 1931 (November 11th) it was again moved around each year until, on the 31st of January in 1957, Parliament set Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October. That said Thanksgiving isn’t an official statutory holiday in all provinces. From the time of conception the Canadian holiday remained a smaller deal compared to the larger United States version but, in Canada, we did adopt their typical feast when it was introduced to Nova Scotia in the 1750s. All these facts were taken from [the Thanksgiving Day article of the Canadian Encyclopedia](https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/thanksgiving-day?ref=simplykyra.com).

Other than the [Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Thanksgiving-Day?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Canadian Encyclopedia](https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/thanksgiving-day?ref=simplykyra.com) articles you could also read more about *the difference between the two* in these [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/07/world/canadian-thanksgiving-2019-trnd/index.html?ref=simplykyra.com), [Culture Trip](https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/canada/articles/how-thanksgiving-in-canada-is-different-from-the-united-states/?ref=simplykyra.com), [Insider](https://www.insider.com/canadians-thanksgiving-vs-american-ways-they-are-different-2018-10?ref=simplykyra.com), [The Old Farmer’s Almanac](https://www.almanac.com/content/ways-canadian-thanksgiving-differs-american-thanksgiving?ref=simplykyra.com), and [Inside Vancouver](https://www.insidevancouver.ca/2014/10/09/how-canadian-thanksgiving-differs-from-american-thanksgiving/?ref=simplykyra.com) articles too.

---

# *Desserts*

Anyway onto the desserts! Several years ago I suddenly started really craving Nanaimo bars, a dessert I hadn’t had since leaving Canada, as I had just realized how long it had been since I’d had any. After looking around online I realized I needed to purchase custard powder and ended up buying [Bird’s Custard Powder (Wikipedia link)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird%27s%5FCustard?ref=simplykyra.com) through Amazon. I absolutely loved the recipe I made especially as I was able to customize it by replacing the traditional walnuts with almonds. It was perfect, fixed my craving, and the girls’ loved them. That said, they’re really rich so I didn’t make them too often and, just this summer, noticed that the best before date on the custard container was for this November. As such I kept thinking of making more, and putting it off, over the last several months as I didn’t want to waste the powder. As the Canadian Thanksgiving approached, this last October, one thing led to another and I ended up making Nanaimo bars along with several other Canadian-remembered treats including sponge toffee, chocolate haystacks, and butter tarts. All in all I spent the Thanksgiving Monday baking, mostly with Ada as Zoey didn’t want to join, a cornucopia of Canadian treats. And so, without further ado, this is what I made:

---

## *Nanaimo Bars*

With all this talk of Nanaimo Bars (pronounced nuh-NYE-mo) I realized I needed to start with this recipe over all the others. Nanaimo bars are something I grew up loving whenever they were served but I was also leery of them as the walnuts in the bottom layer made my mouth itch and I had to decide if eating them was worth the later discomfort. As such they became the pinnacle dessert on potluck tables.

Although their history is mired in mystery Nanaimo bars have become famous over the years. In the [NY Times Nanaimo Bar article](http://nytimes.com/2019/03/22/dining/nanaimo-bars.html?ref=simplykyra.com) it mentions Mrs. Paré, the author of the well-known Canadian cookbook [*Company’s Coming*](http://www.companyscoming.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), having included Nanaimo bars from the very first book in the series *150 Delicious Squares* in 1981\. Apparently she left the bars out of one of her cookbooks once and was repeatedly asked for it by name so many times that she never excluded them again. The Nanaimo bars are still popular and have even gone as far as becoming a donut flavor at the Tim Hortons restaurant chain back in 2017 celebrating the nation’s sesquicentennial (150 year anniversary). If you want to learn more about Nanaimo bars you can continue to check out the [NY Times article](http://nytimes.com/2019/03/22/dining/nanaimo-bars.html?ref=simplykyra.com) or this in depth Nanaimo bar comparison article through [BC Food History](https://www.bcfoodhistory.ca/the-nanaimo-bar/?ref=simplykyra.com).

I can’t remember what recipe I originally used but this time around I made [the Just So Tasty version](https://www.justsotasty.com/nanaimo-bars/?ref=simplykyra.com) and loved it. I also made a few minor adjustments. Instead of using an 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan I doubled the recipe and went with my 9×13 inch glass casserole dish instead. Also as I don’t like walnuts and had sliced almonds on hand I did a one-to-one substitution with them for the bottom layer. Other than that I kept it, overall, the same.

![Image shows the scored Nanaimo bars laid out on a cutting board with a knife cutting the pieces apart. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0128.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The finished and chilled Nanaimo bars! Early on I scored the top of the chocolate making it simpler to cut them into bars.

These were incredible; although extremely rich. As we made so much we shared some, kept other in the fridge, and froze still more. I later decided to try one of these when they were still frozen and they still tasted amazing! So either way mmmm.

Okay I guess I made one more adjustment this time around. My husband really loves the center layer and I was trying to use up more of the custard powder so I decided to make a larger amount of the middle layer as I had enough ingredients to do so. That said I didn’t have enough other ingredients to increase the bottom layer so I decided to put the excess custard layer in a new casserole dish, put it in the fridge to harden, cut it up, and threw it in a Stasher bag stored in the freezer for later. At the time I wondered if I should melt chocolate so each custard square could be dipped into it and come out like a mini chocolate bar. That said I haven’t tried that… yet.

![Image shows a square of solid yellow center with marks where a spatula attempted to flatten the top. It's sitting on parchment paper on a cutting board with a knife beside it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0085.jpeg?resize=750%2C529&ssl=1)

I made a single large piece of custard, chilled it, and took it out of the pan. Here, right after taking the photo, I’m about to cut it into squares to store long term in a parchment separated Stasher bag in the freezer.

While writing this I realized we hadn’t tried the frozen custard yet so while the kids were in school Matt and I each tried a square fresh from the freezer. While it was hard to eat, as it was rock hard from being frozen, I still thought it tasted good but not great while Matt absolutely loved it. Either way as a full Nanaimo bar or with just the middle layer on it’s own it’s rich and tastes yummy.

---

## *Chocolate Haystacks*

These are my absolute favorite cookie from my childhood. We actually made them in our school’s home economics class in middle school as they’re extremely simple as they only need a stove and not an oven. I always returned to that school recipe once I moved out and made them frequently while always doubling or even quadrupling them as the recipe was a bit too small for my taste. I did soon learn that I’d rather make two doubled batches rather than a single quadrupled one as sometimes the increased batch wouldn’t harden properly. Over time I lost the recipe and stopped thinking about them BUT I then spotted them on the Nanaimo bar website and realized I needed to make these too. The best part of [this particular recipe](https://www.justsotasty.com/haystack-cookies/?ref=simplykyra.com)? The fact that she has you put them in the fridge to harden which would’ve sped up and decreased so much stress from all those past cookie making times.

I tried to look up the history of this cookie and at first could only find a variation from the United States that had no coconut and included peanut butter. This version comes under several names including Preacher Cookie (quick to whip up when you saw the preacher coming on his horse), cow patty, poodgie, and no-bake cookies. In case you’re interested, as I may be in the future, these results included [Cook’n](https://www.dvo.com/newsletter/monthly/2018/march/tabletalk1.html?ref=simplykyra.com), [Bite from the Past](https://bitefromthepast.wordpress.com/2014/02/01/1950s-housewife-chocolate-oatmeal-no-bake-cookies/?ref=simplykyra.com), [The Revivalist](https://therevivalist.info/preacher-cookies/?ref=simplykyra.com), and [Kitchen Divas (which also mentions caramel and optionally coconut)](https://kitchendivas.com/preacher-cookie-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com). I then added *coconut* to my search and apparently this moved me from the American recipes to Canadian ones as *Canadian* was included in many titles in the search results but still I saw no ground-breaking historical sources although [Carol Fenster Cooks](http://www.carolfenstercooks.com/index.php/2015/05/grandmothers-wholegrain-canadian-haystack-cookies/?ref=simplykyra.com) mentioned her grandmother always making them and calling them *Canadian Cookies*. Although I specifically searched for *history of chocolate haystack cookies oatmeal coconut* none of them seemed to call them haystacks like I remembered and when I searched for *history of chocolate haystack cookies* each result was different than I remembered. This made me so happy that I had come across [Just So Tasty’s Haystack Cookies](https://www.justsotasty.com/haystack-cookies/?ref=simplykyra.com) as I don’t know how I would’ve searched for them if I had thought of them on my own.

Other than doubling the recipe, as I wanted a lot, I didn’t change the [Haystack Cookie](https://www.justsotasty.com/haystack-cookies/?ref=simplykyra.com) recipe at all. That said I did feel like I was missing something but I can’t remember what it may have been. Anyway, to make it you basically mix your oats and coconut in a bowl, then mix the sugar, cocoa powder, butter, and milk in a pot, bring it all to a boil, dump the hot ingredients into the dry ingredients, mix, and plop them onto a parchment or Silpat lined cookie sheet in vague cookie shapes to dry. They’re so easy and by putting them into the fridge I didn’t need to worry about whether they’d harden or not… although I remember them being tasty even when they didn’t keep their shape.

![Image shows Ada's arm as she uses a spoon to make another cookie next to three others on a Silpat lined baking sheet. Beside it sits a metal bowl filled with the rest of the no-bake dough. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0108.jpeg?resize=750%2C544&ssl=1)

I had Ada mix the dry and boiled ingredients together and then gave her a spoon to start dishing the cookies.

![Image shows All the cookies once they were hardened on the Silpat or parchment lined cookie sheets. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0117.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I used to keep them on the counter to harden but this time I put them in the fridge to speed up, and guarantee, the process.

As I made so many cookies I was able to keep some in the fridge to eat right away and throw the excess in the freezer which led to me, when I really wanted one, trying a frozen cookie. It somehow tasted even better and I ate the last of them, over time, directly from the freezer.

If you’re looking to change this cookie the most popular recipes seem to have peanut butter instead of coconut. I haven’t tried that as I love my coconut a bit too much to give it up. I also vaguely remember something called *spider cookies* that had similar steps with some dried noodle added for crunch. I tried to hunt it down for you and kept finding recipes that also called for butterscotch chips which I don’t remember at all. That said, if you’re interested I found [a *haystack cookie* recipe from Gonna Want Seconds](https://www.gonnawantseconds.com/haystack-cookies/?ref=simplykyra.com) that uses chow mein noodles, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips.

---

## *Honeycomb*

There’s a chocolate bar, named [Crunchie (Wikipedia link)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crunchie?ref=simplykyra.com), that I haven’t found since moving to the United States. It’s basically a chocolate coated rectangular piece of sponge toffee with small bubbles inside and tastes incredible. Although I’ve been missing many of the Canadian chocolate bars since moving this one seemed easily re-creatable when I saw [Bigger Bolder Baking’s honeycomb video](https://www.instagram.com/p/CURNHcahzBu/?ref=simplykyra.com) on Instagram. I immediately started picturing recreating this Crunchie bar for ourselves by break the finished honeycomb candy into smaller pieces and dipping each one into liquid chocolate before putting it aside to harden. In the end I simplified this process by breaking the cooled pieces, spreading it out, pouring liquid chocolate overtop, putting it into the fridge so it could harden, breaking it up again, and packaging it up for the fridge and freezer.

When I was first started writing this post I had difficulty as I kept calling this treat sponge toffee rather than honeycomb like the Bigger Bolder Baking site did. While looking into the history of this candy I discovered that the only difference between the sponge toffee I know from the chocolate bar and the more common honeycomb candy, believed to be invented in the 1940s, is a *secret ingredient* “that reacts with the baking soda and sugar to create the iconic sponge-like texture that is both hard and crunchy, yet soft and sweet when allowed to melt in one’s mouth”. ([according to Stefanelli’s Candies](https://www.stefanelliscandies.com/blogs/stefanellis-specialties/sponge-candy-vs-honeycomb-candy?ref=simplykyra.com)) Looking farther I saw that [the Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/sep/24/sugar-honeycomb-cinder-toffee?ref=simplykyra.com) gave an in depth background on sugar alongside their recipe with no pictures but much detail. In contrast [The Nibble Blog](https://blog.thenibble.com/2017/04/08/tip-of-the-day-make-old-fashioned-sponge-honeycomb-candy-anytime-for-passover/?ref=simplykyra.com) shared many names honeycomb candy is also known by along with a recipe for chocolate sponge candy that I’d be interested in trying.

Anyway, I decided to try making honeycomb candy and after reading over [Bigger Bolder Baking’s Homemade Honeycomb Candy](https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/homemade-honeycomb/?ref=simplykyra.com) recipe several times I jumped in. The first time around I used honey and ended up boiling my mixture too long so some of the candy tasted horribly burnt.

![Image shows a dark brown sponge toffee broken in half with four smaller pieces between the two halves.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0090.jpeg?resize=750%2C533&ssl=1)

The first time around it looked like it came out okay but some pieces tasted horrible. I’m assuming I burnt it and decided to toss all of it and try again.

As a quick aside my favorite part of this was the fact that it was so easy to clean. It didn’t appear that way as the honeycomb candy remnants hardened like rock but if you pour enough hot water on it, and rub it a bit, it will all dissolve as it’s essentially just sugar.

![Image shows a metal pot with brown honeycomb candy stuck to the edge, a wire whisk handle sticking out, and soapy water being filled inside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0100.jpeg?resize=750%2C490&ssl=1)

Each time I made it I soaked the pot, rubbed any bit leftover with my cloth, and it came clean easily enough.

As I was doing a grocery order anyway I added two types of corn syrup to my cart and tried to make the recipe twice more so I could use the light and the dark syrups separately. The honeycomb candy turned out both times so I ended up with a doubled batch which I broke up and mixed so I could easily coat it in chocolate.

![Image shows two trays of honeycomb candy side by side on parchment lined cookie sheets. Beside them rests a candy coated silicone spatula. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0110.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

They did look a bit different but overall tasted mostly the same so I don’t know which corn syrup I prefer.

![Image shows the parchment lined cookie sheet with light-colored broken honeycomb candy and a darker sheet resting to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0112.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once both had cooled I broke them up into smaller bite-sized pieces.

![Image shows a parchment lined cookie sheet full of sharp pieces of honeycomb candy in two shades. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0121.jpeg?resize=750%2C791&ssl=1)

Originally I planned to keep the two types separate for comparison sake but once they started mixing I gave in and just mixed all the pieces up completely.

I planned to wait until I made the top layer of the [Nanaimo bars](https://www.justsotasty.com/nanaimo-bars/?ref=simplykyra.com) so I could make a larger batch and use the excess to coat the honeycomb. This step, although put off, was quick and simple as I only needed to pour it overtop and toss in the fridge. That said I found some sections had too much chocolate and others had too little so I could see taking longer on this step and coating the honeycomb equally. Or even maybe leaving the honeycomb whole, spreading the chocolate overtop, and then breaking it up. In this case the chocolate was just semi-sweet chocolate chips melted down with a bit of oil in a makeshift double broiler (glass bowl on top of a small pot of water).

![Image shows the parchment lined cookie sheet at an angle coated in broken up honeycomb candy with a solid drizzled chocolate overtop. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0122.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After making a large batch of melted chocolate and coating the top of the [Nanaimo bars](https://www.justsotasty.com/nanaimo-bars/?ref=simplykyra.com) with it I took the remainder and drizzled it over the broken up honeycomb candy pieces.

![Image shows a mix of chocolate coated honeycomb candy in a pile on a parchment lined cookie sheet. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0135.jpeg?resize=750%2C520&ssl=1)

After cooling it in the fridge I broke it up again making it ready to taste, serve, or pack up.

---

## *Butter Tarts*

When researching the difference between the Canadian and American Thanksgiving I came across butter tart which I had somehow forgotten over the years other than the occasional potluck I mostly had these when my nanny (grandma) brought them over at Christmastime. That said, although I like to eat butter tarts I don’t absolutely love them and debated whether or not I should add them to my Thanksgiving baking as my dessert list was getting rather long. While debating this I happened to mention them to my husband and thus immediately added them for him. I’m so glad I did as Matt and Ada really loved the butter tarts, or baby pies, and this was the one dessert I didn’t need to freeze.

To make these I looked up recipes online and decided to go with the [Butter Tarts from Little Sweet Baker](https://www.littlesweetbaker.com/butter-tarts/?ref=simplykyra.com). I’m so glad I did as the recipe was simple to follow and tasted just how I remembered them. The recipe has you make the pastry dough for two dozen tarts and then recommends you freeze half as the included filling recipe only fills a dozen tarts. I instead made the tarts from the entire pastry dough, ending up with just over two dozen, and then doubled the filling. I did make a slight alteration which probably led to the extra three tarts. I couldn’t find a circle cookie cutter that was four inches in diameter so I instead used the wide mouth canning jar lid that was only 3 and a half inches wide.

![Image shows a smooth flat oval of pastry dough with four, almost five, circles cut out with a canning jar lid. My rolling pin sits off to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0073.jpeg?resize=750%2C514&ssl=1)

I made the pastry dough early that morning and chilled it in the fridge before rolling it out flat. To make the circles even I used the outer ring of my wide mouthed canning jar as a cookie cutter. Once I made as many circles as I could I squished together the remaining dough, rolled it out again, and tried to cut more.

Anyway when you make these tarts you add the optional extras to the empty tarts crusts and then pour the boiling filling overtop before baking. The recipe recommends using “chopped pecans, walnuts, raisins or chocolate chips” for this but as Matt and I remembered only raisins we went with that. Actually, when buying raisins there were two different types so Ada and I used a combination of both hued raisins.

![Image shows just over two muffin tins each filled with a pastry hollow muffin filled with brown liquid with the odd bubble or brown (raising) lump. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0119.jpeg?resize=750%2C950&ssl=1)

Once the tarts were pushed into the muffin tins Ada placed equal amounts of raisins into each of the tart sections and then I poured the boiling filling equally overtop.

![Image shows the three muffin tins resting on the oven top with browned, bubbled, tarts resting inside to col. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0125.jpeg?resize=750%2C504&ssl=1)

I then baked them until the tarts had browned and the filling had mostly solidified so there wasn’t much jiggle when I took the tarts out.

![Image is a closeup of a cooling rack filled with browned and yummy butter tarts. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0131.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once the tarts had cooled I attempted to flip them upside down to get them out and then settled for running a spatula around the edges to get the filling to stop sticking the tart to the pan. If flipping upside down be mindful of the filling as one of my tarts lost it’s filling through this process through the cooling rack.

These were loved and although I had over two dozen I placed the excess in a Stasher bag in the fridge so they were ready for anyone to munch on. Just a heads up I had the odd filling get stuck to the tart above so next time I plan to place a parchment scrap between the layers to better separate them.

---

## *My Process That Day*

In case you’re also choosing to make the desserts back to back in one day I figured I’d share my order of operations. Granted, just to warn you, some items were pushed back as I was waiting for a grocery order for corn syrup (honeycomb), coconut (chocolate haystacks), and raisins (butter tarts) which pushed off the chocolate topping for the Nanaimo bars as I wanted to use a larger batch to coat the honeycomb. Looking back, if I had all the ingredients ready, I’d still use this order but I wouldn’t necessarily take as long of a break in the middle. Either way it worked out.

I had originally planned to start my baking after lunch so I could focus on coding in the morning. Then I had extra time before the kids woke up and figured I may as well make the crust for the butter tarts as it needed to chill in the fridge before being rolled out. Then, after the kids had eaten, I found I couldn’t concentrate so I decided to start right away. I’m glad I did as I wasn’t finished until 4 p.m. although I did have to wait for more groceries in the middle. Once I decided to get started Ada and I worked on the bottom layer of the Nanaimo bars and let the 9 by 13 inch casserole dish cool in the freezer. We then made the center layer of the Nanaimo bars and tossed the pan into the fridge to cool along with the extra pan of just the center that we later cut and froze. I knew I needed to make the honeycomb candy before the top layer of the Nanaimo bars so I then attempted to make it with honey and burnt it. I quickly added corn syrup to my grocery delivery and thus put off the top layer of the Nanaimo bars for hours as I needed to make edible honeycomb first. I then found myself stuck waiting for the groceries to arrive so I rolled out the tart dough, made the circles, and pushed each one into a cupcake liner before putting it back in the fridge as we then paused to have lunch and wash dishes. Once the groceries arrived Ada and I started out by making the chocolate haystacks as I really wanted them plus I could have her plate the cookies while I went on to make, alone, the two batches of honeycomb using both types of corn syrup. We then let the cookies harden and honeycomb cool while we went on to make the butter tart filling and poured it equally into the pre-made Ada-filled tarts from earlier. We then put them into the pre-heated oven to bake the only recipe that needed the oven that day. While they were baking I broke up the honeycomb into pieces, confirmed the two types tasted the same, and then Ada and I made a large batch of melted chocolate to finish the Nanaimo bars and pour over the honeycomb. We then took the tarts out to cool, scored the Nanaimo bars, cracked the chocolate coated honeycomb, dished all desserts, and I washed the dishes again.

It was a busy day but we ended up with a large container of desserts to share with our friends who we had over the next day, froze half of most, shared with some other friends, and enjoyed the remainders. The butter tarts were the only dessert we didn’t freeze but over the next month we discovered, once we ran out of the desserts in the fridge, that the chocolate coated honeycomb, chocolate haystacks, and Nanaimo bars all tasted just as good, or better, frozen rather than refrigerated.

![Image shows a large clear plastic container with stacks of Nanaimo bars, parchment separated butter tarts, chocolate coated honeycomb candy, and chocolate haystacks. In the background rest the remaining honeycomb candy. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0137.jpeg?resize=750%2C499&ssl=1)

I grabbed a large plastic container and placed a selection of each dessert inside so they’d be ready to serve to friends the next day.

![Image shows five filled Stasher gags on the kitchen counter. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0154.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Other than the butter tarts, which were tossed in a Stasher bag in the fridge, the rest of the desserts were laid out on a cool cookie sheet lined with a Silpat to freeze in the freezer and then later transferred to other Stasher bags for longterm storage.

---

And with that our Canadian Thanksgiving baking was complete. We all enjoyed the desserts that Ada and I made. Previous years we hadn’t celebrated the Canadian Thanksgiving for many small reasons including the fact that we weren’t on holiday and it seems hard to get a turkey more than a month before the American Thanksgiving. I don’t know if it was coming across a few recipes this year, my custard powder’s best before date, that the kids got it off, that Matt randomly took it off, or just the Covid situation in general but I’m so glad we chose to make the desserts as I could see this becoming a yearly tradition whether we make one recipe or more each time. If you make these I’d love to hear how it goes in the comments below along with whether these were an old favorite or if it was your first time trying. I hope you’re doing well and having a great week.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Check Out Ada's Amazing "Pretty Pink Princess" Halloween Costume
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/check-out-adas-amazing-pretty-pink-princess-halloween-costume/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:52:49.000Z
Back in September I asked the girls what they wanted to be for Halloween as I wasn’t sure how long it would take to create whatever they pictured or even if they’d need time to decide. Ada quickly told me that she wanted to be a Pink Princess for Halloween and since then hasn’t changed her mind once. When I got her to define what a Pink Princess entails she replied that it included a pink dress and then listed three items she already owned including her *flower crown* headband, a pink necklace, and her sparkly running shoes. Over time some things were altered from her original vision but I’d like to think it turned out pretty awesome.

![Pinterest-geared image with three photos, my blog's title, and my main URL. The main image shows Ada from the neck down wearing her costume. The top two images shows the final masks and a variety of possible pink headband crowns.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_Check-Out-Adas-Amazing-Pretty-Pink-Princess-Halloween-Costume-Pinterest.jpeg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

At first, once Ada told me her choice, Zoey immediately said she wanted to be a rainbow princess to match her, but over time that changed to [Princess Skateboarder](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/11/03/check-out-zoeys-epic-princess-skateboarder-halloween-costume/). Between Zoey’s costume and the fact that I have no desire to make a sparkly, tulled, and/or flouncy costume I decided to hop online to look for store-bought options for Ada’s pink princess dress. This way it would be simpler for me and make Ada feel spoiled. I had originally hoped to find something through Costco as we absolutely loved our previous costumes from there including a [fire fighter costume (that generated a matching homemade firetruck)](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/11/firetruck-halloween-costume/), [Ada’s Wonder Woman costume](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/19/adas-epic-wonder-woman-halloween-costume/) last year, and a rainbow unicorn dress up costume. At first I was excited by Costco offers as they had several pink fairy costumes which would’ve been perfect as Ada wanted to include her flower headband in her costume as a crown and so a new flowered crown would’ve been perfect to go with the dress. That said I like to buy my costumes a bit big so they can be enjoyed as a whole or in parts after Halloween and Ada had just about sized out of their selection. As such, I debated making her dress myself for a hot second and then found the perfect dress on Target’s website that Ada absolutely loved for $32\. And with that the dress was decided, ordered, tried on, and hung up for Halloween.

![Image is a screenshot taken of the Target website showing the "little adventures girls' royal pink princess dress" with a main photo and littler thumbnails to the left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-27-at-8.20.17-AM.png?resize=750%2C732&ssl=1)

We ended up going with [this dress](https://www.target.com/p/little-adventures-girls--39--royal-pink-princess-dress---xl/-/A-13398986?ref=simplykyra.com) for $32 from Target. Ada approved the photo, we ordered it, tried it on, and then hung it up so it would stay clean for Halloween. It wasn’t as flouncy as I had pictured but it was also machine washable and looks more comfortable to wear so it’s perfect!

I wanted to add something to her outfit so I went to the Dollar Tree but couldn’t find anything that would work in the required pink color. That said at Michael’s I found a long wired chenille strand that I bought in case Ada wanted to craft something to go with her costume. I next went through the girls’ room and dress-up drawer and found several pink headbands, a sequined pink sash saying *Birthday Princess*, and a pink and silver wand. Ada absolutely loved the wand and kept it with her costume although we may have forgotten it on Halloween night. We then considered altering the sash to say “Pink Princess” but then, over time, decided to just leave it off. If Ada had wanted to I did offer to cut the center of the sash off and glue/tie it to the wand so there would be glittery strands hanging down… she declined. As to the headbands we kept them on hand which was perfect when Ada lost the flowered headband right before she needed it. Overall this was a super simple costume to assemble and Ada loved it.

![Image shows the dress laid out on the kitchen table with the headbands, pink chenille strand, wand, and birthday sash laid out over and around it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0373.jpeg?resize=750%2C1011&ssl=1)

At this point we had the perfect dress! I then went through the girls’ room and found a “birthday princess” sash, several pink headbands, and a wand that I set aside in case we needed them later. I also bought a long pink pipe cleaner that was on clearance at Michael’s in case Ada wanted to craft something to go with the costume. She didn’t but it’s now wrapped around her guardrail on her bed.

![Image shows found pink headbands laid out on the floor. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0011.jpeg?resize=750%2C501&ssl=1)

I attempted to keep Ada’s flowered headband with the other pink ones but she loved it and wanted to keep wearing it. As such Ada ended up switching to the other flowered headbands closer to Halloween when she lost the first.

As Halloween approached we realized we needed to submit a photo to her school for a virtual parade slideshow. As such I was able to get Ada to agree to wear the entire costume for some photos. She looked amazing as a pink princess!

![Image shows Ada standing in pink rubber boots wearing the pink glittery dress. One hand is holding the skirt up while the other holds the wand and the tulle overskirt. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0457.jpeg?resize=750%2C726&ssl=1)

![Image shows Ada standing in pink rubber boots wearing the pink glittery dress. One hand is holding the skirt high showing her pink hearted pants while the other holds the wand.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0446.jpeg?resize=750%2C745&ssl=1)

Ada was excited to dress-up as a pink princess at school the Friday before Halloween even though she couldn’t bring her wand along with the costume. As the girls wear masks to school I decided to make Ada a new [Iris Luckhaus](https://www.irisluckhaus.de/en/2020/diy-cloth-mask/?ref=simplykyra.com) mask to go with her costume but I didn’t have any pink woven fabric. Rather than buying fabric for just a simple mask I decided to go through my fabric stash with Ada to see what she’d want. Ada absolutely adored the two glittery pink tulles I had, remnants from Joann’s years ago, and chose that over decorating a mask herself. As there were two different pink tulles we first decided to make her two masks using a white woven layer as the outer layer with the pink tulle overtop so the mask would be as safe as the [other ones I’ve previously made](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/11/04/i-sewed-up-three-free-face-mask-patterns-and-here-is-my-takeaway/).

![Image shows all four fabrics, the mask pattern, my rotary blade, and my quilting rulers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0412.jpeg?resize=750%2C489&ssl=1)

I started laying out the princess flannel for the inner layer, white woven fabric for the outer layer, and the two pink tulles to be an overlay.

![Image shows the pink flowered tulle laid out on a quilting mat with a quilting ruler laid overtop. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0419.jpeg?resize=750%2C475&ssl=1)

Since I was laying the transparent tulle over the white fabric I decided to cut it a bit larger than needed and center it once I was ready.

Once I decided to go all in with Zoey’s face masks I decided Ada also needed a mom-drawn mask as well. At this point I had already taken the school photos of their costumes and so I took Ada’s favorite photo and printed it off so I could trace it onto her mask using fabric markers. After setting myself up with the fabric pinned to the paper and light box, so I could trace, and the photo laid out to refer to it was time to get started. I grabbed a bright pink fine-tipped fabric marker and drew out the dress’s outline and details along with her headband, boots, and the center of her wand. I then switched from lines to shading and did Ada’s skin, hair, wand, and then removed the fabric to add the extra details and background. I kept Ada’s pink theme and other than her silhouette itself I only used pink markers for her mask. Once I was happy with how the pieces looked I used my iron to set the ink to the fabric.

![Image shows my phone displaying the image of Ada next to my light box with the paper and fabric pinned under magnets so they don't shift. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_1888.jpeg?resize=750%2C401&ssl=1)

I started out by tracing the outline and details of the dress before going onto the other colors. When I wasn’t sure what I was seeing below the fabric I referred to the photo on my phone.

![Image shows the square of fabric with Ada's silhouette drawn on. There are four small rectangles to the side. Both are shaded in light pink while two of them have dark pink flowers to match Ada's boots and dress outline. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0699.jpeg?resize=750%2C553&ssl=1)

Once I had her silhouette drawn I added the idea of a flower surrounding her and then decorated the four small pieces of fabric so both the masks would be completely pink. I had chosen to use fabric rather than tulle for the masks’ edge so it wouldn’t be scratchy against her face.

With the one mask decorated with fabric marker it was time to decide what to do with the two pieces of tulle I had cut out earlier. I debated laying one over Ada’s silhouette but there was no point hiding it after drawing it out so I decided instead to layer both of the tulles over each other to make a single mask.

![Image shows the glittery circled tulle laid out overlapping on the flowered tulle. Both are overlapping with the Ada silhouette letting me see how it would look over the image and/or the white fabric beside it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0680.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I checked how the tulle would look against the white fabric before determining if it looked better with the circled tulle in front (shown above) or the flowered tulle in front (shown below). I easily decided the latter.

With the fabrics figured out and the drawings made it was time to finish the masks. I absolutely love how they turned out and love that Ada chose to use my hand-drawn one to school over the sparkly one.

![Image shows two finished masks side by side. The one with the silhouette and flowered edges is to the left and the sparkly tulle one with the pink edges is to the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0752.jpeg?resize=750%2C400&ssl=1)

I love how both the pink masks turned out!

I can’t tell you how the tulle one worked as Ada still hasn’t worn it. That said I did try to use plain woven on the sides in the hope that the mask isn’t itchy since the tulle is just on the outer layer and not against her face. Also since the tulle is hole-y I didn’t count it as a layer until they were laid overtop of a plain white square of woven fabric. This way the mask has extra layers instead of replacing a tighter fabric with a looser one. I’m also kind of curious how long the glitter will hold up in the laundry and whether it will still look good as a pink mask without the glitter once it all comes off.

---

I love how the combination of store-bought, already owned, and homemade items came together to make Ada the perfect Halloween costume. I loved seeing Ada get excited for her costume and can’t wait to see how often she wears the masks and the dress in the future.

I hope this post helps you come up with your own costume. If so I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Hope you’re having a great week.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Check Out Zoey’s Epic “Princess Skateboarder” Halloween Costume
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/check-out-zoeys-epic-princess-skateboarder-halloween-costume/
Last updated: 2025-10-19T02:48:22.000Z
Back in September I asked the girls what they wanted to be for Halloween so I could get started on their costumes. At first Zoey told me she wanted to be a Rainbow Princess, after hearing Ada say Pink Princess, but a couple of days later I saw her watching the Princess Skateboarder video again on [Homer](https://learnwithhomer.com/library/story/princess-skateboarder/?ref=simplykyra.com) and asked if she wanted to be Princess Skateboarder instead. She immediately latched onto the idea and loved it. Looking back a rainbow princess would’ve been much easier as we still had a rainbow dress from a Costco unicorn costume I bought the previous year that would’ve worked amazingly. That said Prince Skateboarder needed to be made and, as I couldn’t find anything online, I wanted to share what I did in case you’re also looking for ideas for Princess Skateboarder.

![Pinterest-geared image showing five images, the blog title, and my main URL. All the images are found below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_Check-Out-Zoeys-Epic-Princess-Skateboarder-Halloween-Costume-Pinterest.jpeg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

This post is a general overview of Zoey’s Princess Skateboarder costume for Halloween 2021\. Before posting this I shared four other posts going over how I put together and created the other parts of her costume. Here they are in case you want to learn more about each one of them: 

[How I Easily Assembled an Outfit for Princess SkateboarderThis year Zoey broke her two year pumpkin Halloween costume streak to become Princess Skateboarder! Here’s how I’ve assembled the outfit so she looks the part.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-21.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_Image-1.jpg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/06/how-i-easily-assembled-an-outfit-for-princess-skateboarder/)

[Learn How I Made Princess Skateboarder’s Amazing SkateboardLast week I shared how I made Zoey a Princess Skateboarder costume for Halloween. This week I’m sharing how I added a really cool prop skateboard to it using cardboard, Mod Podge, and paint. Come check it out!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-22.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0333.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/13/learn-how-i-made-princess-skateboarders-amazing-skateboard/)

[Check Out the Great Princess Skateboarder Helmet I Made and What Accessories I Included to Go With ItOver the last two weeks I shared how I made Zoey a Princess Skateboarder outfit and a properly sized prop skateboard for her Halloween costume this year. This week I’ll follow the series with how I used a balloon, paper mache, and paint to make her a knight’s helmet. Come check it out!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-23.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0353-1.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/20/check-out-the-great-princess-skateboarder-helmet-i-made-and-what-accessories-i-included-to-go-with-it/)

[How I Put Together a Stupendously Amazing Sail for Princess Skateboarder’s SkateboardWith the last three Princess Skateboarder posts published I next wanted to share with you my favorite accessory I made for the costume. The sail and mast! Check it out here.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/icon/4-24.png)SimplyKyraKyra![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/thumbnail/compressed_IMG_0340.jpeg)](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/27/how-i-put-together-a-stupendously-amazing-sail-for-princess-skateboarders-skateboard/)

Just a quick aside if you don’t know who Princess Skateboarder is you’re in for a treat. It’s a short two to three minute video on the app Homer. Searching for Princess Skateboard; however, brings up [the video on their website](https://learnwithhomer.com/library/story/princess-skateboarder/?ref=simplykyra.com) so you can easily enjoy the story yourself. In case you haven’t watched it I’ll give you a brief overview. The townspeople around the princess have all fallen asleep except for her. The dragon notices she’s not sleeping and sticks her in a tall tower out of the way. She knows she needs to save everyone so she creates a skateboard from a knight’s shield, two sets of scrolls (wheels on axels), and a necklace. She then gets hurt and tears her dress but won’t give up! She takes apart the knight’s armor behind her gaining a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads and thus makes her safe enough to go skateboarding out of the tower. On the journey to the town she needs to add a sail to her skateboard to cross the moat, using the ripped piece of her dress, and then does tricks to cause the birds flying around her to tweet loudly thus waking up the townspeople and saving the day. It’s adorable!

![Screenshot of the Princess Skateboarder video about to be played from Zoey's iPad. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_final_IMG_9406-1.jpeg?resize=750%2C535&ssl=1)

I quickly snapped a photo of the Princess Skateboarder video before Zoey could press play allowing me to look it up later and take screenshots to compare the eventual costume against.

Anyway when I suggested the idea of Princess Skateboarder to Zoey I wasn’t thinking about how we were going to make each part of the costume come to life. Instead I was remembering how long she’s loved the Princess Skateboarder video and knew that she’d love this costume too. In fact three years ago, after using this very dress to make her [a firetruck costume](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/11/firetruck-halloween-costume/), I had considered tying pink fabric around the dress so Zoey could be Princess Skateboarder around the house although I never did got around to doing it. Zoey was so in love with this costume idea that later, when making her a pumpkin-themed dress, she refused pockets as Princess Skateboarder doesn’t have any.

![Image shows all the parts of the costume laid out on the kitchen table. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0358.jpeg?resize=750%2C856&ssl=1)

With all the parts finished it looked amazing laid out on the table! This included an old dress, store-bought safety pads, a Dollar Tree tiara, and three homemade items: the [skateboard](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/13/learn-how-i-made-princess-skateboarders-amazing-skateboard/), [helmet](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/20/check-out-the-great-princess-skateboarder-helmet-i-made-and-what-accessories-i-included-to-go-with-it/), and [sail](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/27/how-i-put-together-a-stupendously-amazing-sail-for-princess-skateboarders-skateboard/)!

---

## *The Final Costume*

With all the pieces done and Halloween approaching it was time to have Zoey try them all on together. Actually, her school needed a photo for their virtual parade so it was the perfect time to get some photos for my blog too. Zoey got to choose her favorite photo for school and I got to have an array of photos of her in her costume. Win for all of us!

![Zoey standing barefoot on the floor in her red dress, pink sash, elbow pads, and knee pads. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0464.jpeg?resize=750%2C919&ssl=1)

Started out putting on her dress, adding the pink sash, and attaching the safety pads. I’ve previously shared about the [outfit and sewn sash here](https://www.simplykyra.com/tag/princess-skateboarder/) and mentioned the Amazon-ordered safety pads in the [helmet post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/20/check-out-the-great-princess-skateboarder-helmet-i-made-and-what-accessories-i-included-to-go-with-it/).

![She's now wearing the same outfit as before but a homemade prop skateboard sits on its end as she holds on to the top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0468.jpeg?resize=750%2C829&ssl=1)

Next was the true to scale knight’s shield turned skateboard. I shared how I used cardboard, mod podge, an electric carving knife, and paint to create it in [this post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/13/learn-how-i-made-princess-skateboarders-amazing-skateboard/).

![Now she stands on the skateboard with her knees bent and her arms out. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0470.jpeg?resize=750%2C829&ssl=1)

I added the [helmet](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/20/check-out-the-great-princess-skateboarder-helmet-i-made-and-what-accessories-i-included-to-go-with-it/), shown in the next photo, and got her to try to ride the skateboard so the photos would look more realistic.

![Zoey is now crouched in her dress, wearing her helmet, holding onto the mast of the sail turning the skateboard into a boat. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0474.jpeg?resize=750%2C467&ssl=1)

Finally I surprised her with the felt sail so she could place the tip in the skateboard and sail away. I posted about the sail [here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/27/how-i-put-together-a-stupendously-amazing-sail-for-princess-skateboarders-skateboard/).

![Same outfit and accessories as before but now she's standing with her knees bent. One hand is on the top of the mast keeping it in place while the other hand rests on her knee. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0479.jpeg?resize=750%2C887&ssl=1)

I mentioned that she should stand while holding the tip of the mast and got this cute image.

![Image is taken from above looking down at her holding the skateboard upright with one hand the mast with another. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0484.jpeg?resize=750%2C806&ssl=1)

She loved that she was now Princess Skateboarder!

With Covid we decided not to trick-or-treat and instead hung out at a friends house were the kids got to search for candies in the backyard and have an awesome time. As such we didn’t need to worry about the accessories being bulky or the helmet covering her eyes as we could simply take it off and leave it in a pile. If we had been trick-or-treating this would have been different.

---

## *Face Mask*

Going into this I knew the girls were going to dress up for school and as such I wanted to make them each a custom face mask to go with their costumes. I decided on two new masks each and started planning on incorporating the birds I failed to make earlier by adding them to Zoey’s mask. While I was cutting the fabric out Zoey asserted that she wanted to decorate the masks herself but then got bored with the idea after only decorating a small piece of fabric. As Halloween approached I debated just skipping custom masks but remembered how much Zoey still loved her pumpkin mask from the [previous Halloween](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/21/zoeys-simple-and-updated-pumpkin-costume/) and decided it was worth the trouble.

For Zoey I planned to make two masks that she could, as we originally planned, decorate so I cut out the front and side pieces of the Iris Luckhaus pattern we *loved* with white woven fabric. For the inner layer I decided to use the Halloween scraps leftover from the previous year. If you’re curious about this mask pattern you can find it [here](https://www.irisluckhaus.de/en/2020/diy-cloth-mask/?ref=simplykyra.com) although I previous shared it when I reviewed the [three mask patterns](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/11/04/i-sewed-up-three-free-face-mask-patterns-and-here-is-my-takeaway/) I’ve sewn and shared it again while going over the [back to school mask caddy](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/08/18/my-daughters-mask-command-center-and-how-i-made-it/) I made for the girls. Anyway after cutting out the fabric I gave Zoey the fabric pieces and fabric markers so she could decorate her Halloween masks however she wanted. Then Ada pulled her away to play and Zoey lost interest in the project… leading to me picking it up. I wanted to draw the skateboarding Princess Skateboarder so people might recognize her costume without all the props at school and I wanted to include the birds that helped wake all the townspeople. As such I grabbed two screenshots of the video, one showing her skateboarding and the other showing the birds, and printed them out in various sizes so I could use them to trace the Princess onto the fabric using my light box.

![Collage of four images. From top left clockwise: 
1. Fabric laid out beside the rotary blade and pattern.
2. The fabric laid out next to the fabric markers, printed screenshots, and light table. The fabric is white except for the small drawing Zoey made. 
3. The phone is laid out next to the light table so I can trace what I can see through the paper while consulting with the original image. 
4. Same sketch setup as 3 but now it's showing the birds being added behind the princess.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_Check-Out-Zoeys-Epic-Princess-Skateboarder-Halloween-Costume-Image1.jpeg?resize=750%2C500&ssl=1)

I picked out the fabric, cut it according to the pattern, traced the princess and birds onto the fabric, and colored in any blank spaces.

I ended up using the exact same image to add the Princess to either mask but used the smaller version of it for one and the larger version for the other. On the larger version I also added a hint of the ground, birds, and musical notes around her. On the smaller one I sketched in a bit of the background along with the birds. I then took the two side pieces and added birds to two of them making the birds face inward toward the princess. To the other side pieces, including the one with Zoey’s drawing, I added musical notes to match with the rest of the mask and tie in her drawing. Once done I pressed the fabric to set the ink and sewed up the two masks according to the directions.

![Collage of three images. The top row has two images side by side while the bottom is one image all the way across. From top left across. 
1. All the sketched fabric laid out on a white towel to be ironed. 
2. The fabric is laid out with the liner and you can see how it's split up.
3. The final masks side by side with white elastic through the channels. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_Check-Out-Zoeys-Epic-Princess-Skateboarder-Halloween-Costume-Image3.jpeg?resize=750%2C500&ssl=1)

I then pressed the fabric to set the ink, matched up the pieces to form two unique masks, sewed them together, and added elastic.

![Image shows a closeup of the lower half of Zoey's face and her shoulders while wearing the dress. The mask shows a creased Princess Skateboarder surrounded by bluebirds and musical notes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0891.jpeg?resize=750%2C459&ssl=1)

Zoey absolutely **loved* both and now she has two more masks in rotation!

---

## *School*

The girls were able to dress up for school but weren’t allowed to being any accessories that may get lost or distract the kids from learning. This included most of Zoey’s costume. As such I pulled out the tiara and explained to Zoey that she’d have to go to school as Princess Skateboarder before, or after, she saved the town. I worried that the cheap tiara would fall off or distract Zoey so that morning I braided her hair in such a way that the tiara would be secure and comfortable. Although it was hard to get the hair through the tiara I’m glad I did it as Zoey absolutely loved the final look. She also didn’t ask me once throughout the day to take it out showing that it was either comfortable or she just loved it that much. Anyway if you do the same I grabbed a crochet hook at one point to help thread the hair through the holes in the crown. That helped a bit but next time I definitely plan to hunt down a larger crochet hook the night before so it’s way simpler. As a quick aside, if you are planning on attaching something to your child’s head, when Ada was back in kindergarten I used floral wire and pony tail ties to help attach [a plastic dinosaur to her head](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/30/dinosaur-themed-crazy-hair-day/). That said she asked me to take it out the second I picked her up from school.

![Image is a collage of two images. The one on the left shows the safety pin attaching the dress right under the silver to the bottom of the pink sash. The sash is folded down to better show how it works. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_Check-Out-Zoeys-Epic-Princess-Skateboarder-Halloween-Costume-Image2.jpeg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

When planning her costume Zoey was adamant that she didn’t want the silver belt on the front of her dress showing. As such I planned to use safety pins to keep the pink belt attached over the silver on the front of her dress. I ended up using three along the bottom and one at the top center so that the top wouldn’t flip down. I didn’t add any to the back as there was no silver there.

![Image shows Zoey from the neck down with her red dress on and mask around her neck. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0864.jpeg?resize=750%2C862&ssl=1)

When laying out her clothing the night before she chose pink pants and mismatched pink socks to go with the outfit. She also decisively chose which mask she preferred.

![Image is taken from above looking at the french braid pony that is holding the crown in place on ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_0875.jpeg?resize=750%2C837&ssl=1)

The photos I took that morning are a bit blurry so I figured I’d share a photo of the hairstyle after a fun day at school instead. I started out by pulling two strands of hair from the front of her head through the tiara. I then started french braiding her hair grabbing the new sections from either inside the tiara or, carefully, pulling the strands through an opening in the tiara to get to the braid. Zoey likes the top elastic from her mask to lay on a pony so I finished the braid with her go to pony. Between the orange sweater and her pink pipe cleaner bracelets this costume doesn’t look as Princess Skateboarder as the others but she adored it.

---

Although Zoey didn’t really wear her costume with all the accessories for too long I’m glad I made it. She loves the idea of being Princess Skateboarder and I love that I was able to make it happen for her. Who knows… maybe she’ll be asking for a real skateboard at some point and I’ll be recreating a more realistic version of this outfit in the future. That said for now I just hope that she pulls out the pieces to play with every now and then.

Anyway, this is what Zoey was for Halloween this year. What did you, or your kids, dress up as? Was it simpler, harder, more portable than this? I’d love to hear about it so feel free to share in the comments below. I hope you’re having an awesome day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How I Put Together a Stupendously Amazing Sail for Princess Skateboarder’s Skateboard
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-put-together-a-stupendously-amazing-sail-for-princess-skateboarders-skateboard/
Last updated: 2025-09-01T01:20:42.000Z
I absolutely love the [skateboard](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/13/learn-how-i-made-princess-skateboarders-amazing-skateboard/) and [helmet](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/20/check-out-the-great-princess-skateboarder-helmet-i-made-and-what-accessories-i-included-to-go-with-it/) I made for Zoey’s costume but what I truly love, looking back, is this sail I made to turn the skateboard into a boat. Plus it was incredibly simple. I bought most of the supplies ahead of time, gathered the rest from my stash, and was able to easily make it in one day while the kids were in school. Here’s how I did it in case you want to do the same too!

![Pinterest-geared image showing, from top down, a screenshot of Princess Skateboarder on her boat, the title of my post, a collage of five images of the final sail and the materials bought, and my main URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_How-I-Put-Together-a-Stupendously-Amazing-Sail-for-Princess-Skateboarders-Skateboard-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

In the Princess Skateboarder video, [found through Homer](https://learnwithhomer.com/library/story/princess-skateboarder/?ref=simplykyra.com), the Princess creates a skateboard to escape from the tower that the dragon trapped her in. While first trying out the skateboard she had fallen and ripped her dress. Although the dress never appears ripped she does hold up the piece of cloth that ripped off when it happened. Anyway, once she made the safety gear she escapes down the tower and is then blocked by the moat. That’s no problem for Princess Skateboarder as she simply flips her skateboard over, making the shield concave to float, and uses broken branches and the ripped part of her dress to make a boat to cross. She then travels across the moat, reminding me of a windsurfer, and then, once reaching land, quickly reverts back to the skateboard by flipping it back over. Although Zoey didn’t truly need to turn her skateboard into a sailboat I knew I needed to do it for her as it’s awesome!

![Image shows Princess Skateboarder windsurfing down a waterfall and across water standing on her boat made, originally, from a knight's shield. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_9425.png?resize=750%2C251&ssl=1)

This screenshot was taken from the [Princess Skateboarder video on this Homer website](https://learnwithhomer.com/library/story/princess-skateboarder/?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

As a quick aside, in case you’re also making a Princess Skateboarder costume, I wanted to share all my Princess Skateboarder related posts in one easy to find location for you. *My final overview post hasn’t gone live yet but I’ll link to it here once it does.*

- [Outfit](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/06/how-i-easily-assembled-an-outfit-for-princess-skateboarder/)
- [Cardboard-Made Skateboard](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/13/learn-how-i-made-princess-skateboarders-amazing-skateboard/)
- [Paper Mache Helmet and Accessories](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/20/check-out-the-great-princess-skateboarder-helmet-i-made-and-what-accessories-i-included-to-go-with-it/)
- [Final Overview of the Costume](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/check-out-zoeys-epic-princess-skateboarder-halloween-costume/)

---

## *Planning the Sail*

Early on in the planning I knew I’d need dowels to make the mast and attach the sail. Thus while shopping at Michael’s Arts and Crafts, while planning all the costume parts, I picked up three dowels and a piece of red felt for the sail.

![Image shows the felt and three sheets of craft foam balanced in the shopping cart. The three dowels rest behind it held it place with my hidden hand. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9516.jpeg?resize=750%2C505&ssl=1)

I grabbed one piece of felt, two matching dowels, and the last really skinny dowel although it came with a bend in it. I also grabbed three sheets of craft foam for the helmet and maybe skateboard details but never did use them.

I had originally planned to add a recessed hole, matching the mast size, to the underside of the skateboard so Zoey could simply flip the skateboard over, stick the mast in the hole, and pretend she was sailing. As I made the skateboard; however, I started doubting that plan as I didn’t want the top of the skateboard damaged while she sailed away. I decided instead to take creative license on the story and instead have the mast rest on the top of the skateboard so I didn’t need to worry about the top of the skateboard being pressed to the dirty ground.

![Image shows the drawn and written plan for the sail. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_sail-drawing.png?resize=750%2C704&ssl=1)

My plan all sketched out ahead of time so later, after finishing the other pieces, I was able to create the mast and sail in only one school day.

Because I had the general idea from the beginning and had bought the dowels ahead of time I was able to alter my skateboard plan on the go so that the mast had somewhere to rest securely while Zoey windsurfed without a gaping hole in the top of the shield.

![Image shows the paper mached cardboard skateboard with the dowel fitting within the necklace's functional and decorative parts. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0086.jpeg?resize=750%2C411&ssl=1)

Since the plan was in place I was easily able to include the need for the mast to sit securely on the shield’s top. To factor this in I added a pendant to the **necklace* used by the Princess to secure all the pieces together and made sure there was a large circular attachment between the two parts that was functional to fit the wooden dowel.

---

## *Cutting the Dowels*

With the idea having sat in the back of my mind for so long I was excited to make it truly become a reality. I started out by triple checking that the larger dowel still fit within the skateboard’s necklace spot before making the mast.

![Image shows the felt and dowel held up with the base resting in the circular connection point for the necklace. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0251.jpeg?resize=750%2C386&ssl=1)

Quickly confirming that the mast will fit in the skateboard.

With the dowel resting on the skateboard I compared it to the image of the Princess Skateboarder’s sailboat and marked how high I wanted the mast to be. I then grabbed my X-Acto knife and held it in place against the dowel with one hand as I rotated the dowel continuously with the other. As I rotated the pressure from the knife cut a groove into the dowel and kept going deeper and deeper. When I thought it was deep enough I attempted to bend the dowel in two so it would break at that point. I hadn’t cut deep enough; however, as the two pieces broke at an angle. This was emulating a tree branch so I figured it was perfect and quickly used my knife to whittle the end so it was smoother and wouldn’t hurt Zoey later on.

![Image shows me holding the dowel and the knife in one hand above the skateboard, case of knives, and the other sail-pieces. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0253.jpeg?resize=750%2C544&ssl=1)

Rather than cutting through the dowel I held the knife against the spot I wanted to cut and rotated the dowel until there was a deep groove all the way around it at that point.

![Image shows the two pieces of dowel with the angled and smoothed tips. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0260.jpeg?resize=750%2C483&ssl=1)

I hadn’t cut deep enough before breaking them in two so it wasn’t a clean break. That fine as this is supposed to emulate nature so I used my knife to trim the jagged parts off so it wouldn’t hurt Zoey later.

With the mast cut it was now time to measure and cut the two horizontal pieces that would hold the sail in place. I bought two matching dowels as I had planned to use the same size piece for the horizontal parts too. I started by grabbing the piece I had just cut off the mast and laid it overtop of the horizontal felt. It was a bit longer than the felt was but that was perfect compared to the video’s screenshot I had open next to me. I then grabbed my second dowel, laid it over the felt so the end was flush with felt’s short end, and marked where the felt lined up with. I then followed the same steps as above with my X-Acto knife against the dowel and made sure to cut a deeper groove before breaking it in two. It made a clean cut this time around and I now had three perfectly sized pieces of dowel to make my mast out of.

![Image shows the mast to the left and the extra piece laid out along the top of the horizontal piece of felt. It's all laid out on top of the extra X-Acto knives and the skateboard. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0265.jpeg?resize=750%2C539&ssl=1)

I grabbed the piece cut off of the vertical mast and confirmed it worked against the top of my sail.

![Image shows me laying the second dowel up along the bottom of the horizontal felt. Below it sits the rest of the X-Acto knives while underneath it lays the skateboard and extra pieces. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0266.jpeg?resize=750%2C360&ssl=1)

I then grabbed my second dowel and marked where the felt lined up so the bottom piece would perfectly match the width of the sail.

![Image shows the two dowels held up with the ends cut cleanly. In the background you can see a blurred knife set, skateboard, table, felt, and dowels. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0269.jpeg?resize=750%2C416&ssl=1)

I then used the same trick as above to create a groove at that point and, this time, continued until it was really deep. When I attempted to fold the dowel in half it broke cleanly at that point.

With the three main mast pieces cut out all I needed now was the final decorative part for the branching twig seen at the top Princess Skateboarder’s mast. First; however, I laid out the pieces so I could get a look at how I wanted it to be and then grabbed the skinnier curved dowel to cut a piece that would curve out from the main dowel. At Michael’s that day this dowel was the only skinny one left and at first I was disappointed that it was already bent a bit but looking back I’m so glad it was the way it was as I was able to cut the curved part off and the branch now natural curves away from the mast without any extra effort.

![Image shows the sail laid out with the three mast pieces so it looks almost complete. Underneath it lays the skateboard and my table while beside it sits the open X-Acto knife container. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0272.jpeg?resize=750%2C673&ssl=1)

I laid out all three of the larger mast pieces around the felt sail so I could easily picture how it should look.

![Image shows the red sail on the table. Midway down it lays the two curved pieces of skinny doweling while at the bottom are the three main pieces of larger doweling that will be used. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0277.jpeg?resize=750%2C467&ssl=1)

I then grabbed the skinny dowel and, using the same method as before, trimmed off the largest curve to use as my branch.

---

## *Assembling the Mast*

Finally it was time to connect the doweling together to form the mast. I had briefly considered using crazy glue or something to join the pieces together but as I was planning on painting it I decided to instead use masking tape to connect the pieces. I was worried paint wouldn’t attach the same way over the glue or other tapes compared to masking tape. I started out by choosing where on the main mast I wanted the branch to come out of and then connected the two with masking tape. Once it was attached I kept wrapping the two together with my tape so the branch would appear to slowly jut out from the mast rather than just appearing. I wanted it to look more natural. With the branch added it was now time to add the horizontal beams. To do this I started, again, by laying out all the pieces on my felt. Once I was happy with how it looked I marked where the top horizontal beam was with my pencil and then marked about an inch above where the bottom beam was laid. I moved the bottom one up an inch so that these two points would be closer together and the sturdy felt sail would naturally look liked it was billowing out from a wind. With these two points marked I grabbed my masking tape again and wrapped the two together making sure to cross the tape back and fourth so it would be secured in the 90 degree cross shape.

![Image shows the sail laying flat on the table with the mast pieces laid overtop. The main vertical mast now has a branch curving away and taped at it's base. There's a mark on the vertical mast where the top horizontal beam is and another mark about an inch above the bottom beam. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0279.jpeg?resize=750%2C553&ssl=1)

After attaching the smaller branch to the mast I laid everything out and marked where the horizontal beams should lay. For the bottom one I actually marked about an inch higher so that the felt would later appear as if it was billowing out rather than laying flat like it was now.

![Image shows all the parts of the mast taped together and laid overtop of the sail on the table. You can see tape at all the join points. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0283.jpeg?resize=750%2C546&ssl=1)

I then took the vertical mast, lined up a horizontal beam at it’s mark, and taped the two together making sure to continuously cross the tape over so the two are secured and 90 degrees from each other. I then repeated this process with the other horizontal beam.

With all the wooden dowel pieces cut to size and taped together the mast itself is now done! I wanted the mast to be a darker brown to match the brown branches Princess Skateboarder used so the next step was now to paint it.

---

## *Painting the Mast*

I grabbed my only two brown acrylic craft paints, a paintbrush, and then one of my kids sensory bin kitchen set bowls so I could rest the mast down without getting paint on the table. With all the supplies ready I opened the dark brown paint and squirted it directly onto my paintbrush before smearing it over the mast. At one point during this process I ripped off some paper towel to help protect the rim of the kids’ toy bowl so it wouldn’t get painted. Once the entire mast had been painted dark brown I was going to leave it to dry but I had noticed that some of my paints had been dried out so I quickly checked my light brown one, noticed dried paint blocking the opening, and so quickly popped the top off so I could unblock it for later. I ended up getting the paint on my paintbrush handle and brush in the process so added the light brown highlights to my mast right now rather than wasting the paint and waiting to add them later.

![Image shows the unpainted dowel and tape mast laid out on the top of the blue bowl with the paints, paintbrush, extra doweling, and red felt in the background around it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0286.jpeg?resize=750%2C542&ssl=1)

I grabbed my paints, my paintbrush, and a bowl to rest the mast on before getting started.

![Image shows the mast laid out over top of the blue bowl with paper towel balanced between the two. The masking tape, red felt, and two bottles of paint are beside them. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0288.jpeg?resize=750%2C537&ssl=1)

In the process of painting the mast dark brown with light brown highlights I stopped to grab some paper towel to better protect the edge of the bowl.

Later, once the paint had dried, I went back with the dark brown paint to tone down the lighter brown highlights and made sure to dollop a lot more of the brown paint on the taped sections to better hide that there’s tape under the paint. I also noticed a bit of paper towel stuck to the mast when I lifted from the bowl so I also made sure to paint over that bit too.

![Image shows the mast laid over the towel coated bowl.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0291.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once dried I took a good look to see if I needed to add more paint.

![Image shows a closeup of one branch of the mast with the odd white fuzz mark from the paper towel. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0293.jpeg?resize=750%2C431&ssl=1)

When I lifted the mast up I noticed some white paper towel had gotten caught in the now dried paint. I made sure to paint over that so it’s hidden and just extra texture in the future.

![Image shows the mast laid out on the paper towel bowl and this time it's overall darker than before. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0296.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then went back over the mast toning down any areas with too much light brown paint along with adding more paint over the masking tape so it was a bit more hidden. I laid it back down making sure that the wetter points weren’t directly on the paper towel this time around.

Once the paint had dried again it was finally time to add the felt decorations. I had planned to add the red felt as a sail but I also needed to create a green leaf for the top of the mast.

---

## *Creating the Single Leaf*

Once the mast was constructed and painted it was time to make the leaf for the very top. I hadn’t bought any green felt as I remembered I had some in my stash. As such I went and grabbed my container of felt along with two shades of green thread. After looking through my felt stash I settled on a good quality light green felt and, after looking over the screenshot and my mast, determined the width I wanted the leaf to be before folding the end over and free cutting a symmetrical leaf.

![Image shows my left hand holding a rectangle of felt with the end folded over. Behind it you can see some red thread and a photo box filled with felt. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0303.jpeg?resize=750%2C432&ssl=1)

I chose my felt and decided the width of it was perfect for the leaf height. I then determined the leaf width, folded the end in, held it in place with one hand, and cut the leaf out using fabric scissors with my other hand.

![Image shows a felt leaf resting on my hand. In the background you can see the rest of the felt scrap, a bit that had been cut off, my scissors, two shades of green thread, and my box of felt. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0305.jpeg?resize=750%2C515&ssl=1)

After cutting out the leaf I unfolded it and trimmed any excess bits off.

I liked how the leaf looked but I wanted it to look better. As such I decided I wanted to add the leaf’s stem and veins so it looked more detailed. I compared both the green threads I had with the felt and settled on the darker shade. I then gathered up my dark green thread, the leaf, a sewing needle, and scissors before settling on the couch to watch a show and stitch.

After threading my needle and tying the two loose ends together it was time to decide how I wanted to decorate the leaf. As the leaf is double sided I knew I’d needed to make my knots small and hidden so that both sides of the leaf looked good. I decided to start at the bottom center and work my way up the center of the leaf to make the main vein. While stitching I used a mix of straight and back stitches making sure to overlap at points so the center vein is thicker rather than leaving the odd gap. Halfway up I realized I should start making the veins branching out from the center and so started making them then. Since the main vein was composed of double sets of stitches I made sure the branching ones was composed of only single stiches rather than overlapping them too. That means as I worked my way up the vein I left gaps on both the front and back of the leaf. On the way back down to the center vein I alternated how I sewed so those gaps were closed up making a solid but skinny line. Once I made my way back to the center I continued up making the center vein until I reached the top and then went back down adding any needed branching veins as I went.

![Image shows a single light green felt leaf with a threaded vein going up the center with two branches near the top and two smaller ones at the top. The needle is placed overlapping with the edge and the thread is going back under the leaf so you can't tell exactly where I was working. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0309.jpeg?resize=750%2C534&ssl=1)

At this point I had worked my way up the center vein and had added four branching veins as I went. On my way back down I added more so the leaf was filled with staggered branching veins.

While decorating the leaf I ran out of thread several times making me have to knot, trim, and rethread the needle with a new length of thread. As such when I finished embroidering the veins on the leaf I was left with a length of thread coming from the base of the leaf. This was perfect as I realized I could use it, combined with super glue, to attach the leaf to the branch.

---

## *Gluing and Sewing the Parts Together*

With the leaf completed it was now time to attach the leaf and sail to the painted and dried mast. To do this I decided to use the thread, hence why you saw red thread in some of the previous photos, along with [Loctite super glue](https://www.loctiteproducts.com/en/products/fix/super-glue.html?ref=simplykyra.com) to help keep it together for way longer.

### *Attaching the Leaf*

I had some extra thread extending from the leaf’s base once I finished embroidering it. As such it made sense to keep using that thread so, after lining up the leaf and determined which branch I wanted it to grow on and at what point it should be on the branch, I glued the leaf down, held it in place, took the thread, and wrapped it around the branch. Once I returned to the leaf, after the first loop, I used the needle on the end to bring the thread through on the one side of the stem and out on the other side. I then continued to wrap it around and thread it through the leaf stem repeatedly until I was out of thread. I then tied a knot and used the super glue to keep it secured at that point on the branch.

![Image shows the top of the mast with the smaller branch branching out and the top of the horizontal mast. To the right is the leaf and to the left of the mast is the Loctite super glue. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0317.jpeg?resize=750%2C516&ssl=1)

Once the leaf was embroidered I grabbed the mast and some Loctite super glue to help fasten them together.

![Image shows the leaf attached at the base to the brown branch with green threads. The sides and top of the leaf curl naturally away from the branch. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0319.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After wrapping the thread around the branch and through the leaf several times I ran out of thread and so tied a knot and used the super glue to keep the leaf and thread in place against the branch.

### *Attaching the Sail*

With the leaf adorably attached to the branch it was time to switch to red thread and tie the sail onto the mast. I played around for a few minutes lining parts of the sail up with the mast before deciding, since I want the sail to look like it’s billowing, to attach the sail facing the opposite way. This means, if I started with the base of the sail, that I wanted to lay the top of my felt over the bottom beam with the rest of the felt below the beam. Then, once it was glued and sewn down, I would flip the sail up, curl the top down, and do the same at the top but this time with it essentially facing above rather than below.

With that decided I threaded a length of red thread in my needle, ran the super glue along the bottom horizontal wooden beam, lined up the top edge of the felt with the glued wooden dowel, and pressed it firmly down. I then tried to quickly sew the two together, with the glue still wet and sticking to my fingers, by threading the needle through the felt and wrapping it around the dowel. I repeated the steps of sewing through the felt and wrapping the thread around the dowel multiple times as I worked my way along the beam. Around the mid-point I ran out of thread so I quickly tied it off, threaded some new thread on, and finished it before the glue could make the felt too hard to sew through.

![Image shows the mast with the top horizontal dowel at the top. The bottom horizontal dowel is hidden with the felt laid overtop of it. You can't see the bottom of the mast or the super glue through the felt. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0321.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I pressed the super glue onto the bottom wooden beam, lined up the sail with the felt below the dowel, and pressed it’s edge along the length of the dowel.

![Image shows the mast with the smaller horizontal mast in the center. At the top you can see a bit of the upper horizontal mast. From the bottom horizontal mast you can see the felt laid out beneath the mast and the bright red thread wrapping the top around the mast. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0324.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then used my thread to sew the two together by sewing through the top of the felt and wrapping the thread around the wooden dowel. When I got to the center vertical mast I crossed the thread around to keep it secured. This sewing in addition to the superglue holding the thread and felt in place will keep my sail securely in place.

Once I finished the bottom I folded the sail up and then folded the top part over again so it could reach the top dowel but be pointed upward. Like before I made sure my needle was threaded first with some new red thread, checked where on the dowel the sail lined up with, ran the super glue along the length of that space, pressed the felt sail down, and quickly sewed it on securely. Again I had to rethread my needle halfway through as I also didn’t want to use too much thread and get unneeded knots that would take longer to fix than it was worth.

![Image shows the felt folded towards the top horizontal mast. If you look closely at the horizontal mast you can see the clear glue squiggled on. The mast appears lower than before you can see the base of the leaf. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0325.jpeg?resize=750%2C550&ssl=1)

Once the bottom was finished I folded the felt upward so it reaches the upper horizontal mast. After checking where the felt lined up with I ran the super glue along the mast as you can see if you look closely. After this photo was taken I then folded the top over and quickly pressed it down against the glue and then sewed it together like I had at the bottom.

---

## *The Final Sail*

And with that the sail was finished! I love how it turned out so much!

![Image shows the mast and sail laid on it's side on the kitchen table. The sail is on top of the mast and although the ends are ballooned out the center sags in because of gravity. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0327.jpeg?resize=750%2C469&ssl=1)

I love how the sail looks and although I attached it so the bottom and top billows out the weight of gravity, from this angle, causes the sail to sag downward.

![Image shows the sail now upright on the table and leaning against the wall. From this angle the sail balloons towards the wall and can see the red threads that sewed the sail on. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0331.jpeg?resize=750%2C783&ssl=1)

I considered, momentarily, painting over the threads so they aren’t apparent but then decided I loved how you could see them and, technically, Princess Skateboarder had to combine them together in some way.

Although made from completely different materials and colors I love how the sail looks against the skateboard. It would look so much better if it was actually used to sail across the water (and floated and was water proof).

![Image has the sail upright in the skateboard sitting on the table. You can see a shadowy arm against the wall holding the top of the mast in place](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0335.jpeg?resize=750%2C543&ssl=1)

![Image has the sail upright in the skateboard sitting on the table. You can see part of a hand holding the tip of the sail in place. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0338.jpeg?resize=750%2C531&ssl=1)

![Image has the sail at an angle as if it had to catch the wind. The base is resting in the skateboard and a shadowy arm can be seen against the wall holding the top of the mast in place.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0340.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

![Image has the sail at an angle as if it had to catch the wind. The base is resting in the skateboard and a shadowy arm can be seen against the wall holding the top of the mast in place.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0341.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

![Closeup look at the top of the mast with the leaf in place as the image is taken from above looking down at the sail and skateboard. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0344.jpeg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

---

And with that all the parts of the Princess Skateboarder costume are done…. unless we come up with something new before Halloween. Thanks for coming along on the ride and I can’t wait to share how the final costume looks if I can get some awesome photos over Halloween. *I’ll share the final post once I write it and will add the link to each of these posts.*

I’d love to hear if you made, or will make, your own Princess Skateboarder boat. If so feel free to share with us in the comments below. I hope this post helps make your week brighter.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Check Out the Great Princess Skateboarder Helmet I Made and What Accessories I Included to Go With It
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/check-out-the-great-princess-skateboarder-helmet-i-made-and-what-accessories-i-included-to-go-with-it/
Last updated: 2025-09-01T01:19:36.000Z
When Zoey decided she wanted to be Princess Skateboarder for Halloween I knew I needed to make the accessories required by the costume for it to feel complete. The two main accessories needed are the skateboard, [posted last week](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/13/learn-how-i-made-princess-skateboarders-amazing-skateboard/), and the knight’s helmet. Here’s how I made the helmet and it’s in such a way that you could easily shape or paint it differently to make any kind of costume hat needed.

![Pinterest geared image showing the post's title in four staggered lines at the top. At the bottom is text to my main URL and in the center are four images. The top left one is a screenshot of the Princess Skateboarder video, the right one shows the finished skateboard and helmet, while the bottom left ones show the helmet being made. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Check-Out-the-Great-Princess-Skateboarder-Helmet-I-Made-and-What-Accessories-I-Included-to-Go-With-It-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

In the Princess Skateboarder video, found [through the Homer website and app](https://learnwithhomer.com/library/story/princess-skateboarder/?ref=simplykyra.com), Princess Skateboarder needs to escape a tall tower by using her self-created skateboard. When she first attempts to skateboard away she falls and rips her dress thus realizing she needs to be safer. She had used the shield from the knight’s armor, set up behind her, to create the skateboard so she now grabs the knight’s helmet and other parts of his armor to protect herself with a helmet, elbow pads, and kneed pads. With this protection she’s able to skateboard down the decorative spiraling pathway to escape the tower and head to the town to save them from the dragon’s sleeping spell.

Before going over how I made the safety gear for Princess Skateboarder I figured I’d share all the related posts with you in one easy to find location in case you want to jump through them all. *Currently this is only the third post but I will add the links for the next two when they go live.*

- [Outfit](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/06/how-i-easily-assembled-an-outfit-for-princess-skateboarder/)
- [Cardboard-Made Skateboard](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/13/learn-how-i-made-princess-skateboarders-amazing-skateboard/)
- [Dowel and Felt Sail](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/27/how-i-put-together-a-stupendously-amazing-sail-for-princess-skateboarders-skateboard/)
- [Final Overview of the Costume](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/check-out-zoeys-epic-princess-skateboarder-halloween-costume/)

---

# *The Helmet*

![Image shows a closeup of the top half of Princess Skateboarder. The knight's helmet is on her head, her eyes are closed, and her hands are coming down from putting it on. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_helmet_IMG_9419.jpeg?resize=750%2C512&ssl=1)

A screenshot taken from the [Homer website](https://learnwithhomer.com/library/story/princess-skateboarder/?ref=simplykyra.com) showing Princess Skateboarder putting the knight’s helmet on her head.

---

## *Planning*

When I first started planning how to make the helmet I considered just using Zoey’s normal day-to-day helmet and using craft foam to make the helmet’s visor. I even started considering whether [Command™ strips](https://www.command.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) might stick to craft foam so the additions could be easily removed from her helmet after Halloween. I then realized just how bright and decorative her helmet truly was and realized it was a lost cause as I’m not going to permanently paint it grey or anything. In the process of these thoughts; however, I came across [Fire Lily Cosplay’s craft foam page](http://www.firelilycosplay.com/craftfoam.html?ref=simplykyra.com) and purchased several paper-sized sheets of grey craft foam from Michael’s Arts and Crafts that I never did use.

Between the logistics of changing a normal helmet to a knight’s helmet and the fact that [the skateboard](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/13/learn-how-i-made-princess-skateboarders-amazing-skateboard/) itself doesn’t roll I realized I could do this in a much simpler way. Somehow at some point I came across a post sharing that a balloon is perfectly sized to be used with paper mache to create a custom helmet for cosplay. As such, one thing led to another and I made Zoey’s helmet using several balloons, brown parcel paper, Mod Podge, and acrylic paint. It turned out awesome.

![Image shows two plans written out for the helmet with a little equation at the bottom showing the helmet base on a balloon, plus a visor, and equals a finished helmet with visor. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_helmet-drawing.png?resize=750%2C560&ssl=1)

I wrote out this page when I was stuck between the customized helmet plan and the paper mache balloon plan. At this point I was going to use the craft foam in either case to create the decorative visor (called guard above) and attach it to whatever helmet I decided on. In the end I never did use the craft foam.

With a plan kind of in place it was time to get started.

---

## *Balloon, Paper, and Mod Podge*

I started working on this helmet after creating the [skateboard base](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/13/learn-how-i-made-princess-skateboarders-amazing-skateboard/) but before cutting it out. This meant I applied the brown parcel paper, through paper mache, to the balloon, then added it, in the later steps, to the skateboard for any additional details. Once both projects were complete and dried I painted both of them at the same time. Looking back I love how both such drastically different projects where so similar at that point so they could have been paper mached, painted, and Mod Podged at the same time.

Anyway, I started out with a balloon, called Zoey over, and blew up the balloon so it looked like it matched Zoey’s head size. Of course both kids came over so I had to grab three balloons in total so they could each have their own after I blew mine up. Once the balloon was sized and tied with a knot I grabbed my brown parcel paper, ripped it up into smaller sizes, grabbed a bottle of Mod Podge, a foam brush to apply it with, and an orange napkin to help protect the table. I then opened the bottle and used the foam brush to apply the Mod Podge directly onto the balloon. Once I had painted a section of the balloon I then stuck paper down and used my brush to apply more Mod Podge over top of it. I kept repeating this process making sure that I only applied the paper in a helmet-like shape. During this I left my phone opened to the above screenshot and my reMarkable open to my sketch so I could keep comparing my current balloon progress with both images. Once I had a single layer of paper in a helmet-like shape I set it aside to dry.

![Image shows all the supplies laid out on the kitchen table ready to go. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9701.jpeg?resize=750%2C479&ssl=1)

I blew up a balloon to the same vague shape as Zoey’s head, ripped up some brown paper so it would be easy to grab, opened some Mod Podge, grabbed a foam brush, and used an orange napkin to protect my table. I also grabbed a plastic cup hoping to use it to balance the wet balloon in but realized it was much too light to be a base and it kept tipping over. I later upgraded to a wider plastic basket as it was more stable.

![Image shows me holding a yellow balloon above the table with the top coated in brown paper and white streaks. The front has a lot more Mod Podge streaks over the yellow balloon. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9706.jpeg?resize=750%2C483&ssl=1)

I kept planning where I needed paper and choose a piece that fit the shape I wanted to fill. I’d then paint the Mod Podge to the area I wanted to apply it so it would stick.

![Image shows me holding a yellow balloon above the table with the top coated in brown paper and white streaks. The front has a dry brown piece of paper mostly sticking to it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9704.jpeg?resize=750%2C504&ssl=1)

Once the area I wanted the paper to go go was wet I’d stick it on. Then, after this photo was taken, I’d use the foam brush to wet the entire paper and have it firmly attached to the balloon and surrounding papers.

![Image shows all the paper contained in a yellow bin to the left. On the right side the napkin is unfolded with the wet paper attached balloon on top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9708.jpeg?resize=750%2C424&ssl=1)

The pink cup kept falling over so I left the balloon directly on the orange napkin to dry. Later I grabbed a small pink plastic container that the kids used for sensory play and balanced the balloon on that instead.

![Image shows me carrying the yellow bin with brown papers, a napkin, and a wet paper covered balloon. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9712.jpeg?resize=750%2C482&ssl=1)

When I had to clear off the table I moved the napkin into the bin with the papers and easily moved it out of the way.

![Image shows the balloon with the brown and orange encrusted side up and the yellow knotted side down. The top has white spots showing the Mod Podge hasn't dried yet there. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9759.jpeg?resize=750%2C542&ssl=1)

I later flipped the balloon over so that the other side could dry overnight and saw parts of the napkin had stayed stuck. It didn’t currently matter as I knew I needed to add more layers so the helmet would be thicker but I knew I needed to come up with another drying method sooner rather than later.

---

## *Balloon Issues = Opportunities to Try the Helmet On*

The next morning I came out just to realize that the balloon had popped at some point in the night. Pieces of the balloon were in the thin crumbled paper helmet and in several spots outside of the bin. The fact that the balloon had popped meant that technically I could try it on Zoey so after touching the inside to confirm it wasn’t tacky and was fully dried I had her stand up so we could confirm the size and shape of the potential helmet.

![Image shows me holding the slightly crumbled helmet. The background of the image shows the discarded orange napkin on the table and Zoey standing on a chair waiting to try the helmet on.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9842.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

With the paper layer so thin and the balloon scaffold not present the helmet had crumbled a bit in the night.

![Image is a side view of Zoey wearing the orange topped brown helmet. Her hand up going up to see how it feels. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9843.jpeg?resize=750%2C534&ssl=1)

The helmet was a bit big but she loved it.

![Image shows a close view of the helmet with Zoey's blurred face slightly showing underneath. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9848.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Here’s how it looked close up with the little dips and the crinkled paper layers.

---

## *Alterations and Thickening the Helmet*

I was glad it had popped because I was able to try it on Zoey and confirmed that I needed to alter it a bit. For one I had to trim some excess paper off as I had applied too much paper mache to the balloon. The second issue was that the helmet itself was too big so I folded the back in to tighten it up. Once I had added the fold I grabbed another balloon and, once it was half the helmet’s size, I placed it inside the helmet and carefully continued to blow until it just filled the helmet without causing the fold to unfold. I then applied Mod Podge over the fold and covered it up with more papers it help hide it and stop it from unfolding immediately. At first I was worried that the fold in the back of the helmet would bug Zoey’s head but it’s not very rough, she hasn’t mentioned it at all when trying the helmet on in the future, and if she changes her mind she could always wear a beanie or something underneath to help cushion it.

![Image is a view of the back of the helmet showing the fold up the back of it and the orange napkin bits stuck to it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9850.jpeg?resize=750%2C476&ssl=1)

To combat the helmet being too large I decided to fold the back in a bit and use paper mache to hold the fold in place.

The last thing I noticed when trying it on Zoey was that the front of the helmet was too wide so I marked where the outer edge of Zoey’s eyes were, while she was wearing the helmet, so I could extend the sides out once the balloon was back in.

![Image shows the mark on the balloon and white Mod Podge extending either way from that point. The red balloon is ready for the paper to be applied. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9851.jpeg?resize=750%2C533&ssl=1)

At the top of the balloon, near the edge of the Mod Podge, is a pen mark showing where the outer edge of Zoey’s eye lined up with on that side of the balloon. I took my Mod Podge brush and went from that mark down to the helmet base and then stuck more paper to that spot to extend the back of the helmet around closer to the front.

This time around, while I slept, the balloon didn’t pop but instead it had a slow leak so I came out the next morning to find an itty bitty baby balloon within the helmet. Again this worked as the inside was able to dry and I could check how it fit on Zoey without any extra effort. Also it was less crumbled in as most of the helmet was now thicker than before. Again, I tried the helmet on Zoey, trimmed the excess pieces, and then marked any points I needed to extend before taking it off of her and blowing up a replacement balloon to go inside the helmet. I also realized that I needed to work on the helmet in short and close together sessions so I explained to Zoey that I couldn’t wait for her, as she had been helping tear the paper and apply some pieces, and I instead worked on it in quick sessions throughout the day. She wasn’t too disappointed and quickly came to the realization that she could come home from school or out from her bedroom to see what progress had been made on her costume. As a quick aside I started out using Outdoor Mod Podge, as I had extra of it, and then switched to Hard Coat Mod Podge hoping it would add more structural integrity to the final helmet.

![Image shows the helmet with a half sized balloon inside. Off to the side is the paper, the Mod Podge, the ripped napkin, and another red balloon waiting to replace the second one inside the helmet. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9867.jpeg?resize=750%2C510&ssl=1)

The second balloon shrunk overnight but luckily the helmet itself was thicker and more sturdy so only the side additions wrinkled up.

![Image is a side view of the pink basket holding the wet white streaked balloon above the table and orange napkin. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9870.jpeg?resize=750%2C478&ssl=1)

I switched to using a light pink plastic basket the kids used in their kitchen set and to make slime to hold the helmet above the table. This way I was able to cover up the orange napkin bits and not worry about needing to cover up any more. I kept the same napkin under the helmet, though, to catch any potential future drips.

![Image is a side view of the previous photo. This time there's an opened bottle of Mod Podge with a foam brush inside beside it and you can see the yellow bin of paper in the chair behind. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9871.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I made sure to add extra paper to the thinner sides and the corner where the sides joined the top of the helmet.

---

## *Adding the Visor*

Once I decided that the helmet was thick enough it was time to figure out the visor. Originally I had planned to take two pieces of craft foam, cut them, shape them, and join them together to form the left and right sides of the visor. While making the helmet; however, I decided to just stick with the paper mache itself since the visor, on Princess Skateboarder, was pushed mostly up and out of the way so it didn’t need to be moveable and I didn’t want to add unneeded weight. With this there was another issue as I worried that the bottom of the visor would sink in as it would stick to the balloon as I created it. To get around this I grabbed some paper towel, folded it to fit the width of the helmet’s opening, and covered it with plastic wrap so the Mod Podge wouldn’t stick too badly to it. I then carefully compared my helmet with the image of Princess Skateboarder and marked where the swivel points on the visor were. I then opened my Mod Podge, ripped some paper, cut four circles out of the paper, and carefully got to work constructing my visor. I started out by placing two of the circles where I wanted the edges of the visor to end, at the swivel points, and then worked from there to construct the overall shape of the visor. Once I was happy with that shape I carefully built up the depth of visor and then, using rolled up pieces of paper, added a vertical line in the center to emulate where the visor was bent. With the visor shape in place I added the last two circles at the pivot points so the circular points were more obvious.

![Image shows the balloon on the side so the front of the helmet is facing up. There's a rectangle of shiny white laid over the top of the opening similar to if the balloon had a headache and it was a wet washcloth. More paper towel and the pink basket sit in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_9897.jpeg?resize=750%2C525&ssl=1)

I grabbed a section of paper towels, folded them to fit the front opening of the visor, and covered it in plastic wrap so the paper mache wouldn’t stick to the paper towels. I chose to do this so that the visor would be raised up instead of sloping down to attach to the balloon.

![Image shows the side the helmet as the balloon rests on the table. At the top the red shows with the white paper towel overlay rest on top. In the center front you can see the paper circle glued down and matching the rest of the helmet. The fact it's still matte and there's white glue akin to a shadow makes it more apparent. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_9899.jpeg?resize=750%2C548&ssl=1)

With that figured out I next wanted to place the visor properly over the helmet. I noticed in the Princess Skateboarder screenshot that pivot points of the visor were circular so I grabbed my paper and cut out four circles from it. I then compared my helmet with the image and used Mod Podge to glue two of the circles to where the visor edge should be. With those glued down I knew it would easier to add the visor edges as I just needed the top and bottom edges to lead to those two points. I also had the other two circles set aside to add last so that I didn’t worry about hiding these circles as they’d still stand out at the end once I re-added them.

![Image shows the center top of the helmet with the white glossy paper towel sticking out below the visor. The visor itself is streaked in white with unrolling pieces of brown paper vertical lined up in the center. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_9900.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After making the general shape of the helmet’s visor, using straight-ish edged papers along the top and bottom, it was time to shape it a bit more. The image shows the visor as if the left and right sides are fixed together at an angle. To duplicate this I rolled up paper and glued it down along the center vertical part of the visor. This was similar to how I added the first necklace strand to ****the skateboard** before I switched to using yarn.

![Image shows almost the same angle as before but now the vertical rolled paper is hidden away under other paper mache. The last two larger pieces that were added are apparent as they haven't been painted over yet. An open jar of Mod Podge sits to the left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_IMG_9901.jpeg?resize=750%2C541&ssl=1)

Once the center point had been added it was time to add more paper to the visor. I started out adding paper over the rolled center so it would appear to be a softer angle rather than a long bump. After that I kept adding more paper to add depth to the visor compared to the helmet around it.

And with that the helmet was shaped.

---

## *Final Adjustments*

Once the helmet was thick enough, dried enough, and had all the needed paper mache details it was time to do the final try on! I brought the helmet to Zoey along with a sewing pin as the balloon was magically still blown up and I wanted her to be able to pop it herself this time around. With the balloon out of the way I was able to try it on Zoey and make any final adjustments. I also realized that I needed a new way to hold the helmet above the table and solved this issue by balancing it on my emptied freestanding paper towel holder.

![Image shows Zoey from the side wearing the helmet with her face hidden away. I'm holding all the pieces that I cut off of the back of the helmet. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0003.jpeg?resize=750%2C568&ssl=1)

The helmet was roomy and kept falling forward to cover Zoey’s face. I kept taking the helmet off, trimming the back shorter, and trying it on again until the helmet sat securely right above her eyes. It didn’t matter that there was extra room on the inside once the back was trimmed. Zoey had just had a bath so I was trying to be quick as I worried about her wet hair against the Mod Podge on the inside.

![Image is taken from above looking down at the top of the helmet resting on the kitchen table. To the right are many long slivers of paper mache that had been trimmed off of the back of the helmet. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0010.jpeg?resize=750%2C477&ssl=1)

This is what the helmet looked like once I finished trimming and those are all the excess pieces I needed to trim off.

With the final structure of the helmet done it was time to go on to paint the rest of the details on.

---

## *Paint and More Mod Podge*

With the bottom of the helmet having been trimmed off I was worried whether it would feel sharp against Zoey when pulled on. Thus, before painting, I flipped the helmet upside down and applied more Mod Podge to the edges hoping it helped keep the layers together, softened the edge, and rounded any hard points.

![Image shows me holding the helmet upside down in my lap. The raw edges, for lack of a better term, are mostly white showing where I had just applied the Mod Podge. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0082.jpeg?resize=750%2C579&ssl=1)

I took some time to paint the bottom edge of the helmet to help keep the layers in place and soften any sharp edges.

Once the Mod Podge had dried it was time to start painting the helmet. As I mentioned in [the previous post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/13/learn-how-i-made-princess-skateboarders-amazing-skateboard/) I painted the skateboard at the same time as the helmet as, in the video, they came from the same suit of armor. Since I had a light grey paint already I started out by painting the visor itself. Then waiting for the visor to dry I went on to paint the grey bits on the skateboard along with the black and blue parts. I then grabbed some white to make the center fold of the visor stand out before mixing it with the black already on my painting dish. I immediately noticed that my old white paint was clumpy and worried about how it would look on the helmet and skateboard. I pictured some areas being too black while other looked too white rather than proper dark grey. Looking back I needn’t have worried as the clumpy white paint added to the runny black paint worked perfectly for my dappled dark grey. I am so glad I had enough paint for both the skateboard and helmet as I don’t know if I’d be able to duplicate the same look with new paint.

![Image is an overview of the helmet and visor laid out on the kitchen table. All the grey is painted, the blue gem on the skateboard, and most of the necklace. To the left you can see the black bottle of paint upside down on the paint dish to get it all out while the other paints are scattered around. In the back you can see some of the LEGO my husband is building as we sit together at the table.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0162-1.jpeg?resize=750%2C525&ssl=1)

I started out using the light grey I had on hand to paint the visor as it’s a lighter grey from the rest of the helmet. I then gave it time to dry as I painted the grey, blue and then black on the skateboard.

![Image is taken from above looking down at the helmet, to the right, on the paper towel holder, and the paint plate and paints to the left. At this point the helmet is fully painted although the visor still needs the openings added. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0165.jpeg?resize=750%2C508&ssl=1)

Once the grey dried I used some white paint to make the crease in the visor more apparent along with highlight the circular visor sides. I then added my white clumpy paint to the black and tried to mix it all in. I used that mixed paint to paint the rest of the helmet, add shadowing around the visor pivot points, add the visor openings, and finish the skateboard. I loved how it turned out as the odd white clump added different dapples of paint over the items making it look more like blacksmithed gear.

Once painted I waited until both the helmet and skateboard had fully dried and then coated them in Hard Coat Mod Podge to help make them last longer.

![Image shows the helmet resting on the paper towel holder over a sheet of paper towel. In the background sits the Mod Podge and skateboard. Both items are coated in streaks of white Mod Podge showing where it's still wet. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0188.jpeg?resize=750%2C352&ssl=1)

I liberally coated the entire thing with Mod Podge after making sure the table was protected from any drips. I then left it alone to dry.

And with that the helmet was done!

---

## *The Final Helmet*

I absolutely love how the knight’s helmet turned out and how perfect it looks with the knight’s shield as a skateboard. I’m so glad I thought to use a balloon and paper mache as the final helmet looks more realistic and is lighter in weight than whatever I could’ve come up with if I had kept on with my original idea.

![Image shows both items on a kitchen chair. The skateboard is upright leaning against the chair's back. The helmet is on a metal paper towel stand resting in front of the skateboard. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0177.jpeg?resize=750%2C976&ssl=1)

And with that the helmet is finished! I figured I’d go on in this post to share some of the other Princess Skateboarder accessories with you too.

---

# *Knee and Elbow Pads*

After [Princess Skateboarder](https://learnwithhomer.com/library/story/princess-skateboarder/?ref=simplykyra.com) attempted to use her created skateboard she fell and decided she needed to be safer. In addition to the knight’s helmet she also used other pieces of his armor as knee and elbow pads.

![Image shows a screenshot from the Homer video with Princess Skateboarder wearing the knight's armor as a helmet, knee, and elbows pads. Her arms are outstretched as she skateboards by the turret's wall. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_helmet_GhUm3.jpeg?resize=750%2C568&ssl=1)

Screenshot of Princess Skateboarder in her skateboarding outfit with all the safety gear pilfered from the knight’s suit of armor.

I wanted to also include this in Zoey’s costume and, at first, considered making them from some kind of black and/or grey fabric and maybe adding craft foam. I then realized it would be so much easier just to buy it and went onto Amazon looking for grey and black safety pads. I found [a set](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CTHK5LJ/ref=ppx%5Fyo%5Fdt%5Fb%5Fasin%5Ftitle%5Fo04%5Fs00?ref=simplykyra.com), also including wrist guards, that would be similar enough in color to work and although they’re a bit big for Zoey we’re going to go ahead with it unless she wants to go without. Worse case if Zoey wants something and they’re too big to wear for too long I could see wearing the elbow pads, as they’re slightly smaller, as knee pads and going without the elbow ones.

![Image shows the helmet resting on the table. Beside it are two elbow pads attached together while in front of it are two kneed pads together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0353.jpeg?resize=750%2C546&ssl=1)

The homemade helmet next to the elbow and knee pads we’re going to use as Princess Skateboarder’s skateboarding outfit.

---

# *The Birds*

## *Planned, Started, and Gave Up*

In the [Homer video](https://learnwithhomer.com/library/story/princess-skateboarder/?ref=simplykyra.com) once Princess Skateboarder gets to the town she still needs to wake up all the townspeople that the dragon made fall asleep. In her travels; however, three little birds had started following her and she found that whenever she did a trick they’d make louder sounds. As such she skateboarded through town doing tricks and everyone woke up. Happy ending!

![Image shows Princess Skateboarder doing a trick with three matching birds flying behind her. There are people sleeping all around her including one while watering her plants, one reading and drinking tea, one sleeping on a sleeping dog, and two sitting around a fountain. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_helmet_IMG_9428.png?resize=750%2C406&ssl=1)

Screenshot of the video showing Princess Skateboarder doing tricks so that the birds wake up the townspeople.

With the birds playing such a pivotal role I really wanted to include them too. I considering just buying birds but then decided to make my own. This didn’t turn out quite the way I pictured and between that and all the accessories I decided to simply skip the birds and thus abandoned them. However, in case you’re interested I still wanted to include what I did do in case you want to use parts of it or build on my general ideas. For instance I had planned to use fishing line to attach the birds to a pot handle so they could be carried around more easily which I could see doing if I had bought the birds or made them in a different way.

![Image is a sketch showing the general outline of how I'd use the birds (attached to a pot lid) and how I'd make them (with layers of cardboard, trimmed, painted, and with fishing line attached in the center of their being).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Halloween-2021-page-8-1.jpg?resize=750%2C535&ssl=1)

My general idea showing both how the finished birds would be used and how I’d make them. I love how they’d only need to be carried as one piece, using the pot lid, and how I attached the fishing line to the center of the cardboard layer. The actual number of cardboard pieces I used was too thick and cutting it made them misshapen so I abandoned them before getting the chance to sand, add pipe cleaner feet, or paint them.

I had a set of kids pots that we weren’t using and planned to borrow the lid of one of them for this costume. First; however, I needed to make the birds. My big plan started by sketching out a bird and printing a copy of all three of them since they were identical. I then cut three pieces of cardboard the general size of the template, cut two holes in each, and attached a long length of fishing line to them so the birds could later hang from the pot lid and any needed height. I then glued cardboard to either side of the center piece, repeatedly, until the stack was thick enough that I could, ideally, cut and sand the excess away to make the perfect birds’ shape. Finally, I had planned to paint the birds and then tie each one to the pot’s lid and voila I’d have three birds that Zoey could pretend were tweeting up a storm to wake up anyone around.

![Image is a collage of four photos showing the process described. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Check-Out-the-Great-Princess-Skateboarder-Helmet-I-Made-and-What-Accessories-I-Included-to-Go-With-It-Image-2.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

I sketched out the birds, copied it so I’d have three to a page, printed it, glued cardboard together with fishing line sticking out, cut out the birds’ templates, glued each template to a cardboard stack, and put a heavy weight on top of each so they could dry with all the layers pressed firmly together.

![Image shows two pieces of cardboard with fishing line tied in it at the center through the two holes. Around it are (from back to left): the roll of fishing line, the third piece with one layer of cardboard glued to either side, loose pieces of cardboard with Mod Podge spread on, and under it the printed drawn templates. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9745.jpeg?resize=750%2C496&ssl=1)

To better explain my process I wanted to include this photo. Here the fishing line is attached to the center piece of cardboard for each bird. I did this by cutting two holes, threading it through, and tying it tight without tearing through the cardboard. (Seen on the right) I then cut more pieces of cardboard and used Mod Podge to glue them to either side. (On left) After this photo I then repeated this process until the birds were really thick and still had the fishing line sticking out. (Seen in previous photo)

![Image is a collage of three photos showing the cutting process with a purple background and borders to show the edge of each photo. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Check-Out-the-Great-Princess-Skateboarder-Helmet-I-Made-and-What-Accessories-I-Included-to-Go-With-It-Image.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

Once the Mod Podge had fully dried I took them outside and used the electric knife to cut them along the templates’ outline. I was careful at the top to not cut the fishing line and, as such, each bird had a pyramid of cardboard above it around the fishing line.

It was during this cutting process that I started second guessing this entire part of the project. Although I was amazing at somehow *not* cutting any of the fishing line I did tilt the knife too much and the back of each bird is rather misshapen. As such I debated abandoning this project while cutting them and then gave it all up after having cut them out. My original plan was to somehow shape them, paint them, and then hang them from the pot lid at different heights.

If you’re interested in making these yourself, other than the fishing line part, the birds were basically the same process as [my skateboard](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/13/learn-how-i-made-princess-skateboarders-amazing-skateboard/) but made much thicker. Looking back I’d make them thinner and more 2D looking than I had planned. The thinness would help make it easier to keep the bird-shape while cutting the cardboard as well as making it easier to cut. Whether you want to follow the same process or not I did upload my birds’ template so you could download it here:

### Get this printable (and more!)

All my templates and printables live in one easy member hub. 

[Go to Downloads](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/) 

In case it would be helpful to your process. Feel free to use it if you’d like. And I’d love to hear from you, in the comments below, on how the birds went if you do end up making your own.

---

I hope this post helps you out whether you’re making your own Princess Skateboarder costume or using the general process to make a different one. I hope it goes great and I’d love to hear what you do in the comments below. Have a great day!

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Learn How I Made Princess Skateboarder’s Amazing Skateboard
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-i-made-princess-skateboarders-amazing-skateboard/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:51:17.000Z
This year Zoey wants to be Princess Skateboarder for Halloween. Although it took a bit of time to come up with and [assemble her outfit](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/06/how-i-easily-assembled-an-outfit-for-princess-skateboarder/) I jumped at the chance to make her her own Princess Skateboarder’s accessories and so those felt as if they came together much quicker. I had to share my process with you in case you’re also making a Princess Skateboarder costume or some other costume that might be helped by these steps.

![Pinterest geared collage and text image. The top has two screenshots of the Princess Skateboarder character. This is followed by the post's title, two side by side photos of my plans and the final skateboard, and then finally at the bottom my main URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Learn-How-I-Made-Princess-Skateboarders-Amazing-Skateboard-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

In the Princess Skateboarder video, found [through the Homer website and app](https://learnwithhomer.com/library/story/princess-skateboarder/?ref=simplykyra.com), Princess Skateboarder decides to escape the tall tower the dragon put her in by creating a skateboard out of a knight’s shield, a necklace, and two wooden sticks that paper scrolls were wound up on. The skateboarding part of the Princess Skateboarder video is the absolute best part and I knew I had to duplicate all the required portions.

![Image is a screenshot of the video in the Homer app where Princess Skateboard is assembling her skateboard.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_skateboard_IMG_9415.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

She starts by grabbing the knight’s shield.

![Image is a screenshot of the video in the Homer app where Princess Skateboard is assembling her skateboard.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_skateboard_IMG_9416.jpeg?resize=750%2C566&ssl=1)

Then grabs two scrolls, magically emptied, and uses them as wheels with an axel between them.

![Image is a screenshot of the video in the Homer app where Princess Skateboard is assembling her skateboard.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_skateboard_IMG_9417.jpeg?resize=750%2C566&ssl=1)

She then grabs a necklace, shown in the screenshot two images above in the bottom right corner, to hold the parts together.

I started out by planning and making the skateboard, helmet, and attempted the three birds before going onto the outfit that **[I posted about last week](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/06/how-i-easily-assembled-an-outfit-for-princess-skateboarder/)**. In this post I’ll only go over the skateboard but as several items were made at the same time some photos may include things I’ll go over in future posts.

---

As a quick aside I want to share all the related Princess Skateboarder posts with you in one easy to locate location in case you want to jump through them. *So far this is just the second post I’ve shared but as I post more I will come back and add the links.*

- [Outfit](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/06/how-i-easily-assembled-an-outfit-for-princess-skateboarder/)
- [Paper Mache Helmet and Accessories](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/20/check-out-the-great-princess-skateboarder-helmet-i-made-and-what-accessories-i-included-to-go-with-it/)
- [Dowel and Felt Sail](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/27/how-i-put-together-a-stupendously-amazing-sail-for-princess-skateboarders-skateboard/)
- Final Overview of the Costume

---

## *Planning the Skateboard*

When I first started brainstorming the idea of Princess Skateboarder’s skateboard I considered briefly just buying one. I looked online filtering by diamond shaped ones to my husband’s surprise because he didn’t realize the skateboard is supposed to look like a knight’s shield as that’s what it was created from. Although I stumbled upon a [Kryptonics Stubby skateboard, on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Kryptonics-Stubby-Inch-Complete-Skateboard/dp/B07H1GRSGN/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?dchild=1&keywords=skateboards%2Bdog&qid=1631727536&sr=8-1&th=1&ref=simplykyra.com), that seemed to be mostly the right shape I decided not to get it. This was mainly because Zoey has no actual experience with skateboards and using one in a potential crowd seemed simply wrong. Additionally, other than the vague shape this skateboard doesn’t look like a knight’s shield and most of the positive reviews seem to be for dogs riding it rather than for kids. I decided to instead make a fake skateboard and, later on, if Zoey becomes interested in skateboarding we could always buy her one that was based on reviews and specs rather than simply it’s aesthetics. After going through these deliberations I hopped on my reMarkable to sketch out how I might make this Princess Skateboarder item.

![Image is a screenshot of white paper with drawings and points about how to make the skateboard. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_d788I.png?resize=750%2C949&ssl=1)

This page of my notebook shows my preliminary thoughts and resulting idea for the skateboard itself. It also shows how misguided I was on how easy it would be to cut through layers of glued together cardboard. At this early point in the process I was already considering making a sail for the skateboard for when Princess Skateboarder needs to cross the moat. Here I was going to make it on the underside of the shield but, later on, decided to put it on the top so the skateboard only needs to be decorated on the one side.

In a previous question I poised about this costume on Facebook someone mentioned that I could find knight accessories at the Dollar Tree so I headed over to our local one to see what I could see. There weren’t any knight costumes or parts to be seen but I did find a crown, [used in the outfit](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/06/how-i-easily-assembled-an-outfit-for-princess-skateboarder/), and some beads for Mardi Gras that I was planning on using to wrap around the skateboard like the Princess does with her necklace. In the end I decided to forgo the Mardi Gras beads as I didn’t want them crushed by the weight of Zoey standing on them or the skateboard as a whole. Instead I decided to go another way to add the necklace to the skateboard. And so without further ado this is how I constructed Princess Skateboarder’s skateboard for Zoey:

---

## *Assembling the Skateboard Base With Cardboard Boxes*

I wanted the skateboard to be incredibly sturdy and allow Zoey to actually stand on it even though it doesn’t move so I started saving all the cardboard boxes we received until I knew we had more than enough. I then got to town opening the boxes up and comparing their sizes. The boxes that were large and sturdy were put in my *to use* pile while the shorter and flimsier ones were first split into smaller parts.

![Image shows a stack of flat cardboard boxes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9710.jpeg?resize=750%2C516&ssl=1)

I started out by collapsing all the boxes that looked like they’d work and splitting some of the other ones into two or four pieces.

I then looked through my Mod Podge collection and noticed I had several bottles of the Mod Podge Outdoor version so I grabbed the one with the least amount left inside and got started. I went through way more Mod Podge than expected as I finished the remnants in the first one and then went through an entire other larger jar of it while still working on assembling the base. Overall my process was simple although, looking back, I could’ve saved more Mod Podge if I had shaped the cardboard pieces ahead of time. This time; however, I basically stacked the boxes making sure to rotate each one so they’d be more secure and glued each layer together one by one making one large sturdy piece of cardboard.

![Image shows one larger square of cardboard underneath with a smaller rectangular Target box covering the right side. The other piece is to the left while a bottle of Mod Podge and a foam brush lay to the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9717.jpeg?resize=750%2C512&ssl=1)

After selecting the largest opened box as a base and cutting it to the vague size I wanted I next grabbed two smaller quartered sections of cardboard, rotated them so the layers would alternate with the previous and next layer and thus be more secure, and planned to glue them side by side to make one layer out of the two pieces.

![Image shows white goo in lines and smears on the cardboard with a foam brush sitting in on part. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9718.jpeg?resize=750%2C483&ssl=1)

I moved the new cardboard layer off to the side, for now, and poured a generous amount of Mod Podge over the base cardboard layer.

![Image shows the white Mod Podge extending from where the other box is laid out overtop of it. The white smeared foam brush is to the left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9719.jpeg?resize=750%2C498&ssl=1)

After using the foam brush to smear the Mod Podge everywhere I grabbed the smaller rectangular box and laid it carefully on top.

![Image shows a large square of box composed of two Target box sections with a Mod Podge smeared foam brush on top of them. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9722.jpeg?resize=750%2C452&ssl=1)

After applying more Mod Podge to the other side of the box and the edge of the top box it was time to finish the second layer by adding the other smaller box beside the first.

![Image shows the same vague rectangle of cardboard but this time it's three layers tall with the smaller Target boxes peeking out from the front and back. The almost empty jar of Mod Podge and the wet brush sit to the right side of the photo. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9723.jpeg?resize=750%2C512&ssl=1)

I then grabbed a larger box that matched the first layer, poured and smeared more Mod Podge over that second layer, and carefully applied the box making sure it was rotated lengthwise like the first layer but not like the second. I wanted to alternate the direction of the cardboard to make the final piece more sturdy.

![Image shows Zoey's lower half, with unicorn pants and bright sock, standing on the previous showing cardboard as if it was already a skateboard. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9726.jpeg?resize=750%2C430&ssl=1)

After adding one or two more layers I figured the base was now secure enough to be done. I started second guessing it’s size though so I called Zoey over and let her stand on the table so we could size it up. She absolutely loved this as we never let her on the table.

I was finally done adding layers but then I saw a cereal box in my pile of saved cardboard and realized that a light colored box on top would probably make it easier to sketch out the skateboard plans. I only had one so I quickly headed to our pantry to find another unopened box so I could fully cover the cardboard with this final matching thinner layer.

![Image shows the same cardboard but this time the  image is taken from higher up and a plastic container filled with Rice Krispy cereal sits on top. And empty cereal box sits to the side on top of the emptied and flattened one from before. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9728.jpeg?resize=750%2C497&ssl=1)

Luckily the kids had eaten just enough Rice Krispies that there was enough room to empty an entire new box in there too. This way I had two emptied Rice Krispy cereal boxes I could use. Normally the kids need to finish the entire container before we add more but I figured this was a special and required occasion.

![Image shows the lightened cardboard square with the two cereal boxes glued down side by side and slightly overlapping. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9730.jpeg?resize=750%2C385&ssl=1)

I trimmed the flaps off of one side of either box before gluing both of the boxes down with those flattened edges overlapping. I wanted the overlap to be as non-apparent as it could be.

With all the needed layers glued together it was time to find a safe place to lay the cardboard out so it could dry without being bumped. I also knew I needed a heavy weight to hold the layers down so they could be as securely glued down as possible. I ended up placing the cardboard beside our couch so the side table could keep the four corners down. I then grabbed my hand weights to add more pressure.

![Image shows the cardboard laid out on a wood flour with a wooden piece of furniture with four legs on top of it and some bright orange, purple, and pink weights on too. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9732.jpeg?resize=750%2C349&ssl=1)

I placed the cardboard carefully on the floor and then added our small side table on top and then multiple hand weights.

![Image shows the dried skateboard back on the table with some obvious and some less obvious imprints where the side table legs and weights laid. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9873.jpeg?resize=750%2C529&ssl=1)

I let the skateboard base dry over the next several days. It may have been fully dry after only one night but I left it until I was ready to go over the next step.

Looking back I’m glad I added the weights but wish I had distributed their weight more evenly. In the above photo you can see where the side table legs were along with a few imprints where the hand weights were. Maybe I could’ve grabbed a thick and sturdy book or something to go between the cardboard and end table legs to better distribute the weight over a greater area and thus cause the entire cardboard to be more even and less puckered in places.

---

## *Designing and Cutting Out the Skateboard Shape*

With the base assembled and dried it was time to design how I wanted the skateboard to look. To do this I grabbed my base, a pencil, and my phone with a selection of screenshots from the video. Looking at the cardboard I realized it was too square like and I wanted the final skateboard to be more rectangular. That said I also wanted to take advantage of as much of the space as I could. As such I used the entire length of the cardboard for the length of the skateboard while sketching it out while also using most of the width to make it so it would still be rectangular but also use as much space as was viable. I started out by referring to the screenshot of the shield itself and made a point at the top where the edges will join before going to the other end to make the flat back of the skateboard. After joining those two ends together I flipped between the three screenshots at the top of this post to get the wheels, necklace, and other details in the shield added so I could easily add the details to my skateboard in the future.

![Image shows the cardboard leaned up against my cupboards on the kitchen floor. On it you can see the skateboard sketched out showing the shield shape, it's details, the four wheels, and the lines were the necklace was used to attach them together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9883.jpeg?resize=750%2C886&ssl=1)

I sketched the Princess Skateboarder’s skateboard directly onto the cardboard to get an idea of the final shape of the skateboard along with where the details should be placed.

Originally I was also planning on adding the details of the necklace and wheels to the underside of the skateboard too. That said I didn’t want to include them now as it was hard to line up the two before the skateboard shape was fully cut out. I had planned to cut it out, mark the sides where the necklace was, and then line them all up by joining those points on the underside. Instead I left the back blank and other than adding a protective layer of Mod Podge at the end, it’s still just a cardboard box.

With the sketch drawn it was time to cut out the skateboard. Up until a bit ago I hadn’t factored in how sturdy the skateboard base was going to be so I had planned to use scissors and X-Acto knives at this point. By now I had a growing realization that this wouldn’t work. I started trying to brainstorm other ways to cut the cardboard to the proper shape before thinking about using a serrated knife like a hacksaw or something. As we don’t own anything like that I hopped onto Amazon for an idea of what might be available and came across an electric knife as the heading including *crafting foam* along with the normal uses of *carving meats, poultry, and bread*. I remembered we had one that Matt used to use to carve the turkey although we haven’t used it in years. I dug it out of the cupboard and decided to use that… although I decided to not jump in right away as it was late at night and instead waited for mid-afternoon the following Saturday so the noise wouldn’t be too bad for the neighbors.

![Image shows the electric knife base to the right with a red garbage tie keeping the electrical cord tied together. To the left lays the blades with a broken sad elastic between the two parts.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9881.jpeg?resize=750%2C457&ssl=1)

I knew exactly where the electric knife was but apparently it had been so long since we used it that the elastic band keeping the blades together had hardened and easily broke apart.

![Image shows the cardboard sitting upright with two vertical cuts leading from the top to the join of each front wheel and the skateboard. To thr right another cut was done going along the side of a wheel, straight down to the skateboard, and then, before the cereal box seam, going outward to let that entire piece fall to the ground. That piece is now in the lower right of the photo beside the white extension cord for the electric knife.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9967.jpeg?resize=750%2C547&ssl=1)

I took it and the skateboard outside, plugged in the knife, and got to work. I started by adding cuts leading down to the sharp angles before trimming off the sides. I made sure to follow along the lines when I could in each cut but played it safe and left the interior corners, like around the wheels and necklace, to go over later once I got the hang of using the blade on cardboard and had some of the bulkier pieces cut off. I left the back of the skateboard uncut for a while so I could rest it on the ground while cutting the top and sides.

![Image shows the skateboard turned sideways attached to a base resting on a white plastic chair. More pieces have been cut away compared to the previous photo and you can see some of it below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9968.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After a bit I thought out loud to Matt about how I’d do the back of the skateboard and the details. He remembered he had a vice that he no longer used and brought it out to me. After making sure my skateboard was secured I moved my setup to an old plastic chair before moving the entire thing again to the table. This simple tool really helped me to get into all the smaller more detailed parts of the skateboard.

After cutting this, and the birds I was also attempting to make, I could feel my hands shaking as it remembered the vibrations of the knife. As such I decided, once I moved the knife, skateboard, and birds inside and cleaned up the cardboard, to save the rest for later. Once I was ready to continue I grabbed some sandpaper and smoothed out the ragged edges and the overlapping cereal boxes on top.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9996.jpeg?resize=750%2C508&ssl=1)

Once the skateboard was cut out from the base it was time to sand out all the raw edges to make them smoother. I also slightly sanded the join between the two cereal boxes so it would be less obvious.

With the cutting and sanding completed it was time to move onto the next step!

---

## *Detailing the Skateboard*

When I sketched out the outline of the skateboard I made sure to also draw out the details I saw like the cross in the center of the shield, the border, and the necklace cord itself. I had a plan to make the grey bits (the cross and border of the shield) recessed compared to the dark grey bits and so decided to use paper mache to create that height difference. At this time I had already used paper mache on the helmet, will *post about it next week*, and so already had the brown paper, foam brush, and a bottle of Mod Podge out and ready to use. In the end I only added a couple of layers of paper to the dark grey section of the shield so the height difference between the two parts aren’t as great as I had planned. That said I love how the necklace and wheels turned out which may not have happened the same way if I hadn’t used paper mache at this point so I’m really glad I proceeded this way.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9997.jpeg?resize=750%2C521&ssl=1)

I wanted my project to be easily moved so I could work on it and set it aside whenever it needed it to have time to dry or if I had something else I needed to do. As such I kept my ripped up paper and supplies in a yellow bin we normally use for sensory play. All in all I used the paper, foam brush I bought in [a large set from Michael’s](https://www.michaels.com/foam-brush-value-set-by-craft-smart/10494945.html?ref=simplykyra.com), paper towel for spills, and the skateboard itself.

I wanted the necklace cord to be raised and apparent against the rest of the shield. For the first section I created the 3D effect by rolling up a piece of paper, gluing it down, and then repeating the process by overlapping rolled up pieces of papers to keep it going all the way across. That worked but it was cumbersome so I decided to change up my plan for the other sections. To change it I went to my yarn stash and grabbed [a worsted brown cotton yarn](https://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/bernat-handicrafter-cotton-solids?ref=simplykyra.com) which I then used for each crossing section of necklace on the shield. For each section I lined up a length of yarn to match that section’s length, folded it and remeasured three times so I’d have four matching lengths of yarn, cut the end from the ball, and twisted the yarn so it wouldn’t come apart too easily. I then used my foam brush to add Mod Podge to that section, stuck the yarn down, and then drizzled, dripped, and tapped more Mod Podge overtop. After using paper mache to attach more paper overtop, so it was secured, I then went on to the next section to repeat the process again.

![Image shows a brown ball of yarn, the skateboard with four strands glued down and brown paper for the lower half. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0001.jpeg?resize=750%2C475&ssl=1)

The lowest necklace strand was made up with little bits of paper twisted and glued down. This was repeated with overlapping sections the entire length of the strand. The other strands, this and future ones, are all composed of four lengths of brown cotton yarn and then kept in place with the brown paper Mod Podge paper mache.

At this point I resumed thinking about the sail used by Princess Skateboarder in the video to get over the moat. In the video she flipped over her skateboard, created a sail on a wooden mast, pressed the mast’s bottom to the front the boat, and sailed across the moat. When planning before I had picked up some wooden dowels from Michael’s Arts and Crafts that I was still planning on using to make the sail although I hadn’t started yet. I originally planned to have Zoey also flip over her skateboard and thus was planning on making a hole in the cardboard for the wooden dowel mast to sit in. Over the last bit of time; however, I had started worrying about the top of the skateboard getting ruined if Zoey stood in her boat and, as such, I decided to take some creative license and have the sail rest on the top of the skateboard instead. Rather than making a hole in the skateboard I started wondering if I should add a pendant to the necklace near the front of the skateboard where the mast should go and have the connection point between the necklace strand and the pendant be more functional for the mast. I hadn’t made the sail yet but as I had already bought the dowels I was able to grab the largest one, place it in the center of the skateboard near the necklace, and use my pen to make an outline of it’s size. I decided to use the yarn to build the necklace’s connection point and then grabbed some extra napkins to make the pendant itself. I decided to go with a heart shaped pendant to match the Dollar Tree’s crown I had bought to go with [Princess Skateboarder’s outfit](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/06/how-i-easily-assembled-an-outfit-for-princess-skateboarder/). Once the yarn and heart-shaped napkin where glued down I grabbed more brown paper and covered it all up to smooth the whole thing out and shape it better.

![Image shows the front of the skateboard with the dowel held above it, a circle marked near the brown yarn, and the pen set to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0022.jpeg?resize=750%2C515&ssl=1)

I grabbed my dowel, placed it upright near the necklace and centered it on the skateboard where I thought the mast should be, and then used my pen to trace around it.

![Image shows the skateboard with a small stack of heart shaped napkin layers placed next to the ink-marked circle. Near the bottom of the photo you can see the scissors and the rest of the napkin with the heart cut from the center. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0025.jpeg?resize=750%2C536&ssl=1)

Before making the connection I decided to figure out the pendant itself. The center gem in the crown I bought Zoey was heart-shaped so I decided to do the same here. I quickly looked around and decided to use some white napkins we had leftover from takeout.

![Image shows the skateboard with the pieces cut out, prepped, and ready to glue down. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0026.jpeg?resize=750%2C493&ssl=1)

I then grabbed a length of yarn, cut it off, rolled up the center so it would encircle the marked circle, and then created a loop at the top with one end of the yarn and strand hanging down with the other end. The loop at the top was going to go under the necklace strand, that I hadn’t glued down yet, as if the pendant was simply hanging down from the necklace. The heart would be glued onto the other end of the yarn hanging down making the pendant look to be connected to the necklace with a decorative looping method that was also functional for when the skateboard becomes a boat.

![Image shows the brown circle with a loop coming from either end glued down to the cardboard skateboard and coated in more white. The section underneath has more glue showing where the heart napkin will go next. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0029.jpeg?resize=750%2C451&ssl=1)

I glued down the yarn loop first as I wanted either end to be hidden by the necklace stand, at the top, and the pendant itself at the bottom. I was careful to keep the inked circle still visible on the inside of the yarn circle to make sure that the dowel will still fit inside even with the yarn covered in Mod Podged paper.

![Image shows a closer look at the front of the skateboard showing the white heart pendant with the brown yarn necklace and decorative connection point. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0030.jpeg?resize=750%2C453&ssl=1)

After the loop was fixed to the cardboard it was time to add the final necklace strand, at the top, and the heart-shaped napkins for the pendant at the bottom.

![Image shows the white napkin and top connection covered in light brown paper. The yarn necklace and circle is still uncovered and visible. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0032.jpeg?resize=750%2C460&ssl=1)

I then grabbed more Mod Podge and my brown paper to cover up the napkin and yarn.

![Image shows the same front of the skateboard as before although this time there's a folded napkin with two angled ovals cut out and a stack of heart shaped napkins trying to fold back up beside it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0034.jpeg?resize=750%2C516&ssl=1)

The napkin pendant didn’t seem big enough once covered so I grabbed the remaining napkins, folded them up two times, and then carefully cut out two sets of hearts along the main fold. After unfolding the hearts I stacked them on top of each other, glued them down to the original heart, and continued to apply the paper to cover it up again. Now the heart-shaped pendant was even more obvious.

Once the pendant was created it was time to go over the rest with paper mache. I had planned to only cover up the dark grey section of the shield but with the yarn necklace I realized I now needed to go over it’s entire strand so it’s firmly fixed in place. This way it would also be easier to paint as the yarn is totally covered. I made sure to glue down several layers of paper in the dark grey sections hoping there was still a mostly obvious height difference in the future. While doing this I also realized that I wanted to shape the wheels a bit so I added thicker paper, that I had cut off of the helmet, and used excess paper to help hold it down and round out the edges.

![Image shows an overview of the skateboard with all the brown yarn hidden under the light brown paper. Off to the sides are the Mod Podge, scissors, tea, and water. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0036.jpeg?resize=750%2C411&ssl=1)

After getting the necklace figured out I carefully paper mached over all the yarn so it would be consistent the whole way across, stay attached, and be easier to paint.

![Image shows the skateboard after it's been fully paper mached. The original cereal box shows through along the border of the shield, where the necklace isn't, and in the cross at the center except where the necklace is. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0038.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

With the remaining skateboard I attempted to add height to the wheels, making them appear to be curved, by using thicker paper I had cut off of the helmet and then layered pieces of the thinner paper overtop. I also carefully went over the dark grey section of the shield being careful not to overlap into the light grey areas.

I could’ve added more layers of paper mache to make the heights of the sections more drastically different but I decided to stop here so the skateboard would still be easy to stand on for Zoey and have the paint speak for the sections instead.

---

## *Painting and Protecting the Skateboard*

I went with simple acrylic craft paint to color the skateboard as I felt it would be bright and sturdy enough for the task. I also had the proper colors on hand from buying it years ago for the kids to [decorate rocks](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/03/27/easter-egg-hunt-with-painted-rocks/) again although they’ve only used it once or twice. As I had a light grey available, but not a dark one, I decided to start with the light grey sections. I thought this was going to take me several days so I decided I’d go to Michael’s the next day to buy dark grey as I worried mixing it myself would cause some areas to be too dark or light compared to others. I needn’t have worried as I instead painted both this and the helmet in one night and loved how they looked with the dappled dark grey caused by combining old clumpy white paint with black acrylic paint. Anyway, once I painted the light grey sections I referred to the Dollar Tree crown and painted the heart-shaped jewel a bright blue. I then grabbed black to paint the necklace cord, and then added clumpy white to the leftover black paint to make a dark grey so I could continue right away. I finally painted the wheels brown but added some of the grey on top to make it look more used.

![Image shows a closeup of the heart jewel on the cheap silver crown. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0158.jpeg?resize=750%2C464&ssl=1)

I quickly conferred with the Dollar Tree crown to help decide what paint I’d use for the heart-shaped pendant.

![Image is taken from above showing the painting setup (lower left), the skateboard (bottom), helmet (top right), and Matt's LEGO (top left). ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0162.jpeg?resize=750%2C523&ssl=1)

I started out by using the light grey I already had to paint the visor of the helmet, the grey bits of the skateboard, and apply a shadow along the length of the necklace strands. I applied this undercoat as I worried about painting the dark grey over the black necklace stand so I wanted something there to show through if the dark grey and black didn’t quite meet at all the points.

Once all the parts of the skateboard, and helmet, where done and dried it was time to protect the final product with a layer of Hard Coat Mod Podge. For the skateboard I did this in three separate sessions. The first session I painted the top of the skateboard and along the edge of the sides as I didn’t want Mod Podge to dribble down and stick the skateboard to the table. In the second session I flipped the skateboard over and applied more Mod Podge to the sides and the entire underside of the skateboard. Just in time for the final session I realized I could put plastic cups under the skateboard so I was free to paint all the sides and the top without worrying about the skateboard getting stuck to the table.

![Image shows the top side of the skateboard beside the helmet. Both are coated in white streaks of Mod Podge but have the painted color showing through underneath.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0193.jpeg?resize=750%2C416&ssl=1)

For all three sessions I poured the Mod Podge onto the skateboard and used the pools of it to paint the harder to get to sections like the helmet and sides of the skateboard. I then dipped my brush into the bottle to get the final unpainted parts.

![Image is taken from the side looking at the skateboard and helmet on the table showing off how they're balanced above so they aren't glued down to the table. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0197.jpeg?resize=750%2C375&ssl=1)

I wish I thought about it earlier but I loved when I realized I could put four plastic cups upside down and use them to hold the skateboard above the table.

I love how it turned out but I do have a small regret. As I did the layers of Mod Podge I realized my foam brush was getting noticeably used. By the end there was a small hole on either side where the brown dowel handle started poking through the foam. The frugal part of me didn’t want to use a new brush close to the end so I had just kept using it. After the final layer of Mod Podge had dried I realized I that the odd bit of brush had remained encased inside it. Overall the bits aren’t too noticeable but it is something to keep in mind the next time I might make this.

![Image shows a closeup of the dried skateboard with black flecks showing over the light grey cross. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0201.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

If you look closely at the skateboard you can see the odd black fleck from the foam brush.

And with that Princess Skateboarder’s skateboard was done!

---

## *The Final Skateboard*

![Image shows the top of the skateboard as it sits on the table and leans against the wall. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0333.jpeg?resize=750%2C828&ssl=1)

I absolutely adore how the final skateboard came out…. although looking back I maybe should’ve painted the underside and sides so it’s not still cardboard colored. Either way the top is gorgeous!

![Image shows the skateboard leaning against the back of a chair with it's matching knight's helmet displayed in front of it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0168.jpeg?resize=750%2C976&ssl=1)

The final skateboard with matching helmet! I will post the helmet in an upcoming post.

---

I absolutely love how the skateboard turned out and I’m so glad I thought to use an electric knife as I don’t know how I would’ve cut the cardboard with anything else. Although I made this specifically for Zoey’s Princess Skateboarder’s costume I wonder what else I could make following similar steps.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below if this helped you make a costume whether it’s for Princess Skateboarder herself or for something else entirely. If it was for something else what did you make? I’d love to hear about it and I hope you’re having an awesome day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How I Easily Assembled an Outfit for Princess Skateboarder
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-easily-assembled-an-outfit-for-princess-skateboarder/
Last updated: 2025-09-01T01:20:18.000Z
This year Zoey decided to be *Princess Skateboarder* for Halloween rather than the [jack-o-lantern](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/14/zoeys-simple-jack-o-lantern-costume-from-store-bought-and-sewn-items/) and [pumpkin](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/21/zoeys-simple-and-updated-pumpkin-costume/) costumes from the previous two years. If you aren’t familiar with Princess Skateboarder we came across the character years ago through a two to three minute adorable video in [the Homer app (you can watch it here)](https://learnwithhomer.com/library/story/princess-skateboarder/?ref=simplykyra.com). After looking online I saw there didn’t seem to be any other Princess Skateboarder costumes for me to emulate so I knew I needed to share our version of the character with you just in case you’re looking to do the same.

![Pinterest geared image showing the post's title, a screenshot from the video displaying the text "The dragon saw a princess who was still", an image of the final outfit, and my main URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_How-I-Easily-Assembled-an-Outfit-for-Princess-Skateboarder-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

I want to share all the related Princess Skateboarder posts with you in one easy to locate area in case you want to jump around through them. *Right now this is just text as this is the only post I’ve published but as I publish more I will add the links. This also means you can see what the upcoming posts will be about*. So without further ado here are Princess Skateboarder’s

- [Cardboard-Made Skateboard](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/13/learn-how-i-made-princess-skateboarders-amazing-skateboard/)
- [Paper Mache Helmet and Accessories](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/20/check-out-the-great-princess-skateboarder-helmet-i-made-and-what-accessories-i-included-to-go-with-it/)
- [Dowel and Felt Sail](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/10/27/how-i-put-together-a-stupendously-amazing-sail-for-princess-skateboarders-skateboard/)
- [and Final Overview of the Costume](https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/check-out-zoeys-epic-princess-skateboarder-halloween-costume/)

I wanted to start out with Princess Skateboard’s outfit as that’s the base layer of the costume. I somehow thought this outfit would be the easiest part of the entire costume but then I started planning it and made the outfit way more complicated than it needed to be in my head. I ended up simplifying this drastically but will share the ideas I had in the meantime in case one of those syncs with you more than it did with me.

![Image shows Princess Skateboarder in a red puffy dress and pink belt looking down on the town from her tower. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/10/compressed_outfit_IMG_9414.jpeg?resize=750%2C529&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken of the [Homer Princess Skateboarder](https://learnwithhomer.com/library/story/princess-skateboarder/?ref=simplykyra.com) video when it played on my computer. Somehow all the good photos I took of her outfit shows her concerned which makes sense as the whole town is under a sleeping spell and the dragon just locked her in the top of a large tower.

---

## *The Dress*

I don’t know why but the dress itself was the most difficult part of the entire costume to decide on. For some reason, maybe the large pile of unfinished projects in the corner of my sewing room, I didn’t feel like sewing it up at all and couldn’t stick with a single idea or pattern to use. I was much more excited with the accessories for the costume rather than the outfit itself. As such I kept switching between several drastically different ideas including purchasing a store-bought garment, making a similar but way easier outfit, and mashing up several patterns to sew up the most perfect Princess Skateboarder outfit. After switching back and forth so many times I ended up combining a little bit of sewing with a previously bought dress that Zoey hadn’t worn for years and I had assumed didn’t fit her anymore.

Before going over what I did do I wanted to share some ideas I passed on first in case you’d prefer to use one of those.

### *Sew It Up*

When I was debating sewing the dress I decided to crowdsource some ideas and asked in the [PDF Pattern Stitch and Chat](https://www.facebook.com/groups/364609133655408) group on Facebook for recommendations. Through that I realized the collar I wanted to create was called a Peter Pan collar and also got copious amounts of suggestions including:

- the [Hallå Agnes Swing Top & Dress](https://www.hallapatterns.com/products/sweet-agnes-swing-top-dress?ref=simplykyra.com)
- Patterns for Pirates was mentioned specifically for their [rainbow dress](https://www.patternsforpirates.com/product/rainbow/?ref=simplykyra.com)
- the [Alice Pleated Dress](https://bellasunshinedesigns.com/product/alice-pleated-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com) through Bella Sunshine Designs
- [Violette Field Threads](https://violettefieldthreads.com/pages/search-results-page?q=penelope&ref=simplykyra.com)‘ VFT Penelope as it has both a collar and sash
- a [list of collared dresses through Little Lizard King](https://littlelizardking.com/search?q=Round%20collar%20dress&ref=simplykyra.com)
- Puperita apparently has quite a few dresses with Peter Pan collars including the [Juliette](https://puperita.com/product/girl-dress-sewing-pattern-juliette-1159/?ref=simplykyra.com)
- and the Facebook group [Below the Kōwhai](https://www.facebook.com/belowthekowhai/) was linked to with the Kea top specifically recommended as it has a peter pan collar option

At the height of my sewing plan I considered using the [Rebecca Page Olivia pattern](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/01/23/the-olivia-top/) as, although it didn’t have the Peter Pan collar or swing skirt, it did have the puffed sleeves and the girls both absolutely love the [Olivia, with the Patsy skirt mashup,](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/02/27/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/) as a nightgown so I figured it could become her favorite set of pajamas after Halloween and be worn for years to come. I then started debating lengthening the bodice of the Olivia and/or using the skirt from the Patsy dress so the dress itself would be longer and/or fuller. Either way I could make a standalone pink sash to use as a belt that would, ideally, cinch the waist a bit and lend the appearance of a fuller skirt to the dress even if it was just a lengthened Olivia top rather than including an actual skirt. That way, in the future, Zoey could choose to wear both together, wear them with different garments, or just ignore the pink sash. For the Peter Pan collar itself I looked online and found a free tutorial with pattern [through DressCrafts](https://dresscrafts.com/2018/01/sewing-peter-pan-collar-with-free-pattern/?ref=simplykyra.com). As the Olivia neckline is large as you need to make a channel and cinch it in with elastic I considered, as a cursory plan, extending the collar’s length and then sewing it to the Olivia neckline before the fabric is folded over, sewn down, and the elastic is added. This would give the outfit the right collar to go with the right sleeves; however, I worried that the elasticized neckline would cause the collar to pucker and pop up too much.

![Image shows a white page showing words and sketches on the plan to create an Olivia based Princess Skateboarder outfit. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Halloween-2021-outfit.png?resize=750%2C1018&ssl=1)

I kept switching between sewing up this comfy option and mashing up several patterns so I could get the perfect buttoned or zippered woven dress with the right amount of bubbled sleeves, Peter Pan collar, and slightly puffed skirt. I then decided on something else so I never did figure out which patterns I’d use and/or combine in this case.

### *Buy It*

When first deliberating over buying the costume I started out by hopping onto [Costco’s website](https://www.costco.com/CatalogSearch?dept=All&keyword=costume&ref=simplykyra.com) and although they had a selection of fairy, witch, mermaid, and unicorn costumes none of them came in a solid red color. After that I kept looking over the selection on both [Target.com](https://www.target.com/s?sortBy=relevance&Nao=0&category=xcoz4&searchTerm=red+dress&ref=simplykyra.com) and [Primary.com](https://www.primary.com/collections/kids-dresses-rompers?colorFamily=reds&sizeFamily=kids&page=1&ref=nav%5Flink%5F1%5F1), but none of their dresses matched what I wanted as none of them had a peter pan collar or bubbled sleeves. I did; however, come close to picking one out through Target but then realized it only came in toddler sizes and although the waist measurement worked with Zoey I worried that the dress itself would be too short for her in addition to the lack of puffed sleeves and collar. I then realized there was no point in buying a dress if the closest option ignored most of the points I wanted it to include. Also the fact she sized into the toddler sizes made me consider the red dress we had used in her [firetruck costume](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/11/firetruck-halloween-costume/) three years ago. I had considered it briefly, noticed it’s size, and then tossed it into our giveaway pile without trying it on Zoey. I decided to pull it back out and have her try it on. After confirming with Zoey that the dress did indeed still fit comfortably I asked if it would work as Princess Skateboarder’s. At first she said no because of the bow over the sparkly silver sash but once I promised to remove the bow and hide the sparkles with pink she loved the idea of using this dress regardless of the missing Peter Pan collar and puffed sleeves. As long as Zoey’s on board with the outfit I know we’re golden! This also seemed perfect as over the last three years I had considered adding a permanent pink sash to this dress to turn it into the Princess Skateboarder’s outfit anyway and never got around to it.

![Image shows the center half of a fancy red dress with a white and silver sequined section along the front of the waist. On the center is a mostly removed red bow with a blue handled seam ripper laid out beside it.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0040.jpeg?resize=750%2C424&ssl=1)

I quickly grabbed my seam ripper and carefully cut the bow off of the dress. After confirming that the silver will be hidden with a pink sash or belt Zoey was on board with the Princess Skateboarder outfit.

And with that the most difficult part of this costume was figured out!

---

## *The Pink Sash*

Going into this I knew we’d probably end up having to add a pink belt or sash to Zoey’s Princess Skateboarder outfit. With the red dress now decided this was now a sure thing. I considered sewing a long flat strip of pink woven fabric, like the sash in the [peppermint swirl dresses](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/20/even-more-peppermint-swirl-dresses/), and simply tie it around Zoey’s waist to keep it in place whenever she is dressed as Princess Skateboarder. Then I remembered I didn’t have any pink woven fabric but I did have some leftover pink knit remnants from an outfit I had cut out for Ada and although it wasn’t that stretchy I figured I could use that to make the sash. As there weren’t a lot of remnants left I chose to make a simple loop of fabric that we can easily pull over Zoey’s head and use as a belt to cover the silver fabric. For now both the dress and loop are separate pieces but if the sparkly silver front shows through when the loop shifts I plan to use some thread to tack the two together to keep it in place over Halloween and thus still be easily removed if needed in the future. And without further ado here is how I hacked together the pink loop in case you’re also looking for something this simple:

![Image show a large triangle of pink knit fabric with a quilting ruler laid over the edge. That edge is trimmed off and the end is cut making a twenty inch long section from the remnant. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0111.jpeg?resize=750%2C522&ssl=1)

I measured Zoey’s waist, added an inch as the fabric wasn’t that stretchy, and then went to cut a fabric strip of that length. Side note: it ended up way too long so you could always go shorter especially if your fabric is more stretchy than ours. Also I didn’t have a wide enough remnant so I split that number into two and added half an inch for seam allowance. I ended up going for, essentially, two twenty inch long strips of fabric.

![Image shows a large rectangle of pink fabric with the clear quilting ruler laid out showing it is 7.75 inches tall. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0113.jpeg?resize=750%2C469&ssl=1)

Once I had the length calculated I next needed to figure out the width. I was originally going to figure out how high I wanted the belt, times it by two, and added twice the seam allowance. Instead I decided to take the maximum height available to me in this remnant, which was 7 and 3/4 inches, and use that to make two pink strips of fabric. I then cut the fabric so it was 20 by 7 and 3/4 inches large.

![Image shows the pink strip measuring twenty by 3.25 inches now. The excess thin strip is cut off the edge with a yellow rotary blade off to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0115.jpeg?resize=750%2C432&ssl=1)

Rather than taking the height, halving it, and measuring it out carefully I instead folded the strip in half lengthwise, lined up the stacked raw edges with a measuring line, and trimmed the fold off. Now I have two pink strips of knit fabric both measuring out at 20 inches by about 3 and 3/4 inches.

![Image shows the two stacked strips with a black serger seam connecting them at one of the short ends. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0117.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Since I had cut out two strips rather than one I now needed to sew the two together.

![Image shows the join between the two strips with the seam on the bottom and the serger tail sticking out. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0116.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I love how clean it looks from the front.

![Image shows the strip folded twice to fit in the shot. Along the raw edge there's multicolored sewing clips to hold it in place. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0119.jpeg?resize=750%2C478&ssl=1)

To make the loop I then folded the long strip in half lengthwise with the right sides together. I made sure to use my sewing clips to keep it all together.

![Image shows the strip with most of the side sewn closed. There's an opening near one of the ends (center in this image). ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0124.jpeg?resize=750%2C328&ssl=1)

At this point, looking back, I should have just sewn along the length, turned it right side out, and hand stitched the two ends together. Instead I left a small opening along the side to turn the belt right side out with along with keeping the ends open. I had the vague idea of sewing the loop closed similarly to how I sew the straps in [the Stitch Upon a Time Brazi pattern](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/05/12/stitch-upon-a-time-brazi-the-best-bra-and-dress-pattern/).

![Image shows the flat pink strip wrapped around Zoey's waist with the ends overlapped so I know where to trim it.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0128.jpeg?resize=750%2C508&ssl=1)

I then called Zoey over so I could confirm how long I wanted it and found it to be much too long. Since the strip doesn’t stretch too much I gave it an inch or two of wiggle room and then marked where the ends overlapped so I could shorten the pink strip.

![Image shows the band folded in half with the longer end going through the opening and out then other end. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0131.jpeg?resize=750%2C238&ssl=1)

I then pulled one end of the band through the opening in the side and out the other end. I made sure the wrong sides were together then realized I did it wrong as the wrong sides should be apart and the right sides together. After this picture I took them apart and threaded it the opposite way so the tubes were right sides together instead.

![Image shows the pin band partly inside out with the seam down the center of the flat section. The two raw ends are stacked within each other with a sewing clip holding it in place. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0133.jpeg?resize=750%2C426&ssl=1)

This time around the inner band is right sides out while the outer one is wrong sides out. This means I can line up the raw edges, flatten it so the seam is centered on a flat edge, and sew the ends together.

![Image is similar to the previous one but now the end is serged with black threads rather than clipped closed. The bottom side already had the serger tail tied and trimmed while the top one sports unraveled threads. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0134.jpeg?resize=750%2C391&ssl=1)

I then stitched the two raw ends together, unraveled the ends of the serger tails, tied them, and trimmed the excess threads. If you want more information on how I finish my serger tails you can [check out this post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/17/easily-unravel-and-tie-off-your-serger-ends/). Once trimmed I then pull the right side out band so it then pulls out the other half so I’m left with one large, mostly, closed loop.

![Image shows me the final loop right side out with the opening gapping open as the raw edge is curling. The center lengthwise seam is centered on the flattened band with sewing clips keeping the proper edge folded. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0138.jpeg?resize=750%2C453&ssl=1)

I sewed it this was so the lengthwise seam would be centered on the inside of the loop and it wouldn’t shift too much as the ends were sewn together flat. With that done I used the odd clip to make sure the edges were properly folded and then all that was left to do was handstitch the opening closed.

![Image shows the opening being stitched up by the black thread coming out. The opening has a pair of scissors keeping the layers together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0148.jpeg?resize=750%2C490&ssl=1)

Since this seam would be hidden against Zoey I wasn’t too concerned about the stitching showing so I was lazy and just used my go to black thread rather than attempting to color match the fabric. Once the thread was in I kept carefully folding the fabric in, lining it up, and stitching it closed. I did this in small sections until the whole thing was sewn closed.

![Image shows the finished seam all sewn up and barely visible. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0155.jpeg?resize=750%2C206&ssl=1)

And then it was done! Glad I made sure the lengthwise seam was centered so I could hide it easily.

---

## *Rest of the Outfit*

At the beginning of the Princess Skateboarder video the princess is wearing a crown with blue gems in it. By happenstance, when I was last at the local Dollar Tree, I found a single crown that happened to have blue gems in it. I figured for a dollar why not and grabbed it in case Zoey wanted to act out the story or wear the crown with the dress in the future. As to the rest of her outfit the Princess in the story wears white socks with black buckled shoes. Zoey doesn’t own buckled shoes and I figured I’d rather have her comfortable so, closer to Halloween, I plan to have her pick out which pants, socks, and face mask she wants to wear with her costume and pair the entire outfit with her normal day to day running shoes. This way she’s comfortable doing whatever we end up doing for Halloween.

![Image shows the red dress with the pink band carefully laid out so the silver is hidden. The blue crown is placed over the pink sash. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0351.jpeg?resize=750%2C544&ssl=1)

With the lack of puffy sleeves and Peter Pan collar this final outfit doesn’t fully match the Princess Skateboarder costume I had planned but I figured when paired with the skateboard, armor, and other optional accessories the costume would be apparent to anyone who has ever previously watched the video.

![Image shows the red dress with the pink band carefully laid out so the silver is hidden. The blue crown is placed above the neckline of the dress. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_0348.jpeg?resize=750%2C727&ssl=1)

And with that the outfit for Zoey’s Princess Skateboarder Halloween costume is finished. If you’re interested in making this costume yourself I plan to post about the rest of her costume accessories before Halloween including how I made the skateboard, sail, helmet, and other accessories. After Halloween is over I’m planning on showing all the parts of the costume together in a single post. *I will add links to this section as each future post goes live.*

Have you made or will make a Princess Skateboarder costume? If so how did it go? Where did you buy your dress or which sewing pattern did you use if you made it yourself? If this is anything like the last two Halloweens Zoey might end up wanting to be Princess Skateboarder next year too and by then this dress will definitely be too small so I’d love to have a better plan in place in case that comes to pass. Feel free to share your version in the comments below. I hope you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How to Find and Purchase Extra LEGO® Parts Through LEGO.com
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-find-and-purchase-extra-lego-parts-through-lego-com/
Last updated: 2023-05-08T15:48:37.000Z
While writing a post recently [comparing three different store-bought LEGO® flower sets](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/09/22/a-comparison-of-the-lego-flower-bouquet-tulips-and-roses/) I started looking into how to purchase additional LEGO® parts to customize my flower bouquet by adding more blooms and changing up the colors. One thing led to another and although I hadn’t yet bought any additional pieces, as I’m still deciding, I figured I’d share what I have found so far with you. So whether you’re looking at adding additional pieces to customize a recent purchase or are looking to find out how to track down instructions and/or bricks for a retired LEGO® set I hope this helps you in some way.

![Pinterest geared image showing the post's title at the top, the main URL at the bottom, and a collage of seven image in the center. The images are all screenshots of, mostly, LEGO.com and are all found below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2023/03/compressed_How-to-Find-and-Purchase-Extra-LEGO--Parts-Through-LEGO.com-Pinterest.jpg)

---

First a quick aside. I have no affiliation with the LEGO® brand and make no money if you choose to purchase these products. I love building and playing with LEGO® and wanted to share what I’ve discovered with you in case it could help.

UPDATE May 2023: I recently realized that the Buy Bricks section of the LEGO® Customer Service website seems to now redirect you to the [LEGO® Pick a Brick](https://www.lego.com/en-us/pick-and-build/pick-a-brick?ref=simplykyra.com). So there seems to now be only one spot on the LEGO® website to buy the bricks. 

---

Back before Ada’s birthday Matt wanted to buy all the parts for a [retired Wonder Woman™ BrickHeadz™ (41599)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/wonder-woman-41599?ref=simplykyra.com) LEGO® set so they could create Wonder Woman™ together using the available online instructions without needing to buy a marked up older version of the item through some third party retailer online. He spent hours referring to the [official online instructions](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/buildinginstructions/41599?ref=simplykyra.com) along with referring to [an alternate version of instructions I found through BrickSet](https://brickset.com/article/29344/wonder-woman-brickheadz-instructions?ref=simplykyra.com) and was able to track down each individual part, or an approximately similar brick, through the [LEGO® Pick a Brick website](https://www.lego.com/en-us/page/static/pick-a-brick?ref=simplykyra.com) that he had navigated to through the shopping part of the LEGO® website. Imagine his surprise when I, while creating the [flower LEGO® post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/09/22/a-comparison-of-the-lego-flower-bouquet-tulips-and-roses/), decided to hop online to find out if the same stem from the bouquet was available to purchase and came across the ability to order replacement LEGO® bricks by the set, item, or design number through the Customer Service [Bricks & Pieces](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/replacementparts?ref=simplykyra.com) portion of their website. It was a mind blowing discovery that I couldn’t keep to myself and I had to share it with you in case you were also having similar difficulties.

Basically when you go to the [LEGO® Customer Service page](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/?ref=simplykyra.com) you’re confronted with a banner at the top of the page listing four options: [Building Instructions](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/buildinginstructions/?ref=simplykyra.com), [Bricks & Pieces](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/replacementparts/?ref=simplykyra.com), [Help Topics](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/help/?ref=simplykyra.com), and [Device Guide](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/device-guide/?ref=simplykyra.com). I haven’t looked too far into the Help Topics or Device Guide but I was entranced with the Bricks & Pieces and, later, the Building Instructions sections.

---

## **LEGO® Customer Service Bricks & Pieces*

For now I figured I’d start with the [Bricks & Pieces](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/replacementparts/?ref=simplykyra.com) section of the website. Once you go there it has you drill down by Missing Bricks, Broken Bricks, or just Buy Bricks so you can purchase replacement bricks. I ignored the first two, beyond clicking once, as I didn’t want to file a complaint about any of my current LEGO® sets. When I went to the [Buy Bricks](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/replacementparts/sale/location?ref=simplykyra.com) section; however, I was able to fill in the country in which I live before filling in which set, part, or design number I was searching for and then, finally, saw all the matching bricks. When using this website I noticed that the URL doesn’t change when entering the numbers so I decided to take screenshots, shown below, to highlight what I was looking at. For now I’ll start with the part number search.

### *Part Number Search*

Since I discovered this section of the website while writing [my post about the LEGO® flower bouquet set](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/09/22/a-comparison-of-the-lego-flower-bouquet-tulips-and-roses/) I was, in this example, searching for the 10 inch (25.4 centimeter) long light green stem that most of the flowers in my [LEGO® flower bouquet set](https://www.lego.com/en-us/themes/adults-welcome/botanical-collection/flower-bouquet?ref=simplykyra.com) were made with. As such I’ll start off by showing you the search using the part, or item, number first. To find this part’s item number I looked in the back of the instruction book, that came with my set, where I saw the number 6329299 printed next to the image of the piece. I had chosen to start looking for this piece as it seemed to be the simplest way to *fix* my bouquet as I could add this single piece to each of my smaller roses and tulips, that I bought from two other smaller LEGO® sets, to make them the same height as the main flowers in my bouquet. I could then set aside the smaller and lighter green pieces from their stems or, if I didn’t mind them being three different shades of green, use the pieces to make some of the other flowers taller and stagger their heights a bit more. Anyway, when I searched for this item number only one matching result was returned, as expected, and it looked exactly like the matching pieces I used in my flower bouquet.

![Image shows a screenshot of the LEGO website under Customer Service, Bricks & Pieces, Buy Bricks, and Enter Set Number. The top field for the set number is blank but the bottom one, for part number, is filled in with the stem part number 6329299 found in the instructions. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-16-at-7.56.21-AM.png?resize=750%2C540&ssl=1)

After clicking on *[Buy Bricks](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/replacementparts/sale/location?ref=simplykyra.com)* within the Customer Service portal I entered my location and then entered the stem’s part number under *Enter an item number or design id*. The part number, in this case 6329299, was found in the back of the *Flower Bouquet’s* instructional book where it lists all the LEGO® bricks used. This screenshot was taken on September 16th, 2021.

![This image shows the search results on the LEGO® page from looking for item number 6329299. One brick is listed below the header shown. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-16-at-7.56.41-AM.png?resize=750%2C529&ssl=1)

As I searched for a particular part number, in this case 6329299, only a single matching item was returned. I later found I could click it to find the part’s design number, in this case 13927, and search by it to get all the matching items regardless of color. In this case searching for the design number returns three different *Cross Axle 32M* parts in *black*, *white*, or this *sand green* color. I also saw the parts vary in price from $1.65 to $1.97 USD depending on the color. This shows I could technically replace the *sand green* colored stems for black or white if I prefer. Maybe, if enough parts came in white, I could create a bouquet of all white flowers for a wedding? This screenshot was taken on September 16th, 2021.

### *Set Number Search*

After playing around looking for that particular stem piece I decided to search using each of the three LEGO® flower set numbers I was looking to expand on. I found, once I entered each sets’ number into the [Buy Bricks *Enter Set Number* field](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/replacementparts/sale/enter-set-number?ref=simplykyra.com), that the website then lists all the related and available bricks for that particular set. This was amazing and so much less work than the time Matt put in looking for the bricks needed in the [retired Wonder Woman™ BrickHeadz™](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/wonder-woman-41599?ref=simplykyra.com) LEGO® set a month or so ago.

I found, for my sets, that the set number for the [Flower Bouquet](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/flower-bouquet-10280?ref=simplykyra.com) was not apparent on the instruction book but it was easy to find on the box, if you kept it or looked online for an image of it, or through the LEGO® website itself for that product. For the other two boxes I just looked online rather than digging my instruction book back out. In this case the Flower Bouquet has a set number 10280, the Tulips are 40461, and the Roses are 40460\. If you want to see more about these sets you can check out [my previous post showing the finished kits here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/09/22/a-comparison-of-the-lego-flower-bouquet-tulips-and-roses/).

![Image is a collage of three screenshots each showing the search results for a particular LEGO® set. Each image shows an image of that set, the set number itself, it's name, and the bricks available to purchase at the top. The bottom of each image shows the first two rows of the parts matching that set. The sets are, from left to right, Roses (40460), Flower Bouquet (10280), and Tulips (40461).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_How-to-Purchase-Extra-LEGO%C2%AE-Parts-to-Make-a-Retired-Kit-or-Expand-a-Favorite-One-Image.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

Each image in this collage shows a screenshot of the header and first two rows of results when searching for the available parts of that particular set. In order from left to right this shows the Roses (40460), Flower Bouquet (10280), and Tulips (40461). All three screenshots were taken from the LEGO® website on September 16th, 2021.

I absolutely love that I could search using a specific LEGO® set number, get all the bricks associated with that set, and easily create an order with all the ones I want to expand my set with.

### *Design Number Search*

The part I found really interesting about this was the ability to search by the design number rather than just a specific part. This meant, for example, I could look up all the parts associated with my flower bouquet, pick out the bricks I’d need to create a particular flower, copy each of their design numbers in turn, open up a new tab for each number and search using that particular design number so each tab has all the colors of each particular brick needed to create that flower. Then, in this case, I could switch between the tabs comparing the colors in each and decide what color the flower should be based on which colors were available for all the bricks in the bloom and then order the right number of each brick in that color based on the numbers used in the instructions.

For this example I picked the smaller rose petal brick specifically as it stuck out when scrolling as it was one of the few bricks in the bouquet that was out of stock at that time. I clicked on the image to have a popup containing more information about the brick show up on the screen. Along with the element/part number of 6381799 I saw that the design number was listed as 93604\. After copying the design number I went back on the website to where I had first entered the set number and on the second field this time, under *Enter an item number or design id*, I entered the design number I had found. I discovered that when I searched for the element number I received just one matching result, the light nougat colored brick, while searching by the design number returns all of the matching bricks in all the available colors.

![Image shows the one item, on the upper right, set to "Out of Stock". Below it, still on the image, a popup shows the image again and more information about it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-16-at-8.00.42-AM.png?resize=750%2C477&ssl=1)

Weirdly all I can see now in this photo is that the color is listed as *purple* while the description says the actual color *L Nougat*. Anyway this screenshot was taken on September 16th, 2021.

![Image shows the Buy Bricks search showing a single Out of Stock item.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-16-at-8.00.52-AM.png?resize=750%2C409&ssl=1)

When I search for the element number, through the [Customer Service Buy Bricks](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/replacementparts/sale/choose-brick?ref=simplykyra.com) site, I get a single matching result showing that item. This search and screenshot was taken on September 16th, 2021.

![Image shows the Buy Bricks search showing the header with a blank image, the searched number, and listing 18 bricks available. Below the top two rows of the search results are included showing eight different colors of that item ranging from 28 to 48 cents depending on the color. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-16-at-8.01.07-AM.png?resize=750%2C810&ssl=1)

When, instead, I search by the design number 93604 I get 18 of that particular LEGO® brick all in different colors. This search and screenshot was taken on September 16th, 2021.

I love that I can search by the design number as it allows me to see all of the colors that a particular brick comes in and, if all the bloom pieces of a particular flower has that color available, helps me decide whether I should buy all the pieces to make that particular new flower in that particular color. If all the pieces don’t come in that color I could determine if I wanted a multi-color bloom or if I should choose a color that all the pieces are available in instead.

---

## *Bricks & Pieces Versus Pick-a-Brick*

Just a month or so ago Matt had difficulty while using the [LEGO® storefront Pick A Brick](https://www.lego.com/en-us/page/static/pick-a-brick?ref=simplykyra.com) to find all the individual pieces needed in the [retired Wonder Woman™ BrickHeadz™ (41599)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/wonder-woman-41599?ref=simplykyra.com) LEGO® set. At that time we didn’t know about the [Buy Bricks](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/replacementparts/sale/choose-brick?ref=simplykyra.com) option through the LEGO® Customer Service page. As such, to better compare the two storefronts for you, I searched for the [Wonder Woman™ (41599)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/wonder-woman-41599?ref=simplykyra.com) set through the Customer Service portal and quickly got a list of 48 pieces that were available from that set. Counting all the unique bricks used in the related instruction book brings me to 54 bricks so without comparing too closely that shows that there are still six bricks missing that I’d have to replace with a different color, based on design id, or construct with different brick(s). To compare the two storefronts more I then switched to the [Pick a Brick](https://www.lego.com/en-us/page/static/pick-a-brick?ref=simplykyra.com) section and attempted to search for the set number and then *Wonder Woman* itself both with no results. I then focused on the parts itself, since the store is called Pick a Brick, and specifically chose the *mini short sword* (design id of 18034) found in the previous search showing all the [Wonder Woman™ BrickHeadz™](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/wonder-woman-41599?ref=simplykyra.com) parts and, on this storefront, found that there were no short swords available.

![Image shows the buy bricks search page for design number 18034 showing 5 available bricks. Three are available right now as they say "Add to bag" underneath it while two of swords aren't as their button is unenabled, greyed out, and says "Out of Stock".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-18-at-8.33.23-AM.png?resize=750%2C838&ssl=1)

When searching for the *mini short sword*, by it’s design id of 18034, on the [LEGO® Customer Service Buy Bricks](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/replacementparts/sale/choose-brick?ref=simplykyra.com) page on September 18th, 2021 I saw there was a total of five swords with three currently available and two out of stock.

![Image shows the search for "sword" on the Pick a Brick page with seven bricks in the results. The first row of results consists of five squares each showing 6 cent light sword blades. The second row shows two light sword shafts each 7 cents in cost. All items are available as they say "Pick" on the button below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-18-at-8.33.36-AM.png?resize=750%2C495&ssl=1)

In contrast to that on the [LEGO® shopping Pick a Brick page](https://www.lego.com/en-us/page/static/pick-a-brick?ref=simplykyra.com) I searched for *sword* and didn’t receive any results for the *mini short sword* like above. Instead I received seven results for something else. Specifically five light sword blades and two light sword shafts. This search and screenshot were done and taken on on September 18th, 2021.

In case this was just a fluke I decided to compare the two store fronts using another brick. As I started doing this while researching more parts for my flower bouquet I decided to search for the small dark green stem piece by it’s part number 6330196, found in my instruction book, and discovered quickly through the [Customer Service Buy Bricks](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/replacementparts/sale/choose-brick?ref=simplykyra.com) portal that this brick was officially named *CROSS AXLE, EXTENSION, 3M*. I then used the design number, 42195, to do a fresh search and found that this part comes in six different colors, including three shades of green, ranging from 14 to 16 cents USD and that they’re all available as they all say *Add to Bag*. I then went over to the [Pick a Brick](https://www.lego.com/en-us/page/static/pick-a-brick?ref=simplykyra.com) portal and confirmed that the search didn’t work while using the part or design number. Instead I searched using the name of the part, `CROSS AXLE, EXTENSION, 3M`, and received 21 bricks in the results that didn’t appear to match. Referring back to the Customer Service portal I saw that this piece is categorized as *Connectors* so I filtered the 21 results by that category and narrowed it down to only eleven pieces. Now it was more apparent that none of these pieces matched the piece I was searching for. Just in case I redid the search using a simpler term, `cross axle`, and got the same results when I filtered it by the category *Connectors*.

![Image shows the Customer Service portal with the header missing the main image and display that only one brick patched the searched number. Below on the left you can see the element with an "Add to Bag" button while on the right is a popup showing all the information about that part including the design number of 42195.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-18-at-9.08.30-AM.png?resize=750%2C537&ssl=1)

Through the [Customer Service Buy Bricks](https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/replacementparts/sale/choose-brick?ref=simplykyra.com) portal I was able to find the part easily by searching it’s element number. I used the result to find the design number and, after taking this screenshot, did a fresh search to find that this part comes in six different colors. These searches and screenshot were taken on September 18th, 2021.

![Image shows the Pick a Brick search for "CROSS AXLE, EXTENSION, 3M" showing the first two rows of results and the images from the third. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-18-at-9.08.59-AM.png?resize=750%2C561&ssl=1)

I then went over to the [Pick a Brick](https://www.lego.com/en-us/page/static/pick-a-brick?ref=simplykyra.com) portal and after confirming I had no results searching by the part or design number I searched by the brick’s name: *CROSS AXLE, EXTENSION, 3M*. This gave me 21 bricks with twenty of them shown on the first page. This screenshot of first two and a half rows of search results was taken on September 18th, 2021.

![Image shows the same search as the previous photo but now the Category is opened and the "Connectors (11)" is selected. The results only show eleven results, with the bottom one cut off, now. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-18-at-9.09.41-AM.png?resize=750%2C653&ssl=1)

There were a lot of results so I filtered them by the category *Connectors* resulting in only eleven bricks shown. The piece I need was obviously not there in any color. This screenshot was taken on September 18th, 2021.

The fact that these searches show different results makes me think they’re attached to different databases and maybe even different warehouses? Just to check I decided to open both storefronts on different tabs in my browser and added bricks to my *bag* on either site. I immediately noticed that adding or removing items in either store doesn’t affect the other storefront showing they don’t *talk* to each other. Additionally, as an aesthetic only, I noticed that the customer service section has you *Add to Bag* while the shopping Pick a Brick portion has you *Pick*. Both storefronts, once you’re done choosing and click the button to check out, *package* your pieces into a single order and lists it in the shared shopping cart within the LEGO® store site. If you check out from both storefronts they’ll show up as two different items in your cart labelled as [LEGO® Bricks & Pieces](https://www.lego.com/service/replacementparts?ref=simplykyra.com) or [LEGO® Pick A Brick](https://www.lego.com/en-us/page/static/pick-a-brick?ref=simplykyra.com) depending which *store* they’re from. As I haven’t bought them together yet I don’t know if they come from the same location and get packed together or if they take drastically different times to arrive. That said both items, in the cart, warn you that the bricks will ship separately from your other items, may take longer, and, at this time, quote different timeframes so I’m assuming they come from different places.

![Image shows a screenshot of the LEGO® Pick A Brick storefront showing the header, filter criteria, bag, and results. Some items have a checkmark and number indicating how many items were picked. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-17-at-2.13.21-PM.png?resize=750%2C536&ssl=1)

The [Pick A Brick](https://www.lego.com/en-us/page/static/pick-a-brick?ref=simplykyra.com) storefront doesn’t allow you to search by set, item, or design numbers but it does allow a greater degree of filtering. Each item has a button saying *Pick* and once picked allows you to adjust the quantity of that item. It’s straight forward what you’re selecting and, once done, you can click to *Place Pieces in your Bag*. This screenshot was taken on September 17th, 2021.

![Image show the LEGO® Bricks & Pieces storefront with the "Choose Brick" option selected at the top. The flower bouquet was searched for and 26 bricks from that collection was chosen and shows up in the "bag" on the right side of the photo.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-17-at-2.14.54-PM.png?resize=750%2C646&ssl=1)

Through the [LEGO® Customer Service Bricks & Pieces](https://www.lego.com/service/replacementparts?ref=simplykyra.com) storefront I was able to search by the set number to get all related pieces for a single set easily. I then can click on *Add to Bag* for each item, can see the bag as item’s are added, and easily adjust the quantities from within the bag making it easier to adjust on the go. This screenshot was taken on September 17th, 2021.

![Image shows the main LEGO® shopping cart showing a LEGO® Bricks & Pieces order for $5.08 and a LEGO® Pick a Brick item for $3.93. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-17-at-2.15.53-PM.png?resize=750%2C455&ssl=1)

Once each *bag*, from either storefront, is checked out it’s totaled and added to the main LEGO® shopping cart. Thus if you buy bricks from both stores it shows up as two separate items with, at this time on September 17th, 2021, different time estimates as one says it takes up to 10 business days while the other says 20\. Both items are set to a quantity of 1 implying that I could easily double or triple each piece in an order easily by adjusting the quantity.

Since taking these screenshots Matt used the Bricks & Pieces part of the website to add a selection of bricks to his cart, realized he needed more, and then when he added a second set of bricks it overrode the first making him essentially need to start over. As such, right now on September 21st, 2021, I jumped on both sites, added parts to my bag, and then confirmed each one out so they both went in my main shopping cart. Then I went back to [LEGO® Customer Service Bricks & Pieces](https://www.lego.com/service/replacementparts?ref=simplykyra.com) section of the website and saw it doesn’t remember what I selected before, as I had confirmed the order already, and if I add new items to my bag and confirm again the new order overrides the old one in the final shopping cart just like Matt saw. Be aware of this so you don’t have to go back and select your items again. To compare I also went back on the [LEGO® Pick A Brick](https://www.lego.com/en-us/page/static/pick-a-brick?ref=simplykyra.com) section but although the first pieces had been added to my cart there were still showing in my bag so adding more pieces and confirming my bag would just update the order rather than overwrite it completely. I guess this helps confirm that the Pick a Brick section is more user friendly and/or more debugged more.

---

Whether you came to this post randomly and aren’t a LEGO® fan, looking to expand a set you already own, wanting to make a retired set you didn’t know about until now, or looking to create your own custom creations I hope this post helps. I recently came across an [*Adult Fan of LEGO* Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdultFansOfLego/) that I’ve been enjoying so I’d love to hear about your creation plan or other creations you’ve already made if you want to share in the comments below. Either way I hope you’re having a great week and a good day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### A Comparison of the LEGO® Flower Bouquet, Tulips, and Roses
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/a-comparison-of-the-lego-flower-bouquet-tulips-and-roses/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:50:07.000Z
When LEGO® came out with their new botanical collection I knew I eventually needed to build them. I absolutely adored the organic feel with the lines and, once I had the opportunity, I purchased the LEGO® Flower Bouquet set. I absolutely loved the fun of the build and wondered how I could customize this in the future. I later saw online that there existed two other small LEGO® sets one with three tulips and the other with two roses. I was curious how they’d work with the larger bouquet but most of the online reviews only talked about one or the other set and not all three sets together. The only site that did mention them was a [*LEGO Roses & Tulips Review* on theBrickBlogger.com](http://thebrickblogger.com/2021/01/lego-roses-tulips-review/?ref=simplykyra.com) but it was more a review for the smaller kits so only mentioned how the colors between the bouquet and smaller flowers might not go together but didn’t go much beyond that. Based on the side by side vase photos; however, I could tell that the cheaper kits had shorter stemmed flowers compared to the more expensive bouquet flowers. After much deliberation I purchased both the tulip and rose LEGO® sets and now, since they’re both built, I wanted to share a better comparison between the three kits and how, I may, customize them in the future in case you’re also debating whether you should purchase and/or extend your LEGO® flower set(s).

![Pinterest-geared image showing five images (all shown below too), the blog title in the center, and my main URL to learn more at the bottom. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_A-Quick-Compare-and-Contrast-Between-the-Flower-LEGO%C2%AE-Sets-Specifically-the-Flower-Bouquet-Tulips-and-Roses-Pinterest-1.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

First a quick aside. I have no affiliation with the LEGO® brand and make no money if you choose to purchase these products. I love building and playing with LEGO® and saw that no one yet had seemed to make a direct comparison between these three kits and I wanted to share it with you in case you were curious about them too. This post will go over the following LEGO® sets: [Flower Bouquet (10280)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/flower-bouquet-10280?ref=simplykyra.com), [Tulips (40461)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/tulips-40461?ref=simplykyra.com), and [Roses (40460)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/roses-40460?ref=simplykyra.com).

And a quick warning. There may be the odd spoiler given away so be aware in case you want to be surprised building these sets in the future.

---

## *The Flower Bouquet*

About a month ago I bought [the LEGO® Flower Bouquet set](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/flower-bouquet-10280?ref=simplykyra.com) that I had been drooling after for quite awhile. I wanted to have fun building them while also having flowers on the table that wouldn’t drop random petals or need their smelly water changed. The kit didn’t let me down! Although, when moving or bumping the bouquet, the odd petal or leaf does still drop off but Matt doesn’t seem to mind as much compared to when a real bouquet would drop it’s petals by our food.

![Image shows a screenshot of the flower bouquet page on LEGO.com with the small photos listed on the side, information about the product along the bottom and right side, and a main photo of the bouquet in the center.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-15-at-12.53.26-PM.png?resize=750%2C497&ssl=1)

The [Flower Bouquet (#10280)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/flower-bouquet-10280?ref=simplykyra.com) is rated for adults and consists of 756 pieces. Online, right now, it’s backordered but will ship by September 26th. This screenshot was taken of the flower bouquet page on the LEGO.com website on September 15th, 2021.

I had a blast following along with each flower build and seeing how the instructions took random pieces to make a gorgeous stem and bloom(s). I also loved seeing pieces I recognized from previous sets like, for instance, a light and dark green hued dinosaur wing that I’d previously seen when the kids absolutely adored dinosaurs and we bought them Jurassic Park sets that is now being used as a simple rose leaf. Additionally I adored the odd little factoid sprinkled throughout the instruction book explaining why a particular piece was used or where that piece, in a different color, was first created and used with. Although this bouquet cost me $49.99 USD I figured it would pay off over time as I now have a bouquet I was able to build, that I could move anywhere throughout the house, that lasts forever, and, if I get tired of it, I could take apart and save to build in part or fully later when it feels new to me again.

As I finished building each flower I put them into my wide mouthed glass vase that I normally use for real flowers. As the LEGO® flowers are similarly sized to a real flower the height worked perfectly. The main stem piece used in the bouquet is 10 inches (25.3 centimeters) long so the final height of each flower is usually longer those ten inches depending on how tall the bloom itself is and whether there are additional pieces used to extend the length of the stem. Once I finished all the flowers I didn’t like how the final bouquet looked as the vase was too wide for it and the flowers jostled around when I moved it. I looked again in my cupboard and found an old cleaned out juice bottle that had just enough room to allow me to design a new bouquet layout using it as a vase. This way each bloom stayed in place when I moved the bouquet from table to counter and back again. It was; however, a bit tight so the odd stem piece did bend slightly in the weeks before I moved the bouquet back into the larger vase again.

![Image shows an overhead photo of the bouquet spread out in a large vase over a black floor mat. Two girls are seen to the left and right both touching a particular favorite flower. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9075.jpeg?resize=750%2C536&ssl=1)

Once I made all the flowers I moved the vase temporarily to the floor so the girls could better see each bloom and easily touch them all. They loved seeing each flower as it was built but now they could better interact and see the final bouquet as a whole.

![Image is a closer photo of the final bouquet being held up against the white wall. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9080.jpeg?resize=750%2C565&ssl=1)

I didn’t like how loose the stems were in the vase so I found a clean glass bottle and moved the flowers over. They just fit so it was a bit tight but the overall final bouquet was awesome.

![Same close photo of the bouquet against the wall as the previous one but this time it's turned at a different angle to see more of the pink and purples. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9084.jpeg?resize=750%2C711&ssl=1)

I loved the structure of the roses but didn’t like their color. Other than them all the other flowers were perfect and looked great on their own or as a whole.

Going into the build I thought the lavender would be my absolute favorite of all the flowers and was both happy (that it was near the end of the instruction book) and sad (that I only had one). It turned out, by the end, that the lavender was my least favorite of all the flowers and greenery as it much more breakable when being built and when the bouquet was moved or bumped. The lavender was also the tallest of the stems so there was a much higher chance of bumping it specifically especially when the bouquet was placed under my cupboard door. All in all though all the flowers were amazing and, other than the beige roses, the colors they used were on point.

Just for fun I went back onto the LEGO® website and looked for flowers to see if there were any other similar ones. I came across a set of three tulips and a set of two roses which I immediately fell in love with . I saw they were age rated for eight year old kids and up, in contrast with the 18 year old age for the bouquet, and wondered how they would look compared to the rest of my stems if I added them to my vase.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-15-at-12.53.08-PM.png?resize=750%2C530&ssl=1)

This screenshot of the [Tulips (40461)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/tulips-40461?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Roses (40460)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/roses-40460?ref=simplykyra.com) kits were taken from a search for [flowers on the LEGO.com](https://www.lego.com/en-us/search?q=flower&ref=simplykyra.com) website on September 15th, 2021.

Looking online I only came across [theBrickBlogger’s *LEGO Roses & Tulips Review*](http://thebrickblogger.com/2021/01/lego-roses-tulips-review/?ref=simplykyra.com) that mentioned all three sets at once and saw from the side by side bouquet photos they included that these flowers appeared shorter than the main bouquet ones. The site didn’t include photos of them in one vase together so I wondered how they would look together. About a month later I finally broke down and bought both the roses and tulips so I could find out myself.

---

## *The Roses*

![Image shows a screenshot of the rose page on LEGO.com with the small photos listed on the side, information about the product along the bottom and right side, and a main photo of two roses in the center.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-15-at-12.54.31-PM.png?resize=750%2C493&ssl=1)

The LEGO® [Roses (40460)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/roses-40460?ref=simplykyra.com) are currently available online, are rated for 8 year old kids and up, consists of 120 pieces, and costs $12.99 USD. This screenshot from the LEGO.com website was taken on September 15th, 2021.

![Image shows two red roses on a straight and slightly curved stem laid on it's side overlapping with the instruction book. The far left bloom is opened while the right one is closed up.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9778.jpeg?resize=750%2C548&ssl=1)

The final two built roses from this [LEGO® Roses 40460 kit](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/roses-40460?ref=simplykyra.com).

The LEGO® [Roses](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/roses-40460?ref=simplykyra.com) kit consists of two red blooms on the same constructed green stem from the roses in the bouquet but are much shorter as they consist of less pieces. The rose bloom itself is constructed slightly differently than the previous rose as the outer petals use the same pieces as the inner petals making the outer section shorter than the beige rose outer petals as shown below. I think I prefer the first way and thus, if buying loose pieces, will copy the instructions for the bouquet’s rose petals rather than this smaller kit’s instructions. In contrast to the first ones I prefer the smaller kit’s light green leaves folding down from the red roses and, I think, I prefer the lower leaves on the stem rather than the dinosaur wing leaves of the beige roses too. That said both roses have their own pros and cons and I’d be interested in combining different elements to make my own in my preferred colors later. Plus as the stems match and the rose construction is similar both types of roses can be easily mixed and matched in a vase especially if the stem pieces are shared to make them either the same length or more staggered in length so there’s a less abrupt height difference between them.

![Image shows all five roses laid out on the table. Two of the beige and one red rose is closed while one of each color is fully open to better contrast the two types. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9794.jpeg?resize=750%2C546&ssl=1)

Both sets of roses can be closed or fully opened although the bouquet roses have a larger outer set of petals to better envelope the inner ring of petals when closed.

From the side or top, in the images below, you can better see the difference in the length of the stem, the outer rose petal pieces, the light green leaves curling from the bloom, and the lower leaves themselves.

![Image shows the two roses side by side taken from above so you can see a better comparison of the side of the bloom and the stem as a whole. The other flowers are laid out in the back. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9803.jpeg?resize=750%2C512&ssl=1)

![The flowers haven't been moved from the previous photo but the photo itself is taken from the front to better show the blooms and the trailing stems that go to the back of the photo. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9807.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

All in all I love both sets of roses and could see having the five of them in a single vase especially if I move the stem pieces around so they’re more staggered in height rather than only being two different heights in a vase. Additionally, I could see buying more pieces, maybe in newer colors for the blooms, to make a fuller rose bouquet on the table.

---

## *The Tulips*

![Image shows a screenshot of the tulip page on LEGO.com with the small photos listed on the side, information about the product along the bottom and right side, and a main photo of three tulips in white, lavender, and yellow in the center.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-09-15-at-12.54.21-PM.png?resize=750%2C501&ssl=1)

The LEGO® [Tulips (40461)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/tulips-40461?ref=simplykyra.com) are currently available online, are rated for 8 year old kids and up, consists of 111 pieces, and costs $9.99 USD. This screenshot from the LEGO.com website was taken on September 15th, 2021.

I absolutely adore the [Tulips (40461)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/tulips-40461?ref=simplykyra.com) kit and am so glad I bought it. The colors remind me of Spring and Easter which I mentioned to Matt as I opened up the two bags inside. It’s actually funny because I was exhausted and he scoffed at the weird way I said it and then, midway through the build, he mentioned they looked like Easter and then was surprised when I looked at him strangely and burst out laughing. It was hilarious in my tired mind.

![Image shows the three final tulips laid out on the table and tilted so the stems overlap under the leaves. The instruction book is below the white tulip with the lavender and then yellow tulip below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9782.jpeg?resize=750%2C516&ssl=1)

The final three tulips from [this LEGO® Tulips 40461 kit](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/tulips-40461?ref=simplykyra.com).

When I took photos for this post I forgot that the orange bloom in the full bouquet was a poppy rather than a tulip so I snapped some photos of all four flowers together for a comparison. That said although they are built completely different from each other they do look the most similar compared to the other blooms so I figured I’d include these photos for a better comparison between the two sets. The flower bouquet’s orange poppy has an off green ten inch long stem in one piece with the other darker green stem pieces added to both the top and bottom. It also has no leaves and the flower portion itself has more pieces, is more complicated to build, and the petals can bend open and closed. I adore this orange bloom and wish the full bouquet came with more of them. The three tulips in the smaller kit, in contrast, are more structurally sound as there’s no moving pieces and more connections points. This means they are less likely to break if moving your bouquet around. Their light green stem is constructed from smaller pieces and has two petals coming out from a single point in each stem.

![Image shows the original orange tulip on the left and the three new tulips on the right. The top of all are facing the camera with the stems extending out the back and meeting behind the three tulips. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9785.jpeg?resize=750%2C450&ssl=1)

![Image is taken from above looking down at the four tulips. The orange bloom is even-ish with the other three but it's stem extends past where the other ones end. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9791.jpeg?resize=750%2C485&ssl=1)

If combining these two types of flowers together in a single small vase I would first play around by swapping the stems between the two kits so the larger orange bloom has a wider but potentially shorter stem while the smaller tulip buds are more staggered by using the single long stem and pieces of their own original stems. That said I haven’t tried this yet as I want the orange bloom to be taller to help support the flower head in the bouquet. As it stands now, as the new tulip buds are so short, I need to have them leaned up with their leaves propped on the vase edge so they don’t fall into my vase. I’d love, in the future, for these tulips to have a longer stem so they could be supported better and maybe have a staggered set of heights making them more pleasing to the eye. Either way I’d need to buy more LEGO® stem parts to make that happen.

Additionally the rose kit came with one extra thorn piece, in case it gets lost, so after this photo I added the thorn to the bend in the orange poppy’s stem. Doesn’t make sense from a scientific botanical stance but I figured why not…. it’s LEGO® and it brought me a smile.

---

## *The Full Bouquet With All Three Kits*

With the two red roses and the three tulips built it was time to move my full bouquet back to the wider mouthed glass vase and organize them all together. I had considered taking time moving the stems around to make them all similar yet staggered heights but decided since so many have the ten inch long stem it would be simpler to leave them as they are for now. That said, as I hated the lavender being bumped so much, I removed the extension pieces at the bottom of it’s stem so it was only ten inches long rather than the longer height created from the instructions. I then took these pieces to make one of the red roses taller and, with the last piece not working as I was short a connection piece, added the final stem piece to the end of one of the greenery stems. With that simple customization done I started adding my taller original bouquet pieces to the glass vase first and saved the shorter newer flowers for last so I could prop them up between the flowers and, for the tulips, against the side of the vase so their leaves keep them from falling in. I do have a bit of space left in the vase opening so I have to be a bit more careful when moving the bouquet around but that also means I have some space to purchase additional loose LEGO® parts to add more of my favorite blooms in the same color or in something new.

Here are three photos showing different vantage points of the same final bouquet using these three LEGO® sets ([Flower Bouquet (10280)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/flower-bouquet-10280?ref=simplykyra.com), [Tulips (40461)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/tulips-40461?ref=simplykyra.com), and [Roses (40460)](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/roses-40460?ref=simplykyra.com)) arranged into a glass vase I already owned with no additional pieces added.

![Image is taken from above looking down at the full bouquet set on a wooden floor. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9828.jpeg?resize=750%2C539&ssl=1)

![Image is taken looking at the clear vase containing all the blooms from all three kits. You can see my hand holding the vase and the stems inside the clear vase along with all the blooms together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9822.jpeg?resize=750%2C542&ssl=1)

![Same as the image above but the vase is rotated to show the back view of the previous photo. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_9826.jpeg?resize=750%2C896&ssl=1)

All in all I’m so glad I bought all three kits. That said I keep wondering how I could customize them and I can see maybe buying additional pieces both in the same colors as well as in new shades to expand my flowers. Depending what’s available I could make a bouquet that’s all one type of flower in many colors *or* several types of flowers in one specific hue with the odd bit greenery mixed in to change it up. In these cases I would need to any extra blooms when not in use and whenever I want to change up my bouquet I could simply take the current bouquet apart and build a new one fresh.

---

I hope this post helps you out whether you’re debating buying one, or more, of the flower LEGO® sets or just looking around. I absolutely love them and can see, in the future, customizing them so I have a diverse range of flowers or colors to create a bouquet on the fly based on how I’m feeling.

Have you tried these LEGO® sets out before? If so how did you like it? And, more importantly, have you customized it yet and how? If so I’d love to hear how you customized them so feel free to share in the comments below. I hope your week is going amazingly.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How I Changed up My Sheet Pan Pancakes to Make Them More Exciting
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-changed-up-my-sheet-pan-pancakes-to-make-them-more-exciting/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:49:53.000Z
I’ve learned that I burn anything that needs to be cooked in a frying pan with oil. This includes pancakes, grilled cheese sandwiches, breakfast sausages, and even [pork hash cakes](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/05/26/the-no-fuss-family-cookbook-review/) so I started worrying about how early I was making those items (neighbors and smoke detectors) or had Matt make them if the kids ever asked. Over time though I wanted to be able to make them myself so I was super excited when I came across how to make pancakes (and even grilled cheese look it up!) in the oven. It’s so simple. I love that I can whip up a batch (once I even pre-mixed it the night before), toss it in the oven, and go take a shower while it bakes. I also love that I can easily double it so I have leftovers in the fridge and freezer for future quick microwavable breakfasts. It’s amazing! But I also noticed that my kids started sopping the syrup up using their pancakes and quickly asked for more repeatedly. I decided to change up my pancakes so we wouldn’t need syrup as the sweetness was already included prepackaged inside each one.

![Pinterest Image containing the blog post's title, my main URL, and between the two a grid of sixteen photos. There's text overlay saying prep, mix ins, add ons, toppings, and leftovers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_How-I-Changed-up-My-Sheet-Pan-Pancakes-to-Make-Them-More-Exciting-683x1024.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&ssl=1)

---

I first came across the concept of sheet pan pancakes through [@MacaroniAndButter on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/macaroniandbutter/?ref=simplykyra.com) although I can’t find that specific post anymore. I later reviewed a cookbook I received through [NetGalley](https://www.netgalley.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), titled [Healthy One Pan Dinners](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/05/healthy-one-pan-dinners-cookbook-review/), and have since only used her *Sheet Pan Pancakes* recipe and now double it for two complete sheet pans worth of pancakes at one time. Doing a simple search online for `sheet pan pancakes` brings up many results so I figured rather than sharing a recipe I’d instead share how I change up my pancakes in case you’re also looking for something different. I figured I’d make it easier by separating out the images based on: preparing the pancakes, ingredients I’ve mixed into the batter, ingredients I’ve added to the pre-baked pancakes, images with the two previous categories shown, ingredients added to the mostly baked pancakes, toppings added to the finished pancakes, and finally how I deal with the leftovers. So first one up is:

---

## *Preparing the Pancakes*

A couple times when I know I want pancakes the next morning, but don’t have any leftover ones available in the fridge or freezer and I know I don’t have enough time to mix up a fresh batch AND bake them the next morning I’ve attempted to speed up the entire process by mixing up the pancake batter the night before. This way in the morning I can turn on the oven, grease the sheet pans, pour the already made batter into the sheet pans, and, by that time, the oven is preheated and I can toss them them in. I still have the same amount of dirty dishes that day but the pancakes themselves take much less time and we can get going sooner with whatever plans we might have that day.

![Image shows two plastic cups with pantry stable foods covered with a saucer so they stay safe overnight. To the right you can spot a bunch of bananas ready to grab. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_4041.jpeg?resize=750%2C430&ssl=1)

The night before after mixing up a batch of pancake batter and putting it sealed in the fridge I lay out any of the toppings I want to use with the pancakes. In this case I put the pantry stable items into plastic cups with a saucer as a lid so I can easily sprinkle it over the poured pancakes in the morning. Also these saucers then go on to the girls so the dishes are already laid out. This time around I also moved the bananas over so I’d remember to use them.

![Image shows a plate laid on top of a metal bowl. Behind it you can see two cookie sheets sitting side by side on the stovetop.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_4042.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

To use less plastic I used a plate overtop of the bowl of pancake batter to seal it in the fridge overnight. It was simple to turn on the oven, pull it out of the fridge, and place it next to the sheet pans I laid out the night before.

![Image shows a bowl half full of pancake batter with two greased cookie sheets sitting beside each other. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_4043.jpeg?resize=750%2C539&ssl=1)

I greased the sheet pans, pulled the plate off the bowl, (took this photo,) mixed up the batter, and poured it equally into the two sheet pans .

After pouring the pre-made batter onto the sheet pans I was able to grab the prepped cups of ingredients, sprinkle them each over a pan of batter, and toss them into the preheated oven. I’ve only done this once or twice so far but both times allowed me to speed up the pancake process just enough to have enough time to make fresh pancakes for breakfast on days when I had less time.

---

## *Ingredients Mixed Into the Batter*

I started out making plain pancakes for the girls but found they’d sop up all the syrup and repeatedly ask for more. I quickly realized that I wanted to find a way to change up the pancakes in a way that replaced the syrup. The first time around I simply added chocolate chips to the pancake batter, which added sweetness, and told them it was instead of syrup. This way they each got a set amount of chocolate chips, the ones in their pancakes, and getting more was dependent on having another whole pancake rather than simply getting more syrup to pour over the remaining pancake on the plate.

Adding ingredients to the pre-made pancake batter was so easy that I kept trying different combinations of ingredients that the kids, mostly, loved. The whole experiment was a success. Some of the ingredients I’ve tried were:

- Coloring the batter
- A bit of water-based food dye is, so far, the simplest way
- I once bought some beet powder, from [the Great American Spice Company](https://www.americanspice.com/beet-powder/?ref=simplykyra.com), to add to the pancake batter before adding the wet ingredients. Adding only a little bit didn’t change the color of the batter that much and, when I added a larger amount, the kids didn’t like the taste so I started covering it up with cocoa powder before just stopping. That said if you want to try a more natural addition I’ve also heard of adding spirella, for green, but haven’t tried since the beet powder was a bust.
- Cocoa powder darkens the pancakes a bit and adds the chocolatey taste.
- Fruit like berries which can either be added fresh or frozen.
- Dried fruit. So far I’ve tried raisins, craisins, and freeze dried pears and pineapple from [Freshly Preserved](https://freshlypreserved.com/products/pears?ref=simplykyra.com).
- Chocolate chips… keeping it simple
- Sprinkles are great added at the beginning (melted dots) or at the end. I’ve done similar using nerds once too
- And more!

There are so many ingredients you can add to the batter!

![Zoey uses a fork to squish whole strawberries in a small bowl on the table. Behind it sits two large bowls one with wet ingredients and one with dry. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_2998.jpeg?resize=750%2C558&ssl=1)

This time around Zoey was helping me make pancakes and I didn’t have any fresh fruit. I went into the freezer and found some whole strawberries. As they were so large I worried they’d stay cold during the pancakes’ bake time so I poured them into a bowl, warmed them up in the microwave, and had Zoey break them up a bit with her fork.

![Zoey dumps a measuring cup full of blueberries into the wet ingredients of the pancake batter. In front of it sits a small bowl of crushed thawed strawberries. Off to the side in the back sits a bowl of dried ingredients. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_3006.jpeg?resize=750%2C536&ssl=1)

I then grabbed some frozen blueberries, had Zoey add them and the strawberries to the wet ingredients, and then she mixed the wet and dry ingredients together.

![Image shows two similar cookie sheets of pancakes side by side. The right one has blue tinged batter with pink strawberry chunks through it. The left one looks the same with more blue circles of blueberries in it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_3010.jpeg?resize=750%2C453&ssl=1)

The blueberries sunk to the bottom of the pancake batter regardless of how much it was mixed so one sheet pan ended up with more than the other turning them into similar but slightly different pancakes depending on which pan you had.

![Image shows two cookie sheets side by side containing blue chunks and white batter with blue marbling.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_4466.jpeg?resize=750%2C466&ssl=1)

Other times when I added berries, in this case only blueberries, to the batter I made sure to stir and pour the batter and ingredients more equally.

If you love the idea of berry pancakes but want to make them more exciting you could always add some chocolate chips to the mix!

![Image is a closeup of a single cookie sheet containing beige batter with chunks of red and pink (strawberry) and the odd chunk of brown (chocolate chip). ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_6488.jpeg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

In this case I added strawberries and milk chocolate chips to the pancake batter. Other times I added white chocolate chips or unicorn (blue and pink swirled) chocolate chips.

![Image shows a closeup looking down into a bowl with dried ingredients (flour-like) with chunks of white in it. Beside the bowl are two bags labeled "Freshly Preserved"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_7483.jpeg?resize=750%2C503&ssl=1)

The last time I made pancakes I had leftover freeze dried pears and pineapples that had been opened about a week ago and needed to be used. I wanted to make sure they had time to fully rehydrate so I added them to the dry ingredients, mixed them in, and then dumped the wet ingredients on top. I figured this way they’d have more time to hydrate than if I added them to the pre-mixed batter later on. It turned out great so I could see doing this again in the future if I have an opened bag on hand that needs to be used or no fruit in the fridge or freezer.

I love how easy it is to add custom ingredients to the bowl of pancake batter when I mix it up. That said since I’ve been doubling the recipe, as I have the oven on anyway, adding any ingredients to my pancake batter means that both sets of sheet pans have exactly the same set of pancakes in it. To get around this I’ve started changing up how I do it.

---

## *Ingredients Added to the Pre-Baked Pancakes*

I’ve been doubling the pancakes so I’m left with a lot of leftovers meaning simple breakfasts that only need to be quickly microwaved in the morning without too many dishes. As such I prefer it when both sheet pans have drastically different pancakes in them so the girls don’t get too tired of the flavors. Rather than mixing the custom ingredients into the batter I now wait until after I split the batter between the two sheet pans and then add the additional ingredients on top. These ingredients are basically the same ones that you can add to the batter although, since there are two options now I’ve become more creative with the individual sheet pans as it matters less if the kids don’t like them since it’s in only one of the two batches. Plus since the batter is already mixed together these additional ingredients don’t get broken down as much like the berries in the above photos. Just a quick heads up… anything you add to the uncooked batter will probably sink into the batter before it’s fully cooked. Additionally, as the ingredients may melt, they may combine within the oven in unexpected ways.

![Image shows two cookie sheets with pancake batter in the background. In the front sits a marbled cutting board with bits of banana and beside that sits a bag of unsweetened coconut flakes from The Great American Spice Company.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_4661.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

This time around I cut up a banana, so it was more bite sized, and sprinkled that along with desiccated coconut on one of the sheet pans making a sheet of pina colada inspired pancakes.

![Image shows an plain batch of pancakes in a cookie sheet with the previous pina colada one off to the side. On the other side are two packages of chocolate chips ready to be sprinkled on. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_4663.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

On the other sheet of pancakes I added a sprinkle of both mini chocolate chips and regular-sized pink and blue swirled unicorn chocolate chips.

![Image shows both of the two previous cookie sheets side by side. The left one is sprinkled with brown, pink, and blue while the right one is more bland with matching bananas and white coconut flakes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_4666.jpeg?resize=750%2C488&ssl=1)

I snapped a quick photo before putting them into the oven.

![Image shows a close up of the finished pancake and coconut dappled sheet pancake. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_4669.jpeg?resize=750%2C814&ssl=1)

The baked pina colada inspired pancakes came out of the oven as expected with the pancake batter rising up around each banana bit.

![Image shows a closeup of a sheet of pancakes with brown slots of varying sizes (chocolate_ and the odd spot of purple where the unicorn chips show through from the bottom of the pan. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_4667.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The other sheet of pancakes were more surprising. Many of the mini chocolate chips and leftover crumbs were light enough to stay near the top. The larger swirled chocolate chips sunk and surprisingly turned dark purple as the pink and blue swirls melted together in the oven. Additionally, as the larger chocolate chips sunk they got stuck to the pan and were harder to scrap off when cleaning the sheet pan.

Normally I sprinkle these ingredients onto the liquid batter in the sheet pans before tossing it into the pre-heated oven but sometimes instead I add the ingredients to the greased pan before the batter is poured over top.

![Image shows a closeup of a sheet pan covered in red strawberries and white-ish banana chunks.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_5684-rotated.jpeg?resize=563%2C750&ssl=1)

Here I started out by adding the sliced strawberries and bananas to the greased sheet pan.

![Image shows uncooked pancake batter in a sheet pan with pink strawberries showing through the dough and white chunks of sinking chocolate chips. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_5686-rotated.jpeg?resize=563%2C750&ssl=1)

After I poured the pancake batter in I sprinkled white chocolate chips around the pan.

![Image shows the baked strawberry and white chocolate sheet pancakes once they're removed from the oven.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_5689-rotated.jpeg?resize=563%2C750&ssl=1)

Either way the final pancakes look and taste great.

There are so many different things you can do! For instance here I sprinkled the pancakes with raisins, craisins (dried cranberries), and white chocolate chips.

![Image shows uncooked batter with red, black, and white dots in it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_5685-rotated.jpeg?resize=563%2C750&ssl=1)

![The final pancakes are a bit browner with some of the stuff sinking in yet the raisins, craisins, and chocolate chips still visible. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_5690-rotated.jpeg?resize=563%2C750&ssl=1)

Once I had extra Heath (like Canadian Skor) bits that were expiring soon so I made a more dessert-y pan of pancakes by sprinkling the top with Heath bits and colored sprinkles. Since they get baked for the entire pancake-required duration the sprinkles melt and loose their definition. These were originally heart shaped.

![Image shows the pan horizontally with brown caramel lumps and dots of red and pink all over. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_7746.jpeg?resize=750%2C392&ssl=1)

Or you can dabble with dehydrated fruit. For instance here I sprinkled dehydrate pears and pineapples, one to each pan, with the last of my mini chocolate chips. Even though they were added at the last minute, rather than to the batter early on like in the previous section, they still turned out tasting great.

![Two sheets with pre-cooked batter, chunks of white (dehydrated fruit), and chocolate chips pieces. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_7489.jpeg?resize=750%2C500&ssl=1)

![The fruit had browned more than the pancakes during the baking process. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_7491.jpeg?resize=750%2C347&ssl=1)

Here I revisited the pina colada inspired idea of sliced bananas and coconut. I went a step further by adding some chocolate to the final product.

![Image shows a sheet pan of pre-cooked pancake dough with sliced bananas lined up in it. To the side is an empty saucer and a pink plastic cup with coconut and chocolate chips inside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_4044.jpeg?resize=750%2C491&ssl=1)

![The pink cup is now emptied and the pan shows the bananas and dough coated in mini chocolate chips and white flecks of coconut. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_4045.jpeg?resize=750%2C539&ssl=1)

![The baked pan of pancakes is now show but the first third has been dished showing the inner side of the sheet pan pancakes and the remnants left behind when you dish. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_4048-rotated.jpeg?resize=563%2C750&ssl=1)

---

## *Combine the Previous Two Ideas!*

Of course you could always combine the previous two methods by adding some of the ingredients to the bowl of batter and then saving other ingredients until the last minute when you can sprinkle them over the pan before putting it in the pre-heated oven.

In this case I poured half of the batter onto the first sheet pan to the left before adding some fruit to the batter, mixing it up, and pouring the rest onto the right sheet pan. I then sprinkled both pans equally with mini chocolate chips. The only downside to this method is that it’s hard to equally divide the pancake batter so one pan may end up being taller than the other pan and they may need slightly adjusted bake times.

![Image on the left is plain unbaked pancake batter with chocolate chips on top. To the right there's also chocolate chips but the batter is tinted pink with lumps of pink strawberries inside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_6484.jpeg?resize=750%2C508&ssl=1)

Or you can add the ingredients to the bowl before mixing together your wet and dry ingredients, pour it equally between the two sheet pans, and then change the two pans up by sprinkling different ingredients on top.

![Image shows a closeup shot of a metal bowl with white greasy mixture topped with dried out strawberries, blueberries, the odd blackberry, and the handle of a whisk. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_7710.jpeg?resize=750%2C504&ssl=1)

Here I dumped the wet ingredients into the dry ones, dumped a mixture of dehydrated fruit in, and then, after this photo, mixed it all in.

I then made the sheet pans drastically different from one another by adding sprinkles to the left one and some chocolate covered acai to the right one.

![Two sheet pans side by side. The left one is covered in multicolored sprinkles while the right one has large dark circular lumps mixed in with the red strawberries. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_7714.jpeg?resize=750%2C270&ssl=1)

![Same image as before but the pancakes are baked so the sprinkles have sunk in a bit and melted into colored blobs (left) while the chocolate covered acai have sunken and stayed visible. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_7717.jpeg?resize=750%2C305&ssl=1)

![Image is taken of the same view but further away making the blueberry in the pancakes more visible. The bottom bit of both pans have been dished with a metal flipper placed to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_7996.jpeg?resize=750%2C395&ssl=1)

---

## *Pull Them Out at the Last Minute to Add a Final Ingredient to Heat Up*

I’ve also changed up the pancakes by adding toppings at the last minute to them. I kept these separate from the previous sections as these additions shouldn’t be heated as long as the pancakes need to bake (which are normally baked for twenty five minutes at 350°F).

The first time I used the pink and blue swirled unicorn chocolate chips in a pancake, as seen far above, I tossed them into the pancake batter and during the bake time they melted together to form a purple lump at the bottom of the pancakes thereby wasting the adorably cute and probably only bought once chocolate chips. As such, for the next time, I decided to pull the pancakes out of the oven in the last five minutes of baking, sprinkle the chocolate chips on top, and throw them back in so they have just have time to get hot and soften but not enough to melt. As the pancakes have already firmed up in the first twenty minutes the chocolate chips also weren’t be able to sink and get stuck to the pan. This turned out amazingly and the rest of the unicorn swirled chips were used, bit by bit, in pancakes like these until we ran out.

Plus if you’re only baking them for a few minutes why not take advantage of this. I added mini marshmallows to the top of the pancakes too and made sure to keep an eye on them so I can pull them back out once the marshmallows get larger and potentially browned yet before they get too big. Hello s’more pancakes!

![Image shows two white saucers one with white marshmallows, to the right, and one with pink and blue swirled chocolate chips, to the left. In the background you can see the bags of the leftover ones. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_2465.jpeg?resize=750%2C550&ssl=1)

After making the pancakes and tossing them into the oven for twenty minutes I laid out pink and blue swirled chocolate chips and mini marshmallows to make s’more inspired pancakes.

Once the pancakes had baked for twenty minutes I pulled one of them out so I could decorate it with the chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. I then put it back into the oven for a few minutes and took out the other sheet pan to dish. Once the marshmallows had browned I pulled that sheet out too.

![Image shows two sheets of blue tinted pancakes. The ones on the right are plain while the ones on the left show browned ballooned marshmallows and unicorn swirled chocolate chips.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_0983.jpeg?resize=750%2C448&ssl=1)

I made blueberry tinted pancakes and after twenty minutes of baking added mini marshmallows and unicorn chocolate chips to the one. The kids got to pick between the two types of pancakes.

![Image shows a single sheet pan containing a baked pancake covered in pink and blue swirled chocolate chips and browned inflated mini chocolate chips. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_4049-rotated.jpeg?resize=563%2C750&ssl=1)

This time around I made a plain batch of pancakes but still kept the same idea and added the unicorn chocolate chips and marshmallows within the last five minutes so they could get hot.

A couple times this summer we’ve set up our tent in the backyard so the kids could *camp* outside within reach of our bathroom and other amenities. Of course with camping came the idea of s’mores made in the microwave and, once, patiently over a burner. Quick aside the kids preferred the microwaved one so that’s how we made them afterwards. Anyways, because of these s’mores we ended up with leftover opened graham cookies, half a chocolate bar, and some marshmallows with chocolate inside of them. I decided to use up the leftovers by making pancakes with chocolate chips and then, in the last five minutes, adding the large marshmallows on one end of the pan and, on the other, break up the chocolate bar and crumble up the cookies into crumbs. Although I had to be careful while dishing as the cookie crumbs didn’t stay stuck I counted these as a resounding success as the girls adored these surprise s’mores!

![Image shows a sheet pan of baked pancake with the odd chocolate chip showing through from the bottom. The left side has rectangles of chocolate on it surrounded by graham crumbs. The right side has four evenly spaced large marshmallows with a hint of brown on one. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_6485.jpeg?resize=750%2C432&ssl=1)

![After baking them the chocolate sort of melted and the marshmallows flattened and browned. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_6487.jpeg?resize=750%2C815&ssl=1)

---

## *Change the Pancakes on the Way to the Plate*

I’ve also changed up the pancakes after they were fully baked. The odd time I did this to the entire sheet pan but most of the time this was to individual pancakes after they were plated so the kids could decide exactly what they wanted on the fly.

This particular time around I had strained some of my [homemade yogurt](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/09/how-i-make-my-own-yogurt-for-my-simple-breakfast/) to make labneh, sort of like cream cheese, and I had extra leftover. I was trying to think of how to make my pancakes healthier for the girls so I spread a dollop or two over the entire sheet pan and then added a couple of the unicorn chocolate chips to make it look more fun. They didn’t *love* it but they still ate them. As a quick aside I just looked up how to strain yogurt and found [this post by Tori Avey](https://toriavey.com/how-to/how-to-strain-yogurt/?ref=simplykyra.com) if you’re interested in learning more. I had trouble using it all as I was only thinking of it as a cream cheese replacement but that site I just linked to shows a picture of a dollop of labneh with oil and olives on top and now I’m intrigued so I just looked up how to eat it and at the top of the result listings I see a reader question on [The Kitchn](https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-best-way-to-eat-labne-good-questions-216062?ref=simplykyra.com) and a list of interesting ways to eat it [on Rouba’s website](https://roubashahin.com.au/2020/06/21/the-most-creative-ways-to-eat-your-homemade-labneh/?ref=simplykyra.com). …So maybe I should try it once again after I come up with a better game plan.

![Image shows a sheet pan with white labneh spread all over it and the odd pink and blue swirled chocolate chip on top. To the left is a container of more labneh. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_4668.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I added several dollops of the labneh to the sheet pan pancakes and spread it all out. I dropped a couple of the colorful chocolate chips to make it seem more treat-like for the girls.

![Image shows two square saucers side by side with two squares of pancakes overlapping on each. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_4670.jpeg?resize=750%2C301&ssl=1)

I had two different types of oven pancakes made so I dished one of each onto the girls’ plates so they could try both with no pressure.

Other times I added toppings to the pancake after plating them for the girls. Just a heads up some of these ideas show waffles rather than pancakes. I decided to include them so you can see the diverse range of ingredients you can use to extend the pancakes.

![Image shows a waffle on an orange plastic plate. IT's topped with a red bumpy sauce with some red liquid along the bottom right edge. Overtop of most of it is a white sauce. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_2972.jpeg?resize=750%2C546&ssl=1)

This time around I boiled some berries with some additional sugar, making a sauce, and then topped it with a mixture containing yogurt, vanilla, and some icing sugar. The girls loved this topping and it changed it up from the normal syrup we’d been using.

![Image shows two waffles side by side on a green plastic plate covered in brown lumps with brown sauce around it. A hand holding a fork is pressed on the top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_9860.jpeg?resize=750%2C470&ssl=1)

If we have too many bananas going brown in the house I sometimes turn them into Banana Foster to top pancakes and waffles. This is an incredibly simple recipe, [found on Food.com](https://www.food.com/recipe/easy-bananas-foster-11474?ref=simplykyra.com), that boils bananas, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and a bit of salt together.

![Image shows a cookie sheet with a strip of pancakes missing and a metal flipper on the right. On the left is a jar of Nutella, an oven mitt, and a play with a Nutella decorated square pancake on it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_6501.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Whenever you don’t know what to do with a plain pancake spreading Nutella overtop is always welcomed by my kids. I find it way simpler to spread the Nutella on a frozen leftover waffle rather than a fresh one right out of the oven so it’s more frequently a quick morning breakfast, once microwaved, rather than a slow weekend one.

![Image shows two pancakes side by side on a square saucer and a fork poised above about to cut a piece. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_7071.jpeg?resize=750%2C343&ssl=1)

The kids absolutely love it!

![Image shows two plates with the girls about or currently eating it. The one half devoured on the left is coated in Nutella while the one on the right is whole and holds a bowl of syrup in the center. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_6503.jpeg?resize=750%2C328&ssl=1)

And if one child get’s tired of the Nutella or misses syrup they can easily have different options as one girl’s choice doesn’t affect the other girl’s choice.

![Image shows three plates laid out. The two closes to the bottom each have a banana sliced up, a dollop of peanut butter, and a dollop of Nutella. They have a knife, napkin, glass, and nametag nearby. Above and in the center sits another plate with four waffles on it waiting to be eaten. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_3008.jpeg?resize=750%2C374&ssl=1)

Or you could lay out some fixings on the plates and have the girls choose their waffles or pancakes and decorate it themselves.

![Image shows more waffles on the center plate and this time the girls are sitting at their plates eating or decorating their waffles. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_3020.jpeg?resize=750%2C423&ssl=1)

The kids loved spreading their own toppings and choosing whether they’d eat it separate or all together.

![Image shows two saucers with two waffles each and a plastic dipper with syrup. One waffle on either plate holds pumpkin sprinkles while the other one looks like a person with banana ears, nose, mouth, and eyes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_6137.jpeg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

A couple times I surprised the kids by decorating their pancakes/waffles myself. This time they encountered a pumpkin sprinkled waffle beside a face waffle using sliced banana and two eye sprinkles. I added a dipper half filled with syrup too.

This post-baking step can range from simple to more complicated like the face above. Just last week Ada randomly asked me for the leftover pancakes in the fridge but wanted them to be heart shaped. The last of the pancakes weren’t too large so I hunted down a small metal heart-shaped cookie cutter and used it on each of the pancakes. I split the newly formed heart pancakes onto two saucers, heated them up, and then heated the bowl of pancake bits I had leftover from using the cookie cutter so they could share the leftover bits if they were still hungry. This time there was no special topping as the use of the cookie cutter was the special addition to these fruity pancakes. Plus it was kind of cool that Ada was able to make what felt like an outlandish request and I was able to make it happen in the time it took them to get dressed that morning.

![Image shows two saucers, one going off the left of the image, filled with heart dappled fruity pancakes. Off to the side sits a bowl with the remnants of all the pancakes for the next helping. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8095.jpeg?resize=750%2C504&ssl=1)

I love that with a simple cookie cutter I was able to turn leftover pancakes into heart shaped amazing-ness!

---

## *Leftovers… Now What?*

With the discovery of oven pancakes and the realization that making a double batch, two sheet pans full, is just as simple as one I started generating lots of leftovers. This was awesome! I loved having leftover pancakes so the girls could be excited for breakfast and I wouldn’t need to take extra time baking them or, later on, cleaning the sheet pans. I started out by putting all of the leftover pancakes into the fridge but over time the girls started eating less for breakfast and got tired of them sooner. I adjusted my method and started laying out the pancakes on a Silpat lined baking sheet, freezing them, and moving them to a Stasher bag for long term freezer storage. This was perfect! I could make two types of pancakes for breakfast, save a third to a half of them for weeks later, and keep the remaining in the fridge for the next couple days. Sometimes I leave the frozen ones in the freezer for longer, make another batch, and the freezer then contains four types of pancakes rather than just the first two.

![Image shows a container of two stacks of squared pancakes, on the left, and a cookie sheet with two rows of pancakes on an orange lined Silpat sheet. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_7492.jpeg?resize=750%2C490&ssl=1)

I loved being able to split the leftovers by saving some in a container in the fridge for the next couple days and the other half in the freezer for a much later date.

![Image shows a Silpat lined cookie sheet with two types of pancakes lined up on it. In the background are two other half emptied sheets holding the fresh pancakes from the oven. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_5692.jpeg?resize=750%2C518&ssl=1)

I started putting the leftovers on a Silpat lined sheet pan right away (I own three so I had an extra unused one) and putting it in the freezer while the kids were still eating.

![Image shows A cookie sheets with a Silpat filled with blue tinged pancakes. On top, at an angle, sits another Silpat with seven waffles lined up on it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_3024.jpeg?resize=750%2C417&ssl=1)

Once, when I made pancakes and waffles at the same time, I balanced two Silpat sheets on top of each other so I could freeze two sheets of leftovers rather than one. I did this as I only had room for one sheet pan in my freezer regardless of the number of cooled or clean sheet pans. The Silpat between the two layers meant that they didn’t stick together at all.

![Image shows the cookie sheet with one full layers of pancakes on the bottom and a partly filled layer at the top. I'm lifting a corner to better see below. Off to the side you can see a cookie sheet with only six pieces left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_6508.jpeg?resize=750%2C497&ssl=1)

I loved how perfectly it worked and I kept repeating it whenever I knew they’d be a lot of leftovers.

![Image shows two Stasher bags side by side. The one on the left is sealed while the one on the right is mostly sealed with a straw sticking out of it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_3025.jpeg?resize=750%2C450&ssl=1)

Once the pancakes on the Silpat sheet froze I’d pop them off, put them in a stasher bag, either remove the air with a straw or squish the bag, and seal it tight. This way the pancakes are good for longer in the freezer and I can grab one or more on demand whenever the kids want pancakes without them sticking together and being troublesome.

![Image shows a container of two kinds of pancakes being held above the sink with a sheet pan of water sitting in it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_5699.jpeg?resize=750%2C515&ssl=1)

If there are any leftover pancakes, after freezing some, I stick them in a container for the fridge. With the leftovers packed away I add water to my sheet pan so it can soak to make for easier cleaning later.

![Image shows two Stasher bags popped open. The one on the left is upright and the one on the right is on it's side with some spilling out. In front of them are two white square saucers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_7069.jpeg?resize=750%2C480&ssl=1)

When the kids want pancakes and we either don’t have time or I don’t want a mess I can easily grab the Stasher bags from the freezer, plate a couple for each kid, and microwave them until they’re heated through. This way we only heat what they want to eat and the rest can go back into the freezer for another day.

![Image shows two square saucers, side by side, with two Nutella spread pancakes on top. A container of Nutella sits behind it along with a dirty knife and a full upright Stasher bag of more pancakes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_6835.jpeg?resize=750%2C419&ssl=1)

I also learned if you want Nutella pancakes it’s SO much easier to spread on frozen pancakes, before microwaving them, than fresh or heated one. Looking back I think I only offer Nutella on frozen pancakes since this discovery.

![Image shows two heated pancakes with Nutella on both and two marshmallows on the left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_6838.jpeg?resize=750%2C517&ssl=1)

And, if you’re going for a treat, you can easily add a marshmallow and microwave it for a simpler and quicker s’more inspired meal.

![Image shows a glass container with pancakes inside. To the right and back are two other round saucers with pancakes on top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_3098.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I love being able to surprise my kids with heated pancakes from the fridge or freezer.

---

Coming across pancakes made in the oven completely changed up my breakfast game. I absolutely LOVE it. There are so many different oven pancake recipes out there that I didn’t need to come up with my own. That said I love how I’ve changed them up over the last year or so and wanted to share these variations with you in case you’re looking for something similar too. I haven’t tried these variations out on a frying pan so I can’t tell you if that would work as easily or not so if you do or did I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Also I’d love to hear whether you’ve made oven pancakes before or not? If so how did you change them up? If not will you? I’d love to have some new options in the future so feel free to share any new ideas in the comments below. I hope you’re having an amazing day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simple Ways to Easily Change up Your Playdough Time
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-ways-to-easily-change-up-your-playdough-time/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:49:16.000Z
I seem to have so many [playdough related posts](https://www.simplykyra.com/tag/playdough/) already published on my blog and I hadn’t planned on sharing any more. That said, over the last several years I’ve been snapping photos of some of the things the kids and I have done with our playdough and although they don’t seem to be large enough, on their own, for a post I figured I should still share them here in case you’re interested. I hoped this would be helpful if you were looking for simple ways to change up your own playdough fun. Also I’d love to hear from you, in the comments below, if you have any other ideas on how to change up playdough.

![Image for Pinterest showing a collage of eleven images along with the title and URL of my homepage. All images show what you can do with playdough. A few of these images aren't shown below as they were moved to their own post, but these posts are linked below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Fun-Playdough-Ideas.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Before I begin I wanted to give you an overview of all of my previous playdough related posts, so far, in case you need [my playdough recipe](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/) or if any of these ideas better fit what you are looking for.

- [My go to favorite recipe for making playdough](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/).
- [How to troubleshoot if your playdough is too wet or too dry](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/04/29/playdough-troubleshooting/).
- [No food dye? No problem! Make plain white playdough and color it with washable markers](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/05/22/coloring-on-playdough/).
- [No food dye and want colored playdough? I went through using four types of my kids’ paint to dye our playdough](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/01/18/playdough-coloring-alternatives/).
- [Do you want to make it smell good? Here’s how I used flavor extracts, essential oils, spices, and cocoa powder to change up the playdough’s smell](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/09/easily-change-up-your-playdough-with-scents/).
- [We added a playdough sensory bin to an orange-themed birthday party. This idea can happen easily for any color theme](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/06/26/color-themed-playdough-and-oobleck-stations/).
- [We created a dinosaur footprints sensory bin using playdough and toy dinosaurs. This could easily be changed up with different toys](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/08/08/dinosaur-footprints-sensory-bin/).
- [Used green, blue, and brown playdough to create a landscape and let dinosaurs stomp their way through it. We then reused that playdough to create a baking soda and vinegar volcano.](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/07/07/create-an-exciting-playdough-world-then-explode-a-volcano/)
- [Revitalized an old Play-Doh kit with a new batch of playdough.](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/28/give-that-old-play-doh-kit-a-brand-new-feeling/)
- [If you’re looking at splitting up a larger playdough kit I once bought a large set of cooking Play-Doh toys at Costco and split it up over several days for Zoey’s advent calendar](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/12/05/splitting-up-a-large-toy-for-your-advent-calendar/).
- [I’ve also included playdough, amongst other things, to make individual a sensory kits this last Christmas](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/01/06/simple-and-exciting-sensory-play-gift-ideas/).

---

## *Change up the Toys for Your Playdough Using*:

### *Your Kitchen Tools*

One very simple way to change up your playdough play is by changing up the toys that you use to play with it. The kids have gotten into the habit of making the exact same items each time they play with playdough so changing up the tools would force them to come up with a new way to use the playdough. Of course, with their increased independence they end up doing the exact same play when they go get the exact same tools or toys but maybe you can get an extra burst of creativity out of your kids before they think to ask. This change could range from buying new playdough toys to using items you already have on hand that they wouldn’t have otherwise thought to use. I know several times when the girls were younger they wanted to have the flour I used when making the playdough. They were happiest playing with their playdough when I added in my used measuring cups and the excess flour.

![Image shows little hands holding a plate and flattening some pink playdough on a white plate coated in flour. There's two other balls of playdough on the plate with the pink playdough along with three different squished balls behind the plate and a wooden spoon and metal measuring cup beside the plate. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Scented-Playdough-32.jpg?resize=750%2C536&ssl=1)

The kids loved being able to use the tools they had just seen me use to make the playdough and combine it themselves with their own little bit of flour.

![Image shows three white bowls with glittery playdough inside them. Zoey is leaned over the table with one hand in each of the outer two bowls. Under her sits a filled four cup jug with playdough and an empty metal measuring cup. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6737.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

This time around Zoey ignored the flour but asked for the bowls, measuring jug, and measuring cup to play with.

### *Play-Doh Kits Geared to Your Kids*

Sometime before we last moved we were gifted a Play-Doh dessert set and, that previous Christmas, we had [bought Zoey a Play-Doh Barbecue set](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/12/05/splitting-up-a-large-toy-for-your-advent-calendar/). The combination of those two food-related sets, our toy kitchen, some playdough, and [a set of markers](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/05/22/coloring-on-playdough/) gave us hours and hours of kid-happiness as they made so many food-related things. This was a needed distraction as I packed, cleaned, unpacked, and organized. The kids, even now, prefer to make food-related items out of all of the playdough ideas when they’re creating. What items would get your kids fired up?

![Image shows Zoey holding up a cone filled with two scoops of glittery pink and purple 'ice cream'. The table shows lots of toys in a basket and bag, mounds of the playdough, and some pretzels. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6083.jpg?resize=750%2C514&ssl=1)

Both girls loved making ice cream using the plastic cones that came in a dessert Play-Doh set for, I think, Zoey’s birthday.

![Image is taken from above looking down at the table filled with white mottled cookies placed on flatten pink pieces of Easter egg and bunny imprinted playdough. Off to the side are some of the mentioned tools.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6608.jpg?resize=750%2C521&ssl=1)

At different points I added to the playdough tools with traditional Play-Doh kits, plastic cookie cutters, and a plastic Easter rolling pin (which became the favorite). This resulted in lots of desserts and tons of play.

### *Non-Playdough Pretend-Play Items*

Once at my friend’s house I noticed the use of her plastic kitchen set so the kids could ‘bake’ the playdough treats they were making. Later on, at home, I opened up [our kitchen set](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/02/26/kids-play-kitchen/) to the kids’ playdough which resulted in items with incredible long *bake times* creating lots of hardened and adorable creations. Sometimes I find playdough crumbs in our kitchen set but the times they decided to play with their creations makes them all worthwhile.

![Image shows Ada holding up a plastic cake stand with layers and layers of hardened blue hearts forming a playdough cake with a strawberry shape on top. Behind her the living room is slightly blurred. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8110.jpg?resize=750%2C562&ssl=1)

Ada showing off her *baked* cake to me and the camera.

![Image shows cardboard shelves surrounded by more cardboard in a table. The shelves are all filled with drying out playdough placed in either muffin tins, cake platter, loaf pan, or half a plastic Easter egg.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9463.jpg?resize=715%2C781&ssl=1)

The cardboard refrigerator in our kitchen set is now constantly filled with baked goods either drying out or just at home waiting to eventually be used in pretend play.

### *Candles*

That same friend once pulled out candles so the kids could take turns singing happy birthday to each other and blowing out a real candle. They had an absolute blast but as I use sensory play as a break for me I never pulled out the candles at my home… until Matt’s birthday one time. That night, years ago, we had decided to celebrate by going out to dinner. When we came home, close to the kids bedtime, Ada became distraught once she realized Matt wasn’t planning on blowing out any candles. I, luckily, remembered what my friend did that time, quickly created a cake out of the playdough we had on hand, and grabbed a candle. We all sang Happy Birthday to Matt before removing the candle, cutting the cake, tapping our cake slices together while saying cheers, and then fake ate it down. The kids were happy that Matt had finally been sung to and it turned into an incredible memory.

![The image shows most of the cake as it sits on a yellow cake platter on the kitchen table. It's pink, blue, and white with a blue balloon candle lit on top. Behind it you can see Ada and Zoey sitting on Matt's lap. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Birthay-96.jpg?resize=750%2C303&ssl=1)

The quickly assembled birthday cake with the balloon candle burning brightly away that saved our night!

![Image shows five hands holding up their somewhat triangular cake pieces. The cake and hands closer to the camera are in focus while the background is blurred.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_5101.jpg?resize=750%2C402&ssl=1)

After cutting the cake into somewhat equal pieces we clunked them together lightly while saying cheers before pretending to eat our cake piece with gusto.

As a quick aside I do need to warn you about birthday candles. Since that time I added an extra pack of candles to the kids’ playdough area thinking they could imagine lighting up candles for each other. The candles ended up being forgotten for awhile but were resurrected when the kids found them and created the most annoying sensory item I’ve had in the house: crushed candles. The crushed wax has been turned into a kitchen set item so they keep crushing and I keep finding pieces even though there was only one pack available to them. I even found a pile of the cleaned wicks although I can’t remember what they were supposed to be. Needless to say we eventually cleaned it all up, after giving them a few more days to play, and haven’t added candles back in yet.

### *Plastic Animals or Characters*

We keep a bin of plastic animals and various other characters in our sensory cupboard. Sometimes the kids grab them, or some other plastic toy from their room, to add to their playdough fun. This could range from something simple to more involved. [Once I had them create landscape out of green, blue, and brown playdough so they could add their dinosaurs to create a scene](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/07/07/create-an-exciting-playdough-world-then-explode-a-volcano/). Another time I had them [create dinosaur footprints in their playdough](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/08/08/dinosaur-footprints-sensory-bin/).

![Image shows a circle of playdough on the table with a bag full beside it. Zoey is currently placing a dinosaur into the playdough. Three other dinosaurs are already there with tons of footprints around. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2018/06/compressed_IMG_1200.jpg?resize=750%2C337&ssl=1)

I paired a simple container of plastic dinosaurs with our playdough and showed Zoey that they could make footprints in the playdough.

### *Little Pieces*

Back in August I came across the[*Busy Little Hands: Art Play! Activities for Preschoolers* by Meredith Magee Donnelly](https://www.storey.com/books/busy-little-hands-art-play/?ref=simplykyra.com) on [NetGalley](https://www.netgalley.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). I didn’t end up making most of the activities but, while flipping through with Zoey, we came across the playdough *friends* and Zoey got so excited and wanted to immediately go make them herself. Years ago we had bought create-a-monster slime sets that came with little plastic limbs and eyes so I grabbed the pieces I had saved along with some playdough we had on hand and both girls jumped right in. They had a blast! After I found a similar idea through [The Artful Parent’s *Playdough Monsters (And Other Fun Ideas with Poke-Ins)* post](https://artfulparent.com/playdough-monsters-other-fun-ideas-with-poke-ins/?ref=simplykyra.com) where she uses various easily obtained items like pipe cleaners, dried pasta, googly eyes, and craft feathers for their monsters.

![Image shows Zoey holding the hands of a little orange and blue monster with giant looking eyes, pink feet, and yellow hands. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_2840.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Zoey’s adorable little monster.

![Image shows Ada adding eyes to her cowboy hat wearing playdough snowman. A little circled monster sits beside and an assortment of plastic dinosaurs and playdough pieces are scattered behind.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_2842.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Ada got into the fun too making a variety of monsters to go with our plastic dinosaurs.

### *A Contained Kit*

I found simple repackaging playdough with items the kids may not have naturally used can make playdough seem novel and fun again. Almost a year ago my girls were gifted, by a friend, two sensory kits from [PlayAtHomeMomCo on Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/shop/PlayAtHomeMomCo?ref=simplykyra.com). The girls absolutely loved their kits and over the past year or so I’ve been ogling all of the other kits she’s since put out on her Instagram page, but, with our full sensory bin area, I never could truly justified buying another. I ended up turning to the kits we already owned and considered emptying them out so I could add some of our stuff to it and make it seem brand new. The kids ended up going through stages of ignoring their kits, while I’d strongly consider repackaging it, but each time, once I was about to empty them, they’d randomly and unprompted play with them again and I’d put off doing it once again. Finally, just last month, I decided to make it happen. I told the girls my plan, had them do a final *good-bye play*, and then together we took apart the kits so the containers could be empty and the pieces would continue on in a new home in our sensory play cupboard. I took my time repurposing the kits making ones I knew both girls would enjoy but making sure Zoey would especially love them since she’s needed something to do while Ada was in school. I ended up combining freshly made playdough with items we’ve had on hand for years (like plastic bingo discs, foil confetti, sequins, and beads), items I’d bought more recently at Halloween (wooden pumpkin stickers, plastic pumpkins, and butternut squash pumpkin-shaped pasta), and finally items that came in the first two kits (glass sun, wood, jewels, and beads). It was so much fun to make. The first kit was the easiest to come up with. Zoey’s been loving the color orange and pumpkins in general for years now (see the [jack-o-lantern](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/14/zoeys-simple-jack-o-lantern-costume-from-store-bought-and-sewn-items/) and [pumpkin](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/21/zoeys-simple-and-updated-pumpkin-costume/) Halloween costumes the last two years) so I made her kit using two shades of orange [playdough](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/) ([lemon and orange scented](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/09/easily-change-up-your-playdough-with-scents/)), a bit of each pumpkin-related item I had previously bought her at Halloween, yellow and pink plastic bingo discs (to make orange), some wood pieces to put the pumpkins on, and the orange sun since it’s orange and could help the pumpkins grow. The second idea took a bit longer to come up with but was quicker to throw together once I knew what I was doing. I decided to go for a cupcake dessert themed kit and added popsicles to the theme when I remembered that I had extra sticks of wood and straws from the first two kits. I made two [different scented playdoughs](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/09/easily-change-up-your-playdough-with-scents/) and added sequins to them before rolling them up in plastic wrap so they’d be prettier. I added a couple of my silicone baking liners before filling up the remaining spots with jewels, foil confetti, sequins, and beads.

![Two divided plastic containers sit out on the black stovetop. On the left sits the orange themed one while the cupcake and popsicle one is on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_1278.jpeg?resize=750%2C396&ssl=1)

The finished pumpkin and dessert themed sensory kits.

![Image shows Zoey holding a glittery wooden pumpkin with plastic bingo disc 'glued' on with playdough.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1348.jpeg?resize=750%2C262&ssl=1)

Zoey came up with unique ways to create using the pumpkin and orange themed items.

![Image shows two playdough filled cupcake liners decorated with beads. To the left sits an purple popsicle on plastic wrap. To the right sits the opened kit. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1374.jpeg?resize=750%2C357&ssl=1)

Both girls absolutely loved making cupcakes and popsicles using the other kit too.

I ended up hopping back onto Etsy and finally purchased two more kits (a [Minecraft](https://www.etsy.com/listing/889875809/minecraft-inspired-play-dough-and-magic?ref=simplykyra.com) and a [unicorn one](https://www.etsy.com/listing/852220265/unicorn-kingdom-play-dough-and-magic?ref=simplykyra.com)) so they ended up with, what felt like, four new kits while also getting to use the old dinosaur and space characters in new scenarios.

![Image shows a Minecraft themed sensory kit with lots of greens, reds, and blues. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1520.jpeg?resize=750%2C475&ssl=1)

I knew I had to buy more kits when the I spotted the Minecraft themed one she was selling. The kids have been loving playing Minecraft in creative mode since Christmas.

![Image shows a glittery circle of white playdough with pink mardi gras style beads forming a fence around the outside. The rest of the kit sits open in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1522.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The unicorn and princess kit was also pretty adorable and I loved all the pieces it came with.

### *Playdough Mats*

Two years ago for Zoey’s birthday party [I laminated some LEGO®-themed coloring pages so the girls could use them as targets for their water shooters](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/07/17/water-gun-targets/). Since then I’ve come across the idea of playdough mats so I used the same process to create some vehicle, unicorn, and princess themed playdough mats for the girls. The idea was to leave them plain and the girls could then *color* them in by laying pieces of playdough over those spaces. The level of difficulty could then be increased with more numerous and smaller spaces. Instead, after I explained the process to the girls, they decided the paper needed to be colored before lamination. I loved the playdough mat idea, but so far the girls haven’t gotten attached themselves. I love how if the playdough mats became a favorite toy I could easily laminate more to create new experiences along with using more educational pages, like many of [Plato to Playdough’s ideas](https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/100-free-playdough-mats/?ref=simplykyra.com), by switching out the mat to letters, numbers, or even a clock.

![Four laminated images are spread out on the counter. Two shows a monster truck, one a blue airplane, and the last a school bus.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Playdough-Mat-06.jpg?resize=750%2C443&ssl=1)

We colored some of the coloring pages, left others blank, and I added text to a few of them with leading questions. Once ready I laminated all of the pages so they could be used again and again.

![Image shows a cut up coloring page showing a recycling truck and LEGO® figure. The wheels are covered with glittery purple playdough while the man's hat and two cones are pink. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Playdough-Mat-24.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The girls chose to cut this paper smaller before we laminated it but I’m sharing as it shows my idea of using the playdough to *color* the picture. Depending how much you add it may be hard to separate out when done… although I’m now curious to see what it might look like once dried.

![Image shows a laminated unicorn coloring page with the text "What can you add to her hair?". The hair is partially filled in with pastel playdough and Zoey leans over the page pushing some more into it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Playdough-Mat-398.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I used the unicorn page to show the girls how I would do the hair before releasing the pages to them.

![Image shows a blue colored airplane with some pink mottled playdough forming part of it's roof. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Playdough-Mat-400.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Ada chose to start with an airplane before changing to something else.

---

I wanted to share all these random and small playdough ideas with you and hope that this helps you out if you were looking for some way to change up your playdough fun. Feel free to reach out and share any simple or more complicated ways you’ve used to change your playdough in the comments below. I hope your day is going well and something from this post makes your week just a bit better.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Incredibly Simple to Make Jello Cupcakes
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/incredibly-simple-to-make-jello-cupcakes/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:48:56.000Z
This year, for my daughter’s birthday, we were able to host a small party. Like previous parties, pre-Covid, we serve cupcakes rather than cake so it’s easy to serve at the party and we don’t have to worry about germs from blowing out the birthday candle. This year, when I asked Zoey what she wanted, in addition to the orange-themed party she randomly came out with strawberry cupcakes with orange icing and rainbow sprinkles. At first I was stumped by this request but then I remembered the box mix and Jell-O cake I had sometimes as a kid and knew that was the way to make her request a reality!

![Pinterest-geared image showing the blog post's title, main URL, and three images that are also shown below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_Incredibly-Simple-to-Make-Jello-Cupcakes-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

The box mix and Jell-O cake recipe is simple and easy to remember… enough so that I always seem to second guess whether I’m missing a step or not so this time around I decided to look online to find a recipe and confirm that I wasn’t forgetting anything. I found a [Box-Mix Jello Cake, from Rita1652, on Food.com](https://www.food.com/recipe/jello-cake-63892?ref=simplykyra.com) that looked just like how I remembered the recipe going and was able to confirm everything I may need.

![Image shows one large photo alongside four small thumbnails of variations of the Box-Mix Jello Cake on Food.com along with the website's heading, author (Rita1652), and rating (5 stars averaged from 37 people). ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-08-11-at-10.52.46-AM.png?resize=750%2C1017&ssl=1)

This screenshot, taken from the [Box-Mix Jello Cake on Food.com](https://www.food.com/recipe/jello-cake-63892?ref=simplykyra.com) on August 11th, 2021, shows how it can look if you don’t oversaturate the cake with your Jell-O.

I still had orange cupcake liners leftover from [Zoey’s orange and LEGO® themed party](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/07/31/zoeys-third-birthday-orange-duplo-lego-theme/) when we made [colorful Angel food cupcakes](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/07/10/colorful-and-simple-lego-themed-cupcakes/) so I was all set on paper liners. I only needed to go out and buy a box of white cake mix, a box of strawberry Jell-O, whipping cream, and colorful sprinkles. I already had the ingredients the cake mix needed along with icing sugar, vanilla, and food dye for the whip cream.

I started out by following the directions on the box of white cake mix to make the cake batter. I then placed the cupcake liners in my cupcake tins, filled them with the cake batter, and then baked them according to the box’s directions. I ended up with about twenty one cupcakes in all. Once the cupcakes had cooled I moved them into a large plastic container with a lid so I could pour the Jell-O, without making a mess, and store the cupcakes in the fridge for the party the next day. I had planned on maybe having some cupcakes in a small container but I was able to jam all the cupcakes into the one instead.

![Image shows the baked cupcakes after they had cooled. There are two muffin tins in the background with one empty and the other mostly filled. In front sits a large plastic container half filled with the orange lined white cupcakes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_6910.jpeg?resize=750%2C536&ssl=1)

I started out by making white cake batter using a box mix and followed it’s directions to make cupcakes. I then moved the cupcakes into a container so I could, later, pour the Jell-O mix and store them in the fridge.

Once the cupcakes were contained I grabbed a fork and started poking them with it. Since the cupcakes were still warm and the fork was wide it caused bigger holes than I wanted so I switched to a metal chopstick instead. These holes help the Jell-O mix get into the cupcakes. I then mixed up the Jell-O by combining my box of Jell-O crystals with boiling water so the crystals could fully dissolve. The recipe has you use a 3 oz box of Jell-O mix with 1 and 3/4 cups of boiling water. Looking back I think I used a 3 oz box of Jell-O crystals but maybe not as my photo below shows the four cups of warm Jell-O liquid that I had just mixed up.

![Image shows a measuring jug filled to the 4 cup height with red-ish liquid and a metal whisk. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_6914.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I next combined the Jell-O crystals with boiling water and stirred it with a metal whisk to fully dissolve all the crystals.

Anyway, afterwards I then poured the Jell-O liquid over all of the cupcakes. Looking back I should’ve only used half of the Jell-O mix but I kept pouring thinking I was almost done. As such I didn’t end up with the pink streaks shown in the cake screenshot above and instead had fully saturated pink cupcakes that still tasted amazing. Either way it tastes great and resulted in the pink strawberry cupcake that Zoey wanted.

![Image shows a rectangular shaped plastic container filled with orange lined white cupcakes. The ones closest to the front are pink with the ones furthest away white. The jug, at the front, is filled with 3 cups of pink/red liquid. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_6918-rotated.jpeg?resize=563%2C750&ssl=1)

I started pouring the liquid Jell-O over top of the cupcakes starting at one end and working my way to the other end.

![Image shows the clear container from the side so you can see the pink liquid pooling in areas and the top of the pink cupcakes above. There's pink Jell-O drippings on the top of the orange cupcake liners too. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_6919.jpeg?resize=750%2C419&ssl=1)

Ideally, with a cake, you’d poke holes before pouring some Jell-O in and the Jell-O, in this case pink, would cause streaks in the white cake wherever it was poked. This time I made too much Jell-O for the amount of cupcakes and underestimated it. I ended up with Jell-O pooling outside of the cupcake liners and the cupcakes saturated with strawberry Jell-O.

Rather than icing Zoey and I had chosen to top the cupcakes with whip cream dyed orange with red and yellow water-based food dye. Rather than whipping it up during the party we use a whip cream dispenser so we can add in all the ingredients, attach a CO₂ cartridge to whip the cream, and then easily extrude the whip cream on demand. As such before the party I dropped the food dye in, passed it to Matt, and he added the whipping cream, icing sugar, and vanilla before using the CO₂ cartridge to turn it into whip cream. After a quick test we put it in the fridge for when the cupcake time came.

I absolutely adore using the whip cream dispenser at the girls’ birthday party as I can easily keep the cupcakes stored undecorated in a container in the fridge without worrying about icing being squished and can even stack them to store more. When it was time to sing happy birthday to Zoey I easily popped a cupcake out of the container, topped it with whip cream, used extra whip cream beside the cupcake to hold a candle in place, used a spoon to sprinkle the sprinkles overtop, lite the candles up, and carried it carefully over to her. Then after singing, one by one, I quickly dished, decorated, sprinkled, and served the remaining cupcakes to everyone else. Additionally, this way if anyone wants one without whip cream or sprinkles it’s simple to adjust.

This time around the first couple cupcakes were a bit hard to remove as they were a bit squished in and the Jell-O essentially glued the bottom of them down to the container but once the first couple were served it was much easier to remove them. I didn’t get any photos of the whip cream and sprinkle topped cupcakes but they were delicious and I have a couple ones of Zoey’s in the process of being eaten. She has a dollop of whip cream to the side so I could stick the large number 5(!) candle in it and lean it slightly against the cupcake. I had also added several smaller candles to the cupcake itself.

![Image shows Zoey in a peppermint swirl dress holding an orange plate with a slightly blurred orange cupcake with orange whip cream and rainbow sprinkles on top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_6956.jpeg?resize=750%2C615&ssl=1)

![Same image as before but the paper plate is now held in front of her. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_6959.jpeg?resize=750%2C612&ssl=1)

---

Whether you’re looking for cupcakes for a party, potluck, or something else I hope this helps you out. I had expected to see pink streaks in the final cupcakes but instead had oversaturated them with the Jell-O. Either way, apparently, it tastes great so whatever you choose will to turn out great!

Have you made a Jell-O infused cake or cupcake before? If so did you make it the same or different? I’d love future ideas so feel free to share any of yours in the comments below. I hope you’re having a fantastic week.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How I Easily Altered a Too Small Peppermint Swirl Dress by Converting It Into a Skirt
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-easily-altered-a-too-small-peppermint-swirl-dress-by-converting-it-into-a-skirt/
Last updated: 2025-05-21T21:05:05.000Z
Over the last year my eldest daughter, to her dismay, grew out of all of her [Peppermint Swirl Dresses](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/20/even-more-peppermint-swirl-dresses/). Although the dresses no longer fit I knew I wanted to allow her to keep wearing the skirt portion so I jumped onto the Candy Castle Patterns’ website and found [a free tutorial](https://payhip.com/b/X5ZmG/af682cdb34c8728?ref=simplykyra.com) on how to add a flat front elastic waistband to the skirt portion of the Peppermint Swirl Dress. As this tutorial assumed I was creating the skirt from scratch I decided to go ahead and post what I did when upcycling the dress since there were some deviations from the tutorial. If you’re interested in the original [Peppermint Swirl Dress, from Candy Castle Patterns, you can check it out here](https://payhip.com/b/xWAVS/af682cdb34c8728?ref=simplykyra.com). And if you want [the adult size check it out here](https://payhip.com/b/9bpqS/af682cdb34c8728?ref=simplykyra.com)!

![Pinterest-geared image showing my post's title, two images, and, at the bottom, my main URL. The two images are stacked showing the dress with the bodice partially seam ripped from the skirt and, underneath it, the final skirt. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/06/compressed_How-I-Easily-Fixed-a-Too-Small-Peppermint-Swirl-Dress-by-Converting-It-Into-a-Skirt-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Since I was working with an already made peppermint swirl dress rather than making the skirt from scratch I knew I’d need to deviate from the first couple steps in the instructions before I could follow along with them. The instruction’s first step officially asked me to choose the Peppermint Swirl flounce size that was at least two sizes smaller than the size my child measures into. I ignored that and instead grabbed the largest of the dresses that Ada had grown out of figuring that was close enough as I had made it a year or two ago.

Rather than making the skirt fresh I then used my seam ripper to detach the skirt from the bodice and set the bodice aside for now. At this point I was grateful that there were only two seams attaching the two pieces as I had sewn them together with my sewing machine and then topstitched the seam down. By the time the bodice was free I knew I also needed to deal with the slit in the back of the skirt. I quickly scanned over the instructions again confirming that her skirt didn’t include the slit before coming up with a plan to patch it up.

![Image shows the back of a peppermint swirl dress with a white LEGO inspired and decorated bodice, blue snaps, and the orange, blue, red, yellow, and purple skirt separating from it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_4050.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I started out by seam ripping the skirt off of the too small and a couple years old Peppermint Swirl dress. You can see this dress in it’s originality [in this post here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/20/even-more-peppermint-swirl-dresses/).

At this time Ada loved Wonder Woman so I quickly hopped online to confirm how her costume looked. One thing led to another and I instead decided to use Captain Marvel’s look to inspire Ada’s new skirt. I took tons of photos of this process so I decided to make this patch step it’s own post in case it can help you with your own garment. I will link to it here when it goes live.

While patching the slit in the skirt I ignored the top ragged edge, from where the seam was before, since that’s going to sewn into the new waistband. Once the sides and bottom of the patch were secured I went back to the instructions and followed along making a matching red waistband to go with the old skirt.

![Image shows two red pieces of fabric on a blue faded ironing mat with an iron behind it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_4154.jpeg?resize=750%2C513&ssl=1)

I followed the instructions to determine Ada’s waistband measurements, cut out the fabric, and pressed it to get out the wrinkles.

I then altered the waistband’s side seam instructions to use a French seam so rather than sewing the two pieces together with the right sides facing using a half inch seam allowance I instead put the waistband together with the wrong sides facing together. I then sewed up the two sides with a quarter inch seam allowance, trimmed the seam allowance in half, pressed it to the side, turned the waistband around so the seams are folded the other way and are right sides together, pressed the new fold flat, and sewed the sides again with a quarter inch seam allowance so the original seam is hidden within. If you haven’t sewn a French seam before here’s [a link to a WikiHow post](https://www.wikihow.com/Sew-a-French-Seam?ref=simplykyra.com) with directions, photos, video snippets, and a comment section to go into much more detail.

![Image shows the same ironing mat with the waistband pieces now clipped together with sewing clips. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_4156.jpeg?resize=750%2C312&ssl=1)

I started by clipping the two side seams together with the wrong sides of the waistband facing one another.

![Image shows the waistband with the rightmost seam being trimmed, with the scissors laying on the pressing mat, and the left seam facing up and already trimmed.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_4258.jpeg?resize=750%2C330&ssl=1)

After sewing the sides together I used my fabric scissors to trim the seam allowance in half so it wouldn’t show through in the next step.

![Image shows the waistband turned inside out showing the white interfacing on the inside front of the waistband. Either side shows a black threaded seam running up it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_4267.jpeg?resize=750%2C324&ssl=1)

After turning the waistband inside out, so the right sides are facing, I clipped the seam and sewed it down so that the original seam allowance is now trapped within the new seam allowance making either side of the waistband look pretty and more secure.

After the diversion of the waistband’s side seams I went back to the remaining instructions to once again follow along.

![Image shows the waistband folded in half along it's length making a circle that only has one raw edge. There are several clips holding the raw edges together so the waistband doesn't unfold. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_4270.jpeg?resize=750%2C425&ssl=1)

I continued making the waistband according to the [pattern’s instructions](https://payhip.com/b/X5ZmG/af682cdb34c8728?ref=simplykyra.com).

Before starting the waistband I had added [a Captain Marvel inspired patch](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/03/30/learn-how-i-created-a-captain-marvel-inspired-emblem-for-a-skirt/) over the skirt’s slit. As such I decided the back of the dress, where the slit was, should now be the front of the skirt. The tutorial has you only gather the front of the skirt as the rest of the waistband will be cinched with the elastic. Since the top of my skirt is differently sized than the tutorial expects and as I was lazy I instead decided where the side seams of the dress should be and then clipped it in portions so the skirt was cinched and I didn’t need to gather it. Once the skirt was fully attached to the waistband, via the clips, I then sewed it together.

![Image shows the inside of the waistband clipped in sections with the skirt hiding behind it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4367.jpeg?resize=750%2C440&ssl=1)

I divided the front of the waistband and the front of the skirt into sections and clipped each section together.

![Image shows the inside of the skirt, showing the original slit in the middle, with clips all the way around cinching the skirt to the waistband. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4368.jpeg?resize=750%2C346&ssl=1)

I then took each of those sections and clipped each of them in half again and again until the skirt and waistband were securely clipped together all the way around.

I finished up the waistband according to the instructions and loved how the final skirt looked.

---

### *A Few Mistakes*

I may have been rushing a bit as I wasn’t totally feeling the project. As such I made several rather silly mistakes. Figured I’d share them here to help you not make the same ones.

![Image shows the top of the clipped together waistband with the front section serged together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4370.jpeg?resize=750%2C428&ssl=1)

While sewing the waistband to the skirt the instructions had you leave the other raw edge of the waistband unattached so you can later hide the seam allowance with it. At one part I hadn’t realized the waistband had folded in and gotten in the way until after I had serged a section together. I had to stop, seam rip it open, separate the pieces, and resew both portions of that section of the waistband.

![Image shows a small section of the skirt with the red waistband folded up. Below it you can see a crimp in the blue and orange swirls. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4371.jpeg?resize=750%2C392&ssl=1)

After sewing the waistband onto the skirt I realized one section of the skirt had been folded up causing a crimp below the waistband seam. It was a small sections so I decided to leave it as it was rather than seam rip and sew it properly.

![Image shows the back top of the skirt showing the cinched in waistband, the swirls, and the red topstitching below the red band. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4373.jpeg?resize=606%2C454&ssl=1)

After finishing the waistband (by folding the other edge down, pinning it in place, topstitching it down, and adding the elastic) I realized that my top stitching wasn’t fully hidden by the red waistband as I had deviated into the swirls in a couple places. This happened as I had sewn this section with the inside of the skirt facing up so I could be sure that the elastic was trapped in the waistband but not sewn into it…. as had happened already once or twice previously with this skirt.

Looking back I wonder if most/all of this mistakes would’ve been solved by gathering the skirt properly and taking it slower. Anyway that’s what happened.

---

And with that the skirt was complete. I absolutely adored how it turned out.

![The final skirt in all it's glory](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/09/compressed_IMG_4380.jpeg?resize=750%2C539&ssl=1)

Ada loved that the skirt fit her again! That said she hasn’t worn it that much since and I’ve kind of lost my sewjo recently so her other dresses are still sitting in a pile waiting to be decided on.

I hope this post helps you out whether you have a too small peppermint swirl dress you’re debating what to do with, have some other skirt you’re upcycling, or just planning ahead for a sew. The only issue with this is that I now have a Peppermint Swirl bodice sitting in one of my drawers as it seems wrong to just throw it out especially with all of those LEGO-inspired people and dinosaurs drawn onto it. If you have any idea how I should upcycle the bodice or if you have a different way to upcycle an outgrown Peppermint Swirl Dress feel free to share in the comments below! I’d love to hear from you and I really hope you’re doing great and having an awesome week!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### My Daughters’ Mask Command Center and How I Made It
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-daughters-mask-command-center-and-how-i-made-it/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:48:09.000Z
Life felt weird as school approached this year especially since my eldest has been doing school remotely since the pandemic began and my second is about to start kindergarten. I started worrying about how many masks the kids might need each day, how often they’d need to be washed, and finally how to carry the masks back and forth. Both kids only have four masks each that they currently like wearing so I decided I needed to make more and set them up with the best system I could think of so their masks routine would be straightforward and easy. This is what I came up with which I wanted to share with you in case it may also help you too.

![Pinterest-geared image with three text sections and five images that can all be found below. The top says "My Daughters' Mask Command Center", followed by the center saying "How I sewed, assembled, and set it up!", and then finally at the bottom "Learn More at SimplyKyra.com".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_My-Daughters-Mask-Command-Center-and-How-I-Made-It-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

## *Planning*

I knew going into this that I was going to make the [Iris Luckhaus masks](https://www.irisluckhaus.de/en/2020/diy-cloth-mask/?ref=simplykyra.com) as my family loves each of the masks I’ve made with that pattern. Before starting; however, I knew I needed to decide what system I wanted the kids to use while they were at school. I knew they’d need to be able to bring several clean masks so they could easily change into a fresh one when the first mask is wet or dirty. That suggested I needed to have a bag or pouch in each backpack to hold the clean masks and another bag or pouch to hold the used ones. I also realized that the kids could reuse the clean mask bag or pouch over several days while the bag or pouch holding the dirty masks would need to be washed more often. As such I’d need to have way more dirty mask bags, as they’d be thrown into the laundry bin at the end of each day, than clean mask bags. This fact alone made me realize that I wanted to use a more secure pouch for the clean masks as I wanted to be sure that the masks stay clean in the bag which suggested, to me, a zippered pouch. Before Ada started school back in kindergarten I found [a free pattern on Crazy Little Projects](https://crazylittleprojects.com/pencil-case-tutorial/?ref=simplykyra.com) for a zippered pencil pouch that I knew would make a perfect clean mask bag as the zippered opening would help keep the masks secured and clean in the backpack. Next I needed to figure out a bag for the dirty masks. I knew I wanted a simpler pattern to hold the dirty masks as I definitely didn’t want to sew tons of zippers and I wasn’t sure how well they’d hold up after many washings. [Back in 2020](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/30/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/) I’d used a free [Made for Mermaids](https://www.madeformermaids.com/drawstringpouchtutorial/?ref=simplykyra.com) pattern for a cinch bag that folded into a mat. I realized a cinch bag would be perfect but I wanted one even simpler than that so I looked online and found one by [Pam Ash Designs](https://www.pamashdesigns.com/blog/2016/9/14/how-to-sew-a-simple-drawstring-pouch?ref=simplykyra.com) that looked perfect for what I wanted. With the sewing patterns decided it was now time to figure out the count I needed and get them made!

---

## *Masks*

I knew going into this that I wanted to use our favorite mask pattern by Iris Luckhaus. Since I last made her pattern she’d come up with several variations but after much consideration I decided to simply go with the original version that I made last time and so grabbed the pattern pieces I saved without having to reprint any of them.

If you aren’t sure what your favorite sewn mask pattern is I have previously sewn up three different patterns and [reviewed them all here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/11/04/i-sewed-up-three-free-face-mask-patterns-and-here-is-my-takeaway/). That said, there’s many options online. If you do choose to go with Iris Luckhaus she posted [an instructions page](https://www.irisluckhaus.de/en/2020/diy-cloth-mask/?ref=simplykyra.com) with frequently asked questions and the pattern linked at the bottom, [detailed instructions](https://www.irisluckhaus.de/en/2020/diy-cloth-mask-tutorial/?ref=simplykyra.com) with photos which I appreciate every time I sew more masks, and she’s listed [different variations of her mask pattern](https://www.irisluckhaus.de/en/2020/customized-hybrid-masks/?ref=simplykyra.com) with changes for the nose, chin, beard, or even more fitted with a dart.

After confirming the pattern I next needed to decide just how many to make. Right now both girls have three [Iris Luckhaus masks](https://www.irisluckhaus.de/en/2020/diy-cloth-mask/?ref=simplykyra.com) and one [Craft Passion mask](https://www.craftpassion.com/face-mask-sewing-pattern/?ref=simplykyra.com) that they love and alternate through. I knew I’d need more but I wasn’t sure how many each girl would need for a day of school along with how often I’d need to wash them and if we might need more if we go anywhere after school or on the weekend. I decided I’d cut out ten masks each so that if they use two masks a day I could wash weekly and if they used more I could get by washing two or three times in a week. Once I started cutting the fabric; however, I ended up going with twelve masks each… just in case. I also knew Matt and I would need more masks as one of us would need to drop and/or pick up the kids each day along with anything else that come up. I went with a simple count of six for each of us.

Before cutting the fabric for the masks I got the girls to pick their favorite fabrics out of my woven stash. Both of them chose a couple favorites and then I grabbed a few more that I thought they’d also like. For the soft inside of the masks Ada loved the heart flannel I had bought specifically for mask liners while Zoey loved the leftover rainbow flannel I used to make [her a nightgown with last Christmas](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/30/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/). I loved that they chose one fabric each so I could easily tell the girls’ masks apart without worrying if the outer fabric matches. Matt loves simple black masks so I grabbed my black woven for him along with a simple grey flannel for the inside and then chose three outer fabrics for me and Ada’s heart flannel for me.

![Image shows a stack of fabric squares with smaller rectangles on top. The larger ones squares are at the bottom with the small rectangles on top of the smaller squares of fabric. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_7844.jpeg?resize=750%2C393&ssl=1)

I cut out 36 cotton woven mask fronts, 36 snuggle flannel mask liners, and 72 cotton woven rectangles for the sides of the masks. Actually I cut one less of each and had to go back and cut another when I realized they were missing while matching the mask parts up.

![Image shows an upside down Captain Marvel logo on a square of white woven fabric. There are two red fabric markers laid over top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_7841.jpeg?resize=750%2C506&ssl=1)

Ada loves her [Wonder Woman mask](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/11/04/i-sewed-up-three-free-face-mask-patterns-and-here-is-my-takeaway/) I made her the last time around so I made sure to cut another white mask for her and this time decorated it with a Captain Marvel logo. With the blue and red fabric markers fading I went with a simpler background having the lines radiate from the star rather than only making it solid red or blue.

![Image shows the final three decorated squares of fabric that I drew on for the girls. In the center is an orange square with pumpkins while to the left there's a spookley on a white square and to the right a Captain Marvel logo. Above it lays an empty blue pencil pouch, a stack of the remaining masks, and lots of fabric markers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_7843.jpeg?resize=750%2C456&ssl=1)

Zoey is still loving pumpkins so I drew some simple ones on an orange mask and added [Spookley the Square Pumpkin](https://spookley.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) to a white mask. Spookley ended up being a bit higher than I had planned so the top of his head was cut off in the seam allowance and folded into the nose part of the mask.

Once the mask fabric was cut it was time for the kids to decide which ones they wanted. I laid out all of the mask fronts on the kitchen table alongside the rectangles of fabric for the edge of the mask. Even though I had kept track of how many rectangles and masks I cut they didn’t fully match up so there ended up being some mismatched pairings. As such I had the girls take turns picking a mask front and two matching rectangles so they could decide how each individual mask might look. I then gave them a couple days to decorate the fabric pieces any way they’d want. Ada had requested a white mask, for this purpose, so she got busy decorating it right away along with some other masks and their matching rectangles. Zoey had been decorating something else around this time so she decided to skip the mask decorating and ended up with a plain orange mask, a plain red one, and several printed ones instead.

With each mask front paired up with two rectangles of fabric and the flannel backing it was time to sew them all up. I ended up doing this assembly line style so it would, overall, be quicker as there’d be less back and forth between the kitchen (marking, clipping, and pressing) and the office (serging and sewing). I actually ran out of sewing clips and had to split the masks into two sets at a couple points so I could free up some clips for the next group before continuing on. I hopped onto Amazon at one point to buy more even though I finished the masks before they could arrive. Next time (hopefully not with masks) I will be better prepared for any large batch of sewing projects.

![Image shows a stack of masks to the left and a stack of patterns in the upper right. In the main, bottom, of the photo sits four squares of fabric. The one second from the left has a pattern piece on it and a pen that just marked the opening at the top and bottom. The other three squares are already marked and have the extra two rectangles stacked at the top. Some are clipped together and some are still waiting for the clips. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_7976.jpeg?resize=750%2C253&ssl=1)

This image shows the step where I put the liner and front of the mask right sides together, lined them up, marked the opening on both the top and bottom, used sewing clips to keep them together, and attached the two rectangles of fabric to each one so they’d stay together. I did this in sets of four as that’s how much room I had on the table, then stacked the finished ones, and went on to set up the next set before repeating until they were all done.

After finally sewing up all the masks it was time to add the elastic. For our previous masks we chose to go with a single length of elastic that was threaded through either sides resulting in two loops that both go around the head and keep the mask secured. This style is handy as you can wear the mask around your neck when heading somewhere, for instance driving to your location or between crowds while walking outside, and then can quickly pull it up to cover your face when you get to where you’re going. Over the summer I actually got in the habit of putting it on the girls like a necklace when we headed out the door and, once we arrived via car, they could easily pull it up themselves and this way we never lost one.

![Image shows the side of Zoey's head with a mermaid mask over her face and a white quarter inch elastic around her head and over her ears.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_CraftPassion_5636.jpg?resize=750%2C518&ssl=1)

This photo from [my earlier mask post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/11/04/i-sewed-up-three-free-face-mask-patterns-and-here-is-my-takeaway/) shows how the girls wear this style. In this case the elastic loop coming out the top of either side is wrapped around Zoey’s head above her ears. The other loop, from the bottom of the sides, is hidden under her hair but wraps around her neck at the base of her skull. I find the top elastic can slip down on her hair so since school has started I’ve been giving her a pony or bun for the top elastic to rest on and take the pressure off her ears. I’ve also noticed that the masks stay in place if both elastic loops go under the ears and around the neck. It just depends on which style each person prefers.

Since there were so many masks and the length of the elastic needed could change as the girls have grown since the last time I made masks I decided to change up my method this time around. Previously I’d threaded the mask while leaving the elastic on the spool before trying it on the person that the mask was for. Once I figured out how tight it should be I’d cut the excess elastic off, tie it up, and go on to thread the next mask. This time around I knew no one had the patience for that so instead I measured the elastic, that may have been stretched out, on each person’s favorite mask to determine how long the elastic might be that they’d need. I then cut one piece of elastic for each person and used it to thread a single mask for them to try on. Once everyone confirmed the mask indeed fit I went through and cut out all the elastic I needed, sat down with a show after the kids went to bed, and threaded the rest of the masks. Previously this was the worst step when making masks but this time around, with the new [Schmigadoon!](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11808942/?ref=simplykyra.com) show on Apple TV, it wasn’t too bad.

In case you’re doing the same I ended up cutting Zoey’s elastic 21 inches long, Ada’s 22 inches, mine 32.5 inches, and Matt’s 34.5 inches long. I also grabbed an old container insert the kids had been using for sensory play so I could separate each length of elastic and keep track on whose elastic was whose more easily. When I threaded the masks I did each person’s batch of masks at once before going onto the next person’s masks so there would be no confusion.

![Image shows the measuring tape and scissors I used to cut the elastic at the bottom of the image. Above it sits a five sectioned container base with four piles of elastic and a paper with a name placed on top. To the sides sits piles of finished masks and two rolls of quarter inch elastic in black (for the adults) and white (for the kids). ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8166.jpeg?resize=750%2C451&ssl=1)

After confirming how long each person’s elastic should be I went through and cut the rest. As I went I ticked off each elastic length so I knew when I had cut enough for each person. I also separated each person’s elastic into it’s own cubby and labeled the pile with their name.

![Image shows an array of masks laid out on the table. In the center back are Matt's black ones with mine overlapping. To the left are Zoey's and Ada's are to the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8171.jpeg?resize=750%2C347&ssl=1)

The masks were done and they looked amazing! So glad as they will last us for awhile and hopefully I don’t need to make more anytime soon.

While the kids had the option to color their masks I spent the time cutting the fabric needed for the zippered and drawstring pouches meant to hold their clean and dirtied masks in their backpacks. Thus their coloring of the pouches and the sewing of the bags overlapped with the masks a bit. To make this simpler I’m going to first go over the zippered pouches and then the drawstring ones. That said some photos may show the other item in the background.

---

## *Clean Mask Bags – Zippered Pouches*

Two years ago, when first making a zippered pouch using [Crazy Little Projects’ free pattern](https://crazylittleprojects.com/pencil-case-tutorial/?ref=simplykyra.com), I was making Ada [a pencil pouch for her school supplies](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/01/52-weeks-of-sewing-in-2019/). At the time I cut all four rectangles out in white so she could decorate the outside of the pouch, before I sewed it together, while Zoey and I could decorate the inside so Ada could have a part of her family with her when she was at school and may miss us. The interior and exterior of this pouch is composed of two pieces of fabric so Zoey decorated one while I wrote a message from Matt and I saying we loved Ada on the other side. Although Ada ended up not needing a pencil pouch, converting it into a snack/lunch bag, I loved that idea and so, this year, I decided to do the same with their clean mask bags.

I knew either girl probably only needs one zippered pouch but then I wondered what would happen if I needed to wash the masks when the girls were going to be in school and so decided to make them each two. This way I can have the girls switch to the other zippered pouch, once or twice a week, when I wash the masks and it doesn’t matter if these events happen midweek or on the weekend.

I started out with this project by pulling out my zipper stash, from a three pound mystery bag of zippers I purchased through [ZipperStop](https://zipperstop.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) back in 2019, and had the girls each choose two of their favorites ones. The pattern itself is made for a nine inch long zipper and has you cut out the four rectangles to be 9.5 by 5.5 inches large. As such I realized I’d need to measure each of the zippers the girls had chosen and recalculate the dimensions of the fabric I’d need to cut.

![Image shows the zippers lined up on a quilting cutting board showing each of their length. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8010.jpeg?resize=750%2C344&ssl=1)

I started out by measuring each of the four zippers the girls had chosen for the pouches.

I knew I could easily adjust the 9.5 inch long side to be half an inch longer than the zipper size but if I stopped there all the pouches would be different sizes. Instead I decided to adjust the other side in relation to the zippered one. As each of the zippers were smaller than nine inches long this meant that each of the zippered sides became smaller and measured at:

```
zipper length + 1/2" 
```

and in relation the other side’s length became longer and measured in at the size difference between the zippered side plus 5.5 inches of the original pattern. Specifically:

```
9.5" - (zipper length + 1/2") + 5.5"
```

If you’re doing the same I figured I’d list the final dimensions I used for each of the four bags. Just know that the fabric dimensions might change the direction of the final bag so if you color the fabric first or are cutting from dimensional fabric you may want to confirm which way you want it first. For me three of the final four bags appears sideways from what I expected yet the kids are the happy with the result so it works.

- Lavender: 5.75″ long zipper – fabric was cut 6.25 by 8.75 inches: (9.5-(5.75+.5)+5.5)
- Burgundy: 4.75” long zipper – fabric was cut 5.25 by 9.75 inches
- Blue: 8” long zipper – fabric was cut 8.5 by 6.5 inches
- Yellow-orange: 6.75” long zipper – fabric was cut 7.25 by 8.25 inches

Once I knew the size of the fabric I needed it was time to cut it out. Ada wanted both her bags to be white, to make it easier to color, while Zoey chose to have the blue zippered bag be orange and the other one be white like Ada’s.

![Image shows four zippers with three piles of rectangular white fabric. On the left the blue zipper is alone (waiting for orange fabric to be cut) while the next zipper is clipped to a pile of four rectangular fabric. Beside it there are two piles of two rectangles of fabric with a matching zipper beside each one. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8020.jpeg?resize=750%2C280&ssl=1)

I cut out four rectangles matching the dimensions needed for each zipper and kept the zipper clipped to each pile so I wouldn’t confuse it. Rather than consider the length of the side matching the zipper I assumed the longer edge would be the top. Next time I, hopefully, would remember that the zipper goes on at top so the matching side is the top and not the longest side.

With the fabric cut out I took one rectangle from each pile and wrote a message saying that we loved them and decorated it with hearts. I then took another piece of fabric and wrote out `Name's Clean Masks` on it so the bag would be properly labeled. When the girls were ready to color I gave each of them two pieces of fabric, one of which was labelled, from each of their bags and one piece of blank fabric from their sister’s bags. This way they could decorate the outside of each of their bags however they wanted and then write or draw a message to their sister for inside their sister’s bags. Specifically, assuming we’re talking about one of Ada’s bags:

- I took piece 1 and wrote *Ada’s Clean Mask Bag* and gave it to Ada to decorate.
- I left piece 2 plain and gave it to Ada to decorate.
- Pieces 1 and 2, ideally, become the outside of the bag.
- I then wrote a message from Matt and I on piece 3 and decorated it with hearts for Ada
- I left piece 4 blank and gave it to Zoey to decorate for Ada’s bag.
- Piece 3 and 4 were meant to become the inside of the bag that Ada would see when switching masks.

![Image shows the kids grabbing fabric markers from a pile in the center while white rectangles of fabric sit in front of them. Closer to the bottom sits a pile of clips, and empty pouch, and a stack of fabric and zippers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8045.jpeg?resize=750%2C483&ssl=1)

I kept the zippers clipped to the hearted and messaged fabric, to make it easier to remember which one matches with which set, while the kids decorated the remaining rectangles of fabric for the zippered pouches.

![Image is composed of a grid of six photos. They are three across and two down. The outer ones shows four squares of fabric making a pouch. The two inner center ones shows six mismatched shaped rectangles showing what Ada (top) and Zoey (bottom) colored. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_My-Daughters-Mask-Command-Center-and-How-I-Made-It-Image.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

Once they were done coloring the fabric I took a photo of each girls artwork since some would be cut off in the seam allowance of the bags. Specifically Ada’s is top center and Zoey’s is bottom center. I then matched the fabric pieces to each zipper so I knew whose bag was whose and snapped another photo of the final bag before sewing it up (the four corner photos). This way the girls can remember what each bag ideally looked like when it was fresh, bright, and colored before it was sewn, used, loved, and laundered.

While coloring Ada had decided to change up the plan by moving one of the inner pieces to the outside of the bag and an outer one to the inner. As such, after pressing each one to set the ink, I made sure to confirm with each girl which pieces should be on the outside and which should be on the inside before sewing them to the zipper. Once finalized I was able to sew up the rest of the bags on my own with no needed input from them. The only difficulty in this project came when sewing over the zipper ends as I chose to serge the edge and although I was careful not to run the metal part of the zipper through my blade I did break a needle when going over a zipper. After that I was much more careful and used my sewing machine first on many of the zipper ends, carefully, before serging over the bags’ ends making sure to move further away from the zipper ends on some of them with my serger.

![Image shows a staggered stack of inside out pouches showing one of their zipper ends. In the background is a stack of flat cinch pouches that I was working on at the same time. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8200.jpeg?resize=750%2C543&ssl=1)

After breaking a serger needle on one of the zippers I took a pause, checked all the zipper ends, used my sewing machine on a few of them, and then used my serger to close the remaining bags making sure I had extra space at the zipper ends.

![Image shows a collage of three images. The left and right one are right side out showing the zipper end while the center is the inside out version. Specifically the left one shows a loose zipper end, the center image shows the end sewn over to fix, and the right shows the final fixed zipper end.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_My-Daughters-Mask-Command-Center-and-How-I-Made-It-Image-2.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

The seam on this zipper end was looser than the others although I didn’t notice until after I was finished making the pouch. I simply turned that end inside out again and used my sewing machine to go over the seam several times to make it tighter.

After sewing all of the pouches closed, with the zipper partially open to give it space to turn right side out, the final step was to sew the corners in for a box corner. I had started out [tying off my serger tails](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/17/easily-unravel-and-tie-off-your-serger-ends/) before realizing that it didn’t matter here and then clipped and marked each corner. I then sewed each of the box corners using my sewing machine so I still had to trim the excess fabric off but I didn’t need to tie off any more of the serger tails.

![Image shows a pile of clipped and prepped box corner bags with a pile of other bags in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8203.jpeg?resize=750%2C469&ssl=1)

I flattened each corner, clipped it in place, and marked were I would sew. I kept the corners small but looking back wonder if I should’ve made them larger.

![Image shows four colorful zippered pouches laid out on a table. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8208.jpeg?resize=750%2C430&ssl=1)

And with that the zippered pouches were done! Two personalized clean mask bags for either girl so they’d have a washable bag to carry their extra clean masks in.

And now with the masks and zippered pouches explained let’s go onto the dirty mask bags.

---

## *Dirty Mask Bags – Cinched Top Pouches*

For the pouches containing any dirtied masks I knew they’d need to be washed more often. As such I knew I’d want to make more of them, so I didn’t need to launder them right away, and thus wanted to use a simpler pattern. I decided to go with a cinched bag and looked online for a simple pattern I could use. I came across [*How to Sew a Simply Drawstring Pouch* by Pam Ash Designs](https://www.pamashdesigns.com/blog/2016/9/14/how-to-sew-a-simple-drawstring-pouch?ref=simplykyra.com) and it was exactly what I wanted. I used the dimensions listed on the site and the only major deviation I made was switching to my serger to serge the top of my bags’ edges rather than folding and sewing the raw edge down before making the ribbon channel.

As I had currently made twelve masks for each girl and they already had four masks each I decided to assume I’d be washing the masks once a week when calculating just how many dirty mask bags I’d need to make. Thus assuming they needed one bag for each day at school I chose to make ten bags in all so each girl would have five each. I decided to make a plain one for each of them that I could decorate and then use my fabric scraps to make the rest. While cutting the 8 by 8 inch fabric squares I ended up making a couple more as why not?

![Image shows a large scrap of fabric with Halloween unicorns and unicorn kitties, and unicorn pumpkins along with bats, skulls, and rainbows. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8022.jpeg?resize=750%2C385&ssl=1)

I love that this pattern was perfect for using my fabric scraps from previous projects (in this case [last year’s](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/30/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/) Halloween [nightgowns](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/02/27/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/)). The bag itself needed two 8 by 8 inch squares but two of my fabric scraps only had enough for one each so one of the final bags ended up with two different patterns (dinosaurs on one side and mermaids on the other) while the rest matched their reversed side.

![Image shows two orange squares and two white ones with fabric markers laid out on the table above them. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8031.jpeg?resize=750%2C350&ssl=1)

Although the bags are intended to be used once and then washed I wanted to make both girls one extra special one. As each bag is composed of two squares, one for the front and one for the back, I cut out two orange squares, for Zoey, and two white ones, for Ada, to make them each a bag just for them. For Zoey I drew Spookley on one side and general pumpkins on the other while Ada got a Captain Marvel logo for the one side and a Wonder Woman one for the other. The rest of the bags I planned to use my scraps and have them be shared back and forth each time they’re washed.

Once the fabric was cut and the four colored fabric squares were pressed to set the ink it was time to sew up the bags. This is where I deviated from the sewing pattern. The website has you mark two inches from the top, sew up the sides and bottom of the bag up to that mark, fold the tops over at an angle and sew the fold down, and then finally create the channel for the ribbon. I decided I wanted to serge the edge so I know it won’t unravel and then have the fold in the channel creation keep the angled fold in place rather than by using my sewing machine. As such I serged the top of either side of each fabric square first, placed each bag square together with right sides facing in, marked two inches from the top, and then sewed the sides and bottom closed. Then, before sewing the channel, I angled the edges in and clipped them in place rather than sewing them down like on the website.

![Image shows the back square of fabric with two clips at the bottom, black serged edge on the top 3.5 inches on either side, a ruler on the right, and a mark at the 2 inch spot. To the left and right you can see the edge of another one. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8193.jpeg?resize=750%2C469&ssl=1)

I serged the top three to four inches of either side of each square before placing each pair of fabric squares together with the wrong sides facing out. I then clipped them in place and marked two inches down from the top.

![Image shows two bags overlapping each other with a stack of several off photo to the right. The top bag is inside out and sewn up to the top two inches. The bag underneath has the front side folded down with clips holding it in place. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8196.jpeg?resize=750%2C578&ssl=1)

After sewing along the bottom and sides of each set of squares it was time to make the channel for the ribbon. I angled the serged edge in, held it in place while I folded the top of the bag down, and then used my sewing clips to keep it all in place.

Once the sewing was finished I trimmed the serger tails rather than carefully [tying them off](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/17/easily-unravel-and-tie-off-your-serger-ends/) like I normally do as I was getting a bit lazy and I hoped the sewn ribbon channel would keep it in place well enough. I guess we’ll see as time goes on. Now all I needed to do was add two loops of ribbon through the entire channel. I grabbed my container of ribbons, the stack of sewn bags, a chopstick to help turn out the bottom corners, scissors, and a safety pin to help pull the ribbon through the bags’ channel. I got comfy, turned on a show, and proceeded to thread two loops of ribbon through the tops of each bag using a knot to keep the ends together.

![Image shows a stack of inside out baggies with rolls of ribbon in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8229.jpeg?resize=750%2C509&ssl=1)

And with that the bags were finished and looking great! I’m so glad I was able to sew up the masks, zippered bags, and ribbon cinched pouches in time for school to start. With all the new masks and bags; however, the old mask storage solution doesn’t work anymore…. so here’s what I’ve done so far.

---

## *Mask Storage*

When I first started sewing masks for us there weren’t a lot of them so I easily tossed them all into a plastic Dollar Tree basket, placed up on a cabinet by our front door, and we simply grabbed what we needed on the way out the door. By the end of 2020 that organizational solution wasn’t working anymore. At that time I had tried [three different face masks patterns](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/11/04/i-sewed-up-three-free-face-mask-patterns-and-here-is-my-takeaway/) and we all had our own favorite masks and less favored ones. As such I decided to move the masks we didn’t like as much out of the way to a smaller basket, so they wouldn’t be in the way, and [I then upcycled a cereal box](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/28/simple-drawer-organizer-recycled-from-a-cereal-box/) to keep our masks, mostly, separated and easier to grab.

![Image shows a bent cereal box that's open in the top and side with three sections containing wrinkled masks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8223.jpeg?resize=750%2C555&ssl=1)

After making [three different types of masks over many months](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/11/04/i-sewed-up-three-free-face-mask-patterns-and-here-is-my-takeaway/) it was time to organize the masks by separating Matt’s from mine from the kids. I did this by taking a cereal box, cutting it up, and taping the cut pieces back in. If you’re interested in doing this for your masks, for a cash register for the kids, or for some other organizer you can check out [my post here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/28/simple-drawer-organizer-recycled-from-a-cereal-box/).

With all these new masks just made I knew I needed to find a new organizational system. Earlier, the week before, I had visited the local Dollar Tree and found some cute desk organizers in the perfect colors for my girls. I knew, with pink and orange, I needed to have them and justified it by imaging them on the girls’ art table with all their favorite art supplies inside. I hadn’t shown them to the girls yet so I was easily able to pivot that idea into mask organizers. The organizer came with one large pocket, perfect for the masks, and two smaller pockets that worked great for the zippered bag(s) in one and the ribbon cinched bags in the other. This did mean the cinched bags had to be split up between the girls but I got around it by having them take turns picking what they wanted until all the bags were divided up. After laundering them I may do the same or just divide them up myself depending how it goes. We’ll see how this system works long term but I love how adorable it looks now.

![Image shows two organizers with masks, rolled bags, and zippered pouches inside. They're side by side on the floor in front of a white door. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8236.jpeg?resize=750%2C463&ssl=1)

I absolutely love how adorably cute these organizers are to hold the mask bags and masks! They only came in two colors, from what I could see, and as Ada recently asserted that she loved pink and purple and Zoey loves orange (and rainbows) I knew I needed them.

After figuring out how to organize the kids’ masks it seemed silly to keep using the old upcycled organizer so I tossed it into the recycling. I considered upcycling another cereal box for Matt and I but the recycling had recently gone out and there wasn’t a lot of potential options. I then remembered an old baby wipe container that the girls had been using as a stamp storage in their art caddy that they no longer needed. I grabbed that and placed our masks inside with Matt’s at one end and mine at the other. So far Matt has tried twice to grab one of my masks when we’re in a hurry but over time we might get used to the new container… or come up with something better.

![Image shows a white rectangular plastic container holding large masks. The left is more black and the right more colorful. The bins and masks shown in the previous photo are placed on the right side of this image beside the white container. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/08/compressed_IMG_8244.jpeg?resize=750%2C528&ssl=1)

The adult masks aren’t as pretty as the kids’ solution but it works until I come up with something better.

At the time of writing this the girls have only been in school for two half days so Zoey has only used two masks in total while Ada changed masks partway through the day so she ended up using one ribbon cinched bag and two masks each day. So far I’m happy with how I estimated my numbers.

Also, so far, the kids’ mask containers have been sitting in our living room. I don’t like their current location but do like how they’re accessible for the girls to use without me needing to pull something down from up high. I’ve been having them set out their masks the night before so I may just move the mask containers to their bedroom once I find a good place for them in there.

---

Are you sewing up masks for your kids as they go back to school? Are you looking into using a clean or dirty mask bag for your kids or yourself? I’d love to hear if this post helped you out in anyway so feel free to share in the comments below. I hope this post finds you well and you’re having a good day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Oh My Goodness Licorice! Here Is the Best Source of Licorice (and Other Flavors) That I've Found
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/oh-my-goodness-licorice-here-is-the-best-source-of-licorice-and-other-flavors-that-ive-found/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:47:59.000Z
While living in California I’m sometimes reminded of the licorice candy allsorts and sometimes, if I really miss it, I look around online to attempt to purchase this British-created candy. At one of these points I came across the [web store Licorice.com](https://www.talkable.com/x/G79rVk?ref=simplykyra.com) and found, labeled under Mega Mix or Mini Mix, my absolute favorite licorice candy. I grabbed Matt, Ada, and Zoey and using the gift pack option we quickly threw together twelve different licorice (and non-licorice) candy choices we wanted to try. We then waited with bated breath for them to arrive and were not disappointed. We’ve since ordered another twelve pack of licorice and we’ve loved them all. Although I’m not affiliated with this store I saw they have [a referral code](https://www.talkable.com/x/G79rVk?ref=simplykyra.com) and figured I’d share it with you in case you’re also missing licorice and looking for a source too.

![Pinterest geared image showing my post's title (Oh My Goodness Licorice! Here Is the Best Source of Licorice (and Other Flavors) That I've Found), main URL, and four images that can also be found below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_Oh-My-Goodness-Licorice-Here-Is-the-Best-Source-of-Licorice-and-Other-Flavors-That-Ive-Found-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Just a quick aside I’ve since found allsorts at my local grocery store, [Sprouts](http://sprouts.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), but in doing a taste comparison between the two I found the Mega Mix from Licorice.com fresher and tastier. That said if you live near Sprouts and really want allsorts *NOW* this could be an alternate option too.

---

I absolutely adore the mixture of everything that allsorts includes although my absolute favorite ones include coconut. Specifically

> Liquorice allsorts are assorted liquorice confectionery sold as a mixture. Made of liquorice, sugar, coconut, aniseed jelly, fruit flavourings, and gelatine.[Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquorice%5Fallsorts?ref=simplykyra.com) (contains English spelling from [the U.K. and Ireland](https://grammarist.com/spelling/licorice-liquorice/?ref=simplykyra.com))

but all the flavors aren’t present in each piece. Instead you’re left with a mixture of different pieces offering a variety for whatever you feel each time you have some.

![Image is a screenshot taken from Delishably showing the types of liquorice allsorts with text and a photo. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-07-20-at-1.36.10-PM-1.png?resize=620%2C1024&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from [Delishably’s *Jelly Babies and Liquorice Allsorts: Candy Facts and Histor*y](https://delishably.com/desserts/Candy-Facts-and-History-Jelly-Babies-and-Liquorice-Allsorts?ref=simplykyra.com) on July 20th, 2021.

Anyway, I was excited to finally find a source of licorice that looked amazing. After going over the website I decided to create a gift pack of twelve different flavors so I could try the allsorts (labelled under Mega or Mini Mix) along with other candies. The kids and Matt joined me and we all picked several candies we wanted to try before checking out.

![Image shows the menu option "Gift Licorice" at the top banner of the website open and the entry "Create Your Gift" in red font. Below the menu you see their banner and some of their top flavors. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-07-06-at-2.57.32-PM.png?resize=750%2C723&ssl=1)

Screenshot of [the homepage of Licorice.com](https://www.talkable.com/x/G79rVk?ref=simplykyra.com), taken on July 6th 2021, showing the *Create Your Gift* menu option.

![Image is taken from the Licorice.com website showing the Create Your Gift page with five of the twelve spots filled. On the right you can see which types I chose with, from top to bottom: Mega Mix, Mini Mix, Sarah's Favorite, Adam's Facorite, and Half n' Half. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-07-06-at-3.02.00-PM.png?resize=750%2C586&ssl=1)

Screenshot of [the *Create Your Gift* option on Licorice.com](https://www.talkable.com/x/G79rVk?ref=simplykyra.com), taken on July 6th 2021, with five of the choices already picked out.

We were so excited when the licorice arrived and loved how it was packaged. Each flavor we tried, so far, has tasted amazing. We’ve now bought the set of twelve flavors, as a gift pack, twice so we’ve only seen how the gift packs are wrapped and not any of the other packaging options.

![Image shows three sets of six licorice gift packs. The back box is still within a shipping box. To the right sits a closed box with the ribbon still wrapped around it. In the front sits an opened gift box showing the six licorice canisters. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_7274.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The licorice comes in a pack of six individual paper-based canisters within a gift box which is then packaged within a single shipping box. This means when ordering a twelve pack you receive two separate boxes.

The only, minor, complaint I have came from ordering the gift pack. Both times I chose a twelve pack which then had me pick the flavors I wanted. Essentially I could order twelve unique licorices or twelve of the same candy. When checking out I didn’t see any problems but once I received the licorice I realized there was no list of what type(s) of licorice I ordered as the order form simply listed a twelve pack. As such, the next time I ordered I made sure to create a copy of what I had ordered, for my own records, just so I could confirm my order when it arrived. I would love if they update their system to list the specific licorice included in the gift packs on the printed order form and in the email rather than just showing that I had bought a gift pack.

![Image shows a closed gift box of licorice to the right and an opened box to the left. At the bottom left there's a red plastic cup with licorice in it next to several opened canisters. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_7285.jpeg?resize=750%2C506&ssl=1)

Going through and dishing a *cupful* of licorice for my eating pleasure. The open containers show from left to right: Mini Mix, Mega Mix, and Half n’ Half.

![Image shows a closeup of a red plastic cup filled with an assortment of licorice in front of my computer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_7278.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

It’s nice to enjoy a *cupful* of licorice while blogging or coding.

As a quick aside I’ve noticed that the *Red & White Aussies* taste remarkably similar to the [livewire](https://vancouvercandy.com/product/livewires-strawberry-cream-cables/?ref=simplykyra.com) candies I enjoyed as a kid.

---

If you want to try these licorice candies I found a [referral code](https://www.talkable.com/x/G79rVk?ref=simplykyra.com) that will get you, if you’re a new customer, 25% off. In return I’ll get a $15 credit towards my next purchase.

---

I’ve been missing allsorts for quite awhile so I was overjoyed when I came across [licorice.com](https://www.talkable.com/x/G79rVk?ref=simplykyra.com). I haven’t yet been brave enough to try the salted licorice but all the other candies we’ve tried so far we’ve absolutely loved. When I saw the referral code on their website I knew I needed to share it with you. I hoped this would help you out whether you’re looking for a new licorice source, looking for a gift for a licorice lover, or looking for some other type of candy. Whether you decide to purchase any or not I hope you’re having a great week.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Easily Identify Clothing With Fabric Markers Or By Your Fabric Choice
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/easily-identify-clothing-with-fabric-markers-or-by-your-fabric-choice/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T03:12:31.000Z
Do you have trouble telling your kids’ clothing apart? Once I started sewing my daughters’ clothing more regularly I’ve found it sometimes difficult to remember whose shirt is whose right after I washed it since the matching garment isn’t available to compare it to. Over the years I’ve solved this by altering the garments in several small ways making them more unique and easily identifiable. These methods involved altering how the garment was constructed, changing the fabric choices, adding mismatched fasteners, or simply marking them up using fabric markers. This last method can also be easily done to store-bought or already completed garments if you find yourself having trouble identifying them at a later date. A random bonus I found with doing this is that it’s much easier for a kid to be able to identify the front and back of their garment when they go to get dressed.

![Pinterest image showing a collage of seven images showcasing ways of altering clothing to make it more identifiable. All images are also found below. Above the image the blog title is shown and below it reads the main url of my website. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_Easily-Identify-Clothing-With-Fabric-Markers-Or-By-Your-Fabric-Choice.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

## *Construction of Garment*

The first way I use to help differentiate Ada’s clothing from Zoey’s wasn’t planned in advance as I simply stumbled upon it. At that time I had gone to make the girls another set of matching dresses with [the Magnolia sewing pattern, through Stitch Upon a Time,](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/16/my-favorite-simple-kids-knit-sewing-pattern-the-magnolia/) and realized that although Zoey’s dress could be easily cut from the fabric I had issues with Ada’s since the main panel I wanted to use was skinnier than the front pattern piece of the dress. I ended up solving this by taking the scraps from Zoey’s panel and using them to extend the top of Ada’s panel so it was wide enough to cover the entire pattern piece. [If you’re interested in more information about how I extended my fabric to fit a pattern piece I’ve previously posted about it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/11/18/quickly-extend-your-fabric-to-fit-a-pattern-piece/). At first I thought nothing about the fix but later realized that whenever either garment came out of the dryer I had started looking to see if I could find that little triangle of fabric by either cap sleeve so I’d easily know if it was Ada’s (panel extended so triangle present) or Zoey’s (no extra triangle). I loved how quick I could identify either garment and simply continue on with folding the freshly dried laundry.

[![Image shows either sleeve, with the shirt folded in half, so you can see where the panel was extended. To the right you see the outside of the extension with a small triangle right before the sleeve's cuff. To the left you can see inside the sleeve showing the seam of that extension. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_1295.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)](http://localhost:2368/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed%5FIMG%5F1295.jpg?ssl=1&ref=simplykyra.com)

I folded the dress in half so you can easily see both the outside of the sleeve and the inner side showing the seam. As Zoey’s dress didn’t have that extension, only the cuff, it was simple to be able to tell whose shirt is whose without needing to compare the dress size.

---

## *Fabric Markers*

The method I find I most use for telling apart my daughters’ clothing is simply by marking them with fabric markers. The fabric markers are meant to be permanent although I make sure to set the ink with my iron so I don’t have to worry about any ink potentially coming off in the wash. With the small marks I’ve made I haven’t noticed any obvious issues; although, I have noticed fading the one time I used fabric markers to make an entire costume ([a Doc McStuffin’s one](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/02/create-a-doc-mcstuffins-costume/)) and noticed, when testing out some glittery fabric markers, my marks slowly losing their glitter leaving a faded colored mark instead of the bolder glittery one I expected to remain. The best part about using fabric markers is that it can easily be done on a finished garment so this can work on something store-bought too. Just be careful about the transparency of your fabric or if your fabric can withstand the heat needed to set the ink. Over the years I’ve found using fabric markers works great for customizing a shirt to my tastes in addition to helping make garments more identifiable from a similar one.

When marking my kids’ similar garments I started out by simply adding a dot, with their favorite color, on the back of the shirt where a tag would traditionally be. Since I sew the garments myself I found I preferred leaving my mark right before I added the neckband so I could easily set the ink while the fabric lays flat without the neckband’s seam getting in the way. Plus the mark might get a second pressing if I take the time to press the neckband’s seam after sewing it on. This method worked great for about a year or two as the kids’ favorite colors stayed constant. Over time; however, Ada changed her favorite color to blue, then pink, and then finally to *all the colors* which ended up confusing my system especially once I started passing the odd hand-me-down garment to Zoey.

![Closeup of the back of both bodices (overlapping) overlaid with the two fabric markers I used. You can see an orange heart on the upper bodice piece and a red heart below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/10/compressed_IMG_8232.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

On the [kids’ Firecracker dresses, last year](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/09/ragamuffins-firecracker-kids-dress-and-top/), I upgraded my traditional circle for a small heart using their favorite colors and put it on the back bodice piece before sewing it all together. I made sure to leave a space above for the binding so the marks wouldn’t get lost.

![Image shows a flat lay of the two finished flowered tunics laying on the kitchen floor. Inside the neckline you can see, if you look closely, a little red or orange heart on the white-ish inside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_8238.jpg?resize=750%2C481&ssl=1)

As you can see the hearts aren’t too obvious on the finished tunics and they made it so much simpler for me to quickly tell the garments apart when folding laundry.

![Image shows a closeup of the inside back of Zoey's dress showing a faded blue "Z" located just under the center back neckband.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_4044.jpg?resize=750%2C558&ssl=1)

Although I stared out by using simple dots, with the idea of adding a second or changing it in some way once the garment was handed down to Zoey, over time; however, I changed it up and sometimes went with the first letter of their first name. This time I was trying out some glittery fabric markers I had just bought which ended up appearing faded once all the glitter came off in the first couple washings.

![Image shows the top of two blue shirts with pink and orange flowers laid out over top of each other on the floor. Right under the neckband, on the inside back of the shirt, sits a "W" and a vague orange circle to help differentiate the two tops. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_3884.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Back in September I made the kids new raglan shirts and as I had Halloween costumes on the mind I grabbed an orange fabric marker and quickly drew a simple pumpkin on Zoey’s shirt to help identify it… and make her smile once I showed her it was there. I couldn’t ignore Ada’s so I next grabbed two markers to quickly sketch a *W* for Wonder Woman. If you look from the back you can see a faint bit of color showing through but not too much and it isn’t at all obvious.

Over time I may have gotten a bit tired of adding small easily ignorable dots to the garments so when the fabric became too dark for the dot to be noticeable I justified marking the garment in a different way. After that first time I started changing up the lighter colored garments too. This worked as the kids were younger and thus liked my additions. At times these changes involved adding a minor detail that might be mostly hidden; whereas, other times this addition was a bit more obvious.

![Image shows a closeup of the neckband, and top of the shirt, of a white shirt with blue and green dinosaurs on it. The one dinosaur at the top is outlined in green and colored in with red. Below sits a red tipped fabric marker saying "creativeJoy".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_1025.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

When I sewed the girls matching [dinosaur tops](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/11/28/getting-comfortable-with-rebecca-page/) I had to take advantage of the odd outlined dinosaur and I decided to color in one of those dinosaurs with my red fabric marker; as at the time it was Ada’s favorite color. This wasn’t as simple to quickly identify as I left Zoey’s uncolored so I found myself looking along the entire length of Zoey’s neckband before realizing each and every time that there was no red dinosaur and thus I was looking at Zoey’s shirt. Thus the red dinosaur was obvious but would’ve worked much better if I had colored one in on Zoey’s shirt too.

![Image shows two shirts laid partially on top of each other on the ironing mat. Both garments have dark blue knit at the top and bottom with blue shark filled fabric in the center. The smaller shirt has one grey shark with orange hearts drawn on it while the back shirt has an orange shark with two hues of blue hearts on it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_0020.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

When making the kids their [“baby shark” wearable muslins](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/21/zoeys-simple-and-updated-pumpkin-costume/) last year I realized fabric marker might not be that noticeable on the back of the shirts so I instead added small hearts to one of the sharks on the front of either shirt as a subtle nod to who the kids were at that moment in time.

![Image shows two long sleeved shirts laid out on a floor. The bottom band at part of the front of the sleeve has pink "Love" and hearts on it. The back of the sleeves, neckband, and cuffs are dark pink with hearts. The panel features a dragon, words saying "rawr! that means I love you in dinosaur", and several hand drawn shaded hearts in orange (left shirt) and red (right shirt). ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_7028.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

While making the kids their Valentine’s themed shirts (using [Rebecca Page’s Dreamy Drape](https://rebecca-page.com/product/girls-batwing-pattern/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com)) one year I saw the heart on the dragon’s stomach and started shading it in which lead to adding a few more hearts around the front panel.

![Image shows a closeup of a portion of a shirt mid torso. There's a pink necklace and black kangaroo pocket to the left. Above and beside the pocket sits a little jack-o-lantern that used to be white with black features and now is shaded with an orange fabric marker. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_9725.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

For Halloween last year I made the girls striped Halloween tops (using [Ragamuffin Patterns’ Kaboom](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/12/11/ragamuffins-unisex-kaboom-hoodie/)) with pumpkins and spiders all over it. I left Ada’s shirt without any markings but since Zoey absolutely loved pumpkins I decided to color one of the white pumpkins. I loved this since I easily remembered where on the shirt the pumpkin was so I could tell the shirts apart but I also really loved that Zoey’s pumpkin was all hers yet still blended in with the rest of the shirt so it wasn’t obvious to anyone else.

![Image shows two swatches of black fabric with white school-related doodles on it. There's a few seams but they're flattened over the table and an ironing mat. The top swatch has some of the doodles colored in with orange while the bottom one has three doodles colored in with pink.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_2639.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Back before school started this year I made the girls a doll dress each that matched with their new garment yet as both doll dresses were exactly the same I worried whether they could tell them apart and what would happen if one of them got damaged or lost. While piecing the bodice together I quickly grabbed fabric markers in the girls’ favorite colors and shaded the odd doodle in so the dress would be more easily identifiable. Since the bodice wasn’t sewn together yet it was simple to press the flat fabric to set the ink.

![Image is a collage of four images. The left images are of a long sleeved and leg baby onesie while the right two images are of a glittery flower shirt. The outer two images are plain (before altering) and the inner two are colorful (after opening the fabric markers). ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_Easily-Identify-Clothing-With-Fabric-Markers-Or-By-Your-Fabric-Choice-Image-copy.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

As a quick aside I’ve also used fabric markers to customize clothing that wasn’t matching already. I used markers to [turn a baby onesie into a costume](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/10/16/halloween-costume-chuggington-onesie/), [color in a glittery flower, and personalize a simple store-bought shirt with words so I could announce our second pregnancy](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/12/12/personalizing-clothing-with-fabric-markers/).

---

## *Fabric Choice*

If you’re sewing your garments yourself you could easily identify garments by choosing slightly different fabric for different pieces. This can be a subtle difference between two garments that are otherwise exactly the same or be a big change between the two. I started out planning these when the kids loved different fabric from my fabric stash, but this also sometimes happened when I ran out of fabric while cutting out the pattern pieces and had to quickly substitute the rest with something else. So far this happens the most frequently for me while sewing our [Rebecca Page Olivia and Patsy mashup nightgowns](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/02/27/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/) as we normally use it as a stash busting outfit and it takes so much fabric for the skirt. The first time I sewed up these nightgowns I shopped within my stash of Joann’s woven fabrics using leftovers from previous fabric purchases and although I made the bodices of the dresses match the skirts ended up being completely different and unique. In the years since I don’t think the girls have had truly matching nightgowns as there is always something unique about each and every dress. One time they got super unique when the girls chose to design their own nightgown using fabric markers, printed coloring sheets to trace, and white woven fabric I already had cut into the bodice’s pattern shape. This past Halloween I attempted to finally make them matching nightgowns but somehow forgot to cut out the front of Ada’s skirt and when I went back to do it I realized there wasn’t enough fabric left. That time they had *almost* matching dresses as I used red fabric, a Wonder Woman color, on the front of Ada’s dress.

![Image shows a collage of four images side by side. The outer two show both girls wearing a peasant topped dress while the inner two show a single dress (the hacked patsy) from above. All four dresses are unique because of the fabric choices. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_Easily-Identify-Clothing-With-Fabric-Markers-Or-By-Your-Fabric-Choice-Image-Two.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

For both dresses the girl’s bodices match while the skirts were unique. For the hacked Patsy dresses (center two images) Ada wanted every fabric available while Zoey was only interested in two specific patterns so her skirt ended up matching her bodice more than Ada’s. In contrast the Olivia and Patsy mashed up dresses (the outer two images) Zoey loved the vehicles so I paired it with turquoise so I’d have enough for the entire dress while Ada went with a snowman coated skirt.

![Flat lay of the two dresses on the kitchen floor. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_6343.jpg?resize=750%2C471&ssl=1)

Since Ada had just grown out of her first nightgown I ended up buying mermaid fabric to make two dresses for Ada and one for Zoey. The girls wanted to design their own bodice so we ended up with three unique nightgowns out of the sewing session. Pictured is Ada’s mermaid dress and Zoey’s mostly mermaid dress with a flower on the front and circled fabric on the back and one sleeve (as I ran out of fabric). Not pictured is Ada’s Wonder Woman and DUPLO® sketched dress with, once again, different fabric for each skirt panel.

![Flat lay of the two Halloween dresses on the kitchen floor. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_6356.jpg?resize=750%2C394&ssl=1)

I ended up forgetting to cut out the front panel of Ada’s skirt back before Halloween and when I went back to cut it I didn’t have a big enough piece of the Halloween fabric left. I ended up finding enough red and got Ada to agree to the change before I got to work. We later said we added a Wonder Woman color to it.

---

## *Fastenings*

Another way you can more subtlety change up two matching garments are with the fastenings whether it’s purely decorative or a more functional addition. Back when I first made the girls matching [Firecracker dresses](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/09/ragamuffins-firecracker-kids-dress-and-top/) I realized, once I tried to put them on the girls, that I had used the wrong neck size for their tops and it was impossible to get them on over their heads. [I ended up recovering the dresses by cutting down the back of them, adding a facing, using a loop of ribbon, and adding a button in their favorite color](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/11/20/widen-your-shirts-neckline-with-a-placket/). The kids loved how the dresses turned out and I love that I was able to quickly identify their clothing based on the color of the button. These were the garments I had added a simple heart to with my fabric markers but the button was so much simpler to use that the hearts were ignored.

![Image shows a collage of three photos. The center photo shows the back of the dress while the left and right photo are focused on the back of the dress's neckline and thus the pink and orange flower buttons.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_Easily-Identify-Clothing-With-Fabric-Markers-Or-By-Your-Fabric-Choice-image.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

The dress was too tight to fit over either kids’ head so I ended up making a quick placket and the kids dress were evermore unique based on the color of flower on the back holding it on.

This unique fastening doesn’t have to be the only thing different about a dress. I’ve loved playing around making the kids almost matching dresses by using the same sewing pattern, the same fabric, and a single fabric that’s different based on their current tastes… normally based on their favorite color. I love bringing that color further into the garment by matching it to the thread when topstitching and with the fastenings’ color. As an example I want to share with you the last two times I gifted the kids their mostly matching [peppermint swirl dresses, through Candy Castle Patterns,](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/20/even-more-peppermint-swirl-dresses/) for Christmas. Two years ago I had the girls’ bodice match each other along with half of the skirt. This matching deviated by having a different color for half of the skirt, alternating swirls, and the snap color on the back of the bodice. Last Christmas I again made the girls mostly matching peppermint swirl dresses and this time deviated with the bodice design, color of the lining, altered the number of each color of swirl, and then chose a different color to topstitch with and fasten the bodice back with. I love how I was able to make minor changes that made each dress unique, and easy to identify, without making them too mismatched.

![Image shows the back of both kids playing with traffic signals at the local discovery museum. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_5783.jpg?resize=750%2C717&ssl=1)

The kids in their matching and unique dresses. For these I used a different color for every second swirl in the skirt and then used different colored snaps to snap up the back of the bodice.

![Image shows two dresses laid out on the kitchen floor. The skirts are flat so you can see the swirls while the bodices are held up as if they were being worn. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_1690.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Last year I drew different LEGO® inspired designs on both white bodices and chose matching primary and secondary colors for either dress. I had them stand out by using different colors as the main skirt fabric along with the lining, topstitching thread, and the back snaps.

---

## *Other Ways*

I’ve seen several other ways over the last couple years to differentiate clothing although I haven’t tried to use any of them yet. I’ve seen ads and shared links on Facebook for ways to label clothing so it’s easily identifiable at school, daycare, or at camps. I’ve also seen custom stamps sold pre-filled with textile ink so you can easily stamp your child’s name onto their clothing or use them to stamp your company’s name if you make and sell your own clothing. Again, I haven’t tried any but I did quickly search on Etsy and found [a bunch of stamps and labels when searching for *clothing label stamp*](https://www.etsy.com/market/clothing%5Flabel%5Fstamp?ref=return%5Fto%5Fsearch). Also if you you have a vinyl cutter, like Silhouette or Cricut, I came across a post from [adenasews, on Instagram, who added an initial to the back of two similar skirts using heat transfer vinyl](https://www.instagram.com/p/B4-soLkgUHw/?ref=simplykyra.com) so her friend’s daughters could easily tell their skirts apart.

![Image shows a screenshot taken from Instagram from @adenasews' account. It shows two black skirts with a single white initial on the two waistbands: M and A.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_0340.jpg?resize=698%2C1024&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken from Instagram on December 30th, 2019\. [It can be found at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B4-soLkgUHw/.](https://www.instagram.com/p/B4-soLkgUHw/?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

Along the way I’ve become more and more obvious in how I tell my daughters’ clothing apart as they’ve loved the big and bold ways I’ve used in the past. Over time, as they grow older, I can see these methods becoming more subtle if they still want to continue matching. Do you sew your children’s clothing? Have you come across this issue before and if so how have you solved it? I’d love to know more tips and tricks so feel free to share them in the comments below if you have any. I really hope your week is going great.

---

##### **EDIT: March 22nd, 2023:**

When I moved my website over I lost my comments but, in case it's helpful, I wanted to share the comment from [Nia Hayes - ShunCy](https://shuncy.com/?ref=simplykyra.com)

> While I was at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store the other day, buying supplies for my projects, I was amused to see how many different methods they use to identify clothing or fabric. I saw tags made of fabric, iron-on labels, woven labels, sewn-in tags, embroidered labels, and printed labels. I suppose without labels, it could be hard to keep track of your clothes.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How to Quickly and Simply Tell Two Identical Pill Bottles Apart
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-quickly-and-simply-tell-two-identical-pill-bottles-apart/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:47:09.000Z
Several months ago I was looking for a better source of probiotics online. One thing led to another and I found [Jetson Probiotics](http://i.refs.cc/WOwjkl7z?smile%5Fref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjo2ODQ1Mzg0MTd9&ref=simplykyra.com). Matt and I both ended up ordering a subscription and I quickly realized that it was difficult to remember whose bottle was whose. This is my simple solution I used to tell our bottles apart that I figured I’d share in case it can also help you out.

![Pinterest image showing the blog title (How to quickly and simply tell two identical pill bottles apart), a "learn more at simplykyra.com", and three images which can all be seen below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_How-to-Quickly-and-Simply-Tell-Two-Identical-Pill-Bottles-Apart-Pinterest-1.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

It’s been several months now of taking [Jetson Probiotics](http://i.refs.cc/WOwjkl7z?smile%5Fref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjo2ODQ1Mzg0MTd9&ref=simplykyra.com) daily and although I’m feeling overall better I don’t know if that can be contributed to just the probiotics or not. I’m not associated with Jetson and wrote this post mainly for the trick but I have found that Jetson offers a referral link so if you want to try them you can use my [referral link](http://i.refs.cc/WOwjkl7z?smile%5Fref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjo2ODQ1Mzg0MTd9&ref=simplykyra.com) which will give you $10 off your first order and give me a $10 credit as well. If you are interested here is a direct link to their [frequently asked questions page](https://wearejetson.com/pages/faq?ref=simplykyra.com) and their [quiz](https://wearejetson.com/pages/which-probiotic-is-the-best-for-me?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

Anyway for the first month, after signing up, Matt and I started out with two bottles each as we signed up for the month of probiotics (one bottle) along with a month of gut prep. With four new bottles on our counter I realized quickly I needed to come up with a system to tell them apart and keep them organized. At first I tried to mark the bottles with a pen or marker but found it hard to write with a pen and either way the text wasn’t obvious if you were in a rush. I then came up with the idea of using a custom coaster for Matt’s bottles and another custom coaster for mine. I put off making my solution so in the meantime I grabbed two different [cloth napkins](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/07/08/quick-and-simple-fabric-napkins-with-your-serger/) to use as coasters effectively telling Matt’s and mine apart without needing to worry about marking the bottles each month.

![Image shows two purple "immunity" bottles and two "gut prep" bottles. In the fore front one of each rests on a black pizza adorned cloth napkins while in the background the other two bottles rest on a pink donut festooned napkin. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_9054.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After the first month we went down to only one bottle each so they took up less room on the counter and I was able to switch out the two [cloth napkins](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/07/08/quick-and-simple-fabric-napkins-with-your-serger/) for a single one. This meant I knew my bottle was on the napkin while Matt’s wasn’t. This also meant it was more complicated as I had to remember to always put my bottle back on the napkin when I was using or moving it or else I’d question whose was whose.

![Image shows two green "skin" probiotic bottles sitting on the counter. The right one sits on a black monster adorned napkin while the left one sits on the bare counter. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_7142.jpeg?resize=750%2C538&ssl=1)

I soon came up with my brilliant but simple idea. I grabbed one of the kids’ ponytail ties and put it on my bottle of probiotics. This was much simpler as the ponytail tie stays on regardless of where I put the bottle, it’s also easy at the end of the month to simply move the ponytail tie to the new bottle, and it’s obvious whose bottle is whose.

![Like the before photo this one shows two bottles sitting on the counter. This time there's no napkin underneath either of them and the right one has a pink ponytail tie around it's center. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_7143.jpeg?resize=750%2C517&ssl=1)

Ever since then my bottle has worn a pink ponytail tie and it’s easy to see whose bottle is whose.

---

In case you’re interested in trying out [Jetson Probiotics](http://i.refs.cc/WOwjkl7z?smile%5Fref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjo2ODQ1Mzg0MTd9&ref=simplykyra.com), no pressure either way, I wanted to share the [referral link](http://i.refs.cc/WOwjkl7z?smile%5Fref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjo2ODQ1Mzg0MTd9&ref=simplykyra.com) for $10 off one more time. If you are interested here is the direct link to their [frequently asked questions page](https://wearejetson.com/pages/faq?ref=simplykyra.com) and [quiz](https://wearejetson.com/pages/which-probiotic-is-the-best-for-me?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

This was an incredibly simple idea but I figured I had to share it in case it helps you too in some way or another. If it does feel free to let me know in the comments if you used it for the same reason or for something completely different. I hope this post finds you doing well.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### My Quick and Simple Towel Technique for Kitchen Sink Sensory Play
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-quick-and-simple-towel-technique-for-kitchen-sink-sensory-play/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:47:01.000Z
Often times lately Zoey’s sensory play time ends up with her playing at the kitchen sink while she *cleans* her tools. At first I used to stress over the water itself as I found it sometimes spilled over the front of the counter and would dribble inside the cupboard doors under the sink. I hated having to clean up under the sink and cleaning her tools for her rather than letting her do it herself made it much easier on me. I can’t remember when it happened but at some point I suddenly had an idea to use a towel and, maybe then or a couple times later, realized I should drape that towel over the cupboard doors. This was life changing! Zoey has since spent hours of time cleaning out her sensory toys with no added stress on my part. It’s such a simple idea but I realized, this last time, that I needed to share it with you in case you’re also troubled by water falling under your sink too.

![Pinterest-geared image displaying a photo of Zoey, near the top, playing in the sink. Near the bottom of the image are three pictures showing how I add the towel to my cupboard doors. At the top it says "Let them play with less mess!", while the center says the title, and the bottom lists my main URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_My-Quick-and-Simple-Towel-Technique-For-Kitchen-Sink-Sensory-Play-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Although we normally don’t start out doing sensory play fun at the kitchen sink I find that it can easily end at the sink if I want the kid(s) to wash their tools themselves. When they were younger, and sometimes even now, I changed out their sensory bin for [soapy water](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/06/14/simple-soapy-water-play/) so they can continue to play at the table and I know that the cleaning has started. Sometimes, though, the sink is needed and I started loathing it as I found water would dribble off the front of the counter, trickle down behind the cupboard doors, and then pool within the cupboard itself. I hated cleaning it up each time and so found it simpler, on me, to finish cleaning the sensory play items myself. As such, when I came up with this simple idea and found that it truly worked I was ecstatic. Looking back I can’t remember if the whole idea came to me at once or if it came in parts but for such a simple idea it sure makes my life so much easier.

## *The Trick*

For this you just need a bath towel… which you may already plan to use to sop up any excess water anyway. I simply grab this towel, which is the exact same width as my under sink cupboard, and fold it in half so the short ends meet. This doesn’t need to be exactly halfway so don’t worry. After opening both cupboard doors I then lay the towel over the one door and stretch the other end out to drape over the opposite one. This won’t go too far on either end yet as there’s still a gap between the two open doors. I then slowly close both doors, at the same time, while pulling the towel towards either of the outer edges. As the cupboard doors close the gap between them gets smaller and the towel reaches closer to either end. Once the doors are closed the top is now fully covered with a towel that hangs down on both the inside of the cupboard and the outside. Now when any water drips or drizzles down it’s absorbed by the towel rather than tumbling directly into the cupboard and making a mess.

![Image is taken from above looking down at the kitchen counter and showing the opened cupboard doors under the sink. The towel is folded over one of the cupboard doors while my hand holds the end. The other door is left alone. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2651.jpeg?resize=750%2C461&ssl=1)

I start by folding the towel in half and then drape one end over one of the open cupboard doors.

![Again the image is taken from above although now the towel is draped over either cupboard door. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2653.jpeg?resize=750%2C428&ssl=1)

I then carefully drape the other end of the towel over the other cupboard door. It now hangs free although it doesn’t reach across to either end yet.

![Image is taken from above while the white towel is pulled taunt and the doors are partially closing. My left hand keeps the towel in place and pulling while my legs push the doors closed. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2654.jpeg?resize=750%2C315&ssl=1)

I slowly push the cupboard doors closed, at equal pace, with my legs as I hold either end of the towel in place while pulling it so the towel doesn’t bunch up. At this point I was taking a photo but normally my other hand would be on the right side helping to keep the towel taunt.

![Image shows a white towel sticking out of the top of the under-sink cupboard and falling to the floor. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2656.jpeg?resize=750%2C480&ssl=1)

Finally the cupboard doors are fully closed with the towel trapped and hanging down on both the inside and outside of the cupboard doors.

I haven’t done this with a differently sized towel yet. That said, if I were using a smaller towel I could see centering it where most of the water appears or folding it in half lengthwise to cover a wider area. If I were using a larger towel I could see it bunching up and would fear water going into any of the gaps left if the cupboard doors do not close all the way. In that case I’d try to move the bunched up areas closer to the center so there’s less openings along the top.

## *Quick Aside*

I thought to record this trick for you a couple weeks ago when Zoey was doing sensory play. This was a couple days after doing [the baking soda and vinegar dinosaur volcano activity](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/07/07/create-an-exciting-playdough-world-then-explode-a-volcano/) and while Ada was doing school I was trying to figure out what sensory bin activity Zoey wanted to do from our cupboard. We were both getting so frustrated as Zoey kept telling me she wanted to do *science* yet refused each and every item I pointed to in the cupboard. I had no idea what *science* meant in this context and Zoey wouldn’t use any other words. Finally, after asking for different words so many times, she changed what she was saying to *volcano without the dinosaurs* and it dawned on me that *science* actually meant *baking soda and vinegar explosions*. At first I was going to give her two separate small measuring jugs of vinegar so she could mix yellow and red vinegar together to make orange but she next insisted she only wanted orange. She was so happy the whole time and kept using the word *science* whenever the baking soda and vinegar fizzled up. Repeatedly she exclaimed things like: *Wow! Mom look how much science I did. Wow! I did a lot of science!* It was so adorable.

## *Using the Trick*

Anyway, while Zoey was playing with her orange vinegar and baking soda explosions, also called *science*, I knew she’d need the sink to clean out the tools so I quickly cleared it out from breakfast before going to my other tasks. With the towel trick available I was no longer scared of the resulting mess and this way Zoey could achieve more independence. Plus, inevitably, when the cleaning becomes just another form play it will extend the sensory play time which would be great for both of us.

Once Zoey was done doing *science* I had her put all of her used items into the sensory bin with the leftover orange vinegar solution. I carried the filled bin over to the sink for her while she ran to grab a towel. I then folded the towel in half and placed it over the doors under the sink, as shown above, to protect the cupboard.

![Image is taken from above looking down at the table. On it is a yellow rectangular bin with a layer of orange liquid at the bottom and a plastic measuring cup in the center. Around it sits an orange bowl with baking soda and a spoon, several more plastic cups and vials, and a glass measuring jug half filled with orange vinegar and a spoon. Zoey's hands are showing at the bottom of the photo grasping a plastic beaker of orange liquid. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2647.jpeg?resize=750%2C482&ssl=1)

Zoey had a blast mixing up baking soda and orange vinegar to create fizzy explosions… or in her words *science*!

![Image shows a yellow bin with orange-themed items inside it. The bin is sitting in the metal sink with some of the counter showing at the bottom of the image. The bin includes two plastic cups with orange tinted wet baking soda, several empty plastic vials and cups, two spoons, an white powder dirtied orange bowl, and a measuring jug on it's side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2650.jpeg?resize=750%2C453&ssl=1)

Once she was done I had her put all of the items she had into the yellow bin so I could easily move it over to the sink while she ran to grab a towel we could use.

Once we had the towel draped over the cupboard doors Zoey pulled up a chair, turned on the water, and started cleaning. Normally, before she starts, I’d put the plug in the sink so there’s a natural water limit, the sink’s volume, forcing her to limit her water use and stop when it gets too high. I also sometimes add dish soap to the empty sink so as she runs water the bubbles show up making it more fun to play with and help her to get her tools cleaner. This time around; however, with the bin in the sink I left the plug out and didn’t add any dish soap.

![Image shows Zoey standing on chair (chair cut off) in front of the kitchen sink and towel covered cupboard doors. In the sink the yellow bin is full with orange tinted water as more water runs into it from the faucet. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2658.jpeg?resize=750%2C625&ssl=1)

With the towel in place it was time to pull up a chair, so Zoey would be taller, and run that water to play…. cough cough clean.

I normally lay out my drying pad or a kitchen towel so she can set any *cleaned* items down to dry. Once she’s all done I move all of our eating-related items (like the spoons, measuring jugs, and plastic bowl) to the right side of the sink so I can give them a final cleaning, or load them, after supper. All of their sensory tools are then left out to dry and are later returned to the sensory cupboard.

![Image shows a stack of several plastic measuring cups, leftover from laundry detergent, stacked in front of the kitchen sink. In the sink sits the upside down yellow bin while to the left sits an orange bowl and metal spoon beside the drying pad. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2662.jpeg?resize=750%2C457&ssl=1)

I gave her my drying pad so she could place the cleaned items on it but this time around she insisted on getting a photo of her stacked plastic cups before moving them over to the drying pad.

Once everything is done I open up the dry cupboard, pull the towel off, and immediately dry off the counter above the cupboard and the doors themselves. Now that I know the cupboard will stay dry I pass the towel to Zoey so she can clean up the rest of the wet counter, the chair, and the floor itself. Hopefully in that order. This way she has a part in all of the cleaning yet I don’t have to worry about a wet cupboard.

---

Feel free to share in the comments below. I hope your week is going as splendidly as it can in this time.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Discover My Family's Preferred Shampoo and Conditioner
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/discover-my-familys-preferred-shampoo-and-conditioner/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:46:22.000Z
I often see people asking for recommendations for shampoo bars in one of the Facebook groups I’m in. The last time, when referring them to [the earthling co.](http://rwrd.io/o4z62bn?c&ref=simplykyra.com), I realized that the website offers a referral code so I figured I’d make a post about my family’s shampoo and conditioner choices in case you’re also looking for something like this.

![Pinterest geared image showing three images (all found below), the blog post's title, and the main URL of my website. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_Discover-My-Familys-Preferred-Shampoo-and-Conditioner-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

## *The Adults*

A while back I adored [Pantene’s shampoo and conditioner](https://pantene.com/en-us/shop/shampoo?ref=simplykyra.com) as I knew it worked with my hair, it was easy to find, and I was able to buy bigger bottles so it lasted longer between store trips. At that time Matt used whatever shampoo I used so we didn’t have too many bottles cluttering our bathroom. Several times we considered replacing our bottles with a shampoo bar but we weren’t sure what exactly to use. Eventually Matt came across [Liggett’s Old Fashioned Shampoo Bar](https://jrliggett.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) on Amazon and switched over. At that time they didn’t have conditioner bars available but I eventually tried Matt’s shampoo bar for a couple weeks, along with Pantene conditioner, and found it left a residue in my hair that I didn’t like. I thought that was it and went back to my normal shampoo and conditioner but later stumbled across [the earthling co.](http://rwrd.io/o4z62bn?c&ref=simplykyra.com) who offered both shampoo and conditioner bars. I decided to try them out, loved them, and never went back. Eventually Matt also switched over although he prefers sticking with a single scent while I jump between a couple different ones.

![Image shows three boxes containing two shampoos and one conditioner bar. The left one is opened showing a white dappled pink bar while the shampoo and conditioner bar beside it are closed so you can't see it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_7228.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I love that they come in little boxes and smell so good! I’ve actually thrown my backup shampoo and condition bars into one of my bedroom drawers so they’re used as scented drawer sachets until I’m ready for them.

The scents for the shampoos and conditioners sometimes change but I normally buy the vanilla coconut or citrus sun ones. I find I go through the shampoo bars (3 ounces each) quicker than the conditioner bars (2 ounces) so I’ve started saving the conditioner slivers, whenever I run out of shampoo, so I can swap both bars at the same time and keep matching scents together. I then buy the odd extra shampoo bar so I can go through all the leftover conditioner remnants at once. For the current two bars I use a plastic soap dish on a ledge in the shower and place them side by side and it takes up so much less space than the bottles and looks way better than before.

![Image shows the a screenshot from the earthing co. showing five different shampoo bars in a pair of hands next to information about them. In the caption there's a link to this website. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-07-05-at-8.50.23-PM.png?resize=750%2C517&ssl=1)

I love how amazing the shampoo bars look and smell. Screenshot taken from [the earthling co.](https://theearthlingco.com/products/shampoo-bars?ref=simplykyra.com) on July 5th, 2021.

![Image shows a screenshot from the soap bar page showing all the scents offered along with a brief description. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-07-05-at-8.50.44-PM.png?resize=750%2C236&ssl=1)

Each product on the website features more information below it. It even gives a brief description about each scent so you can more easily shop online. Screenshot taken from [the earthling co.](https://theearthlingco.com/products/shampoo-bars?ref=simplykyra.com) on July 5th, 2021.

![Image shows a screenshot from the soap bar page showing the ingredients used in the soap bars.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-07-05-at-8.50.56-PM.png?resize=750%2C201&ssl=1)

The ingredients are also listed, in this case for the shampoo bars, shown in this screenshot taken from [the earthling co.](https://theearthlingco.com/products/shampoo-bars?ref=simplykyra.com) on July 5th, 2021.

![Image shows the a screenshot from the earthing co. showing seven conditioner bars stacking in a person's hand. In the caption there's a link to this website. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-07-05-at-8.50.05-PM.png?resize=750%2C504&ssl=1)

The conditioner bars are an ounce smaller and more solid looking than the shampoo bars. This screenshot is taken from [the earthling co.](https://theearthlingco.com/products/conditioner-bars?ref=simplykyra.com) on July 5th, 2021.

The earthing co. has several other products on their website in addition to the shampoo and conditioner bars. So far Matt and I both love the soap bars although he sticks with the calendula scented soap bar while I love the [charcoal & kaolin clay facial soap bar](https://theearthlingco.com/products/facial-soap-bar?ref=simplykyra.com). I’ve also bought two lotion bars (lavender and calendula scented) along with a jar of rosehip face lotion. These aren’t so much my favorite products as they leave a greasy residue behind so I prefer my bottles of [Aveeno lotion](https://www.aveeno.com/products/daily-moisturizing-lotion?ref=simplykyra.com) instead although I’m still glad I tried the bars and I pull them out here and there.

![Image shows the calendula bar soap next to the other soap scents offered on the earthing company website. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-07-05-at-8.44.41-PM.png?resize=750%2C499&ssl=1)

This screenshot shows all of [the soap bars](https://theearthlingco.com/products/soap-bars?ref=simplykyra.com) offered on July 5th, 2021 with the calendula one showing in the image.

![Image shows a list of the soap bars offered along with the ingredients each one is made from. The link to this page is found in the image's caption. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-07-05-at-8.51.20-PM.png?resize=750%2C456&ssl=1)

The ingredient list for the soap bars are divided up by each scent. This screenshot is taken from [the earthling co.](https://theearthlingco.com/products/soap-bars?ref=simplykyra.com) on July 5th, 2021.

![Image shows a pink soap bar with black streaks through it taken from the earthing company facial soap bar page. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-07-05-at-8.47.50-PM.png?resize=750%2C619&ssl=1)

I love the [charcoal & kaolin clay facial soap bar](https://theearthlingco.com/products/facial-soap-bar?ref=simplykyra.com) although when I bought it it came in a circular shape. Not sure if just the shape changed or also the ingredients as the website (screenshot taken from [the earthling co.](https://theearthlingco.com/products/facial-soap-bar?ref=simplykyra.com) on July 5th, 2021) now shows it in a rectangular shape.

![Image shows a pink plastic soap dish on the wooden table with a pink and black streaked soap on top. A closed tin containing lavender lotion is leaned against the front of the soap dish.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_7229.jpeg?resize=750%2C465&ssl=1)

I bought a multipack of plastic soap dishes from Amazon a while back so I use the one for my facial soap bar, normally sitting beside my bathroom sink, and another to hold both the shampoo and conditioner bars in the shower. The earthing co. also sells wooden soap dishes that I haven’t tried yet.

I made a point of sharing this company sooner rather than later as this month, in July of 2021, they’re offering 20% off your entire purchase sitewide with the code **PFJULY** at checkout. That said, if you’re reading this after July has past they do occasionally offer 20% off at other times over the year too. I normally wait until those points to buy extra shampoo and conditioner bars so I don’t have to worry about running out between the sales. Additionally, I have [a referral code, here, that gives any new costumer $10 off if you spend over $25](http://rwrd.io/o4z62bn?c&ref=simplykyra.com). Any successful referrals are supposed to give me $10 in points for the next time I make a purchase from their site. If you want to learn more about the earthing co. here’s [a link to their frequently asked questions (FAQs)](https://theearthlingco.com/pages/faq?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

## *The Kids*

Back when the kids were babies we used to use [Johnson’s wash and shampoo](https://www.johnsonsbaby.com/baby-products/johnsons-head-to-toe-baby-wash?ref=simplykyra.com) but over time we wanted to move away from that company. At one point we noticed Zoey getting eczema on her scalp so I really started looking for other shampoos and came across a company called [California Baby](https://www.californiababy.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). I love how they have a shampoo geared specifically for eczema so we started out with one small shampoo for Zoey and one for Ada before, over time, expanding into trying more and more of their products until we’re now buying half gallon sized bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and bubble bath at a time. I can’t find a referral code on their website so I can’t offer you a discount. If you’re interested in learning more about California Baby I’ve linked to their [frequently asked questions](https://www.californiababy.com/pages/faq?ref=simplykyra.com) and [shipping information](https://www.californiababy.com/pages/shipping?ref=simplykyra.com) for your ease.

![Image shows a half gallon jug of holiday cheer! bubble bath with a pump bottle of calendula shampoo and bodywash to the right and a small hair conditioner to the left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_IMG_7236.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

We started out with the smaller products and have since increased to the larger half gallon jugs so we can easily refill the smaller bottles and not have to order new ones as frequently.

![Image shows all seven of their offered California Baby products taken from their website. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/07/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-07-05-at-8.58.33-PM.png?resize=651%2C1024&ssl=1)

They offer a variety of products on their website. This screenshot was taken from [their main (baby) site](https://www.californiababy.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), on July 5th 2021, but they also offer products geared toward kids and fur babies.

---

I hope this helped you whether you’re looking for a new shampoo or conditioner bar source or just exploring more options. I hope this post finds you well and you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Create an Exciting Playdough World Then Explode a Volcano
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/create-an-exciting-playdough-world-then-explode-a-volcano/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:46:13.000Z
I was recently going through all of my playdough related photos to come up with some fun ways to change up playdough play when I came across these two dinosaur activities that both use playdough. I knew I needed to create a standalone post for them as I could see them working amazingly whether your kids love dinosaurs or you use the same idea for some other favorite animal. This would also be great for a fun dinosaur, volcano, Land Before Time, or other themed activity, playdate, or birthday party.

![Pinterest aimed image displaying the title of the post, the main URL, and four images from the post. The first two images are stacked between the title's lines and shows the playdough world being made within yellow bins. The bottom two images are side by side showing the playdough coated bottle as a volcano. All four images can be found below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Create-An-Exciting-Playdough-World-Then-Explode-A-Volcano-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

In case you’re planning a dinosaur themed party I wanted to share my other dinosaur related posts with you. Back when Ada turned five we had a [fossil dig](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/09/11/dinosaur-fossil-dig/) in our backyard were the fossils, and little dinosaurs, were made up beforehand using salt dough and then buried in the sand. The kids were supplied with dry paintbrushes so they could excavate and clean the pieces. For Zoey’s second birthday we made [a simple playdough sensory bin](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/08/08/dinosaur-footprints-sensory-bin/) that the kids could stomp dinosaurs through creating many footprints. Or you could go even easier and make [a dinosaur *swimming pool*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/06/12/easy-dinosaur-swimming-pool-in-the-garden/) using a bin and dish soap. The kids used to spend hours outside with their swimming pools and various water-safe toys. Also, for the birthday girl or boy, we once attached a plastic dinosaur to my daughter’s head for [crazy hair day](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/30/dinosaur-themed-crazy-hair-day/) in kindergarten. You may need just enough hair to be able to make small ponies so there’s something to connect the dinosaur to.

---

## *Create a World Out of Playdough*

Anyway onto the first item: the dinosaur, or any other creature, playdough scene. I figured since dinosaurs lived outside I needed to make green, blue, and brown playdough for my girls so I grabbed my [go to recipe](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/) and got to work. The blue and green were simple enough to make as my [neon food dye](https://www.mccormick.com/spices-and-flavors/extracts-and-food-colors/food-colors/assorted-neon-food-colors-and-egg-dye?ref=simplykyra.com) included both of these colors. If I didn’t have the neon dye I would’ve defaulted to my primary colors, as I bought a large bottle of each years ago, and the blue would’ve, again, been simple as there’s a blue dye. For the green I normally mix equal drops of blue and yellow together. The brown was more complicated as I needed to mix two complimentary colors together to create it. In case you don’t know the three primary colors are blue, red, and yellow. When you mix two of those colors together you get a secondary color so blue and red makes purple, red and yellow makes orange, and yellow and blue makes green. To make brown you have to mix a secondary color with it’s complimentary primary. So if you used green (made from blue and yellow) you’d have to mix it with red, the color that wasn’t used, to result in brown. This means, essentially, you’re mixing all three primary colors together to make brown. The comments on this [Food52 post](https://food52.com/hotline/44415-trying-to-make-brown-food-coloring?ref=simplykyra.com) may help if you want photos to better explain this process while this [wikiHow ](https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Brown-Food-Coloring?ref=simplykyra.com)[post](https://food52.com/hotline/44415-trying-to-make-brown-food-coloring?ref=simplykyra.com) goes over mixing food dye to make brown and then goes on to mention how to make brown using a more natural colorant like cinnamon, ground espresso, or black tea. I’ve used [cocoa powder and cinnamon to color and add scent my playdough](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/09/easily-change-up-your-playdough-with-scents/) before but I haven’t experimented with the other methods.

Once I had the three colors of playdough made I had the girls grab their plastic dinosaurs and then set them up with a yellow bin before explaining my idea. I figured the bin would give them a surface to work on, help keep the mess contained, and make their scene portable if we needed to move it in the future. I then explained why I made the three colors I did. I pictured using the green playdough for grass, bushes, and treetops. The dinosaurs also needed a water source so the blue could become a lake, stream, waterfall, or a salty ocean. For the brown I saw tree trunks, sand, or mud. Basically, the scene is only limited by our imagination, and physics, as the kids explore what to make. I then quickly showed them a tree by plopping a bit of green onto a brown cylinder and then got out of their way so they could play. When I took a look at their work a bit later I was amazed by their scenes and, especially, how Ada thought to use the side of her bin to keep her tree upright. Ada had spent her time creating the scene while Zoey had immediately grabbed her dinosaurs and was running stories while changing the scene around them.

![Image shows both girls sitting near each other working on creating a scene in their yellow sensory bins using blue, green, and brown playdough. The dinosaurs are scattered over the table between them and the playdough. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Dinosaur-Scene-8.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

When I first returned I loved what the kids had already come up with. Ada was working hard on creating the entire scene while Zoey jumped right in with her stories.

![Image shows a closeup of Ada's sensory bin scene while she stands behind it wearing her dinosaur dress. Off to the side you can see more dinosaurs and a small portion of Zoey's bin. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Dinosaur-Scene-91.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Ada ended up creating a nest, an arch, and a path through the water to the grassy section. She ended up spending more, if not all, of her time creating the scene rather than playing within it.

![Image shows Zoey shaping some brown playdough in front of her while two skeletons sit inside the bin's scene and several dinosaurs remain scattered around her hands. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Dinosaur-Scene-90.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Zoey quickly chose some dinosaurs and jumped into creating a story. She had them interact with each other and the scene as she changed up the terrain around them while the story progressed.

Once Zoey got bored I had her move all of the playdough into a freezer bag so it would stay fresh for longer. I then added dish soap and some water to her bin so she could give her dinosaurs a bath and, more importantly, prolong the play and have her clean up the area. Ada saw how much fun Zoey was having and decided she was also done so she immediately started pulling up the playdough to put it away too.

![Image shows two bins on the table with a bag of blue, green, and brown playdough between them. The bin furthest away is partially filled with bubbles while Zoey is holding something in it. The bin closest to the camera shows Ada pealing up the layers of playdough from her sensory bin. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Dinosaur-Scene-94.jpg?resize=750%2C532&ssl=1)

When Zoey was done we put her playdough in a freezer bag so it would stay soft and fresh before filling her bin with soapy water so she could give her dinosaurs a bath. Ada saw Zoey’s fun and decided she was done too so immediately started pulling up her playdough to also put in the bag.

Looking back I’m curious how long Ada would’ve taken to create her scene and what she may have come up with if Zoey hadn’t distracted her. I also wonder if the playdough scene would’ve evenly dried if we had left it out in the sun outside and how much longer they may have played with it.

---

## *Create a Playdough Volcano*

The most random things we’ve done with playdough, so far, was use it to create a volcano. Going into this I wanted to use up the last of the drying out playdough, as we had played with it several times since the first time, and I had pictured this elegant squat volcano sitting within a playdough scene. I then realized we may want to use something to protect the inside of the volcano as I pictured the kids playing with it again and again. I grabbed an empty [Soylent](https://soylent.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) bottle and the kids got to town surrounding it in playdough. They ended up only coating the bottle with a thin layer, and saving the rest of the playdough, rather than creating a large volcano or a scene around it like I had pictured but that worked. Once they decided that they had finished we took it outside, dumped baking soda into the bottle, and then poured some red-dyed dish soap added vinegar into it. It exploded and the kids loved it! I then left all the parts with them so they could experiment with the baking soda, vinegar, and volcano on their own terms. I could see this extending for longer if you brought in the plastic dinosaurs and had them play in the scene and react to the volcano erupting nearby.

![Image shows the bottle held by Zoey within a large container bottom as she presses a piece against the side. Ada is prepping a piece to put on after her and an opened bag of playdough sits behind. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_9694.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Instead of jamming the bottle into a mound of playdough and shaping it into a volcano, like I had pictured, they instead carefully and painstakingly coated the whole bottle with a thin layer of the playdough made harder by the fact it was old and drying out.

![Image is taken from above looking down at the volcano and ingredients. You can see one of each of their feet above. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_9698.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

We took the finished volcano outside along with a container of baking soda, a measuring cup to scoop, and two glass measuring jugs of vinegar. I had added some dish soap and red food dye to the larger jug.

![Image shows bubbly pink "lava" bursting out from the volcano. As the image is taken from above you can't see the volcano anymore although you can see the playdough coated floor of the bin and the part of the kids as they watch.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_9702.jpg?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

I’m not sure why red vinegar is exploding out of the top while I hold the clear one but I’m guessing I was trying to grab an action shot for you. This happened too long ago to remember specifically what order I poured these in.

![Image shows both kids crouched beside the bin with the bubbly wet volcano surrounded by lava remains. Zoey is holding the baking soda measuring cup and Ada is trying to put a ball of baking soda into the volcano. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_9717.jpg?resize=750%2C437&ssl=1)

I then sat beside them to read while they explored their volcano on their own terms.

---

The kids had an absolute blast making the dinosaur scene, playing with the playdough over the next several weeks, and exploring the volcano outside. I’m so glad I thought of combining playdough, dinosaurs, and volcanoes together. Just a word of warning just after this Ada started balking from vinegar-based play for a while as she realized it hurt her hands when she had minor scratches. I wanted to mention this in case your child goes from loving this type of play to hating it without explaining to you why… since I don’t think Ada shared the why right away and I was confused.

---

## *Putting It All Together Inside*

While writing this post I kept wondering why I had never duplicated this activity with the kids since. As we had some old playdough on hand that was getting dry I figured now was the time to recreate the setup. I decided to do it all inside, this time, so I set the girls up at the kitchen table and this entertained them for hours. I’m so glad I was reminded of this activity and I knew I needed to share what we did this time in case it helps you with an alternative layout.

We started out by pulling all of the old playdough, two bins to contain the mess, and some volcano ready jars, vials, and cups. Specifically, I chose a cleaned out glass jar, a plastic vial, and a plastic cup for each kid picturing three differently shaped volcanos in their land and the vague idea of an experiment showing how each container effects the spurt of the *lava*. However, this was not meant to be as both kids only used the glass jar for their volcano and saved the vial and cup to make it easier to transport the baking soda and vinegar to the volcano.

![Image shows the kids set up at the end of the table. Both have a yellow bin in front of the and are planning their volcano. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2258.jpeg?resize=750%2C512&ssl=1)

The kids started out with all of our leftover playdough split between then along with a yellow bin, a plastic measuring cup, a glass bottle, and a plastic vial.

Later on they mentioned the playdough was too dry so I grabbed two one-cup glass measuring jugs, partially filled them with water, and gave them to the girls so they could dampen their playdough letting it stick better.

![Image shows the girls. Zoey's yellow bin looks empty as her body blocks her glass jar. Ada has started out a playdough floor in the corner of her bin and started encircling her jar with black and pink playdough. She holds some dried grey-ish colored playdough.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2260.jpeg?resize=750%2C503&ssl=1)

The girls started building their dinosaur scenes just to realize that some of the playdough was too dry to stick together. I quickly gave them each a jug with water so they could dampen the dried playdough and make it stick easier

I sat nearby, essentially, leaving the girls alone to create their dinosaur landscapes in peace. By the time I got up and came close enough to see what they were doing Ada had created an entire playdough floor in her bin and coated the glass jar to make a single volcano set in the center. Similarly, Zoey had also coated the outside of her glass jar with playdough; yet, in contrast, skipped creating a playdough floor and instead poured her water out to create a river surrounding her volcano. I love the couple of extra pieces of playdough she added to the water to make rocks.

![Image shows two yellow bins. The one to the left shows a grey, orange, and black playdough created floor with an orange volcano in the center. Zoey is leaning over the bin to the right moving the plastic containers as her playdough encased volcano sits in a pool of water. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2263.jpeg?resize=750%2C514&ssl=1)

Ada’s finished dinosaur scene is composed of her playdough encased glass jar volcano sitting on a floor of playdough. Zoey, still finishing her scene, went for a more water-centric approach ignoring the warning to not use too much water in the scene. Surprisingly, I somehow expected them to use more playdough than they actually did.

When they were done making their playdough scene they ran to their bedroom to grab some water-safe plastic dinosaurs to properly set up their dinosaur world. Once they were happy with how it looked we pushed it to the side so we’d have the space needed to break for lunch.

![Image shows a view from above both plastic bins holding a dinosaur world. The top bin, further back, is Ada's filled with the playdough floor. There are colorful plastic dinosaurs in the land mostly on the black and orange section while a single Apatosaurus stands on the grey part. Zoey's looks mainly yellow as the only playdough in her bin is the volcano and several rocks. There are three solid colored dinosaurs and the rest are yellow skeletons. One dinosaur is on the pebbles, two on the rock, and the rest are in the water. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2266.jpeg?resize=750%2C805&ssl=1)

The dinosaur worlds have been created, the extra playdough pushed into a mound, and everything is left to wait until after lunch is over.

Once the kids were ready to continue I grabbed the next set of supplies which included three upcycled pump bottles, vinegar, food dye, a bowl filled with baking soda, and two spoons. I can’t remember exactly how much water-based food dye I added to each bottle before filling it the rest of the way with vinegar; however, I did make sure to have each bottle set to a primary color so the girls could easily mix up whatever color they wanted. After twisting each lid on I quickly shook each bottle and set them, along with the bowl of baking soda, between the girls and then explained to them which colors were in which bottle, gave them each a spoon, and off they went. They had an absolute blast! Ada kept trying different colors of lava while Zoey mostly focused on orange (mixing the yellow and red together) though later she branched out a bit to other colors. When they finally ran out of vinegar I opened up the bottles and poured in more. There had been enough dyed vinegar left in each bottle that their vinegar luckily stayed colored without needing more dye added.

![Image is taken from above at both girls' dinosaur worlds side by side. On the left Ada sprinkles a pinch of baking soda into her volcano while Zoey, on the right, plays with a dinosaur first. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2269.jpeg?resize=750%2C424&ssl=1)

They quickly started by adding baking soda to their volcano…

![Image shows Zoey standing on her chair pumping yellow dyed vinegar into her plastic vial. Her yellow bin below shows orange lava spreading through the clear water. In the back ground Ada is pouring baking soda into her volcano with one hand and holding a vial filled with red magma in the other.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2272.jpeg?resize=750%2C700&ssl=1)

and then used the vinegar pumps to mix up their own magma colors before pouring it into their volcano.

Then they kept scooping, sprinkling, and pouring again and again making many differently colored volcanoes. At what point I heard Zoey exclaim “Woah! Now that’s science!” while Ada quickly asserted that “Hey. I was about to say that.”

![Image taken from above looking at the kids playing in their volcano sensory bin. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2274.jpeg?resize=750%2C382&ssl=1)

![Ada's filling a vial with baking soda while Zoey's holding a vial. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2280.jpeg?resize=750%2C398&ssl=1)

![Ada's volcano has blue lava coming out while Zoey pumps yellow dye into her plastic cup. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2287.jpg?resize=750%2C313&ssl=1)

![The last bit of bubbly blue lava comes out of Ada's volcano as Zoey works the colored vinegar.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2289.jpg?resize=750%2C361&ssl=1)

![Now Zoey's volcano is putting out orange lava while Ada plays in her world. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2295.jpg?resize=750%2C320&ssl=1)

![Image shows both kids adding baking soda, via their hands, to their volcano. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2311.jpeg?resize=750%2C386&ssl=1)

![Image shows a closeup of Zoey's bin with the orange vinegar mixture rising up the dinosaurs. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2299.jpeg?resize=750%2C488&ssl=1)

Zoey mostly focused on making orange lava and as she repeated the experiment time and time again the watery lava rose around the dinosaurs.

![Image shows Ada's bin with some of the playdough areas sliming into the vinegar parts. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2302.jpeg?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

Ada experimented with many different hues so her liquid turned into a darker mess sloshing with the playdough floor.

Zoey was the first one to decide she was done. I helped her clean up by pouring the liquid down the kitchen sink before pulling over the kitchen garbage so we could throw out all of the soggy playdough. Once the bin was mostly cleaned out and the dinosaurs were set aside I grabbed the yellow bin, took it to the sink, cleaned it out, squirted in some dish soap, and filled it halfway with warm water. Zoey started playing and cleaning her tools and dinosaurs while Ada continued on in her vinegar and playdough world for a bit longer before asking for soapy water herself. While they played I rinsed out the squirt bottles, set them aside to dry, and threw the bowl and spoons in the dishwasher. The kids had just as much fun cleaning as they did playing. As they each grew tired of the soapy water I had them remove the toys before I swapped the water for plain. I finally laid out two dishtowels, so they could lay out their own toys and tools to dry, before leaving them to play longer.

![Image shows knocked over vinegar pump bottles, Ada playing in colored vinegar coated playdough dinosaur world, and Zoey with soapy water and cleaner dinosaurs.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2314.jpeg?resize=750%2C332&ssl=1)

Ada continued playing for a bit while Zoey switched to playing in a soapy water world…. while cleaning up the toys.

![Image shows a closeup of Ada's green black colored liquid covering the orange and black playdough with some dinosaurs, a glass bottle, and a spoon hidden within. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2317.jpeg?resize=750%2C413&ssl=1)

Ada’s bin ended up a sloppy mess before she was done and wanted Zoey’s soapy water. I poured off the vinegar into the sink and we slopped the playdough and any undissolved baking soda into the garbage bin beside her.

![Image shows the entire table. Both girls have their hands in their bin with the dirty dinosaurs between them. The other side of the table has a clean tea towel laid out while between the two is their drinking glass (got dumped and a clean given), name tag, and extra tools. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2318.jpeg?resize=750%2C435&ssl=1)

By the time Ada had soapy water Zoey was ready for plain. I quickly laid out a tea towel by either girl, switched Ada’s water to plain (later), and let them finish cleaning up the toys and tools.

I’m so glad I saved my photos from the first time so I was able to come across them, repeat the idea, and finally share it with you. We ended up only stopping the water play when I pointed out that we were running out of time to watch the promised movie.

---

Anyway, I hope this helps you out whether you’re looking to branch out on your sensory fun or looking for themed ideas for an activity whether small or large. If you’re especially interested in the baking soda and vinegar explosions I did a bigger version of this at [Ada’s science-themed birthday party](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/05/01/adas-4th-birthday-party/) using three upcycled laundry jugs to hold the dyed vinegar. To keep it smaller, or on a different theme, you could always restrict the vinegar to a single color or change the volcano to some other container like, for example, [small pumpkins](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/11/04/pumpkin-explosions-sensory-play/). If you’re here only for the dinosaurs they have also factored into [many other ideas](https://www.simplykyra.com/?s=dinosaur) in the past.

I’d love to hear from you if you try this out. Let me know how it went and/or what you changed. Feel free to share in the comments below. I hope your day is going well.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Cool the Kids Down With a Simple Ice Pack
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/cool-the-kids-down-with-a-simple-ice-pack/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:46:05.000Z
Several weeks ago when it was hot where we live, I went out to buy another four pack of lunchbox ice packs. The girls love bringing a frozen ice pack to bed with them whether it’s for something to do or to simply cool themselves down. With summer here I realized I should get more so we don’t run out on a super hot night. With the current heat rocking the West coast of Canada and the United States, I figured I should share my little solution in case it could help.

![Pinterest image showing four pictures of ice packs near the top and five images of a rice pack near the bottom. The text is in teal with a eggplant background. It says "Cool the Kids Down With a Simple Ice Pack / Or a Heat Pack Thrown in the Freezer / Learn More at SimplyKyra.com".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/06/compressed_Cool-the-Kids-Down-With-a-Simple-Ice-Pack-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Before I continue I wanted to share a warning. We haven’t had any issues with bringing ice packs to bed with us in the past but when searching online before starting this post I came across [Sleep Sugar’s *Why you shouldn’t sleep with an ice pack*](https://sleepsugar.com/sleep-with-ice-pack/?ref=simplykyra.com). The post was centered towards using ice packs for an injury so they mentioned that a long session of icing can lead to a worse injury along with pointing out that prolonged contact, like when you fall asleep with it against you, can cause skin damage and frost bite. Since we use our ice packs more to cool our beds rather than firmly pressing it against our skin we figured they’re safe to use but I wanted to point it out as a possibility just in case.

---

## *Ice Packs*

So, several years ago when the kids started complaining about growing pains right before bed I purchased a hot water bottle so whoever needed it could have something warm to help them with the pain. As time went on, the hot water bottle became more of a delaying tactic and comfort before bed rather than a pain remedy. We eventually purchased another one, so both kids could use it at the same time, and then, once we gained a microwave, switched to homemade rice packs so it was quicker to hand out. This lead to the kids sometimes choosing which option they wanted before bed. Two summers ago, when it started warming up for the summer, the kids were strongly in the *I must have a hot water bottle before bed* camp. With the heat I started worrying that the kids might overheat in their beds, especially with something so warm with them, and decided to cut them off. I needed to quickly pivot their bedtime routine and came up with replacing the heat with a simple lunchbox ice pack we had. I later went out and bought a nicer looking pack of four ice packs so we had a backup if the kids couldn’t sleep a needed a quick replacement or if they forgot to return it in the morning and needed one for the next night. This has become amazing! The kids know where to find them, most nights decide to chose one before going to bed, and, when they remember, can easily return them to the freezer. The only downside to this system is that sometimes the packs fall behind the bed and after a while we’re completely out until the kids choose to retrieve them and put them back in the freezer. As such, a couple weeks ago, I chose to buy another set of four ice packs, so we’re now up to eight, and I changed up, a bit, how we do this.

![Image shows four ice packs, an empty container, and several oil-based black sharpies. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/06/compressed_IMG_2996.jpeg?resize=750%2C548&ssl=1)

Both times I bought a set of four ice packs from the local Container Store and used an oil-based sharpie to decorate them.

![Image shows four ice packs in teal, blue, pink, and purple. They are decorated with black and white oil-based pens so two have flowers, one has small hearts, and the last has larger hearts. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/06/compressed_IMG_2998.jpeg?resize=750%2C547&ssl=1)

Before putting them into the freezer I took my time decorating them with white and black oil-based paint pens.

Of course, since I decorated the ice packs the kids sometimes draw out bedtime by arguing over who gets which design so for awhile there we rotated who chose first. As an aside they both fought over the two flower ones the most. Over time the oil-based paint drawings slowly faded but since frozen ice packs are hard to draw on I left them un-adorned and the kids still loved them. Recently, since the kids kept forgetting to return them and I was frequently out I decided to buy another pack. Rather than simply decorating them, like last time, I had the kids take turns picking out their favorite colors and then I used the oil-based paint pens to write their names on them and add decorations.

![Image shows four decorated ice packs (orange, yellow, teal, and blue) alongside the empty packaging and two black oil-based sharpies. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/06/compressed_IMG_6554.jpeg?resize=750%2C473&ssl=1)

This time around I chose to assign two to Ada and two to Zoey. Since I was marking them anyway I figured I would add pumpkins to Zoey’s orange one, Wonder Woman logos to Ada’s yellow one, and gave both girls a flowered one.

Over the next couple days I quickly realized that Zoey loses way more ice packs as they fall off of her bed while she sleeps. We had recently decided to donate her bed bumper pillow as she no longer uses it but as we hadn’t yet I was able to use it to plug the opening between her bed and the wall, tucked under her bottom sheets, so most of the ice packs would be prevented from falling. Our bolster is no longer available on Amazon but it looks similar to this one on [the Traveling Toddler post](https://traveling-toddler.blogspot.com/2009/04/bedbugz-portable-bed-bolster-in-blue.html?ref=simplykyra.com). This isn’t a perfect solution so I wouldn’t recommend going out to buy one specifically for this purpose but since we had it anyway it worked and Zoey has lost way less ice packs since we implemented it.

I then got the girls to dig out the first four ice packs from under their bed and while they were still thawed I assigned them to the girls and wrote their names on them. I then put Ada’s ice packs in one section of the freezer door while Zoey’s ice packs got another shelf which will hopefully make it quicker for them to choose one as they don’t have to rifle through them as much.

![Image shows four ice packs on the table. The two on the left show white remnants from where the original design was and are recently marked with "Ada" in bold black paint. On the right is the newly flowered pack, behind, and a scrapped off yellow ice pack, in the front, with the word "Ada" vaguely legible.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/06/compressed_IMG_6678.jpeg?resize=750%2C490&ssl=1)

Ada’s old ice packs, with her name now on it, are on the left and her new ones are on the right. The first batch took a while for the paint to come off but this time Ada scrapped her Wonder Woman design off so it’s now plain again. You can easily see the difference in marking a thawed and dried ice pack (on the left) over a frozen one (the yellow one on the right). Later, once Ada’s yellow one had thawed overnight, I added a Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel themed design that she hasn’t yet seen as they weren’t used recently.

![Image is a collage of two photos side by side. Both images show a raised edge shelf on my freezer door with three ice packs inside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/06/compressed_Cool-the-Kids-Down-With-a-Simple-Ice-Pack-Image-1.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

I used to store them on one shelf in the freezer door but with eight ice packs now they don’t fit. I now split them over two of the shelves with one kid’s ones on the one shelf and the other kid’s on another shelf so it’s hopefully easier and quicker for them to snag an ice pack before bed and see whether they’re running out and need to hunt the thawed ones down.

I know when it starts really heating up here I will appreciate being able to steal one to help cool my bed down so I’m so glad we now have eight ice packs. Plus I can always *borrow* them if we need to keep a lunch bag cold for a picnic or something too.

---

## *Repurpose Other Items for Ice Packs*

While writing this I quickly looked online for similar options and came across [Apartment Therapy’s *Why You Should Sleep With a Sock on Hot Summer Nights*](https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sock-ice-pack-hack-260288?ref=simplykyra.com) where they filled up a sock with rice and kept it in the freezer for a similarly cooling idea. One commenter on the post mentions freezing a bottle of water and stuffing it into a sock for the same purpose. I must admit I also have several really old plastic water bottles in the freezer that I can easily pull out to cool down but that I wouldn’t really drink. Just a couple weeks ago I used one of those bottles in a water and ice sensory bin to help keep the water cold without wasting too many ice cubes and the kids loved using it as an iceberg (or hill?) for their plastic animals to climb. Once they were done I tossed the thawed bottle back in the freezer for the next time they need an ice hill in a sensory bin to cool down with.

[Back in 2019 I sewed up several woven packs](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/01/52-weeks-of-sewing-in-2019/) filled with rice to use as heating packs by warming them up in the microwave. Last summer when it was SO hot I tossed all the rice packs in the freezer along with a bean filled pack and some wet washcloths so there would be a plethora of cooling option I could pull out at anytime. I can see doing the same thing this year when it gets truly hot here.

![Image shows a collage of five photos. The left ones are Ada holding up a decorated square of fabric while, in the bottom one, Zoey decorates her folded fabric. In the middle are the final two rice packs. To the right, top, is a clipped and filled one while, at the bottom, are the two empty packs with the rice sitting behind it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/06/compressed_Cool-the-Kids-Down-With-a-Simple-Ice-Pack-Image-2.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

I had sewn a heating pack for me back in [April of 2019](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/01/52-weeks-of-sewing-in-2019/) that the kids loved so I later, in September, had the kids decorate pre-cut white fabric so they could have their own rice packs. When it got really hot out their rice packs went into the freezer so they could cool down with them. This awesome sewing pattern is free through [Joybilee Farm](https://joybileefarm.com/diy-lavender-eye-pillow/?ref=simplykyra.com).

As a quick aside I did toss the rice packs in a freezer bag first so they would get cold in the freezer but not wet.

![Image shows a quote screenshotted from the "A Little Crispy" blog post back on October 31st, 2019. You can find it here: https://alittlecrispy.com/2016/12/hot-pack-fillings/](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/06/compressed_IMG_2475.jpeg?resize=750%2C537&ssl=1)

When researching fillings for the heating packs I loved [A Little Crispy’s post *What filling makes the best hot pack? A comparison of hot pack fillings*](https://alittlecrispy.com/2016/12/hot-pack-fillings/?ref=simplykyra.com). She lists the pros and cons for several examples including warning you on how to heat the heating pack. I had to grab a screenshot, taken back in October of 2019, to share with you in case you use it for it’s heating purpose later on.

I mentioned above using wet and then frozen washcloths to help cool down in the heat. I don’t think I took any photos but I had read online somewhere that you can keep cool by having a cold washcloth around your neck. I decided to grab a bunch of the kids’ washcloths, got them wet, and then shaped them into curves on a Silpat lined baking sheet that I tossed into the freezer. Once the washcloths had frozen I transferred them to a large freezer bag so they were kept clean and frozen for whenever we needed one. I actually left them in the freezer all winter and finally, only a month or two ago, when I needed more space thawed them out in a sensory bin for the kids. Zoey was actually worried about the one with a jellyfish embroidered on it and I had to stop to run it under warm water so it could thaw out quicker.

I just looked online and found something similar through [Kid Giddy’s *Beat the Heat This Summer Frozen Washcloths Craft*](https://kidgiddy.blogspot.com/2012/07/beat-heat-this-summer-frozen-washcloths.html?ref=simplykyra.com) if you’re interested in learning more about this idea.

---

## *Some Other Ideas*

If you have a fan we’ve cooled down in the past by placing a bowl of ice, or I recently read about, a cookie sheet with frozen water in it. This way the cool air from the melting ice is blown over you. One year we specifically ordered groceries so we could get some dry ice to put behind our fan and although it cause condensation everywhere on the floor it was amazing! Just the other day, [in a Facebook group I’m in](https://www.facebook.com/groups/thenonconsumeradvocate/permalink/10159095147960499/), someone asked about keeping cool in the current heatwave. Many suggestions were offered including:

- Opening up your home in the nighttime, to cool it down, and closing everything in the daytime to help hold in the coolness. For instance, during the day, using blackout curtains on the windows.
- If you have a basement turn on the furnace fan, with the heat off, to help cycle the cold basement air throughout your home.
- Icing your pulse points to cool your body quicker.
- Eating frozen berries. As another aside I love frozen blueberries with milk poured over top (so it freezes into a shell). Something like that can’t be eaten when it’s cold out so enjoy it in the heat.
- Get your clothing wet and let it air dry naturally to help cool you down. This was repeated frequently and ranged from putting wet socks on your feet to dressing in a swim suit with a long sleeved cotton top and jumping in a pool to make it wet.
- Wear looser clothing, like a caftan, so there’s an air layer between your skin and the clothing to kelp keep you cool.
- Notice which areas of your home are cooler and hang out there. The person sharing this also pointed out to watch your pets, if you have any, as they seem to know the warmest spots in the winter and the coolest in the summer.

Also last year I shared some *[Ideas For When It’s Hot Outside](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/27/ideas-for-when-its-hot-outside/)* that include cold play (frozen water, washcloths, and oobleck), cold drinks, and frozen treats. Or if you’re simply looking for ways to entertain your kids I also created, last year, [an overview of many of my sensory play ideas](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/03/18/ideas-for-when-youre-home-with-kids/).

---

I hope these tips and tricks help you whether you’re currently melting where you live or are planning for an upcoming heat wave. I’d love to hear how you keep cool in hot weather so feel free to share your tips or tricks in the comments below for everyone to enjoy. Hope you’re keeping cool and doing well.

Feel free to share in the comments below. I hope your week is going as splendidly as it can in this time.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### A Simple Way to Keep Track of Your Tea's Steep Time and Temperature
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/a-simple-way-to-keep-track-of-your-teas-steep-time-and-temperature/
Last updated: 2025-09-01T01:22:07.000Z
Over the last year Matt and I have dramatically increased our tea drinking habit and through that realized that some teas need to be steeped at a different water temperature than simply just by *boiling*. As we start each day with a fresh pot of tea, that is then continuously re-steeped throughout the day until one of us chooses to switch it out for something new, I’ve discovered that we need a way to keep track of the tea. At least, specifically, our chosen tea’s water temperature and how long it should be steeped for. With those two requirements decided, this incredible tea tracker was born. It’s extremely simple and saves us so much hassle each day so I knew I needed to share it with you.

![Pinterest-geared image showing the post title (center) and my main URL to learn more. Above the title one image showing my tea setup including the kettle, jug of water, tea pot, tea spoon, and the tea time. Below the title sits two other images, side by side, showing the process of making the tracker and the finished tracker leaning against the tea pot. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_A-Simple-Way-to-Keep-Track-of-Your-Teas-Steep-Time-and-Temperature-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

For years Matt and I have loved the fun selection of teas through [David’s Tea](https://www.davidstea.com/us%5Fen/home/?ref=simplykyra.com) and remember frequently browsing in their store, packaging up tea samples for our wedding, and creating our own [tea-themed advent calendar](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/15/christmas-advent-calendar/). That said, last summer between David’s Tea being located further away, both of us drinking less coffee, and wanting to find a tea with no added sugar as I had started intermittent fasting we looked online and came across [Tea Spot](https://www.theteaspot.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) from Colorado. With our new tea source decided we quickly discovered that you don’t just steep all tea at boiling and instead each tea pouch we purchased came with a temperature you should ideally steep it at along with how long you need to wait to cool the just boiled water to reach that temperature. I love how the directions were included on each tea package allowing us to quickly refer to each tea as we made it and continue to use our simple, just on or off, electric kettle. That said, over time, Matt went online and found [a new electric kettle](https://www.cuisinart.com/shopping/appliances/tea%5Fkettles/cpk-17p1/?ref=simplykyra.com) that has six preset temperatures allowing us to have more control over the water and save time as we no longer need to wait for the water to come to boiling and then cool back down again.

Anyway, at first we had no issues as we only steeped our tea once or twice. That said, over time we added more and more teas to our collection and found ourselves re-steeping our tea batches more and more frequently. In particular this started when we purchased our two pu’erh teas as the [black leaf variety](https://www.theteaspot.com/products/organic-pu-erh-tea?ref=simplykyra.com) says that it can be used in three to four infusions while the [wild harvest green leaves](https://www.theteaspot.com/products/raw-green-sheng-puerh-tea?ref=simplykyra.com) are listed for more than three. With the number of potential teas increasing along with the number of infusions per each batch of tea leaves I found it sometimes hard to remember just what we were steeping sometimes and even if I did remembered I’d still need to grab the pouch out of the cupboard again to check the preferred water temperature and steep time. Rather than needing to repeatedly pull the tea out of the cupboard or ask Matt what tea he started I decided to instead create this simple tracker. This way whoever starts the tea, whether it’s Matt or I, can simply move the paperclips to show what temperature and steep duration we used. Now I don’t need to bug Matt while he’s working to check which tea he started and the tea only gets pulled out of the cupboard when it’s needed for a fresh infusion.

---

## *The Tea Tracker*

Before starting the tea tracker I went through all of our [Tea Spot teas](https://www.theteaspot.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and quickly jotted down the steep temperature and steep duration for each pouch. I quickly realized that some of the teas didn’t match the preset temperatures on our electric kettle and so it mattered more what temperature choices were on the kettle itself rather than the listed temperatures on the teas since we often chose the cooler setting when heating the water. Thus the *Tea Tracker* only needed to include the six temperatures listed on the kettle: one for each of the preset buttons. I next looked over the steep times I had jotted down for the tea and saw that the shortest time was only two minutes long while the longest was six. Since I was planning on drawing the data out as a mini table with six rows (matching the temperature settings) I decided to have the list of times go up to seven minutes, rather than start at one, since there was probably a higher probability of needing a longer steep time rather than a shorter one.

I could’ve grabbed paper and pen to sketch out my idea but I had bought myself [a reMarkable2 device](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/) over Christmas so I grabbed that instead. I walked over to my kettle and wrote down all of the temperatures in one column. Beside that column I wrote out the numbers 2 to 7 for the steep time duration. I adjusted the two columns until they lined up with each other and made sure there was enough room in between the two columns to quickly write the heading, vertically, down the center. I then added a title *Tea Tracker* to the top and made sure it was centered properly. Once I was happy with how it looked I then exported it as a `PNG` through my email client to my computer and printed it out. At the same time I was dabbling with creating a chore chart for the kids, that they still haven’t started using yet, so I was able to print both items off on one page and cut them apart. With the paper in hand I next grabbed my decorative scissors and my thermal laminator.

![Image shows the Tea Tracker on my reMarkable2 device with the pen laid overtop. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_IMG_4938.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Working on the **Tea Tracker* on [my reMarkable2](https://www.simplykyra.com/tag/remarkable/).

![Image shows the sheet of paper with a chore chart above the tea tracker. Beside it is a blue scrapbook paper container filled with paper, decorative scissors, and hole punches. Behind it sits a thermal laminator and package of laminating pouches. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3484.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I put the kids’ chore chart on the same page as the **Tea Tracker* so I could print them both out at the same time. Once I had it in hand I quickly grabbed my container of decorative scissors, my thermal laminator, thermal laminating pouches, and a couple of paper clips.

I wanted to use the laminator to make the *Tea Tracker* more secure and protect it from any future water spills. I also wanted a simple way to make it prettier and figured the scalloped scissors did the trick as a fancy border. I was, originally, also planning on trimming the laminated paper with the decorative scissors but later decided to use plain straight scissors so it would be simpler to cut and less prone to ripping in the future.

![Image shows the Tea Tracker sitting on a small rectangle of paper with the edge scalloped. In the background sits the similarly trimmed chore chart, matching scissors, and the laminating pouches. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3486.jpeg?resize=750%2C481&ssl=1)

I very carefully cut around both the **Tea Tracker* and the chore chart with one of the scalloped scissors.

I next plugged in the laminator, inserted the *Tea Tracker* paper gently into the laminating pouch, and waited while my laminator heated up. Once the light turned green I carefully fed the paper into the laminator and waited patiently for it to come out the back before realizing it had gotten jammed in and I had to help pull it free. This resulted in a bit of crinkling so I carefully fed the pouch back in, turned the other way around, to help flatten the crinkles. I then cut the two sections apart and fed the chore chart back into the laminator once again to help straighten it out some more. After trimming a border around each paper I was still worried the corners were a bit too sharp, at 90 degrees, so I trimmed them off so they were only 45 degree corners instead.

![Image shows most of the laminator pouch with the larger chore chart closer to the top and the Tea Tracker turned on it's side closer to the bottom of the photo. In the background sits the thermal laminator and the package of laminating pouches. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3490.jpeg?resize=750%2C449&ssl=1)

I carefully placed both pieces of paper within the laminating pouch and waited for the thermal laminator to heat up.

![Image shows the Tea Tracker laminated within a tall sheet of lamination. In the background the chore chart is going into the thermal laminator sideways to remove the wrinkles on the top left side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3495.jpeg?resize=750%2C432&ssl=1)

The laminating pouch got a bit jammed and caused wrinkling so I fed the same pouch back in, going in the other direction, once and then cut them apart to feed the chore chart through on it’s own a couple more times.

![Image shows the laminated and trimmed Tea Tracker (in the front), Chore Chart (further to the back, scissors, laminator, and bits of scrap. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3502.jpeg?resize=750%2C473&ssl=1)

I then used my straight scissors to trim a healthy border around each piece of paper before trimming the sharp corners down to a safer angle.

Once the laminated sections were trimmed the *Tea Tracker* was ready to be used. I went simple and grabbed two paperclips to highlight what temperature and duration I selected. This way whenever the tea type is changed we can easily move the paperclips up or down depending on how the new tea differs from the old tea. Since using this I’ve found a mark, once or twice, left behind by the paperclip but was able to simply wipe it away with my fingers. If you’d rather use something other than paperclips there’s always the option of using chalk markers instead. That said I use chalk markers to mark canning jars and, sometimes, laminated chore charts but wanted something simpler with this one so I didn’t need to go looking for a chalk marker, expo marker, or paper towel whenever I need to quickly use it. Figured simplest was best in this case.

![Image shows the Tea Tracker laid out on my kitchen counter with the paper clips showing 200 degrees and 6 minutes. Above the left paper clip you can see a mark between the 185 and 190 degrees showing where it was before. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_IMG_4807.jpeg?resize=750%2C451&ssl=1)

Sometimes I see the odd mark like this (above the left paperclip) where a paper clip was resting but so far I can easily wipe it away

---

And with that the *Tea Tracker* is done and ready to use!

![Image shows an electric kettle heating up to 175° while the tea tracker below has paperclips highlighting the 175° temperature and 5 minutes steeped. Beside it sits a blue teapot with the infuser beside it on a white mini saucer. Behind everything sits a four cup glass jug with water in it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3504.jpeg?resize=750%2C493&ssl=1)

Almost every morning I make sure the kettle is topped up, pick out my tea, start the kettle heating, fill up the infuser with the tea leaves, and change the selected items on the **Tea Tracker*. Later in the day I can easily heat more water and re-steep the leaves without needing to pull out the tea again for the directions.

![Image shows a scoop of black tea on the white saucer, a blue tea pot with rose petals showing in the infuser, my tea tracker with the paper clips set to 200° and 6 minutes, the kettle set to boil, and a glass jug full of water. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3516.jpeg?resize=750%2C511&ssl=1)

This even works with the more complicated tea infusions. For instance I started combining rose petals with a black tea which means I bring the water to a boil, pour just enough water into the tea pot to steep the half scoop of rose petals, set a timer for two minutes so the water can cool as the petals infuse, add the black tea leaves, pour the remaining water in, and wait another four minutes before removing the infuser. Since you can’t later remove the rose petals the re-steep instructions are way simpler so I just need to set the water temperature to 200****°** Fahrenheit and the steep time to six minutes.

![Image shows Jasmine Pearls set in the teapot with the electric kettle heating to 175° and a tea tracker set to the proper temperature and three minutes of steep time. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_4251.jpeg?resize=750%2C510&ssl=1)

Love how simple this is to adjust and use as the days progress and it really saves the overhead requirements of remembering exactly how you need to steep each tea and even what tea you’re drinking.

I absolutely love how simple this *Tea Tracker* is to use. I love that I don’t ever have to pull out my teas to confirm how hot the water needs to be or how long I need to steep the tea as I just need to refer to the *Tea Tracker*. It makes my life just a bit simpler and so I needed to share it with you in case you also might want something similar. If you want to print and laminate your own I’ve included my image to make it a bit easier on you. That said if you design your own I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

In case you're interested I included my own version here and you can download it (right below the image) if you want to use it yourself. If you do use it I'd love to hear about it in the comments below. 

![White image shows the words "Tea Tracker" along the top. Two columns are below showing tea temperatures, matching the Cuisinart preset electric kettle, and tea steep time. The first columns shows 160°, 175°, 185°, 190°, 200°, and Boil. The time shows 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_TeaTrackerImage.png?resize=750%2C661&ssl=1)

I created a larger form of the Tea Tracker in case you want to save the image.

### Get this printable (and more!)

All my templates and printables live in one easy member hub. 

[Go to Downloads](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/) 

Let me know if this helps you out. Do you have the same issue when making your tea and, if so, would this help you out? If you do make this I’d love to know if you make it the same way or if you change it up in someway to fit you better? If so how did you change it? Or did you take this idea and use it for something else? Either way I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. I hope you’re having an amazing day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Rebecca Page's Simple and Boxy Toronto Tee
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/rebecca-pages-simple-and-boxy-toronto-tee/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:26:50.000Z
I came across the [Ladies’ Toronto Tee sewing pattern](https://rebecca-page.com/featured%5Fitem/toronto-tee-ladies/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com), by Rebecca Page, back in May of 2019 when I tested it before the tee was released. At first I was vaguely disappointed with the pattern as I don’t normally wear boxy tees. That said, I find that I keep reaching into my closet and grabbing this tee more frequently than I had expected especially as I absolutely adore how it drapes on me. Since sewing it up I’ve meant to share it with you repeatedly but each time I keep putting it off as I want to wait to sew up a second shirt and never get around to it. I figure no point putting it off any longer as I need to share this pattern with you now! And did I mention that there’s a [Men’s version of the Toronto Tee](https://rebecca-page.com/product/mens-toronto/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) too? I’ve sewn it up for Matt, my husband, and he loves it too.

![Pinterest image showing four views of me wearing my lgihtweight, flowy, and boxy Toronto Tee. Overlaid overtop of the collage is the name of the tee, my main URL, Rebecca Page, and the words "simple and boxy".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_Rebecca-Pages-Simple-and-Boxy-Toronto-Tee-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Just a quick aside. Currently, when I write this (in May of 2021) the [Ladies’ Toronto Tee](https://rebecca-page.com/featured%5Fitem/toronto-tee-ladies/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) is free if you have an account on the Rebecca Page website. The [Men’s Toronto Tee](https://rebecca-page.com/product/mens-toronto/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) is a subscriber exclusive freebie so you’ll need to become a subscription member to add this pattern to your stash.

---

I quickly realized while looking over the line drawing and measurements for the [Toronto Tee](https://rebecca-page.com/featured%5Fitem/toronto-tee-ladies/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) that the resulting shirt was going to be boxier and more oversized than I was used to wearing. I debated making it at all but then decided to go with a lightweight fabric so the tee would flow rather than result in a too rigid silhouette. I had ordered a mystery box of fabrics from [So Sew English](https://sosewenglishfabrics.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) which had an interesting [ITY](https://sosewenglishfabrics.com/collections/all/fabric%5Fity?ref=simplykyra.com) in it so I decided to go with that. After measuring myself I rounded my measurements down a hair to go with the slightly smaller size to help account for the boxy appearance of the tee. Before deciding to round down I did compare my measurements with both the pattern’s size chart and the final garment’s measurements. I then carefully cut out my pattern pieces from the slippery fabric, used sewing clips to keep the seams together, and followed the directions to create my new tee. I ended up loving the flow and drape that my ITY fabric had and loved the resulting silhouette of this pattern.

![Image shows the size chart for the ladies' Toronto Tee. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Size-chart-Ladies-NEW.jpeg?resize=750%2C364&ssl=1)

The Size Chart for the [Ladies’ Toronto Tee](https://rebecca-page.com/featured%5Fitem/toronto-tee-ladies/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) taken from the website on May 10th 2021.

![Me, a white woman, smiling with my hands on my waist facing the camera in front of my wooden fence. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3090.jpeg?resize=750%2C779&ssl=1)

![Me, a white woman, smiling with my hands hanging and my body turned so my right side is facing the camera. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3091.jpeg?resize=681%2C1024&ssl=1)

![Me, a white woman, smiling with my hands hanging and my body turned so my left side is facing the camera. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3093.jpeg?resize=682%2C1024&ssl=1)

![Me, a white woman, with my back to the camera as I face the wooden fence. My head is turned to the right and my hands are on my waist. The shirt is draping down from the shoulders and then bunched in at the waist under my hands. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3095.jpeg?resize=750%2C782&ssl=1)

Although I haven’t sewed any more Toronto Tees for me I do enjoy wearing the tee and I know that this pattern is on the list to sew in the future.

---

In addition to the ladies, the Toronto Tee also comes in [a men’s version](https://rebecca-page.com/product/mens-toronto/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) which I first sewed up in October of 2019\. My husband loves his plain shirts so I knew that I needed to sew him one too. Overall, he liked the finished tee but we then decided to make adjustments to the pattern pieces to fit his specifications in the future. Thus over the last several years I’ve sewn him several, slightly changing, versions of the [Rebecca Page Toronto Tee](https://rebecca-page.com/product/mens-toronto/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) and haven’t switched to a different men’s tee pattern yet.

![Image shows the size chart for the men's Toronto Tee. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Size-chart-Mens-NEW.jpeg?resize=750%2C363&ssl=1)

The Size Chart for the [Men’s Toronto Tee](https://rebecca-page.com/product/mens-toronto/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) taken from the website on May 10th 2021

![Image shows the torso of a white man wearing a black tee with his arms crossed in front of him. He stands in front of a white wall making his shirt pop a bit. Image is taken from his neck to right below the tee. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_9626.jpeg?resize=750%2C481&ssl=1)

---

I had meant to share Rebecca Page’s Toronto Tee (both the [ladies’](https://rebecca-page.com/featured%5Fitem/toronto-tee-ladies/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) and the [men’s](https://rebecca-page.com/featured%5Fitem/toronto-tee-ladies/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) version) with you long ago. Back when I was finally about to start a post Rebecca started a sewing pattern subscription membership and the Toronto Tees were shuffled around. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to share the pattern if it was behind a membership paywall but have lately realized just how much I love my tee and how much Matt loves his shirts and figured I had to share it with you in case you were also interested. As of right now (May 2021) the [Ladies’ Toronto Tee](https://rebecca-page.com/featured%5Fitem/toronto-tee-ladies/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) is free if you make, or have, an account on the Rebecca Page website. That said the [Men’s Toronto Tee](https://rebecca-page.com/product/mens-toronto/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) is a subscriber exclusive freebie so to add it to your pattern stash you’ll need to first become a subscription member.

Have you sewn either of the Toronto Tees before? If so how did you like them and what, if anything, would you change about them? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. For me both tee patterns come with an optional pocket but I haven’t added one yet and I’m not sure if I’d want to. Still it’s great to have the option.

I hope you’re having a fantastic day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How to Add Dynamic Constraints to Your Swift Project
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-add-dynamic-constraints-to-your-swift-project/
Last updated: 2023-05-10T16:27:40.000Z
Over the last couple weeks I’ve been working on a MacOS prototype application using the [Xcode IDE](https://developer.apple.com/xcode/ide/?ref=simplykyra.com) and the [Swift programming language](https://swift.org/?ref=simplykyra.com). The other day, when playing around with the layout and logic behind my controls, I realized that I needed to make one of the constraints more dynamic as the static logic on the interface builder was causing a blank space to appear whenever I hid one of my labels. I wanted the control underneath that label to be moved up so that the space would be covered up whenever I set the label to be hidden. I also wanted that same control to be moved down whenever I did need to use that label to show a message to the user. I decided to hunt down how to make this particular constraint seem more dynamic and came up with this solution. I wanted to share it with you in case you’re also looking to make your own constraint a bit more dynamic too.

![Pinterest-geared image attempting to show what the post is about without any epic images. From top to bottom there's text saying "Hate the random space on your user interface when you hide a control?", an image showing a blank space between two rows of controls, the text "Why not make your constraints dynamic by adding them to your code making it easy to toggle them on and off based on the control's visibility?", an image without that space, two arrows one pointing up and one down, another image with a label displaying a message between the rows of controls, text saying "Learn more at SimplyKyra.com. Search for "How to Add Dynamic Constraints to Your Swift Project", and then two side by side images showing the interface builder's vertical space constraint GUI and a partial image of the code. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_How-to-Add-Dynamic-Constraints-to-Your-Swift-Project-How-to-Add-Dynamic-Constraints-to-Your-Swift-Project-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

*At this time I am running Xcode version 12.5 (12E262)*

---

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been working on a MacOS application using the [Xcode IDE with Swift](https://developer.apple.com/xcode/?ref=simplykyra.com). I’ve more recently started overhauling the front end of my application, specifically using the [interface builder on my storyboard file](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/ToolsLanguages/Conceptual/Xcode%5FOverview/UsingInterfaceBuilder.html?ref=simplykyra.com#//apple%5Fref/doc/uid/TP40010215-CH42-SW1) to move around my controls and quickly realized that I needed a more dynamic version of one of the constraints that was a little bit too restrictive for me.

As a quick aside if you want to read more about working with constraints in the interface builder you can check out [Apple’s *Document Archive: Auto Layout Guide*](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/AutolayoutPG/WorkingwithConstraintsinInterfaceBuidler.html?ref=simplykyra.com).

## *Setup*

Specifically, for this particular layout, I used controls that spanned the entire width of my application’s superview. The label causing the issues here was created to display any error message if my code wasn’t able to execute as the user might expect. Above it I had a [horizontal stack view](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/AutolayoutPG/LayoutUsingStackViews.html?ref=simplykyra.com) showing two checkboxes and a button while below the label I placed a scroll view, containing a [text view](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appkit/nstextview?ref=simplykyra.com), so the results once the button was pressed could be displayed. After putting the controls down on the main view I started from the top and worked my way down using the *Pin Tool* on each control in turn so they’d be positioned 6 spaces down from the one above it and their sides, both the leading and trailing edges, would be flush against either side of the superview. Finally, once I got to the bottom control, I set all four of it’s constraints so it would be pinned to the sides, top, and bottom.

![Image shows the UI with three controls spanning across the window. From top to bottom you see the bottom portion of the horizontal stack view, a label centered saying "Multiline Label", and the top part of a scrollable text view. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-05-27-at-8.48.05-PM.png?resize=750%2C63&ssl=1)

While laying out the controls and adding the static constraints I had no problematic issues.

![Image shows a screenshot of the Pin Tool with it's overlay showing how the controls each had their constraints added to nest on either side of the superview and keep a space of 6 between each control.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-05-28-at-12.31.54-PM-1.png?resize=750%2C946&ssl=1)

For each control I made sure the top field was set to 6 and the side ones were set to 0\. Once the constraint is acknowledged the line leading to the field turns red. If one of the fields was already filled with the number you wanted you could simply click the line to set the constraint and turn it red instead. At the bottom the button updates with how many constraints you’re setting and, once you’re ready, you click it to finalize them. You can learn more about this in [Apple’s Documentation Archive: Auto Layout Guide: Working with Constraints in Interface Builder](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/AutolayoutPG/WorkingwithConstraintsinInterfaceBuidler.html?ref=simplykyra.com).

## *Discovery*

I saw no issues when setting this up; however, after setting up the logic to hide the label if there’s no error message to display, I noticed when running my application that a blank space remains where the label was whenever there’s no message. Ideally, I wanted that space to shrink so the label essentially disappears leaving no trace so I decided to hunt through the *Document Outline* to find the offending vertical constraint that’s set between the label and the scrollable text view and then perused through it’s attributes.

![Like before the image shows the UI with three controls spanning across the window. From top to bottom, this time, you see the bottom portion of the horizontal stack view, a blank space where the label is hidden, and the top part of a scrollable text view. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-05-27-at-8.39.16-PM-1.png?resize=750%2C40&ssl=1)

When running the application I saw that the space where the label was placed was still present, and blank, when the label was set to hidden. Ideally I want that space to shrink so there was no evidence of the label having been there when I don’t need it.

While looking through the attributes for that vertical space constraint I didn’t see any obvious way to make the constraint more dynamic but I did spy a checkbox labeled *Remove at build time*. I quickly realized, which I had already been wondering, that the solution was going to be in the code and not in the interface builder itself. Rather than deleting the constraint right then and screwing up the layout shown in the interface builder I instead checked off *Remove at build time* so the interface builder would still see the constraint but that constraint won’t be in my way when working through the logic of the label within the code later.

![Image shows the attributes for the vertical space constraint in question. It displays an equal relation between the top of the control below and the bottom of the control above. There's a constant space of 6 between them with a multiplier of 1. The checkbox "Remove at build time" at the bottom is checked off. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Vertical-Space-Constraint-2.png?resize=750%2C747&ssl=1)

I picked out the vertical space constraint between the label and the scrollable text view from the *Document Outline*. Once I selected it the constraint’s attributes were then displayed in the Attribute Inspector (shown in the picture here). I quickly discovered the placeholder *Remove at build time* and checked it off so this constraint would only affect the interface builder and not the logic I had to put in.

I didn’t take a photo but once this constraint was removed, shown at runtime, the scrollable text view below the label disappears and I’m left with a blank space at the bottom of my application window. I wasn’t worried as I knew this would be a temporary issue.

## *Search*

I then hopped back online to see if I could figure out a way to programmatically create my constraints. I knew I wanted to create two individual constraints and toggle between them within my code. I wanted one that was assigned to the vertical space between the scrollable text view and the label itself (like I had in the interface builder) that would be active when the label was visible. I also knew I wanted the other one assigned to be the vertical space constraint between the scrollable text view, again, and the horizontal stack view, above the label, so when it’s activated the scrollable text view would be moved up covering the hidden label.

Luckily, as I knew what I wanted, I was able to quickly discover my answer in the [Apple’s *Documentation Archive: Auto Layout Guide*](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/AutolayoutPG/ProgrammaticallyCreatingConstraints.html?ref=simplykyra.com) under the *Programmatically Creating Constraints* page. On it they had an amazing diagram that showed two items close together, a labelled linear equation, an example line of code, and then they looped the previous pieces together in a grid so you could easily see how it all works together. I took a screenshot, below, so you’d have it readily available. While looking at the image I realized I should figure out the linear equation that I wanted to set and quickly jotted it down.

![Screenshot of a section of text showing an image, a linear equation, a line of code, a grid, and text explaining each part. The link to the website is in the caption below the image. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-05-27-at-8.28.10-PM.png?resize=750%2C782&ssl=1)

This screenshot was taken on May 27th, 2021 from Apple’s [Documentation Archive: Advanced Auto Layout: Programmatically Creating Constraints](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/AutolayoutPG/ProgrammaticallyCreatingConstraints.html?ref=simplykyra.com) page.

![Image showing a quick diagram with three rectangles stacked on top of each other to show the controls (from top to bottom): stack view, label, and scrollable text view. On the left and right sits the linear equations showing the constraint I'd need if the label was visible (between label and scrollable text view) or invisible (between stack view and text view).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_reMarkable-page-8-copy.png?resize=750%2C175&ssl=1)

While referring to the above I quickly jotted down *scrollableTextView.top = 1 \* label.bottom + 6.0* but figured this image would better describe my logic.

Further down on the same page they showed how to directly instantiate constraints using the *[NSLayoutConstraint](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/uikit/nslayoutconstraint?ref=simplykyra.com)* class and I knew that that’s what I needed to do. Rather than use their example where they instantiated and activated the constraint all at once I instead broke it up a bit. This was the beginning of my solution.

![Screenshot from the Advanced Auto Layout page showing how three constraints where created and activated in the code. If you click the link in the caption you can find it under "NSLayoutConstraint Class"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-05-27-at-5.10.59-PM.png?resize=750%2C253&ssl=1)

This screenshot was taken on May 27th, 2021 from Apple’s [Documentation Archive: Advanced Auto Layout: Programmatically Creating Constraints](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/AutolayoutPG/ProgrammaticallyCreatingConstraints.html?ref=simplykyra.com) page under the caption *NSLayoutConstraint Class*.

## *My Solution*

To create the constraints programmatically I knew I needed to access all three of the controls in question within my back end code. Specifically, I needed to connect the stack view, the label, and the scrollable view containing my text view to my code via an outlet.

![Image is the same sketch of the three controls, as rectangles, as before. This time the left and right sides show the names of the two controls you'll need access to to create the constraint when the label is visible or hidden.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/image.png?resize=1024%2C234&ssl=1)

I figured I’d borrow the earlier diagram and use it to show which two controls I needed to access for either of the constraints. Since both cases need the scrollable text view I only need a total of three controls to be hooked up before making them.

To do this I made sure my storyboard file, showing the interface builder, is open. I next want the back end code, my view controller, open at the same time so I’ll need a split screen. You could click the icon at the top right to create a split screen and then make sure the proper files are open but I instead prefer to hold down the `Option` key and click my view controller in the *Document Viewer* to set it up. This process automatically creates a split screen with the previously opened file, in this case the storyboard, on the left and the newly opened file on the right. After making sure that the controls I want access to are centered on the left I get to work *moving* them into my code. I do this by first holding down the `Control` key, clicking on the control I want, and then, without releasing the mouse button, dragging the line that pops up to the view controller code. As you hold the end of the arrow above the code a caption will pop up saying `Insert Outlet`. Once you let go a popup appears allowing you to configure the properties before creating the connection (called an outlet). At the top of this popup will be a dropdown showing the type you can insert. Make sure this says `Outlet` rather than `Action`. You’ll be required to type in the name of your new outlet before clicking on `Connect`. I then repeated this process for the other two controls. If you want more information about *Connecting Objects to Code* you can check out Apple’s [Documentation Archive: Xcode Overview: Building an User Interface](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/ToolsLanguages/Conceptual/Xcode%5FOverview/ConnectingObjectstoCode.html?ref=simplykyra.com#//apple%5Fref/doc/uid/TP40010215-CH44-SW1).

![Image shows a screenshot of my code with the arrow coming from the label and ending in my code under other outlets. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_createoutlet.png?resize=750%2C76&ssl=1)

After opening up both the interface builder and the view controller code I then held down the `Control` key, clicked and dragged on the control I wanted to connect, and brought the end of the arrow to my code so I could insert an outlet.

![Image shows the same code as before but this time there's no line and a popup is coming out of the space I dragged the arrow to. Here I can set the connection, see the object, create a name, and select a type before clicking either the "Cancel" or "Connect" button. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-05-27-at-8.56.01-PM.png?resize=750%2C190&ssl=1)

After releasing the mouse button a popup appears letting me confirm I want to connect an outlet (after taking the photo I changed the dropdown from action to outlet), lets me name it, set it’s type, and then I finally pressed `Connect` to add it.

Once the three controls were connected to my code I quickly declared my two constraints right below them so they’d be able to be used in several locations within my class. I had planned to leave them uninstantiated but received an error as it

> Expected member name or constructor call after type name

I couldn’t instantiate the constraint then and there with the outlets as they

> Cannot use instance member ‘*outlet(s)*‘ within property initializer; property initializers run before ‘self’ is available

With both paths closed, for justifiable reasons, I decided to instantiate them without any arguments so they would each be a blank `NSLayoutConstraint` for now.

![Screenshot of my code showing five lines. The first three are the connected controls for the label, stack view, and scroll view (containing the text view). Below it are the two private constraints. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-05-27-at-8.50.26-PM.png?resize=750%2C146&ssl=1)

After connecting my outlets from the interface builder, as shown by the filled in bullet point on the corresponding line numbers, I quickly declared and instantiated the two `NSLayoutContraint`s I planned to use in the `viewDidLoad` function and elsewhere.

```swift
// The three controls I'll need access to to create the constraints
// The stack view above the label
@IBOutlet var stackViewJSON: NSStackView!
// The label in question
@IBOutlet var lblLoadJSONmessage: NSTextField!
// The scroll view holding the text view; located under the label
@IBOutlet var textViewChangingJSON: NSScrollView! 
// The two private constraints; temporarily instantiated to empty constraints
private var constraintScrollViewToStackView = NSLayoutConstraint()
private var constraintScrollViewToLbl = NSLayoutConstraint()
```

Once that was done I went up to the `viewDidLoad` function to instantiate the constraints properly. Since this method is always called once the view is loaded I knew instantiating the constraints here would allow me to use the proper outlets and since this function is executed before anything the user could interact with I also know the constraints would be set before I could possibly toggle them on or off in the code. I overwrote both my private constraints, as they had both been set to blank values, with the new version using the proper outlets and then, since the label is hidden on load, activated the one constraint that covers up the label so the user wouldn’t be able to see where the label was once the application loads. Since the original constraint in my interface builder is removed at build time this new constraint won’t interfere with it.

![Screenshot of my code, within the viewDidLoad function, showing how I created my two constraints and activate the one I wanted on by default. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-05-27-at-9.44.04-PM-1.png?resize=750%2C158&ssl=1)

In the `viewDidLoad` function I overwrote each of the two constraints with a new one using the outlets matched to my controls. I then activated the one constraint that hides the label from the user.

```swift
override func viewDidLoad() {
    // Allows the super class to handle it's code first  
    super.viewDidLoad()
     
    // Set up the two constraints I want to toggle between
     
    // This constraint sets the distance between the stack view and the scrollable text view thus hiding the label as the scroll view covers it up. Since there's a static constraint between the label and the stack view above it this essentially places the scrollable text view at the same place as the currently hidden label.
    constraintScrollViewToStackView = NSLayoutConstraint(item: textViewChangingJSON!, attribute: .top, relatedBy: .equal, toItem: stackViewJSON, attribute: .bottom, multiplier: 1.0, constant: 6.0)
    // This constraint makes space for the label as it positions the scrollable text view under the label instead of over it like the previous constraint. 
    constraintScrollViewToLbl = NSLayoutConstraint(item: textViewChangingJSON!, attribute: .top, relatedBy: .equal, toItem: lblLoadJSONmessage, attribute: .bottom, multiplier: 1.0, constant: 6.0)
    // Both are inactive by default so I next turn on the one I want active on load
    constraintScrollViewToStackView.isActive = true      
}
```

Two quick asides:

I call `super.viewDidLoad()` at the beginning of my `viewDidLoad` function so the superclass can handle it’s setup before I add my own. If interested you can read more about [*Why/When Do We Have To Call Super.ViewDidLoad?* through izzi{Swift}](https://izziswift.com/why-when-do-we-have-to-call-super-viewdidload/?ref=simplykyra.com).

While writing this post up I wondered it I could just add an initializer to my class and use that to initialize my already declared private constraints. I got the code compiling but when I ran my application it crashed

> Thread 1: Fatal error: Unexpectedly found nil while unwrapping an Optional value

because my outlets were still set to nil as my view hadn’t loaded yet. I fixed it by returning my code back to how it was before as shown in this post. Specifically the blank initialization to the private constraint declarations and the proper initialization back to the `viewDidLoad` function.

Anyway once the two constraints were declared and properly instantiated it’s time to use them. To do this I moved down in my code to the function where I set my label to visible or hidden based on whether there’s an error message or not. If there’s an error message then the label needs to be visible `.isHidden = false`, the constraint that hides the label needs to be inactivated `isActive = false`, and the constraint that shows the label needs to be active `isActive = true`. If there isn’t an error message then the label needs to be invisible `.isHidden = true`, the string is set to blank `.stringValue = ""`, the constraint that shows the label needs to be inactivated `isActive = false`, and the constraint that hides it needs to be activated `isActive = true`. Since you can’t have two competing constraints you’ll need to inactivate the currently active one before activating the other one. I went the opposite way in the `else if` section and got an error so I swapped the two lines.

![Image shows a section of my code where I set the visibility (isHidden) of my label and activate (isActive) my constraints based on whether there's an error message or not. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-05-27-at-8.49.48-PM.png?resize=750%2C280&ssl=1)

This shows my code segment where I deactivate the active constraint `.isActive = false` before activating the other constraint `.isActive = true`. This is the proper ordering.

![Image shows almost the same code as the previous picture. In this case, though, the last two lines in the "else if" section are reversed so my application encounter an error when I tried to activate the one as the other already was active and they conflict. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_self.1blLoadJSONmessage.isHidden-false.png?resize=750%2C296&ssl=1)

The first time through I had copied my code from the first section and just changed the boolean values so I ended up with an error when I tried to activate the conflicting constraint. After swapping the two lines it worked great.

```swift
// When the label has a value and is set visible I deactivate the constraint that hides the label and then activate the constraint that shows it.
self.label.stringValue = message!
self.label.isHidden = false
constraintScrollViewToStackView.isActive = false
constraintScrollViewToLbl.isActive = true
 
// When the label doesn't have a value, as there's no error message, I set it to invisible, blank the string value, deactivate the constraint showing the label, and activate the constraint hiding it.
self.lblLoadJSONmessage.isHidden = true
self.lblLoadJSONmessage.stringValue = ""
constraintScrollViewToLbl.isActive = false
constraintScrollViewToStackView.isActive = true
```

With the constraints declared, instantiated, and activated (or inactivated) it’s time to test this out!

![Image shows the application with no space between the stack view and the text view. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-05-27-at-8.28.56-PM.png?resize=750%2C81&ssl=1)

By default, on load, I activated the constraint that sets the distance between the stack view (where the two checkboxes and the button is) and the scrollable text view (the white square below). This means the label appears to have never been there. Looking great so far!

![Image shows the application with a space between the stack view and the text view so you can read the error message set on the label. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-05-27-at-8.29.19-PM.png?resize=750%2C62&ssl=1)

After running the code that results in an error message I was happy to see that the scrollable text view was moved down and the label was set and visible. After this screenshot was taken I ran the code with no error message which resulted in the scrollable text view moving up and the label once again disappearing just like the previous image. So overall it works great!

And with that the constraint went from a static immovable force on the interface builder to a dynamic one that fits my needs through the back end code. I was vaguely surprised at how amazing it worked and love how simple, in the end, it was to create. I wanted to share what I did with you in case you’re looking at creating something similar yourself.

If you do use this on your code I’d love to hear from you in the comments below to find out how it worked and/or how you used it. I hope your coding is going well and your day is great.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Incredibly Simple Play Bandages with Masking Tape
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/incredibly-simple-play-bandages-with-masking-tape/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:26:27.000Z
I’ve started going through some of my earlier ideas that I’ve had for my website and I came across this incredibly simple pretend play and art idea. I used this idea years ago with Ada and, after remembering it again, I pulled it out again a month ago for both kids. Basically all you need is masking tape and, optionally, markers. That’s it. With it you can create simple play bandages for your toys or even, if they’d like, your children themselves. Since it’s masking tape it can easily be peeled off most toys and be reused. I did make sure to warn my kids about placing the tape on their doll’s hair just in case it might get pulled out.

![Pinterest geared image showing several photos from the blog posts, all shown below, along with the blog title and my main URL. Specifically the images shows the masking tape on a bench being decorated (three images along the top) and as bandages on a plastic toy (two stacked images below). ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Incredibly-Simple-Play-Bandages-with-Masking-Tape-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

I created this idea, probably, when I was looking for fun but quiet things for Ada, then a toddler, to do while Zoey napped so by default I wanted this to last as long as possible so I ended up creating two elements to this idea. This meant when Ada got tired of the first she could easily go onto the next part and it kept her interested for longer. With my kids now older I gave them the whole picture, from the start, and they had greater agency over their play.

## *The Setup*

The first part of this craft was simply decorating masking tape that I had already attached to the bench so I setup the craft by simply cutting lengths of the tape and sticking it to the bench for Ada. I chose to use the bench as Ada could use it as a standing table, pull up a chair to be the same height as it, or sit on the bench beside the tape to color. I chose to pre-cut the masking tape pieces so they’d be easier to color than on the roll and Ada could peel them up easily and use them without needing any help. Additionally, I figured this would help the tape lose a bit of it’s adhesive power by attaching it first to the bench and then, hopefully, there would be less of a chance of a stuffed animal loosing patches of it’s fur. Anyway, I started out by attaching strips of the masking tape and, for wider bandages, overlapped two of them together. I also cut out some smaller ones and, with my pen, added heart outlines so Ada could easily color them in.

![Image shows the end of the bench from above. On it is three strips of masking tape and one strip (second from the right) with two strips overlapping slightly. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_0459.jpg?resize=750%2C526&ssl=1)

I started out by ripping apart long strips of masking tape and attaching them to our bench. I thought this would give Ada a longer surface to color and she could choose how to use them since they could be used as a long bandage, cut it into smaller ones, or wrapped it around a toy leg,

![Image shows a closeup of the other end of the bench with five small pieces of masking tape still attached at the top. On them are one or two outlined hearts. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_4231.jpg?resize=750%2C494&ssl=1)

To change it up later I doodled some hearts onto the tape and cut them up smaller so Ada would have little bandages she could use.

## *Part 1: The Art*

Now that the masking tape is set out I had Ada grab [her markers](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/12/my-simple-marker-holder-hardest-part-was-drying-the-mod-podge/) so she could start decorating them however she wanted. When Ada was younger I limited her to just the markers as they were washable and I didn’t have to worry about the wax from the crayons or something wrecking a toy.

![Image shows the bench with Ada sitting in the center reaching over for markers while a stethoscope hangs from her neck. There's tape stripes on either side of her on the bench. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_0462.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Ada immediately hopped up on the bench with her doctor’s stethoscope and markers and started ‘making’ bandages.

![Image shows Ada sitting on her chair in front of the bench wrapping a decorated masking tape bandage around her arm. In the background are the other stripes of tape and the felt pens. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_0120.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Surprisingly, she used the bandage on herself before using it on one of her toys.

When I pulled this out last month my kids were much older, at four and six, so I just gave them the masking tape, told them they could decorate it, and that they could use the decorated masking tape strips to make bandages for their toys. It was up to them to figure out the details and they immediately and excitedly pulled out their art trolley to begin.

![Image shows two chairs pulled up to the bench. Ada leans over her strips of tape while decorating them with a stacked crayon while Zoey is crouched in her chair and turned away from her strips as she peruses the art trolley for supplies. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9309.jpeg?resize=750%2C535&ssl=1)

They immediately got to work pulling strips of masking tape off of the roll and cutting it to size. They then grabbed whatever art tools they wanted and started decorating them.

![Image shows the bench festooned with many masking tape bandages. Closer to the camera are Ada's patterned strips while, in the background, you can see Zoey's hands and feet while she leans over to cut the tape smaller. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9312.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Ada quickly finished making patterns on hers while Zoey took the time to cut hers into small bits.

## *Part 2: Pretend Play*

Once the kid(s) are done decorating their bandages it’s time to doctor their toys. I love how open-ended this can be. If they’re having difficulties you could always grab a plastic toy and have it tell them what’s wrong and once they get going back carefully away to relax or work on something else. Back when we first did this Ada ended up doctoring her elephant by fixing it’s leg, tucking it in to sleep, and taking it for walks.

![Image shows a large plastic elephant pull toy being tucked under a blanket carefully with a masking tape bandage applied to it's foot.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_0128.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The photos I had saved from this experience were mostly blurry so this one of Ada tucking the elephant in seemed the best to share.

More recently, when we pulled this out again, the kids had just set up a fort so they ended up turning it into a hospital and moved all of their bandages over from the bench to the more portable wobble cushions. They had a blast and later, once they were done, it was easy for them to pull the masking tape bandages off of the toys and throw it out.

![Image shows a ball and stick fort mostly covered in a top sheet. Inside are two wobble cushions covered in decorated masking tape bandages. You can see parts of one kid's nightgown as she doctors her toys. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9331.jpeg?resize=750%2C464&ssl=1)

They turned their fort into a hospital and used the wobble cushions to transfer the bandages wherever they needed to doctor their toys at.

![Image shows most of two dolls with Anna's foot bandaged and Belle's leg and both arms. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9372.jpeg?resize=750%2C406&ssl=1)

At the end I found both dolls sitting on the couch so I quickly snapped a picture to remember their injuries and bandages. Looking back they aren’t bandaged anymore but I can’t remember exactly when the masking tape may have been removed.

Both times my kid(s) did this they started out with the art side of the activity and ended with the pretend play; however, I could see this becoming a revolving circuit of play as the kid(s) use up the bandages and make more. We haven’t watched it in forever but I could see this being the perfect activity to combine with watching Doc McStuffin’s or some other doctor or vet related show.

---

I figured this was an incredibly simple idea that may keep your kids entertained for a little while, or days, depending on what they’re interested in. Let me know if you pull this idea out for your kids and, if so, what’s the coolest or weirdest thing they bandaged? Feel free to share in the comments below. I hope this made your life just a bit easier and your day is going well.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### "The No-Fuss Family Cookbook" Review
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/the-no-fuss-family-cookbook-review/
Last updated: 2023-12-17T17:06:27.000Z
I came across this book, [The No-Fuss Family Cookbook: Simple Recipes for Everyday Life by Ryan Scott](https://www.hmhbooks.com/shop/books/the-no-fuss-family-cookbook/9780358439141?ref=simplykyra.com), back at the end of January or beginning of February through [NetGalley](https://www.netgalley.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and I immediately loved it’s cover and description. Paging through the advanced digital reader version was amazing. All the food-related photos were severely drool worthy. This is definitely a book to wait to read until after you’ve eaten otherwise your grocery list is going to get huge so quickly! The first time I forced myself to limit my grocery list to only three recipes’ ingredients and when I made them they were all ten out of ten meals. I next let myself choose five more recipes and kept going and going. I’m so glad I came across this incredible cookbook.

![Pinterest geared image saying the name of the cookbook I reviewed and my main blog URL. It also shows two collages with a total of eleven food-related images. All images are found below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed___The-No-Fuss-Family-Cookbook_-Review-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

![Image is the front cover of The No-Fuss Family Cookbook by Ryan Scott. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_9780358439141_hres.jpg?resize=750%2C841&ssl=1)

This image showing the cover of the cookbook was taken from the[ publisher’s, Houghtonm Mifflin Harcourt, website](https://www.hmhbooks.com/shop/books/the-no-fuss-family-cookbook/9780358439141/?ref=simplykyra.com).

You can find this book, The No-Fuss Family Cookbook: Simple Recipes for Everyday Life by Ryan Scott through [the publisher’s website at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt](https://www.hmhbooks.com/shop/books/the-no-fuss-family-cookbook/9780358439141?ref=simplykyra.com) or you can check out his [Instagram account @chef\_ryan\_scott](https://www.instagram.com/chef%5Fryan%5Fscott/?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

When browsing through this cookbook I first noticed that although the subtitle of the book was *simple recipes for everyday life* most recipes took two or more pages in the book to be explained. At first this was a bit off-putting as it seemed to make the recipes more involved than the mostly one page ones I had been mostly worked with so far. Luckily, I was also struck by all of the gorgeous photos of both the food and the author’s family and was then extremely caught by the description for the *old-school spiced pork hash with potatoes, herbs, and worcestershire*. From there I couldn’t put the cookbook down and flipped through while salivating over so many of the incredible foods shown. I had recently decided to cook through my freezer but I couldn’t help but wish I could cook through this cookbook instead. I finally settled on just three recipes for my first foray into the cookbook which included a meal (*slow cooker creamy tomato soup with cheesy waffle dippers*), a salad (*don’t-tell-anyone-it’s-vegan swiss chard caesar salad with hand-torn croutons*), and a dessert (*any-day-ending-in-“y” overnight sticky buns*). All three recipes blew me away and I immediately started looking into what else I should make from the book. Before going any further I do want to add that I found several of these recipes rather salty. I’m not sure if that was on me, as I’ve been using sea salt rather than normal table salt, or if those recipes were just truly salty. I also found that many of the recipes I tried seemed rather rich; enough so, that at one point we actually took a short break as the richness was becoming a bit too much. Both issues may just be my personal choice but I felt I should mention it here to you. On that note, without any further ado, here are all the recipes I tried from this cookbook with my honest review attached:   

---

## *breakfast and baked goods*

### *ryan’s all-in-one savory breakfast bake*

I knew immediately that I was going to have to make adjustments as I wasn’t able to buy the needed King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls. Instead I substituted them for brioche buns and then, while making the dish, stressed when I realized I only had six buns while the recipe called for twelve. I hadn’t used King’s Hawaiian rolls before so I started frantically looking online for their size, gave up, and was then relieved to see that the final mixture barely filled the properly sized casserole dish demonstrating that I probably used the right amount of bread. On top of all that I hadn’t bought scallions, chose to increase the mushrooms and celery a bit, replaced the half-and-half with a mixture of whole milk and heavy cream, and then realized I was out of sage so I did a last minute substitution, [after looking online and seeing *The Spruce Eats’* post](https://www.thespruceeats.com/sage-substitute-1388896?ref=simplykyra.com), using an equal amount of poultry seasoning instead. Although I was really worried about the recipe changes it all turned out incredibly in the end. Even though the kids ended up not enjoying it Matt, my husband, and I thought it was the perfect supper.

![Image shows the raw egg mixture in a square glass casserole dish beside an empty wrapper labelled "brioche".  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2383.jpeg?resize=750%2C334&ssl=1)

I started stressing when putting the recipe together but calmed down once I saw it fit the casserole dish perfectly. For future reference I used six normal-sized brioche hamburger buns rather than the dozen King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls the recipe called for.

![Image shows the same glass casserole dish filled with a peaked dish topped in melted orange cheese. Behind it sits four saucers, to the left, and stacked oven mitts to the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2391.jpeg?resize=750%2C340&ssl=1)

Fresh out of the oven and the casserole looked beyond amazing and smelled mouthwateringly good.

![Image shows four saucers filled with the egg dish sitting on the table about to be devoured. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2394.jpeg?resize=750%2C473&ssl=1)

Matt and I each dished a large serving while the kids each had a smaller square.

A couple of days later I used up the leftovers for my lunch and they were incredibly divine. I plopped the leftovers on a plate, added jarred pepperoncini, microwaved it, and then poured some [plain yogurt](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/09/how-i-make-my-own-yogurt-for-my-simple-breakfast/) over top of it. The end result was even better than the first time and just thinking about it now makes me want to make the casserole again just so I could eat it with the pepperoncinis and yogurt again. Maybe, when I make this dish again, I should just double it and make two small casseroles so there could be a more kid-friendly option in one dish and a more adult-y one using pepperoncinis in the other dish.

![Image shows a white bowl with the orange and tan dish with white yogurt and sliced pepperoncini. There's a spoon hiding in the large pool of yogurt surrounding the dish. Under it sits a blue potholder and the table. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_2483.jpeg?resize=750%2C495&ssl=1)

Between having the flavors melded together and the addition of pepperoncini and yogurt the leftovers ended up even better than the first time we had the dish. Overall this deserves a repeat at some point soon.

### *old-school spiced pork hash with potatoes, herbs, and worcestershir*

I absolutely loved the description of this meal and knew the second I saw it that I just had to make it. I ended up buying an eight pound piece of meat rather than the five pound the recipe called for so I increased the seasoning, made from the recipe, from a third to a half of a cup. I also realized at the last second I didn’t have allspice so I looked online and, using [*The Pioneer Woman*](https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/cooking-tips-tutorials/g34877689/allspice-substitute/?ref=simplykyra.com), replaced it with a mixture of pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and black pepper. Once the amazing smelling meat came out of the oven; however, I found it rather salty. I’m not sure if that was on me from increasing the seasoning amount or if the seasoning itself was too salty for my taste. That said, since the meat seemed so salty I then replaced the three teaspoons of Lawry’s seasoning salt, for the hash mixture, with only one teaspoon of [no-salt Spike seasoning](http://spikeseasoning.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) I had on hand. Still the finished pork hash seemed way too salty for Matt and I and we found it best to eat it with something that cut through the salty taste. I do love how this recipe has you make twice as much as you need and then save half to make the next time even simpler.

![Image shows a 1/8 cup measuring cup, and empty pumpkin pie spice jar, cinnamon, and a tablespoon. The measuring cups and spoon have brown and black spices in it.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1435.jpeg?resize=750%2C541&ssl=1)

I was out of allspice so, after looking [online](https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/cooking-tips-tutorials/g34877689/allspice-substitute/?ref=simplykyra.com), I used a mixture containing the last of my pumpkin pie spice, ground black pepper, and some cinnamon. It seemed to work because other than the salt I didn’t notice anything negative about the seasoned meat.

![Image shows a white wide bowl and metal stand mixer bowl both with chunks of meat in it. To the right is a dutch oven with a skim of meat juice at the bottom, the lid off to the side, and a saucer with the bone on it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1453.jpeg?resize=750%2C479&ssl=1)

Although a bit too salty the meat turned out great. I was easily able to pull chunks of it off so I could split it into two sections before pouring the rest of the liquid over top. The half I saved for later went directly into a [Stasher bag](https://www.stasherbag.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and then the freezer.

![Image shows my cooking layout while frying the hash cakes and eggs after slicing some tomatoes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1456.jpeg?resize=750%2C263&ssl=1)

Once the hash was mixed up it was time to fry them. I used a bowl to hold the first couple ones that broke apart, a large bowl for the finished ones, another bowl to hold my sliced tomatoes, and reused my Dutch oven to fry some eggs for a side. I used the recipe’s photo in the book to dictate what I chose to serve the pork hash with. Like all things I’ve ever tried to cook in oil with a frying pan the smoke detector was set off but other than that it was a simple process with easy to understand directions.

![Image shows a white plate topped with brown and black hash, red sliced tomatoes, and fried eggs. Off to the side is a cloth napkin, fork, and knife. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1457.jpeg?resize=750%2C410&ssl=1)

Although the end result was too salty for my taste you could still taste the flavor of the dish and knew, with less salt, it would taste great. I hadn’t been sure what to serve the hash cakes with so I ended up copying the image the author used for the dish by frying up some eggs and slicing some tomatoes.

The kids didn’t like it, of course, so we found ourselves with lots of leftovers. The next time we ate the leftover pork hash I cut mine up and heated it with leftover purple rice and corn. Matt topped his hash cakes with cheese before heating them up and tossing them in a bun to make a terrific burger style meal. Once we were done I cut up the last of the hash, threw it in a container with the last of the rice, and froze the mix for another day. I love that the pork hash alone became three separate meals for Matt and I. Plus, other than the salt, all versions tasted good. I can definitely see making this again as long as a I can drastically decrease the salt amount in the spice mix without affecting all of the other flavors.

![Image shows broken up pork hash, purple rice, and yellow corn all mixed up in a bowl with melted white cheese overtop. There's a spoon sticking out of the mixture. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1509.jpeg?resize=750%2C447&ssl=1)

The first time I ate the leftovers I served mine mixed with leftover frozen corn and purple rice and topped it al

These photos showed what I did with the pork hash yet that was only half of the meat from the recipe. The other half of the pork roast was shredded before being frozen for later. Rather than making hash again I instead saved the shredded meat for awhile, defrosted it, and heated it in the microwave to serve with Ryan’s *olive oil yukon gold mashers* and some heated frozen corn. The leftovers from that meal were then thrown into a casserole dish and then into the freezer for yet another meal. The photos of this can be found under the *olive oil yukon gold mashers* review near the bottom.

### *no-knead diy english muffins*

I was super excited to see English muffins in the cookbook and knew I needed to try them as the kids hadn’t had English muffins in a very long while. Looking over the recipe I planned to make these for lunch, so I wouldn’t be rushed, as I assumed there would be enough remaining for supper that night with eggs and bacon. I completely miscalculated and although I burned most of these (I hate frying pans) we ended up eating all of them for lunch topped with cream cheese and lemon curd. Although I didn’t end up with large bubbles in the dough and burned them they still tasted great. Matt even told me that they were better than store-bought… although it had been awhile since he’d tried store-bought English muffins. I do want to try to make these again and would love to eventually master this recipe.

![Image shows the table coated in flour and dough remnants. Off to the side sits a measuring cup with more flour, a mix of cinnamon and sugar, a dirty glass, and a plastic bench scraper. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2398.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After cutting out all of the English muffins I was left with random scraps. The recipe cautioned me not to turn the scraps into new English muffins but rather to bake it as monkey bread.

![Image shows a loaf pan with a shallow layer of cut up dough scraps. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2400.jpeg?resize=750%2C436&ssl=1)

I put all the dough remnants into a loaf pan and sprinkled it with pre-mixed cinnamon and sugar. I baked this while the English muffins rose.

![Image shows the top of the stove. To the left sits a cornmeal coated cookie sheet half filled with raw dough circles. To the right sits six English muffins frying in oil with a lid overtop. In the back sits the baked sugar and cinnamon sprinkled dough bits. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2407.jpeg?resize=750%2C495&ssl=1)

The cinnamon and sugar dough had finished baking by the time I started frying up the English muffins. I don’t love using an oil coated frying pan and although I tried to follow the directions I, again, ended up with burnt dough and set off the smoke detector once again.

![Image shows two saucers with a sliced open English muffin topped with cream cheese, on one, and lemon curd on the other half. In the background sits some burnt English muffins cooling on a wire rack and the bowl of baked scraps. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2409.jpeg?resize=750%2C505&ssl=1)

Although burnt and with the interior bubbles too small the finished English muffins tasted great topped with cream cheese and lemon curd.

![Image shows a sliced English muffin on a saucer topped with cream cheese and lemon curd. In the background sits a English muffin resting on a zester with a wire rack holding the rest. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2414.jpeg?resize=750%2C455&ssl=1)

I attempted to de-burn the muffins by rubbing them over a citrus zester but found that I was either squishing them or not pressing hard enough to get the charcoal off.

### *grapefruit poppy seed pound cak*e

Many months ago I came across a lemon poppy seed loaf recipe online that I really wanted to make, but by the time I finally purchased the needed poppy seeds I had forgotten the recipe and hadn’t yet gotten around to finding a new one. While paging through this cookbook I knew the second I saw this recipe that I HAD to try it. And I wasn’t disappointed at all. The finished loaf was incredible, moist, delicious, and tasty whether it was eaten hot, fresh from the fridge, or at room temperature as recommended. This has become our family’s favorite recipe in the book…. and even Matt loves it although he doesn’t normally like grapefruit at all.

The first time I made this recipe I followed the directions religiously including making sure I had all of the required ingredients, so no substitutions, and actually sifting my dry ingredients using a metal strainer balanced over a plastic bowl. Somehow, after baking, I pulled out the loaf to find the center was obviously not done so I tossed it back in for another twenty minutes. The photo shown in the cookbook seems to be of a longer and skinner loaf pan than my more traditionally sized one so I’m not sure if the issue was my loaf pan itself or something else. Since then I’ve increased the listed bake time by ten minute and all the resulting loaves have turned out amazingly. The second time I made this I realized I was out of sour cream and so I did what I normally do and substituted it with my [homemade yogurt](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/09/how-i-make-my-own-yogurt-for-my-simple-breakfast/) instead. The third time around I substituted again with my [homemade yogurt](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/09/how-i-make-my-own-yogurt-for-my-simple-breakfast/) but also realized I was out of lemons so I only used grapefruit for the juice and zest rather than a combination of the two like the recipe says. I still loved how it turned out although Matt felt the lack of lemon caused the loaf to lack something. That time around I also added some parchment paper to the base of the loaf pan and solved my missing loaf bottom problem when I later pulled it out.

![Image shows a metal strainer over a white (inner) bowl with white powder with black specks in it. There are two measuring spoons in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_2539.jpeg?resize=750%2C539&ssl=1)

I used a small-holed metal strainer (that I bought to clean quinoa and rice with) balanced over a plastic bowl to sift all the dry ingredients together.

![Image shows a loaf, with missing bottom placed beside it, on a black wire cooling rack. White icing is pooled and dripping down the edges as a white plate, below, catches the dribbles. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1540.jpeg?resize=750%2C477&ssl=1)

The first two times I made this I lost the bottom to the loaf pan when removing it. That worked out as I could easily drizzle the icing over top of it all and use the bottom to test how good it turned out.

![Image shows a white sauce with an iced slice of grapefruit poppy seed pound cake sitting on it. In the background you can see three other saucers with slices on each. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1542.jpeg?resize=750%2C482&ssl=1)

Whether whole or in pieces the **grapefruit poppy seed pound cak*e tasted incredible and I can see making this again whenever the kids request it, when I remember and want it, or for special occasions. So yum.

![Image shows a baked poppy seed loaf siting in a loaf pan with parchment paper sticking out from either long side. Beside it sits a blue spatula, a napkin, a bowl with icing and a small whisk, and a wire cooling rack. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_2548.jpeg?resize=750%2C335&ssl=1)

I finally solved the missing loaf bottom the last time I baked this. I solved it by taking a piece of parchment paper and draped it inside the pan so either end came out from either side. I then poured the loaf in, baked it, used a spatula to separate the loaf from either end of the pan, and finally used the parchment paper to lift the whole thing up. It looked amazing!

![Image shows the loaf as one piece only with white dripping off it's ends on to the parchment below the cooling rack. Beside it sits a dirtied but emptied loaf pan.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_2554.jpeg?resize=750%2C394&ssl=1)

I carefully transferred the entire loaf to the cooling rack and used the parchment to catch any of the icing drizzle as it drips down the perfect loaf.

As an aside I found the recipe needed a whole lemon’s worth of zest but then only used half of the lemon for it’s juice. As such I had a non-zesty and un-squeezed half of a lemon leftover after making the loaf the first time. Rather than waste it I cut the half down into smaller pieces and threw it into the garburator in my kitchen sink. While typing this trick out I quickly looked online to confirm the lemon cleaning trick and came across a list of garbage disposal dos and don’ts that include lemon wedges (do) on [*Pete the Plumber*](https://www.petetheplumber.com/what-not-to-put-in-garbage-disposal/?ref=simplykyra.com) while also coming across these handy lemon and vinegar cubes through a [lifehacker’s post](https://lifehacker.com/clean-and-de-stink-your-garbage-disposal-with-lemon-and-1452050273?ref=simplykyra.com) that I can totally see making the next time. When I substituted the lemon so I only used grapefruit, the third time making it, I was left with a whole zested and un-squeezed grapefruit. I ended up taking the pulp out and tossed it into a sealed container in the fridge so I could make [a yogurt, grapefruit, and granola parfait](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/30/have-yogurt-now-what-what-i-make-with-yogurt/) the next day. Any leftover juiced citrus, each time I made the loaf, went into a glass of water so I got to have citrus-flavored water after cleaning the mess up.

![Image shows a glass container with grapefruit pulp. Beside it (bottom left, up, and around) is a measuring cup with clear grapefruit edges, the cut peels, a couple measuring devices, and a pink hued water glass. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_2544.jpeg?resize=750%2C475&ssl=1)

The time I used only grapefruit I only needed the juice from one while I needed the zest from two grapefruits. This left me with a bit of juice (from the first) and a zested whole grapefruit. I ended up peeling and extracting the segments from the last grapefruit so I could use it for a yogurt parfait the next day and then put the excess juice in my glass with water for citrus-flavored water. It was great.

### *any-day-ending-in-“y” overnight sticky buns*

I had recently made some *Caramel-Apple Cinnamon Rolls*, [from a different book](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/05/05/the-secret-ingredient-cookbook-review/), so when I came across these sticky buns I knew I needed to make them soon so the kids, Matt, and I could form an opinion on which style of buns we prefer. Even though a quick glance at this recipe almost frightened me once I looked closer it seemed pretty simple to follow. By default the dough needs to rise for six or more hours which I loved as I was able to make this after supper, wash all my dishes at once, and enjoy the buns with hardly any work the next day. That said if you prefer not to let them rise for so long the recipe says that you can skip the fridge and leave them on the counter for about an hour instead.

The only ingredient I changed from the recipe was the light corn syrup. I didn’t have any and the store I shop through doesn’t carry it. I looked up possible substitutes, [using The Spruce Eats](https://www.thespruceeats.com/light-corn-syrup-substitute-1388889?ref=simplykyra.com), and chose to replace it with an equal amount of rice syrup I had on hand instead. I also used a glass casserole pan for the cinnamon buns when the recipe simply calls for a *pan*. I’m not sure if it was the pan replacement itself but when I finished baking these and flipped them out of the pan they were severely undercooked. I left them on the cookie sheet, that I had flipped them onto, and threw them back into the oven for about twenty minutes before they came out looking, smelling, and finally tasting great.

![Image shows a bubbling sugar mixture in a grey pan on a red burner. A simple flat bottom whisk sits propped against the pot. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_1080.jpeg?resize=750%2C515&ssl=1)

Although the sugar spat at me and I felt like I needed three hands while adding the cream mixture to make a caramel sauce (used my stomach to keep the pan’s handle in place while I whisked and poured) the instructions themselves walked me through each and every step making it really straightforward.

![Image shows twelve cinnamon buns sitting in caramel in a glass casserole dish. The pan sits on a hidden cork trivet on a flour splattered table.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_1081.jpeg?resize=750%2C514&ssl=1)

The buns looked so small sitting in the casserole dish but in no time at all I found them straining to get out of the plastic wrapped dish.

![Image shows the damp and wrinkled looking cinnamon buns laid out on a Silpat lined baking sheet. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_1106.jpeg?resize=750%2C494&ssl=1)

I’m guessing it was the fault of the pan I used but when I flipped the buns out of the casserole dish I found them not fully cooked. I left them on the cookie sheet and tossed them back into the oven to finish baking. I haven’t tried this again… so much sugar…. but I can’t wait to see what this looks like when properly cooked.

![Image shows a cookie sheet with ten cinnamon buns on it as two were dished onto the sauces to the left and right. On the left side you can see the emptied glass casserole dish while at the front there's a fork and spoon for dishing and scooping the buns and sauce. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_1108.jpeg?resize=750%2C343&ssl=1)

Once they were finally done baking we gladly dished them up making sure to scoop some of the caramel to go along with each of the buns.

The final sticky buns were almost too rich but completely delicious. Both kids repeatedly told me that they “tasted so so good” while Zoey, at one point, added “that’s a gooder dessert than I thought it should be”. I could definitely see making them again although I’d definitely bake them for longer. The recipe mentioned adding nuts which I could see being totally amazing but I decided to skip it this time so the kids wouldn’t complain.

![Image shows a piece of sticky bun on a white plate with a pool of caramel. The bun is coated in whip cream and a fork sits beside the saucer about to be picked up. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_1110.jpeg?resize=750%2C469&ssl=1)

The recipe called for whip cream which worked great to cut the richness of the sticky bun. Overall amazing and would definitely make again.

![Image shows a decent piece of sticky bun sitting in caramel sauce and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon. This time a spoon sits ready and waiting to be used. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_1158.jpeg?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

For the leftovers the kids and I chose to top the reheated sticky bun with ice cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I LOVED it this way and prefer the ice cream over the whip cream topping. Matt chose to go with the whip cream instead.

### best sweet cornbread ever with honey butter

I normally make my cornbread from my first ever, gifted, cookbook the red checkered [Company’s Coming](https://companyscoming.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) one. That said I was interested to see what this one tasted like so I made it using the lesser amount of white sugar as the recipe has a range depending on the sweetness you want. It turned out delicious although we still have no idea how it would taste after sitting overnight as we ate it all in one go. The girls mainly had this for supper but Matt and I had planned to go for the more traditional chili and cornbread pairing as we had leftover *super veggie chili con corny*. This didn’t happen as planned as we, once again, had an issue with the bake time not being quite long enough which I didn’t realize until after I had slathered the top with butter so I threw it back into the oven, buttered, baked it longer and then microwaved the slices to be sure they were done. By the time the cornbread was fully ready Matt and I had already finished our chili so we still don’t know how well they go together but found the cornbread a satisfying dessert.

![Image shows a square of cornbread with chunks of butter melting overtop. It sits surrounded by parchment paper in a square glass casserole dish sitting beside a black bowl with more sweet butter inside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2244.jpeg?resize=750%2C371&ssl=1)

After pulling the cornbread from the oven, both times, I slathered the top with the honey butter, recipe also included, before finally cutting and serving it.

![Image shows a corner piece of the cornbread sitting on a square white saucer in a pool of melted butter. A fork lays over the side and a pink donut napkin sits underneath it. A water glass sits in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2250.jpeg?resize=750%2C471&ssl=1)

By that time the leftover chili had been eaten so we all, essentially, had the cornbread for dessert and it was delicious.

---

# *salads, soups, and snacks*

### *simplest marinated cherry tomato salad with 3/2/1 lemon-soy vinaigrette*

I absolutely adored this salad. Technically, the recipe has you make a double batch of the dressing so you have excess for later and then add it to the tomatoes to marinate. I wasn’t sure if I’d use the excess dressing right away so I instead halved the dressing part and added each ingredient directly to a [Stasher bag](http://www.stasherbag.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) before sealing, shaking to mix, and setting it in the fridge to marinate. I did eat enough that the vinegar in the dressing started being a bit too much but since I definitely probably ate more than a serving amount that doesn’t matter. I served this with leftover rice and the *old-school spiced pork hash with potatoes, herbs, and worcestershir* and it was awesome together. I left the remaining salad in the fridge for a of couple days, a bit longer than I meant to, so the arugula ended up becoming rather wilted. It still tasted fine served over fresh arugula set beside the *every-occasion potato salad with bacon-mustard vinaigrette* though.

![Image shows a squished purple bag on it's side on the counter. You can see halved tomatoes in a liquid as the odd bubble is apparent.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2312.jpeg?resize=750%2C484&ssl=1)

I halved the dressing so I could throw all the ingredients, along with the cherry tomatoes, in a Stasher bag. This way I could mix and marinate at the same time with minimal mess.

![Image shows a white plate with a pink donut napkin beside it and a fork. Cut off on the top left you can see the bottom of a water glass. The plate is half filled with a green, red, and white salad on the one side and a mix of black and brown stuff on the other. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2349.jpeg?resize=750%2C459&ssl=1)

The first time around I served the salad as a side to the mix of leftover black rice and mashed up **old-school spiced pork hash with potatoes, herbs, and worcestershir*. It tasted great.

### *don’t-tell-anyone-it’s-vegan swiss chard caesar salad with hand-torn croutons*

I absolutely loved this recipe and am so glad I made it; although, I hadn’t looked too closely at the serving size and it created a rather large salad especially as only Matt and I ate it. Ada was super excited for the salad and told me that she “liked the salad so much that \[she\] could eat it all day long” but, in reality, both girls only ate the croutons. This salad was so simple to throw together especially as I had cleaned and cut up my Swiss chard when I first bought it so I only needed to make the croutons, by slicing pre-sliced bread into squares, that morning and mixing the dressing together right before tossing it all in a bowl to serve. When I make this again, if it’s just us again, I’m planning on adding the croutons to each plate individually and thus rate-limit the kids and allow me to pack away any leftover salad separate from the croutons so they don’t get too soggy. I hadn’t realized just how much I truly missed a good Caesar salad until I tasted this and I truly absolutely adored how the salad used Swiss chard rather than a simple lettuce.

![Image shows salad tongs dishing some salad onto a white saucer from a metal bowl. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_1096.jpeg?resize=750%2C514&ssl=1)

The recipe made a lot of amazing Ceasar salad.

![Image shows a wide open bowl filled with Caesar salad, a fork, and a glass of water in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_1101.jpeg?resize=750%2C542&ssl=1)

I loaded up my bowl with the salad and it was so so so good.

In case you’re like me and haven’t used silken tofu (the vegan ingredient for the dressing) before I wanted to share what I did with the tofu I was stuck with after making the dressing. I actually fed it to my kids. I had looked online later that night and came across this amazing looking smoothie recipe, [on The Spruce Eats](https://www.thespruceeats.com/blueberry-tofu-smoothie-recipe-695280?ref=simplykyra.com), although I used whole cow’s milk rather than the soy milk it calls for. The girls helped me make it for their lunch and absolutely loved it.

### *slow cooker creamy tomato soup with cheesy waffle dippers*

This was SO fantastic and tasted like a truly gourmet restaurant soup yet it was so simple to make and I normally wouldn’t think to order tomato soup in a restaurant. The first time Matt and I could’ve easily eaten it all alone while the girls didn’t seem to like it as much. Once you add the strips of cheesy waffle the soup becomes just the background to such an amazing waffle. Zoey told me that “the waffles \[were\] so \[much\] yummier than the soup” while Ada said that the “waffle dippers are so yummy \[that she\] could eat them all day long until nighttime and then eat them all nighttime and all over again… The soup is so yummy too”. Needless to say the next time we made this I was sure to double both the soup and the waffles which was awesome since the girls decided that they also LOVED the soup along with the waffles.

Both times I made this I didn’t make any substitutions although the recipe lists provolone or mozzarella and I used provolone both times. The first time I used sliced provolone and made sure to dice it smaller while the second time I grated the provolone from a block. The first time I also followed the directions and turned off the soup so it could cool while making the waffles. I have an immersion blender so I later realized, as the waffles took longer than expected, that I didn’t need to cool the soup as I didn’t need to transfer it to a blender. I then, after using my immersion blender, turned my slow cooker back on to heat while finishing the waffles. The second time Ada helped me toss all the ingredients into the slow cooker for the soup and then we ignored it while it cooked away. Several hours later, once I mixed up the waffles and had the first batch in the waffle iron I went back to the soup, blended it up, and served the meal to my family. I used a timer, set to five and a half minutes, to help me keep track of the waffles and I then kept a fresh supply on the table for all of us to enjoy.

![Image shows a pot of tomato soup (in a Ninja Foodi liner) behind a square casserole dish holding the sliced waffle dippers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_1131.jpeg?resize=750%2C891&ssl=1)

The first time around I made sure to cook and slice all the waffle dippers before we sat down to eat..

![Image shows a white bowl half filled with orange-ish tomato soup and has three slivers of waffles sitting on the edge as if it's dipping it's toes in. Off to the side sits a metal spoon laying on top of a pizza themed napkin.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_1135.jpeg?resize=750%2C472&ssl=1)

The soup was sublime on it’s own but when paired with the cheesy waffle dippers it became something else.

![Image shows the Ninja Foodi insert filled with the ingredients for the tomato soup. Wonder Woman (Ada) is posed and cut off beside it while the outer part of the Ninja stands behind. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3687.jpeg?resize=750%2C461&ssl=1)

The next time around I asked Ada if she wanted to help me **cook*. I grabbed the ingredients and popped open the cans while she carefully put them all into the pot. She created an island with the ingredients so I knew I needed to snap a photo of her with her artwork before we stirred it all up and popped it in the Ninja Foodi to cook.

![Image is taken from above showing our kitchen table with the liner of blended tomato soup next to a plate of cheesy waffle dippers. Four bowls are around it with waffles being dipped and eaten above the two smaller kid ones. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3696.jpeg?resize=750%2C530&ssl=1)

This time around, as I knew I’d be cooking the double batch of waffles for a while, I served the food when only one batch of waffles was ready (my waffle iron makes four at a time) and kept jumping up to serve the fresh batch and start the next one going.

![Image shows two lined cookie sheets covered in freshly toasted waffle dippers with a jug of reheated and pourable soup ready to go. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_4443.jpeg?resize=750%2C539&ssl=1)

I freeze the waffle dippers on a Silpat lined cookie sheet in the freezer, transfer them to a Stasher bag, thaw in the fridge, and heat them back up in the oven. The tomato soup was easily able to be froze in a canning jar, defrosted in the fridge, and heated in the microwave.

The first time I made we ate it all except for the four remaining cups of soup. I poured the leftover soup into a canning jar, tossed it in the fridge, and, a couple days later, made the best meat sauce I’d ever made by using the leftover tomato soup as a tomato sauce. The next time we made the soup I doubled it and although we ate way more soup than the last time I was still able to pack up just over three canning jars worth of soup. I tossed one in the freezer, once it had cooled, to test out how it tastes when thawed out. The other ones were put in the fridge so the kids could dip the leftover waffles another day along with a plan to recreate that amazing meat sauce again. And re-create the meat sauce we did. I actually cooked up two and a half packages of ground beef, added eight cups of the soup to it, and made an incredible meat sauce that I turned [into lasagna by adding a cottage cheese based layer and lasagna noodles](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/07/01/simple-lasagna-ish-from-leftovers/). I froze both lasagnas and for supper than night we ate the leftover lasagna noodles with the leftover sauce. A while later we defrosted the smaller lasagna for supper and it was amazing!

![Image shows two glass casserole dishes beside a large bot with some meat and tomato soup mixture inside. Both casserole dishes show the meat sauce at the bottom and top with lasagna noodles showing through. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3809.jpeg?ssl=1)

I changed up my normal process of creating a lasagna with supper leftovers and instead created two lasagna that I froze for another day and we ate the leftover noodles and sauce for supper.

### *super veggie chili con corny*

I knew I wanted to try the veggie chili the second I saw it. I love how this recipe was made in a slow cooker which allowed me to find the best time, in my morning, to cut up all of the vegetables allowing more time to do other things during the *supper rush*. Matt and I both thought this recipe was good but not amazing after having tried so many of the other recipes in this cookbook already. I also found the cheese he paired the chili with a bit too salty especially when also paired with the tortilla chips. I was debating not making the chili again until I had the leftover chili and absolutely adored it. I don’t know if it was just because the chili’s flavors had time to meld or if it was from pairing the chili with shredded cheddar cheese instead but it tasted amazing.

![Image shows a white bowl on the table with a metal spoon next to it. The corn bedazzled chili sits in the center of the plate surrounded by yogurt, two piles of tortilla chips, and two slices of cheese. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1592.jpeg?resize=750%2C432&ssl=1)

He recommended eating the chili with a specific type of cheese, tortilla chips, and sour cream (I used my [yogurt](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/09/how-i-make-my-own-yogurt-for-my-simple-breakfast/)). It tasted good but wasn’t amazing like many of the other recipes we had tried.

![Image shows a plate with a mound of chili in the center covered in little pieces of orange and white cheese. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2247.jpeg?resize=750%2C419&ssl=1)

The leftovers topped with grated cheddar cheese; however, tasted even better.

# *pasta*

### *three-cheese mac and cheese muffins*

I went to make this as our main meal and, before fully realizing that it made three dozen muffins, started worrying that we’d eat all of the muffins for supper, with all of that work, have nothing left for leftovers. I quickly made the decision to double the recipe and started boiling two pounds of pasta before I could change my mind. I had made sure ahead of time that I had all the ingredients but with the last second change I only had about half of the half-and-half that I needed. I substituted the other half with whole milk and charged ahead extremely happy that I did have enough of all of the other ingredients. I ended up filling the muffin tins, as the recipe dictated, with half of the mix, or one batch, and then grabbed an 8 by 10 inch glass casserole for the other portion. I put the casserole together following the same steps as the muffins but skipped adding divots for the cheese and just spread it all over top. I then doubled the bake time for the casserole while following the instructions for the mac and cheese muffins. This meant I started out with the casserole on the top rack of my oven while the larger muffin tin, with a dozen mac and cheese muffins, baked on the bottom. Once the first set of muffins were done I replaced them with two, smaller, muffin tins and left the casserole alone so the final two dozen baked while the casserole finished. The final casserole turned out incredibly tasty and the kids were ecstatic with it. Zoey told me that I had “made the yummiest thing in the world” while Ada later added that she “wish\[ed she\] could give this to Wonder Woman because it’s so good”.

After eating our fill we were left with some of the casserole and most of the three dozen mac and cheese muffins as leftovers. I placed the muffins on a cookie sheet in the freezer and once they’d started freezing pulled each one out of their silicon wrapper so I could transfer them into Stasher bags so they’d be protected in the freezer for another time. I had to test them out so I pulled out several of them, only a couple days later, to defrost in the fridge. The kids and I tried them cold, still good but not as great, before microwaving them so they tasted incredible once more.

![Image shows the mac and cheese casserole in a glass pan on a cork trivet. Behind it sits a sign saying "Kindness is always in style" and a purple vase with matching yellow flowers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1531.jpeg?resize=750%2C586&ssl=1)

Although the recipe called for muffin sized mac and cheese the casserole turned out mighty good too. I love the idea for mac and cheese muffins in the kids’ lunch but as they now prefer this hot over cold and are doing school from home I can see the casserole being my go to way to make this incredibly rich and amazing mac and cheese dish.

![Image shows a serving of mac and cheese on a white plate. In the background you can see three other people sitting around the table eating theirs and the casserole in the center. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1534.jpeg?resize=750%2C364&ssl=1)

This casserole was amazing and we all dug in with gusto. Looking back I could see a healthy salad being paired with this to help balance the overall meal.

![Image shows five mac and cheese muffins sitting on the counter while the rest of the muffins tins sit cooling in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1527.jpeg?resize=750%2C483&ssl=1)

The kids wanted to try one or two of the **cupcake* ones but after tasting them the rest all went into the freezer.

# *dinner*

### *cornmeal crust white pizza*

I knew the second I saw this pizza that I wanted to surprise Matt with it. The first time I didn’t have fresh basil so I substituted it for dried, using a quarter teaspoon, when making the white sauce and skipped it completely on the toppings. I also needed to replace the bread flour with an equal amount all-purpose white, following [The Spruce Eats](https://www.thespruceeats.com/easy-bread-flour-substitute-4143577?ref=simplykyra.com), and replaced the two lemon wedges at the end with 2 teaspoons of bottled lemon juice according to the [Traditional Oven](https://www.traditionaloven.com/foods/multi-units-converter/lemon-juice-raw.html?ref=simplykyra.com). Since I didn’t have basil I decided to make one of the alterations using the leftover spinach sitting in my fridge. It turned out amazing and I’ve since made the unaltered pizza two more times making sure to use the proper fresh basil, bread flour, and lemons. Each time we loved how the pizza turned out although it was rather rich. In the words of Zoey “yeah, it’s yummier than anything else”.

![Image shows the final browned pizza sitting on a cookie sheet with the end cut into two pieces. A plate rests beside the cookie sheet. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_2530.jpeg?resize=750%2C446&ssl=1)

I had difficulty cutting the final pizza as I didn’t want to scratch my cookie sheet or transfer the screaming hot pizza to my plastic cutting board. I ended up grabbing my kitchen scissors and cut the pieces apart instead.

![Image shows two slices of pizza on a white plate with a water glass and fork next to it. In the background rests three other plates with pizza being devoured on it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_2533.jpeg?resize=750%2C512&ssl=1)

It was rich but tasted incredible and we wished that there was more than a single pizza.

The last time I made pizza I doubled the dough and sauce recipe so I could make two different white sauce pizzas. I knew everyone loved the recipe so I left one pizza as normal. I then looked into my fridge for inspiration on what to put on the other pizza as I truly wanted something unique and a bit less rich. Luckily inspiration, and looking online to confirm flavors profiles, struck and I topped the other pizza with the white sauce, leftover pistachio pistou (from *the “perfect” asparagus with pistachio pistou*), jarred sliced artichokes, leftover *every-occasion potato salad with bacon-mustard vinaigrette*, leftover egg whites, and a couple turns of my pepper mill. It was a truly random *what’s in my fridge* inspired pizza that would be so hard to duplicate and which turned out incredible.

![Image shows two different cookie sheets side by side with two different sets of toppings on it. Cold and waiting for the oven. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_2902.jpeg?resize=750%2C415&ssl=1)

The pizza on the left was topped with random fridge contents while the pizza on the right was topped according to the recipe.

![Same image as before with the two pizzas side by side but now they're all cheese melty or egg cooked fresh from the oven. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_2904.jpeg?resize=750%2C453&ssl=1)

Both pizzas looked and smelled amazing freshly pulled out of the oven.

![Image shows a slice of each type of pizza sitting on plate next to a fork and sharp steak knife. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_2908.jpeg?resize=750%2C542&ssl=1)

They were truly amazing.

The one complaint I have with this recipes is that the dough is so flopsy. The instructions have you plop it onto the cookie sheet and spread it out rather than rolling it out and transferring it. That said the toppings are incredible and I’ve made the dough three different times now so no major complaints.

### *one-pot turkey “Scott family helper”*

Three out of four of us absolutely loved this spin on the classic hamburger helper. I did end up making changes by using siracha for my hot sauce, halving the hot sauce since I have kids, replacing the cheddar cheese for Monterey jack, and using half a cup of frozen diced white onion rather than a whole fresh one. I also may have forgotten to set the timer or just didn’t hear it go off. Overall though it went well. Zoey’s been calling supper her last meal of the day lately so the compliment that “I made the last best meal” was adorable. I can definitely see making this again although both kids ignored the turkey and only one said they loved it. Matt and I felt like we ate a blast from the past and wished that there was more than there was.

![Image shows a mound of elbow macaroni coated in orange in the center of a white bowl with a pizza themed fabric napkin and fork off to the left side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_2511.jpeg?resize=750%2C492&ssl=1)

The finished spin on hamburger helper didn’t look as picturesque as I’d hoped but tasted truly incredible. I can see maybe doubling it for leftovers the next time we make it.

# *veggies and sides*

### *crispy brussel sprouts with parmesan dressing*

I wanted to really love this dish but found it rather salty. That said, it otherwise tasted incredible and even Ada ate some and gave it her approval. I may have doused the Brussel sprouts in too much of the sauce so next time, in addition to decreasing the salt, I could see using less sauce and saving the excess to use on roasted veggies or as a dip for crudités like the recipe mentions. We happened to have leftovers so we had the pleasure of realizing that this tasted so amazing the next day.

![Image shows a cookie sheet with a small pile of white sauce coated Brussel sprouts in a pile and a wooden spatula. Off to the right sits two other plates already dished with the Brussel sprouts. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1623.jpeg?resize=750%2C433&ssl=1)

This smelled incredible and offered yet another way to get the kids eating Brussel sprouts.

### *the “perfect” asparagus with pistachio pistou*

Oh My Goodness! Perfect is SO right! I prepped this ahead of time while the kids were eating breakfast by making the pistachio pistou and cleaning and seasoning the asparagus. This was going to be part of our supper but it smelled so incredible that I couldn’t wait and we ended up having it for lunch with sliced oranges. Matt and I couldn’t get enough of the asparagus and Ada even told me it tasted like candy. I can’t believe we ate until we were overfull with just vegetables.

![Two tinfoil lined cookie sheets lay out on the stove with bright green asparagus on it. The one on the left has dollops of a different hued green all over it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2437.jpeg?resize=750%2C426&ssl=1)

Fresh out of the oven! I actually bought more asparagus than the recipe called for and so left one cookie sheet plain, for the kids, and the other liberally dolloped with pistachio pistou.

![Image shows a white plate stacked with pistou coated asparagus. A fork is laid to the left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2439.jpeg?resize=750%2C531&ssl=1)

The asparagus was to die for. I love it so much and whenever the taste became too much (all I ate for lunch) I grabbed a slice of orange and went right back. I absolutely loved it.

Since making this I’ve gone on to make the pistachio pistou so many more times that, I think, Matt’s started getting tired of it. I’ve used it on pizza (above), coated a buttermilk waffle with it, added it to bottled alfredo sauce, and stirred it into leftover slow cooker chicken noodle soup. I feel like each dish was made so much better with the addition of the pistachio pistou and wonder if I should freeze it in small bits to add to my version of the food… or if that may be going a bit too far.

![Image shows two waffles with green mixture on top on a white plate. Beside it sits a fork and knife on one side and a monster fabric napkin on the other. Behind it sits a water glass and a glass container of more pistachio pistou.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3017.jpeg?resize=750%2C511&ssl=1)

It tasted amazing, although maybe a bit much by the end, spread on a warm buttermilk waffle.

![Image shows the top of the deep frying pan with a white mixture, floating green balls, and green flecks being mixed in with a wooden spoon. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3121.jpeg?resize=750%2C523&ssl=1)

I normally make alfredo sauce by frying up diced chicken with [kick ‘n chicken spice mix](https://weberseasonings.com/product/weber-kick-n-chicken-seasoning/?ref=simplykyra.com), add in bottled alfredo sauce, rinse out the bottle with milk, and then combine it with pasta. This time I added frozen peas and a couple spoonfuls of the pistachio pistou.

![Image shows a white bowl with a mound of green flecked pasta topped with crushed nuts. In the background is the pot and the girls' plates.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3123.jpeg?resize=750%2C499&ssl=1)

Matt wasn’t a fan of the pistou and the kids weren’t a fan of anything green I had added but I thought it tasted incredible and topped it all with crushed salted pistachios. The taste and crunch was on point.

![Image is taken from above showing a bowl filled with green flecked soup and egg noodles. To the left sits a saucer with pumpernickel toast and to the right a large spoon. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3756.jpeg?resize=750%2C466&ssl=1)

A while back I came across a simple slow cooker chicken soup recipe from [This.Kat.House on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/CKCbi8thDA9/?ref=simplykyra.com). Although it seemed like her kids adored it mine didn’t seem to like it very much so I started blending it and still no dice. That said it’s simple and my husband loves it. I recently heated up some leftovers, from the day before, in the microwave and, after confirming pesto chicken soup does exist, decided to stir in two heaping spoonfuls of the **pistachio pistou* and it really elevated the dish. Definitely debating freezing it so I can easily toss it in my soup the next time I make it.

### *olive oil yukon gold mashers*

I grew up eating a lot of potatoes but over time, since moving out, I’ve eaten other things as potatoes never seem to last for too long on my counter and after seeing potatoes seep out from a cupboard at university I figured rice and other shelf-stable items seemed safer. That said, even though my kids have decided they hate potatoes, sometimes I really need my fix. This dish was a really good fix for my potato cravings. That said, it does take a whole stick of butter, olive oil, and parmesan cheese so it’s definitely rich especially compared to my simple version of mashed potatoes with a little bit of butter and a lot of milk.

I ended up defrosting the leftover pork roast, from the *old-school spiced pork hash with potatoes, herbs, and worcestershir*, and left it as it was without turning it into hash (so no smoke detector). The potatoes served with the pork and frozen corn was incredible and so simple to throw together. At the end, once we ate our fill, I grabbed a casserole dish, combined all three parts together, and then froze it so we could save it for another incredible meal later on.

![Image shows a metal pot, to the right, partly filled with white potatoes topped with shredded parmesan cheese. In the background, to the left, sits a shredded pork roast in a white bowl on a sewn trivet. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3638.jpeg?resize=750%2C451&ssl=1)

The recipe has you move the potatoes to a serving dish before topping it with parmesan cheese. I decided to go simple and just used the pot I boiled and mashed the potatoes in to serve.

![Image shows a white plate next to a fork and pizza themed napkin. On the plate sits three piles all touching. The top is the potatoes with lattice work of parmesan cheese on the side closest to us. Beside it is a pile of yellow corn and shredded meat. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3644.jpeg?resize=750%2C496&ssl=1)

The easy to make potatoes were the hardest part of this meal as I paired it with defrosted shredded roast that I only needed to microwave and frozen corn that only needed to be boiled at the last minute.

![Image shows most of a glass casserole dish taken from above and looking down. Most of it is covered with mashed potatoes but you can see the corn covered meat along the one end and some of the sides. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3649.jpeg?resize=750%2C529&ssl=1)

Once we were done eating I grabbed a nine by thirteen glass casserole dish and coated the bottom with the meat. I then sprinkled the corn on top and spread the potatoes to cover. I froze this so we can save this incredible meal for another day.

### *every-occasion potato salad with bacon-mustard vinaigrette*

This dish was very simple to make when following the recipe’s instructions. It also blew me away with how incredible it tasted when finished. Since this was the only part of the meal I was making fresh, paired it with a salad and reheated pasta for the girls, it was really easy to pull together too. We happened to have leftovers so a couple days later I pulled it out from the fridge and tried it cold. Even cold it tasted awesome though we did prefer to eat it heated up.

![Image shows a closeup of a half filled skillet with a wooden utensil sitting inside to dish with. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2451.jpeg?resize=750%2C405&ssl=1)

It smelled so amazing that I didn’t even think to grab a photo until after Matt had taken his share.

![Image shows a closeup of my white plate with the potato dish on it. In the background you can see the arugula- based salad. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2454.jpeg?resize=750%2C306&ssl=1)

I paired it with a salad by combining arugula and the leftover **marinated cherry tomato salad* which is also from this cookbook.

![Image shows a white with mustard swirled cornbread, the potato dish, and a pile of bright green asparagus.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_2575.jpeg?resize=750%2C473&ssl=1)

A couple days later we heated the leftovers and paired it with a corndog version of cornbread and roasted asparagus using the technique used in **the “perfect” asparagus with pistachio pistou* but left off the pistachio pistou.

# *dessert*

### *foolproof gooey brownies*

As Earth Day approached this year Ada requested brownies yet other than it being her favorite dessert I’m not sure what logic was there. Before this I had mainly used [Ghirardelli Brownie Mix I had bought through Costco](https://www.costco.com/Ghirardelli-Triple-Chocolate-Premium-Brownie-Mix%2C-6-count.product.100381454.html?ref=simplykyra.com), although I had hacked it [to include pineapples](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/17/pineapple-brownie-cake/) at Ada’s request one year, and was currently out. I remembered seeing a brownie recipe in this cookbook and decided to make it, with the girls, from scratch this time around. I’m so glad I did. I learned a new way to make brownies and it turned out just as good as the other version. I’m kind of curious how this would do as a base for other add-ins like pineapple, coconut, m&ms, and other types of chocolate chips.

![Image shows a corner piece of brownie on a white saucer with the glass casserole dish two thirds full behind it. Off to the side are two more saucers stacked. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_4084-1.jpeg?resize=750%2C560&ssl=1)

We actually made the brownies a couple days before Earth Day since we had time to bake and could easily save some leftovers for later. The brownies came together easily, smelled great, and tasted amazing. We topped it with freshly whipped cream and cinnamon.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_4243.jpeg?resize=750%2C486&ssl=1)

After supper on Earth day I sprayed some whip cream into two small bowls, added food dye (a couple drops of blue in one and a combination of yellow and blue in the other one), stirred it together with a metal chopstick, and gave each child a saucer with one color and a bowl with the other. The kids had a blast decorating their brownies to look like an earth and eating the yummy treat.

---

Although several of the recipes seemed rather salty and many of them seemed rich we, overall, loved most of what we tried. Most dishes come with one or more photos so you can see how it should look, under ideal conditions, along with easy to understand directions. I ended up with meals, or parts of meals, that felt restaurant quality and were fresh out of the oven, stove, or fridge (based on cooking directions) without having to drive them home or wait for a delivery to arrive. I loved it and can see returning to this book to make these recipes again and again.

Before coming across this cookbook I don’t think I’d ever heard of Ryan Scott, an Emmy-award winning celebrity chef, but now I’m loving all the food I make with his instructions. Have you heard of him before? Apparently this is his second cookbook he’s written as he already came out *One to Five* in 2017\. Have you tried his first? If so how does it compare to this one? Feel free to share any comments below… and if you, like me, hadn’t heard of him you can check out [his new cookbook](https://www.hmhbooks.com/shop/books/the-no-fuss-family-cookbook/9780358439141?ref=simplykyra.com), through Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, or follow him on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/chef%5Fryan%5Fscott/?ref=simplykyra.com) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/chefryanscott?ref=simplykyra.com).

I hope you’re doing well and this post didn’t make you too hungry. Hope you have a great day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How to Debug and Solve an App Sandbox Related Issue Within the Xcode IDE
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-debug-and-solve-an-app-sandbox-related-issue-within-the-xcode-ide/
Last updated: 2023-12-09T01:07:49.000Z
Recently I started playing around with coding an Apple MacOS application using the [Swift programming language](https://swift.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) and the[ Xcode IDE (integrated development environment)](https://developer.apple.com/xcode/ide/?ref=simplykyra.com). While attempting to gain `SSH` access to my reMarkable2 I slowly came to the realization that my application was incapable of using the network because of Apple’s App Sandbox. It took a bit of time to debug, discover, and hunt down a solution so I wanted to share what I did in the hopes of helping others that may come across something similar.

![Pinterest-geared image for the post. Contains the title. my main URL, a stylish photo of a MacBook Pro, and two photos of the solution.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_How-to-Debug-and-Solve-an-App-Sandbox-Related-Issue-Within-the-Xcode-IDE-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

*At this time I am running Xcode version 12.5 (12E262)*

---

While trying to figure out why my `SSH` connection wasn’t working my husband, Matt, had the bright idea to have me create a new project, within Xcode, using the command line option so it would be more streamlined. This way I could copy over just the `SSH` related code from my current project so I could easily run it without needing to wait for other parts of my code or be required to manually click a button or something before the `SSH` section of my code executes. Ideally, quicker turnaround would make for simpler debugging. After copying over the relevant code sections I built the stripped down code and was surprised to see that the `SSH` connection successfully connected on the first attempt. That was rather surprising as I hadn’t changed anything in those code snippets so I wasn’t sure what exactly was different between the two cases. Thankfully, after a bit more searching online, we discovered that Apple sandboxes the macOS applications by default and I was able to open up just enough access to create an outgoing `SSH` connection in my main project.

---

## *Just what is sandboxing?*

Essentially, Apple confines the applications, Apps, that run on its system within their own App Sandbox. Through their documentation archive, which seems to be targeted toward Mac computers, I found a really good description of what their App Sandbox is:

> *App Sandbox* is an access control technology provided in macOS, enforced at the kernel level. It is designed to contain damage to the system and the user’s data if an app becomes compromised. Apps distributed through the Mac App Store must adopt App Sandbox. Apps signed and distributed outside of the Mac App Store with Developer ID can (and in most cases should) use App Sandbox as well.   
>  
> Complex systems will always have vulnerabilities, and software complexity only increases over time. No matter how carefully you adopt secure coding practices and guard against bugs, attackers only need to get through your defenses once to succeed. While App Sandbox doesn’t prevent attacks against your app, it does minimize the harm a successful one can cause.[Documentation Archive: App Sandbox Design Guide: About App Sandbox (first two paragraphs)](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Security/Conceptual/AppSandboxDesignGuide/AboutAppSandbox/AboutAppSandbox.html?ref=simplykyra.com#//apple%5Fref/doc/uid/TP40011183-CH1-SW1)

Having your application contained within the sandbox means that you only have access to the data and system resources that you have permission to use. It limits what you, or someone using your application, can access without the device’s owner’s expressed permission. It also enables and requires you, the coder, to describe specifically how you want your application to interact with the sandbox system so your application can get the access it needs to do the job without having having too much unneeded and potentially compromised interaction.

![Image shows a simple comparison using a diagram where an app can have unrestricted access (on the left) without a sandbox and the difference (on the right) with a sandbox where the user data and other system resources are separated. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-05-17-at-12.18.32-PM.png?resize=750%2C308&ssl=1)

This screenshot, [taken on May 17th 2021 from the Apple Documentation Archive](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Security/Conceptual/AppSandboxDesignGuide/AboutAppSandbox/AboutAppSandbox.html?ref=simplykyra.com#//apple%5Fref/doc/uid/TP40011183-CH1-SW1), shows how the scope of potential damage is limited between using an unrestricted application and one restricted by the sandbox.

![Image shows a sample iPhone on the left with an arrow on the right showing how each application is confined within the information it has access to and not the other applications' information.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-05-17-at-12.18.44-PM.png?resize=750%2C678&ssl=1)

This screenshot, [taken on May 17th, 2021 from MacWorld](https://www.macworld.com/article/2148362/how-inter-app-communication-on-ios-could-benefit-users.html?ref=simplykyra.com), shows how each application, on an iOS device, can only see its own files. Although the article, from 2014, titled [**Why Apple should open up the iOS sandbox*](https://www.macworld.com/article/2148362/how-inter-app-communication-on-ios-could-benefit-users.html?ref=simplykyra.com) touches on wanting to be able to make a kind of inter-app communication mechanism to tie different apps together cohesively without user intervention.

Now that we know what sandboxing is how can you discover whether your code is affected by it?

---

## *Steps I took to discover and confirm this*.

There are two ways, that I currently know of, that can be used to confirm that sandboxing is the only thing stopping your code from working properly.

### *Creating a “Command Line Tool” project*.

This is the slightly more complicated way but I figured I’d share it first as this is how I discovered the issue. I had created a new Xcode project, under macOS, labelled *Command Line Tool*. I created it so I could quickly fire off the `SSH` related code without having a `GUI` pop up and require me to press a button or something before that code section could be executed. No extra stuff in the way and quicker feedback meant, I thought, that I could more quickly debug the malfunctioning code section. Surprisingly, my code worked right off the bat because the *Command Line Tool* project isn’t contained within a sandbox like the other applications.

![Image shows the popup where you choose what template you want to use for your new macOS project within the Xcode IDE. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-05-16-at-4.11.53-PM.png?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Within Xcode I started a New Project, selected Command Line Tool, and walked through the remaining steps. Once it was created I moved the `SSH` related code snippets over so I could test it more quickly.

![Image shows a closeup of the Xcode IDE showing a snippet of my Swift code (at the top) and the output of my program (at the bottom).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-05-16-at-4.15.14-PM.png?resize=750%2C360&ssl=1)

After moving the code over and solving any errors that popped up I was able to build and execute the project. I was surprised when the connection was successfully made and my test commands were outputted in the console.

If you aren’t sure whether sandboxing is an issue or not then you may benefit from this way as it also streamlines the process to get to your problematic code section and, as the rest of the code wasn’t moved over, may remove any affecting code that wasn’t taken into account. That said if you’d rather quickly confirm that your application’s sandbox isn’t getting in the way you could do the following simpler method instead.

### *Did you turn it off… and then back on again?*

Apple doesn’t recommend turning off the App Sandbox and requires it to be on if you want your app to be included in its App Store. That said if you just want to confirm if the App Sandbox is indeed blocking your code from executing properly you could simply turn the entire thing off. To do this you go into your project’s *entitlements* file and, under *Entitlements File*, turn off the App Sandbox by changing the `YES` value to a `NO`.

![The image shows the end of my selected entitlements file in the Navigator area to the left. On the right there is a table showing the keys, types, and value of several settings under an "Entitlements File" header. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-05-16-at-11.33.08-AM.png?resize=750%2C276&ssl=1)

After clicking on my project’s **entitlements* file in the Navigator Area the following window was open. I was easily able to turn the App Sandbox on (`YES`) or off (`NO`) by changing the one **App Sandbox* value.

Of course, once you prove whether your code works with the App Sandbox turned off your next goal is to determine just what part of the sandbox is blocking your code. That way you can turn the entire App Sandbox back on and then determine which entitlement needs to be added to allow your code to execute properly.

---

## *How I solved it.*

I found my solution through Apple’s Documentation Archive under App Sandbox Design Guide in their [*App Sandbox Quick Start* page](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Security/Conceptual/AppSandboxDesignGuide/AppSandboxQuickStart/AppSandboxQuickStart.html?ref=simplykyra.com). Before that main point they go over how you can create an Xcode project using a web view, and thus containing a network connection, that won’t work unless you specifically allow it. Once you build and run the application the second section goes over confirming that the app is indeed sandboxed. The third section, under [*Resolve an App Sandbox Violation*](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Security/Conceptual/AppSandboxDesignGuide/AppSandboxQuickStart/AppSandboxQuickStart.html?ref=simplykyra.com), is what specifically helped me to solve my issue. Most of their help in that section can be essentially boiled down to:

> In the Capabilities tab of the target editor, within the App Sandbox section, select the entitlement that corresponds to Outgoing Connections (Client). Doing so applies a `TRUE` value for the needed entitlement to the Xcode project by modifying the `.entitlements` property list file.[App Sandbox Quick Start: *Resolve an App Sandbox Violation*](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Security/Conceptual/AppSandboxDesignGuide/AppSandboxQuickStart/AppSandboxQuickStart.html?ref=simplykyra.com)

I then hunted down which target in my project showed the proper values so I could simply turn on my project’s outgoing network connection. With one simple value checked off my `SSH` code properly connects.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-05-15-at-7.54.01-AM.png?resize=750%2C396&ssl=1)

After searching I finally found the proper values once I clicked the top target

While writing this post, I found [the Xcode Overview which goes over *Working with Targets*](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/ToolsLanguages/Conceptual/Xcode%5FOverview/WorkingwithTargets.html?ref=simplykyra.com) and figured I’d share here in case you want more information on how to get to this section.

And with that my application was easily able to make outgoing connections to my reMarkable2 device through the glory of `SSH` connections.

---

I hope this helps you out whether you’re having difficulty forming an `SSH` connection like I did or you’re having difficulties with something else the App Sandbox may be blocking you on. I’d love to hear from you, in the comments below, if this did in fact help you out and whether you had the same issue as me or something else.

With that I bid you goodbye and hope you’re having a good day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Stitch Upon a Time Brazi: The Best Bra and Dress Pattern
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/stitch-upon-a-time-brazi-the-best-bra-and-dress-pattern/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T00:04:02.000Z
I’ve been meaning to share [the Stitch Upon a Time Brazi](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/brazi-ladies-bra-and-dress-sewing-pattern/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) over the last several years as it’s my absolute favorite sewing pattern but I somehow kept putting it off. Apparently when it’s mostly *just* a bra it’s hard to justify sharing. This pattern has been featured in all three of my previous years of the [52 week sewing challenge](https://www.facebook.com/groups/52weeksewingchallenge) recap posts: [2018](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/12/31/52-weeks-of-sewing/), [2019](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/01/52-weeks-of-sewing-in-2019/), and [2020](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/30/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/) along with being a very common outfit choice as shown in [my Me-Made-May 2020 post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/06/10/me-made-may-2020/).

---

![Pinterest geared image showing the name of the post, my main URL, and two rows of photos. The bottom row, right above my URL, shows four photos of me in the Brazi maxi dress while the row of photos higher up show the bra version. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Stitch-Upon-a-Time-Brazi_-The-Best-Bra-and-Dress-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

This [Brazi sewing pattern](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/brazi-ladies-bra-and-dress-sewing-pattern/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) says it includes “\[t\]hree beautiful looks in one!” which surprised me when I looked over the pattern again as I’ve somehow saw the Brazi as, *only*, two really incredible looks. I absolutely adore using the Brazi as my go to bra and love how comfortable it is. That said the dress version, which I saw as one outfit and not two completely different looks, does come with two different lengths that you can choose from including a knee length version or one all the way to the floor. Personally, I was never a maxi dress fan but I had a lot of fabric when I went to sew the dress up again so I ended up trying the longer version and have now fallen in love with the Brazi maxi dress when using a light-weight and flowing fabric.

---

## *The Bra Version*

I’ve sewn the bra version of [this pattern](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/brazi-ladies-bra-and-dress-sewing-pattern/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) so many times and love the variety of uses it offers with a single pattern. The Brazi itself includes two different cut lines to accommodate different modesty levels along with including different cup sizes offering a truly custom fit to you. According to the website, on April 2021, this pattern had “tester success in cup size up to F.” The pattern comes with amazing instructions including how to sew bra cups inside the lining for extra coverage. Placing and sewing the bra cups to the fabric is, for me, the hardest part of the entire pattern so I love how this happens near the beginning of the steps so I can truly enjoy the rest of the sew knowing that part was already accomplished. Since buying this pattern I’ve used it to create sedate solid bras to wear under my day-to-day clothing, sewn [loud workout bras](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/07/01/using-an-adult-sized-underwear-panel-for-a-workout-bra/), and even made a swimming top. The Brazi has absolutely ruined me to normal store-bought bras but I don’t care. Even if the Brazi was only this, and not also a dress, I’d still think it was an epic deal of a pattern.

![Image shows a collage of two photos. On the left is the front of a blue brazi while on the right photo the back of the bra is shown so you can see where the bra cups were sewn on. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Stitch-Upon-a-Time-Brazi_-The-Best-Bra-and-Dress-Image-4.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

Even though it’s a bit boring to sew plain fabric I absolutely love having the Brazi bra in a sedate solid color like blue or black so I can wear it under my clothing instead of more uncomfortable store-bought bras.

![Image shows a closeup of the back of my black Brazi showing the straps crossing and the seam where they are stitched together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_6645.jpeg?resize=750%2C996&ssl=1)

I love how magical the bra comes together once you sew the straps together and turn it right side out.

I love having the simple solid colors in my drawer but I absolutely adore sewing up this pattern in bright and bold patterns. I justify using these fabrics by calling the end result a workout bra. Years ago I sewed up my first Brazi using mystery box knit fabric as a wearable muslin. The fabric didn’t have the best recovery and I had skipped over the bra cups as I wasn’t sure if it would fit me anyway. Once I knew the pattern size I measured into was spot on I grabbed a Wonder Woman themed underwear panel I had bought from [Whimsy Baby Customs](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and turned it into a bright [workout bra](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/07/01/using-an-adult-sized-underwear-panel-for-a-workout-bra/). Although, looking back, I sewed the bra cups in at a weird location I still wore it proudly for years, including sometimes under my clothing when I left the house, before it ripped and I finally knew it was done for. More recently, I found another adorably cute underwear panel through [Whimsy Baby Customs](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and used it to create yet another workout bra that I’ve been pairing under a loose top when I work out in the mornings.

![Image shows the back of my Wonder Woman bra showing Wonder Woman and a quote saying "Here's to string women / May we know them / May we be them / May we raise them". ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2018/06/compressed_IMG_3780.jpg?resize=634%2C750&ssl=1)

With the Wonder Woman themed bra I raised the top of the back pattern up piece to make sure there was enough room for the image there. The excess panel fabric was used on the band and the coordinating fabric was on the front. You can check out [my original post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/07/01/using-an-adult-sized-underwear-panel-for-a-workout-bra/) if you want to see more information.

![Image shows a closeup of the folded over fabric with an adorable lidded cup on it. Part of the fabric is cut leading past a topstitched seam where the panel was extended into a patterned fabric. To the right, still on the cutting mat, sits a rotary cutter and several pattern weights. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_0140.jpeg?resize=750%2C437&ssl=1)

When using the underwear panel for my bra I focus on the main panel’s image and choose if I wanted to place it on the front or back. The front pattern piece is taller so when I chose to center the panel on the front I needed to [extend the panel with some of the coordinating fabric](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/11/18/quickly-extend-your-fabric-to-fit-a-pattern-piece/) before centering the fabric and cutting out the piece. That little cups is so incredibly adorable!

![Image is a collage of two photos side by side showing a purple bra with takeout cups over it. The front says "Too hot to handle", the bottom ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Stitch-Upon-a-Time-Brazi_-The-Best-Bra-and-Dress-Image-5.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

The purple and pink fabric came together in one piece marketed as an underwear panel. The pink was planned as a waistband for the underwear. I paired the fabric with a black knit I already owned for the liner. I love how this workout bra looks and it makes me smile whenever I see it or put it on.

Normally with bras you try not to let them show at all under your shirt. This is where I both hate and love the Brazi. With the wider straps that intersect in the back it’s sometimes hard not to show off your straps especially when your top’s neckline is wide since the straps normally lay close to my neck. Sometimes I just shrug off the visible straps and sometimes I hate that they show and debate wearing other bras. Wearing a low cut top; however, is where the Brazi shines as I love that I can use the Brazi as a camisole instead of as a bra without any of the extra length or heat.

![This is a side by side collage of two images separated by a line of purple. Both images are taken as selfies looking down at my body to show off the Brazi I'm wearing under the low cut top. The photo on the left shows a slightly darker looking shirt as I'm wearing a black Brazi under it. In contrast the photo on the right looks a hair lighter as the Brazi is the blue one shown four photos up. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Stitch-Upon-a-Time-Brazi_-The-Best-Bra-and-Dress-Image-6.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I love how my shirt looks a bit different if I switch out the black Brazi underneath it for the blue one.

![Image shows more of the black Brazi as it's worn under the same top as the previous set of photos. Here the straps are closer to my neckline and I'm pulling the neckline of the shirt overtop away to show more of the Brazi. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_9970-rotated.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

As you can see the wide Brazi straps lay close to my neck as they need to be able to cross in the back. In this case, since my top’s neckline isn’t too wide, I pulled each strap slightly away from my neck hoping the straps wouldn’t shift back and would stay hidden under my top so that only the center part, at the low point of the neckline, would show.

Or, I guess, I could just not hide the Brazi at all and instead show it off. My favorite use of the bra version of the Brazi pattern was when I turned it into a swim top. I didn’t even need to hack the pattern at all as it was just about what materials I used rather than how I used them. I swapped out the bra cups for thinner swim cups, substituted the normal elastic for swim elastic, and switched out the normal fabric I’ve been using for swim fabric (outer pieces and band) and swim lining (the liner pieces). I paired my swim top with the [Stitch Upon a Time’s Scrundlewear 2.0 Women’s Underwear](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/scrundlewear-2-0-womens-underwear/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) using the same swim fabric as my top so they matched. If you’re interested in making your own swim suit my bottoms were made the same way as my kids’ swim bottoms, using the [kids’ version of the Scrundlewear pattern](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/kids-scrundlewear/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com), which I explained, under **Sewing Up The Swim Bottoms*, in [this blog post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/08/07/kids-swimming-suits-second-round-with-an-extra-year-of-experience/).

![Image shows the swim bottom and top laid out on the wooden floor with a tag saying "week 21" on the lower right side. The fabric is white with teal and purple leaves on it while the bands are a coordinating purple. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/07/compressed_IMG_5128.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I submitted my swimming suit for week 21 in the [2019 52 Weeks Sewing Challenge](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/01/52-weeks-of-sewing-in-2019/) and as I couldn’t find another photo of it I figured I’d share this one again with you. I love how simple this bikini was to sew up and how amazing it turned out. The swim fabric was purchased from [Raspberry Creek Fabrics](https://raspberrycreekfabrics.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) while the swim lining and bra cups were from [Boho Fabrics](http://rwrd.io/zampms1?c&ref=simplykyra.com).

Although the bra version is amazing and oh so versatile the dress version is also epic in it’s own right.

---

## *The Dress Version*

What’s my absolute favorite aspect of [the Brazi dress](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/brazi-ladies-bra-and-dress-sewing-pattern/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com)? The fact that it doesn’t even need a bra! You don’t need to pair this extremely comfy dress with an uncomfortable bra or worry about whether your bra straps might be showing. I absolutely adore it! That said, I haven’t actually worn my dresses out of the house but they’ve become my most worn home outfits which says a lot as I’ve been home so much since the shelter-in-place orders came into effect in our area.

After making that Wonder Woman themed bra I decided to cut into my Doctor Who themed custom fabric to try out the Brazi dress version for my first time. Like before I made sure to include bra cups in the liner so I could wear the dress without a bra…. one of the main reasons I may have bought this pattern. I somehow screwed it up so the bra cups ended up being backwards but I decided to leave it and kept going although I started to regret that decisions more and more as I went on. I never did fix it but I still wore the resulting dress for years around the house. This dress was my excuse for buying bamboo Lycra for my first time, specifically choosing *Don’t Blink* fabric from a Halloween [Fabriculous Custom Fabrics](https://fabriculous-custom-fabrics.myshopify.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) preorder, which I couldn’t wait to use on the skirt. I wasn’t sure how secure the lighter fabric would be for the top portion (I’ve since used light and it’s been fine) or if I’d have enough (I did and still have the leftovers) so I found a TARDIS cotton Lycra panel through [Snowy Owl Fabrics](https://snowyowlfabrics.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) that I used for the back of the bra and the band. I ended up using the bamboo Lycra for the front of the bra but lined the entire bra portion with leftover white cotton Lycra from [Whimsy Baby Customs](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) so I was sure that it would hold up over time. I absolutely loved the resulting dress but never felt comfortable with the idea of wearing it out of the house with the mistakes I had made in it’s construction. It was hilarious, six or so months ago, when I was going through my fabric stash and came across the extra *Don’t Blink* fabric as it was so dark and bold compared to how faded my dress had gotten over the years with so much use.

![Image shows the TARDIS panel folded in half over the cutting board. The pattern piece is wrong side up and off to the side so you can see the TARDIS. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_0783.jpeg?resize=750%2C587&ssl=1)

Like with the Wonder Woman bra I had made fifteen weeks before I centered the panel, in this case a TARDIS, on the taller hacked back pattern piece.

![Image shows the dress bunched up on the table with sewing clips attached and black thread sewing. The seam ripper and container of sewing clips sits beside it. In the back and slightly blurred you can see one kid painting a white pumpkin and another cutting up leftover greeting cards. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1076.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I made so many mistakes sewing the bra cups onto the liner and topstitching that once I realized the cups were in backwards I almost didn’t care anymore. I kept on going without backtracking and loved that dress, even with the bra cup regret. I wore it around the house for years and only recently stopped wearing it although I still have it.

![Image is a side by side collage of two photos. The left shows the side view of the finished knee length dress while the right side shows the back of the dress. It's separated by a line of purple. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Stitch-Upon-a-Time-Brazi_-The-Best-Bra-and-Dress-Image-3.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

The dress in all of it’s glory with the *Don’t Blink* bamboo Lycra fabric and the amazing cotton Lycra TARDIS on the back ready to save the day from the angels.

That first dress was made back in [October of 2018](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/12/31/52-weeks-of-sewing/) and it somehow took me until [August of 2020](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/30/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/) to finally make another Brazi dress. I can’t believe it took me so long but I’m so glad I finally made another. I think having this, and the one I made a month later, is why I finally stopped wearing the faded TARDIS one. I knew that I wanted to use an extremely lightweight and flowy fabric as I loved how the bamboo Lycra felt and flowed around me so I picked out a [double brushed poly I had bought previously from Sly Fox Fabrics](https://slyfoxfabrics.com/products/double-brushed-poly-solid-cabernet?%5Fpos=1&%5Fsid=784c42503&%5Fss=r&ref=simplykyra.com) to use. I have never been a maxi dress person and never liked any maxi dress I attempted to try on in store dressing rooms. That said, since I had a bunch of this fabric available I chose the maxi length figuring I could easily trim it shorter later. The paper pattern piece looked way to long for me so I held it up against me and trimmed the excess length off so it didn’t drape on the floor. With the pattern piece shortened I then cut out my fabric pieces and, since knit fabric doesn’t unravel and I was feeling lazy, left the finished dress unhemmed and I’ve never looked back. I absolutely love this dress and have since worn it at least once a week. Over time the dress has stretched a out a bit, not helped by when I tuck it around my toes like a blanket every so often, so it does sometimes drag on the floor when I walk and can be annoying if I take the garbage to the curb in the rain. That said, I could always shorten the dress with sewing scissors and/or finally hem the bottom so I’m not too concerned. I’ll leave it blanket-like for now.

![Image shows the front of my double brushed poly Brazi maxi dress. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1661.jpg?resize=568%2C1024&ssl=1)

![Image shows the back of my double brushed poly Brazi maxi dress with the crisscrossing straps. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1652.jpg?resize=750%2C683&ssl=1)

![A collage of five images, side by side, of my double brushed poly Brazi maxi dress. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Stitch-Upon-a-Time-Brazi_-The-Best-Bra-and-Dress-Image-1.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

Just a quick FYI the solid color of the fabric makes stains more apparent. I’ve found, whenever I notice a grease stain that didn’t come out, that scrubbing it with a bit of wet [Fels-Naptha laundry bar](https://www.dialprofessional.com/products/laundry-products/fels-naptha-laundry-bar-soap/?ref=simplykyra.com) either the morning or night before running the washing machine gets it out. It is quite strong so I keep the bar in a sealed upcycled plastic container whenever I’m not using it so I don’t have to smell it.

I loved the flowy Brazi so much that I only waited about a month later before justifying another. I’m actually currently wearing this dress as I type this post up six months later and again, laughing at this, when going through a final review. This time around I used a lightweight cotton spandex blend I bought back in March (2020) from [Girl Charlee](http://www.girlcharlee.com/create%5Faccount.php?refid=85387&ref=simplykyra.com) and, like all the other times, sewed bra cups to the liner and left the bottom unhemmed. I don’t know if it’s only the fabric’s difference in texture or weight from the previous dress or if it’s the print on the fabric but I love this dress even more than the last. Even though I’ve only been wearing my Brazi dresses around the house this is the one I lay out the night before when I know I want to feel great and take on the day with confidence.

![Image shows a closeup of part of the bodice and the upper part of my skirt. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1896-rotated.jpg?resize=563%2C750&ssl=1)

![Image shows me wearing the  lightweight cotton spandex blend Brazi dress as I lean forward and gather it up in my hands.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1849.jpg?resize=734%2C1024&ssl=1)

![Image shows the back of the  lightweight cotton spandex blend Brazi dress as spread the skirt out.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1948.jpg?resize=732%2C1024&ssl=1)

![Collage of five views of me wearing the lightweight cotton spandex blend Brazi dress.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Stitch-Upon-a-Time-Brazi_-The-Best-Bra-and-Dress-Image-2.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

---

I absolutely adore my [Stitch Upon a Time Brazi](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/brazi-ladies-bra-and-dress-sewing-pattern/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) bras and dress and I had to share them with you in their own post. Have you tried out the Brazi yet? What was your favorite fabric to use for yours? Are there any other bra-less and supportive dresses that you love wearing? Feel free to share in the comments below. I hope your week is going well.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### "The Secret Ingredient Cookbook" Review
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/the-secret-ingredient-cookbook-review/
Last updated: 2023-12-17T17:06:56.000Z
I stumbled across this cookbook through [NetGalley](https://www.netgalley.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and at first glance assumed it was all about hiding healthy *secret* ingredients in your child’s food which I’m not normally a fan of. Looking back, I’m so glad something made me click on this book as the description made me realize how wrong I truly was. This book by [Kelly Senyei, The Secret Ingredient Cookbook: 125 Family-Friendly Recipes with Surprisingly Tasty Twists](https://www.hmhco.com/shop/books/The-Secret-Ingredient-Cookbook/9780358353973?ref=simplykyra.com), uses an unexpected ingredient in each and every dish to elevate it to unexpected greatness. I am so glad I requested this book as almost every recipe I tried from it was an incredible success that I would love to make, and taste, again and again. I wanted to share this book with you, along with all of the recipes I tried, in case you feel the same and are looking for a new cookbook that offers a diverse array of dishes, desserts, and drinks.

![Image is a Pinterest-themed collage that features the blog title along with the main URL. At the top there's a collage of five images and there's another collage of four new the bottom. All images can be found below and show a different recipe made from the listed cookbook: The Secret Ingredient Cookbook. This includes hot chocolate, magic chocolate shell, buns, pizza, large cookie, pastas, and chicken dishes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_22The-Secret-Ingredient-Cookbook22-Review-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

You can find this book, *The Secret Ingredient Cookbook: 125 Family-Friendly Recipes with Surprisingly Tasty Twists* by Kelly Senyei, through [the publisher’s website at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt](https://www.hmhco.com/shop/books/The-Secret-Ingredient-Cookbook/9780358353973?ref=simplykyra.com) or you could check out her website, [Just a Taste](https://www.justataste.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), which also looks amazing!

![Image shows the cover of "The Secret Ingredient Cookbook" by Kelly Senyei. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_9780358353973_hres.jpg?resize=750%2C841&ssl=1)

This image of her cookbook was downloaded from the publisher’s, [Houghton Mifflin Harcourt](https://www.hmhco.com/shop/books/The-Secret-Ingredient-Cookbook/9780358353973?ref=simplykyra.com), website.

---

As I started to work my way through each recipe as it caught my eye I also started sharing what each *secret ingredient* was to Matt, my husband, once we’d all tasted the new dish. Ada quickly picked this up so whenever I made something new she’d ask me if it was a *secret ingredient meal* and if so then what the secret ingredient was. By the time I made the *Sweet Heat Pepperoni Pizza* I decided to turn the table and, after they had all tried it and loved it, asked what they thought the secret ingredient was. As we went around the table they guessed pepperoni, cheese, and other obvious guesses before Matt, who had seen me use the ingredient earlier, guessed correctly. From then on in guessing the *secret ingredient* became a game whenever I tried another one of these recipes. The girls started expecting the guessing game and became disappointed whenever I made anything that wasn’t from this book and hence didn’t have it’s own *secret ingredient*.

Actually, as an aside, the day after we first made the pizza I threw together a meal out of leftovers consisting of taco meat, boiled cabbage, and eggs to create an amazing breakfast taco-esque meal. While we were sitting around the table Ada asked me what the secret ingredient was and then seemed affronted when she found out that this wasn’t from that cookbook and then grew amazed that I had actually made it without a recipe. Considering I normally make calculated risks while throwing leftovers together I wasn’t sure if I should feel affronted or that it was just plain and totally hilarious.

I received this e-cookbook as an advanced reader copy from [NetGalley](https://www.netgalley.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and as such it had a time limit on it. While making these recipes I found it easiest to take screenshots of the ones I wanted to cook next so I could quickly refer back to one, through my photo app, quickly when making it. One day I returned to the book and realized I didn’t have access to it anymore. Because of this I wasn’t able to confirm what all the sections were named, their order, or which recipes belong in which section. As of such I’m creating the sections along with their names, recipes, and overall ordering. If you do purchase this cookbook I did attempt to keep each recipe title the same so you can use that to find anything specific in the cookbook. And now, without further ado, here are the recipes I tried:

---

## *Breakfast*

### *Pumpkin Waffles with Maple Whipped Cream*

These waffles were the very first recipe I tried from the entire cookbook. While browsing through the breakfast section so many of the recipes jumped out at me; however, I didn’t have all of the ingredients needed on hand for them. This was the first recipe that I did have all of the ingredients for so I decided to go for it. I got as far as measuring out all of the dry ingredients before I decided to instead double the entire thing. I went back and re-measured out a second serving of each dry ingredient before continuing on with the recipe while doubling each item. I’m so glad I doubled the recipe as the waffles turned out amazingly and I’ve since made them several times more.

The first time we made this I had to change the topping a bit as I only had canned whip cream so we ended up pouring maple syrup onto the waffles and then topped it off with whip cream rather than making the fresh whip cream the recipe went over. We also frequently make chicken waffles by topping a waffle with chicken nuggets and drizzling syrup over top. While I was making this recipe the first time I decided, last minute, to bake a batch of chicken nuggets so we could see if these waffles also worked for this variation and they totally did. Both versions were truly delicious!

![Image shows the pumpkin flavored waffle mix.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_7445.jpeg?resize=750%2C834&ssl=1)

I switched between my spatula and then a silicone whisk to mix all the waffle ingredients together.

![Image shows a single waffle on a white saucer with wet syrup on parts and a stream of white whip cream coming from a canister. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_7447.jpeg?resize=750%2C497&ssl=1)

We drizzled maple syrup onto the waffle and then topped it with canned whip cream rather than making our own maple-flavored whip cream like the recipe said.

![Image shows a waffle with a t-rex, stegosaurus, and triceratops shaped chicken nuggets over top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_7453.jpeg?resize=750%2C465&ssl=1)

We had dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets in our freezer when I made this but regardless of shape it still tasted incredible with the pumpkin-flavored waffle underneath and the maple syrup drizzle over top.

Each time I make these I double the batch so there’s extra that I can freeze and easily pop into the toaster whenever the kids want last-minute waffles. I find it easiest to lay out the waffles in a single layer on a [Silpat™](http://silpat.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) lined cookie sheet and then, once they’re frozen, move them into a freezer bag or [Stasher bag](https://www.stasherbag.com/collections/the-stasher-ecosystem?gclid=CjwKCAiAyc2BBhAaEiwA44-wW2iyCo3-XjEokOxsC%5FfT2E-IgNB0rJS-wt%5FaU3njoQfjjhgSTe4F-RoCJ%5FUQAvD%5FBwE&ref=simplykyra.com). This way they’re much easier to break apart. Actually, just this morning, I toasted up a few of these waffles for the kids’ breakfast and topped them with chocolate peanut butter and sliced bananas. They loved that version too.

---

## *Entrées*

### *Crispy and Dipped Chicken Thighs*

These chicken thighs turned out incredible! It was a bit more work than I normally do and I got spat with oil but overall the end result was worth it and oh so very good… and restaurant level delicious! I did; however, make a few changes which I figured I’d share here in case you’re interested in them. I ordered my groceries through Instacart and ended up with only five chicken thighs rather than the required eight. I also left one chicken, at the end, un-sauced for the kids to split, so essentially I used one batch of sauce for half the required chicken. We, of course, ended up with extra sauce so if you want the same ratios I recommend you double your sauce if you’re making the recipe’s required eight thighs. For the sauce itself, the recipe asked for a general hot sauce and I only had sriracha so I used that as my hot sauce. Additionally, the recipe calls for you to use a wire rack in the oven to bake these. I don’t own a wire rack so I ended up using my air fryer, through our [Ninja Foodi](https://www.ninjakitchen.com/exclusive-offer/FD402WBKT/ninja-foodi-8-qt-9-in-1-deluxe-xl-pressure-cooker-air-fryer/?ref=simplykyra.com), that perfectly fit the five chicken thighs (so maybe a good thing I had less), using the same temperature and time the recipe called for.

Overall the final chicken was amazing; although so spicy with the extra sauce. Both Matt and I loved it although the kids didn’t try their plain not-sauced or spiced piece. Each chicken was so incredibly crispy on the outside and oh so juicy on the inside. I could definitely see making these again whether it was with the same sauce or subbing in BBQ sauce, so the might kids try it, although I haven’t yet taken the time to do it.

![Image shows five chicken thighs laid out over two wire trays in the Ninja Foodi. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9542.jpeg?resize=750%2C518&ssl=1)

Since I didn’t have a wire tray for the chicken I ended up using my Ninja Foodi to bake the fried thighs. There was plenty of room for all five chicken thighs but the required eight might be a tight fit.

![Image shows a white plate with a pizza-themed napkin and fork off to the side. On the plate sits two orange drenched chicken thighs, a mound of orange yams, and a pile of green-ish slivered cabbage. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9544.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I served the spicy sauce drenched chicken with **Coconut and Sweet Potato Mash*, reviewed below, and some roasted cabbage. The two sides were the perfect accompaniment to the spicy sauced chicken

### *Sticky Pineapple Chicken*

This was the third recipe I tried from the cookbook and Matt absolutely adored it. I actually made it a second time to surprise Matt on his birthday as it was that good. The kids, of course, didn’t like it and I got complaints about each part of the meail. Overall it tasted good although maybe a bit too sugary for my tastes. Ada surprised me when I served the leftovers as she started going on and on about how much she actually loved it so I can see, easily, making this a third time for the family.

The first time around I realized, while looking over the recipe the morning I was going to make it, that I was missing the called for hoisin sauce. I looked online and found [a list of different substitutes through Greatist](https://greatist.com/eat/recipe/substitute-for-hoisin-sauce?ref=simplykyra.com#soy-and-peanut-butter) and decided to go with the soy sauce and peanut butter option (#9). I made it right away, so it could sit in the fridge during the day, just to discover that it only made a quarter cup and I needed a third. I looked over the other substitutes and as many of them called for plums or plum jam I quickly diced up a plum and kept adding the small pieces until it came to a third of a cup. In addition I used chicken breasts over the thighs and paired the dish with basmati rice I made in the pressure cooker while putting the recipe together. In contrast with Matt’s birthday dinner, the second time I made it, I was sure to buy the proper chicken, a bottle of hoisin sauce, and we ate it over the required jasmine rice. Either way both times it turned out great.

![Image shows the brown colored mix served over white rice on a white plate beside a pink donut napkin and spoon. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_8509.jpeg?resize=750%2C537&ssl=1)

This was simply served as a single dish with the sticky pineapple chicken over the rice.

![Image shows The kids' plates each with a glass cup containing yellow liquid. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_7857.jpeg?resize=750%2C500&ssl=1)

The kids’ version was paired with a larger ratio of rice and the leftover juice from the canned pineapple that the recipe needed.

### *Sweet Heat Pepperoni Pizza*

Oh! My! Goodness! Each one of us thinks that this is our absolute favorite recipe in the entire cookbook. Up until now I’ve been using [this quick recipe](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/02/01/my-favorite-pizza-crust-including-my-go-to-tomato-sauce-and-dessert-pizza/) whenever we make pizza but somehow this combination of incredible toppings with the one hour rise crust is phenomenal. I can’t even remember how many times I’ve made it now and each time I top it with the exact same ingredients that the recipe calls for as there may be a rebellion on my hands if I ever change it up.

The first time I made this recipe I measured each and every ingredient as I carefully made sure I didn’t use too much or too little. The only change I made was using frozen pepperoni (we keep it in the freezer so it stays good for random homemade pizza nights) and leaving the pepperoncinis off of the girls’ side of the pizza. I was a bit leery of how this would taste but it blew us away from the very first bite. One pizza was enough for all four of us but it left us wanting more so since then we’ve been doubling the dough and making two of these pizzas each time. I’ve also stopped measuring the toppings and instead eyeball how much I should add. The last couple times I’ve still doubled the dough but then I steal a bit of it so I can make a small dessert pizza after the first two pizza rounds. It’s become the perfect splurge and is amazing.

![Image shows a wooden cutting board with diced mozzerella, some a knife, frozen pepperoni, a third cup of pepperoncinis, and a half cup of tomato sauce. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_8679.jpeg?resize=750%2C571&ssl=1)

The first time I perfectly measured all the ingredients and laid them out while the oven was preheating.

![Image shows a freshly decorated pizza about to go into the oven with the ingredients for the second pizza remaining in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0836.jpeg?resize=750%2C421&ssl=1)

I quickly stopped measuring the toppings and instead scooped, halved, and grabbed each ingredient as I decorated my pizzas.

![Image shows a browned crust pizza covering most of a pizza stone. It's coated in amazingly heated ingredients. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_8681.jpeg?resize=750%2C531&ssl=1)

We have a pizza stone that we heat as the oven preheats and that combined with the amazing ingredients turns out a pretty fine pizza.

![Image shows a single slice of pizza on my white plate. In the distance you can see the kids eating theirs off their plate while Matt is hidden in the back behind my glass. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_8688.jpeg?resize=750%2C445&ssl=1)

We cut it up, dish it up, put any extras on serving plate, and then start eating while the second one bakes!

### *Beef and Farro Soup*

The first quick look through the cookbook brought my attention to the *Beef and Farro Soup* and I was immediately interested. I’d stumbled across farro a couple years ago at [Trader Joe’s](https://www.traderjoes.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and was interested to see another way to use it. That in addition with the story of the secret ingredient and I was hooked. It took a bit of time to get that final ingredient so I didn’t make it right away but I’m so glad I ended up making it. That said the kids didn’t like it, of course, although Matt and I truly enjoyed it. I didn’t have any parsley to top it with and may have added a bit more farro and kale than it called for. I loved it with some [breadIn5](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/01/04/breadin5-make-hot-fresh-bread-easily-on-demand-at-home/) dipped in my bowl while Matt added some cheese to his.

![Image shows a bowl half filled with the brown soup with greens. You can see how high the soup used to be by the markings on the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9371.jpeg?resize=750%2C483&ssl=1)

I forgot to snag a photo until I went for my second bowl. It was amazing and hearty.

![Image shows a white bowl half filled with the same soup as above. This one is coated with slivers of white cheese and has two pieces of white bread to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9367.jpeg?resize=750%2C432&ssl=1)

At that point Matt’s bowl looked a bit more picture-worthy so I snapped his with some cheese and [bread](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/01/04/breadin5-make-hot-fresh-bread-easily-on-demand-at-home/) added.

### *30-Minute Macaroni and Cheese*

This was a recipe I chose to make for my girls as they both love pasta and Zoey loves the idea of this particular secret ingredient. It was a bit more troublesome than our normal go to [pasta recipe](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/03/01/pasta-tomato-and-cheese/) as it used three pots and you needed to make a roux at one point but it came out so good. The first time I paired mine with some leftover cabbage I didn’t want to go bad while Matt and the kids had only this dish. We all loved it although it seemed a bit too saucy. The next time couple times we doubled the pasta, making way too much but happily having leftovers, and it turned out perfectly. The only adjustment I made, repeated each time, was using Fontina over the required Gruyere cheese. In the words of four year old Zoey it was “yummy. So much yummy that I was about to fall down.” while Ada, six, was more simplistic with a simple “scrumptious”.

![Image shows an orange coated pot, wooden spoon, and pasta. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_7732.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

It was so creamy and good although we toned it down by increasing the pasta the next time.

![Image shows the side of Ada's head while she takes her first spoonful of the pasta. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_7734.jpeg?resize=750%2C405&ssl=1)

Both kids loved the pasta!

### *Pasta, Bean, and Chard* (?)

As a quick aside I can’t quite remember the name for this recipe so I made my best guess.

I was interested how this recipe would go and was easily able to get all the ingredients it needed. The only deviation I made was leaving the bacon grease in so I could cook with that instead of adding the required olive oil in the next step. Matt and I loved how this turned out; however, despite the amazing pasta and bacon the kids still complained because of the beans. Overall this was really good and I can see making it again when I want the kids to branch out a bit and still give them pasta.

![Image shows Pipe Rigate mixed with bacon, swiss chard, beans, and topped with grated cheese. It's plated on a white saucer with a fork next to it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_8440.jpeg?resize=750%2C523&ssl=1)

The dish turned out amazing. If you’re craving a pasta dish this is the one to make.

---

## *Sides*

### *Drew’s Ultimate Dinner Rolls*

I had high hopes for these dinner rolls and couldn’t wait to wow the girls with them. The only adjustment I made was using active dry yeast instead of the required instant. As such I increased the amount of yeast by 25%, as according to [this epicurious article](https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/swap-different-types-of-yeast-article?ref=simplykyra.com) a quarter of the yeast may be dead, and let it sit to activate for a few minutes before proceeding. I personally thought these buns ended up a bit dry and both Matt and I thought they were much too salty as I had followed the recipe where she salted the buns at the end. The kids, however, absolutely adored them though so I may surprise the kids by making them again, with less salt at the end, or maybe stick to my normal [breadIn5 recipes](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/01/04/breadin5-make-hot-fresh-bread-easily-on-demand-at-home/). That said they looked amazing and I was pretty proud of the end result.

![Image shows a metal cake pan filled with browned and rounded buns all baked together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_8753.jpeg?resize=750%2C496&ssl=1)

Freshly baked buns hot, salted, and ready to eat. They looked so amazing and smelled great.

![Image shows a plate with one whole bun, one opened bun, and two stacks of leftovers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_8757.jpeg?resize=750%2C523&ssl=1)

I ended up microwaving two different types of leftovers to simplify the rest of the meal. In the back sits a mix containing eggs, cabbage, and taco beef for a breakfast sandwich type thing. In the front was leftover steak slathered in cheese.

### *Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad*

This was our least favorite dish we tried from the cookbook. I followed the recipe but it seemed to make way too much of the sauce and not enough of the main. At one point I started wondering if my Persian cucumbers were too small so I used the whole bag and still felt like it had too much liquid. We attempted to eat the leftovers but ended up composting what was left. I’m glad we tried it and it makes me wonder how it was supposed to be as I feel like it didn’t end up how it should.

![Image shows a saucer with a pile of cut cucumber sitting in a pool of brown liquid. In the background sits a large clear serving bowl with more. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9299.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I liked the idea but I think there was way too much liquid in the dish. We ended up tossing the leftovers after attempting to eat it once more.

### *Shake ‘n’ Bacon Bites*

These were so amazing and tasted akin to candy. The ingredients complemented each other so perfectly. It smelled so good that we didn’t even let it cool before digging in although we saved some so we could try it cold out of the fridge the next day. They tasted just as good cold stuck in congealed oil too.

![Image shows two stacks of raw bacon on a plastic cutting board. Beside it sits a sharp knife and behind it a pink Stasher bag on its side with the ingredients mixed within. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_4217-1.jpeg?resize=750%2C492&ssl=1)

I started out by adding all the ingredients to a Stasher bag, sealing it, and squishing and shaking to mix. I then cut up the bacon and tossed it into the bag with the rest of the ingredients. Again I squished and shook to mix before setting it aside as the oven finished preheating.

![A closeup photo of a pile of incredible bacon sitting in a bit of liquid within a white bowl. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0514.jpeg?resize=750%2C513&ssl=1)

The first time I made a single batch of the bacon and it was incredible! We all loved it.

![Image shows about ten pieces of bacon congealed from the cold fridge sitting in a glass container on the counter. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0523.jpeg?resize=750%2C451&ssl=1)

We succeeded in saving the last bit in a glass container. The next day we pulled it out and tried it cold and it still tasted so amazing!

The next time I made these I chose to double the recipe so there was a lot of leftovers and then ended up using those leftovers in a new way later. That day I had just boiled a mix of carrots and parsnips and had planned to add my normal dill and butter to them. Instead I saw the leftover *Shake ‘n’ Bacon Bites* so I tossed them into the pot, tossed the strained veggies in over top, and then stirred until they were heated through. It was fantastic!!! Definitely planning on making them again, both to eat and to use the leftovers in the same way, as it tasted amazing and the kids actually ate some of the vegetables this way.

![Image shows a bowl of the bacon bites with a wooden spoon for dishing. Off in the back is a cookie sheet covered in simple snacking yumminess. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0789.jpeg?resize=750%2C735&ssl=1)

The second time I made a double batch, since we loved it so much, and served it with a snack tray filled with fruit, vegetables, pretzels, tortilla chips, and cheese. This was perfect game night food.

![Image shows a square of lasagna sitting next to a pile of white, orange, and bacon. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0922.jpeg?resize=750%2C408&ssl=1)

I combined the leftover **Shake ‘n’ Bacon Bites* in a pot with my boiled and strained carrots and parsnips and let it heat before removing it to the table. It tasted amazing and went great with my lasagna.

### *Three-Cheese Queso for a Crowd*

Recently, before this, Matt had bought a jar of queso and loved it. Because of that the second I saw this recipe I knew I needed to surprise Matt with it. I made sure to buy all the needed ingredients and then screwed it up a bit by not baking the yams long enough so in the end I ended up with chunky queso. That said, it still tasted amazing; although, it was a bit rich for how much we ate. The kids didn’t like it too much so Matt and I were basically the only two that ate this and the recipe is technically for eight to ten people. I ended up serving this with the *Shake ‘n’ Bacon Bites*, tortilla chips, and assorted raw vegetables to dip in the queso. When I asked Matt what he thought of it, for this review, he said “Can’t talk nom nom nom” and the kids burst out laughing and kept repeating it and giggling. It was hilarious and the queso was great. I can totally see making this whenever parties with large groups of friends resumes.

![Image shows a metal skillet filled with queso, several stasher bags filled with cleaned and cut up raw vegetables, a bowl of bacon bits, and a bag of tortilla chips. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0516.jpeg?resize=750%2C340&ssl=1)

I served it straight from the skillet along with pre-cut vegetables, a bag of tortilla chips, and a bowl of **Shake ‘n’ Bacon Bites*. Overall a way richer supper than I had expected but great.

Of course, since it served 8-10, we had leftovers. I tossed them in the fridge and later dolloped it onto some oven roasted vegetables and tossed it back in the oven. This tasted great, although, I didn’t leave it in for long enough after adding the queso as it stayed a bit cold in the center. If I were to do this part again I would add the queso sooner so it had longer to heat up in the oven.

![Image shows a plate of roasted vegetables topped with queso. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0569.jpeg?resize=750%2C480&ssl=1)

I roasted [a mix of cauliflower and assorted bell peppers](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/03/make-a-simple-tasty-and-healthy-cookie-sheet-meal/). Once it was almost done I tossed dollops of the leftover queso all over the cookie sheet and returned it to the oven for five minutes. The queso was still a bit cold so next time I plan to add it sooner so it can bake for longer.

### Co*conut and Sweet Potato Mash*

Oh my goodness! The flavors in this are so unique and incredible. I absolutely loved this… although I ate way too big of a serving so it got a bit tiring near the end. Matt also thought it was good but the kids, who aren’t yam fans, didn’t like it. I made these on Christmas eve so I was easily able to cook twice the amount of yams I needed, removed the ones I wanted to prepare differently for Christmas, and then proceeded with this recipe. I loved that I was able to make both day’s yams, making Christmas easier, and have them completely different so it didn’t feel like leftovers.

![Closeup of a plate with three piles centered in the middle. On the left is perfectly made two thick slices of tri-tip, a pile of green, and, in the front, a pile of the recipe:  Coconut and Sweet Potato Mash.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_8891.jpeg?resize=750%2C496&ssl=1)

I served these yams with Matt-barbecued tri-tip and some wilted Swiss chard.

As an aside: In case you’re curious I normally mash my yams with butter, milk, and a combination of sprinkled pumpkin pie-related spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and/or allspice. On Christmas I microwaved it, spread it in a small casserole dish, topped half with marshmallows, and then broiled it.

### *Honey-Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli*

Matt and I absolutely loved this dish although, of course, it wasn’t my kids’ favorite. I could see using this recipe as a base and changing it up with different vegetables too. I also loved that I was able to prepare this in advance as I cut the broccoli and cauliflower the day before, when I did the grocery order, and tossed it in a large [Stasher bag](https://www.stasherbag.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) so it would stay fresh in the fridge. Since it was in the bag anyway I added all the other ingredients, while the oven preheated, to the bag and awkwardly shook the partially closed bag to distribute everything. I paired this with a casserole, baked at the same temperature, so once the casserole was halfway done I tossed the cookie sheet with the veggies to bake along with it.

I had homemade honey mustard sauce in my fridge that I wanted to use up so I may have used more than the recipe called for. After tossing the vegetables in the ingredients and laying it out on the cookie sheet I also drizzled the last remaining honey mustard sauce over top of the vegetables. If you want to make your own honey mustard sauce for this recipe I made mine by mixing together equal amounts of honey, mustard, and plain yogurt (a third cup of each) along with a tablespoon of white vinegar.

![Image shows a plastic cutting board with a knife and two half stalks of broccoli. In the sink beside it there's a metal strainer with a small broccoli stalk. Behind the cutting board is a pink transparent Stasher bag with cut up cauliflower inside it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_8113.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I was able to cut up the vegetables the day before making this recipe even easier.

![Image is taken from above looking at the opened stasher bag showing broccoli with the other ingredients over top of it. Beside it sits two measuring spoons. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_8154.jpeg?resize=750%2C505&ssl=1)

Later, right before setting my oven temperature, I added all the remaining ingredients to my Stasher bag. I was hoping to be able to simply shake it to mix before dumping it onto the cookie sheet but it was a bit too full and became more of an awkward bounce.

![Image shows an orange silpat sheet covered in yellow tinged cauliflower and broccoli. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_8157.jpeg?resize=750%2C537&ssl=1)

I shook the contents out onto a Silpat lined baking sheet and, after tossing them to mix, roasted it according to the instructions.

![Image shows a white plate half filled with the vegetable mix and the other half a turkey and potato based casserole. In the background you can see the kids and Matt's plates and the water glasses. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_8167.jpeg?resize=750%2C534&ssl=1)

It tasted amazing and was great paired with a casserole I pulled out of the freezer from Thanksgiving.

---

## *Dessert*s

### *Chocolate Shell Ice Cream Topping*

I don’t think I’ve ever bought the kids Magic Shell before so when I saw this in the cookbook I knew I needed to make it and blow my kids minds wide open. This was so simple to quickly make after supper and have right away as an incredible dessert. I put the remaining chocolate shell in an emptied jam jar in the pantry and loved it, later, drizzled over fruit. Everyone adored this and it’s definitely on the make more often list.

![Image shows a large glass bowl containing the homemade chocolate shell and a metal spoon. Beside it sits two smaller dishes each with two scoops of vanilla ice cream covered in a layer of chocolate.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9863.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

It was simple to throw together after I finished eating supper and I had it ready and dished before the kids were finished their meal.

![Image shows a closeup of my dish of ice cream and chocolate shell. I love how as the ice cream melts under the shell you're left with an overhang. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9866.jpeg?resize=750%2C532&ssl=1)

I loved how the secret ingredient made the chocolate even better and absolutely adored this dessert. I hadn’t had Magic Shell in years and loved the feeling of nostalgia as it also reminded me of the Dilly Bars of my childhood from Dairy Queen.

### *Caramel-Apple Cinnamon Rolls*

I hadn’t planned to make these cinnamon rolls when I first went through the cookbook but over time the image of these rolls in the cookbook got to me and I knew we had to have them. Then I realized what the secret ingredient was, which Matt and I don’t normally like, so I put them off but that picture… it got to me. I went ahead, using a bit less of that ingredient in the filling, and it turned out really good. I did mess up a bit in the execution by mixing the filling together and then layering it on the dough rather than layering each of the three parts individually. The end result tasted incredible, cloud-like, and we ate way too many… while enjoying them thoroughly. Ada absolutely adored them and said “they taste really good (especially) with the cream cheese icing.” In contrast Zoey said she loved it, ate the cream cheese icing by dipping blueberries into it, ignored most of the bun itself, and told me that their dad, who had bought a dried out cinnamon bun from a bakery and nuked it the previous weekend, makes better cinnamon buns. I thought that was hilarious and made sure to jot it down to include in this review. This is definitely a make again, even with that secret ingredient, and I absolutely adored the addition of the apples in the filling.

![Image shows the apple stuffed cinnamon rolls placed in a glass casserole dish with plastic wrap partially covering them. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_1024.jpeg?resize=750%2C454&ssl=1)

Loved how simple these were to come together when following the instructions. I especially love how gorgeous these look in the pan.

![Image shows the white frosting coated cinnamon buns with a couple missing showing off the soft and fluffy interior. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_1029.jpeg?resize=750%2C538&ssl=1)

They looked and smelled incredible fresh out the oven and were even better after adding the frosting. Just looking at these again makes me want to make them right now.

### *Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie*

The second I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it for my husband’s birthday… and then couldn’t wait and made it several days before. I used my Dutch oven to make this and although I followed the instructions it wasn’t quite done after letting it rest so I tossed it back in for another 20 minutes. The recipe called for a skillet so I think the change in pan may have caused the cooking time issue. I also slightly altered the recipe by using more chocolate chips than it called for when I saw how few were truly left in the packaging. This turned out amazing, tasted rich, was easy to throw together, and felt truly restaurant-worthy which was perfect in these COVID days. The ice cream we topped our cookie with cut the richness perfectly. We then changed it up the next day when we microwaved our leftovers and poured whole milk over it. Either way you chose to have this cookie it remains truly sublime.

![Image shows a cookie filling the bottom of my blue Dutch oven. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_8446.jpeg?resize=750%2C527&ssl=1)

I first checked on it and found it wasn’t truly baked, hence the melted chocolate-y part, so I threw it back in for another twenty minutes. The next time it came out perfect!

![Image shows a blue lined white bowl with a slice of hot chocolate chip cookie and ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_8449.jpeg?resize=750%2C461&ssl=1)

The hot rich cookie was truly sublime when paired with the cold vanilla ice cream.

![Image shows a white cup with cold cookie and milk sopping inside it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_8691.jpeg?ssl=1)

For the leftovers the next day we dished cold, microwaved it, and poured milk over top. It was amazing too!

### *Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies*

Matt absolutely adores oatmeal cookies so the second I saw this recipe listed in the book I knew that I had to try it at some point. I wasn’t able to find the secret ingredient so I settled for the cranberry version instead. They turned out stupendous and I’m definitely using this recipe again the next time we want to eat oatmeal cookies… in fact I’ve since bought the secret ingredient so I could try making them using the legit way.

![Image shows two stacked black wire cooling racks filled with  misshapen oatmeal cookies. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3077.jpeg?resize=750%2C417&ssl=1)

I’m too impatient so I crowded the cookies a bit too much on the cookie sheet. That said, other than the misshapenly shaped cookie result, they turned out amazingly.

![Image shows a white mug filled with milk on a cupcake decorated napkin on the kitchen table. Beside it sits one cookie, lying flat, and another leaned up vertically on the first cookie and leaning against the mug. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3201.jpeg?resize=750%2C535&ssl=1)

Of course we had to eat some dipped into cool milk.

---

## *Drinks*

### *Hot Chocolate*

I knew the second I saw this hot chocolate with the secret ingredient added that I had to make it. And my was the end result rich and incredible. Ada told me “Yummy. Quadruple yummy.” while Zoey added “Quadruple yummy. We looove.”. While I loved it I found it incredibly rich and the last sip was filled with all the remnants that sunk to the bottom. Overall great but I need to figure out a way to fix the sinking ingredient issue for the next time.

![Image shows four cups (two red and two white) sitting on a table. All are filled with hot chocolate, topped with whip cream, and sprinkled with extra toppings. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9432.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I either doubled or quadrupled this recipe so we’d have four servings of it. I made sure to snap a quick photo of all the cups together before I handed them out.

![Image is taken from above looking down at the kids' mugs of hot chocolate and whip cream. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9435.jpeg?resize=750%2C264&ssl=1)

The kids absolutely adored them although it was rich and one, or both, didn’t finish their entire mug.

### *The V.I.P.*

I made this according to the directions but once it came time to strain it I was a bit rushed as supper was already on the table. As such I attempted to search for this recipe, gave up, vaguely remembered you should use a cocktail shaker, and then instead poured it straight into a fancy glass and later added a bit of crushed ice. Whichever way you make this it tasted strong, as expected, but amazing. I later switched it up and mixed my own drink by adding it to some pulpy orange juice which was stupendous. Overall I could see this being a great go-to drink.

![Image shows a mesh bag holding black flecked pineapple on a funnel over a yellow liquid filled clear mason jar. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_2603.jpeg?resize=750%2C669&ssl=1)

After letting the mixture sit for several days I strained the liquor and put it into a clean mason jar. I love that the recipe points out not to try to eat the leftover pineapple.

![Image shows a margarita glass with ice and yellow liquid in it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_2614.jpeg?resize=750%2C410&ssl=1)

I ignored the directions, as I was in a rush, and poured some into a margarita cup and then later added crushed ice.

![Image shows a bottle of Ketel One Botanical Grapefruit & Rose distilled vodka next to a clear canning jar partially filled with frozen pineapple chunks.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3800.jpeg?resize=750%2C545&ssl=1)

A while back we bought a grapefruit and rose vodka that I didn’t really like so I decided to use it up by substituting it into this recipe the second time I made it. I grabbed some frozen pineapple, ignored the secret ingredient, and started a new batch. This one also turned out great though I think I still prefer the first unaltered version.

### La Jolla Sunset

Lately I send Matt to grab any alcohol we may need and when he finally found the ingredients for this I quickly added the related grocery items to my list. I’m so glad we tried this as it was an incredible drink that blew me away.

![Image shows two clear glass cups side by side with ice and red-ish liquid and pomegranate seeds on top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/04/compressed_IMG_3801.jpeg?resize=750%2C538&ssl=1)

The pulp in the orange juice we bought was stuck in the opening of the jug blocking the juice so the one cup ended up with way more pulp than the other. That said either drink was amazing. I’m so glad I tried it.

---

I am so glad I came across this cookbook as we adored so many of these recipes. Cooking them and having the kids attempt to guess the secret ingredient brought me so much joy that I hadn’t expected. Our absolute favorite, currently, is the *Sweet Heat Pepperoni Pizza* and I’ve made it so many times to my kids and husband’s delight. I haven’t gone back to my old pizza since coming across it as I’m afraid my family would revolt…. or at least be severely disappointed. I’ve loved the recipes so much that when the cookbook was released yesterday I jumped on my phone to purchase a paper copy.

Have you tried anything by Kelly Senyei before? Have you cooked from her website [Just a Taste](https://www.justataste.com/?ref=simplykyra.com)? I must admit that this cookbook was my first introduction to her and it blew me away. I’ve since checked out her website and made the truly incredible [Apple Pie Panini](https://www.justataste.com/apple-pie-panini-press-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com) (posted from a friend’s cookbook) along with her version of the [viral feta and tomato baked dish](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=secret+ingredient+cookbook+pasta+bean+chard&t=brave&iai=r1-0&page=1&sexp=%7B%22biaexp%22%3A%22b%22%2C%22msvrtexp%22%3A%22b%22%7D&ref=simplykyra.com) and [her baked brie version](https://www.justataste.com/baked-brie-pasta-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com) (which led to my spinoff [bruschetta on toast](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/24/simple-and-incredible-baked-feta-bruschetta-on-toast/)).

Feel free to share your favorite recipes by her, or from her website, in the comments below. I hope you’re doing amazing.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Give That Old Play-Doh Kit a Brand New Feeling
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/give-that-old-play-doh-kit-a-brand-new-feeling/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:23:55.000Z
Many years ago the girls’ grandma gave them [a really cool Play-Doh kit](https://playdoh.hasbro.com/en-us/product/play-doh-touch-shape-to-life-studio:2FC58215-5056-9047-F5FA-060659E8A3B7?ref=simplykyra.com) that connected to an app on their iPad. Ada loved it right away while Zoey had to grow into it a bit. I noticed over time their play decreased as the Play-Doh in the kit got older and more mixed together. We soon started pulling out our regular playdough whenever the girls’ played with the kit but often that playdough was also mixed up and resulted in only one hue to use. A couple years ago, before their grandma came for a visit, I decided to revitalize their Play-Doh kit using [our favorite playdough recipe](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/) and the original Play-Doh containers. A little bit of work and sensory play that one day made the kit feel brand new and I’m so glad we did it.

![Image to pin this post to Pinterest. The top has the blog title, the bottom has my main URL, and the middle shows a collage of seven images, shown below, showing the process we took to clean the containers, make playdough, and refill the containers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Give-That-Old-Play-Doh-Kit-a-Brand-New-Feeling-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Quick note: I wanted to mention that we haven’t played with this kit recently so I don’t know if the app is still available or even how it’s performing. [The website for the Play-Doh Touch Shape to Life Studio product](https://playdoh.hasbro.com/en-us/product/play-doh-touch-shape-to-life-studio:2FC58215-5056-9047-F5FA-060659E8A3B7?ref=simplykyra.com) currently, on February 26th in 2021, says it’s “Available at least through 6/30/18” so I’m not sure how much support it has or if it’s even available. I wanted to still share this idea with you in case you have an older kit, of any type or shape, that you’d want to revitalize in a similar manner.

---

Years ago, back before Zoey was old enough to truly use it, we received an amazing Play-Doh kit, [Touch Shape to Life Studio](https://playdoh.hasbro.com/en-us/product/play-doh-touch-shape-to-life-studio:2FC58215-5056-9047-F5FA-060659E8A3B7?ref=simplykyra.com), from the girls’ grandma that connected to an app on their iPad. Since the kit required use of their shared iPad, as they needed to scan the playdough creations into the app, I ended up storing it separate from their main Play-Doh toys and homemade playdough. As it was out of sight we didn’t use it all the time but every time that we did use it they had an absolute blast. As the Play-Doh that came with it got older we started using our homemade playdough instead and saved the emptied Play-Doh containers as a fun playdough toy. Even then I could tell the kids preferred the kit whenever we had more colors of playdough to chose from. This made me realize, as another fun visit with their grandma approached, that I should clean out their Play-Doh containers, make a fresh multi-colored batch, and thus revitalize the kit so they could have hours of fun playing it with their grandma. I waited until Zoey went down for a nap and then Ada and I got to work, or fun sensory play for Ada, making this happen. I think we ended up taking longer than Zoey’s nap and continued it once she got up but I can’t remember for sure so I’m not quite sure exactly how long it took us to do this. That said it was a fun bonding activity with Ada and gave us hours of new fun with the kit so I’m really glad I thought to do it.

Before starting I had spent a bit of time going through the girls’ playdough and finding every Play-Doh container we had saved. I matched up each container with a lid, then made sure we had the right number for the kit, dumped the playdough out that was in them, and set them aside. Any of the extra containers and lids went back into the girls’ playdough area for future play. With that done I waited for Zoey to go down for a nap then grabbed a large plastic container and washcloth, filled the container with water and dish soap for Ada, and got her started cleaning out each Play-Doh container and lid. This helped me out and gave her a fun sensory activity to do while I made the playdough by myself.

![Ada on her knees on a chair leaned over a bin of soapy water cleaning the containers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Refilling-PlayDoh-Kit-4613.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I used the cleaning of the Play-Doh containers as a sensory bin to keep Ada occupied while I made the playdough and get them mostly cleaned. I have her a pipe cleaner, or chenille stem, to help get into all of the grooves on the lids.

I can’t remember if I only made a single or a double batch of [my recipe](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/) but I do know that I made it without any added food dye or flavor extracts for scents. Once the playdough came together I broke it up into equal pieces so I’d have a portion of playdough for each container I needed to refill. I then rolled out each piece into a ball and poked a hole in the top so I could easily drop the food dye in. I own all three primary colors of water-based food dye in large bottles so I started out by dropping red into one ball of playdough, blue into another, and finally yellow into a third ball. This meant that there were four remaining balls of playdough so I decided to make three of them the secondary colors by adding equal amounts of two primary colors to each. This gave me green (yellow and blue), orange (yellow and red), and purple (red and blue). I then left the last ball untouched so the kids could work with white too. Once all the playdough had the proper food dye added I took them one by one, closed in the hole, and used a spatula and then my hands to repeatedly squish and knead the playdough together so the dye was fully mixed in. I chose to use the spatula first so I could break up the food dye chunks before touching the playdough and thus had less chance of badly dying my hands. If the color wasn’t dark enough, after kneading it together, I’d create another divot in the top and drop some more dye in before repeating this process. Once I was happy with the hue I’d set it aside and start the same mixing process on the next playdough mound.

A quick aside in case you do get food dye on your hands. I once got a lot on my hands and soap and water didn’t seem to do much. I looked online and ended up getting most of it off using toothpaste as if it was soap. In case you want other solutions I quickly looked again and found this [wikiHow](https://www.wikihow.life/Clean-Food-Coloring-off-Skin?ref=simplykyra.com) post that mentions four different methods to clean off food dye along with this [Spoon University](https://spoonuniversity.com/how-to/how-to-get-food-coloring-off-skin?ref=simplykyra.com) one that tells you how to do it “in 5 Steps”.

![Image shows a blue bowl with a white inside. It's filled with white powder and off white liquid (flour, canola oil, cream of tartar). Off to the side is the purple lidded flour container. In the back is a bin of water, two Play-Doh containers drying on a purple towel, and several colorful lids and a pink pipe cleaner waiting to be cleaned. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Refilling-PlayDoh-Kit-4611.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

As Ada washed out the Play-Doh containers I started in on [my favorite playdough recipe](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/).

![Image shows six mounds of white playdough with divots in the center. They each have different drops of red, blue, or yellow food dye in the center. The large bottles sit in the back beside a scattering of white flour and a splotched paper towel. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Refilling-PlayDoh-Kit-4623.jpg?resize=750%2C517&ssl=1)

After making and separating the white playdough into seven equal portions, as we needed to refill seven Play-Doh containers, I balled each portion and pressed a hole in the center so I could drip food dye in. I used a variety of drops from the three primary colored water-based food dyes to end up with all three primary colors, all three secondary colors, and a white.

![Image shows three different balls of playdough in different states on a flour, white powder, coated table. The front one is fully one shade of pink, the center one is still white but slightly misshapen with drops of blue and red on it (for purple), the back ball is more nest shape and blurred with yellow dye in the center. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Refilling-PlayDoh-Kit-4626.jpg?resize=750%2C695&ssl=1)

This image shows the process better as the back ball has yellow dye in the divot at it’s top, while the center ball has been pressed closed with some red and blue dye squishing out from the center. The front pink object is all mixed together and rounded into a ball.

By the time all the playdough was made Ada had mostly cleaned all the Play-Doh containers but she had trouble fully cleaning the lids. I grabbed the pipe cleaner, also called a chenille stem, I gave her earlier and used it to scrape out the dried Play-Doh around the groove. As I finished each lid I gave it back to Ada so she could continue *washing* it as I scrape out the next lid. Once we finished cleaning all the containers and lids we used a dish towel to dry them out and started filling the containers. I quickly realized the colors didn’t perfectly match each lid so we paused and I had Ada match up each colored ball of playdough with which lid she wanted it to go with. Once she had finished deciding we continued filling the containers with each color and any excess playdough, that didn’t fit, was rolled up and placed in a freezer bag to go in the kids main playdough area. Once all the containers were fully filled and the lids pressed on securely they were put back in the [Play-Doh Touch Shape to Life Studio](https://playdoh.hasbro.com/en-us/product/play-doh-touch-shape-to-life-studio:2FC58215-5056-9047-F5FA-060659E8A3B7?ref=simplykyra.com) box and set aside for when grandma came. I was so excited for the kids to play with the kit as they now have such a diverse amount of colors available to work with again. Finally Ada and Zoey were released to play with their new playdough, the extra balls, and all the other playdough toys.

![Image shows a closeup of the pink pipe cleaner pushing the Play-Doh gunk out of the lid's grooves. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Refilling-PlayDoh-Kit-4639.jpg?resize=750%2C372&ssl=1)

The metal in the pipe cleaner was string enough to get into the grooves while the fuzzy bits did well cleaning up most of what remained.

![Image shows Ada washing a yellow Play-Doh lid with a white washcloth as a bin of soapy water and some soapy lids on a purple towel sit behind her. Beside that is a lidded red Play-Doh container, several empty and dried containers, and one container filled with orange playdough. Beside this sits several large balls of playdough and behind that a freezer bag with a smaller ball of pink and orange lay the remnants of the containers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Refilling-PlayDoh-Kit-4638.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Ada was finishing washing up her emptied Play-Doh containers while I started filling up the ones that we had already dried.

![Image shows Ada placing a black lid on the yellow mound of playdough. The green, purple, and white beside it match up. You can see the first colors filled behind and their excess amounts in a clear bag beside it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Refilling-PlayDoh-Kit-4645.jpg?resize=750%2C496&ssl=1)

I quickly realized some of the lids didn’t match the colors I made so I stopped filling the Play-Doh containers and instead had Ada choose which lid should go with each color. Once she had paired them all up I waited for a second in case she changed her mind and then we started filling them back up again.

![Image shows a clear freezer bag filled with seven different balls of playdough. Behind it sits the seven containers of Play-Doh filled with fresh playdough. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Refilling-PlayDoh-Kit-4649.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

We ended up with a fair amount of each color and the small Play-Doh containers didn’t hold a lot. This meant we also had a freezer bag filled with all the excess playdough that didn’t fit in the containers. The kids played with this playdough and all their other tools after we put the rest away.

![Image shows a cardboard box filled with seven containers of playdough, a white base, and several Play-Doh moulds and cutters. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Refilling-PlayDoh-Kit-4660.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After filling up all the containers we returned them all to the kit so the next time we played with it it would feel brand new.

![Image shows the kitchen table spread out with plastic dinosaurs and the Play-Doh kit. The iPad shows the playdough creation just as well as the old Play-Doh one. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Refilling-PlayDoh-Kit-1734.jpg?resize=750%2C454&ssl=1)

Later, after grandma arrived, the kids had a blast playing with their new-feeling kit and even brought in some other toys to join in with the fun.

I am so glad we refilled the Play-Doh containers with [my homemade playdough](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/) as the kids had a blast playing with the kit again. This is making me wonder where the kit has disappeared to and whether the app still works well enough for them to use it. Now that they’re older I would love to see what playdough creations they can load up in the app and interact with.

Anyway do you have a Play-Doh kit that would be revitalized with a new batch of playdough in it? Let me know if you take this idea to make your kits new. I’d love to hear how it went so feel free to share in the comments below. I hope your week is going great.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simple Sewing Trick for Neckbands and Cuffs - It’s All in the Fold!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-sewing-trick-for-neckbands-and-cuffs/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T01:24:07.000Z
A while back when I was browsing on Facebook I came across this really cool trick that makes sewing bands so much easier. I can’t remember exactly where I came across this trick although it must have been through one, or several, of my sewing or fabric groups. Since I tried this trick out I’ve had been meaning to share it with you but I hadn’t gotten a chance… yet. This last Christmas, when sewing up a [Magnolia dress](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/16/my-favorite-simple-kids-knit-sewing-pattern-the-magnolia/) for either girl, I knew now was the time to take photos of the process since together with the neckband and sleeve cuffs I was making and sewing on six different bands!

![Pinterest-geared image showing six images, found below, along with my blog post title and the main URL. The top image shows the top portion of two dresses. Below the title is a collage of five images showing the process of making the neck and sleeve band. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Simple-Sewing-Trick-For-Neckbands-and-Cuffs-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Most sewing instructions I’ve followed have me making my bands in a slightly longer way that’s just a bit more troublesome. For this default way I start out with a long rectangle of my fabric and fold it in half lengthwise so the short ends meet up and the right side of the fabric is facing each other. I then clip it into place and sew along that short end using the proper seam allowance width. Once I’m done I press the seam over to one side, or if using a sewing machine I can press it open, before folding the band in half the other way so I’m left with a loop of fabric. This loop shows the proper fabric on either side as the wrong sides are facing, is folded along the top, and has two layers of fabric at the bottom. I then find the quarter points, clip them, find the quarter points for the main garment, match up those quarter points, stretch the layers so they match, clip a lot, and then sew them together.

![Image shows a longer white band and two taller bands that you can tell are darker on the reverse side. All three are folded in half lengthwise and clipped, with three sewing clips, to keep them in place. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8526.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I started folding over the neckbands and sleeve cuffs according to the instructions before remembering this quicker method. I snapped a quick photo for you before removing the clips and instead using the trick on them.

This trick doesn’t replace the whole process described above but it does simplify folding the band in half. As this is just one part within several different steps of sewing a band onto a garment I figured I’d go over all the steps. Also, in case you’re wondering, you can do this with both knit and woven fabrics. I used this trick on the girls’ [knit Magnolia dresses](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/16/my-favorite-simple-kids-knit-sewing-pattern-the-magnolia/) along with their woven nightgowns and took photos of all the cuff-related steps as I progressed. As such some steps might have two different cuff-related photos to explain it.

To use this trick I start out by folding the long rectangle of fabric in half twice rather than the one time above. The first fold is set lengthwise, same as before, so the short ends match up and the wrong sides are facing each other. I then fold it in half the other way so the new fold goes along the length of the fabric on the top or bottom side. The short ends that met up, with the first fold, are now halved by that second fold. I clip that end in place so the four layers don’t shift and bring it to my machine to sew it closed with the proper seam allowance for that garment.

![Image shows three bands on the chair. The lower two, a neckband and sleeve cuff, are folded in half lengthwise and clipped on the raw short edges to keep the two layers together. Above them is the other sleeve cuff open and not folded yet. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8530.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I start out by taking the long rectangular strip of fabric and fold it in half lengthwise so the short ends meet and the wrong side of the fabric is facing me. The two clipped fabrics in this photo shows the fold I’m talking about although you don’t need to clip it yet as there’s still one more fold to go before sewing it.

![Image shows that cuff from before folded twice creating a four layered rectangle. My finger rests on the corner where both raw edges meet while the folds sit on the top and right side. Beyond it sits the other two bands waiting to be folded a second time. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8532.jpeg?resize=750%2C503&ssl=1)

After folding in half lengthwise I fold it once again the other way. This results in a four layer rectangle with a fold along the top, from the second fold, and another fold along the left side. Here the raw edges are on the right side and my finger is holding it down so it doesn’t pop up and unfold.

![Image shows the properly folded cuff with a pink and blue clip holding it tightly together. In the background are two bands that haven't been folded enough yet. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8533.jpeg?resize=750%2C536&ssl=1)

I then clip all four layers together along the folded short ends of the rectangle. In this photo I’m going to sew between the pink and blue sewing clips. The two cuffs in the back were only folded once so I still need to remove their clips, fold it again, and reattach the clips.

With the edge clipped in place I now take it to my machine and sew along that edge using the pattern’s required seam allowance. With the old way I’d leave my serger tails alone as they’d be later trimmed and serged over when sewing the band to the garment. With this trick one of those tails is now along the folded edge so it won’t be sewn over. To make sure the stitches are secured in place I next unravel that tail using a lint brush, I received with my machines, [to help ease the stitches apart so I can then tie a knot to secure that seam end](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/17/easily-unravel-and-tie-off-your-serger-ends/). If you’re using a sewing machine you wouldn’t need to secure the end as you can easily backstitch to lock in place; although, if you used a larger seam allowance you may want to trim the excess fabric at this point.

![Image shows the short raw end of the band being serged to secure it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8536.jpeg?resize=750%2C505&ssl=1)

I serged along the folded short ends to lock the four layers in place and make my band into a loop.

![Image shows the serged sleeve cuff as the un-serged end is unfolded. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8540.jpeg?resize=750%2C434&ssl=1)

Once I finished serging the end and cut it from the machine I’m left with this.

![Image shows the serged ends of two different bands. Either one has a serger tail coming from the raw end while the top side, folded edge, has an unraveled tail with a knot at the base. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8553.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I used a pointed tool to get into the downward loop on the serger tail to untangle the ends working my way from closer to the end of the tail to the fabric. Once there I tied a knot and trimmed the loose threads. [If you want more information I posted previously about this method here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/17/easily-unravel-and-tie-off-your-serger-ends/).

![Image shows four arm cuffs, or bands, spread out on the floor with their one serger tail on and the other tied and trimmed off. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_7477.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I find it easiest to group all the bands I need to sew together into a batch. I then do each step on all the bands before going onto the next step. At this point I had folded, sewn, and tied off each of these four bands.

And now it’s time for this trick’s magic! To do it I take one of the outer layers of fabric and flip it around the fold so I’m essentially unfolding it. This unfolding will travel around the band to the other side of my seam and suddenly I’m left with a properly folded band without having to line up the seam or worry about either layer shifting. If there’s any bulging or overlapping around the seam I can gently grasp the fabric on either side of that seam and lightly tug it so the seam flattens out and the band looks perfectly folded without even needing to press it. Although you can still press it at this step if you want to.

![Image shows the 'rectangle' with the outer layer on either side flipped open showing the dark fabric. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8546.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I take the outer layer and carefully unfold it. This unfolding travels along the band until it reaches the other side of the seam. This turns the fabric from a flat rectangle to a perfect round band with the right side of the fabric facing out.

![Image shows a band with a single seam on the top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8548.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Although the side opposite from the cuff still flops open at this point the seam makes it’s side stay properly folded into a band with only a single seam adding any bumps rather than the two from before.

![Image shows four woven cuffs. The bottom left one is still folded although sewn and tied off. The top right one shows a perfectly folded band with the right side of the fabric facing out. In between the two images are two other bands showing the unfolding process so you're left with the sequence of unfolding.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_7480.jpeg?resize=750%2C554&ssl=1)

I hoped this image would show the progression from the sewn rectangle of folded fabric to a perfectly made cuff.

Now I follow the rest of the instructions, like before, to sew my band onto the garment. This trick; however, does slightly speed up quartering my band as I automatically know the first point, the seam, and I didn’t have to trim it, line it up, or clip it into place first. From there I need to find the second point. I’ve found, especially when using the cotton Lycra from [Whimsy Baby Customs](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), that there may still be a crease in the fabric from when it was folded in half and, if so, I can easily clip the second point together. If not, or if I want to confirm it, I then put my finger inside the band’s loop and, while holding onto the seam, stretch out the band so my finger automatically slides into the halfway point. During this I make sure the band is properly folded in half and then I can easily and immediately clip that second point when that halfway point is found. Next I adjust where the band is folded so the two clips, or clip and seam, meet up and the last two points are naturally found by where the band folds. I clip those points making my band finally quartered.

![Image shows a bent figure eight out of pink cotton Lycra fabric. The top cross-over piece is folded in half and clipped in place. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8556.jpeg?resize=750%2C520&ssl=1)

While quartering one of the neckbands I noticed I could still see where the fabric had been folded in half. As such I quickly matched either end of the fold up and clipped it in place.

![Image shows the pink band laid flat so the seam is on the one side and the clipped halfway point is on the other. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8557.jpeg?resize=750%2C261&ssl=1)

If there is no crease you can find the second point in one of two ways. In this way I laid my band flat with the seam on one corner and, since it was laying flat, found the other side quickly. Technically, I had already found the halfway point before this photo, see above, so the band should be adjusted a bit as the seam is off center to the fold.

![Image shows my hand holding a section with a red clip in place. Further down the band a green clip and the seam are resting against each other from their side of the band. The rest of the band is off-photo. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8559.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The second method is used whenever I need to quarter my band. In this case I line up the clip with the seam, the halfway points, and then use my finger within the band to find the quarter point. I do this by stretching my finger out, while holding the halfway points in place, so my finger automatically slides to the halfway point. I then pinch that point so it bubbles and I can insert the sewing clip to mark it.

![Image shows a small black cuff with three sewing clips on it. Technically, it's quartered as the seam, underneath, marks the fourth point.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8550.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once you’re found all four equally distanced points and marked them the band is now quartered. If, for some reason, you have a much longer band you could always add four more clips as long as you eighth the garment too.

After quartering my band I next quarter the garment. You need to do this so you can easily match the two together, hence the quartering, as a band is typically smaller than the garment and needs to be stretched to fit. In this example, below, I’m showing the neckline being quartered which is a bit more complicated than a sleeve. If you were quartering a sleeve, normally, there is only one seam on the opening, the side seam, so, like the band above, you would use that seam to find the halfway point and use both to find the last two points. If there are two seams you should confirm they’re equidistant away from each other before assuming they’re the first two points. In the case of the neckline you can’t assume that the front and back of the neck are the same length. For instance, you can change the neckline style by adjusting the front so, while the back stays the same, you can have a variety of different lengths for the front between a crew, a square, and a scoop neckline. In the case of this garment the neckline is symmetrical so I can line up the shoulder seams to find the center of both the front and back. I’m assuming you can do the same for an asymmetrical neckline but as I’ve never had to add a band to one before I’m not quite sure. Once you find the center of both the back and front you still need to find the last two points. As the front and back are, probably, different lengths you can’t assume the shoulder seam is the center point. To find these last two points I line up the front clip with the back clip and, like before, use my finger to find the point between the two. In this case I can confirm I did the quartering right by having the clips match up when I lay the garment flat.

![Image shows a closeup of the dress's neckline with a clip at the center of the back and front along with the mid-way point on either side. These midway points are closer to the front than the back. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8560.jpeg?resize=750%2C499&ssl=1)

This dress, still inside out, has been quartered by using the shoulder seams to find the center of both the back and front before using those two points to find the last two points.

I then lay the band against the right side of the garment and, starting with the band’s seam, match up the points and clip them together. I start with the seam as I traditionally, for neckbands and waistbands, put the seam at the center-back of the garment. For sleeves I make them match each other but, from garment to garment, may change where the seam lays. Once each of the band’s quartered points are clipped to the matching point on the garment it’s time add more clips, depending on the length of the band, to make it truly secure. To do this I take each of the sections, one at a time, and stretch them so the fabric on either side is the same length and I can clip them together. Once I add enough clips I release the garment and it automatically shrinks to it’s natural state allowing one side to be equally gathered between the clips without me needing to use a gathering stitch. I continue working section by section until the entire band is securely clipped in place.

![Image shows a closeup of the garment's neckline with the stretched neckband underneath. My hand is over it with one thumb keeping the right side in place and my fingers keeping the left in place. There's a clip at either end and, after this photo, I add more clips to this length of fabric. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8561.jpeg?resize=750%2C483&ssl=1)

I work on one section at a time stretching the fabric so I can easily clip the layers together and keep the gathering, if they’re two different lengths, equally distributed.

Once all the bands are clipped in place I bring the garment to my machine and, using the proper seam allowance, sew them together. If it’s handy, or I’m feeling proper, I then grab my iron to press the seam down. And with that you’re done with the bands!

![Image shows the top of both dresses laid out on the floor. The dinosaur one slightly overlaps the bottom superheroine-themed dress.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8572.jpeg?resize=750%2C450&ssl=1)

My final [Magnolia dresses](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/16/my-favorite-simple-kids-knit-sewing-pattern-the-magnolia/) with three bands each (two sleeve cuffs and one neckband) making for a total of six.

![Image shows the upper half of two nightgowns. with matching fabric. The top one shows the back while the bottom one, slightly overlapping, shows the front. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_7482.jpeg?resize=750%2C360&ssl=1)

With the [woven nightgowns](https://www.radpatterns.com/product/vintage-lounge-dress-kids/?ref=simplykyra.com) I attached bands at the end of either sleeve.

Have you tried this trick before or is it the first time you’ve come across it? Do you have any other tricks to sewing bands to garments? I’d love to hear all about it so feel free to share any related thoughts in the comments below. I hope your week is going well.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### My reMarkable2 Updated! This Is What I Did Next
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-remarkable2-updated-this-is-what-i-did-next/
Last updated: 2024-06-30T16:30:56.000Z
Ever since I first heard that the reMarkable was going to be updated from version 2.5 to 2.6 I was super happy. Sure, I was interested in what new features may be included in the update, but I had also heard that updates to the operating system would also stomp over any unsupported changes I had made previously like my [new sleep screen image](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/10/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/) and [custom templates](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/31/quickly-generate-a-json-template-code-snippet-for-your-remarkable/). I was interested to see how quickly and easily I could return my reMarkable2 back to it’s previous state after the update. Now that the update has occurred, several weeks ago, and I’ve restored my custom changes to my reMarkable2 I wanted to share my process with you. I figured this would be helpful if you were looking to prepare yourself for any future updates or are wondering what to do now that a new update has happened.

![Pinterest-geared image showing that "My reMarkable2 Updated / This is what I Did Next" and my main URL to learn more. The images show the reMarkable section to check for updates, the default sleep screen, the terminal, and my test page showing no template and a working template. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_My-reMarkable2-Updated-This-Is-What-I-Do-Next-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

I went through these steps using my Mac computer and the terminal. If you’re not on a Mac you could still do the same but you may need to download software to handle the file transfers. I haven’t used it lately but I hear [FileZilla](https://filezilla-project.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) is good.

---

## *Backstory*

Since first receiving my reMarkable2 I’d joined two different user groups on Facebook (specifically [*reMarkable usergroup*](https://www.facebook.com/groups/177424916140887/) and [*How to get the best of my reMarkable?*](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1125709061180003/)) so I had heard several times that a reMarkable update would cause any custom changes to be removed. Since receiving my reMarkable2 I’ve chosen to make any custom changes myself rather than using one of the numerous third party applications as I wanted to know exactly what was changed, or not changed, with each addition on my device. Since posting about how I [connected to my device](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/), [changed out the default sleep screen image](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/10/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/), and [added my own custom templates](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/) I’ve also written a [bash script](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com) that makes my custom templates so much easier to upload. Specifically, it takes in my pre-defined directory and `PNG` image structure and automates the process by compressing them down in size and uploading them to my reMarkable2 for me before generating the needed `JSON` snippet that can easily be inserted into the needed `templates.json` file. This means each `PNG` image that becomes a template on my reMarkable2 is also saved in one easy to find location so that when the update occurs I could, ideally, simply run my script, paste in some text, and have my custom templates back up and running without any added trouble. Since the names of the image files hadn’t be changed my script would keep their location and name the same. This means that each notebook, on my reMarkable2, that used a custom template would still be able to find them, after the upload, so I wouldn’t need to go back and reset those custom pages’ templates individually.

With my process set up and ready to be tested I was excited when I heard that the 2.6 update was being rolled out. I also quickly found out that the reMarkable team rolls out the updates in random batches so it took some time before I happened to receive it. That said, it worked in my favor, when I realized at one point that I should create a large multi-page notebook, featuring many of my custom templates, as a test case so once the update came I could easily open it up to check their status without trying to remember which notebooks I used custom templates in. Additionally, with many different custom templates in one place, I could check if some templates had been resolved while other weren’t.

---

## *Software Version and Updates*

If you’re curious what software version your reMarkable is running or if you just want to check whether your automatic updates are turned on or off you can do so in the settings. Once you’re in the settings you go to `General`, at the top of the left list, and then under `Software` you can see what version you’re running. If you tap on that version you’re next brought to a new screen where you can see the current version’s release notes, check if there’s a new update, or turn on or off the automatic updates. I kept mine on but still did a manually check every day or so as I was a bit impatient.

![Image shows the General settings featuring the reMarkable's account (hidden here), software version, and switch to turn flight mode on or off. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2631.png?resize=750%2C352&ssl=1)

You can find what software version you’re running by going into `Settings`, then `General`, and finally looking under `Software`. At this point I hadn’t received the 2.6 version yet.

![Image shows the information under the Software heading on my reMarkable2 set to version 2.5.0.27.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2634.jpeg?resize=750%2C329&ssl=1)

If you hit on the version number, above, you’re brought to the `Software` page. Here you can see the release notes, check manually for updates, and set your `automatic updates` on or off.

![Image shows a closeup of the software screen showing my reMarkable2 checking for updates. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2636.jpeg?resize=750%2C376&ssl=1)

When you tap on `Check for updates` you’ll see the button disappear and then underneath a white rectangle shows up saying `Checking...`.

![Image shows a closeup of the software screen showing my reMarkable2, with version 2.5.0.27, saying "You device is up to date".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2637.jpeg?resize=750%2C358&ssl=1)

As the update wasn’t rolled out to me yet my reMarkable2 found no updates and I was forced to wait a bit longer.

---

## *Confirmation After the Update*

I had created a large notebook, before the update, with each page set to a different custom template I had uploaded previously. As soon as my reMarkable2 was updated to the new version I quickly opened it up and confirmed that each page was unable to load the custom template it was associated with. I next went into the page overview, thinking I could easily see all of the missing templates in one spot, but was surprised to find, from here, that the images still reflected the custom templates.

![Image shows a notebook page on my reMarkable2 displaying the text "Test" angled over the reMarkable text saying "Unable to load document background / Try restarting your reMarkable or contact support if the problem persists".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_3072.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

On this page I had quickly written down `Test` earlier showing the difference between the layer and the missing custom template below it.

![Image shows page one to 12 of my reMarkable page overview all showing a different custom template. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_3073.jpeg?resize=750%2C442&ssl=1)

I was surprised to see that the page overview showed the right templates even though they were no longer available.

---

## *Getting the Templates Back*

After confirming that the templates were no longer available on my reMarkable2 I quickly hopped onto my computer to run my script so they could be restored. Since I hadn’t renamed my image files I knew they’d keep the same name and be stored in the same location as before and thus assumed, rightly, that all my notebooks would be correctly restored after finishing. My script didn’t work the first time through as I hit a snag when I was unable to connect to my reMarkable2.

### *Hit an Issue*

Once I ran [my script](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/31/quickly-generate-a-json-template-code-snippet-for-your-remarkable/) I encountered a snag when the script failed as it couldn’t connect to my reMarkable2\. I quickly opened a new terminal tab and attempted to `ssh` into my reMarkable2 to confirm and had the same issue again.

![Image shows my terminal results after attempting to run the bash script. It starts out with a warning saying "Warning: Remote host identification has changed!".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-03-26-at-3.06.39-PM.png?resize=750%2C527&ssl=1)

The first thing I tried to do was run my bash script which failed as the host key of my reMarkable2 had been changed with the update.

![Another screenshot of my terminal showing the same error message starting with "Warning: Remote host identification has changed!". This time it popped up after attempting to ssh into my reMarkable and was followed by opening the known_hosts file with nvim. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-03-26-at-3.41.07-PM.png?resize=750%2C340&ssl=1)

I navigated to the `.ssh` directory before attempting to connect with my reMarkable2 one more time with the same result. I then used [neovim](https://neovim.io/?ref=simplykyra.com) to edit the `know_hosts` file to remove the offending line.

To fix this I needed to read the error and remove the offending `RSA` key from the `.ssh/known_hosts` file. In this case that means deleting the third line. For some reason; however, doing this and reconnecting didn’t work so I went through several attempts before trying this simple solution, again, and having it work. I’m not sure what went wrong the first times but in attempting to fix it I started following my previous post, [learn how to access your reMarkable](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/), so I could troubleshoot the shortcut I used and the public key connection. Anyway, long story short once I removed the offending line, for the second time, and attempted to `ssh` with my reMarkable2 I was asked whether I want to confirm continuing or not. Obviously, I did continue and thus the I.P. address was re-added to the `known_hosts` file again and I could re-connect easily whenever I want.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-03-26-at-3.55.08-PM.png?resize=750%2C205&ssl=1)

After removing the offending line (it took me a couple times) I attempted to `ssh` back into my reMarkable and after confirming I wanted to add this I.P. address back to my list of known hosts I was able to continue.

### *Back to the Script*

Once I was able to connect to my reMarkable2 I went back to my bash script and ran it. It gave me the expected output, uploaded my `PNG` files to my reMarkable2, created a text file containing the generated `JSON` code snippet, and also added that snippet to my computer’s clipboard so I wouldn’t even need to open the generated file. For more information about the script you can head over to one of the two posts I made about it. I posted one about [the directory layout and JSON creation](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/31/quickly-generate-a-json-template-code-snippet-for-your-remarkable/) before doing a second one about [the image upload](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/07/quickly-and-easily-upload-template-images-to-your-remarkable/) itself.

![Screenshot of the terminal showing the script's output as it ran. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-03-26-at-4.00.04-PM.png?resize=750%2C85&ssl=1)

The script ran successfully!

I then immediately connected to my reMarkable2 using [ssh remarkable](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/) and then navigated to the `/usr/share/remarkable/templates/` directory. Once there I used the command `ls` to list all the files within the directory so I could confirm that the `2021` and `Custom` directories, containing my custom templates, were there. I hadn’t thought to connect and check this directory before running my bash script so I don’t know for sure if the update removed these files and then my script re-added them or if they were already there but my reMarkable2 couldn’t see them as the `JSON` file was reverted. Whenever reMarkable sends another update I want to check this before running my script to confirm… if I remember. Anyway, I next used [vim](https://www.vim.org/?ref=simplykyra.com), since [neovim](https://neovim.io/?ref=simplykyra.com) isn’t installed on my reMarkable2, to open up the `templates.json` file. I then navigated to the bottom of the file, [by typing G](https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/howto-unix-linux-vi-vim-jump-to-end-of-file/?ref=simplykyra.com), and then moved the cursor up so I was within the last two closing brackets but outside of the last `JSON` template block. I then pressed `i`, to insert text, and then pasted, `ctrl v`, the snippet of `JSON` text that the script had added to my clipboard. Finally I pressed `esc` to exit insert mode and then `:wq` to save and exit. You can read more about creating custom templates and editing the `templates.json` file in [my earlier post here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/). I then restarted my reMarkable2 by typing in `systemctl restart xochitl` and pressing `enter` although you could do this manually by going into the [General Settings](https://support.remarkable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002662357-General-Settings?preview%5Btheme%5Fid%5D=210292689&preview%5Fas%5Frole=anonymous&ref=simplykyra.com) if you prefer. This way the reMarkable will see the changes made to it.

![This is a screenshot showing the terminal for my reMarkable2 templates directory and how I navigated in it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-03-26-at-4.01.58-PM.png?resize=750%2C698&ssl=1)

After running the bash script I connected to my reMarkable2, navigated to the `templates` directory, and used `vim` to edit the `templates.json` file.

![Image shows my cursor right beside on the closing curly bracket on line 685. Vim automatically highlights that and the matching curly bracket in light blue. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-03-26-at-4.01.28-PM.png?resize=750%2C313&ssl=1)

I jumped to the bottom of the file, using `G`, and then moved up to just outside the curly brackets ending the `Hexagon small` template and above the two final (square and curly) closing brackets.

![Image shows the JSON for my last custom template with the pathway, surrounded in white, and the letters :wq at the bottom. You can see on the left that the line numbers are much higher than the previous photo.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-03-26-at-4.01.43-PM.png?resize=750%2C288&ssl=1)

I then pasted the `JSON` code snippet, using `ctrl v`, before pressing `esc` and typing `:wq` to save and exit.

### *Confirm It Worked*

After my reMarkable2 restarted I opened the test notebook again and saw that the custom templates were properly showing up. Just to be sure I quickly swiped to the other pages and saw that they were all displaying properly too.

![Image shows the word "test" written out over other font from the custom template. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_3080.jpeg?resize=750%2C132&ssl=1)

The `Test` writing I had now shows up over the custom template below.

If your template doesn’t show up that means your reMarkable doesn’t see it or link it properly so it might be named differently or stored somewhere it doesn’t expect. You could always manually change out the missing template page to the new version so it’s linked properly again and, unfortunately, you’ll need to manually switch out all other places you used it too.

---

## *Sleep Screen*

Along with the custom templates the reMarkable update also reset the custom sleep screen image I had uploaded. I loved my custom image so I knew I wanted to restore that too.

![Image shows the default "reMarkable is sleeping" image in my reMarkable2.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_3075.jpeg?resize=750%2C290&ssl=1)

Once again the default sleep screen image was showing on my reMarkable2\. This was the very first thing I wanted to figure out while waiting for my reMarkable2 to be delivered and going over the Facebook user groups.

I navigated, on my computer, to where I store the two different sleep screen images I’ve made so far and picked out which one I wanted to use. I then opened up my terminal and uploaded the image, renaming it to `suspended.png`, to the proper directory on my reMarkable2\. The sleep screen image needs to be located within `/usr/share/remarkable/` directory and named `suspended.png` for it to be recognized. Within that directory there are other images which I haven’t replaced yet but you could if you want all the splash screens to be custom for your reMarkable. The [reMarkableWiki: *Customizing the Splashscreens*](https://remarkablewiki.com/tips/splashscreens?ref=simplykyra.com) shows the directory with these files and I’m assuming the process for each one is the same as [customizing the sleep screen image](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/10/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/) which I went over in depth previously.

![Image shows the terminal output when copying the sleep screen image to my reMarkable. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-03-26-at-4.07.57-PM.png?resize=750%2C113&ssl=1)

I wasn’t thinking when I did this so I used the command `cp` to copy the image so I could keep my original one and also have a copy named `suspended.png`. I then copied the copy onto my reMarkable2 using the `scp` command before deleting it. Instead of this I could’ve simply typed in: `scp suspended-drawnSleepingCozily.png remarkable:/usr/share/remarkable/suspended.pn`g.

---

And with that my reMarkable2 was back to how I remembered it from before the update with all the fancy additions of the update. I’m so glad I backed up a copy of all my custom `PNG` image files in one location so I could easily re-upload them and get my notebooks back after an update. I hope this can help you whether you’re planning ahead for an update or just went through one yourself. If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments below. I hope your day is going well.

Update: I’ve since come out with a video that combines several posts together including [connecting via SSH](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/), [uploading the templates manually](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/), and [my bash script](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/10/use-a-simple-bash-script-to-resize-your-images-quickly-and-easily/). You can find it [here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/12/29/watch-how-i-upload-custom-templates-to-my-remarkable/).

Feel free to share in the comments below. I hope your week is going as splendidly as it can in this time.

## Make It Easier - Apple App

I've since come out with an iOS/macOS app that you can use to change out your templates and screens with a simple button press while remembering them for the next update. It will remember the screens and templates you've previously synced or uploading making it simple to recover from a software update. More information can [be found about it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) with a direct link to [the App Store here](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows my app logo and screenshots from the App Store. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/image-2.png)

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Quickly and Easily Upload Template Images to Your reMarkable
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/quickly-and-easily-upload-template-images-to-your-remarkable/
Last updated: 2024-06-30T16:43:32.000Z
Last week I [posted](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/31/quickly-generate-a-json-template-code-snippet-for-your-remarkable/) how I came up with a bash script that easily uploads multiple `PNG` images at once to my reMarkable2 while also creating the needed `JSON` code snippet to paste into my device’s `templates.json` file. I knew going over the entire script while also explaining my directory (folder) layout would make my post much too long so I split it up. Thus [last week’s post went over the JSON\-related information](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/31/quickly-generate-a-json-template-code-snippet-for-your-remarkable/) which included the directory layout, issues I came up with, and the `JSON` snippet creation itself. This week I’m starting by going over how I convert my `PDF` files to `PNGs` so I can easily turn them into templates and then I go over the script itself that allows me to upload multiple images at once to my reMarkable2\. I uploaded that script, in it’s entirety, to [GitHub](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/reMarkable/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com) if you want to see both parts together in one place.

---

![Pinterest geared image showing my blog title, the main URL, and three images that are also shown below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Quickly-and-Easily-Upload-Template-Images-to-Your-reMarkable-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Before using this script I recommend you get comfortable uploading a `PNG` to your reMarkable and editing the `JSON` file yourself. This way you can better understand what I did, more easily edit the script to fit your specific case(s), and troubleshoot any issues that may pop up. Before working on this script I first learned [how to connect to my reMarkable2 via ssh through my terminal](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/), [changed my reMarkable2’s default sleep screen image](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/10/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/), and then [manually uploaded my custom PNG template](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/).

## Update: Apple App

That said I've since come out with an iOS/macOS app that you can use to change out your templates and screens with a simple button press while remembering them for the next update. More information can [be found about it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) with a direct link to [the App Store here](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows my app logo and screenshots from the App Store. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/image-2.png)

---

I wanted to start out by showing you how I convert my `PDF` files, on my reMarkable2, to a single `PNG` image file, from each page, before going on to explain my categories. I will then show you how I run my script, edit my `JSON` file, and confirm that it all works. I follow that up by going over [the first 53 lines of my script](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/daf71d6283a7e88debe993b468a394494e6610a8/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com#L1-L53), line by line, so you can better understand what I did and why. At the bottom you’ll see the first part of my script so you can go through it without the earlier interruptions to explain the code. If you want to see the `JSON` snippet creation process [you can check out my earlier post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/31/quickly-generate-a-json-template-code-snippet-for-your-remarkable/). If you’d rather see both the image upload and the `JSON` snippet together in one bash script I’ve uploaded it, in it’s entirety, [to my GitHub repository](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog?ref=simplykyra.com) with [the script itself here](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/reMarkable/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

## *Converting a PDF to PNG*

The reMarkable allows you to work with both notebooks or `PDFs`. The notebooks are amazing as you can use a different, or the same, template for each page in the book while also adding or removing pages as you see fit. In contrast, a `PDF` offers an easy way to upload and use a predefined document, but you can only write over it and not alter it in any way. As such I find myself frequently wanting to turn my `PDF` files into templates. This is really simple to do via the reMarkable. I open up the `PDF` I want to turn into template images and in the leftmost menu I select the share button near the button and then choose `Send by email`. I then fill in my email at the top of the page, ignore the message and filename, set the pages I want to export, and set the export format to `PNG`. My reMarkable2 then emails those selects pages, as `PNG` files, to me.

![Image shows the "Send by email" option on my reMarkable2 screen with the PDF showing in the background.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_9697.jpeg?resize=750%2C329&ssl=1)

I open up the `PDF` file that I want to turn into a template, select share from the leftmost menu, and then `Send by email`.

![Image shows the bottom of my reMarkable2's export screen. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_9698.jpeg?resize=750%2C345&ssl=1)

I fill in the email at the top then skip down to the bottom where I set the export format to `PNG` and select which pages I want to export. In this case I figured it was quickest to export all of them and I could always weed it down later by deleting unneed images.

---

## *Categories Explained*

In the previous post I explained how I tried to use descriptive names for my categories just to realize that I had limited room for them and anything that didn’t fit in a single row on my reMarkable2 screen wasn’t shown. As such I decided to group most of my templates into a single category I called `Custom`. I made one exception when I created a minor second category, `2021`, to group all of my year specific templates together. So far I’m only using the `2021` category for my monthly Pilates calendars so I can create a single workout calendar notebook. I know at the end of the year I can easily export that notebook, and any other `2021` specific ones, as a `PDF` so I don’t need to save the templates anymore. At that point I can remove those and delete the associated `JSON` code by searching for `2021` in the `templates.json` file. Plus since my script doesn’t overwrite anything that’s already on my reMarkable2 I can create a `2021` directory on my computer with the new month’s calendar in it and use my script to add that `PNG` image to the all the previous ones I’ve uploaded. Next year I’ll start a `2022` directory, delete the `2021` one, and no extra space will be taken on that category header area.

---

## *The Script*

As I mentioned in [the previous post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/31/quickly-generate-a-json-template-code-snippet-for-your-remarkable/), where I went over generating the `JSON` snippet, I chose to lay out my `PNG` files in a specific way to better generate the correlating `JSON` information for the reMarkable’s `templates.json` file. This layout matters the most for the `JSON` creation as it dictates the template and category names; however, since the reMarkable needs to be able to find these file for the templates it also matters for the upload. If the `JSON` doesn’t represent where the images have been stored then they won’t load properly for you and you’ll need to update the `templates.json` file to accurately show where they are.

### *Running the Script*

Before running the bash script I make sure it’s placed correctly. I put it into a folder, from now on we’ll call it it’s home directory, that contains other directories (sub-directories) containing the `PNG` files I want to upload to my reMarkable2\. I then open a terminal by right-clicking on the script and choosing `New iTerm2 Tab Here`. Once the terminal is opened I simply run the program as there are no arguments needed:

```
./Upload_PNG_and_Directories_To_reMarkable.sh
```

![Image shows my fish installed terminal with the output from running my script.
](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-03-12-at-10.57.36-AM.png?resize=750%2C92&ssl=1)

Here I was testing nested directories so a warning popped up and I chose to continue going. Without the warning and confirmation this is exactly what it looks like when you run the bash script as normal through your terminal.

If you want to make this easier on you in the long run you can spend a little bit more time now and set the script to run from any directory by putting it in your `bin` directory and adding it to your `PATH` variable. Here is a link to a question on [Unix & Linux Stack Exchange](https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/239986/how-to-execute-a-shell-script-from-any-directory?ref=simplykyra.com) that explains how to do this.

### *SSH Into the reMarkable*

I next quickly [ssh into my reMarkable2](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/) and navigate to the `/usr/share/remarkable/templates/` directory. I then use the `ls` command to list what files are in the directory so I can confirm that the newly added directories, showing my new categories, are there. I can then navigate into the directories, using `cd` to change directory, and use `ls` again to see the new `PNG` files. If I had uploaded images in a custom category that I had already created then the directory would’ve already been on my reMarkable2 and the new images would be in the old directory as it would’ve merged instead of creating a new directory. Thus if I navigated into that directory I’d see my new images along with the old ones. For example the first time I ran the script I uploaded images in two different new categories so in my case I saw two newly created directories, `2021` and `Custom`, when I used `ls`. The next time I uploaded a single `PNG` image within a `2021` directory so I saw no change until I checked the inside of `2021` and saw the new image.

![Image is a screenshot of my terminal while I was ssh'ed into my reMarkable2.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-02-21-at-4.15.44-PM.png?resize=750%2C951&ssl=1)

I connected to my reMarkable2, navigated to the templates directory using my symbolic link, and confirmed the directories and image files did exist. At the bottom right here you can see the `templates.json` file that I edit in the next section.

### *Add the JSON Snippet*

Once the program had been successfully run, I knew that the newly created `JSON` snippet had been added to my clipboard in addition to the output file the script had created. I don’t need to actually look at the file as I only created it in case I need to verify it later on or if I lose my clipboard’s contents.

Once I’m `ssh`ed into my reMarkable2, as I did above to confirm the upload, I open my `templates.json` file using [vim](https://www.vim.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) and paste my code near the bottom of the file. I make sure the code is pasted below the the final template section and above the final two end brackets so the brackets themselves don’t get mismatched. In `vim` you need to hit `i`, for insert, before you can edit or paste the code. I then save and exit `vim` by first pressing `esc`, to exit edit mode, and then type `:wq`, to save (`w`) and quit (`q`), before finally pressing enter to submit. The last step is restarting the reMarkable2 program, so it can register the changes, by typing in:

```
systemctl restart xochitl
```

and pressing enter. With my reMarkable2 restarted I can finally check if it really and truly worked.

![Screenshot of lines 679 to 739 of my templates.json file on my reMarkable. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-02-21-at-4.15.03-PM.png?ssl=1)

After opening the `templates.json` file I navigated to the bottom, right under the last entry, and pasted my code in. This meant the brackets didn’t get mismatched as I pasted it before the last two closing brackets.

![Iamge shows a screenshot of my terminal showing a reverse-i0search for "x" and the "systemctl restart xochitl" popped up. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-02-21-at-4.15.30-PM.png?resize=750%2C101&ssl=1)

I discovered that you’re able to search for commands you don’t quite remember how to spell by pressing `ctrl` and `r` before typing the little bit you do remember. This brings up matching commands you’ve previously run.

### *Check if It worked*

After restarting my reMarkable2 I verify everything worked. To do this I open one of my notebooks, *optionally* create or navigate to an empty page, go into the layers menu area, and then tap on template so I can see my new templates. If this worked out then the new window that opens up would now show my new categories, mixed in with the old, along the top of the page. I could then see my new templates listed somewhere under the `All` category or under their own category header. To confirm it’s fully working I then click on one of those new templates and, hopefully, now see it properly displayed on my notebook page.

![Image shows a closeup of the bottom of my reMarkable with my pen poised over the template option. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1193.jpeg?resize=750%2C492&ssl=1)

I’ve opened a random notebook, clicked the layers menu, and am about to tap on the `Template` option so I can see all the available templates.

![Image shows the some of the many available templates on the reMarkable. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1195.jpeg?resize=750%2C538&ssl=1)

I can see the two newly created categories (`2021` and `Custom`) at the top of my reMarkable2 along with all the newly added templates within them.

---

## *My Script Line By Line*

And without any further ado here’s the code with each line, or section, explained:

```bash
#!/bin/bash
```

In Unix or Linux based operating system, scripts should start with the shebang `#!` characters followed by the interpreter it needs to execute the rest of the script. So in this case I used the shebang, or *bang* line, and followed it up with the `/bin/bash` as Bash, the interpreter I need to use, is installed in my `/bin` directory. If you want to explore this more you can check out [the *Shebang* wiki on the Linux Shell Scripting Tutorial page](https://bash.cyberciti.biz/guide/Shebang?ref=simplykyra.com) or read the three minute [*Bash Shebang* article on Linuxize](https://linuxize.com/post/bash-shebang/?ref=simplykyra.com).

```bash
##### Variables Used #####
```

I only have two variables declared at the top of my script.

```bash
# How do you connect to your reMarkable? I configured SSH so I connect 
# with "ssh remarkable". Another way might be with "ssh root@IPaddress". 
# Here I left off the "ssh" so it's just "remarkable". In the second case 
# it would be "root@IPaddress"
declare sshReMarkable="remarkable"
```

When connecting to my device I configured `SSH` with a simple hostname and use public keys so I’m not forced to remember the username, IP address, or password specific to my reMarkable2\. As such I connect by typing `ssh remarkable` rather than `ssh username@IPaddress` followed by the password like the first time. If you haven’t set that up and are interested I went over it in [my first reMarkable-related post here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/). Since everyone may connect differently, or use a different hostname, I created this variable at the top of the script so it would be easy to find. That means if you connect with `ssh thisIsAMuchBetterName` than you can change this `sshReMarkable` variable to `"thisIsAMuchBetterName"` instead.

```bash
# Name of the temporary tarball that's created
declare archiveName="archivedTemplates.tgz"
```

During the process I create a tarball, a compressed file, containing the images and directories we’re going to upload to the reMarkable device. If you want more information about this you can check out [this explanation about tar, including examples, from GeeksforGeeks](https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/tar-command-linux-examples/?ref=simplykyra.com). This file is deleted after I’m done with it so it doesn’t matter too much what the file is called. That said, since I use the file’s name in multiple places I knew I needed to use a variable that would need to be declared somewhere, so I moved the declaration up in case you want easy access to change it’s name.

```bash
##### Error Checking #####
```

With those two variables declared it was time to confirm things were as expected.

```bash
# Checks if there's any directories in the current directory 
declare currDirectories=$(find . -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 -type d)
```

I then use the `find` command to find all directories (`-type d`) within my current directory (`.`) with a maximum and minimum depth of 1\. This means that it finds any directory within my current directory but not including any sub-directories (also called nested directories or folder within a folder). The resulting directories are then saved in the variable `currDirectories` so I can access it when I need to.

```bash
# If there aren't any directories that would be a problem so it issues 
# a message and exits the program
if [ -z "$currDirectories" ]; then
  echo "Any PNG files to be uploaded needs to be within a directory. This directory shows which category the image belongs to. As there are no directories within your current directory the script is exiting now."
  exit 1
fi
```

If there aren’t any directories found, in the previous section, then there’s an issue since any `PNG` that’s going to be uploaded (whether it’s only one or multiple images) needs a category assigned and, as such, needs to be in a directory so the script knows what that category is. The [\-z parameter](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3601515/how-to-check-if-a-variable-is-set-in-bash?ref=simplykyra.com) used in the `if` statement returns true if the `currDirectories` value is null or has a length of zero. Thus if there are no directories the `if` statement will be entered, text explaining this issue will be send to the terminal for the user by using the [echo](https://linuxhint.com/bash%5Fecho/?ref=simplykyra.com) command, and the script will exit with an error code of 1.

```bash
# Saves any nested directories.
declare nestedDirectories=$(find . -mindepth 2 -type d)
```

Here I use the `find` command to find all directories (`-type d`) within my current directory (`.`) that are sub-directories (nested within a directory) so I set the `minDepth` to 2\. I chose two as I don’t want any of the needed directory, with a depth of one, to show up and I didn’t set a maximum depth, using `maxDepth`, like before as I’m limiting all nested directories regardless of how deep. That said you’d need at least one directory nested at level two to be able to nest at level three, and so on, so if you’re just checking whether it’s nested or not you could technically set a `maxDepth` of two too.

```bash
# If those nested directories exist a warning is issued and the user choose
# whether the script should continue or exit. 
if [ -n "$nestedDirectories" ]; then
```

I then use the results of that previous find, using the `nestedDirectories` value, in my `if` statement with `-n` which will return true if the value is not empty (the opposite of using `-z` before). Thus if there are any nested directories this if statement will return `true` and the script will execute any commands found within. I figured I’d break up the contents of the `if` statement so the inner part is as follows:

```bash
echo "This script assumes that all images are within a single directory. It found the following nested directories:"
echo "$nestedDirectories"
echo "Should it proceed and you do any needed cleanup after (in the reMarkable template directory and the generated JSON snippet) or do you want to stop?"
```

I start out by printing what happened in my script to the user by using `echo` and encircling what I want outputted with quotes. I also printed out the contents of `nestedDirectories` so the user would know which director(y/ies) the script has an issue with. The last line here asks whether the user wants the script to continue even though they may have to clean up the files and directories uploaded to their reMarkable and the resulting `JSON` snippet to everything to work. In this case I recommend saying `no` but just in case there’s ever a reason to continue I wanted to put in the logic to continue on with a `yes`.

```bash
read -p 'Press y to continue. Anything else to stop the script: ' resp
```

This is a [read command](https://www.computerhope.com/unix/bash/read.htm?ref=simplykyra.com) that takes in information from the terminal. I include `-p` so it prints out the prompt, the text within the single quotes, before taking in the information from the user running this script. I made the prompt simple so when looking at the response I’ll know that `y` means *yes continue* and anything else means *stop*. The last word in this line, `resp`, is the variable that will hold the response from the user.

```bash
echo "$resp"
```

I used `echo` to output that response back to the user.

```bash
if [ "$resp" != "y" ]; then 
    exit 1
```

I then check whether the response is yes or no. In this case yes means I want the script to continue to run so I only want to enter the `if` statement, which exits the script, if the response, `resp`, is not equal to `y`. If it’s equal to `y` the `if` statement is not entered, the script doesn’t end, and the lines following this section will get executed.

```bash
    fi 
fi
```

I then end the inner `if` statement (`"$resp" != "y"`) and then the outer `if` statement (`-n "$nestedDirectories"`).

```bash
##### Upload the PNG files to the reMarkable #####
```

With that the housekeeping tasks associated with the variables and error checking are now done and the actual script can truly start.

```bash
# Creates, informs, and executes a command to compress the directories and 
# their image files. 
declare compressCommand="find . -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 -type d -exec tar cfz $archiveName {} +"
```

Here I’m using the `find` command again to find all of the directories (`-type d`) in the current directory (`.`) like when I created `currDirectories` while error checking above. The results are then used to execute, with the `-exec` parameter, the `tar` command that creates the archived file, name saved in the `archivedName` variable at the top, from the results of the previous `find` command (`{}`). If you want more information about `tar`, that creates a compressed archive, you can check out [freeCodeComps’ article *The Tar Command in Linux: Tar CVF and Tar XVF Explained with Example Commands*](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/tar-command-linux-tar-cvf-tar-xvf/?ref=simplykyra.com). Just a quick FYI this command isn’t actually executed here. Instead the string that holds the command is created and saved to `compressCommand`. Two lines below here this command, using the string, will be executed using the `eval` command.

```bash
echo "Compressing the directories and files within using this command: $compressCommand"
```

I then output the command in case the user needs a record of it later on as well as letting them know what is currently happening.

```bash
$compressCommand
```

I then execute the command so the tarball is created based on my requirements.

```bash
# Uploads the created tarball to the reMarkable's templates directory. 
scp $archiveName $sshReMarkable:/usr/share/remarkable/templates/
```

I next run the `scp` command that uploads the newly created tarball, named from `archiveName`, directly to the `templates` directory on the reMarkable. Since everyone connects to their reMarkable device differently I used the `sshReMarkable` variable, defined at the top of the script, to hold the text showing how I connect. In my case, if I were to connect right now, I’d type in `ssh remarkable` so my `sshReMarkable` string variable is set to `remarkable`. In this case the text would be:

```bash
scp archivedTemplates.tgz remarkable:/usr/share/remarkable/templates/ 
# Creating a command that will ssh into the reMarkable, navigate to the 
# templates folder, extract the tarball, and remove it. In case it doesn't 
# perform correctly I output the command to you before executing it. 
declare executeSSHcommands="ssh $sshReMarkable \"cd /usr/share/remarkable/templates/ && tar -xf $archiveName && rm $archiveName\""
```

I next want to `ssh` into the reMarkable, change directory (`cd`) to the `templates` folder, extract the tarball I just uploaded, and remove the tarball as I don’t need it anymore once the directories and images have been extracted. I can’t do all of these commands separately as once I `ssh`, to gain access to the reMarkable, the reMarkable will take over my terminal and the script won’t continue until I exit. Then the next commands won’t work since I’m not connected to it anymore. As such I needed to `ssh` in and immediately send the rest of the commands I want executed so I send them all combined in a single command encircled with quotes. To make it one command I combined them together using the `&&` symbol (meaning `and`) and rather than executing it right away I instead save it as a string, `executeSSHcommands`, for now as I want to output it to the user, for the user’s records, before executing it. Specifically, each command, on it’s own with the variables replaced, are:

- `ssh remarkable`: This is how I connect to my reMarkable2\. For more information check out [my first reMarkable post here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/).
- `cd /usr/share/remarkable/templates/`: I then use the `cd` command to change my current directory to the reMarkable’s `templates` directory. I’ve previously created a symbolic link to the directory making it much simpler to get there but I used the full path here in case you haven’t set up your own symbolic link or named it something different. If you want to check out how to set it up I posted about it [here, midway down, under *Simplify the Process With a Symbolic Link*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/).
- `tar -xf archivedTemplates.tgz`: Next I extract the tarball using the parameters `x` to unpack it and `f` to indicate that the next parameter, `archivedTemplates.tgz`, is the name of the archive to unpack. By default it doesn’t overwrite my directories which means if I already had a directory, for example, one called `Custom` with templates in it and the tarball also contains a directory named `Custom` with new images then the new images will be added to the already existing `Custom` directory without removing any of the old images.
- `rm archivedTemplates.tgz`: Finally, now that the archive has been extracted, I remove the uploaded tarball as we no longer need it. It was used to more quickly upload all the files and has served it’s purpose.

```bash
echo "About to execute $executeSSHcommands" 
eval "$executeSSHcommands"
```

Once the command is created I use `echo` to output it to the user. Finally, I evaluate, using `eval`, the value of that string which runs the `ssh remarkable` connection and then executes the three commands that I put together. I did try to remove the `eval` command so the string itself is executed but I ran into an error so I brought it back. I found several examples [explaining eval on Linux Hint](https://linuxhint.com/bash%5Feval%5Fcommand/?ref=simplykyra.com) in case you’re interested in learning more.

```bash
# Removes the tarball within the current directory as it's no longer needed. 
rm $archiveName
```

Since I used `scp`, which copies, to upload the tarball to the reMarkable it still exists on my computer. I now do the final piece of housekeeping, for this section of the script, and remove, using `rm`, the file from my computer.

In the [main script](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/daf71d6283a7e88debe993b468a394494e6610a8/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com#L55-L87), uploaded to [GitHub](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/reMarkable/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com), this is then followed [by another section that creates a corresponding JSON snippet](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/31/quickly-generate-a-json-template-code-snippet-for-your-remarkable/) that you can add to your reMarkable’s `templates.json` file so your reMarkable can recognize the newly uploaded templates. If this script doesn’t work for you [my earlier post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/) were I manually upload a `PNG` image and edit the `JSON` file to include it may help you troubleshoot any issues.

---

## *The Code*

I wanted to include all of the code in one place so you can more easily copy it, at once, or view it without any of the explanations being in the way so I embedded a GitHub Gist for you. This post only went over lines 1-53 of the script below. If you want to go over the rest in detail check out [part two of this post here](https://www.simplykyra.com/quickly-generate-a-json-template-code-snippet-for-your-remarkable/). 

---

Update: I’ve since come out with a video that combines several posts together including [connecting via SSH](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/), [uploading the templates manually](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/), and [my bash script](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/10/use-a-simple-bash-script-to-resize-your-images-quickly-and-easily/). You can find it [here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/12/29/watch-how-i-upload-custom-templates-to-my-remarkable/).

I hope this helps you out. Like I said before I uploaded [the bash script](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/reMarkable/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com), in it’s entirety, to [GitHub](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog?ref=simplykyra.com) which includes the above script along with the [JSON related script found in my previous post](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com). If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments below and I’ll see if I can help. I hope your week is going well.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Quickly Generate a JSON Template Code Snippet for Your reMarkable
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/quickly-generate-a-json-template-code-snippet-for-your-remarkable/
Last updated: 2024-06-30T16:43:04.000Z
After learning, [and posting](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/), about how you can upload a `PNG` image to your reMarkable to use as a template I realized I wanted to significantly speed up this process with multiple images at once. I came up with a simple directory (folder) layout for the `PNG` images I wanted to upload and wrote a bash script that finds them, uploads them, and generates a `JSON` snippet so I can simply copy and paste it into the `templates.json` file on my reMarkable2\. This significantly speeds up my template creation process so I wanted to share it with you. Going over the entire script in one post would make this really long so I decided to split it up. In this first post I’ll share how I organized my images and how the script generates my corresponding `JSON` snippet. I chose to use this order since it’s the same process I used when creating the script. [The next post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/07/quickly-and-easily-upload-template-images-to-your-remarkable/) will go over the first part of the bash script, that I wrote last, and includes the variables used, error handling, and show how I upload my images programmatically to my reMarkable2’s `templates` directory.

![Pinterest geared image showing the post's title, the main URL, and three images. Two of the images are found below and the third was moved to the next blog post. They show the templates on the reMarkable (top), the folder layout and associated JSON snippet (left), and the reMarkable's JSON file (right and next post). ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Quickly-Generate-a-JSON-Template-Code-Snippet-for-Your-reMarkable-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

If you want to see the whole bash script in it’s entirety I already posted the code [to my GitHub repository](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog?ref=simplykyra.com). [The script’s](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/reMarkable/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com) `JSON` creation section, shown below, starts on line 55.

As another aside I figured I’d share the two Facebook reMarkable groups I came across in case you’re looking for general answers. I first came across the [*reMarkable usergroup*](https://www.facebook.com/groups/177424916140887) and then later came across [*How to get the best of my reMarkable?*](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1125709061180003) which I find much more helpful than the first.

## Update: Apple App

That said I've since come out with an iOS/macOS app that you can use to change out your templates and screens with a simple button press while remembering them for the next update. More information can [be found about it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) with a direct link to [the App Store here](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows my app logo and screenshots from the App Store. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/image-2.png)

---

## *Issues With the Names and Categories*

Before going over how I organized the images or how I generated the `JSON` snippet I figured it was best to show an issue that popped up for me during this process. The first time I worked through coding the script I had two big ideas on how I wanted to organize my templates; however, when I finished and restarted my reMarkable2 I immediately realized that neither of these ideas would work.

The first idea was to create many simple template categories so I’d have a category that fits each scenario I may want a template for. I pictured this making it easier when selecting my template as choosing a category would limit the templates shown to only the ones I may want to use. I quickly realized that my reMarkable2, running version 2.5.0.27 of the software, only shows a single line of categories when I choose my new template. This meant that once my reMarkable2 ran out of room listing the categories on the first line it would stop and not render any of the remaining categories. This is also dependent on the length of the category names, since a longer category name would take more room, you could technically create a category name that would stop the rest of the categories from showing up if it was long enough and shown first. I didn’t test this out although I assume it’s true from what I saw. I quickly realized I needed to use less categories to organize my templates and I needed to try to keep those category names small and simple. I remembered seeing someone in one of my reMarkable Facebook groups mention using a single `Custom` category for all their custom templates so I chose to, mostly, default to that.

The second idea I had was to use long descriptive names for each template. This would better help me recognize what each template was and to which sub-category it probably belonged to more easily. I felt this was needed as there are only a limited number of icons I can use to represent each template and thus I figured it would be easier to leave the icon the same for all the custom templates and instead rely on the descriptive name to be the only indication of what the template contained. Once I loaded up my new templates I realized that the name of each template is centered below the icon and doesn’t wrap. This means that each template name could overlap with the names to the both the left and right. I knew I needed to shorten each template name but I didn’t want to lose the ability to differentiate each template from the others especially now that the template categories are less restrictive. I decided to switch my names to abbreviations and started a legend on my computer in case I later need help remembering what each abbreviation truly means.

![Image shows the templates on my reMarkable2. Across the top you see the following categories: All, AnnualWorksheets, Creative, Grids, Life/organize, and Lines. I have at least two categories not showing up. Additionally some of the templates' names are overlapping and are hard to read. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1151.jpeg?resize=750%2C541&ssl=1)

The first time I uploaded all the templates with the new categories and reloaded my reMarkable2 I noticed that there were two issues immediately showing. I was able to see the new `AnnualWorksheets` category along with it’s templates so I knew the upload and `JSON` file edit worked. I didn’t; however, see my other two custom categories at the end although I could still find those templates when I clicked on `All`. I also noticed the longer template names were overlapping and making it very hard to read.

![Image shows three calendar months with a lined page as the icon. These are under the "2021" heading. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1407.jpeg?resize=750%2C342&ssl=1)

I knew I needed to use less categories and shorten both the category and template names. I made my new templates get shelved under either `Custom` or `2021` so all the categories could easily fit on the single line. I also used abbreviations to shorten the templates’ names without losing any of the information conveyed to me… once I memorize the abbreviations. In this case BL is Balanced Life ([my Pilates program](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/08/pilates-with-robin-long/)), C is calendar, and then it shows which month the calendar is for. These are my monthly workout plans from the [Balanced Life Sisterhood](https://thebalancedlifeonline.com/friend/ref/14822/?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

## *Image and Directory Layout*

Before writing the bash script I needed to come up with some way to organize the images that I could easily work with programmatically. I decided to start out by looking at what information I already knew for the templates’ `JSON` file and what information I’d need to determine for each template as I’d need to deduce that information in some manner. To do this, like before while manually creating [a custom reMarkable template](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/), I checked out the [reMarkableWiki *tips:templates*](https://remarkablewiki.com/tips/templates?ref=simplykyra.com) to make sure I wasn’t forgetting anything.

I knew all my templates were based on `PDF` files in portrait mode so I knew the optional `landscape` value would always be set to `false`. I also decided to keep the `iconCode` the same for each template since there’s so little choice for unique icons anyway and any choice wouldn’t accurately represent what that template showed anyway. The remaining values I knew I’d need to determine on the fly. These include the file name itself, the template’s displayed name, and the category the template is organized under. I figured I could handle the template’s `name` and `filename` in one go if I rename my `PNG` files to easily deduce it’s name. I then chose to handle the category name by placing the `PNG` files into a directory (also called a folder) bearing the name of the category it would belong to. And with that the organization of the images was decided and all the `JSON` values were assigned.

![Image shows my image organization with the images named with abbreviations separated by dashes and category-named directories. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-02-21-at-4.12.03-PM.png?resize=750%2C773&ssl=1)

Each `PNG` I wanted to uploaded needed to be named in a way I could easily identify later. I chose to use abbreviations for this so it would take less room; as explained in the previous section. Each image also needed to be in a directory bearing the category name. This file structure shows files belonging to either the `2021` or `Custom` categories. At the bottom is the text file containing the generated `JSON` code snippet, and two bash scripts. One generates the `JSON` snippet, shown below, and [the other the image upload](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/07/quickly-and-easily-upload-template-images-to-your-remarkable/). Both of these were combined into one bash script and uploaded to [GitHub](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/reMarkable/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

## *Assumptions I Made For The Script*

- As told above each `PNG` file (the future reMarkable template) needs to be within a single directory contained within the current working directory that this script is run from. This directory becomes the template’s category. If the image is within the current directory that category would then be set to `.` (the current directory). If the image are nested within directories (for example `./firstFolder/secondFolder/innerFolder/imageName.png`) then the innermost one will become both the directory and category (so in this case `innerFolder`) and you’ll need to edit the `JSON` snippet after the fact for the templates to show up.
- Your `PNG` filename cannot contain a period. I use the period as a way to trim off the extension (for example `.png`) so we’re left with the filename itself. Any extra periods may throw that off.

---

## *The Bash Script*

### *Overview*

This bash script can be found on [GitHub (specifically line 55 and down)](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/daf71d6283a7e88debe993b468a394494e6610a8/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com#L55-L87) or at the bottom of this post. The GitHub version also includes how I upload the images to my reMarkable2 although if you want it in detail you can check out [the follow up post here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/07/quickly-and-easily-upload-template-images-to-your-remarkable/).

When the script is run it goes through the current directory, where the script is saved, and looks through all the subdirectories (the folders within your current folder) which contain the `PNG` images that will become the new templates. After finding all the images it next goes over each one and uses that image’s pathway to find the `category` (the directory it’s stored in) and it’s `name`/`filename` (from the filename itself) to create the needed `JSON` snippet. Once the `JSON` snippet contains all of the formatted image data it then outputs that entire snippet into a text file, that it creates in the current directory, and adds that snippet to your clipboard so you don’t even need to use that file. You can then go into your reMarkable’s `templates.json` file and immediately paste that snippet in. I love how much quicker this process makes it whenever I want to add more custom templates to my reMarkable2.

### *Explained*

And now without further ado here’s each line of the code explained:

```bash
##### Generate the JSON snippet #####
```

Since this code section starts out in the second half of a bash script it doesn’t need to start with the shebang, `#!`, characters or share the interpreter needed to run the script as that already appeared in the first section. I still wanted this part of the bash script to stand out so I created a heading, starting with a pound or hashtag (`#`) symbol so the script sees it as a comment, to make it stand out as the beginning of this section. This particular statement shows up on line 55 of [the script](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/daf71d6283a7e88debe993b468a394494e6610a8/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com#L55) if you’re looking at it in it’s entirety.

```bash
# Creates an empty string to store the JSON snippet as it's being assembled. 
declare jsonString=""
```

I chose to save the `JSON` snippet to a `string` variable so I can append to it as I go and then finally output the entire assembled string all at once at the end. Thus I needed to create (`declare`) an empty string variable.

```bash
# Uses find to find any PNG images within the current directory and any 
# sub-directories. It then uses each filename (within the while statement) 
# to generated the needed templates.json code snippet. 
for f in $(find . -iname "*.PNG" | sort); do
```

I then use a `for` loop to go over each image found within the current directory. Specifically, the code within this `for` loop will be run against each item returned by the `find` command, one at a time, and the loop will be exited once each item is run. The `find` command is looking within the current directory (`.`) for any file ending with `.PNG` (the `*` matches to anything and the `-iname` flag ignores the case so it’ll match with `PNG`, `png`, `PnG`, and so on). It then pipes (`|`) those files found from the `find` command into a `sort` so they’ll be run through, by default, alphabetically. Each time through the loop it takes the next image, from the `find` command, and saves it to the `f` variable so within the loop the image can be used and referred to with `$f`. Now for the contents of this `for` loop:

```bash
jsonString="$jsonString,\n    {\n"
```

This is setting the `jsonString` to itself and adding the text `,\n {\n` to the end of it. I do this as I don’t want to overwrite the `jsonString` with the new text and instead use the variable, with the `$` in front so the value is used, within the double quotes. The `\n` shows a newline character which is also called a carriage return or you make it whenever you press `Enter` on the keyboard. This means the first time through the for loop this line will make the `jsonString` equal:

```bash
,
    {
```

For each time through the loop this text will be appended to whatever is already in this `jsonString` variable and will thusly create the template snippet; the whole point of this part of the code.

```bash
# Creates a variable and saves the name, taken from the filename, to a 
#    variable. There are two ways: 
# This is the way I did it before when I wanted full names for the 
#    templates. It splits the name based on capital letters while taking 
#    into account some instances like FAQ. 
#    Example: "BalancedLifeResetJournal5" would become 
#    "Balanced Life Reset Journal 5"
# declare name=$((basename $f | cut -f 1 -d '.' | sed -e 's|\([A-Z0-9][^A-Z0-9]\)| \1|g' -e 's|\([a-z]\)\([A-Z0-9]\)|\1 \2|g') | sed -e 's/^[[:space:]]*//');
# I then chose to shorten my names and went with abbreviations. Since 
#    that would make it more difficult I now simply split the name by 
#    replacing the dash (-) with a space
declare name=$(basename $f | cut -f 1 -d '.' | sed 's,\-, ,g')
```

Essentially this section is all comment, or commented out, except for the very last line. I figured I’d go over that last line first and then go on to explain the way I used to do it (four lines above it starting with `# declare name`) in case you prefer my original way. Either of these lines takes the filename of the current image, `$f`, and determines what the template’s name will be and saves it to the new variable `name`. It does this in sections and each section is separated by the pipe (`|`) symbol as the information from the previous section is piped to the next one until you’re left with the final name that you save. I’ll break down that last line for you here:

- The image’s filename, `$f`, includes the pathway to the image that I don’t want included so I use the command `basename` to remove that path so I’m left with only the filename and it’s extension. So for example `~/Desktop/temporary/images/group1/image-1.png` will turn into `image-1.png`. This filename and extension is then piped (`|`) into the next section.
- I then remove that extension so, in the above example, I’d be left with `image-1`. I do this by running the [cut command](https://linuxize.com/post/linux-cut-command/?ref=simplykyra.com) over the filename, splitting it on the `.` (`-d .`), where I use the first section (`-f 1`) as the output and the rest (the `png`) is dropped. I’m left with `image-1`, if I use the above example, which I then pipe into the next section. If you want more information about this I used [StackOverflow’s *How can I remove the extension of a filename in a shell script?*](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/12152626/how-can-i-remove-the-extension-of-a-filename-in-a-shell-script?ref=simplykyra.com) to get me started.
- This last section uses the `sed` command to replace any dashes with a space. It knows to do the substitution by the `s` at the beginning and knows to replace all occurrences of the dashes because of the `g` at the end for global. I had to escape the dash with a slash (`\`) so it knows to look for all the `-` and replace it with a ``. And this results in the final output, in our example `image 1`, that will be saved to the `name` variable. Here’s [more information about sed from nixCraft](https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/how-to-use-sed-to-find-and-replace-text-in-files-in-linux-unix-shell/?ref=simplykyra.com) if you’re interested.

Before going with abbreviations separated by dashes I named my `PNG` files with words I needed to separate based on capital letters. After starting out this way I realized that the template names overlapped, shown near the top of this post, so I had to shorten the names by going with abbreviations and then changed this line to the dash substitution above. In case you want this way I decided to comment it out and explain here rather than simply deleting it. First here’s that line again with the comment (`#`) removed from the beginning:

```bash
declare name=$((basename $f | cut -f 1 -d '.' | sed -e 's|([A-Z0-9][^A-Z0-9])| \1|g' -e 's|([a-z])([A-Z0-9])|\1 \2|g') | sed -e 's/^[[:space:]]*//');
```

The first part remains the same with the `basename` command and cutting off the extension so you go from, for example, `pathway/AnnualGoalSettingGuide1.png` to `AnnualGoalSettingGuide1`. From there the `sed` gets more complicated than before as I named my image files using [camelCase](https://techterms.com/definition/camelcase?ref=simplykyra.com) thereby needing to split my filename on the capital letters to get the final template name. I ended up coming across this [StackOverflow question, *How can I cut(1) camelcase words?*](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/614930/how-can-i-cut1-camelcase-words?ref=simplykyra.com) that I used to cut the filenames on the capital letters. I then had difficulty with one or more digits at the end of some of my filenames (when they were originally multiple pages in a single `PDF`) so I returned to that question and used the example of `FAQPage` to help me come up with how to to fix the issue when I have multiple numbers or capital letters in a row. Before changing this method to the abbreviations and dashes I had this working for all of my file names including, for example:

- FAQPage –> FAQ Page (used the example from the page)
- AnnualGoalSettingGuide1 –> Annual Goal Setting Guide 1
- BalancedLifeResetJournal18 –> Balanced Life Reset Journal 18

```bash
jsonString="$jsonString\n      \"name\": \"${name//_}\","
```

I then took that final name, saved to `$name` in the last line, and removed any underscores it had (`{name//_}` before adding it, with the proper formatting, to the `jsonString` variable. I want to keep the `JSON` code properly formatted so I made sure to add the proper newline characters, quotes, and spaces to the text. Since this value needs to be set, within the `JSON`, surrounded by a set of quotes I have to escape those quotes, within the string, by using a slash (`\`). If this `$name` value is set to `My Template Name` this formatted text I’m adding will end up looking like:

```bash
"name": "My Template Name",
```

and will be added to the end of the string since I started the text with `$jsonString`.

```bash
# Takes the last folder before the filename as the parent directory.
declare directoryName=$(basename $(dirname $f));
```

I next need to determine the name of the innermost directory the image file is in so I’d know what category I should categorize it as. I do this by taking the entire filename with path, `$f`, and calling [dirname](https://linux.die.net/man/1/dirname?ref=simplykyra.com) on it. This removed the far right section, in our case the filename, so you’re left with only the pathway. I then call [basename](https://linuxize.com/post/basename-command-in-linux/?ref=simplykyra.com) on my result so I’m left with only the far right section now while the rest of the pathway is removed. This innermost directory name is then saved to the variable `directoryName` and will be used in two places below. So, again with an example, `pathway/innerFolder/AnnualGoalSettingGuide1.png` becomes `pathway/innerFolder` with dirname and then `innerFolder` with basename.

```bash
jsonString="$jsonString\n      \"filename\": \"$directoryName/$(basename $f  | cut -f 1 -d '.')\","
```

I then added the properly formatted `filename` to the `jsonString` variable and set it to the location where the new template will be at. In this case it’s the category, determined above and set to `$directoryName`, followed by the image’s filename without the extension as reMarkable doesn’t want to include the extension as all templates are `PNG` files. Similarly to the start of finding the template name I use `basename` on the file’s name and then use `cut` to remove the extension (`cut -f 1 -d`). Thus, using the above example, the filename would be set to `"innerFolder/AnnualGoalSettingGuide1"`.

```bash
jsonString="$jsonString\n      \"iconCode\": \"\ue9d8\","
jsonString="$jsonString\n      \"landscape\": \"false\","
jsonString="$jsonString\n      \"categories\": ["
jsonString="$jsonString\n        \"${directoryName//-/ }\""
jsonString="$jsonString\n      ]"
jsonString="$jsonString\n    }"
```

The final lines of the `JSON` snippet creation are pretty straightforward so I figured I’d leave them together so I could explain them in one place. Like before I included the value of the `jsonString` in each line along with the newline characters, spacing, and quotes. I had decided to use a single `iconCode` for each template so I could simply hardcode, or preset, each one; although, I did later find that the icons didn’t work as I needed to add a slash (`\`) to escape the beginning and have it come out right. The next item to set was `landscape` and since all of my templates came from a `PDF` in portrait mode it was simple enough to mark this as `false` with the knowledge that if I ever want to convert a `PDF` in landscape mode I’d need to upload only those landscape mode images and change the script to `true`. Finally I set the `categories` using the name of the directory, `$directoryName`, and nade sure to replacing any dashes with spaces so it’s a proper name. After closing the required bracket sections the `JSON` snippet for that image is now done. If there are any more images the `for` loop is entered again for the next one and another `JSON` snippet is added to the previous one(s); which is why I started the snippet with a comma. Once all the images have had their snippet added the loop will be exited.

```bash
done
```

The `done` command shows the end of the `for` loop. Once you’re out of the loop you can assume that all of the `PNG` files have been added to the `jsonString` so it’s now time to output that string to the user running the script.

```bash
# Outputs the text to a new file named "myJSONsnippet.txt so you can use the 
# JSON snippet at your leisure. 
echo -e "$jsonString" > myJSONsnippet.txt
```

Here I `echo` the `jsonString` using the parameter `-e` so the newline characters are recognized as actual new lines rather than just as the string `\n`. I also encircled the whole variable, `$jsonString`, in quotes so the spaces will be read properly. Instead of outputting the `JSON` snippet to the user directly I add the character `>` and a filename, `myJSONsnippet.txt`, so the string is instead outputted directly to the file. If that file doesn’t exist already it will be created. If it does exist then it’s contents will be overwritten by this new data.

```bash
# Also sends the snippet to your clipboard so you can paste it in right 
# away without needing to open the file.
echo -e "$jsonString" | pbcopy
```

I decided to repeat the previous line yet instead of outputting it to a file I instead pipped (`|`) it to the clipboard (like when you copy something) so I don’t even need to open that created file if I don’t want to. This streamlines the process to get the `JSON` snippet into the `templates.json` file.

### *Heads Up: Icon*s

When I first uploaded the templates to my reMarkable2 the icon code got screwed up and the icons looked weird. At first I was confused what had happened but then realized I needed to escape the icon code by adding a slash to the beginning. The next time through it worked perfectly. In case this, or some variant, happens to you I wanted to show what happens if the icon code doesn’t match one of the [reMarkable’s predefined codes](https://remarkablewiki.com/tips/templates?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image is a photo of the reMarkable with the icons' all showing digits rather than the image. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_1150.jpeg?resize=750%2C453&ssl=1)

When the icon’s code was cut short my reMarkable2 wasn’t able to process the information. Instead of showing the expected picture my templates ended up showing the attempted `iconCode` text that I used.

### *Heads Up: Template Order*

The reMarkable sorts the templates as they appear in the `templates.json` file. This means that if I upload and edit the file for `ZZZ.png` last week and then this week upload `AAA.png` and place the newer item at the bottom of the file it won’t appear alphabetically. As such I chose to add a `sort` command within my `for` loop, [on line 63 in the script](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com), so at least the currently uploaded images will be in alphabetical order. If you don’t like the order after adding more templates or just want a new order you’ll need to rearrange the `JSON` file manually… or, like I did when realizing this, rerun this section of the bash script to generate a newly sorted `JSON` snippet and overwrite what you added before to the file. Voila, my custom templates were now sorted… until I added more, once again, to the bottom.

![Image shows a file structure on the left with my PNG images. On the right is a section of myJSONsnippet.txt code showing the ordering makes no sense. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-02-05-at-4.42.53-PM.png?resize=750%2C493&ssl=1)

When I first added my custom templates to my reMarkable2 I was confused by the ordering (shown in this photo). I finally realized it was based on the `JSON` file itself and not on the `PNG` files or their template’s name. I removed the new templates from the `JSON` file, added a sort to my script, reran the script, and added the templates’ `JSON` snippet back in. The ordering between the original and custom templates still make no sense but at least the templates within my custom categories are sorted properly.

---

## *The Code… in It’s Entirety*

I wanted to include all of the code in one place so you can more easily copy it, at once, or view it without any of the explanations being in the way so I embedded a GitHub Gist for you. This post only went over lines 55-87 of the script below. If you want to go over the first part in detail check out [the first part of this post here](https://www.simplykyra.com/quickly-and-easily-upload-template-images-to-your-remarkable/). 

---

I hope this helps you out if you’re looking at speeding up your template making process. This is especially great if you need to upload several `PNG` templates at once. I’m planning on keeping all the custom templates I use organized in a safe spot and then if my reMarkable2 is updated or something happens to cause my changes to be lost I can easily re-upload them with minimal issues.

Update: I’ve since come out with a video that combines several posts together including [connecting via SSH](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/), [uploading the templates manually](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/), and [my bash script](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/10/use-a-simple-bash-script-to-resize-your-images-quickly-and-easily/). You can find it [here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/12/29/watch-how-i-upload-custom-templates-to-my-remarkable/).

Let me know if this helps you or whether you have any questions. If you’re looking to upload your images through a script you can check out the first section [of my bash script, that deals with that, here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/07/quickly-and-easily-upload-template-images-to-your-remarkable/). If you have any comments at all feel free to share them in the comments below. I you’re doing well.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simple and Incredible Baked Feta Bruschetta on Toast
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-and-incredible-baked-feta-bruschetta-on-toast/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T23:25:23.000Z
A while back I came across several accounts on Instagram duplicating the famous TikTok baked feta and pasta craze and I knew I needed to try it for myself. This process then lead me to a [baked brie version](https://www.justataste.com/baked-brie-pasta-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com) which, combined with the thought of bruschetta, resulted in this simple and incredible baked feta bruschetta on toast that turned out so good. I knew I needed to share this inspired dish with you and also thank Liemessä for coming up with the original [uunifetapasta](https://liemessa.fi/2020/09/baked-feta-pasta-original-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com) that started this all.

![Image is geared to be pinnable on Pinterest. It shows the blog title, a caption saying "easily go from this to that", arrows between the two sections, and my main URL. The top image section (the this) shows all the ingredients using two photos. The next collage (that) shows the baked dish and three ways to eat it on toast. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_Simple-and-Incredible-Baked-Feta-Bruschetta-on-Toast-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

This started out when I came across the TikTok baked feta and pasta craze (originally by [Liemessä](https://liemessa.fi/2020/09/baked-feta-pasta-original-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com)) through several people I follow on Instagram. I quickly made sure to include the required ingredients in my next grocery order. Once the groceries arrived I did a last minute search online for better directions, since I couldn’t find the video I first came across, and then finally tried it out for myself. It was so good and my whole family adored it. I quickly attempted to make it again but our grocery store didn’t have blocks of feta available so I had to put off making it. Luckily, I then came across Just a Taste’s website and found her version of the [baked feta pasta](https://www.justataste.com/baked-feta-pasta-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com) and, happily, her spinoff [baked brie pasta](https://www.justataste.com/baked-brie-pasta-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com). This meant the next time I ordered groceries and found the feta block unavailable I quickly pivoted to a slice of brie instead. Fortunately, looking back, I had read over the comments on the [Baked Brie Pasta](https://www.justataste.com/baked-brie-pasta-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com) post and saw Amy’s comment about serving the dish on bread rather than mixed in with pasta. This comment lead me to serve our baked brie mix on toast which made for a delicious lunch. This meal also worked in Ada’s favor as she doesn’t like brie and was able to finagle a piece of toast spread with jam in addition to the reheated pasta I served up for both the kids. As both dishes were amazing I planned to attempt the first dish again once I purchases more feta; however, as that day came and progressed up to supper something made me think of bruschetta and this spin on the original idea was born. I needed to try it out and when it turned out incredible I knew I had to share this idea with you in case you also find this simple idea amazing.

---

## *The Process*

This time around I had needed cherry tomatoes for a different recipe and had added lots of extra to my cart with the idea of making the original dish I had made before. The block of feta was still out so I bought brie instead but then kept putting off making the dish until I was finally able to buy feta once again. Luckily, I had stored my cherry tomatoes in a Stasher bag in the fridge so they were still in good shape and I realized, when making this recipe, that I had twice as many as I had used in the previous dishes. That grocery order had also resulted in some rye bread that I really wanted to try so I started wondering if I should forgo the pasta, once again, and serve the dish on toast. Then, for some reason, I thought of bruschetta so I started browsing over recipes online including this [*Best Ever Bruschetta* on food.com](https://www.food.com/recipe/best-ever-bruschetta-443987?ref=simplykyra.com) and [The Pioneer Woman’s bruschetta recipe](https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a10462/bruschetta/?ref=simplykyra.com). I next changed my search to include the word *roast* so I’d get ideas more similar to what I was imaging and thus looked over [Rachael Ray’s *Roasted Tomato Bruschetta*](https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/roasted-tomato-bruschetta-recipe-1941028?ref=simplykyra.com) and the [*Easiest Bruschetta* through The Recipe Critic](https://therecipecritic.com/bruschetta/?ref=simplykyra.com). After glancing over those recipes I combined the ingredients from the viral recipe I had made before with the toast from the brie version and then finally added some of the common bruschetta ingredients. I quickly jotted down my idea, since it was still a couple hours until supper, and waited impatiently to test it out.

---

## *Making* *The Recipe*

At the bottom I wrote out the recipe itself if you prefer that view. Otherwise I started out by setting my oven to 400**°** Fahrenheit so it can start preheating. I then gathered up all the ingredients that I needed for the oven and got started putting it all together. These needed items and ingredients included a 9 by 13 inch glass casserole dish, over four cups of washed cherry tomatoes, a block of feta, olive oil, black pepper, and a few garlic cloves. I could also see this being a good time to customize your dish with any dried seasonings you may want while saving any fresh herbs for after the roasting process completes.

![Image shows all the ingredients I'm about to assemble laid out around my glass casserole pan on the stove top. This includes (from top right clockwise) a bottle of olive oil, an overflowing four cup measuring jug of cherry tomatoes, a pepper mill, three garlic cloves, and a plastic container holding a block of feta. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2689.jpeg?resize=750%2C449&ssl=1)

While the oven preheated to 400**°** Fahrenheit I grabbed my casserole dish along with gathering all of the ingredients I needed to bake in the oven.

I then poured the tomatoes into the casserole dish and liberally drizzled olive oil over them. I next grabbed a cutting board and knife so I could peel and mince the garlic before sprinkling it over the tomatoes along with several twists of black pepper. With a spatula I mixed up the contents of the casserole dish until all the cherry tomatoes were coated with olive oil, pepper, and garlic. Next I opened the feta, plopped it in the center, drizzled some more olive oil over it, and ground a bit more pepper. Once the oven reached 400**°** Fahrenheit I pushed the dish in and set a timer so it wouldn’t get forgotten. I ended up baking this for just over 40 minutes but started checking on it after 30.

![Image shows a glass casserole dish filled with a single layer of oiled cherry tomatoes with a white block of feta cheese in the center. The cheese has a yellow pool of oil and black pepper flecks. Amongst the tomatoes you can see the odd black fleck and minced garlic bits. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2691.jpeg?resize=750%2C460&ssl=1)

Right before throwing it into the oven I snapped this photo. The tomatoes were mixed up before adding the feta cheese on top. Each cherry tomato is equally coated in olive oil, minced fresh garlic, and freshly ground black pepper. The feta block has some olive oil and ground pepper sprinkled over it too.

Once the casserole dish was tossed in the oven it was time to grab and prep the items I needed to top it with. I grabbed about ten fresh basil leaves, a cutting board, a knife, and my balsamic vinegar. I then stacked and folded the leaves before making small slices so I’d be left with small slivers of basil.

![A pile of fresh basil set on a marble cutting board with a knife next to it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2693.jpeg?resize=750%2C475&ssl=1)

I grabbed about ten or so fresh basil leaves from the fridge along with my cutting board and knife.

![Image shows a cutting board with a pile of slivered green basil next to a used knife. Beside the cutting board sits a bottle of aged balsamic vinegar. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2696.jpeg?resize=750%2C406&ssl=1)

After grabbing the balsamic vinegar to drizzle on the food once it comes out of the oven I next sliced my basil by stacking it in one pile, folding it over, and slicing along it’s length.

With the toppings prepped I pulled out my toaster, bread, another cutting board and knife, and, just in case it’s wanted, some butter. I put off cutting the bread into slices so it wouldn’t dry out while waiting but I loved knowing that everything was ready to jump into action once the dish was ready.

![Image shows a silver toaster beside a bag of sliced butterbread. In front of it sits a while unsliced rye bread loaf, a white butter crock, a plastic cutting board, and a serrated bagel knife. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2700.jpeg?resize=750%2C542&ssl=1)

I collected my toaster, cutting board, serrated bagel knife, butter (didn’t use until after the dish was eaten), and two types of bread to be ready for when the dish came out of the oven.

With everything prepped I sat on the couch, with my family, to read while smelling the incredible smell emanating out of the oven and waited for the timer to go off so I could check on it. I checked on the dish after 30 minutes and then decided to bake it another ten minutes so more cherry tomatoes would naturally pop. When I finally pulled it out of the oven I grabbed my wooden spoon to make sure the feta broke up easily and then used the back of the spoon to carefully burst all of the whole cherry tomatoes. I then sprinkled the slivered basil on top, drizzled the balsamic vinegar, and then mixed it all up. I chose to break up the tomatoes myself so the kids wouldn’t be surprised by a red hot tomato bursting in their mouth. If it was just Matt and I eating this I would’ve skipped that step.

![Image shows the glass casserole dish filled with deflated tomatoes in liquid and a slightly misshapen block of feta in the center. You can see the spoon section of the wooden utensil as it rests over the corner of the casserole dish. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2702.jpeg?resize=750%2C420&ssl=1)

After pulling the casserole dish out of the oven I used my wooden spoon to make sure the feta easily came apart with the lightest of touches.

![Image shows a yellow-ish liquid in a glass casserole dish filled with round red tomatoes, chunks of white feta, dark splotches of balsamic vinegar, and slivered green basil. The spoon, once again, is leaned up over the corner of the dish. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2704.jpeg?resize=750%2C413&ssl=1)

I burst the tomatoes, mixed it up, sprinkled the slivered basil, and dashed out some balsamic vinegar. After taking this photo I mixed it up once again to help wilt the basil.

With it all mixed together and smelling amazing it was time to eat!

---

## *How We Served It*

We all wanted to eat this on toast so I sliced the store-bought rye bread and threw that and some pre-sliced white bread into the toaster. I left all the pieces un-buttered and we got to work decorating each person’s bread.

The kids got half of each kind of toast for their first plate so they could decide which they liked better… one only liked the white bread while the other loved the rye. We then spooned the mixture over top of the bread before sprinkling it all with some shredded parmesan cheese. With less sauce they were able to easily pick it up and take bites from the end. The next helping of food was served similarly but eventually the girls chose to eat the toast plain rather than top it with the feta and tomato mixture

![Image shows both of the kids' plates with two smaller slices of mix covered toast so they could try both flavors of bread. Ada has the toast up to her mouth while Zoey's reaching for her bread. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2715.jpeg?resize=750%2C475&ssl=1)

The kids had the mix served on top of toast and then topped it all off with some parmesan cheese.

For me I took my toast to the table, grabbed handfuls of the arugula we had leftover in our fridge, drizzled the top with some extra balsamic vinegar, and then finally took my plate over to the stove to top it all with the hot fragrant mixture. With so many toppings I knew going in that the dish was going to be messy to eat so I attacked it with a fork and steak knife. And boy was it good.

![image shows two pieces of rye bread covered in leafy green arugula. You can see the odd dark splash of the balsamic vinegar that was sprinkled over top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2705.jpeg?resize=750%2C490&ssl=1)

I started out by covering my toast with arugula and drizzling it with a bit of balsamic vinegar.

![Image shows the same toast as before although it's now been coated with the white and red baked mixture so you can't see the balsamic and most of the arugula is covered up. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2708.jpeg?resize=750%2C498&ssl=1)

I then spooned the hot mixture over top of everything. It smelled incredible though I paused to snap a quick photo before grabbing my fork and knife and cutting it to pieces.

Matt ended up going for a combination between both the girls and my version. He toasted his bread, topped it with the mixture, sprinkled a bit of arugula, and then added the shredded parmesan cheese on top. He loved my fork and knife idea and had already dug in before I thought to take a photo of his food.

![Image shows white bread topped in the red and white mixture with sprinkles of green leaves and white slivers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2709.jpeg?resize=750%2C430&ssl=1)

Matt topped his white bread with the amazing feta and tomato mixture before sprinkling it with arugula and shredded parmesan cheese.

For my seconds I made a single piece of toast, used the same amount of arugula as before, and then topped it with the mixture. With the toast hidden underneath it ended up looking like a salad so I could see the next time I make this, if I wasn’t feeling the bread option, using more greens and eating it as a salad instead of on toast. I could see using the balsamic vinegar on it’s own as a dressing and maybe add small chunks of mozzarella and/or croutons to it.

![Image shows a plate that appears to hold a salad as the single piece of toast is hidden underneath. It shows the tomato and feta mixture on top of a pile of arugula. Beside the plate sits a donut decorated napkin underneath a dirtied fork and steak knife. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2718.jpeg?resize=750%2C507&ssl=1)

My second serving ended up looking like a salad when I put so much arugula on the toast that it got hidden completely. That said I could see this pile of greens turning into a great salad if you prefer your meal to be grain-free.

As the meal progressed we ate up all of the larger chunks of feta and tomatoes in the casserole dish and was left with the smaller bits caught in a sauce. I was feeling the bread so I toasted another piece and used the serving spoon to coat it’s top with the remnants. Ada did the same and then Matt finished it off by dragging some toast through the remnants left on the glass casserole pan. It was sooo good then we ended up eating every scrap of this incredible dish.

![Two slices of rye toast sitting on a white plate. The one on the right is coated in a beige sauce with the odd white bit while the other was buttered with one little piece unmelted. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2720.jpeg?resize=750%2C458&ssl=1)

I was really feeling the bread that day so once we ran out of tomatoes and feta I toasted two more so I could have one slice with butter and the other with the sauce remnants.

This meal was incredible and we’re definitely making it again… the only question is whether I should mix some pasta in or if we should have it on toast again. We have another block of feta in the fridge that’s calling to me but unfortunately I’d need to buy some more cherry tomatoes first.

---

## Simple and Incredible Baked Feta Bruschetta on Toast

Are you looking for a simple recipe that packs a flavorful punch? Why not one that you can easily throw together, set a timer, and wait as the oven roasts away? This dish is amazing on toast and I'm guessing great with pasta. Overall delicious so come try it yourself!

![Baked feta bruschetta on toast](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2708.jpeg)  
 Lunch, Main Course, Salad, Oven  
 Prep Time: 10 Minutes  
 Cook Time: 40 minutes  
 Total Time: 50 minutes  
 Servings: 4  

### Ingredients

#### To Bake

- 4 cups cherry tomatoes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- black pepper to taste
- salt to taste
- 1 block feta

#### Topping

- 10 leaves basil fresh
- balsamic vinegar to taste

#### To Serve

- toasted bread: white, rye, pumpernickel, etc
- parmesan cheese (optional) to taste
- salad greens (optional)
- balsamic vinegar (optional)

### Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400**°** Fahrenheit.
2. In a 9 by 13 inch casserole dish, or some other edged baking pan, combine the cherry tomatoes, oil, minced garlic, pepper, and any other dried seasonings to customize the dish. Toss to coat.  
![All the ingredients laid out.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2689.jpeg)
3. Place the block of feta in the center of the pan before drizzling some more olive oil and grinding a bit more pepper over top.  
![The cherries laid out in the pan with the toppings on top.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2691.jpeg)
4. Bake the dish in the oven for 40 minutes but start checking on it at 30 minutes. Remove from the oven when the feta starts to brown and the tomatoes have started bursting.  
![After baking there's more liquid, the feta is browned, and the cherries have popped.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2702.jpeg)
5. OPTION: Toast several pieces of toast at once by placing on a cookie sheet, buttering the tops, and tossing it into the oven while the feta and tomatoes bake.
6. OPTION (with kids): Use the back of a spoon to carefully break the cherry tomatoes.
7. Top the dish with fresh slivered basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.  
![The basil is all chopped up with the balsamic vinegar and knife to the side.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2696.jpeg)
8. Stir the contents of the casserole dish all together while also breaking apart the feta.  
![All mixed up in casserole pan.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2704.jpeg)
9. Make some toast by popping the bread into a toaster.  
![Packaged bread and butter crock laid out next to a toaster.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2700.jpeg)
10. Dish up!

### Recipe Notes

#### The Kids' Version

- Top the piece of toast with the feta and tomato mixture. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese. Blow and bite in!  
![Kids eating from their plate](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2715.jpeg)

#### Matt's Version

- Similar to the kids' but also top each piece with some arugula or other green.  
![Mix and greens on top of toast.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2709.jpeg)

#### Kyra's Version

- Top some toast with a heaping amount of arugula so you can hardly see the bread before drizzling it more balsamic vinegar and adding the hot feta and tomato mixture to the top. Then dig in with a fork and knife.  
![The toast is fulled more with more greens and topping and thus less bread.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2708.jpeg)

#### Just the Liquid Left

- Pour a spoonful of the leftover liquid onto a plain piece of toast. Once that's gone grab some bread and sop up all the remnants in the dish.  
![Two plain pieces of bread that have been soaked with the leftover tomato oil.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/03/compressed_IMG_2720.jpeg)

#### No Bread?

- Have it as a salad using greens or go back to the original way and mix some boiled and strained pasta into the casserole dish once it comes out of the oven.

---

I hope this helps you out if you were looking for a quick and simple meal idea that tastes great. Have you tried [Liemessä’s original uunifetapasta recipe](https://liemessa.fi/2020/09/baked-feta-pasta-original-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com), or a variant of it, that took the world by storm? Let me know in the comments below if you try my version and, if so, what did you do differently to make it fit your family. I can see our household keeping this recipe in regular rotation so I’d appreciate knowing any ways to change it up and keep it fresh. I hope you’re doing well and your week is looking up. Have a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Easily Unravel and Tie off Your Serger Ends
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/easily-unravel-and-tie-off-your-serger-ends/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T00:02:46.000Z
If you’re new to using a serger, also called an overlock depending where you live, one catch is that the thread tails can unravel once you’re done serging a seam. Unlike a sewing machine there is no backstitching to lock the stitches in place. Over time there have been numerous ways used to lock in these stitches which include serging over the ends, threading the tail into a needle so it can be weaved back through all the stitches, or simply trusting something like a liquid seam sealant to keep the ends in place. Over all the methods I’ve tried or read about, my absolute favorite one is simply unraveling the serger tails and tying the ends off. I figured I’d share this method with you, while using a three thread narrow stitch, in case you haven’t come across it yet.

![This Pinterest-geared image is a collage of four images, my title, and my main URL. The first three images are side by side showing the serger tail, unraveled tail, and knotted end. The last image is in the lower part and shows a seam ripper, That Purple Thang, and a fine tipped lint brush. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Easily-Unravel-and-Tie-off-your-Serger-End-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

I just wanted to start out by letting you know that these photos show a three thread narrow stitch rather than the more traditional four thread one. Ever since listening to [the SewHere podcast about the three thread narrow overlock stitch](https://sewhere.com/three-thread-narrow-overlock-stitch/?ref=simplykyra.com) I’ve been using it whenever serging knit fabric as it is more stable and thus offers more stretch to my garments. The difference between these two stitches is that one of the needles, and accompanying thread, is removed when going from a four thread stitch to a three thread one. In my case I use a three thread narrow which means I kept the needle closest to my serger blade in and removed the one furthest away. If I was sewing with a three thread wide stitch instead I would have then removed the needle closest to the blade and kept the one furthest away threaded. If you want to learn more about the mechanics of a three thread narrow stitch I found [this post by Andrea Schewe.](https://www.andreaschewedesign.com/blog/serger-mechanics?ref=simplykyra.com) That said, since I untangle the stitch by pulling on one of the looper threads, which is consistent between the two types of stitches, I figured these accompanying photos would work regardless of which stitch you use. Also, according to [Really Handmade](https://reallyhandmade.com/five-ways-to-finish-a-serger-thread-chain/?ref=simplykyra.com), the four thread stitch “is the easiest thread chain to knot off” furthering my justification.

To unravel your serger tail all you need handy is something with a narrow tip, to get into the stitches, and something to cut the threads with once you’ve knotted the freed and loose ends. Ideally, I use the fine tipped end of the lint brush that came with my machine or That Purple Thang which is perfect for this. In a pinch, if both tools are currently lost, I grab my seam ripper to get into the stitches but then I need to be extremely careful not to accidentally cut my threads. If you don’t have these a sewing needle could also be used in a pinch. The seam ripper is further handy if you’ve misplaced your scissors and you need to trim the excess threads after knotting them in place.

![The image shows three tools laid out over the wrong side of some fabric. The top one is my blue handled seam ripper, followed by my That Purple Thang, and then my lint brush that came with both my sewing machine and serger. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0247.jpeg?resize=750%2C343&ssl=1)

That Purple Thang is my absolute favorite tool to use when untangling my serger ends. If I can’t find it I turn to the fine tipped end on my lint brush and, failing that, finally my seam ripper.

First of all you’re going to need the end of a seam that isn’t going to be enclosed in another seam. For instance, normally there is no reason, unless you’re very thorough, to tie off the tail at either end of your shoulder seam as the ends will be trimmed and serged over when you’re finishing off your neckline with binding and adding a sleeve. So, if we continue the example of a top, you’ll want to use your serger on those seam ends and instead tie off the tails at the bottom of both side seams along with your final tail after serging around your neckline, armscye, and, potential, sleeve ensd.

Once the seam is serged and the tail end is cut free from the serger it’s time to lay the tail out and look at it. If there’s a knot already formed at the end of the tail you can trim it off so it’s easier to unravel the rest without needing to untangle the knot itself. Untangling the tail is similar to brushing hair as a longer tail might be easier to unravel in parts, starting closer to the end, than all at once when starting close to the fabric’s edge. To untangle the section I look for the two overlapping loops of thread along the edge. These are the loopers, hence their name, that loop around the fabric’s edge and are consistent between the three and four thread stitch types. It’s also these loopers that cause rolled hems when and if their tension doesn’t t match. I used a rolled hem on purpose with my [napkins](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/07/08/quick-and-simple-fabric-napkins-with-your-serger/), [coasters](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/23/sew-a-coaster-perfect-for-a-last-minute-gift/), and the hem on [my Peppermint Swirl dresses](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/20/even-more-peppermint-swirl-dresses/). Anyway, once I found the entwined loops I use my fine tipped tool, in this case That Purple Thang, and poke it into the loop facing down towards the fabric. Once the tool is inside the loop I gently pull on it so the tail slowly unravels down to the end. If there’s a knot stopping it from completely unraveling it’s always better to pause rather than to just keep pulling. If that knot can’t be untangled easily and if it’s far enough away from the fabric that the ends won’t be too short you can just trim it off rather than spending tons of time unraveling it. Once that section is unraveled I then move closer to the fabric and unravel the next section. Just be careful not to unravel the tail right at the fabric’s edge because if it continues unraveling before you can tie it off then the seam will be affected.

![Image shows a tail coming from a three thread narrow seam. The end appears to have a knot. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0229.jpeg?resize=750%2C385&ssl=1)

Start out by taking a look at the tail coming from your serger seam. In this case I have a knot at the end. I decided it would be much simpler just to cut the knot off rather than to try to untangle it since it’s far enough away from the seam that there’s still enough thread to have the room to tie it tight.

![Image shows the same tail as above but this one is shorter with all the threads ending at the same spot. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0231.jpeg?resize=750%2C405&ssl=1)

This is what the same serger tail looked like after trimming the knot off. This will be much simpler to untangle.

![Image shows the same thread tail a bit closer than before. The tip of That Purple Thang is right above the loop I'm going to expand. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0233.jpeg?resize=750%2C457&ssl=1)

If you look closely at the thread tail you can see the loopers along the entire tail, for us at the top, as each loop is connected to the other one. Any one of these connected set of loops should work. What you want is to find one of the loops that is pointed back towards the seam. My *That Purple Thang* is poised above the loop that I’m about to poke into.

![Image shows the same thread tail as before but this time it's half as short. There are three threads coming from the end of the tail. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0235.jpeg?resize=750%2C457&ssl=1)

After putting the tip of That Purple Thang into the loop I pulled slightly and the entire rest of the thread tail unraveled.

![Image shows the thread tail completely unraveled although the seam on the fabric is still intact. The one loosened thread is going across the photo while the upper two are going up off the photo. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0237.jpeg?resize=750%2C385&ssl=1)

Just keep pulling at the inter-connected loops until you get the thread untangled all the way up to the fabric. Be careful not to untangle it too much though as I’ve had the end of a seam start opening up a couple times.

![Image shows a long tail with a thread being pulled out by the tip of a lint brush. A knot might be forming as the tail is pulled in but not unraveling.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8542.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Word of warning: If you start unraveling a longer tail right next to the fabric it can break the thread and/or cause a knot somewhere in the tail. It’s simpler to do this in parts than all at once… although sometimes you luck out.

Now that the tail is unraveled there are three individual threads visible coming from the seam’s end. Two of these are long, they’re the two looper threads, and one, the single needle thread, is short. If you’re unraveling a four thread stitch you’d be left with two short threads, from the needles, along with these two longer looper threads. At this point, I’ve been separating the two long tails from the short one and tying it together three or four times so it doesn’t come undone. I’ve had a time or two where the seam unravels during this process so putting the short thread with one of the longer ones might instead be better. Once the knot is in place the thread ends can be trimmed; however, don’t trim too close to the knot or it can still unravel and the threads would be too short to easily tie it once again. I haven’t used it that much but at this point you could always dab a bit of liquid seam sealant, like [Fray Check](https://www.dritz.com/product/fray-check-liquid-seam-sealant/?ref=simplykyra.com), if you want to be sure that the seam end is truly secure.

![Image shows the two long thread tails going up and off the photo while the shorter one is pointed down more. At the base, against the seam and fabric, there's a small knot keeping it all together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0240.jpeg?resize=750%2C352&ssl=1)

I normally put the looper threads (top) together since the needle thread (bottom) is so much shorter. I then tie them together two or more times to create a secure knot. A couple times I’ve had my seam unravel a bit while tying it so you could always adjust this process to instead put the needle thread with one of the loopers before tying them together.

![Image shows the same corner of fabric but this time there is only a slight knot and no thread tail as it was trimmed too short. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0242.jpeg?resize=750%2C460&ssl=1)

After securing the knot I trimmed the excess threads. This time I cut the threads too short so the knot is already starting to come apart. Since the threads are too short to tie it up again I next serged over the corner, locking these stitches in place, and then tied off either end of the new seam’s tails. I’ve also heard of people using Fray Check either in addition to the knot or instead of the knot.

And with that your serger tail is tied off and secure. Now you just need to repeat this with the other serger tails left in your garment. I truly hope your day is going well and this was able to help you out. Feel free to share any questions or comments below.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Use a Simple Bash Script to Resize Your Images Quickly and Easily
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/use-a-simple-bash-script-to-resize-your-images-quickly-and-easily/
Last updated: 2023-05-10T16:23:00.000Z
Several months ago I realized the process I use to resize and compress the images I want to upload to my blog was broken. This lead me to learning about [ImageMagick®](https://imagemagick.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) so I could easily do the same tasks through the terminal. [Earlier I posted my process on learning which commands I should use to resize and compress my images along with sharing several other points I came across along the way](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/01/27/easily-resize-multiple-images-quickly-through-the-terminal-on-your-mac/). I’ve since decided to create a bash script to make it easier to run multiple commands at once along with also renaming the newly resized and compressed image files. I decided to share it with you through this post, [and through GitHu](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/BloggingHelp/compress%5Fmy%5Fimages.sh?ref=simplykyra.com)[b](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/compress%5Fmy%5Fimages.sh?ref=simplykyra.com), in case you also want to use a similar script. You’re welcome to copy it at the bottom of my post or clone it through GitHub and alter it to fit your specific needs.

![Pinterest-geared image showing my blog's title, my main URL, and images showing the subject of this post. The image shows three screenshots and an arrow going from the top to bottom image. The topmost image shows the images I want to uploaded, the second image shows me running the script with output, and finally the bottom image shows the same directory as the first image but now there's more images all compressed and resized. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Use-a-Simple-Bash-Script-to-Resize-Your-Images-Quickly-and-Easily-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

If you want more information about [ImageMagick®](https://imagemagick.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) and how to run commands to resize, compress, or collage images together feel free to check out [my previous post about this](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/01/27/easily-resize-multiple-images-quickly-through-the-terminal-on-your-mac/).

In this post I wanted to share the simple bash script I put together to allow myself to quickly resize, compress, and rename a copy of each image I want to upload to my blog. This saves so much time compared to when I used to do each image individually through the Preview app on my Mac. Below I’ll start off by doing a quick overview followed by an in depth look at the script section by section so you understand what I did and why thus making it easier for you to alter the script for it to do what you need it to do. Finally, at the bottom, I’ll post my bash script in it’s entirety, all in one piece, so it’s easier for you to look over or copy, if needed, if you don’t want to use the [GitHub version](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/BloggingHelp/compress%5Fmy%5Fimages.sh?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

## *Overview of the Bash Script*

### *Requirements*

This bash script uses the program [ImageMagick®](https://imagemagick.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) so you’ll need to first install that before running the script. I installed it on my computer [using Homebrew through the terminal](https://imagemagick.org/script/download.php?ref=simplykyra.com#macosx).

### *Input*

This script, as is, only needs one argument passed in. This argument is the pathway to the directory, or folder, you want to run the script against. I chose to start out by doing it this way as the directory I’m working in for my blog changes with each individual post. One thing I need to point out about this input is that bash sees a space as the beginning of a new argument so if your pathway includes one or more spaces you’ll need to enclose it with a set of double (`"`) or single (`'`) quotes.

If you want to be able to run this program from anywhere on your computer you can set a symbolic link. This means you can run it from the specific directory you want the program to execute on and thus you can remove the `cd` command, and related checks, in the script or just pass in `.` as your pathway since it means current directory. To create the symbolic link I went to the directory my program was stored in and entered two lines. The first copies the current pathway to my clipboard while the second, including the pasted pathway, creates the symbolic link:

```
pwd | pbcopy 
ln -s /Users/kyra/Development/SimplyKyraBlog/compress_my_images.sh ~/bin/
```

I then attempted to run the program from a different directory and it didn’t work so I had to edit my `config.fish` file in my `.config/fish/` directory.

```
vim ~/.config/fish/config.fish
```

I opened up the file in [vim](https://neovim.io/?ref=simplykyra.com), although you could use a different editor, and at the bottom of my file I added one line of text:

```fish
set PATH $HOME/bin $PATH
```

Once I saved and exited I was able to go to a random directory of images and run my bash script. Since my script still expects a pathway I passed in `.` to give it the current directory I was in:

```
~/D/r/P/Meal-Workout-Plans> compress_my_images.sh .

Working in directory: .
All done.
Completed successfully. Have a great day!
```

### *What it does*

This script will go through the directory, that you passed in, and takes in all of the files ending with the following extensions: `jpeg`, `JPEG`, `jpg`, `JPG`, `png`, and `PNG`. If you have another directory within this one the script will not check inside of it for images. The script will then create a temporary directory, called `output`, which it will then use to save a copy of each image it resized, to `750 pixels wide`, and compressed, to just under `70 KB` (kilobytes). It will then delete any newly created file containing the text `interest` (for P/pinterest) or `nstagram` (for I/instagram) in it’s name as I don’t need either of those images resized to 750 pixels. All of these newly created images will then have the text `compressed_` added to the beginning of each filename before then being moved up a directory, out of `output`, and then the script will delete the now empty `output` directory. Finally, before ending, any image containing `interest` (for P/pinterest) will be resized to `471 pixels wide` so I have a properly resized Pinnable image.

### *Running the script*

I always start my blogging process by getting all of my related blog post images into a single directory before removing any duplicates, cropping any needed images, and creating both a Pinterest and an Instagram geared image through [Canva](https://www.canva.com/?ref=simplykyra.com)**.** Because of this process all of my images, that I want to compress for my blog, are all located in a single already opened folder so I start this process by right-clicking on a single image and going near the bottom of the popped up menu to open my terminal with the current pathway already set in for me. This way I can quickly type in `pwd` to get my needed input, the full pathway of my images, for the bash script. As an aside I use [iTerm2](https://iterm2.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) for my terminal with [fish](https://fishshell.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) already installed so my terminal may look different than yours.

![Image is a screenshot of my directory after having gone through my images. There are 21 PNG files and a single JPG.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-02-01-at-3.43.56-PM.png?resize=750%2C303&ssl=1)

These are my final images I wanted to use for [my sewn coaster blog post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/23/sew-a-coaster-perfect-for-a-last-minute-gift/) after going through and cropping and deleting duplicitous images. This was also after creating, through [Canva](https://www.canva.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), a Pinterest geared image.

![Image shows screenshots in a folder with a menu opened up and the text, near the bottom, highlighted saying "New iTerm2 Tab Here". Below that selection you can see that you can also open a "New iTerm2 Window Here" as well. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-02-01-at-3.58.12-PM.png?resize=750%2C643&ssl=1)

I, later, took a screenshot of me opening my new iTerm2 tab from a different directory than the previous image so you’d know what I was talking about.

![Image is a screenshot of my terminal after I typed in "pwd" with the results of the full pathway shown below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-02-01-at-3.58.34-PM.png?resize=750%2C95&ssl=1)

To get the full pathway of where my images are stored I quickly type in `pwd`. This gives me the full pathway, on the next line, which I can easily highlight and copy. If you want to skip that step you could always pipe the results directly to your clipboard with: `pwd | pbcopy`.

Once I have the full pathway I need copied to my clipboard I navigate to where my bash script is being stored. I then run the script by typing in `./` followed by the script’s filename and the pathway which I paste in surrounded by double quotes. I chose to encapsulate the pathway in quotes because some of my folders have spaces in them so I need the quotes so the script interprets it as a single pathway instead of multiple arguments. Once I press `Enter` the script takes off doing it’s thing. If you kept the directory open and visible while you run the script you might be able to see the `output` directory being made and the files temporarily stored in it before the script finishes with a simple message to the user.

![Image shows a screenshot of the script being run through the terminal. The output shows the directory it's working in, a message when done, and then says to have a great day. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-02-01-at-3.59.27-PM.png?resize=750%2C87&ssl=1)

After navigating to where my bash script is stored I run the script and pass in the pathway from my clipboard enclosed in double quotes. The script starts out by showing me the pathway and then finishes with a message informing me it’s done.

In case you want to see the command in larger and easily copied font:

```
./compress_my_images.sh "/Users/kyra/Documents/Blog Ideas/2 - Current Working Ideas/Batch Script Resize Images"

Working in directory: /Users/kyra/Documents/Blog Ideas/2 - Current Working Ideas/Batch Script Resize Images
All done.
Completed successfully. Have a great day!

```

![Image shows a screenshot of the same directory as shown above. This time there's twice as many images and each one is there twice. The version starting with "compressed_" is resized smaller. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-02-01-at-3.43.27-PM.png?resize=750%2C504&ssl=1)

And with that I have twice as many images in my folder. Since the resized and compressed images were renamed to start with `compressed_` it’s simple to see which files are the newly created ones outputted from the script.

And with that the command is executed and the images are done being resized, compressed, renamed, and are now ready to be uploaded to the blog post.

---

## *Detailed View of the Bash Script*

I figured I’d go over the bash script in detail showing you each part piece by piece in case you’re interested in how it works. This way it’s also easier for you to understand what I did so you could simply alter it for your own purposes. If you want a less verbose version you can check out [the version I uploaded to GitHub](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/BloggingHelp/compress%5Fmy%5Fimages.sh?ref=simplykyra.com) or scroll to the bottom of this post where I dropped the whole thing in it’s entirety for easier access.

I’ll start by showing you one or a few lines of code, copied from the script including comments, and then below each one I’ll explain it. Let’s start with the first line and go from there:

```bash
#!/bin/bash
```

Every Unix or Linux based operating system needs a script to start with the shebang `#!` characters followed by the interpreter it needs to execute the rest of the script. So in this case I used the shebang, or *bang* line, and followed it up with the `/bin/bash` as Bash, the interpreter I need to use, is installed in my `/bin` directory. If you want to explore this more you can check out [the *Shebang* wiki on the Linux Shell Scripting Tutorial page](https://bash.cyberciti.biz/guide/Shebang?ref=simplykyra.com) or read the three minute [*Bash Shebang* article on Linuxize](https://linuxize.com/post/bash-shebang/?ref=simplykyra.com).

Next I check to confirm the proper argument was given by running through three different `if` statements. Instead of running three individual `if` statements I instead combine them together by using the `if`, `elif` (if not the previous one then try this one), and `fi` (ends the `if` statement) commands. I’ll go through them one by one:

```bash
# Confirm the proper argument was given; otherwise a blank argument would send you to the home directory
if [ $# -ne 1 ]; then 
echo "Please call this script with a single argument giving me the path of the directory you want to run this in. If it has spaces please put it in double quotes." 
exit 1
```

This first `if` statement takes the number of arguments that was passed into the script, using `$#`, and makes sure that only one argument was passed in. It compares the number of arguments using `-ne`, or not equal to, `1` so the script goes into the `if` statement if there were more or less arguments than expected. Inside the `if` statement it prints out a message to the user, using `echo`, and exits the program so there’s nothing else ran.

```bash
elif [ ! -e "$1" ]; then 
    echo "Directory doesn't exist. Please pass in a valid directory you want the program to run in for the first argument." 
    exit 1
```

This above statement only runs if there was only one argument passed in, as it passed the first `if` statement, so we know we can use `$1` to access the first argument variable which in our case should be the path of the directory you want it to run in. The `if` statement then follows with `! -e "$1"` which checks if that directory exists. Like before if this error occurs the script goes into the `if` statement, prints out a message, and exits the program.

```bash
elif [ ! -d "$1" ]; then 
    echo "That isn't a directory. Please pass in a valid directory for the program to run in." 
    exit 1 fi
```

This `if` statement looks similar to the statement before with only one minor change. Instead of the `-e` between the `!` and `"$1"` it now has a `-d` to check if the pathway is a valid directory or not. Again if it isn’t valid it goes into the `if` statement, outputs a message using `echo`, and exits the program.

```bash
echo -e "\nWorking in directory: $1 "
```

I then used the argument that was passed in to output a message to the user to show them which directory I was about to work in. This means if something weird happens they can look back at the output and confirm whether the wrong pathway was passed in or not. The `echo` command outputs what’s between the quotes to the terminal. I wanted to start the message with a carriage return or, also called, a new line character, `\n`, which is essentially when you press `Enter` on the keyboard. By default `echo` can’t use an escape sequence, the backslash `\`, so you need to add the `-e` so it interprets the newline character properly. If you want to learn more here’s a [StackExchange Unix & Linux question about the difference between echo and echo -e](https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/189787/difference-between-echo-and-echo-e?ref=simplykyra.com).

```bash
cd "$1"
```

Now that those checks passed and the message was sent out to the command line using standard output, `stdout`, it’s time to start. Here I used `cd` to change my directory to the one passed in through the argument. I know the directory exists from the previous checks in the `if` statements.

```bash
# Checks to see the condition returned and if failed exits the program 
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then 
    echo "Couldn't access the directory specified. Exiting." 
    exit 1 
fi
```

After the last command I used `$?` within an `if` statement to check on the exit status of my previous command, the `cd`, so I’d know for sure if it succeeded, equaled `0`, or failed. This check is in place in case the directory exists but the script doesn’t have access to it for some reason and the `cd` command fails. Traditionally, a failed command here would return `1` but I decided to generalize it so a fail, and subsequent entrance into the `if` statement, would be anything not equal to zero so I wrote it like this `$? -ne 0` where `-ne` means not equal. I chose this as some statements may fail and return more than just `1`. An example of this is `[ls](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/ls.1.html?ref=simplykyra.com)`, which lists the contents of a directory, as it returns `0` with success, `1` with minor problems, and `2` with serious trouble. If the script wasn’t able to move into the passed in directory then the contents of the `if` statement would run a message to the user and exit the program so nothing else could happen.

```bash
mkdir output
```

I next make a new directory, called `output`, using the `mkdir` command. I do this as the [ImageMagick®](https://imagemagick.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) `mogrify` commands, used below, expects the `output` directory to exist and be accessible. This directory will be deleted, using `rmdir`, at the end of the script.

```bash
# Checks to see the condition returned and if failed exits the program 
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then 
    echo "Couldn't create the temporary directory needed. Exiting" 
    exit 1 
fi
```

Once again I check the exit status of the previous command, using `$?`, to see if it doesn’t equal, `-ne`, zero. If it doesn’t equal zero then we know the `mkdir` command failed, so a directory named `output` wasn’t created, and we enter into the `if` statement where a message is outputted, using `echo`, to the user and the script exits. If the directory was made successfully then `$?` would equal zero, we wouldn’t enter the body of the `if` statement, and the script would continue running.

```bash
# Compress all jpg, jpeg, and png images in the folder. The stderror is sent to null in case some image types aren't available. 
mogrify -path output -resize 750 -quality 100% -define jpeg:extent=70KB *.JPG 2>/dev/null 
mogrify -path output -resize 750 -quality 100% -define jpeg:extent=70KB *.jpg 2>/dev/null 
mogrify -path output -resize 750 -quality 100% -define jpeg:extent=70KB *.PNG 2>/dev/null 
mogrify -path output -resize 750 -quality 100% -define jpeg:extent=70KB *.png 2>/dev/null 
mogrify -path output -resize 750 -quality 100% -define jpeg:extent=70KB *.jpeg 2>/dev/null 
mogrify -path output -resize 750 -quality 100% -define jpeg:extent=70KB *.JPEG 2>/dev/null
```

I kept the block of `mogrify` commands in one section here as each command is essentially the same thing. The only difference between each line is that it targets a different file extension. I noticed the filename comparison was case sensitive so in addition to running the command against three different file types (`JPG`, `PNG`, and `JPEG`) I also ran it against the capitalized version and the lowercase one (so `PNG` and `png`) as I’ve noticed some of my image files being one way while others are the other way. Specifically, for the `JPG` although the rest are the same, I use:

- `mogrify`: [The program](https://imagemagick.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) being run which you need to install before running this script. I [installed mine through the terminal using Homebrew](https://imagemagick.org/script/download.php?ref=simplykyra.com#macosx).
- `-path output`: This sets the relative path of where the outputted files should be saved. Specifically, this is setting the relative path to `output` so the program knows the current directory contains another directory named `output`, which we just created, that it can save the new files to.
- `-resize 750`: This is saying that it needs to resize the images to `750 pixels` wide. The program, by default, keeps the image’s aspect ratio the same so the height of the image is resized relative to the width.
- `-quality 100%`: This is saying to keep the quality at `100%`. Looking back right now I don’t think this is needed as the next command plays around with the image’s quality but I haven’t tested it out so I’ll keep it in for now.
- `-define jpeg:extent=70KB`: This is the line I had trouble finding and shared about in my [previous post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/01/27/easily-resize-multiple-images-quickly-through-the-terminal-on-your-mac/) about [ImageMagick®](https://imagemagick.org/?ref=simplykyra.com). It uses `define` to set the `jpeg:extent` parameter so the maximum size, in kilobytes, of all of the resulting image files would be capped at `70 KB` each.
- `*.JPG`: This is how the program knows which files, by matching, it should take in as input. In this case the asterisk, `*`, matches anything. It’s then followed by `.JPG` with no other asterisk at the end so it’s essentially saying to match any file in the current directory that ends with `.JPG`. This is why I used multiple `mogrify` commands as I wanted to resize and compress many different image file types without potentially attempting to resize and compress a non-image file.
- `2>/dev/null`: If there were no inputted files, so in this case no files ending with `.JPG`, then the command would send an error, using `stderror`, to the user. Since I don’t *need* there to be an image of each file type I ran the command against I don’t care if it fails or succeeds so I don’t need to see this error message. I chose to keep the message hidden from the user by adding this text, `2>/dev/null`, to the end of each `mogrify` command so the error is written to `/dev/null`, essentially a blackhole, rather than `stderror` and the user. This means if there are only two of the six file types above in the directory then there will be four messages sent to this blackhole rather than the user. If you want to learn [the *Step by step breakdown of /dev/null* you can check out this article on Medium by Jorge Yau](https://medium.com/@codenameyau/step-by-step-breakdown-of-dev-null-a0f516f53158?ref=simplykyra.com).

If you want to look into this command more you can check out [my previous post which goes over it and the process I took to get to this final statement](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/01/27/easily-resize-multiple-images-quickly-through-the-terminal-on-your-mac/).

```bash
# Moves to be with the newly created folders so they can be renamed 
cd output
```

I now use the command `cd` to move into the `output` directory with all of the images that were just resized and compressed.

```bash
# Removes the Pinterest (wrong size) and Instagram (unneeded) images 
find . -name "*interest*" -delete 
find . -name "*nstagram*" -delete
```

I figured it was easier to apply the `mogrify` command, above, against the images’ file extensions rather than their file names. As such I now delete any image in the `output` directory that I don’t need so in this case any that are destined for Instagram or Pinterest. I’ll explain the above command for the first line, Instagram, but the second, for Pinterest, works the same:

- `find`: Program that searches a directory tree, specified directory and all of it’s sub-directories within, for the files based on the following parameters (the rest of the line). Here’s [a link for it’s man page with more information](https://ss64.com/bash/find.html?ref=simplykyra.com).
- `.`: This is where you specific the path for which directory, and sub-directories, you want to search in. Since the script already entered the `output` directory, where I want to search, I used `.` to specify the current working directory.
- `-name "*interest*"`: I’m using the `-name` parameter to specify a file name match. In this case I want to match with `Pinterest`but I removed the `P` at the beginning so it easily matches whether Pinterest is capitalized or not. I added the asterisk, `*`, to the beginning and end of the word to show it could match anything on either side of the word `interest` thus, for example, `interest.png`, `gobblygookinterest`, and `herePinterestAndThere.png` would all match. Looking back if I wanted to ignore the capitalization I could’ve also used the flag `-iname` to ignore the case.
- `-delete`: This takes all the files that matched the previous conditions and deletes them. Be sure your `find` command works great before adding this flag.

```bash
# Adds the text compressed_ before all the filenames 
find * -exec mv {} "compressed_{}" \;
```

Like above this is another `find` command but other than the `find` itself it’s completely different. The `find *` says to find all of the files in the current, `output`, directory. The `-exec` parameter then executes the following command (`mv {} "compressed_{}"`) on all of those files. Specifically, this last command does:

- `mv`: This stands for move. Essentially it takes the file in the next parameter and moves it to the next parameter. In this case, seen below, I don’t specify a directory for either parameter and instead change the name so essentially the `move` command keeps the files within the same directory, `output`, while renaming them.
- `{}`: Combined with the `find` command the empty curly brackets, `{}`, are filled in with each matching file. That means each of my newly compressed and resized images in the `output` directory take turns, if you will, having their name replace these curly brackets. This `mv` command is executed on each of the matching files.
- `"compressed_{}"`: This is the new filename I want to use for each image. As the curly brackets are filled in with each of the original filenames, found by the `find` command, each file is renamed to include the text `compressed_` at it’s front.

```bash
# Moves all the images up a folder and removes the temporary output folder 
mv * ..
```

I’m again using the move, `mv`, command. This time the asterisk, `*`, means grab everything in the current directory, `output`, and bring it up one directory, `..`, thus taking all the newly renamed files out of the `output` directory and putting them in with the original files.

```bash
cd ..
```

Now the script move up a directory by changing the directory, `cd`, and adding the two periods, `..`, to show going up one level.

```bash
rmdir output
```

Now the script removes the now emptied and unneeded temporary `output` directory by using the command `rmdir`, which stands for *remove directory*.

```bash
# If there's a Pinterest image it compresses it to the right size and names it the proper way. 
find . -name '*Pinterest*' | while read line; do 
    magick convert "$line" -resize 471 -define jpeg:extent=70KB "compressed_${line:2}" 
done
```

I removed the resized and compressed Pinterest image above as I need this image to be resized to a different width than all the other images. To resize and compress it now I use the `find` command to search through the current directory, `.`, and find the file containing the text `Pinterest`. Just realized now that I left the capital P at the beginning so if it might be spelled `pinterest` I should’ve instead used `-iname` to ignore the case or used `'*interest*'`. This should only match to the original Pinterest file as the compressed one was deleted. Anyway the next symbol pipes, `|`, what was returned in the previous section to the next bit. Then I start a `while` loop to loop over each `Pinterest` containing file, in case there’s multiples (although in my case it will just go through the loop once) that the `find` command found. The `done` at the bottom shows the while loop is done and you should either go up to the beginning with the next matching file or, if you’re done looping through everything, continue on to the next block of code.

Within the loop is a single line. This is an [ImageMagick®](https://imagemagick.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) command that is run on a single image unlike the `mogrify` command above. I wrote about it in [my previous post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/01/27/easily-resize-multiple-images-quickly-through-the-terminal-on-your-mac/); but, specifically, here this takes the image matched from the `find` command, specified by `"$line"`, resizes it to `471 pixels` wide keeping the height relative, uses the `-define jpeg:extent=70KB` so the program plays with the quality of the images so it compressed to just under `70 KB` (kilobytes), and then renames the compressed image so the filename starts with `compressed_`.

```bash
echo -e "All done. Completed successfully.\nHave a great day!\n"
```

Now that the images have all been resized and compressed properly I output a message letting the user know that the complete bash script ran before the program ends. Again, I needed to include `-e` after `echo` so it reads the newline character, `\n`, in the center and end of my text. And that’s it you’re done.

---

## *The Entire Bash Script*

![Image is a screenshot of the bash script opened in Vim through my terminal so the background is black. Each line starts with a yellow number and the text itself is in white. This script was shown in parts above and complete below if you want to read it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-02-01-at-3.42.36-PM.png?resize=750%2C556&ssl=1)

If you want to copy the script from GitHub I’ve created [a project](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog?ref=simplykyra.com) and committed [this script to it here](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/BloggingHelp/compress%5Fmy%5Fimages.sh?ref=simplykyra.com). I've also created a copy under GitHub Gist and embedded it here so you can see all of it without having to leave this post. 

---

Whether you’re a old hat at playing within the command line or are completely new to this I hope it was able to help you. Let me know if you ended up using this code in the comments below. And if so did you use it as is or did you customize it to fit your own needs? How did it help? Anyway hope your day is going great and your week is well.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Make a Simple, Tasty, and Healthy Cookie Sheet Meal
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/make-a-simple-tasty-and-healthy-cookie-sheet-meal/
Last updated: 2023-03-23T22:29:29.000Z
I came across a recipe similar to this with one of the programs I bought through [The Balanced Life](https://thebalancedlifeonline.com/friend/ref/14822/?ref=simplykyra.com) and it’s become one of my favorite go to meals. It’s super simple and so easy to throw together with whatever vegetables you happen to have in your fridge. I’ve started keeping a pack of sausages and a couple yams handy so I can easily throw this together whenever I have vegetables I need to use up or when I just don’t know what else to make. Another great thing about this dish is that it can be prepared ahead of time which I loved pre-COVID-19, when prepping before going out on a playdate, and I still love now. This means whenever I have time in the morning I can jam out to some fun music with Zoey, [while she plays with a sensory bin](https://www.simplykyra.com/tag/sensory-activity/), or use headphones to listen to an audiobook or podcast while cutting up all of the ingredients before tossing them in the fridge for later. Also if something last minute comes up (like last time when Matt and I thought to spontaneously order pizza) I can always leave it for tomorrow’s supper. It’s perfect!

![Pinterest-geared image showing the blog title, some subtext, my main URL, and five images. The top image, under the title, shows a plate with this on it. Underneath it says "easily change it up based on what's in your fridge today and what you feel like!". Below that are four images showing the yams being cut, the bowl wrapped in plastic wrap, pouring the contents of the bowl on a cookie sheet, and the dish fresh out of the oven. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Make-a-Simple-Tasty-and-Healthy-Cookie-Sheet-Meal-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

I’m going to start this post off by going over how I make this, with accompanying images, before following it up with the actual recipe. After the recipe I’ll show how I quickly pack up my leftovers and then show all the variations I’ve made with delicious results.

---

Basically this recipe consists of vegetables, a meat, a bit of oil, and some seasonings. You can easily change this up based on what you like or have on hand as long as all of the ingredients can bake at the same temperature over the span of time.

For my meat I absolutely adore [Aidells’ Chicken & Apple sausages](https://www.aidells.com/products/dinner-sausage/chicken-apple/?ref=simplykyra.com) which I normally buy through Costco in a three pack. If I stock up and know we can’t possibly eat all of it before the best before date, which is always at least a month in advance, I know I can toss the extra packages in the freezer so it’s available whenever I need it. I’ve even started cutting up the sausage, the morning I’m going to make this, frozen just out of the freezer and it still cuts up great and can easily defrost already mixed in with the vegetables.

For the vegetables themselves I normally default to a couple of yams (the orange ones… as depending where you live yams and sweet potatoes seem to be swapped) and sliced Brussel sprouts. It takes longer to cut up the Brussel sprouts but I love how they brown and crisp up when cut smaller. Other times I’ve changed this up by switching out these vegetables for other ones or by adding variety.

Since I prepare this the morning I’m planning on having it for supper I normally decide how much to make based on my available ingredients or, if there’s a lot of ingredients, based on my bowl size so I don’t make too much. You basically can’t go wrong with this; although, if your cookie sheet is too crowded it will take longer to bake and will be less crispy. Anyway, since I make this in advance, as each ingredient is chopped up it’s added to a bowl so once I’m done all I need to do is add in several tablespoons of oil, most commonly avocado oil, and season it with salt and pepper. If I knew the kids wouldn’t try it I would probably also add some crushed red pepper flakes or chili powder. I’m sure I’ve done that in the past with a small amount. I’ve also sometimes changed this up by adding some garlic powder, paprika, and/or taco seasoning too. I then stir it all up, stretch some plastic wrap over the top, and toss it in the fridge until I’m ready to bake it.

![Image shows a white plastic cutting board holding diced yams and a dirtied knife. Beside it sits a large metal bowl partway filled with sliced Brussel sprouts, sliced sausages, and the rest of the yams. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8789.jpeg?resize=750%2C496&ssl=1)

I start out by chopping up my vegetables and sausages while adding them to a large bowl as I go.

![Image shows the same metal bowl although you can hardly see the Brussel sprouts and sausages through the yams. Beside it sits an oil dispenser, sea salt, and a pepper mill. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8791.jpeg?resize=750%2C503&ssl=1)

Once the sausages and vegetables are all sliced and diced it’s time to grab the oil and seasonings.

![Image shows a bowl of yams with green Brussel sprouts and brown sausages poking through. There is oil and black flecks of pepper in the center back. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8795.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

My default additions are three tablespoons of avocado oil along with some salt and pepper. Once they’re added I grab a spatula and mix it all up so it’s as equally distributed as I can make it.

![Image shows a metal bowl filled with the evenly mixed Brussel sprouts, yams, sausages, salt, pepper, and avocado oil. Over the top a piece of plastic wrap is stretched across sealing it all in. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8802.jpeg?resize=750%2C471&ssl=1)

Once everything is mixed together I grab some plastic wrap and cover it up before putting it in the fridge until suppertime. At one point I attempted to use beeswax to wrap this but I couldn’t figure out how to properly upkeep the beeswax and eventually reverted back to the easier plastic wrap.

Normally the mixed food sits in my fridge until supper, somewhat under eight hours; although, once or twice it ended up sitting in the fridge for over 24 hours when an alternative supper idea came up. Either way the food tasted amazing once baked.

About 45 minutes to an hour before my planned supper time I start the oven and set it to 425° Fahrenheit. As the oven preheats I grab two cookie sheets, so there’s more room for the food, and cover each one with a [Silpat®](https://www.silpat.com/us.html?ref=simplykyra.com) making for an easy cleanup. I then grab the bowl from the fridge, remove the plastic wrap, and pour it out over the two pans. After making sure it’s equally divided I spread it out and wait for the oven to fully come to the proper temperature and toss them in. Later, about 20 to 25 minutes later, I pull them out, stir up the contents, and, if they need to be baked longer, I put them back after switching their spots so they cook more evenly. If one sheet ever bakes quicker than the other I can pull it out, start supper, and pull out the second when it’s ready. Although, normally if they aren’t equally baked it’s more like one is fully cooked but a little soggy while the other one has been fully crisped.

![Image shows two cookie sheets lined with an orange bordered Silpat® liner. The metal bowl is angled over the left one as the veggie mix is poured out. A spatula is laid on the cookie sheet waiting to be used to get the last out. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8817.jpeg?resize=750%2C491&ssl=1)

While the oven comes up to temperature, 425° Fahrenheit, I lay out the cookie sheets, line them each with a [Silpat®](https://www.silpat.com/us.html?ref=simplykyra.com), and pour out my prepared food over them.

![Image shows two cookie sheets laid side by side on top of the stove. They're both covered in the green, orange, and pinkish-brown food. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8820.jpeg?resize=750%2C393&ssl=1)

After attempting to pour the food equally onto both cookie sheets I next grab my spatula and spread it out so it evenly coats the whole entire area.

![Image, once again, shows the two lined cookie sheets side by side on the stove top. The right one is still fully covered while the left one has all the food piled in the center along with a wooded dishing utensil. This photo was taken after we've started dishing the food. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8824.jpeg?resize=750%2C439&ssl=1)

About twenty minutes into baking I pull them out, check them, mix it up, and put them back into the oven if they haven’t browned enough. This image shows how it looks once it’s perfectly roasted. Here the sausage is hot and slightly crisped, half of the Brussel sprouts are darkened, and the yams are cooked through and piping hot.

And this tastes amazing! When I first started making this we always served it as a complete meal like this and it was more than enough to fill us up. The kids started out really picky but, over time, they started getting excited when I serve this although they mostly only eat the chicken apple sausages.

![Photo shows a small saucer piled with this cookie sheet meal. Beside it sits a donuts covered napkin and a fork.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8826.jpeg?resize=750%2C498&ssl=1)

This tasted so good and is perfect as is for a complete meal… unless you’re my kids and only eat the chicken apple sausages. In case you’re curious I posted about [these simple sewn napkins here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/07/08/quick-and-simple-fabric-napkins-with-your-serger/).

Below is the recipe if you want it laid out more point blank and/or if you’d like to print it out. Afterwards I’ll go over how I quickly pack up any leftovers and then some amazing variations I’ve made that turned out amazing.

---

## Cookie Sheet Meal

Easily use up any vegetables you have laying around and make a simple and tasty meal! Perfect when you're craving something yummy and easy.

![Plate with a mix of greens, yams, and sausages. A nakin and fork lay to the left.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_8826.jpeg)  
 Main Course, Oven, Sausage, Vegetables  
 Prep Time: 20 Minutes  
 Cook Time: 30 minutes  
 Total Time: 50 minutes  
 Servings: 4 people  

### Ingredients

#### Meat (Optional)

- 1 pkg Chicken Apple Sausages; sliced 4-6 sausages or replace with diced bacon

#### Roasted Vegetables

- 1 lb Brussel Sprouts love it sliced
- 2 medium Yams; Cubed or sweet potatoes... whichever ones are the orange ones where you live

#### Oil and Seasonings

- 3 tbsp Avocado Oil or some other oil like olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp Pepper to taste

#### Change It Up!

- Apple cored and diced
- Add or switch up the vegetables with bell peppers, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, or green beans to name a few choices.
- Switch out the spices by using your favorites. Some I've used are paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, and/or taco seasoning.

### Instructions

#### When Making Ahead

1. NOTE: This meal can be prepped the morning or day before depending on which ingredients you used. If you're making this at the same time as a casserole you could bake it at a lower temperature but then it would take longer and might not crisp up as much.
2. Prepare all the ingredients and toss them into a large bowl along with the seasonings and oil.
3. Mix well.
4. Seal the top with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge until it's closer to supper time.
5. About 45 minutes to an hour before supper set your oven to 425° Fahrenheit.
6. Line one or two cookies sheets with a Silpat or with tinfoil for easier cleanup.

#### When Baking Now

1. NOTE: If you're making this at the same time as a casserole you could bake it at a lower temperature but then it would take longer and might not crisp up as much.
2. Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit.
3. Dice the meat and veggies and spread it out over one or two lined cookie sheets.
4. Drizzle the vegetables with the oil and sprinkle with the seasonings.
5. Toss gently to coat.

#### Baking!

1. When the oven is fully preheated put the cookie sheet(s) in. Check on the food after 20 minutes. At this point take out the cookie sheets, toss the contents, and put them back swapped so they bake evenly.
2. Keep an eye on the food and pull it out once the vegetables are perfectly browned. If the food was crowded on the cookie sheets they may not brown.
3. Serve as is or enjoy it over top of quinoa, farro, or a pasta dish. The possibilities are endless!

---

#### *Cleaning Up*

Cleaning up is super easy with the [Silpat®](https://www.silpat.com/us.html?ref=simplykyra.com) liners. When we’re done eating, if there’s something left, I just scrape the food around so it doesn’t stick to the liner using a wooden utensil or spatula, roll the liner up thus trapping the food inside, and then stick an end into a [Stasher®](https://www.stasherbag.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) bag which turns the liner into a kind of funnel. Most of the food falls right into the bag with no fuss. Then, since the liner covered the cookie sheet, there’s hardly any difficulty cleaning those up too.

![Image is taken from above looking at the food within the rolled up liner. At the bottom you can see a slight bit of blue of a stasher bag. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_1878.jpeg?resize=750%2C822&ssl=1)

I folded the [Silpat®](https://www.silpat.com/us.html?ref=simplykyra.com) liner around the food that was left on it and stuck one of the open ends into my [Stasher®](https://www.stasherbag.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) bag so the food can all fall in.

![Image is taken from the side looking at the liner rolled up and stuck inside the zip-top Stasher bag. You can see the food at the bottom of the slightly transparent bag. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_1882.jpeg?resize=750%2C625&ssl=1)

Here’s another shot of it once most of the food fell into the bag. After this I pulled the liner out, sealed the bag, and tossed the leftovers into the fridge.

---

#### *Variations to This Recipe*

As I said before my kids were picky. When I first started making this they complained bitterly; although, over time they grew excited whenever I made this dish despite mostly only eating the chicken apple sausages. This meant, some of the time, I started making this on days where we were also making something else so they could focus on the other food while Matt and I ate more of this recipe. Additionally, we sometimes had leftovers so when the kids requested [Macaroni, Tomato, and Cheese](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/03/01/pasta-tomato-and-cheese/), which I LOVE, I would sometimes make it healthier for me by combining the pasta dish with the leftover cookie sheet meal. Between the two cases I quickly started loving the taste of this combined with pasta.

![Image shows a large open bowl filled with cheesy pasta and topped with roasted Brussel sprouts, zucchini, and chicken apple sausages. Behind the bowl sits a fabric napkin and a glass of water.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_2648.jpeg?resize=750%2C501&ssl=1)

This variation of the cookie sheet meal featured sausages, zucchini, and Brussel sprouts. In this case I dished it over cheesy pasta and it tasted so amazingly good.

Over time I started changing up this recipe starting with very minor changes, like replacing yams with zucchini above, and increasingly becoming more confident and making things that didn’t even seem similar to the original recipe anymore.

After knowing that I could use zucchini I came across a day when I realized that not only did I not have Brussel sprouts and yams but I also didn’t have my favorite sausages. This lead to me taking the premise of the recipe and changing the ingredients completely. I ended up dicing up a whole lot of squash and some raw bacon before mixing it up with the customary salt, and pepper seasonings. Since I knew the bacon would generate it’s own oil as it cooked I skipped adding my normal oil at this time. Like previously; however, I let it sit in the fridge until suppertime and then tossed it onto cookie sheets and roasted it until it all crisped up. It was so amazing!

![Image shows a variety of chopped squash (both green and yellow skinned) along with raw diced bacon on top. Beside the bowl sits a plastic cutting board containing even more chopped bacon. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_1659.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I cut up all of the squash in a large Costco bag that I hadn’t yet gotten around to making. I didn’t have my normal chicken apple sausages on hand but I did have bacon so I next chopped that up and added it in.

![Image shows bacon sitting on top of diced yellow and green squash. The top is covered in pepper, visible, and salt, invisible to the image. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_1661.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I skipped adding oil since I knew the bacon would generate it’s own as it cooked but I made sure to add enough salt and pepper to season it. Afterwards I mixed it up, sealed it with plastic wrap, and tossed it in the fridge until it came time to preheat the oven.

It was so good that I used bacon again but this time combined it with squash, broccoli, and cauliflower. Still so very good.

![Image shows two cookie sheets side by side mostly coated in roasted bacon, cauliflower, broccoli, and squash. The left side is only half filled and a metal flipper lays across it testament to the fact that some has already been removed. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_1675.jpeg?resize=750%2C473&ssl=1)

Fresh out of the oven is another variation with bacon. This time with three kinds of vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, and squash.

Through this cookie sheet recipe I discovered the joy of roasting vegetables and started searching online on how to roast a specific vegetable I happened to have on hand which lead to some really great meals. Quickly looking up, right now, online for *how to roast carrots in the oven* reminds me that the two main websites I seem to use the most for these types of answers are [Spend with Pennies](https://www.spendwithpennies.com/roasted-carrots/?ref=simplykyra.com) and [The Spruce Eats](https://www.thespruceeats.com/roasted-carrots-2217045?ref=simplykyra.com). And those carrots look so amazing that I’m kind of regretting the plan to boil carrots for supper tonight, but my casserole is stopping me from having the oven that high for that long unfortunately. Maybe a plan for later.

Anyway I wanted to share with you one of the most random cookie sheet meals I made: cherry tomatoes and asparagus. Like before I oiled and seasoned this before dumping it on the cookie sheet and roasting it until the asparagus all browned and the tomatoes all popped.

![Image shows a variety of cherry tomatoes and pieces of asparagus laid out on a single cookie sheet laid out horizontally on the stove top. Beside it sits and oven mitt and, to the back, a metal flipper to later serve it with. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_2411.jpeg?resize=750%2C443&ssl=1)

Since there was less food to bake compared to before I kept the meal on one cookie sheet. If I wanted this to be more spread out than I would’ve split it up between two cookie sheets like all the other meals I had made. This photo was taken before I roasted it so the cherry tomatoes are still whole and the asparagus vibrantly green.

I can’t remember exactly what we ate with this as I can’t find a photo, though I’m wondering if it was over rice so the kids could have rice and cheese for supper, but I did find a picture of how we used the leftovers. It was so good served over [macaroni, tomato, and cheese](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/03/01/pasta-tomato-and-cheese/), topped with tzatziki, and served alongside sliced homemade [breadIn5](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/01/04/breadin5-make-hot-fresh-bread-easily-on-demand-at-home/).

![Image shows a white bowl filled with pasta, asparagus, popped cherry tomatoes, tzatziki, and, off to the side, two slices of amazing bread. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_2526.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

This asparagus and cherry tomato concoction was simply incredible with pasta, tzatziki, and homemade bread. I really should make this again sometime soon.

---

Hope you are having a really good day today.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How to Make Template Files for Your reMarkable
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/
Last updated: 2024-06-30T16:40:52.000Z
I previously posted about how you can access [your reMarkable through the terminal on your Mac](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/) along with [changing out it’s default sleep screen image](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/10/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/). Now I want to share how I’ve taken a `PDF`, or a `PNG` image file, and converted it into a template that I can use with my reMarkable2.

---

![Image is geared towards Pinterest and shows four images, my blog title, and my main URL. Above the title you can see a screenshot of GIMP with an open PNG in Preview. Below is a collage of three images showing my reMarkable2 with the newly uploaded template, words written on the template, and the JSON file showing the newly entered template. All images are also found below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_How-to-Make-Templates-Files-for-Your-reMarkable-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

*For future reference I’m writing this while using my reMarkable2 running version 2.5.0.27 of the software.*

---

## *Introduction*

The templates for the reMarkable needs to be in a `PNG` format. This means if you want to use a `PDF` as a template you need to first convert each individual page into a `PNG` image file and then use each of those images as a stand alone template. This also means you can create your own templates by creating an image file. Just remember that the screen is 1872 by 1404 pixels so you’ll want to keep your template the same dimension. Also, if you’re planning on using this template with [the writing tools](https://support.remarkable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002661597-Pen-pencil-brush-highlighter-Writing-tools?ref=simplykyra.com) open, for the tool selection, you may want to leave a blank space on the left hand side so it doesn’t hide anything when it’s open. Once you’ve created your image file, uploaded it to your reMarkable, and edited the `JSON` file you’ll be able to use your custom image in any notebook page you want.

I’m going to start out by going over the reMarkable’s notebooks, pages, and layers in case you don’t know what their template is and how it’s used. I’ll then go over how I access the reMarkable template directory (also called folder) quickly by adding a symbolic link to my home directory and then follow that up by explaining the two methods I used to create a template image (via a `PDF` or [GIMP](https://www.gimp.org/?ref=simplykyra.com)). I’ll then share how I uploaded my image to my reMarkable2 and then finally how I edited the `JSON` file so the reMarkable is capable of seeing the new template file.

Also one quick warning. I haven’t had my reMarkable2 long enough to bring it through a software update, but I’ve heard that when it updates templates you’ve uploaded in the past may be removed. Again, I haven’t had it happen to myself but just in case I’m planning on keeping the `PNG` images I uploaded also on my computer and will, going forward, keep track of any `JSON` updates so I can easily fix anything after an update.

---

## *Overview on the reMarkable: Notebooks, Pages, PDFs, Templates, and Layers*

The reMarkable device lets you create numerous notebooks with many pages within. For each page you can check out the [layers](https://support.remarkable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002661937-Layers?preview%5Btheme%5Fid%5D=210292689&preview%5Fas%5Frole=anonymous&ref=simplykyra.com), by going through the writing tools menu that pops up on the left side of the screen, and change out what the background template is. By default, when created, each page will have two layers that consist of the template, bottom layer, and a blank layer over top allowing you to write over the template. If you want to switch out the template all you need to do is click on that layer and, once the options open, choose which template you want that page to show instead. Then when you swipe to create a new page it will, by default, have that last chosen template as it’s own template. This means you can have a notebook with each page having the same template or change out each page making them all different. An example of this might be a journal where the pages can include a monthly calendar, a weekly calendar, a grid to design on, or blank pages to draw on. This also means you can switch out a page halfway through a drawing, say if you wanted to start out with a grid to help draw something, and then switch out the template to something else; say perspective lines to help draw the background around the object. These templates can also be used in other notebooks which means, if you want, you could use the same template in each notebook you create.

![Image shows my reMarkable2 with the words "Today is the Day" scrawled out in three different pen types. Behind it are lines reaching out to the center back of the page. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0708.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I was creating a quick sample for you so I quickly scrawled my text over the template with the perspective grid lines in the background.

![Image shows the reMarkable2 with the pen set aside. On it you can see many of the templates listed with image snapshots above them. The "weeklyplanner 2" is selected. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0707.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

If you want to change your template you can easily open the layers option and click on your current template to open up a grid showing all the possible templates. In this case I next chose one of the weekly planner views.

![Image shows the text "Today is the day" over top of the blank weekly calendar view template. The menu is open on the left and the popup menu, from the bottom layers option, is opened and overlapping with the page. On it you can see the selected "Layer 1", "Template", and "Add layer" options.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0706.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

As you can see the text I wrote, confined to **Layer 1* is still visible although the template behind it changed to the calendar view.

![Image shows the text over a blank page with the menu popup still open and overlapping with the bottom of the letters. The pen is laid over top of the reMarkable2. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0704.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

There is a blank template but since the template is confined via layers you can also make the current invisible quite easily too.

In addition to the notepads with the pages and templates the reMarkable also allows you to upload a `PDF`. This `PDF` can kind of feel similar to a template as you can still add layers over top of each page and mark it up however you’d like. Templates are not the same as `PDFs`; however, as you cannot add or remove pages, since it’s static, or change the background as it isn’t editable. You also can’t use any of the pages in a notebook and the only way you’d have more than one copy is if you duplicate the entire `PDF`.

![Image shows the January 2021 calendar with the first three weeks partially erased with my black text written over top. My pen is posed over the 22nd as I 'erase' the title of the planned workout so I can write what I did instead.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0081-1-rotated.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I’ve started putting my single page `PDF` for [my Balanced Life Pilates Sisterhood membership](https://thebalancedlifeonline.com/friend/ref/14822/?ref=simplykyra.com) on my reMarkable2 so I can keep track of my daily workouts. As I can’t edit the `PDF` itself I’ve switched to a pen option that allows me to choose my ink color, in grayscale, so I can use white ink to essentially **erase* the text when I want more room to write what I did.

---

## Update: Apple App

Before going into the below information wanted to mention that I've since come out with an iOS/macOS app that you can use to change out your templates and screens with a simple button press while remembering them for the next update. More information can [be found about it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) with a direct link to [the App Store here](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows my app logo and screenshots from the App Store. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/image-2.png)

---

## *Simplify the Process With a Symbolic Link*

When I was first starting to look into how I could create my own templates I came across the [reMarkableWiki’s article on *Customizing the Templates*](https://remarkablewiki.com/tips/templates?ref=simplykyra.com) that was perfect for telling me what to do. In it I discovered that the templates are stored nested within several directories so rather than memorizing the pathway, which I kind of still did, I chose to create a symbolic link in the reMarkable2’s home directory so I could get there more easily. In case you’re curious the pathway is: `/usr/share/remarkable/templates/`.

To create the symbolic link I called on the link command, [ln](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/ln.1.html?ref=simplykyra.com), and specified that I wanted it to be a symbolic link using the `-s` parameter. I then followed the parameter with the target pathway, where you want the link to target, and then followed that with the name I wanted to use for that link. So in this case I’d go to my reMarkable2’s home directory and create a symbolic link to the nested directory and label it `templates` by typing in:

```
ln -s /usr/share/remarkable/templates templates
```

This means I now have, what feels like, a directory named `templates` located in my home directory. When I `cd`, change directory, into it I’m actually now in `/usr/share/remarkable/templates`.

![Image shows a screenshot of my reMarkable2's command interface on my iTerm. When I wrote ls I get back the names of the files and directories in my home directory. When I typed in ls -l I got more information about each one: 
-rw-r--r--    1 root   root  107430 Jan 10 21:36 log.txt
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root   root         31 Jan 10 21:44 templates -> /usr/share/remarkable/templates](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-02-05-at-5.36.32-PM.png?resize=750%2C180&ssl=1)

You can confirm the `templates` directory was created properly by running an [ls](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/ls.1.html?ref=simplykyra.com), list directory, command using the long listing parameter, `-l`, on your home directory as it will show you what the `templates` directory you made points to. You can see the difference in the results if you do a common `ls` command rather than the fuller `ls -l` command.

---

## *Creating Your Template Image*

[Templates for the reMarkable needs to be in PNG format](https://remarkablewiki.com/tips/templates?ref=simplykyra.com), but there are so many different ways you can use to create the `PNG` file. If you look online you can find some free `PDFs` and `PNGs`, like in [the *How to get the best of my reMarkable?* group on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1125709061180003/files), or many templates sold on [Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/search?q=remarkable%20templates&ref=simplykyra.com). I haven’t tried any of those yet but I have created my own `PNG` image from a `PDF` that I already had along with using the [free GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)](https://www.gimp.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) to create a single image by combining two smaller ones together. I figured I’d share both of these ways with you. If you are looking for a different way to create an image you can check out [rM User’s *Customize Your reMarkable Screens*](https://www.remarkabletabletuser.com/2018/01/15/customize-your-remarkable-screens/?ref=simplykyra.com) as it touches on making the sleep screen image using several different image editors.

### *From a PDF*

With your reMarkable it’s really simple to convert your `PDF` into a single or multiple `PNG` image files. First I added my `PDF` to my reMarkable2 through [the app on my Mac computer](https://support.remarkable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002665378-Desktop-app?ref=simplykyra.com); although, if you don’t want to install their app you could always [transfer the files using a USB cable](https://support.remarkable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002661337-Transferring-files-using-a-USB-cable?preview%5Btheme%5Fid%5D=210292689&preview%5Fas%5Frole=anonymous&ref=simplykyra.com) instead. Once the `PDF` is synced to your reMarkable you can simply tap on it to open and then, through the bottom of the left side menu, email the `PDF` to yourself as one or multiple `PNG` files. And with that you now have a `PNG` file for each page in the `PDF` that you chose to send to yourself.

![Image shows the bottom half of a partially blank PDF page. The menu on the left is open with the 'Share' image select. There's a two item menu opened beside it showing "LiveView (Beta)" and "Send by email".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0772.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once I uploaded the `PDF` to my reMarkable2 I was able to open it up and choose to sent it back to myself via email.

![Image shows the bottom half of the reMarkable when it's showing the options when emailing a PDF to you. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0775.jpeg?resize=750%2C526&ssl=1)

After selecting **Send by email* this view pops up. At the top I pick, or enter, my email address, skip over the message and filename, and go to the bottom where I select `PNG` for my **Export format* and then tap on **Edit* since I want to email more than one of the pages to me. By default this is set to the single page you were on when you chose to email it out.

![Image shows a list of all the pages in my PDF which allows me to select the ones I want to email myself. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0781.jpeg?resize=750%2C551&ssl=1)

Once tapping **Edit* on the lower left side you’re shown all the pages in your `PDF`. Here you select all the pages that you want sent to your provided email account as a `PNG` file.

### *From Scratch*

You could also create an image to use as a template yourself. I’ve previously used both [my reMarkable2 and the website Canva to create two different sleep screen images](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/10/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/) for when I suspend my device. Just remember any image you use needs to be in a `PNG` format so it can be seen as a template.

A couple of weeks ago I was making my girls pancakes from a recipe, taken [from *Healthy One Pan Dinners* I reviewed a bit ago](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/05/healthy-one-pan-dinners-cookbook-review/), that I’ve been making minor changes to over time as I ran out of ingredients or simplified the process. I realized if I ever take a long break from making this I might just forget what I’ve changed. This lead me to realize that I should maybe make a cookbook-related notebook on my reMarkable but as I wanted to add to it over time I needed it to be a notebook rather than figure out how to create a `PDF`. I realized I should make my recipe a template, even though I only want it to exist on a single page in a single notebook, so I opened up the [free GIMP](https://www.gimp.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) I had installed, set the blank canvas to the proper size (1872 by 1404 pixels), and copied the two screenshot images I used for my recipe onto the canvas. After rearranging the layers they were on and liking my final layout I exported the newly created image as a `PNG` so I could use it on my reMarkable2\. It was really simple and quick to make.

![Image shows the screenshot from the cookbook opened on my computer in the Photo app. The Edit menu is opened with the Copy row highlighted. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-01-10-at-1.12.44-PM.png?resize=750%2C272&ssl=1)

I had the recipe saved in my **Photos* app so I went and found it and copied the image using the **Copy* option in the **Edit* menu.

![Image shows GIMP opened and me going through the "Edit" menu to "Paste as" to get to "New Layer".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-01-10-at-1.13.20-PM.png?resize=750%2C325&ssl=1)

I then went into the blank canvas I had just made in [GIMP](https://www.gimp.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) and pasted the image as a new layer so I could easily move it around. To paste it as a new layer I went into the **Edit* menu, selected **Paste as*, and then chose **New Layer*.

![Image shows the white GIMP canvas with words on it. The rightmost image has a dashed line surrounding it to show the size of the layer.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-01-10-at-1.15.09-PM.png?resize=750%2C283&ssl=1)

After copy and pasting both images, each as a new layer, onto my [GIMP](https://www.gimp.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) canvas I was able to rearrange them to my liking.

![Image shows GIMP opened in the background, to the left, with the newly exported image open to the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-01-10-at-1.19.01-PM.png?resize=750%2C170&ssl=1)

Once I liked how the canvas looked I exported the image as a `PNG` so I could go on to upload it to my reMarkable2.

As an aside if you’re making an image for your template don’t create it with a transparent background. I’ve only made mine with white backgrounds so I haven’t tested anything although I’ve heard it can cause weird issues when you erase over such a transparent template.

---

## *Upload the Template Image*

Once you have your `PNG` image chosen it’s time to upload the image onto your reMarkable. Since the files you upload to the reMarkable, through their app, goes in a different location I needed to connect through my terminal instead. To connect you’ll first need to go into your settings to find your username, password, and IP address which I shared how to do in [my first reMarkable post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/). In addition to that I also included how to use your computer’s public key instead of your password and how to create a shortcut in your ssh config file to skip typing in the username and IP address each time you connect.

I wanted to keep this newly created template image separate from all of the default ones already on my device so once I connected to my reMarkable and navigated to the `templates` directory the first thing I did was create a new directory I titled `Recipes`. I love how it seems that you can create any directory structure, within the `templates` directory, to organize your template images. The commands I used to do this were:

```
cd /usr/share/remarkable/templates
mkdir Recipes
```

I next opened up another terminal window, on my computer, and made sure the working directory was set to the same one where my new template image was saved. This means, when uploading the file, I only need to type in the name of my image file rather than the whole pathway leading up to my image. To upload the image I used [the scp command](https://www2.stat.duke.edu/comp/security/scp%5Fman.html?ref=simplykyra.com) which securely copies files between two hosts on a network. Specifically, I typed in:

```
scp imageName.png root@XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX:/usr/share/remarkable/templates/Recipes/
```

where:

- `scp` is the program I used which you can read more about through [Duke University’s SCP Unix man page](https://www2.stat.duke.edu/comp/security/scp%5Fman.html?ref=simplykyra.com).
- `imageName.png` is the file I was to transfer. This can also be written with the relative or absolute pathway before the image name if you aren’t located in the same directory as your image. [GeeksforGeeks wrote *Absolute and Relative Pathnames in UNIX*](https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/absolute-relative-pathnames-unix/?ref=simplykyra.com) if you’re interested in learning more about them.
- `root@XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX` is the username and IP address listed on your reMarkable under *Copyright and licenses*. It’s format is the same as an email address where you put your name at (`@`) email service.
- `:` is used to separate the previous username and IP address from the pathway that follows.
- `/usr/share/remarkable/templates/Recipes/` is the pathway, on your reMarkable, where you want your template image to go. All of the other template images go into the `templates` directory but I had made a `Recipes` directory inside of it to keep any recipe-related templates I may make in the future separate. NOTE: If you set up a symbolic link, as shown above, you can use that here too.

The image uploaded really fast so there wasn’t a lot of time to be able to marvel at the progress indicators that the terminal showed before it reached 100% and finished. Once the image was uploaded I connected to my reMarkable2 and navigated to the proper directory (`/usr/share/remarkable/templates/Recipes/`) and used [the ls command](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/ls.1.html?ref=simplykyra.com) to list the directory’s contents and confirm that my image was actually there.

![Image is a screenshot of my terminal after I uploaded the HealthyOnePanDinners_Pancakes.png image file. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-01-10-at-1.34.54-PM-left.png?resize=750%2C66&ssl=1)

I used the `scp` command to upload my `PNG` to the proper directory on my reMarkable2.

![Image is a screenshot of my terminal located in the directory containing my image. The image shows the ls command and resulting output. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-01-10-at-1.34.54-PM-right.png?resize=750%2C121&ssl=1)

To confirm that the image file properly uploaded I used `ssh` to connect to my reMarkable device, navigated to my newly created `Recipes` directory, and used the `ls` command to confirm the image was truly there.

---

## *Edit the JSON File*

Uploading the `PNG` image to the proper directory doesn’t make the reMarkable suddenly see the new template. To be able to use this image as a template you need to first enter it in the templates’ `JSON` file located in with the other template images and called `templates.json`. To see an example of this and learn more about [*Customizing the Templates* you can check out reMarkableWiki’s post](https://remarkablewiki.com/tips/templates?ref=simplykyra.com).

As I’m interacting with my reMarkable2 through my terminal window I’m confined to staying within the command line interface so to edit the `templates.json` file I chose to use [vim](https://neovim.io/?ref=simplykyra.com); although, you could use whatever text editor you prefer here. The biggest thing to know about this `JSON` file is that you don’t want to mismatch any of the brackets and you should pay attention to the indentation of each line as further indents means a different sub-item. The `templates.json` file just lists each and every template that the reMarkable has so once I opened the file I immediately scrolled down to the bottom, copied the example in [the reMarkableWiki’s post](https://remarkablewiki.com/tips/templates?ref=simplykyra.com), pasted it underneath the last listed template item, and edited the text to fit my image’s information. When pasting it in I made sure to select the spot between the previous entry’s closing curly bracket yet still stay above the square brackets closing the `JSON` file. As each of these curly bracket enclosed entries are separated by a comma I also made sure to add another comma between my entry and the previous one. I added:

```JSON
,
{
  "name": "One Pan Dinner - Pancakes",
  "filename": "Recipes/HealthyOnePanDinners_Pancakes",
  "iconCode": "\ue98c",
  "categories": [
    "Recipes"
  ]
}
```

where the lines mean:

1. The comma separating this entry from the previous one.
2. The opening curly bracket to show my entry is starting.
3. This is where you specify the name you want the template to be called. In my case I wanted to be able to identify this template among many, potentially, other recipe templates so I started out defining it with a variation of the [cookbook’s name, titled Healthy One Pan Dinners](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/05/healthy-one-pan-dinners-cookbook-review/), and then added on what the recipe was for. Technically, the real recipe name is longer but I wanted to keep my template name as short and to the point as I could.
4. This is the filename of your template `PNG` image without the extension included. If I had added my image in with all of the other templates then this would only be my filename, `HealthyOnePanDinners_Pancakes`, but as I put my image in a sub-directory, `Recipes`, I needed to include that as my path to my filename so my reMarkable2 could find it.
5. This is the image that will be shown when browsing through all of the templates. The [*Customizing the Templates*](https://remarkablewiki.com/tips/templates?ref=simplykyra.com) post lists all of the possible images you can set this to and I chose the largest hexagon one.
6. The `categories` value uses a list to set the specific category your template is categorized under which makes me wonder if you could have a multi-item list here that would place a single template under multiple categories. Anyway, here we’re opening the list by using a square bracket before…
7. … setting the category name we want our template to be organized under. In my case I decided to create a new category named `Recipes` although you could check out the other `templates.json` entries to see what the predefined categories are if you want your template to be added to one of those. With the category defined….
8. … we now close the categories list using the opposing square bracket.
9. Finally we close the entry we created using the other facing curly bracket. This means our entry is now fully caught within the curly brackets. If you wanted to add a second template image you’d follow this with a comma, to separate the entries, and then continue up at number 2.

The items in the entry are indented to show the section you’re in. This means we use two spaces within the curly brackets, so lines three to eight, to show we’re in the entry. Then we use another two spaces to further indent the categories list. Some programming languages, and personal formatting, uses tabs to indent while others use a pre-defined number of spaces… in this case two. Essentially every time you create a subsection it’s indented and every time you leave a subsection you stop indenting it to that degree. You can learn more about `JSON` on your own through the [w3schools.com tutorials](https://www.w3schools.com/js/js%5Fjson%5Fintro.asp?ref=simplykyra.com) or through [Omar Elgabry’s Medium article *JSON In a Nutshell*](https://medium.com/omarelgabrys-blog/json-in-a-nutshell-7d638dfea7cc?ref=simplykyra.com).

Additionally, within the information about your template image you can also include whether the image is in landscape or portrait mode by whether the parameter `landscape` is set to true or false. As my image was in portrait mode, a value of `false`, which is the default value I left it off so if you feel differently and/or your image is a landscape one you’ll want to include that line. Again more information can be found in the [*Customizing the Templates* reMarkableWiki post](https://remarkablewiki.com/tips/templates?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows a screenshot of the templates.json file opened through my terminal using vim. There are the last twenty of 695 lines showing. The bottom displays the file's pathway and name and below that my cursor sits at the end of ":wq" before pressing enter. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-02-05-at-5.34.54-PM.png?resize=750%2C555&ssl=1)

Screenshot of my terminal showing the bottom of the `templates.json` file after I added my newly created image file to the `JSON`. If you’re also in vim you can enter edit mode by typing `i`, specifically for insert mode, and once done use `esc` to escape insert mode. Then type `:wq`, seen at the bottom of the image, and `Enter` to save (`w`) and quit (`q`) the file. It saves and you’re back at the previous spot you were in before opening the file.

---

## *Does It Work?*

And with that the new template image file is uploaded and should work on your reMarkable device. If you follow [the reMarkableWiki post](https://remarkablewiki.com/tips/templates?ref=simplykyra.com) it says that after modifying the `templates.json` file you’ll “need to restart xochitl for it to be reloaded: `systemctl restart xochitl`“. I, however, ignored that bit and may have instead restarted my device, by going through settings, and forcing it to re-sync that way. Looking back I’m not 100% sure which I did the first time although I plan to re-sync it, in the future, by restarting `xochitl`.

Once your reMarkable connects to your new template file you’ll be able to see it when switching out the template on one of your notebook pages.

![Image shows my reMarkable open on the table with the folio folded back and the pen resting on top of it. The reMarkable is on and showing the contents of the newly created Recipes category as I switch out the template for a notebook page. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0710.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I went into a random notebook and attempted to switch out the template on a page. After re-syncing the new category `Recipes` shows up at the end of the list of category headers and my new template shows up when I click on it. I chose the icon that displays hexagons and the title, `One Pan Dinner - Pancakes`, shows me it worked before I even needed to open it.

![Image shows a closeup view of the reMarkable showing the logo on the pen, laid over top of the device, and the text I wrote over the template. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0721.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After creating a new notebook I quickly set my new template to the second page in it, after a cover page, and jotted down the changes I’d made to the recipe over the last couple months.

---

## *If Using reMarkable Apps on Other Devices*

A couple weeks after making this template I went to make pancakes for the girls and figured I’d open the document through [the reMarkable app on my mobile phone](https://support.remarkable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002663778-Mobile-app-?ref=simplykyra.com). I was met with a document that showed the text I had added but the background, with the recipe, was just an error message saying it was unable to load. I figured it was because I used a custom template and, after asking in the Facebook group [*How to get the best of my reMarkable?*](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1125709061180003/), that was confirmed. Just something to keep in mind if you use the desktop or mobile applications a lot. Going forward, since I’m not planning on adding recipes very often, I’m planning on exporting the notebook as a PDF, re-uploading it, and then I’ll have a copy accessible from all my devices.

![The top of the image says "Recipes". Below it is a rectangle, cut off, showing the document page. In the center, lower in the image, it says "Unable to load document background[. ]Try restarting your application or contact support if the problem persists." To the side you can see the changes I made, in a different layer, over top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/02/compressed_IMG_0982.png?resize=750%2C623&ssl=1)

This was the second page of my Recipes notebook while on my phone. The text I had added to the layer showed up but the custom template didn’t.

---

This was the first template I created and uploaded to my reMarkable2 and it was a rather specific one as I’m not planning on using it in more than the one spot. I decided to create the `Recipes` directory and category because then it’s really simple if I ever want to stop using the recipe notebook idea. If that ever happens I can easily convert the notebook to a `PDF`, by emailing it to myself, and then remove my recipe-related changes from the device. I can easily delete the entire `Recipes` directory, with the `rmdir` command, and then delete all of the additions I made to the `JSON` by searching for the category `Recipes` and manually removing the matching entries.

I could see this idea, with the easy addition and removal, working for any year, or month, specific templates you may only want to use. For instance any 2021-specific templates could be added to a new directory within the `templates` one along with the `JSON` category being labelled `2021` which makes it easier to find and remove. This could work perfectly for any calendars, like my Pilates monthly workout calendar, that you may want to combine in a single notebook instead of having over many different `PDFs`. Then at the end of the year you could easily export each notebook you used with those templates, so you could have them as they are in a `PDF` format, and then remove all the 2021-specific templates from the `templates` directory and related `JSON` file.

In the future I plan to make a script that takes multiple directories and contained `PNG` image files and easily curate them into the text needed to update the `JSON` file. Even though the files would still need to be uploaded and the `JSON` file edited manually this could still help towards batch adding template files quicker.

Update: I’ve now written that script, uploaded it to [GitHu](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/reMarkable/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com)[b](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog/blob/main/Upload%5FPNG%5Fand%5FDirectories%5FTo%5FreMarkable.sh?ref=simplykyra.com), added it to the [readme](https://github.com/SimplyKyra/SimplyKyraBlog?ref=simplykyra.com), and wrote two posts ([part one ](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/31/quickly-generate-a-json-template-code-snippet-for-your-remarkable/)and [part two](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/04/07/quickly-and-easily-upload-template-images-to-your-remarkable/)) that go over it if you’re interested in speeding up your process.

Update 2: I’ve since come out with a video that combines several posts together including [connecting via SSH](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/), [uploading the templates manually](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/), and [my bash script](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/10/use-a-simple-bash-script-to-resize-your-images-quickly-and-easily/). You can find it [here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/12/29/watch-how-i-upload-custom-templates-to-my-remarkable/).

Update 3: I conducted an experiment to see which file type (`PNG` or `SVG`) would be used when exporting a notebook page from the reMarkable. [Here are the results if you’re also interested!](https://www.simplykyra.com/2022/06/08/which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/)

---

Have you uploaded a template to your reMarkable device yet? If so how did it go? If not are you going to? Let me know if you have any questions by dropping them in the comments below. I hope your day is going truly great.

---

## *EDIT: March 22nd, 2023*

When I moved my website over I lost my previous comments. For your convience I moved over the ones that may be helpful to you.

Back in December of 2022 I had several comments. One was from Laura whose custom template showed up but stayed blank. Laura realized that

> I managed to put the file in my new directory but didn’t manage to update the file path. When I put a copy in with ALL the templates, it worked without issue.

Looking back if she had changed the path in the `templates.json` file to reflect that directory so, if the directory was named `Custom` she switched that template's info to `"filename" : "Custom/filename"` then it would've also worked. 

If you don't like using the command line [Devon Godfrey](http://playfrey.tech/?ref=simplykyra.com) shared this tip:

> A quick tip: You can use Filezilla for the files part. I just used filezilla and dropping the files onto the remarkable and editing the json file. The best part is the filezilla can save your creds and you can log on anytime:

> Protocole: SFTP – SSH File Transfer Protocol  
> Host: 10.11.99.1  
> User: root  
> Password: \[Your Password\]

He then realized he didn't need to use the command to reboot the reMarkable system if he just turned it off and then back on again. He shared [this FileZilla tutorial video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adxmlHDim6c&ref=simplykyra.com) which I see is unavailable as the account is now closed (including just in case it comes back). 

Back in November of 2021 Lucas shared the following helpful tip:

> I had some difficulty converting a single page US letter sized PDF to a template on my Remarkable 1, so for reference, here are commands that worked for me using ghostscript and imagemagick (convert):

> gs -sDEVICE=pnggray -o ./output-600.png -r600 ./input.pdf  
> convert output-600.png -density 226 -units pixelsperinch output.png  
> convert output.png -resize 1404×1872\\! output.png

> I tried using ghostscript to encode it at 226dpi, but it looked a bit blocky. For some reason, just resizing it without changing the DPI caused the device to reject the files. Also of note: when I flipped the width/height dimensions, it still worked as a template, but was highly distorted.

> Hopefully some collection of those commands are useful for others.

In August 2021 kitty visser asked about custom icons. I shared that I didn't know how to make them but shared [this Reddit thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/j75nis/reference%5Fimage%5Ftemplate%5Ficon%5Fcodes%5Ffor%5F23016/?ref=simplykyra.com) that mentioned needing to decompile Xochitl in case it might help. 

In June of 2021 Debra Deppeler used Inkscape to create a matching `SVG` version of their template but was disappointed to realize that it wouldn't be viewable in the companion app. Our conversation led to me experimenting to see which version (`SVG` or `PNG`) of the template was emailed out which [I shared here](https://www.simplykyra.com/which-version-of-the-remarkables-templates-are-emailed-out/). 

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Create a Simple Cardboard Changing Pad for Dolly
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/create-a-simple-cardboard-changing-pad-for-dolly/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T20:41:19.000Z
I’ve recently been going through some of the old ideas I’ve had for my blog and figured I’d share some of them with you now. Years ago I attempted to make a custom-sized diaper for Ada’s crocheted doll which was never completed and was then set aside and forgotten when Ada temporarily lost interest in her dolls. Attempting to use that first iteration; however, resulted in us making an incredible cardboard changing pad so the doll would have something to lay on while Ada changed her. This changing pad was made from leftover cardboard and could be as simple as you want it to be. That said after we took markers to the cardboard we took it a step further by decorating it with confetti, tissue paper, and sealing it all in with clear con-tact paper. Since the changing pad was essentially just a decorated sheet of cardboard it was easy enough to tuck away whenever the kids weren’t playing with it and over the next several years it joined in with the kids’ pretend play. Eventually, once it got too bent out of shape, we got rid of it but looking back I’m so glad we made it.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_Create-a-Simple-Cardboard-Changing-Pad-for-Dolly.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Before making the changing pad Ada had been moving a stool over to our changing table so she could hang out with Zoey and I while watching how I changed Zoey’s diaper. I decided I needed to make her her own doll diaper so I quickly fashioned one using a thin washcloth I cut to the proper size and some sew-on Velcro®. I had planned on using the washcloth created diaper as a pattern to later make fabric diapers but Ada lost interest and I never spent the time to upgrade it. I’m mentioning the doll diaper now as creating that diaper made me also have Ada create a quick changing pad that was portable into whichever room she chose to play in. The changing pad worked perfectly for various ideas and both kids have played with it, on and off, over the next several years.

To create the changing pad I grabbed some cardboard we had laying around, cut off one of it’s sides so the piece itself would be rectangular, and then curved the corners so it was smoother. This was a quick and roughly done job. And with that you technically now have a simple changing pad. I decided to this a step further, as I was creating the washcloth diaper, and gave Ada agency over the changing pad by letting her use markers to decorate it. I decided to stick to only markers as they were washable and this way there wouldn’t be any chance of getting crayon wax or something on the doll. At this point we could’ve easily stopped and Ada would’ve had the choice to add more colors and designs at a later time. This didn’t happen. Instead I had gotten started working on upcycling the washcloth to become a dolly diaper and I was on a roll. Ada had decided she was done coloring the cardboard but I wanted her to continue crafting so I could keep working on the diaper. I saw a container of tissue squares and some cut out paper shapes we had made earlier and realized she could glue them down to further decorate the changing pad. I only had white glue on hand and didn’t want an incredible mess but had recently seen a hack where you could use a sponge to make it easier for a toddler to use glue. I quickly grabbed a cheap plastic container I had bought from the local Dollar Tree, added a sponge, and poured some of the white liquid glue on top of it. As a quick aside once we were done I put the lid back on over the sponge and it stayed damp ready to be used the next time Ada needed to glue. We still have this glue filled sponge container in our art trolley and whenever it starts getting dry I pour more glue on it. This is also a perfect way to use the last of the liquid glue in the bottle as you can remove the lid and leave it upside down over the sponge letting it dribble in without wasting any.

![Image is a collage of three photos. The left photo shows her coloring the cardboard while the middle shows her sticking paper in the glue-wet container, and then finally the third image shows the decorated cardboard with glue on paper shapes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_Create-a-Simple-Cardboard-Changing-Pad-for-Dolly-image.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

Ada started out by coloring the cardboard changing pad with [her markers](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/12/my-simple-marker-holder-hardest-part-was-drying-the-mod-podge/). We next pulled out pre-cut tissue squares, a container of cut up [marbled paper](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/11/06/shaving-cream-marbling/), and a a container holding a sponge wet with white glue so she could easily glue the shapes onto the changing mat herself.

At this point I was able to get back to work on the diaper but I also started worrying that the glued on pieces may fall off over time. I decided to grab a roll of clear con-tact paper I had recently bought and decided to seal the changing pad so it would be secure and, bonus, it could easily be wiped down if needed in the future. I could’ve easily sealed this changing pad at this point using the clear con-tact paper but I decided to let Ada decorate it even more. I had bought the clear sticky paper so we could make window art by attaching tissue squares to the paper and sealing it before hanging it in the window. [An example of this can be found at Fun-A-Day](https://fun-a-day.com/tissue-paper-stained-glass-spring/?ref=simplykyra.com). I hadn’t gotten a chance to do this with Ada yet so I figured why not do it now and use it on the changing pad instead. The con-tact paper was a bit wider than my cardboard so I peeled enough off and cut it so it would also be longer than the cardboard too. Then, instead of immediately sealing it, I taped the paper sticky side up to the table using masking tape. Ada was then able to *stick* the tissue paper and some confetti I pulled out to the con-tact paper without needing to use the white glue. And I was able to finish the diaper muslin.

![Image shows Ada helping to hold the backing from the con-tact paper down while I attach masking tape to the sides of the stick clear paper. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-30-at-12.59.25-PM.png?resize=750%2C318&ssl=1)

After cutting off enough contact paper to cover the changing pad we next removed the back, unveiling the clear sticky paper, and carefully taped it so the sticky side was facing up from the table.

![Image shows the taped down clear contact paper with several black squares and some other colored squares of tissue paper on it. There's masking tape around the outer edge holding it to the table and a container of more tissue paper squares and confetti next to it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-30-at-12.59.54-PM.png?resize=750%2C364&ssl=1)

Ada started carefully sticking the tissue paper squares all over the con-tact paper.

![Image shows the same contact paper and container with supplies as the previous image. The difference is the pile of confetti and tissue squares dumped in the corner closest to the camera. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-30-at-1.00.15-PM.png?resize=750%2C317&ssl=1)

After carefully decorated it Ada decided to start dumping the material on fully coating the sticky paper.

Once she was done I removed the masking tape along the outer edge and went to attach the decorated con-tact paper to the less colored side of the changing pad. I quickly realized that the con-tact paper was too decorated to fully stick to that side but I knew that the edges would stick as they weren’t as decorated because masking tape covered them up earlier. I carefully went along the edges of the overlapping contact paper and clipped it so I could easily fold over sections of the sticky paper and thus hold it in place and seal the edges of the cardboard. Once all the pieces were folded over I cut another sheet of con-tact paper from the roll, removed the backing, and covered the second side with the clear paper. I then flipped it over and, like before, clipped the edges so I could fold it over and completely seal the whole changing pad and help keep the first layer of decorated con-tact paper fully attached.

![Image shows the decorated clear paper with most of the masking tape pulled off of the edges showing the sticky bit remaining. Ada's hand is shown pulling up the last bit of the tape. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-30-at-1.00.39-PM.png?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

After Ada was done decorating the cont-tact paper we carefully pulled up the masking tape so we could pick it up off the table.

![Image shows the changing pad on the table with the excess con-tact paper sticking out. The back edge and side are covered as the paper is folded over and stuck down. The side closest still shows the paper and I'm holding scissor as I cut and fold it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-30-at-1.01.14-PM.png?resize=750%2C315&ssl=1)

I then laid the changing mat down so the less decorated side was centered against the slightly sticky side of the con-tact paper. I then used Ada’s scissors to cut into the overlapping con-tact paper so I could fold it up and keep it stuck down to the other side of the changing pad. This entailed a bit of cuts on the long side and lots of close together cuts on the corners.

![Image shows Ada playing with the extra tissue squares while I press down a sheet of clear con-tact paper over the changing pad and edges of the first sheet. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-30-at-1.01.49-PM.png?resize=750%2C451&ssl=1)

Since the edges of the con-tact paper had previously been stuck to masking tape and the center was fully decorated I was worried that it wouldn’t stay secured. I then cut another large piece of con-tact paper, removed the backing, and laid it over top of the reversed side securing the folded down edges from before.

![Image shows the decorated change pad laid out on the table. Ada is leaned over and folding over the excess con-tact paper closest to the camera. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-30-at-1.02.18-PM.png?resize=750%2C340&ssl=1)

I then flipped the changing pad over and cut into the edges of the con-tact paper so it could be folded down in sections. I cut close together on the corners so I could fold each section of paper over in small bits and keep the rounded corners smooth. I let Ada, shown here, fold over the last long edge of contact paper.

And with that the changing pad was finally done! Within that time I managed to finish the first, and only, iteration of the crocheted doll’s diaper so we went over to the couch to try out the new changing pad and diaper. Ada had a bit of difficulty putting it on her the first time but overall it was a success!

![Image is a collage of six photos. The top three and bottom outer two shows Ada putting a diaper onto her crocheted doll while it lays on the newly created changing pad. The bottom center image shows the doll all tucked in within a box ready to sleep with a clean diaper. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_Create-a-Simple-Cardboard-Changing-Pad-for-Dolly-image2.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

![Image is the same from the Pinterest collage shown at the top of the post. In this Ada is closing the diaper using the Velcro while the doll smiles up at her on the changing pad. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_17Feb2-311.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

![Ada reaches over and works on the diaper while the crocheted doll lays on changing pad. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_17Feb2-322.jpg?resize=750%2C502&ssl=1)

Although this changing pad was eventually thrown out after being folded a bit too many times I’m so glad we made it. Even though the girls were more into dinosaurs and vehicles rather than dolls this did get used on and off over the years. Plus this was a fun crafting project for Ada and I to work on together while Zoey napped too. Although the girls have started being interested in dolls again they don’t have a baby doll with diapers. If that happens I could definitely see pulling out this idea again and seeing how their age and independence changes how they make the changing pad and what it ends up looking like.

Are your kid(s) playing with dolls with diapers? Are you looking at making a doll change pad for them? I’d love to hear if you try this out. If so how did it go? What did you use to decorate the changing pad? And do they love it and use it? I’d love to hear about it so feel free to share what you did in the comments below. I truly hope your week is going well.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Switch Out Your reMarkable's Sleep Screen... Plus Easily Back it Up
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/
Last updated: 2025-09-26T17:14:31.000Z
Last December I bought the new [reMarkable2](https://remarkable.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and even before receiving it I knew I wanted to change out the default sleep screen image with something more personal. Now that I’ve shared with you how [I’ve connected, through the command line, to my device using ssh](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/) I want to go on to share with you how I’ve also backed up my device and have replaced the default sleep screen image with my own.

![Pinterest geared image showing the blog's title and the main URL of the website. On it there's also three images. The top image shows an opened folio displaying a reMarkable with a hand drawn sleep screen image. Below tow other images sit side by side. The left image shows a closeup of a different sleep screen and the right image shows screenshot of a terminal with the reMarkable's contents displayed. All images can be found below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Easily-Backup-and-Replace-Your-reMarkables-Sleep-Screen-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

If you have any questions on how to connect to your device or how to simplify the process by using public keys (to forget the password) or shortcuts (to skip the username and IP address) feel free to check out [my previous post here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/). It even mentions, at the bottom, how to close your connection if your device goes to sleep and freezes the terminal. And now onto my post…

## Update: Apple App

But first I've since come out with an iOS/macOS app that you can use to change out your templates and screens with a simple button press while remembering them for the next update. More information can [be found about it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) with a direct link to [the App Store here](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows my app logo and screenshots from the App Store. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/image-2.png)

---

## *First Backup Your reMarkable’s Software*

Once I gained [access to my reMarkable2](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/) I worried about potentially breaking something so I started out by backing up it’s files to my main computer. This way, worst case, if something tragic happens I can always stomp over the changes and revert the files in my reMarkable2’s software back to what they were. I started to do this by navigating, on my computer, to where I wanted my reMarkable2’s files to be saved. I hadn’t taken any photos when I first backed up my device so I decided to create a temporary directory, or folder, called `temp` on my `Desktop` so I could show you how to do it. I then used one command (`scp`) to copy all of the files on my device over to my `temp` directory:

```
> scp -r remarkable:/usr/share/remarkable/ .
```

And this is what it all means:

- `scp` is the command you’re using.
- The `-r` means you’re copying the directories recursively (you’re copying EVERYTHING in each and every directory).
- `remarkable:/usr/share/remarkable/` is where you’re copying from (what you want to backup). I’m using `remarkable` at the beginning as [I created a shortcut earlier](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/). If I hadn’t done this it would’ve instead look like `username:IPaddress:/usr/share/remarkable/` .
- Finally where the `.` is is where you want the copied files to go. In this case I’m running the command where I want the files to be hence the `.` essentially saying *here*. If I was running the command elsewhere this would be the pathway I want to use to save the files at. So, for example, if I was running this command in my home directory it would instead be `Desktop/temp/`.

If I hadn’t made the shortcut before and was running this command from my home directory the command would instead look like this:

```
> scp -r username:IPaddress:/usr/share/remarkable/ Desktop/temp/
```

![Image shows the terminal where I ran the first two commands listed. The font is smaller because it was showing the first files being transferred to my computer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-01-24-at-1.45.19-PM.png?resize=750%2C156&ssl=1)

I started by navigating into `~/Desktop/temp/` by using the `cd` command. I next ran the above `scp` command and immediately the files started transferring over to my computer. If I hadn’t set up a shortcut (`remarkable` rather than `username:IP_address`) and used my public key (so it doesn’t ask my password) this command would’ve been a bit longer and needed a password confirmation before finally copying the files over.

![Image shows the contents of the newly backed up files. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-01-24-at-1.44.42-PM.png?resize=750%2C137&ssl=1)

Once it was done transferring I used the `ls` command to list the files that are now in my `temp` directory. It only showed the directory `remarkable` so I navigated into it, using `cd remarkable`, and then listed the files again.

![Image shows the command: scp -r remarkable:/usr/share/remarkable/ Desktop/temp/. Below the line are the first four images transferred with the rest out of the screenshot's range. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-01-24-at-1.58.26-PM.png?resize=750%2C125&ssl=1)

If you aren’t currently located in the directory you want to copy the files to that’s okay. Here’s what the command looks like if I was running it from the home directory but still wanted the files saved in `Desktop/temp`.

If you want more information about `scp` you can always check out [Linuxize’s *How to Use SCP Command to Securely Transfer Files*](https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-use-scp-command-to-securely-transfer-files/?ref=simplykyra.com).

After writing this post, but before publishing it, I came across how to backup your reMarkable on the reMarkableWiki (link removed... see below). It’s about midway down under the heading *Making Backups* if you’re interested.

**Update September 26th, 2025:** The above, previously linked, reMarkableWiki no longer works so I've removed the link. Thanks to the person that emailed to let me know! That said, when verifying, I've found the following that I wanted to link to in case they're useful to you: 

- [reMarkable guide: SSH](https://remarkable.guide/guide/access/ssh.html?ref=simplykyra.com)
- [Wayback machine snapshot](https://web.archive.org/web/20220705050247/https://remarkablewiki.com/tech/ssh) if you want the original
- Two reddit post links in case there's more information in the future: [Alternative (deleted but comments added)](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/180l8e6/alternative%5Fto%5Fremarkablewikicom/?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Wiki Revival?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Remarkable/comments/1g4yntk/wiki%5Frevival/?ref=simplykyra.com).
- Found another tutorial site at [remarkable.jsm1.info: SSH](https://remarkable.jms1.info/info/ssh.html?ref=simplykyra.com)

---

## *Change Out the Sleep or Suspend Screen*

### *Create the image*

Now that you have easy access to your reMarkable you can make other changes. One thing I kept noticing [within the reMarkable’s user group on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/groups/177424916140887/search/?q=sleep%20screen) were all of the amazingly incredible custom sleep screens that people were using on their devices. I wanted, no needed, to make my own too. Some of these sleep screens were really detailed but I decided to start out by making my own, rather than grabbing an already made image, and so chose to create it using my reMarkable2\. This made it simpler as it was, by default, already in the proper grayscale with the right dimensions to fit my screen. Once I was done drawing I used the built in export option to email the PNG version of the drawing to myself so I’d have the image file on hand. I didn’t think to take photos of this process for you, but, a couple weeks later, I went onto [Canva](https://www.canva.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) to create another sleep screen image. I figured I’d document the process, this time, to show you how I changed out my first image for my second.

If you choose to make your own sleep screen image you’ll need to make sure that it’s file type is a PNG whose resolution is 1872 by 1404 pixels (226 DPI). If you want more help on creating an image for your reMarkable I came across [rM User’s website and their *Customize Your reMarkable Screeens* looks great](https://www.remarkabletabletuser.com/2018/01/15/customize-your-remarkable-screens/?ref=simplykyra.com). They go through creating your replacement image using several different editors before then replacing the original image using the [WinSCP application (haven’t personally used) on a Windows PC](https://winscp.net/eng/download.php?ref=simplykyra.com). There’s also [a Wiki page for *Customizing the Splashscreens* over on reMarkableWiki](https://remarkablewiki.com/tips/splashscreens?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows two screenshots side by side. The left image shows the google search results for "remarkable2 pixel size" along with the top hit from TechRadar. The right image shows an empty Gimp canvas being created with the proper dimensions. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-01-10-at-1.11.10-PM.png?resize=750%2C192&ssl=1)

If making your sleep screen image on a device other than the reMarkable you’ll need to make sure the image is the right size and saved as a PNG. The left image shows the Google results with the reMarkable’s dimensions while the rightmost image shows where to set the proper dimensions of the canvas when creating a new one in [Gimp](https://www.gimp.org/?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows a dog sleeping with the words "Shhhh... Kyra's reMarkable is trying to get a better sleep" above it. Over top of the image you can see a popup with the image's name, location it's to be saved, and the format (PNG) listed. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-01-24-at-12.10.54-PM.png?resize=750%2C531&ssl=1)

I had found a quick template through [Canva](https://www.canva.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) that I loved and downloaded. At first I chose not to use it, but then, after changing my mind, opened it up in [Pixelmator Pro](https://www.pixelmator.com/pro/?ref=simplykyra.com) to change the words at the top and then made sure to export the final image as a PNG.

### *Moving the image to the reMarkable*

Once I had a sleep screen image I liked I created a directory to store it in, along with the original and any future ones, and moved it all in. I then right-clicked a file and scrolled to the bottom so I could open an iTerm window with this pathway already set in. If you don’t have this option you could always open a terminal another way and navigate to your image.

![Image shows the right-click menu open with the "New iTerm2 Tab Here" option highlighted in purple. At the top behind the menu you could see the other image and directories. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-01-24-at-12.22.27-PM.png?resize=750%2C488&ssl=1)

After moving the sleep screen images into their own directory I right-clicked on the bottom one and scrolled down to open a new iTerm tab centered right here.

The first time I replaced my sleep screen image I started by renaming my image to `suspended.png`, the specific filename the reMarkable2 looks for, and then moved it onto my device. This meant the original image that came with the reMarkable was overwritten in the move. When replacing the sleep screen this time I didn’t rename the image before transferring it. This meant the uniquely named image didn’t overwrite my old one so they both existed at the same time in the same directory on my reMarkable2\. To transfer the image I ran the `scp` command from the directory my image lived in so it looked like this:

```
> scp new_sleep_screen_image.png remarkable:/usr/share/remarkable/
```

![Image shows the fish terminal with my scp transfer completed and the terminal waiting for my next command.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-01-24-at-12.23.47-PM.png?resize=750%2C101&ssl=1)

Copying over my new sleep screen image from my current directory to my reMarkable2 device. The terminal gives you a progress update as it transfers and it was really quick.

Once the image was transferred I connected to my reMarkable2, navigated to the proper directory, and renamed my new sleep screen image, overwriting the old version, by using the `mv` (move) command. If I had copied over the image with the proper name already set I wouldn’t have had to do this step. Anyway this moved the old file (`suspended-dogsleeping.png`) to the new filename (`suspended.png`) and stomped over the old `suspended.png` image that was already there.

![Image shows a screenshot with the proper terminal commands listed in the caption and the results. The two images, and later one image, are highlighted within a pink rectangular outline. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-01-24-at-12.25.53-PM.png?resize=750%2C757&ssl=1)

Once I connected to my reMarkable2 and navigated to the proper directory (`/usr/share/remarkable/`) I was able to list the files (`ls`) and saw both the old and the new sleep screen images (shown with pink around it). I then overwrote the old image with the new one by running a move command (`mv oldImage.png suspended.png`). With another list command I knew it had worked (shown with the second pink outline).

Since the reMarkable only pays attention to the files it’s looking for you could always rename the old `suspended.png` to something else before renaming your new sleep screen image so you could keep both handy. That way you could easily `ssh` into your device at a later time and switch out the the images by simply renaming them and not needing to upload anything else.

Assuming the sleep screen image on your computer is named `suspended.png` here are two versions of the command I used for you to simply copy if needed. The first assumes you’re using your username and IP address (so you’ll need to change this to yours):

```
> scp suspended.png root@XXX.XXX.X.XXX:/usr/share/remarkable/
```

If you created the shortcut [I shared before](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/) you could just use the name you created instead (in my case `remarkable`):

```
> scp suspended.png remarkable:/usr/share/remarkable/
```

### *Confirmation*

The time I moved my first sleep screen image onto my reMarkable2 it was properly named already and I knew it would overwrite, or stomp, over the original image. This made it seem a bit more untrustworthy on whether it actually worked or not so Matt showed me a cool way to confirm that the original image, on my computer, and new image, on my reMarkable2, matched. To do so you need to hash the file. If one of the files were different, for instance it wasn’t copied over so it was the original, or if I altered the original since then the two hashed files wouldn’t match up. To do this I ran two simple commands; one on my computer:

```
> shasum -a 256 suspended.png
537a1ce5ce8afc36c007aa723b047c3b982cd778fb3e00c116bdc16c07e7dd0b  suspended.png
```

and one on my reMarkable2:

```
reMarkable: /usr/share/remarkable/ sha256sum suspended.png
537a1ce5ce8afc36c007aa723b047c3b982cd778fb3e00c116bdc16c07e7dd0b  suspended.png
```

And as you can see the returned hashes matched thus copying the file over worked! If you want to learn more about using checksums you can check out [this article by Chris Hoffman on How-To Geek called *What Is a Checksum (and Why Should You Care)?*](https://www.howtogeek.com/363735/what-is-a-checksum-and-why-should-you-care/?ref=simplykyra.com). I also saw two different forum questions that dealt with this through [Ask Different (*How do I verify the checksum or hash of a downloaded file on the command line?*)](https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/388965/how-do-i-verify-the-checksum-or-hash-of-a-downloaded-file-on-the-command-line?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Super User (*How to take sha256sum of file and compare to check in one line?*)](https://superuser.com/questions/1312740/how-to-take-sha256sum-of-file-and-compare-to-check-in-one-line?ref=simplykyra.com).

### *But did it work?*

Before continuing check to see if you exited your SSH session first as if you put your reMarkable to sleep or restart it the session will freeze. Although if that happens you can use `~?` to check how to exit (`~.`).

Once the new sleep screen image is uploaded and renamed you may immediately lock your reMarkable hoping to see the new image show up. I must admit that I did this both times… and both times my reMarkable2 hadn’t reloaded the new image so I still saw the old one. I’m not sure how long the reMarkable would take before the new image shows as I wasn’t patient enough to find out. Instead, I forced the reload by restarting my device. To do this you go into the *Settings* at the bottom left (looks like a gear), choose the restart button, and then confirm the restart. Once your reMarkable reboots you can lock the device and, if it worked, the new image will be shown.

![Image shows the bottom two thirds of the reMarkable2 after the settings button has been clicked. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_0164.jpeg?resize=750%2C421&ssl=1)

To find the restart button you need to go into **Settings*, after clicking on the circle at the top left to open the pens and all the options, and you’ll see the page with the **Restart* and **Power Off* buttons at the bottom.

![Image shows a closeup of the center of the reMarkable after the confirmation pops up. The message reads "Do you want to restart your reMarkable?" and there's two buttons below labeled Restart and Cancel. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_0165.jpeg?resize=750%2C335&ssl=1)

Once you hit the **Restart* button you’ll have to confirm by hitting the new **Restart* button.

![Image shows a white screened reMarkable with the screen reading "reMarkable is starting".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_0166.jpeg?resize=750%2C439&ssl=1)

Then the reMarkable shuts down and immediately restarts constantly giving updates as it does.

![Image shows my reMarkable showing the Canva-created image of a dog sleeping with the words above saying "Shhhh... Kyra's reMarkable is trying to get a better sleep".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_0169.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After it turned back on I immediately locked it down again, with the button at the top, and saw my new sleep screen image. It worked!

I love that I’m now able to switch out my sleep screen whenever I want to whatever 1872 by 1404 pixel PNG I want. Whether this is an image I find online, for my personal use, or something I create it makes my reMarkable2 just a bit more mine.

![Image shows my reMarkable folio cover opened resting on my kitchen table. The reMarkable is sleeping showing my thought bubble cover saying "Kyra's reMarkable is Sleeping Cozily". The pen lays across it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_0160.jpeg?resize=750%2C412&ssl=1)

The first sleep screen image I made on my reMarkable2.

---

## *Update and Edits*

I’ve since come out with a video that combines several posts together including [connecting via SSH](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/), [uploading the templates manually](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/), and [my bash script](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/10/use-a-simple-bash-script-to-resize-your-images-quickly-and-easily/). You can find it [here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/12/29/watch-how-i-upload-custom-templates-to-my-remarkable/).

Whether you have the first reMarkable, the latest, or just ordered and waiting for it to ship I hope this helps you out. What sleep screen image are you going to use for your reMarkable? Let me know in the comments below. I hope your week is going well.

##### ***EDIT: March 22nd, 2023:***

I lost my previous comments when moving my website over so I figured I'd move over previous helpful ones. 

Back in August of 2022 Nigel Millar said 

> Thanks Kyra, I now keep a copy of my png sleep screen on the remarkable with a unique name as well as the suspended.png version because I found that my personal version disappeared when my ReMarkable auto-updated. Then its 2 minute fix to restore my version.  
> Thank you for your great resource

Back in August of 2021 kitty asked about `splash.png` and `sleeping.png`. I replied with 

> When I log into my reMarkable and view the files within “/usr/share/remarkable/” I don’t see sleeping.png. I think the sleep screen image (suspended.png) used to be called sleeping.png before they updated it. I’m assuming you can replace all the PNG images in that directory (I replaced one other once… I think the poweroff.png) but some may be hard to test out so I haven’t replaced any others. As for the splash.png/dat I’m assuming it’s for a splash screen but I haven’t looked into it before. When looking up splash.dat online I could only find [this archived reddit post with no comments \[now one comment\]](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemarkableTablet/comments/kawxmd/custom%5Fsplashpng%5Fand%5Fsplashdat/?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Learn How to Access Your reMarkable Through the Command Line
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/
Last updated: 2024-06-30T16:37:45.000Z
Back before Christmas Matt started getting ads for [the reMarkable2 which is marketed as the next-generation paper tablet that allows you to replace your notebooks and printed documents with the only tablet that feels like paper](https://remarkable.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). He finally had the opportunity to show me and I immediately fell in love with it. After looking through the website we knew exactly what it was and what it wasn’t. It was a way to have the feel of writing on paper with no glare or backlight to tax your eyes just like with a real paper-based notebook. It also offers the computer side of organizing and saving your files. You can easily export your files by using the reMarkable app on your other devices or by emailing them as a PDF or PNG, but the device itself has no support for applications turning it into a blank notebook allowing you think without any distractions getting in the way. I loved this idea and jumped in to order it. I was part of the fourteenth batch estimated to come out in January; although I assumed it wouldn’t come until the end of the month so I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived within the first week. I immediately loved it.

![Pinterest geared image showing the blog's title and the main URL for the website. In the center is a collage of three images. The left tall image shows the reMarkable within it's folio case against a quote that reads "Kindness is always in style". The other two images, stacked on the right, show the Help screen and the command line when connecting to the reMarkable with verbose turned on.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Learn-How-to-Access-Your-reMarkable-Through-the-Command-Line-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

## *Overview*

Before going further I wanted to mention that on [Facebook there’s a user group for the reMarkable](https://www.facebook.com/groups/177424916140887) that I joined right after I ordered it. Within the group there seems to be hacks to access and alter the reMarkable (which may void the warranty) along with sharing files, and, unfortunately, lots of complaints about the device and/or the company’s service. Although I’ve found several useful tips through the group it also makes for an overall negative experience when scrolling through the group and made me kind of regret buying my reMarkable2 before it had even arrived. Some of the early adopters, who have the first reMarkable, said the service was great before they rolled out the second version creating a backlog in service. I haven’t needed to use reMarkable’s customer service so I can’t personally comment on it. That said I felt the need to mention this group and what was said in it in case you are debating purchasing this device yourself.

Anyway, I’ve been loving my reMarkable2\. One of my main reasons I bought it was as a replacement for [the Happy Planner](https://thehappyplanner.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) I’ve been using over the last couple years. With all the staying at home in 2020 I ended up altering how I used my planner by using each daily slot as a spot to write down all the things I accomplished that day along with it’s previous purpose of recording any future appointments. One of the default templates through the reMarkable gives me almost the same layout so I can easily use it as my planner without making any big adjustments. Additionally, you’re able to change the template for each page so if during the year I change my planner style, for instance to a bullet journal, I can easily adjust the current, and future, pages without having to adjust the past pages and stay within the same notebook. In addition to the planner the reMarkable also allows me to upload and mark any of my PDFs. This means I’ve stopped printing my monthly workout calendars, [from The Balanced Life](https://thebalancedlifeonline.com/friend/ref/14822/?ref=simplykyra.com), and instead upload each month’s calendar, as it comes out, onto my device so I can edit it directly on there instead. Plus, surprisingly, the reMarkable has gotten me to start doodling again as there’s no worry about whether I should save the finished drawing or even where to store it. Overall, I’m really happy with my purchase so far. That said I didn’t create this post just to tell you about the reMarkable. Since reMarkable uses a Linux-based operating system you’re also allowed root access, full privilege, to your device’s operating system. This allows you to access your device, via `ssh`, to change out, delete, or add files to your system. I don’t want to fully hack my device but I wanted to share the minor things I’ve done to my reMarkable in case you’re also interested in doing the same.

![Image shows a collage of four photos or reMarkable PNG exports. The outer two photos shows the pile of printed workout calendars from October 2018 until December 202 while the right image shows January 2021's calendar on the reMarkable partially filled in. In the center you can see next week's mostly emptied calendar layout and, at the bottom, two really mediocre sketches. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Learn-How-to-Access-Your-reMarkable-Through-the-Command-Line-Image.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

Since joining the Pilates Sisterhood I’ve been printing the monthly calendar each month so I can mark down what I did and changed when working out. In addition to my regular planner the reMarkable has also taken over my workout calendar as well as allowing me the freedom of attempting to sketch again.

---

## *Accessing Your reMarkable via the Command Line on Your Mac*

Before beginning you’ll need to check what your device’s username, password, and IP address is. To find it you go into the *Settings* found at the bottom left side, choose *Help* from the bottom of the menu that just opened up, click the second field *Copyrights and Licenses* near the top, then scroll to the bottom section, labeled *GPLv3 Compliance*, where you’ll see your username, password, and the IP addresses available to connect to. By default, for me, the username was *root* but the password is unique to you.

![Image shows the bottom left of the unlocked reMarkable showing the Trash and the Settings options. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9892.jpeg?resize=750%2C414&ssl=1)

When you open the menu (via the circle at the top) under all the options you’ll see **Settings* at the bottom.

![Image shows most of the remarkable with the Help section open showing two options under "About" and one under "Tutorial".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9899.jpeg?resize=750%2C554&ssl=1)

Once you click on the **Settings* you’re confronted with a new menu on the left side. At the bottom select **Help* to get this view. Next, under **About*, click on **Copyrights and licenses*.

![Image shows the paragraphs explaining the copyright notices and software licenses. At the bottom of the photo you can see the "GPLv3 Compliance" header that you need to scroll down for.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9902.jpeg?resize=750%2C531&ssl=1)

Once you click on it the **Copyright notices and software licenses* now opens. This is under **General information* on the left side menu. Scroll to the bottom and under **GPLv3 Compliance* you’ll find the information you need to connect to your device.

![Image shows the information under the "GPLv3 Compliance". The password and IP addresses are redacted. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_IMG_9904.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Under the **GPLv3 Compliance* you’ll see your username, password, and the IP addresses that are available to connect to.

Quick aside: I’m not using the default version of my terminal on my Mac. I’ve since installed [fish](https://fishshell.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and have played around with it’s appearance a bit. Figured I’d mention in case my terminal looks different from yours.

After finding the information I needed I next went onto my computer, connected the device with the USB charging cord that came with it, and then used `ssh` to securely log into my reMarkable2 using the username (root) and IP address (renamed below to `XXX.XXX.X.XXX`) I just found. Technically, since I connected my reMarkable2 to the same WIFI my computer is connected to I don’t need to physically connect the two devices before doing this; although, I do need to unlock my reMarkable2 first. To login to my reMarkable2 I type, within the terminal, this:

```
> ssh root@XXX.XXX.X.XXX
```

If you want to watch how it connects you can add `-v`, for verbose, to see the debug notes as it connects. To do this it looks more like:

```
> ssh -v root@XXX.XXX.X.XXX
```

Remember this won’t connect if your device is currently sleeping. You’ll need to unlock it first so the connection can be made.

![The image shows my ssh statement at the top and the reMarkable interface at the bottom. In the middle are numerous lines explaining connection steps and almost all starting with "debug1:".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-01-18-at-3.36.10-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C977&ssl=1)

This is what connecting to my reMarkable2 looked like with the verbose parameter added. As an aside my `ssh` statement looks different here as I created a shortcut first which I’ll go into below.

You could leave it like this and log into your reMarkable this way each and every time or you could take it a step further and streamline the process to make it simpler for you. Both of these methods, below, use the SSH directory, also called a folder, that is created on a computer when the first `ssh` command is first run. Since you just connected your computer to your reMarkable via `ssh` it should exist. If not you could always create the needed directories. I found [this article on Knowledge Base that explains how to use an SSH config file](https://mediatemple.net/community/products/grid/204644730/using-an-ssh-config-file?ref=simplykyra.com) if you need more help than what I wrote below.

---

## *Skip the Password by Using Your Public Key*

To make this connection process simpler in the future I shared my computer’s public key to my reMarkable2 device so I wouldn’t need to give it my password each and every time I wanted to log in. I started this by going into my `.ssh` directory on my computer and copying my public key to the clipboard. Even though your SSH directory may already be created you will still need to generate your own key if you haven’t already. If you need more information about generating keys on your computer you can always check out [GitHub’s *Generating a new SSH key and adding it to the ssh-agent* article](https://docs.github.com/en/github/authenticating-to-github/generating-a-new-ssh-key-and-adding-it-to-the-ssh-agent?ref=simplykyra.com). Since I already had my public key I simply did this:

```
# Move to the right directory 
> cd ~/.ssh 
# Read and show you your public key from the file (technically not needed) 
> cat id_rsa.pub 
# Pipes the previous command into your clipboard 
> cat id_rsa.pub | pbcopy
```

I then connected to my reMarkable2 device, navigated into it’s own `.ssh` directory, used vim (you can use your favorite text editor) to create and open a new file called `authorized_keys`, pasted my public key inside of it, and then saved and closed the file. This is what I put into the terminal before the file opened:

```
# Move into the right directory
reMarkable: ~/ cd ~/.ssh/   
# Creates and opens the file named authorized_keys
reMarkable: ~/.ssh/ vim authorized_keys  
```

Now when I SSH into my reMarkable2 from this computer in the future I’m not asked for a password as my computer’s public key is now shared with my reMarkable2.

---

## *Forget the Username and IP Address by Creating a Shortcut*

Another way I made it quicker for me to log into my reMarkable2 device each time was by creating a shortcut that remembered both my username and IP address that I needed to connect with. To do this I returned to the `.ssh` directory on my computer and edited the `config`file to include the required information. On my computer I hadn’t added anything to this file before so it was empty. To create this shortcut you need to give it a name, I chose `remarkable`, along with the `hostname` (IP address) and the `user` (username). This is what I added to my `config` file:

```Config
Host remarkable
  HostName XXX.XXX.X.XXX
  User root
```

This means that I don’t have to remember the IP address and username whenever I log in with my main computer. Instead, now, I just type:

```
> ssh remarkable
```

---

## *What if Your Terminal Freezes So You’re Locked Out?*

One issue, that I noticed several times, was that when the reMarkable goes to sleep the connection you have becomes unresponsive. You can’t use `exit` or `control + c`, like I have in the past, to close the connection so your terminal is completely frozen. The first couple times it happened I closed the whole terminal tab and started a new terminal session to reconnect. Then Matt mentioned what I could consecutively press a couple buttons the next time it happens and it would close the `ssh` connection and return the terminal to where I was before that connection was made. All you need to press are three little keys: `Enter ~ .` With, of course, no spaces between them.

This was incredible! And apparently there’s a whole list of supported escape sequences you can use through the terminal. To check them all out all you need to enter are `~?` and the list pops up. Apparently, you don’t always need to press `Enter` first; however, these escape commands can only be recognized right after a newline character so it’s better to always press `Enter` first just so you know for sure the escape will work. Here’s what I typed while logged onto my reMarkable2 and the resulting list of supported escape sequences I got back:

```
~?
Supported escape sequences:
 ~.   - terminate connection (and any multiplexed sessions)
 ~B   - send a BREAK to the remote system
 ~C   - open a command line
 ~R   - request rekey
 ~V/v - decrease/increase verbosity (LogLevel)
 ~^Z  - suspend ssh
 ~#   - list forwarded connections
 ~&   - background ssh (when waiting for connections to terminate)
 ~?   - this message
 ~~   - send the escape character by typing it twice
(Note that escapes are only recognized immediately after newline.)
```

---

Whether you have a reMarkable device or are debating purchasing one I hope this helped you out. I wanted to record what I did both to help myself in the future, if I forget, and to hopefully help someone else. Let me know if this was helpful to you or if there’s something else you’re curious on how to do in the comments below. I truly hope your week is going well.

## *Update and Edits*

I’ve since come out with a video that combines several posts together including [connecting via SSH](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/03/learn-how-to-access-your-remarkable-through-the-command-line/), [uploading the templates manually](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/24/how-to-make-template-files-for-your-remarkable/), and [my bash script](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/03/10/use-a-simple-bash-script-to-resize-your-images-quickly-and-easily/). You can find it [here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/12/29/watch-how-i-upload-custom-templates-to-my-remarkable/). If you’d like to simply update your sleep screen image [here’s that post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2021/02/10/switch-out-your-remarkables-sleep-screen-plus-easily-back-it-up/).

##### ***March 22nd, 2023:***

When I moved my website over I lost all my comments. As such I chose to move over the ones that may be helpful to you.

Back in October of 2021 Yunxiao Zhai realized the templates don't show up on the Mac Desktop App and then decided, once learning that reMarkable updates erase the custom templates, that they will 

> backup the .png and .json into my git repo for easier scp later. 

Back in August of 2021 Mavrick tried to `SSH` into their reMarkable on their PC and received `ssh: connect to host xxx.xxx.x.xxx port 22: Permission denied`. They never commented again so I don't know if they fixed it but I had replied with

> Does it prompt for a password? Have you configured SSH to work with a public key before? It may be a local configuration issue. For me, on Windows, the first time I connect it gives more output before complaining about the authenticity and has me confirm I want to connect and adds it to the list of known hosts before asking for a password.

## Simpler with an Apple App

Update: I've since come out with an iOS/macOS app that you can use to change out your templates and screens with a simple button press while remembering them for the next update. The first step is simply entering this information and the app connects for you. More information can [be found about it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/simply-customize-it/) with a direct link to [the App Store here](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simply-customize-it/id6443862161?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows my app logo and screenshots from the App Store. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/2024/06/image-2.png)

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Easily Resize Multiple Images Quickly Through the Terminal on Your Mac
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/easily-resize-multiple-images-quickly-through-the-terminal-on-your-mac/
Last updated: 2023-05-10T16:15:23.000Z
Several months ago I went to compress the images I planned on uploading for my new blog post and realized that I could no longer follow the same steps I had used before. I normally make my images smaller using [the Preview application on my Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201740?ref=simplykyra.com) so they’d take up less room on my server but a step in my process had broken and I wasn’t sure how to go about doing that anymore. My husband Matt recommended I look into [ImageMagick®](https://imagemagick.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) and after looking around online I was able to figure out how to resize multiple images at once using my terminal. Just in case you’re also looking at resizing and/or compressing your images I figured I’d share what I did with you. I’ve only gone through this process on my Mac so the images below will reflect that; that said, I see [the current release, at this time, of the free ImageMagick® software (version 7.0.10-57) “runs on Linux, Windows, Mac Os X, iOS, Android OS, and others”](https://imagemagick.org/index.php?ref=simplykyra.com) so a variant of this should work for you regardless of what device you’re on.

![Image is a Pinterest geared image showing the blog title, the main URL, and picture. The picture part shows a photo of a single coaster at the top left side. There's an arrow going from it down to the images below. Those images shows several of the same image all stacked on top of each other in smaller and smaller sizes. This shows the first image getting resized smaller. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Easily-Batch-Resize-Images-Quickly-Through-the-Terminal-On-Your-Mac-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

## *Overview*

Back when the quality slider in the Preview application stopped working for me when exporting images on my Mac I realized I wasn’t quite sure how to compress the images I needed to upload to my website’s server. I mentioned the bug to Matt while lamenting over what I should do and he recommended I look into [ImageMagick®](https://imagemagick.org/?ref=simplykyra.com). After installing it, [using Homebrew through the terminal](https://imagemagick.org/script/download.php?ref=simplykyra.com#macosx), I was able to figure out how to resize a single image and then worked on compressing all the images in my directory (or folder). Two of the blog posts I found helpful while learning included [an article called *A few basic (but powerful) ImageMagick commands* by Sunny Srinidhi in 2017 on Medium](https://contactsunny.medium.com/a-few-basic-but-powerful-imagemagick-commands-b5809b0a1076?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Smashing Magazine’s article called *Efficient Image Resizing With ImageMagick* by Dave Newton](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2015/06/efficient-image-resizing-with-imagemagick/?ref=simplykyra.com).

In case you’re also interested I figured I’d go through how I resized and compressed my images individually using the Preview application on my Mac computer before then going over how I now use [ImageMagick®](https://imagemagick.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) through my terminal to resize and compress all of the images in my directory at once.

---

## *Resizing and Compressing Images*

## *Using Preview on My Mac…. a.k.a. Now the Old Way*

My previous process when going through the photos I potentially wanted to use on my blog relied heavily on the Preview application. Each time I started out by moving all of the photos I potentially wanted to use into a directory, also known as a folder, so they’d all be in one place outside of the Photos application. I then highlighted all of them, right-clicked, and opened them in Preview. This way it was easier to see the larger photos and I could better compare, delete, and crop any images I wanted to.

![Image shows the Preview application showing an image of a folded cut child's shirt to make a coaster. To the left you can see the first six of the rest of the images I opened. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-14-at-8.41.51-AM.png?resize=750%2C534&ssl=1)

I start by opening all the images within the Preview application on my Mac. I then go through the images deleting the duplicates and cropping anything extra out. For instance if you look closely at the main image above you can see a dashed rectangle surrounding the cut shirt showing where I’m about to crop.

![Image is almost the same as the one above it. The difference is the new images is smaller and has less table showing above and below the shirt. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-14-at-8.42.37-AM.png?resize=750%2C516&ssl=1)

After cropping, either through the top menu or most commonly by pressing the command button and k, I was left with the new image.

Once I’m happy with how the remaining images look I go onto the next step and resize them all. A year or more ago I used to resize the portrait and landscape images separately by resizing their longest edge to 750 pixels. Now I select all the images, regardless of it’s orientation, and, through *Tools* and *Adjust Size*, resize all of them at once to 750 pixels wide. Since I keep the width and height locked together the application does the calculations on each image to keep the aspect ratio the same. This does make any portrait images taller than the landscape ones but I now prefer having all the images in one post be the same width as you scroll through.

![Image shows a closeup of the shirt image from before. The Tools menu at the top is now open and my mouse rests on the Adjust Size option making it purple.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-17-at-9.53.18-AM.png?resize=750%2C406&ssl=1)

After highlighting all the images on the left side I go up into *Tools* and select *Adjust Size* to open a new popup window.

![Image shows the popup window associated with the Adjust Size option chosen. Behind it the shirt image is greyed out a bit. The Width field shows 4032 pixels and is highlighted in purple.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-17-at-9.53.46-AM.png?resize=750%2C619&ssl=1)

Once the popup window opens I make sure the drop-down next to the *Width* and *Height* options shows *pixels* and that they’re locked together. This means the number in the text box refers to the pixel measurement and adjusting one field affects the other so the aspect ratio of the image stays the same. I then highlight the height, shown highlighted in purple above, and change the number to 750.

![Image again shows the same popup window but this time the purple encircled width field says 750 and the height below says 368. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-17-at-9.53.54-AM.png?resize=750%2C640&ssl=1)

Once I leave the *Width* field the *Height* field is automatically adjusted to keep the image’s aspect ratio the same. If you were resizing multiple differently sized images the fields would only show a number if they all match. In this case the *Width* would show 750 as you just set all the images to the same width while the height would all be different and wouldn’t show a number like above. Once I’m done I click the *OK* button and the change is adjusted on all the selected images.

Once the resizing has happened it’s time to export each image individually and set it’s compression level. To do this I select the top image, go to *File*, and chose *Export* near the bottom. The dialog pops up and I go through my options. I first make sure the *Where* option is set to my directory for temporarily saved images called `Landing Area`. I then set the format of the image to JPEG and adjust the quality until the file size is just under 70 KB (kilobytes). I then click *Save*, the dialog closes, I select the next image, and then I go through this process again and again until I’ve exported and compressed all of the images I want to use in my post.

![Image shows a very small shirt image surrounded by grey. The top File menu is open and the chose Export... is highlighted in purple.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-17-at-9.54.09-AM.png?resize=750%2C445&ssl=1)

I start by selecting the first image I want to resize on the left side of Preview before going into *File* and choosing *Export*.

![Image shows the Export dialog open blocking the image being export behind it. The Quality slider is set between Least and Best and the File Size says 117 KB.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-17-at-9.54.26-AM.png?resize=750%2C529&ssl=1)

Once the dialog opens I make sure the *Where* folder is set to my temporary `Landing Area` directory and the format of the image is set to JPEG. I then adjust the *Quality* slider until the *File Size* is closely under 70 KB (kilobytes). I then hit *Save*, select the next image, and repeat these steps until all images are compressed and exported.

I didn’t take any more photos of this process as the *File Size* has stopped updating when you move the *Quality* slider. This means if I kept using *Preview* for this step I would have to guess what the quality of the image should be, export it, check the new file’s size in the folder, and then keep adjusting and exporting until I was happy with the final image’s file size. This process is annoying with a single image and impossible with more. That said, in case this is fixed in the future, after I export all the images with the proper file sizes I’d next go to my `Landing Area` directory, select all of the saved images, right-click, choose to rename them, and then navigate the popup so I’d add the text `compressed_` before each filename. After they’re renamed, to differentiate them from the full-sized original images, I’d next move them into my original directory and then upload each one to my matching blog post. This process was sometimes annoying and sometimes just a task I used to justify listening to fun music with. It never got bad enough that I took the time to find another way…. until this bug in the Preview’s popup showed up which ended up becoming fortunate for me in the end as it lead to this next way which I much prefer and had to share with you.

---

## *All at Once Through ImageMagick®… a.k.a. My New Quicker Way*

### *Overview*

I want to start by saying I still use the Preview application on my Mac to go through my images before using [ImageMagick®](https://imagemagick.org/?ref=simplykyra.com). Again I start by putting all of the images I potentially want to use for my post into a named directory, or folder, I created specifically for that blog post. I next select all of these images, right-click, open Preview, and go through them while deleting the duplicates and cropping any photo that needs it. This is as far as I go within Preview now. After I close Preview, forcing it to save all the changes, I next use my new method to resize and compress all of the images at once.

![Image is a collage of two screenshot shown side by side. These two images are also shown at the beginning of the previous section. They show the Preview app with the images and a cropped image (selected on left and cropped on right).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_EasilyResizeImage.jpg?resize=750%2C263&ssl=1)

Like before I select all of my images and use *Preview* on my Mac to remove the duplicates and crop any images that need focus.

Below I’ll start by going over the process I took to resize my images in case you’re interested in any of the intermediate steps I took on the way over. I’ll follow that up with my final command before touching on how I overcame running this against multiple file types. Next I’ll go over a more descriptive step by step process on how I opened the terminal and ran the command. Finally I’ll share a feature I stumbled across that allows me to create a collage programmatically through the command line.

Quick aside: I’m not using the default version of my terminal on my Mac. I’ve since installed [fish](https://fishshell.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and have played around with it’s appearance a bit. Figured I’d mention in case my terminal looks different from yours.

### *My Process*

I learned how to do this in iterations starting with the simplest command to create a resized copy of my image set to 750 pixels wide which kept the height relative so the aspect ratio of the image stayed the same. In this case the original image is called `inputImage.jpeg` and the new resized image is `outputImage.jpeg`. The command is:

```
magick convert inputImage.jpeg -resize 750 outputImage.jpeg
```

The resizing issue was so simple but I still needed to figure out the compression answer I next sought so I had iterate on my command. While looking I came across a way to resize all the images at once using the command `mogrify`. For instance if I wanted to resize all the JPEG images in a directory to 750 pixels wide, like I did with the `inputImage.jpeg` above, I would then use this command instead:

```
magick mogrify -path output -resize 750 *.jpeg
```

This assumes your current directory contains another directory called `output`, specified next to the path argument, and then takes all the JPEG files in the current directory, resizes them so the width is `750` pixels, keeps the aspect ratio fixed so the height stays relative, and then saves the newly created version of each image to the `output` directory. You’re left with all the original JPEGs in your current directory and all of the newly compressed images in the `output` directory with names matching the original images thus why there’s an output directory used.

At this point I knew I loved the `mogrify` option as it could resize all the images I wanted to use in my blog posts and then saves the new images in an output directory so they wouldn’t get confused with the original images. Plus it didn’t matter that the names stayed the same as I could simply highlight them all and add the words `compressed_` to the beginning of each image name before moving them up a directory; which was the same as what I did before using the `Landing Area` directory. I still needed to figure out how to compress the images though so I continued looking around and, based on [a stack overflow question *Recommendation for compressing JPG files with ImageMagick*](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/7261855/recommendation-for-compressing-jpg-files-with-imagemagick/45559062?ref=simplykyra.com), I came across new parameters to use including `strip`, `interlace`, `gaussian-blur`, and, the one I focused on the most, `quality`. I next added the `quality` parameter to my command and played around with running it using different quality percentages each time. Even though all images could be resized to the same width and compressed with the same quality percentage at once they still resulted in differently sized image files. Some images were perfect right away while others needed smaller quality percentages set and became blurry before they ever reached 70 KB (kilobytes) in size. I realized the `quality` parameter, along with the other parameters I found, didn’t solve what I wanted and so I continued to search for other solutions. At this time an example command I was working with that included `mogrify`, an output directory, resizing to 750 pixels wide, and a quality of 85% was:

```
magick mogrify -path output -strip -interlace Plane -gaussian-blur 0.05 -resize 750 -quality 85% *.jpeg
```

Just as an aside if you’re looking for all the ways you can optimize your command to be specifically what you want it to be you may want to check out [the amazing *Annotated List of Command-line Options* that ImageMagick previously posted](https://imagemagick.org/script/command-line-options.php?ref=simplykyra.com). The list is amazing although it doesn’t contain the one thing that solved my compression issue.

### *My Final Command*

I continued on kind of fumbling around while searching for different options that you’re probably not interested in before I finally came across my solution. I could still use my `mogrify` command but I also needed to use `define` to set the `jpeg:extent` parameter for the maximum size in kilobytes of all of the resulting image files. This solution was funnily enough found by returning to a webpage, [the previously mentioned Stack Overflow question](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/7261855/recommendation-for-compressing-jpg-files-with-imagemagick?ref=simplykyra.com), and looking more closely at the comments under the official answer. This resulted in my working command now being:

```
magick mogrify -path output -resize 750 -define jpeg:extent=70KB *.jpeg
```

This essentially does what I was doing before by playing with the quality percentage. Specifically:

> \[i\]t works by generating many versions of the JPEG image, doing a binary search, of the output quality “-quality” setting, until it gets as close as possible to the file size given without exceeding it. It does this by writing the image repeatably into a temporary file and once it has the appropriate quality size, it then outputs the final image to the given output filename, once. [ImageMagick Legacy](https://legacy.imagemagick.org/Usage/formats/?ref=simplykyra.com#jpg%5Fwrite)

To better explain the final command I figured I’d write it down so I could easily separate each section and explain it for you.

![Image shows the above command written out with a short explanation either above or below each section. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/CommandImageMagick-1.png?resize=1024%2C453&ssl=1)

This command uses [the ImageMagick’s *magick mogrify*](https://imagemagick.org/script/mogrify.php?ref=simplykyra.com) to take all of the JPEGs in the current directory and create a resized and compressed copy in the `output` directory. You can change which image files are resized and compressed with that last parameter.

If you want to run this command on a different image file type like, for instance, PNGs you only need to change the last part of the command from `*.jpeg` to `*.png`. This part of the command specifies which file type it’s taking as an input from your current directory. Do not change the `jpeg:extent` part. I did that before and it resulting in my images’ max file size not being capped… and it took me much longer than I care to admit to realize why it wasn’t working. Basically that option only works on JPEGs so your image is temporarily converted into a JPEG so this part of the command can be run. If you want to learn more I found the information about this on [ImageMagick v6 examples through ImageMagick (Legacy)](https://legacy.imagemagick.org/Usage/formats/?ref=simplykyra.com#jpg%5Fwrite). Anyway, for the last command the asterisk (`*`) matches to anything so you’re basically saying any filename ending, since there’s no asterisk at the end, with `.png` should be the input. If you change the ending to…. hmmm… let’s say `*kyra*` then it matches to any file in your directory containing the word `kyra` and since the asterisk is both at the beginning and end the word can be anywhere in your filename.

### *Multiple Image File Types*

As I sometimes have a mix of different image files in my directory I started running my command several times making sure to change the argument at the end so each image file type was matched once. This made me realize that the matching was also case sensitive as `*.png` and `*.PNG` match differently. After deciding all the possible image types I might want to run my command against I decided to combine them all into one single command, each separated by a semicolon, since I wanted each individual command to run regardless of whether the previous command ran successfully or not. If you want the current command to run depending on whether the previous command ran or failed you can use the logical AND (`&&`) or OR (`||`) operator instead of the semicolon depending on which you want.

![Screenshot of one of the answers on an Ask Ubuntu forum question. Link to it is in the caption.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-30-at-1.36.15-PM.png?resize=750%2C332&ssl=1)

[Screenshot, taken on December 30th in 2020, shows an answer to an Ask Ubuntu question from 7 years ago that asks *How to combine multiple commands in terminal?*.](https://askubuntu.com/questions/334941/how-to-combine-multiple-commands-in-terminal?ref=simplykyra.com)

Anyway this mega-command ended up becoming this:

```
> mogrify -path output -resize 750 -quality 100% -define jpeg:extent=70KB *.JPG ; mogrify -path output -resize 750 -quality 100% -define jpeg:extent=70KB *.jpg ; mogrify -path output -resize 750 -quality 100% -define jpeg:extent=70KB *.PNG ; mogrify -path output -resize 750 -quality 100% -define jpeg:extent=70KB *.png ; mogrify -path output -resize 750 -quality 100% -define jpeg:extent=70KB *.jpeg ; mogrify -path output -resize 750 -quality 100% -define jpeg:extent=70KB *.JPEG
```

![Image shows a screenshot of my terminal window after running that multi-command line. This also shows the errors when a specific filetype wasn't found. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-30-at-1.39.06_blurred.jpg?resize=750%2C181&ssl=1)

This is how the command looked when I ran it through my terminal. Any image types that didn’t exist in my directory gave an error but the next command still ran so I ended up succeeding overall as all my images were resized and compressed.

While going over the last paragraph in the previous section I suddenly had an epiphany when I realized I didn’t have to limit the last parameter to only file types. It matches to filenames in whichever case sensitive way you want it to match. This means you can replace the multi-command line above if you can find something similar between all the image filenames you want to resize and/or compress. For instance all of my images are, by default, named starting with `IMG_`. This means instead of the mega-command above I could get the same results using this command instead:

```
mogrify -path output -resize 750 -quality 100% -define jpeg:extent=70KB IMG_*
```

---

### *Detailed Steps on How I Ran the Command*

I figured I’d go over the steps on how I ran this command in case you need a bit more help. Like I mentioned before I started out by putting all the images I was interested in uploading to my blog post into it’s own directory. I used Preview to first delete the duplicate images and crop any needed images before I was ready to resize and compress the remaining ones. You can open a terminal many ways, but in this case I had the directory open already so I chose to right-click on one of the images, scrolled to the bottom, and chose to open the iTerm window or tab here. The terminal then pops open with it’s pathway already set to my current directory so I don’t have to navigate within the terminal at all.

![Image shows a screenshot of the directory containing all of the images for my coaster blog post.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-17-at-9.56.01-AM.png?resize=750%2C431&ssl=1)

After I pruned down my images I was left with these final ones for [my Sew A Coaster blog post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/23/sew-a-coaster-perfect-for-a-last-minute-gift/).

![Image shows an opened folder on my computer. A single image at the top is highlighted, where I right-clicked, and a menu is now shown descending from it. Near the bottom of the menu a single line is highlighted in purple saying "New iTerm2 Window Here".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2021-01-09-at-6.43.28-PM.png?resize=750%2C592&ssl=1)

After selecting one of the images I right-clicked and scrolled to the bottom of the menu so I could open a *new iTerm window* based on this pathway. As an aside I took this image later on so it shows a different directory. Near the bottom you can see the folder *temp*. In it I stored any image I didn’t want to resize or compress when I next ran the *`mogrify`* command on the main directory.

Once the terminal is opened there is one more thing I need to do before I can run the command. The command `mogrify` needs an `output` directory, or you can name it something else if you edit the command, to save the images inside. I could’ve created the new directory through the Mac’s filesystem but it’s simpler to do through the terminal. To create a directory all you need to do is call `mkdir`, for make a directory, followed by it’s name. So in this case I wrote `mkdir output` and then pressed enter. Now you can ran the command and it’ll resize and compress your matching images and save the new versions inside this new output directory.

![Image shows the opened folder with all the coaster images along with a directory named "output". At the bottom a terminal is open with the completed command saying "mkdir output". ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-17-at-9.56.34-AM_blurred.jpg?resize=750%2C590&ssl=1)

Once the terminal opened I immediately created a new directory called *output* so the `mogrify` command would be able to save the new images inside of it. To create the directory I used the command `mkdir` which stands for *make directory*. Overall I wrote: `mkdir output`.

![Image shows the directory containing the coaster images again. This time there's more files within the output directory as, you can see in the terminal to the right, the "mogrify" command was run twice so all the images were resized and compressed. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-17-at-9.57.09-AM_blurred.jpg?resize=750%2C609&ssl=1)

And now it’s time to run your `mogrify` command. Here I ran it once against the JPGs and then again against the JPEGs. All the resized and compressed images were created within the output directory.

Once the images were resized, compressed, and saved to the output directory it was time to rename them all. To do this I closed the terminal, selected all of the new images, right-clicked on them, and then scrolled down to select *Rename*. Once the popup opened I selected the drop-down and switched it from the selected *Replace Text* so it instead said *Add Text*. I then typed `compressed_` into the text box and hit the *Rename* button so all the selected images start with that text.

![Image shows the opened "output" directory with all the images within selected and highlighted in purple. There's an open menu in the center with the line "Rename..." also highlighted. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-17-at-9.58.00-AM.png?resize=750%2C601&ssl=1)

I closed my terminal and selected all of the newly resized and compressed images within the *output* directory. I then right-clicked on them and selected *Rename* near the middle of the menu that popped out.

![Image shows a greyed out directory filled with all of the coaster-related images. In front of it sits a popup saying "Add Text" with the words "compressed_" in the text box.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-17-at-9.58.10-AM.png?resize=750%2C561&ssl=1)

In the resulting popup I navigated, through the drop-down, to select *Add Text* before filling in the text box with the words I wanted each filename to start with. I then clicked on the *Rename* button to save them all.

Once they were renamed I then dragged all of these selected images out of the `output` directory so they’re mixed in with the rest and deleted the now empty directory. And with that most of the images I wanted to use for my [Sew a Coaster blog post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/23/sew-a-coaster-perfect-for-a-last-minute-gift/) were all resized, compressed, and ready to be uploaded to my website. This was so much quicker than my earlier method.

![Image shows the "Simple Coaster" directory with all of the original images (MB large) and the newly created compressed images (under 70KB).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2021/01/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-12-17-at-9.58.30-AM.png?resize=750%2C603&ssl=1)

After all of the images are renamed I drag them up to the main directory and deleted the temporary *output* directory by right-clicking on it and choosing *Move to Trash*.

## *Quick Aside: Do You Want to Create a Collage?*

During this process I came across a way to generate a collage through the command line and I figured I’d also share it. To do this you call `montage` and pass in the names of the images you want to include in the collage ending with how you want to name the final collage. Thus if you have four images you would call it like this:

```
montage image1.jpg image2.jpg image3.jpg image4.jpg output_montage.jpg
```

This is as much as I’ve done with *montage* but [there’s way more information about it listed on the ImageMagick website](https://imagemagick.org/script/montage.php?ref=simplykyra.com) if you want to delve into it more.

---

Looking back I’m so glad, for me, that the file size stopped updating on the Preview export window, as it forced me to find a better way. That said I hope this post was helpful to you in some way. If it was feel free to let me know which parts you ended up using? Or what made you go looking for this topic? Regardless of what you want to share you can use the comments below. I hope your week is going as splendidly as it can in this time.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Tacos! Three Simple Meals in One
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/tacos-three-simple-meals-in-one/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:44:36.000Z
About a month ago I was deciding what I wanted to eat for supper and realized I hadn’t yet shared how we’ve been making and eating our “tacos” lately. Back when I first started making tacos I always confirmed that I had taco shells on hand before starting. Over the last couple years; however, we’ve simplified the process tremendously. The real change happened sometime [after we simplified our lasagna making process](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/07/01/simple-lasagna-ish-from-leftovers/) and now whenever I’m planning on making “tacos” I ignore the shells and confirm we have some, or all, of the fixings which might include some kind of green (most frequently spinach, lettuce, or kale), [yogurt (replaces the sour cream)](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/09/how-i-make-my-own-yogurt-for-my-simple-breakfast/), pasta, cheese, tomatoes, avocados, tortilla wraps, and/or tortilla chips. This way every member of the family can have our own favorite form of “tacos” thus creating the three different meals within one simple supper prep.

![Pinterest image showing a collage of five different images along with the title, subtitle, minor tex, and main URL. The images show the pots of cooked food, the table laid with the cold ingredients, a taco salad, a taco wrap, and two pasta taco plates. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_Tacos-Three-Simple-Meals-In-One.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

To make “tacos” really simple I start by bringing one large pot of water to boil so I can make one, or sometimes two, pounds of pasta. While it’s coming to boil I grab my large saute pan so I can start browning some ground beef. Once browned I grab my taco seasoning, check the instructions, and add the required water and seasonings before simmering it for the required amount of time. Before adding the taco seasonings; however, you could always customize it by adding canned beans or some kind of green. I stopped adding beans when the kids started loving the taco meat but abhorred the beans. I do use now to use up any older spinach or wilt down some kale as it’s better to cook these with the beef than eat them raw as a topping.

![Image shows my stove with the front two larger burners being used and two glass lids behind them. The left saute pan has browned ground beef in it while the rightmost pot has just added penne pasta so the water hasn't yet come back up to a boil. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_6436.jpg?resize=750%2C344&ssl=1)

Other than than the ground beef itself the only other thing you need to cook up is the pasta and that’s only if you want a taco pasta dish. I start by browning the beef before adding the store-bought taco seasoning and water. I usually time these so they finish cooking at the same time.

While the beef and pasta are cooking away I starting gathering and prepping all the taco toppings we like. Ever since I started making [my own yogurt](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/09/how-i-make-my-own-yogurt-for-my-simple-breakfast/) we’ve been mostly using it rather than sour cream as it’s always on hand. In addition to the yogurt I often dice tomatoes, slice avocados, grate some cheddar cheese, and add the flour tortillas I always try to have on hand. This time around I had a bag of spinach and coleslaw mix that I wanted to use so I tossed them together in a bowl and figured any leftovers could become a salad the next day. This is the perfect time to use up any random toppings you have leftover in the kitchen.

![Image shows a wooden lazy Susan laden with a package of flour tortillas, a container of grated orange cheddar cheese, a glass mason jar a third way filled with white yogurt, a package of sliced hot pepper jack cheese, and a small black bowl filled with diced tomatoes. To the left sits a large metal bowl filled with greens and carrot pieces with salad spoons. In the back sits a glass bowl filled with decorated pumpkins. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_6437-1.jpg?resize=750%2C512&ssl=1)

I threw the coleslaw and spinach into a bowl to easily dish. I then took everything else (flour tortillas, tomatoes, yogurt, grated cheddar cheese, and pre-sliced pepper jack cheese) and placed them all on the lazy Susan so everyone would be able to easily access them.

Once the taco meat and pasta were ready it was time to eat! The kids chose to have pasta topped with taco meat and cheese with the required veggies set to the side. In contrast Matt had a slightly more traditional taco by combining everything on a flour tortilla and wrapping it up. For me I chose a taco salad by dishing up a bowl of the spinach mix and throwing all of the toppings on. It was so good! I could see this changing depending on who you are, what’s in the fridge, and what you feel like eating at that particular time.

![Image shows both kids sitting at the kitchen table with a plate of penne pasta, taco meat, melting cheese, spinach, and diced tomatoes on top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_6441.jpg?resize=750%2C470&ssl=1)

The kids’ meals were more centered around the pasta rather than the taco meat or other toppings.

![Image is focused on a white plate with an open wrap on the left and a hand holding the wrap on the right closed. Both wraps are filled with pepper jack cheese, taco meat, grated cheddar cheese, and diced tomatoes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_6448.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I snapped a picture of Matt’s before he remembered to add the spinach mix on top. For the more traditional taco eater you could use tortilla wraps, shells, or chips to go along with the meat and all the other toppings. I remember I used to love the taco salad from TacoTime when I was in high school that came in a giant tortilla bowl.

![Image shows a white bowl with a fork laid out beside it. The bowl is filled with a variety of colors including green, brown, red, orange, and a lot white. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_6442.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I filled up a bowl with the mixed greens and then all the toppings. This included the taco meat, diced tomatoes, ripped up sliced pepper jack cheese, grated orange cheddar cheese, and yogurt.

![Image now shows a bowl filled with a more colorful looking salad and a fork sticking out of it with a water glass off to the upper corner. The bowl shows julienned carrots and cabbage, a salad mix, cheese, tomatoes, and yogurt 'dressing'.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_6445.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once I had it all dished I fully mixed it up and it was so delicious!

This time around I only cooked a small package of ground beef (under one and a half pounds) so there wasn’t any leftovers. Normally I make this with a much larger amount of beef, along with an occasional extra pound of pasta, so we have a lot of leftovers and I can easily throw together a taco casserole when packing up the leftovers. To make the taco casserole, or lasagna, I follow a similar process to when I make [my simple lasagna](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/07/01/simple-lasagna-ish-from-leftovers/) although I do make some changes like using the leftover taco meat rather than tomato and meat sauce and keeping my cheese layer simpler by leaving out Parmesan cheese. I’ve also been keeping my taco lasagna as simple as possible so everyone in the family would enjoy it but if they get more adventurous I could see customizing the taco lasagna with all of our favorite taco-related toppings like adding beans or spinach to the meat layer or adding black olives and sliced jalapenos in with the cheese layer.

To create the casserole, after we finish supper, I quickly mix up the cheese layer by combining cottage cheese, grated cheddar cheese, and a couple of eggs. I then grab my glass casserole dish and start adding layers. Rather than greasing my dish I instead start by laying the taco meat at the bottom of the dish. I then follow that with a layer of pasta, then the mixed cheese, some more pasta, and then finally some more taco meat. I’ve had trouble in the past with my cheese sticking to the tinfoil top when baking in the oven so I’ve started leaving the top of the casserole plain and then later after it’s heated in the oven I can sprinkle some more cheddar cheese on top. If freezing this casserole, which I almost always do, I first wrap the top with tinfoil, add a label so I know what’s in it, and then use plastic wrap to keep it better protected for the freezer.

![Image is taken from above showing a casserole dish covered in tinfoil, a piece of napkin saying "taco casserole no cheese on top". and plastic wrap. It sits on the top of the stove. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/IMG_0173-1.jpg?resize=750%2C465&ssl=1)

I normally throw the casserole in the freezer so we have a break between the food and the leftovers. To keep it safe I first wrap it in tinfoil and then plastic wrap with a scrap of paper or paper towel between the layers so I can jot down what it is, any notes to remember, and, normally, the date I put it together on.

Once I’m ready to eat it I let it thaw in the fridge, if there’s time, and bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the top still covered with tinfoil. If the casserole is still frozen it takes longer and I normally wait two hours, rather than one, to start checking on it. To check if it’s ready I stick a knife in the center, being careful not to rest against the glass, and wait a couple seconds before removing it. If it goes in easily I know the casserole is thawed and if the knife is hot I know it’s heated through. Once it’s heated I remove the tinfoil, add any needed grated cheese, and increase the temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit before throwing it back in so the top browns. It always smells incredible, tastes great, and is so simple to make as I simply just packing up the leftovers a bit more creatively.

![Image shows the taco lasagna-ish fresh out of the oven. It's coated in melted orange cheese. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_0204-1.jpg?resize=750%2C437&ssl=1)

Fresh out of the oven and smelling incredible!

![Image is a closeup of the last square of taco lasagna left in the pan with a metal flipper ready to serve it up. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_0211-1.jpg?resize=750%2C474&ssl=1)

This pasta dish tastes incredible and disappears so quickly!

You could always eat it as it is but I really love serving it with tortilla chips which basically turns the casserole into just a dip. I love the taste of it all mixed together in my mouth and the difference in textures and temperatures when you’re tasting a chip that’s heaping with hot lasagna and cold yogurt.

![Image shows a closeup of my plate filled with the taco lasagna-ish, tortilla chips, yogurt, and a row of sliced jalapenos. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_0209-1.jpg?resize=750%2C537&ssl=1)

I serve the taco lasagna along with a bag of tortilla chips turning the lasagna into a dip. The kids love eating the chops on the side as they devour the taco lasagna. Like the original “tacos” you can still top this with any of your normal taco toppings. In this case I was out of veggies but I plated mine with yogurt and sliced jarred jalapenos. These tastes are amazing together in your mouth.

If you have a bit of leftover taco meat but didn’t want to make the lasagna inspired dish I could see instead filling a cookie sheet with tortilla chips and topping it with the meat and any heatable toppings you desire. Throw it in the oven so it all melts together and it’s amazing dipped in sour cream or yogurt with any other taco toppings you’d want to add.

Do you love tacos? Have you made any changes from the default taco idea that you and your family love? I would love to have more taco related ideas so feel free to share them in the comments below. Let me know if you try this and how it turns out! I truly hope your day is going well.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simple and Exciting Sensory Play Gift Ideas
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-and-exciting-sensory-play-gift-ideas/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:44:13.000Z
Are you looking for a last minute kids’ sensory bin gift idea? Over the years I’ve been staring at the incredible containers [Jen, through Mama.Papa.Bubba.](https://mamapapabubba.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), has been making and loving them all. This year I couldn’t put it off any longer so when we made an Ikea order several months ago I just had to include the same [GLIS containers](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/glis-box-with-lid-clear-00283103/?ref=simplykyra.com) that she uses. The containers arrived much larger than I had expected, should’ve checked the measurements, but I went ahead with them to make sensory gift packs for our friends this year. I wanted to share with you what I did in case you’re also interested in the same. If you don’t have the container that’s totally fine. You could always bundle the pieces together in a gift bag or *wrap it* within a shallow container so there’s some way of containing the resulting sensory fun. Plus there’s so many ways you could change this up to fit who you are and who you’re gifting it to.

![Image is a pinterest-themed pinnable image showing two sensory bins filled with sensory materials. Between the images is a title, subtext "with links to expand your idea", and my main URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_Last-Minute-Sensory-Play-Gift-Idea-1.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

First let’s take a moment for all the amazing sensory bins I’ve seen [through Mama.Papa.Bubba.’s website](https://mamapapabubba.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Instagram page](https://www.instagram.com/mamapapabubba/?ref=simplykyra.com) using the [IKEA GLIS plastic containers](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/glis-box-with-lid-clear-00283103/?ref=simplykyra.com). I actually took a screenshot of many of them after searching on [her website’s for *GLIS*](https://mamapapabubba.com/?s=glis&ref=simplykyra.com). My absolute favorite is the [*Mix It Up!* kit](https://mamapapabubba.com/2015/10/16/colour-exploration-kit/?ref=simplykyra.com) using the primary colors as sensory materials and including the book by Hervé Tullet. The other ones that jumped out at me the most were the [*Little Blue Truck Play Dough Kit*](https://mamapapabubba.com/2019/08/22/little-blue-truck-play-dough-kit/?ref=simplykyra.com), the *[Valentine’s Card Creation Station](https://mamapapabubba.com/2016/02/06/valentines-card-creation-station/?ref=simplykyra.com)*, and the *[Snowman Play Dough Kit](https://mamapapabubba.com/2017/01/18/snowman-play-dough-kit/?ref=simplykyra.com)*.

![Image shows three columns of sensory bin ideas taken from the Mama.Papa.Bubba website.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_GLIS-containers-image-2.jpg?resize=750%2C590&ssl=1)

Screenshots taken of the search results on [Mama.Papa.Bubba’s website after searching for *GLIS*](https://mamapapabubba.com/?s=glis&ref=simplykyra.com). These were taken on December 14th, 2020.

Anyway with COVID keeping us inside more I’ve decided to make my own sensory kit for our friends as I thought it would be the perfect gift. Once my IKEA order arrived with the [GLIS containers](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/glis-box-with-lid-clear-00283103/?ref=simplykyra.com) I set to work deciding what to put in it. I wanted the containers to be open ended enough that I could make one set of items that would work for everyone we gifted it to and have multiple ways to use it depending on the child. After a bit of pondering I decided to include:

- dyed pasta which quickly expanded to include several different dyed pantry items including pasta, beans, and rice. I figured colorful sensory materials were a very versatile item as they could be used as a material within a sensory bin (to drive vehicles through or feed to toy animals) or be used to create gorgeous artwork. [Last week I shared how I dyed these materials using water-based food colors.](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/16/easily-dye-pantry-staples-for-fun-and-simple-sensory-materials/)
- playdough. I really wanted to include playdough in some way but as I didn’t want it to take over the whole entire kit I ended up making a single type of extra special playdough instead. I had recently bought [an amazing bedtime essential oil blend for the kids so I decided to add some of that to the playdough so it hopefully has a peaceful and calming effect](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/09/easily-change-up-your-playdough-with-scents/). However, as one of the kits were going to a younger child I decided to leave one essential-oil free so there would be no worries about them tasting it. In case you want to include playdough in yours [here is my go-to recipe](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/) and, as I’ve posted many times about playdough before, here’s a [link to a list of all my playdough-related posts](https://www.simplykyra.com/tag/playdough/) in case you might want to explore further.
- [kinetic sand](https://kineticsand.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). I wanted to include many different ways to allow the kids to play and explore on their own… and let their parents relax. I figured some kinetic sand would be a great thing to include so I bought some through Amazon. This can get everywhere as my kids don’t keep it in the bin but I’ve started limiting the play to the day before we vacuum so it isn’t too annoying on the floor as no matter how much you sweep up there’s still some left behind.
- cotton balls. It sounds incredibly random but right before Thanksgiving I came across an image of a slice of playdough pie with a cotton ball whip cream placed on top. It looked so realistic and got stuck in my head so when I was making these kits I knew I had to include cotton balls. I also figured the cotton balls could be used like snow in a pretend world sensory bin or used as an art project becoming a snowman glued to a sheet of paper or something.
- glue stick so the children can create and glue pasta and cotton balls into amazing works of art.
- toys. I wanted to include some kind of toy to make the sensory worlds truly livable. Ada had recently been asking me for some small plastic animals so I bought a container of small plastic wild animals off of Amazon and split them between the girls’ Christmas stockings and the sensory kits. I loved how the toys looked so I went back and bought a set of ocean animals and did the same. I figured including animals would generate the creation of whole worlds for them to live in.

Originally, back when I somehow thought the containers were half their size, I had planned on putting all the sensory materials loose inside the kits so the children could pick what they wanted either one at a time or all at once. Once seeing how big they were I decided to package each material up so they could be better rate limited, if desired, rather than a complete free for all.

![Image is taken from above looking at partially filled sensory bins. The left section has two multicolored bags of dyed alphabet pasta/rice and beans. The top portion has a sandwich-sized bag with dyed pasta. The other sections are empty. At the bottom of the image you see a portion of two closed sensory bins while the excess bags of dyed material are around the top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7665.jpeg?resize=750%2C540&ssl=1)

Once the dyed pasta was packaged I started filling up the sensory bins. I included labels on the outside so I’d remember whose was whose since I chose to make sure there wouldn’t be duplicate plastic animals in each household. Then as I made, bought, or assembled each new item I was able to go through and add them as I went.

![Image shows a sensory kit filled up with materials, glue stick, and toys. The lid is open to better see the contents. The items are listed in the caption below the image. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7688.jpeg?resize=750%2C474&ssl=1)

For almost all of the kits I included, from upper right clockwise, [a ball of calming and peaceful playdough](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/09/easily-change-up-your-playdough-with-scents/), kinetic sand, plastic animals, cotton balls, a glue stick, and [three bags of dyed sensory material (alphabet pasta, rice, beans, rotini, and penne pasta) in red, yellow, and blue](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/16/easily-dye-pantry-staples-for-fun-and-simple-sensory-materials/). After taking this photo I bought more plastic animals, ocean-themed, to better fill in the compartment.

![Image shows a sensory kit geared towards a younger kid. In it sits three bags of dyed rotini and penne pasta, three bags of dyed playdough, one section of fluffy white cotton balls, and two toy vehicles. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7686.jpeg?resize=750%2C499&ssl=1)

One of the kids is younger that the others so I wanted to keep his kit simpler. I ended up only gifting him the larger of the pastas so I kept the colors separate and filled his bags up first. I also didn’t want to fool around with essential oils in his playdough so I made him [a batch of his own](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/) in all three primary colors so he’d have lots of color to play with especially if some are mixed together to make the secondary colors. I also included the cotton balls for a different texture to explore. I considered throwing in two vehicles for a toy but after taking this photo I reconsidered and removed them.

I chose most of the above objects so the kids could create imaginary worlds with the animals and all of the materials. We’ve had playdough last until we tire of it and have dyed pasta from years ago in our home so I figured these materials could last for years as sensory bin items or be happily used up in fun art projects.

When the kids were younger most of their pasta-related play consisted of moving the pasta between small containers, then it became separating out the pasta based on type and/or colors, and now it’s mostly pretend play either with plastic characters or using the pasta with our kitchen set. To help encourage the kids’ pretend play I’ve kept a selection of plastic characters in our sensory cupboard that they can choose from to play with.

![Image shows a collage of seven images all showing colorful small pastas in a clean plastic container with a funnel, scoop, and two construction vehicles. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_Jan9thImport-079.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Back in January of 2017 (or earlier) I used vinegar and water-based dye to color small pasta, quinoa (didn’t take the dye), and corkscrew pasta. Ada absolutely loved pushing it around with her construction vehicles or pouring the smaller pastas through the funnel.

![Image shows a closeup of the opened shelf lined cardboard the represents a fridge in our kitchen set. The top shelf has a cake pan filled with vinegar-dyed pasta topped with corkscrew pasta sitting beside a plastic onion. The second shelf sports a half egg shell filled with blue playdough cake, a plastic teapot, and a wooden brie tray filled with pasta. The last shelf shows staked muffin trays filled with playdough cupcakes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_8677.jpeg?resize=750%2C826&ssl=1)

Years later the pasta has faded but it’s still going strong. Opening the refrigerator in our [cardboard kitchen set](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/04/03/cardboard-kitchen-from-an-old-end-table/) is always surprising. This time I ended up finding it filled with dried out playdough cupcakes and two kinds of pasta *cakes*.

We haven’t attempting beading with pasta yet but I can easily see making necklaces with dyed penne or some other holed pasta. If your kids are too young for necklaces or don’t care for them you could have them thread the pasta onto pipe cleaners or some other cylinder. I’ve often seen people stick straws or spaghetti noodles into playdough and then a toddler can try to thread pasta onto them. I just looked this up so you’d have an idea what I was talking about and I found [*Speak. Pray. Love.*‘s post](https://speakplaylove.com/pasta-threading-language-development-fine-motor-activity/?ref=simplykyra.com) where she stuck the playdough to a highchair tray and used wagon wheel pasta.

Recently I came across this [*Alphabet Hide and Seek* game on Instagram through wonder.and.awe](https://www.instagram.com/p/CIH9X5vDjaJ/?ref=simplykyra.com) and I absolutely love it. She basically wrote out letters spaced out on paper, covered it up with a clear tray, filled it with colorful pasta, and then the kid has to go searching for the letters by cleaning the pasta away. A while back I bought [smaller clear trays to practice letter writing](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/04/01/practice-erasable-sight-words/) with and now I’m wondering if they’re still clear enough for us to do this with them.

![Image shows a collage of three screenshots of the pasta work find project through wonder.and.awe.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_dyed-pasta-image.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

Screenshots taken from [wonder.and.awe’s Instagram video](https://www.instagram.com/p/CIH9X5vDjaJ/?ref=simplykyra.com) on November 28th, 2020.

If the kids don’t feel like sensory play they could always create art with the sensory materials. My kids haven’t created pasta art yet but I could see blowing their minds with it at some point in the future although I don’t know where we’d put it once we finished hence why we haven’t yet. To get an idea of the range of things you could create with pasta I just searched *pasta art kids* on both [Google](https://www.google.com/search?q=pasta+art+kids&ref=simplykyra.com) and [Duck Duck Go](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=pasta+art+kids&t=h%5F&iax=images&ia=images&ref=simplykyra.com) and got so many results that it was easier to look through them in image mode.

![Image shows many photos of art using pasta. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_Google-Screen-Shot-2020-12-14-at-9.54.24-AM.png?resize=750%2C567&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken after doing an image search for *pasta art kids* on [Google on December 14th, 2020](https://www.google.com/search?q=pasta+art+kids&ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows many photos of art using pasta. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_Duck-Duck-Go-Screen-Shot-2020-12-14-at-9.52.49-AM.png?resize=750%2C529&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken after doing an image search for *pasta art kids* on [Duck Duck Go on December 14th, 2020](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=pasta+art+kids&t=h%5F&iax=images&ia=images&ref=simplykyra.com).

Some of the images that caught my eye were:

- A list of [*Fun Crafts Made From Dried Pasta* through DIYs.com](https://www.diys.com/crafts-made-from-dried-pasta/?ref=simplykyra.com). I specifically loved the image of the pasta dinosaur so I just clicked through and found it came from [Muslim Learning Garden](https://muslimlearninggarden.wordpress.com/tag/kids-craft/?ref=simplykyra.com) and was a step on the way to create a T-Rex playdough cast after visiting the Royal Tyrrell Museum. I also loved the [clay and pasta shells snails from Oeil2cha](https://oeil2cha.blogspot.com/2012/05/especes-rares.html?ref=simplykyra.com), [Chica Circles’s pasta gingerbread birdhouse](https://club.chicacircle.com/painted-pasta-gingerbread-birdhouses/?ref=simplykyra.com), and [the lasagna noodle stained glass through Babble Dabble Do](https://babbledabbledo.com/pasta-crafts-stained-glass-pasta/?ref=simplykyra.com).
- [The Artful Parent created a great post on different *Pasta Art Activities for Kids*](https://artfulparent.com/pasta-art-activities-for-kids/?ref=simplykyra.com) and I loved how it looked like her dyed pasta art was limited to a single paper plate. I adored the mandalas they created and the adorably cute pasta sculptures.
- [The *Pasta Flowers* shown on Typically Simple](https://typicallysimple.com/pasta-flowers-craft/?ref=simplykyra.com) were beyond adorable. I love how if you don’t have green pipe-cleaners you could just draw in the stem too.
- [Life As Mama included a list of other pasta-related art](https://lifeasmama.com/8-macaroni-crafts-for-kids/?ref=simplykyra.com) with some adorable bow-tie butterflies flying above some halved bow tie grass that links back to [Crafty Morning](https://www.craftymorning.com/bow-tie-noodle-butterfly-craft-for-kids/?ref=simplykyra.com). I love how bright their butterflies were and realized they had colored them in with chalk markers. There’s also a really intricate pasta decorated pencil holder that links to [a Parents list](https://www.parents.com/fun/arts-crafts/kid/pasta-crafts/?socsrc=pmmpin071212cNoodleTrain&slide=slide%5F813589c1-1dfb-4faf-be1a-cbb107469496&ref=simplykyra.com#slide%5F813589c1-1dfb-4faf-be1a-cbb107469496) without any obvious directions.

If you love the idea of making a sensory play kit but just don’t have the time I was previously gifted from a friend two kits [from PlayAtHomeMomCo (no affiliate) on Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/shop/PlayAtHomeMomCo?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing%5Fid=823596607) and we loved them. She has tons of themed kits either in a small plastic container or in a wooden tray along with extra sensory mix if you wanted to expand one out.

I hope this helps you out and I’d love to hear what sensory bins you’ve made in the past. I love the kits but have kept our sensory cupboard more open ended by having the kids pick and choose what material, tools, and toys they want each time. How does your sensory process work? What’s your favorites sensory activities? Feel free to share in comments below. I hope you’re having a great week.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### 52 Week Sewing Challenge in 2020... All Challenges Accepted!
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/52-week-sewing-challenge-in-2020-all-challenges-accepted/
Last updated: 2023-12-17T17:11:51.000Z
Wow! Who knew going into 2020 that this is how this year would end up going? Even with the craziness of this year I hope you’re overall doing well.

Anyway at the end of 2019 I found myself feeling a bit burnt out between all of the Christmas sewing projects, [the 52 week sewing challenge](https://www.facebook.com/groups/52weeksewingchallenge), and any other sewing commitments I felt I had then. Going into the 2020 challenge I knew I wanted to take it easier but I also knew that I wasn’t quite ready to give up the challenges as a whole yet. I decided I ultimately needed to shake it up so I decided to attempt to accept all the challenges; which I hadn’t done the previous two years. This sounds difficult but I also gave myself the permission to do incredibly simple and easy projects, repeatedly if needed, that I would’ve previously felt guilty about submitting in the past. I momentarily worried about what I’d do in the case of a vacation and thought about whether I could hand-sew something but looking back that was not a concern this year. I wasn’t sure, going in, if this would mean only ever sewing small projects or if I’d end up sewing up a storm but this shook up the challenge just enough that it brought my sewing mojo back. Between that and staying home *WAY* more this year I managed to accept each and every challenge presented in the 52 week sewing challenge for 2020\. Doing the challenges also gave me something small and manageable I could focus on each week during this hectic and slow year so I’m really glad I knew about the 52 week sewing challenge and kept it up.

![Pinterest image showing my blog's title, the text "All challenges accepted!", my main URL, and all four quarterly collages. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_52-Week-Sewing-Challenge-in-2020...-All-Challenges-Accepted-1.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

In case you’re curious about the previous years I’ve posted each category, what I sewed, and whether I accepted or rejected each week’s challenge [here for the 2018 year](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/12/31/52-weeks-of-sewing/) and [here for the 2019 one](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/01/52-weeks-of-sewing-in-2019/). Here’s to many more years for [the 52 sewing challenge](https://www.facebook.com/groups/52weeksewingchallenge).

---

Before 2020 started I picked up a new planner and set aside a day where I went over all of the scheduled sewing challenges and wrote each one down in the corresponding week in my planner. I then went back through each week and made myself come up with one or more ideas that fit the challenge. Some weeks were easy so I quickly jotted down multiple ideas and then quickly turned the page to go to the next challenge. Other weeks I took extra time as I looked through my purchased patterns for the perfect garment or accessory or took some time to search through my fabric stash for that perfect piece of fabric. I feel like this really helped me out as no matter what happened this year I could turn the page of planner and, most of the time, have one idea fitting the challenge that I could sew up. Many ideas were enacted this year while others, like browsing in a new-to-me store to try out silk, were less possible.

By the start of March, before COVID-19 changed our section of the world, I was sewing much more than I had previous years and had overcome my sewing burn out. I was feeling free to pick up pattern tests and sew anything I felt like without needing to fit it within a one week time period as I could always pause to sew up a quick project that better matched the current week, submit it, and then get back to my main projects. I had removed my guilt on submitting simple things so some weeks did include some rather small projects like a single scrunchie or a coaster either because I had a larger project on the go or because I needed a break from sewing and so only touched my machine for that one quick item.

Without any further ado here are all my submitted and accepted challenges from this surprising year.

---

## First Quarter

### Week 1 – *January 1st to 5th*

#### Organize Your Sewing Space

![Image shows a full square image of a cleaned sewing table with computer on a desk in the background. Overlaid is the caption "week 1" along with two heart shaped images to the right. The top image shows a messy sewing desk while the bottom image shows a messy floor and desk. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/02/compressed_A3DA8D29-9BC8-40E8-BACE-B7AC3C5173AC.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I love how each year the sewing challenge kicks off with the opportunity to organize your sewing space. I decided to take the time this year to focus on clearing off my sewing desk, my computer desk, and all of the excess items that had made a home on my floor between the two. I also took time to go through all of my craft and sewing related shelves and drawers on my computer desk. I absolutely needed a complete reorganizing and I love how much more space it feels like I have now.

### Week 2 – *January 6th to 12th*

#### Sew a WIP (work in progress) / UFO (unfinished object)

![Image is a collage of four images with a label stating it's for week two in the center. The top two images shows a green t-shirt with pleats along the neckline at the front. The bottom two images shows a black banded tee with a front purple zigzag section in the front that is ruched and draped. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/02/compressed_EF3B4805-FD28-4A8C-A10A-786693D6D059.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

A while back I bought several [Itch to Stitch sewing patterns](https://itch-to-stitch.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and I never got around to attempting them. Finally, back in November, I sized myself, printed two of the patterns out, taped them together, chose my fabric, and cut my fabric out…. then I looked over the instructions and set aside the prepped pieces while I waited the extra materials I needed to arrive. Once I started my various Christmas sews these patterns were quickly forgotten until this week’s challenge forced me to finally remember and sew them both up. I love how both the [Kathryn (top two images)](https://itch-to-stitch.com/product/kathryn-top-dress-digital-sewing-pattern-pdf/?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Plitvice (bottom two)](https://itch-to-stitch.com/product/plitvice-top-digital-sewing-pattern-pdf/?ref=simplykyra.com) shirts turned out although I do wish the torso was a bit longer for both. I had planned to sew up a slightly longer version of both of these but never remembered to do it this year.

### Week 3 – *January 13th to 19th*

#### Sew Something Related to a Healthy Lifestyle or Fitness

![Image shows a collage of found images separated by a white strip. The top left image, show the different layers of the mask, is the largest and the bottom rightmost image, of me wearing the finished mask, is the smallest. The top right image shows a closeup of the section I hand stitched closed while the bottom left image shows the inside out mask with the seam allowance carefully trimmed. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/02/compressed_FD789DF9-8849-456D-98BF-C99FAE6E4E55.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I started out this year thinking this week would result in a new workout top or leggings. Once this week did arrive; however, I didn’t feel like sewing either garment and instead decided to work on a sleeping mask since sleep is a big part of a health journey. I already own a sleeping mask I love but I liked the idea of being able to customize my own in the future and I loved the look of the [Clara sleep mask, through Ohhh Lulu Lingerie](https://blog.spoonflower.com/2017/08/diy-sleep-masks-the-handmade-bridesmaid-gift-of-your-dreams-free-pattern/?ref=simplykyra.com), ever since I first saw it. Once I made it; however, I didn’t use it as I was unable to fall asleep with it on. As I sleep on my stomach the heaviness of this mask made it feel as if gravity was pulling it off. I am glad; however, that I tried making it and would eventually like to try it again with maybe a lighter fabric or interfacing. Other than the weight I could see adjusting it by using two elastics instead of one and adding a cover over the nose area so there’s less light able to get in.

### Week 4 – *January 20th to 26th*

#### Sew Something With Sweater Knit or Swim Fabric

![Image shows a collage of three images and a label saying "week 4". The right most image shows a closeup of my full length short sleeved sweater. On the left there's two images. The one on the bottom shows the same sweater as the right one while the image on the top shows a crop top grey and white stripped sweater over a purple flowered shirt. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/02/compressed_7AD103B7-0E8F-4A7F-AEE2-6E0C150FC061.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I had some sweater knit in my stash that I hadn’t had a chance to sew up yet so I knew going in that I would sew with that rather than with swim fabric. I absolutely love [the Dynamite top](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/09/21/ragamuffins-dynamite-top/) I sewed up before Christmas so that pattern was an easy choice too. The Dynamite does however need two way stretch which my purpley-pink sweater fabric didn’t have so I chose to size it one size up to make sure it would fit. That said it seemed large enough that if I were to repeat this I would keep it at my current size instead. Since I had the paper pattern out anyway I decided to shorten the pattern to the crop length so I could try it out with some open weave fabric. I justified this garment by thinking I could always use it as a coverup while swimming which made me laugh when I then realized it could sort of go with the swim part of this week’s challenge too.

### Week 5 – *January 27th – February 2nd*

#### Cheryl’s Pick – Upcycle Something

![Image shows a collage of four distinct images along with text saying "week 5". The two larger images at the top left and bottom right corners show the first version of the top back from 2018 along with the finished garment this week. The upper right image shows the pattern piece cut from my squared up fabric and the bottom left image shows the back of the shirt on it's side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/02/compressed_1D0E344C-C375-4854-A3CD-E5DF89D68937.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

This week’s challenge to upcycle something was so simple to decide as I had an unfinished sew from back in 2018 that had been bugging me ever since I first set it aside. Back then I had just sewed [the new Olivia top](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/01/23/the-olivia-top/) which is geared towards woven or lightweight knit fabrics. I liked my first version so I decided to grab my heavier custom fabric ([Selfie Girls from RP Custom Fabrics](https://www.facebook.com/groups/RikiPrints/) bought back in May of 2018) and attempted to make the Olivia with that. It didn’t work and I quickly set it aside in a box before I even hemmed it. There it sat while I attempted to then ignore it. This week, with the success of [the Dynamite shirt](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/09/21/ragamuffins-dynamite-top/) and the upcycle challenge staring at me, I figured now was the time so I pulled the top back out. I started by cutting along the side seams so I could pull the front and back of the shirt apart. I then realized the sleeves were curved a bit too much so I cut them off, sewed them back on at a different angle, realized the panel was still too short for the Dynamite’s pattern piece, and sewed the back of the shirt onto the top of the front so it would be tall enough. I had saved the leftover coordinating fabric after attempting the shirt the first time so I used that to cut the back of the shirt out. I’m so happy with how it turned out and I’m so glad I took it out of it’s timeout box and finally tackled it.

### Week 6 – *February 3rd to February 9th*

#### Sew Something For The Kitchen

![Image shows a collage of two photos and the text "week 6". The top photo shows woven monster napkins with top-stitching while the bottom image shows a cinch topped white bag. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/02/compressed_1968A9A7-ED34-4200-B8A8-2D5DAB87DE89.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Several weeks before this I found the English paper piecing projects on Mister Domestic’s website and I chose to start both [the hexie](https://misterdomestic.com/2017/05/01/epp-party-block-1-hexies-madness/?ref=simplykyra.com) and [the star](https://misterdomestic.com/2017/06/26/epp-party-block-5-radiant-star/?ref=simplykyra.com) ones. Originally I was planning on turning them into a hot pad for the kitchen table but I quickly realized they were two different sizes and I would never have enough time to finish them for this week’s challenge. I decided to quickly pivot and instead ended up working on two projects that I had been putting off for a while. The first were fabric napkins. I ended up cutting out a range of sizes from 6.5 to 12.5 inches squared and sewed them up by placing two matching squares right sides together, sewing around them making sure to leave a space, turning them right side out, pressing them, and topstitching around with a decorative stitch. The kids loved them and quickly requested more. I also went on to sew [two different sizes of bread bags (pattern from Attainable Sustainable) using linen fabric](https://www.attainable-sustainable.net/linen-bread-bags/?ref=simplykyra.com) in the hope to keep [my homemade loaves](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/01/04/breadin5-make-hot-fresh-bread-easily-on-demand-at-home/) fresh for bit longer. Since making the bags I’ve only used them a couple times but each time the bread still gets as hard as a rock within a day or two. I’m not sure if that is what is supposed to happen but it all turned out fine as I chopped the bread up and made bread pudding with it. If you’ve made a bread bag with different results can you let me know what I may have done wrong in the comments?

### Week 7 – *February 10th to February 16th*

#### Face Your Sewing Fears

![Image shows a single image surrounded by a black border. Above and below the image the black is taller. Above the image it says "week 7".  The image is of two bralettes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_3640.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Originally when I saw this topic I was planning on sewing up either the [Rebecca Page Bralette Tank](https://rebecca-page.com/product/ladies-bralette-tank/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) or [the SUAT Titania](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/titania-top-and-tunic/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) as either garment haa elastic along the neckline and armholes which I ended up stretching out both times I sewed them. Instead I remembered the [Ohhh Lulu Jasmine bra](https://www.ohhhlululingerie.com/product/jasmine-bra-pattern-xs-2xl-in-standard-and-large-dd-cup-sizes/?ref=simplykyra.com) I had bought over a year ago and continuously put off making. I figured now was the time! I had worked on workout bras many times but never a legit bra. Through a series of steps I realized the foam lined option I was planning on making was a spin-off version of the pattern so I chose to leave it off for the muslin. I then realized the pattern worked with knit or woven as long as it was cut on bias. I decided I had to sew up one of each in case it fit differently. I then realized I had no strap elastic so I ended up ripping apart two sad looking nursing bras for parts and used FOE (lingerie fold over elastic) instead. All in all I sewed up two wearable muslins and then ignored them… but they’re there for the next time I decide to buy strap elastic and conquer this pattern…. again.

### Week 8 – *February 17th to February 23rd*

#### Sew a Toy

![Image shows a collage of three photos and no text overlaid. The left and largest image shows a flowered curtain being pulled closed on a dowel. The top right image shows the back of the curtain and the bottom right image shows the dowel, holding up the curtain, set on the command hook. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_BE20E376-E9DA-4DD5-B79B-17D0AF31BBE0.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I had wanted to make the kids a play curtain for awhile now so they could unveil themselves with aplomb while holding concerts or performing plays. I decided this was the week to figure it out and that it would be the quickest sew ever as I only had to take the knit fabric, fold it over, and sew it down. Then I realized my stitching was WAY off as a nest formed under my fabric. I grabbed my seam ripper and then rethreaded my machine. My next attempt had my sewing machine eating my fabric. All in all the end result isn’t pretty but it’s done! This toy hasn’t gotten as much use as I had expected although it’s occasionally put up as a decoration rather than a curtain to announce a play or concert as I had planned. I’m still glad I made this and was able to use the fabric that I did. The curtain is now available for the kids whenever they want to start performing and doesn’t take up much space when it’s taken down and leaned against the wall. [If you want to make your own I posted about it here along with the dowel, glue gun, and command hooks I used](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/04/08/theater-or-concert-play-curtain/).

### Week 9 – *February 24th to March 1st*

#### Sew a Free Pattern

![Image shows a black Scrunchie covered in squashed colorful monsters. It's laid over a brown table. The image is overlaid with the text "week 9" in white. The image is bordered in white and black. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_4853.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I was busy sewing three pattern tests this week so I decided to look for a quick pattern and settled on making a hair scrunchie through [The Spruce Crafts](https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/sew-your-own-hair-scrunchies-2977723?ref=simplykyra.com) and then simplified it ever further by leaving off the optional bow. I had actually looked ahead the weekend before, planned, cut the materials up, pieced together a large enough strip out of scraps, and set it aside so mid-week all I had to do was sew it up. At this time I was actually having trouble creating the collages for each week as my go to app from last year was removed so finding and trying out a new app that contained what I wanted and creating the image to be submitted, funnily enough, took as long as sewing this scrunchie up.

### Week 10 – *March 2nd to March 10th*

#### Sew Something to Make Reading Easier

![Image shows a collage of four photos laid out at an angle and staggered. The top right and bottom left images are smaller than the other two and, along the top, is overlaid the text "week 10" in an ocean looking blue. The bottom right image shows a pair of patched kid's pants next to bunched up fabric. Clockwise from there is shown two inside out coasters, two normal peek-a-book coasters overlapped with a glass on one, and two coasters showing the peek-a-boo aspect better. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_5382.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

This week was hard for me to decide what to make. Back in December I had jotted down making [the Made For Mermaids planner bookmark](https://www.madeformermaids.com/product/plannerbookmark/?ref=simplykyra.com) or finally tackling one of [the Swoon bags](https://swoonpatterns.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) to hold a book. I loved everyone else’s suggestions on the Facebook group but ever since having Ada I’ve started reading most of my books on my phone so any book-related items I knew I probably wouldn’t use. At this time I had been reading a lot while sitting on the couch and frequently put my water glass or tea cup on a breakable coaster on the window ledge by me. I wanted to solve this so I decided to make a coaster to fit the challenge and found an adorable one through [Fave Quilts](https://www.favequilts.com/Table-and-Placemats/Four-Square-Fabric-Coaster?ref=simplykyra.com) that I wanted to tackle. I then decided to use the opportunity to upcycle [my kids’ patched pants](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/03/17/patching-and-extending-toddler-pants/) that they’d grown out of and I wasn’t quite ready to part with. Overall I love the coasters but as I started making [fabric napkins](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/07/08/quick-and-simple-fabric-napkins-with-your-serger/), just over a month later, I stopped using them. Still I’m so glad I attempted the pattern and it was a quick and fun sew that made me smile in the middle of testing larger patterns.

### Week 11 – *March 11th to March 17th*

#### Use a Fabric New to You

![Image shows a collage with three photos. The left one takes the whole height of the image and shows the side of a a leather-looking tote. The right top image is looking down into the tote showing the flowered fabric and two water bottles attached via a fabric looped. The last image at the bottom right shows the inner openings in the pocket holding a pen and a phone. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_035B9E33-65D0-4FE0-9A41-269EDBCF421D.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Back at the beginning of the year I had planned to buy silk for my first time and was going to tackle it by making a hair scrunchie, a child’s play silk, or a sleep mask. Two of those I had already attempted with woven fabric this year and it would’ve been easy to try to tackle using the same pattern this week; however, I hadn’t gotten around to sourcing a way to buy some silk. I did; however, have some vinyl I had recently bought through [Fabric.com](https://www.fabric.com/home-decor-fabric-upholstery-fabric-faux-leather-fabric.aspx?ref=simplykyra.com) that I had never used before and wanted to attempt sewing fake leather purses with so I decided to jump in with two feet and make my own bag. I started by using [a leather tote bag tutorial posted on Boxwood Avenue](https://boxwoodavenue.com/diy-leather-tote/?ref=simplykyra.com) but then went off designing my own features by including a fabric liner with added pockets, zippers, and elastic loops. With COVID-19 causing a shelter-in-place in our area I ended up not getting a chance to test it out and so I never wrote the post about it. I haven’t even gotten around to adding the tassel either.

### Week 12 – *March 18th to March 24th*

#### Sew Something With Scraps

![Image is a simple photo showing two weaved heart ornaments laying on a table with a spherical ornaments on black bias tape held up above and to the side of them. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_5994.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I had been meaning to make Mister Domestic’s quilted ball ornaments for awhile so back in December when I saw *sew something with scraps* I quickly jotted down his *ball or pinecone shaped Christmas ornaments* in my planner. As I approached this week I couldn’t find or hadn’t bought the oval-shaped Styrofoam needed to make the pinecone shaped ornaments but I did have the spheres so I focused on the quilted ball ornament only. If you’re interested [his written directions can be found here](https://misterdomestic.net/2017/10/22/quilted-ball-ornament-ornament-along-4/?ref=simplykyra.com) and his [YouTube video here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJXaumnzvMw&ref=simplykyra.com). As this is made by cutting, folding, pinning, and/or gluing fabric yet not actually sewing fabric I realized it might not count so I also sewed and weaved up two fabric Danish heart basket ornaments using some larger scraps. To make these I followed [a tutorial for paper hearts (with printouts!)](https://www.madeeveryday.com/danish-heart-baskets/?ref=simplykyra.com) through Made Everyday with Dana and watched [her video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZkqniKB9fM&ref=simplykyra.com) alongside my kids. I tried to make it a group project with the kids using paper and me using fabric but they quickly became disinterested as they weren’t using fabric like me. As I was using fabric, that could unravel, rather than paper I made each pattern piece out of two scraps of fabric placed wrong sides facing, cut where the printout lines were, and then sewed the fabric together following alongside those cuts. Looking back I see that [Mister Domestic also posted this but used a fabric with a liquid stabilizer instead which made his fabric more stable](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d068s2QgZgk&ref=simplykyra.com).

### Week 13 – *March 25th to March 31st*

#### Noreen’s Pick – Sew a Pinspiration

![Image is a collage of three photos with text on the right side saying "week 13" in black. On the left is a tall screenshot with a Facebook post on the Rebecca Page Sewing group and a gorgeous leather tote bag below. On the right are two images showing two brown totes with different colored linings on the inside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6263.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

This is the one week while planning that I had left blank as I hoped I’d come across a pin in the meantime that would spark my inspiration. I forgot, no pins did, and as this week approached I frantically went through Pinterest hoping one would. It didn’t but I did come across [a post on the Rebecca Page Sewing group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/mummykinsandme/permalink/1230777333800258) that inspired me to make [some faux leather totes](https://rebecca-page.com/product/tote-bag-sewing-pattern/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) which was essentially the same thing so I figured challenge accepted. I have to laugh because only two weeks before I made my first tote and custom designed a lining and now I’m following a pattern to do something similar.

---

![Image shows a collage containing all of the above images showing the first 13 weeks of completed sews for 2020. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6264.jpg?resize=650%2C975&ssl=1)

---

## Second Quarter

### Week 14 – *March 26th to April 7th*

#### Sew Something for Travel or Vacation

![Image shows a collage of four photos include the text "week 14". The top right and bottom left images shows two different views of the Swoon Patterns Expedition Tote made with brown and black vinyl. The top left image shows four face masks including a channel for a pipe cleaner. The bottom right image shows a black shiny vinyl fanny pack. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6641.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

At the beginning of the week I finished making [a fanny pack (or bum bag)](https://rebecca-page.com/product/bum-bag/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com), then followed it up by making [my first set of face masks](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/11/04/i-sewed-up-three-free-face-mask-patterns-and-here-is-my-takeaway/) using [the Craft Passion pattern](https://www.craftpassion.com/face-mask-sewing-pattern/?ref=simplykyra.com), and then finally rushed to finish the [Expedition Tote by Swoon Patterns](https://swoonpatterns.com/shop/expedition-tote/?ref=simplykyra.com) that I had cut out weeks before as the name was just too perfect for this week’s topic. I had to include all three as the masks were to leave the house now (*traveling* out of our home) and the bags were to leave post-pandemic. Plus the title of the Swoon bag was perfect for the challenge since an expedition is when you travel.

### Week 15 – *April 8th to April 14th*

#### Sew Something With A Challenging Notion

![Image shows three photos. The small bottom right image shows four small rainbow and donut napkins. The large top and bottom left photos shows the fabric coaster with the top finished and the bottom in pieces. The text at the top says "week 15". ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_7190.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Back in December when planning this week out I had wanted to learn how to make a rolled hem on my serger and planned to create some [simple fabric napkins](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/07/08/quick-and-simple-fabric-napkins-with-your-serger/) using that notion. At that point my only experience with a rolled hem was when using a rolled hem foot on my sewing machine when I hemmed my [peppermint swirl dresses](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/20/even-more-peppermint-swirl-dresses/). I hadn’t realized that there was no foot specifically for a rolled hem on my serger and that it was just a settings change which made *sewing something with a challenging notion* obsolete. I decided to charge ahead with the napkin plan and made myself four small ones to test the process. These have since become coasters and two of them now sit on my nightstand for a glass of water and a mug of tea whenever I need it during the day. I still needed a challenging notion so I could accept this challenge so I went with using the free motion quilting foot on my sewing machine. I had attempted free motion quilting years ago with [the burners for my kitchen set cover](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/02/26/kids-play-kitchen/) but hadn’t done it since then and had since upgraded my sewing machine so I hadn’t technically tried it… so a challenge. I quickly made a larger napkin using the rolled hem setting on the serger and included batting between the two layers to make it thicker. Once finished I then took it over to my sewing machine to play around with. The finished coaster now sits beside my keyboard at my computer and is perfect for catching condensation from my drinking glass so I don’t have any errant drips.

### Week 16 – *April 15th to April 21st*

#### Sew Something Green Or Eco-Friendly

![Image shows the text "Week 16" and three images. The top large one shows large purple fabric napkins with rainbows and donuts on them. Theres silverware wrapped up in one on the left and a staggered stack of the remaining ones on the right. Below that image are two side by side showing two DIBY face masks. On the left you see the inside with the dipecleaners clipped in and on the right you see them once they're finished. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_7372.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I had originally planned to make a bread bag, washcloth, or produce bag this week. I had since made a bread bag (week 6) and didn’t have velour or mesh handy for the other two. With the fabric napkin attempt the previous week I chose to jump on making more and thus downsize our paper towel usage. I also decided to try out [a new face mask pattern for Matt and I](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/11/04/i-sewed-up-three-free-face-mask-patterns-and-here-is-my-takeaway/) thus allowing us to continue to skip buying PPE (personal protective equipment) that others could use more.

### Week 17 – *April 22nd to April 28th*

#### Sew Something Unconventional

![Image shows to photos one above the other both bordered in white with a shadow. To the right is outlined white text saying "week 17". The top image shows the water colored paper while the bottom image shows the same paper after I took the thread to it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_BCF1DF4A-1826-4CA8-B3C4-FB3D5A7D16DA.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I remembered sewing on paper years ago to create a custom card so I decided to sew on paper again this week. I wasn’t quite sure what to do until I decided to use watercolors, as my kids were painting, to create the background using cardstock and then, once dry, add details using the free motion quilting foot on my sewing machine. All in all I’m happy with how it turned out.

### Week 18 – *April 29th to May 5th*

#### Sew Something For A Teacher

![Image is a collage of four photos of a colorful pencil pouch with the words "week 18" at the bottom in white. The top right image shows all the pattern pieces cut out. The bottom right image shows the finished pouch halfway open. The last two images shows the inside once it was sewn together.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_B7F488D9-92A7-4683-AE54-E66F9299D65C.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I cut out the pattern pieces for the [Zoe Zip, by Rebecca Page,](https://rebecca-page.com/product/zoe-zip-pouches-sewing-pattern/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) in white woven fabric and had my daughter color it with fabric markers for her teacher. I made sure to snap photos of the fabric before I sewed it up so her teacher could see what it looked like before the seam allowance overtook parts of the image.

### Week 19 – *May 6th to May 12th*

#### Kelsey’s Pick – Sew Something Purple

![Image shows a grid of four images with the words "week 19" in purple over the center. All four images shows me in a fitted nightgown tee.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8213.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Back in 2018 I saw a preorder through The Fabric Geeks that I just couldn’t pass up. I’d drop a link but I see their website isn’t active anymore. Once the fabric came it was amazing; however, I wasn’t sure quite what to make with it so I put it away and then, once I stopped drinking coffee, felt like I shouldn’t wear it. When this week’s challenge came around I had trouble finding anything purple in my fabric stash until I came across this. I knew [the Dynamite shirt through Ragamuffin Patterns](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/09/21/ragamuffins-dynamite-top/) looks great in cotton Lycra so I decided to use that pattern again and sew up a nightgown, or home top, so I could still enjoy the fabric. This week’s challenge ended up giving me the push I needed to cut into my other coffee-related fabrics that I had bought in the past to make a muslin of another pattern so I’m glad I couldn’t find anything else purple in my stash.

### Week 20 – *May 13th to May 19th*

#### Hack or Mash a Pattern

![Image is a collage of three views of Ada in the dress. The top image is from above looking down so you can see how big it gets. The bottom two are of Ada twirling and standing. There's text overlaid saying "week 20"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8581.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

This was an easy challenge to accept. Almost two years ago I had [mashed two Rebecca Page patterns together to make a simple cozy and twirly nightgown](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/02/27/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/) for both girls and as Ada had recently outgrown hers I decided now was the week to make her another. I had even planned it out ahead of time so Ada was able to pick her own snuggle flannel out online when Joann’s fabrics had a sale.

### Week 21 – *May 20th to May 26th*

#### Sew Something For Storage

![Image shows a collage of three views of the flowered knit drawstring pouch with a pink "week 21" at the bottom.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8878.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Back in December I had planned to sew up a fabric box to help organize my kitchen but as the year progressed I considered making a utensil roll-up for when playdates hopefully once again resumed. A bit before this week I had ordered a package of skincare from Sephora and remembered once seeing a cinch bag that opened into a mat. I wanted to make it to hold the products, although it didn’t work out in the end, so I went searching and found this [free drawstring pouch through Made for Mermaids](https://www.madeformermaids.com/drawstringpouchtutorial/?ref=simplykyra.com). I ended up also finding [a lip balm keychain tutorial](https://www.madeformermaids.com/lipbalmkeychaintutorial/?ref=simplykyra.com) so I also made that up. Although I ended up not using the drawstring pouch technically my lip balm did go into the keychain pouch on my nightstand so it still fit with the general storage theme either way.

### Week 22 – *May 27th to June 2nd*

#### Sew a Bathing Suit or Undergarment

![Image shows two photos separated by a white zigzag. Overlaid at the top is white text saying "week 22" The top image shows the front of three pairs of underwear while the bottom image shows the back of them.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_Week-22.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Back in week 19 I cut out all my coffee-related fabric to make a nightgown and muslin a shirt. I hadn’t put all the scraps away as I was planning on using them to make myself some new underwear. This week was the perfect push to do so. I went through all my scraps and was able to fit together three new pairs. Specifically I tried out the new [Apostrophe Patterns MyFit Underwear (the right one)](https://apostrophepatterns.com/products/myfit-underwear-bikinis-and-briefs?ref=simplykyra.com) along with sewing up another set of Stitch Upon a Time [Bunzies](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/bunzies-underwear/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) and [Scrundlewear](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/scrundlewear-2-0-womens-underwear/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) (not sure which is which in the photos). I absolutely love that I have more underwear in fabric that makes me smile. And with that all the coffee-related fabric was used up on me.

### Week 23 – *June 3rd to June 9th*

#### Sew Something With A Unique Stitch

![Image shows a collage of three views of the snuggle flannel napkins and makeup wipes. Overlaid in the center the text says "week 23". There are a few grey flowered napkins but most are a combination of rectangular and square donuts on pink and pizzas on black.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_Week-23.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Back in December I had planned to attempt silk pillowcases using a decorative stitch but I hadn’t gotten a chance to look for silk. Instead I figured it was 2020 and anything that makes me have to take a needle out of my serger should count as an unique stitch so I removed the leftmost needle, switched my serger to a rolled hem stitch, and made myself more [napkins](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/07/08/quick-and-simple-fabric-napkins-with-your-serger/) out of some flowered fabric I had on hand and some food-specific fabric (pizza and donuts) that I had bought online specifically for more napkins. With the smaller weirdly shaped scraps I decided to make single layered pieces to use as makeup removers.

### Week 24 – *June 10th to June 16th*

#### Use A Pattern From a Designer You Haven’t Tried Before

![Image shows two photos side by side showing the potholder. The left image shows a purple center, blue in the middle, and alternating strips of lavender and eggplant around the outside. The right image shows a reverse with blue in the center and outer row and alternating lavender and eggplant in the middle. Above the right image it says "week 24" in lavender.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_Week-24.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Going into this week I had planned to sew one of the patterns I had previously bought but somehow hadn’t sewn from the pattern company yet. I unfortunately didn’t see anything I liked that fit the criteria when browsing through my pattern stash so I started looking frantically online for some new pattern company that had garments I’d like to sew for myself. All the outfits I saw and liked happened to be for woven fabrics which I was basically out of. I then suddenly realized I didn’t have to make anything large or use a big brand company and instead started looking for smaller websites that had something cool to sew. I ended up coming across a really cool [Log Cabin Hexi Potholder through SewCanShe](https://www.sewcanshe.com/blog/2014/9/26/log-cabin-hexi-potholders-a-tutorial-with-partial-seams?ref=simplykyra.com) and I had to make it. It actually reminded me of [a toy, Discovery Toy’s Mosaic Mysteries, I still have from my childhood](https://www.discoverytoys.com/Pws/homeoffice/store/AMCA/product/Mosaic-Mysteries,645.aspx?ref=simplykyra.com). I quickly grabbed my bag of woven scraps and got to work cutting out strips before piecing the colors together to make this amazing potholder. I used some Insul-Brite batting I bought earlier so I’ve been able to use this as an actually potholder on the table although I prefer using it to pull hot bowls from the microwave and protect my kitchen table as I eat. It makes me smile every time I use it.

### Week 25 – *June 17th to 23rd*

#### Random Act Of Kindness

![Image is centered vertically on a grey background with the words "week 25" in black outlined turquoise. The image shows two colorful drawn masks stacked in the center with other masks spread around it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_Week-25.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

My kids needed a second mask each so I pulled out [my Craft Passion pattern](https://www.craftpassion.com/face-mask-sewing-pattern/?ref=simplykyra.com) and started cutting out face masks making sure to cut out more to give away. I ended up going through my woven scraps to make these. For my kids’ masks I cut out the front in white and let them color it with fabric markers before I sewed it together. I’d recently heard you can use a shoelace to tie them on so I decided to try that since the neon ones I had on hand happened to match their fabric marker color choices. I’ve since decided the shoelaces slide around too much on my kids hair but in case you choose to do the same it’s easier to loop the shoelace on the bottom and have the loose ends come out of the top to more easily tie over their hair.

### Week 26 – *June 24th to June 30th*

#### Sew a WIP (work in progress) / UFO (unfinished object)

![Image shows a collage of two images with the text saying "week 26" in black outlined turquoise in the center. The top image shows the three pillows laid out on the ground before the pillow insert was put in. The bottom image shows part of the blanket on my bed.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_Week-26.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I didn’t have any projects partway done but I did have some incredible fabric I had just bought from [Moon Beam Textile Company](https://moonbeamtextileco.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) that I really wanted to cut into to make a [custom queen-sized blanket with matching pillows for my bed](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/07/29/my-custom-queen-sized-blanket-and-pillow-set/). I solved this by not waiting to cut into the fabric and started my project the weekend before the challenge week officially started. This way I had an unfinished object that I could finish working on and fully accept the challenge once again.

---

![Image shows a collage of thirteen of the above collages in one picture. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_SecondQuarter.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

---

## Third Quarter

### Week 27 – *June 31st to July 7th*

#### Organize Your Sewing Space

![Image says "week 27" in blue just off center. The image is composed of a collage of seven photos. The center one is a hexagon shaped photo containing a closeup of the envelopes in a blue container. From the bottom left clockwise the rest of the images contain a drawer filled with printed PDFs helter skelter, a messily organized and full shelf, organized shelves and drawer, organized closet shelf showing the PDFs and other things, my organized desk and drawers, and finally my bags containing the scrap knit and woven separated out for future projects.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0885.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I was so happy when I saw there was another challenge week assigned to organizing my sewing space as the previous two years only had this for the first week. I decided to start out by focusing on my messy, but contained, printed PDFs that were slightly organized within my drawer. After looking around at so many amazing organization ideas I finally decided to buy a pack of envelopes and I assigned each pattern, or related patterns if they were small, to a single envelope. After taking everything down in my closet shelf I was able to repurpose my kids’ old DUPLO® container from a scrap fabric bin to a PDF pattern holder. Between freeing a drawer and then organizing the closet shelf I got excited enough that I continued on to organize all my drawers and my shelves on my desk. I love that I now know where everything is and love that since this challenge was mid-year I had a cleaner space and more time on hand to do a more in-depth organization than I would’ve felt like doing back in January. I hope they keep this organization week in the future challenges too.

### Week 28 – *July 8th to July 14th*

#### Sew Your Favorite Pattern

![Image is a collage of two photos with a staircase zigzaging border between the two. The top photo shows both dresses inside out showing the lining and the French seams. The bottom image shows part of the front of both dresses so you can see how they designed their garment. At the top it says "week 28"; in black outlined yellow letters.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_1067.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Originally, back in December, I had planned to fix my selfie shirt using the [Dynamite pattern](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/09/21/ragamuffins-dynamite-top/) or sew up another [Billie](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/04/22/ragamuffins-billie-shirt-and-dress/) this week. As I had fixed my selfie shirt back in week 5 and love my Billies but don’t have anywhere to wear them with COVID-19 I definitely didn’t need to sew these. While staying home my kids have been absolutely loving their [nightgowns](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/02/27/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/) so I decided that sewing them up new ones would fit the challenge since they’re the simplest woven item I’ve sewn (point one) and I love seeing them wear it (point two). I ended up taking these a step further by cutting out two front bodice pieces and having them color the one so they could design their own dress and have the front be lined so it wouldn’t be see-through. For these I allowed Ada to use the lightbox I had recently bought so she could trace the Wonder Woman logo which lead to Zoey tracing out a flower on her dress. After tracing Ada then copied her DUPLO® creations making it a Wonder Woman DUPLO® dress while Zoey finished hers off more quickly.

### Week 29 – *July 15th to July 21st*

#### Make Something Outside Your Comfort Zone

![Image is a collage of five photos with a green overlay centered near the bottom saying "week 29". The top image is of clipped together slices of tomatoes laid out over a felting wool board with a thumb cozy by it. The bottom four images are in a grid two by two. The top left image is of my making a green felt knot inside the tomato while the right image shows two tomato tops and one red bottom showing where the needle had poked through. The bottom two images don't contain felt tomatoes. Instead the left image shows a batch of felt pasta clipped and sewn while the right image shows felt onion rings being made. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_1577.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Back in December I had thought *outside my comfort zone* would mean elastic in my neckline, an invisible zipper, or EPP (English paper piecing). I had since started EPP (going so slowly) and decided to ignore the other items for now as I had been debating making some pretend food and all the really cool ones I saw online were made from felt. This lead me to felting so I bought a small felting kit online, went through my stash of felt, and went outside my comfort zone by jumping into the really cool looking tomatoes and, since I had white, onion rings. Although this was a fiber project consisting of a sharp barbed needle and embroidery I wasn’t sure if this quite measured up to sewing a project so I grabbed my beige felt and used my sewing machine to sew down the center of each folded bow-tie pasta. I had made [bow-tie (A.K.A. farfalle or butterfly) pasta](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/03/24/felt-farfalle-bow-tie-pasta-and-diced-tomatoes/) before but that time I had handstiched each one closed. This way was so much quicker than last time and I figured this combined with the felting and French knots meant this challenge was easily accepted.

### Week 30 – *July 22nd to July 28th*

#### Sew Pants Or Shorts

![Image shows an adult sized green and wide-legged pant for me with three pairs of leggings folded and laid out at angles from one another. The leggings are all the same height though the leftmost one is skinnier that the others. Overlaid at the top it says "week 30".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_1755.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Ada had been wanting capris so I used this week to justify them and had both Ada and Zoey pick out the fabric they wanted their pants to be made from. I then inputted their updated measurements into [the MyFit Leggings from Apostrophe Patterns](https://apostrophepatterns.com/products/myfit-leggings?ref=simplykyra.com) which drafted a new custom pair according to what they wanted. Ada ended up with two new pairs of *right above the knees* pants while Zoey wanted a more traditional legging. I had been wanting to try the new [Ragamuffin Patterns’ Chilaxin’ Loungers](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-chillaxin-loungers/?ref=simplykyra.com) so I quickly sewed a pair up for me in some not so great fabric for a muslin test. I rushed to grab this photo so the hem is still very wet from me over-spraying them while pressing the hem.

### Week 31 – *July 29th to August 4th*

#### Sew Something For A Man

![Image shows a simple black t-shirt laid out on the tiled floor with the words "week 31" in blue over the center. The image is outlined in light and then dark blue.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2318.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Matt, my husband, doesn’t really ask for me to sew him things so I find this is the one major time of the year when he gets a me-made garment. He loves simpler shirts so I grabbed a good quality black knit and [the Rebecca Page Men’s Toronto Tee pattern](https://rebecca-page.com/product/mens-toronto/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) I had used and altered the last time I made him a shirt. This time around I brought in the sleeves, so they wouldn’t gape, before cutting out the fabric and sewing it up. He loved it!

### Week 32 – *August 5th to August 11th*

#### Sew Something For School

![Image is a large title "Week 32" over a single framed photo showing two dresses side by side with small doll dresses overlapped. Teh larger dress has a white panel with planets and labels on it while the smaller one has a blue panel with cartoony planets and a sun. Both dresses are bordered in a black fabric with school-related doodles on it. The doll dresses use the school doodles fabric with the odd one colored in so they can be told apart.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_2668-edited.jpg?resize=602%2C602&ssl=1)

When planning this week I had written down a pencil pouch but then had quickly added new shirts for the kids once I realized I had these two planet panels I bought from [Whimsy Baby Customs](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). I knew I wanted to save it for when Ada went back to school and figured I’d make Zoey a matching one at the same time. When this week actually rolled around I decided it was something more normal within this year of sheltering at home. I went with [our favorite Stitch Upon a Time pattern, the Magnolia dress,](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/16/my-favorite-simple-kids-knit-sewing-pattern-the-magnolia/) but because of the size of the panels I had to skip adding a pocket and combine the bodice and skirt pattern pieces into one before cutting the fabric. This made the panels too small [so I then had to extend the panels before I cut the pattern pieces](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/11/18/quickly-extend-your-fabric-to-fit-a-pattern-piece/) and sewed them up. I was also debating making doll dresses for a friend’s kids so I batch sewed them and made my girls matching school dresses for their dolls, stuffed animals, whatever fits them.

### Week 33 – *August 12th to August 18th*

#### Sew Something With a Unique Seam or Hem

![Image is a single photo overlaid in brown with the words "week 33". The image shows the opening of four pillows laid out so you can see the black decorative stitches about an inch or two from the folded edge of the pillow. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2922.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

My aunt had sent the girls some fabric for pillowcases and once the girls heard that they decided they had to have pillowcases with the fabric rather than anything else I could’ve sewn. I decided why not and ended up getting four pillowcases, two for each girl, out of the fabric. I figured with such a simple project I had to hem the opening with something *really* unique so I chose to string together different decorative stitches with my sewing machine. Both kids ended up getting one pillowcase with pretty pictures along the hem and one with their first, middle, and last name repeated and separated out by hearts. They loved them and now have to extra pillows to switch up with their sheets.

### Week 34 – *August 19th to August 25th*

#### Repurpose Something

![Image is a collage of six different photos along with text saying "Week 34". The largest image is on the top right showing me wearing the shirt with my back to the mirror so the camera can see the back of my shirt. From top down and across the rest of the photos show my old shirt back, the back detail after it's been seam ripped out, the sewn back together top on Ada, the finished shirt's back, and the front of the final shirt.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_week34.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Back at the beginning of the year I had planned to do a simple project this week by repurposing any old stretched out shirt and turning it into a pair of underwear for me; however, when this week arrived I decided to instead take a loved and slightly misshapen store-bought shirt and repurpose the back detail I adored into a new shirt. I knew my trusty [Dynamite shirt](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/09/21/ragamuffins-dynamite-top/) was again the right pattern for the job especially since the back is made out of two pieces sewn together. I seam ripped the center detail out from the old shirt, measured it, trimmed the back paper pattern piece to account for the new one, held them together, realized I needed to extend the bottom to account for detailed piece’s length and hem, and finally cut out my fabric using the slightly altered back piece. Sewing it together was basically the same as the instructions except with there being one more back piece and having to sew the binding onto open space at the center back. It turned out amazingly and I went from a forgotten shirt I used to love in my closet to a new favorite I love wearing. And the rest of the shirt? I actually sewed it up the back and for fun tried it on Ada. She said she loved it and it ended up in the dress-up drawer forgotten… wondering now if I should repurpose it into a pair of underwear like my original idea had dictated.

### Week 35 – *August 26th to September 1st*

#### Sew An Adult Pattern

![Image is a small square in the upper left corner super imposed over the larger square image. The smaller one is a closeup of the swim leafed shorts and the matching shorts. The larger image is from further away so the focus is on the dress behind the shorts. At the bottom it says "week 35" in turquoise.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_week35.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I used this week’s challenge to stop putting off some garments I wanted to sew for me. For years I’ve loved [Stitch Upon a Time’s Brazi Bra and Dress](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/brazi-ladies-bra-and-dress-sewing-pattern/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com). Mainly I’ve only used it as a bra but back in [October of 2018](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/12/31/52-weeks-of-sewing/) I sewed up the dress version using some Doctor Who themed custom bamboo Lycra fabric and I absolutely adored it. I wasn’t confident enough to wear it out of the house but I loved using it as a home dress. For a whole now I had debated sewing up another Brazi dress for me and with this week’s challenge I couldn’t put it off any longer. I used an extremely lightweight and flowy fabric (specifically [double brushed poly from Sly Fox Fabrics](https://slyfoxfabrics.com/products/double-brushed-poly-solid-cabernet?%5Fpos=1&%5Fsid=784c42503&%5Fss=r&ref=simplykyra.com)) I had on hand, trimmed a bit of the length off of the longest pattern piece, left the fabric unhemmed, and I’ve lived in it ever since. I also went back to the [the MyFit Leggings](https://apostrophepatterns.com/products/myfit-leggings?ref=simplykyra.com) pattern and generated a pair of shorts in the same fabric so my legs wouldn’t rub uncomfortably in hot weather. Since I was on the page anyway I also generated a pattern to make myself a new pair of swim shorts. I’m so happy with all three garments and I’m so glad I finally made myself sew them.

### Week 36 – *September 2nd to September 8th*

#### Sew Something You’ve Never Sewn Before

![Image is a photo of two long sleeved flowered shirts overlapping laid out on the kitchen floor. Below them is a black space with bright letters spelling out "week 36";.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_week36.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I had just bought the kids [new double brushed poly fabric from Boho Fabrics](https://www.bohofabrics.com/products/wildflower-blooms-on-blue-double-brushed-poly-knit-fabric?ref=simplykyra.com) that I knew they’d love and had also bought the [Ragamuffin Pattern’s new Ragamuffin & Renegade Raglan](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-ragamuffin-renegade-raglan/?ref=simplykyra.com) so it was obvious what new thing I should sew this week. I somehow missed it but the pattern actually included two raglans and I ended up cutting out the bodice of one and the sleeves of the other. I realized what I had done mid-sew but just continued and it turned out great.

### Week 37 – *September 9th to September 15th*

#### Sew Something For Your Sewing Space

![Image shows a collage of one large photo (top left) with five smaller photos along the bottom and right side. Overlaid it says "week 37". The large image shows the finished coaster with a glass placed on top. The smaller images from top right to bottom left show a messy area around my sewing machines, a cleared off area around my machines, the finished coaster laid next to the shirt remnants, a cleaned off desk next to my computer, and the same desk covered in papers and sewing remnants. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_week37.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I wasn’t sure what to sew up for my sewing space and I didn’t feel like fitting in a large project this week so I decided to go with [a simple coaster](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/23/sew-a-coaster-perfect-for-a-last-minute-gift/) so I don’t get my sewing projects wet from condensation. My youngest daughter had just grown out of her pajamas and I wanted to keep the fabric around for the memories so I upcycled the shirt to create a four layer coaster. I also used the opportunity of this challenge to justify doing a quick clean on my desk and around my machines. In case you’re here looking for ideas for your own sewing challenge topics I wanted to share the project I often consider making: [the undercover maker mat](https://lillyella.com/2015/12/04/undercover-maker-mat-pattern/?ref=simplykyra.com). I keep not making it as I like sliding my machines around on my glass desk and I don’t need a cover for my machines.

### Week 38 – *September 16th to September 22nd*

#### Sew Something Without a Pattern

![Image is a collage composed of three photos and the text "week 38". The first image takes up the top half of the collage shows two designed pieces of fabric (red and blue) laid out checking where the seam should go to piece them together. The bottom two images show the finished slightly square-ish coaster with the decorated top on the left and the fuzzy ballerinas on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_week38.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I wasn’t quite sure what to make this week but then I realized my husband needed a coaster at his desk. After asking him, confirming he did in fact want one, and waiting most of the week on what he wanted it to look like I decided to instead make my grade one daughter a coaster so her water bottle wouldn’t cause a puddle next to her computer if and when she filled it with ice cubes. Don’t worry… I finally surprised Matt with his own custom-sized coaster this last month so he did in fact get one. [You can read about both coasters and how I created them here if you’re interested](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/23/sew-a-coaster-perfect-for-a-last-minute-gift/).

### Week 39 – *September 23rd to September 29th*

#### Sew With a New Technique

![Image is a collage of three photos along with the text "week 39". The left top image shows a scrap of knit fabric with the blind hem sewn on. The edge of the fabric is folded over so you can see either side of it. The small image on the left shows me doing the blind hem along the bottom of one of the dresses. The tall image on the right shows the finished dresses with the hem showing near the bottom. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_week39.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

When trying to come up with a new technique to try this week I ended up choosing to tackle the blind hem option on my serger. Unlike the rolled hem earlier this year it even required me to change out the pressure foot! Earlier this month I had found some amazing Halloween fabric online at Joann’s that combined both kids’ love of unicorns and rainbows along with Zoey’s unique love of pumpkins. I knew my girls needed it and I wanted to use it to [make them new nightgowns](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/02/27/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/). With the blind hem being the perfect justification I quickly got to work sewing up the nightgowns, testing the blind hem on a scrap of knit, and hemming them with this new technique. I enjoyed how the blind hem looked but it seemed loose and not that secure although we haven’t had any obvious problems since then. I haven’t looked into it again but I’m kind of curious if that’s how it should be or if I need to play with my settings the next time I do it.

---

![The "3rd Quarter" collage composed of all the last thirteen images shown above. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4761.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

---

## Fourth Quarter

### Week 40 – *September 30th to October 6th*

#### Sew Something Inspired By This Group

![Image is a collage of three images again. The rightmost image shows a flowered floor length dress with a matching pair of shorts laid overtop. The two images on the left show the Iris Luckhaus face mask on my face, bottom, and the inside view, top. At the bottom right there's lavender text saying "week 40". ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_Week-40.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I spent the weekend before this week frantically scrolling through [the 52 week sewing challenge group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/52weeksewingchallenge) hoping to see something specific that inspired me with a particular fabric or pattern. I had been losing my sewjo recently and seeing all the gorgeous and amazing sews normally help. This time nothing specific popped out at me but then I realized that I’m always inspired by all of the gorgeous dresses and amazing masks that keep showing up. I decided instead of using a specific fabric or pattern I saw I could instead springboard off of the general garments so I used the inspiration to try a new to me face mask pattern, [by Iris Luckhaus](https://www.irisluckhaus.de/en/2020/diy-cloth-mask-tutorial/?ref=simplykyra.com), that I’d also been meaning to attempt along with another dress using my favorite maxi dress pattern, [the Brazi](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/brazi-ladies-bra-and-dress-sewing-pattern/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com). that normally isn’t a priority to make. Back in week 35 I paired the brazi with a pair of [MyFit Leggings](https://apostrophepatterns.com/products/myfit-leggings?ref=simplykyra.com) shorts so I chose to do the same again this week. By the end of this week I certainly felt inspired so thanks for the challenge topic.

### Week 41 – *October 7th to October 13th*

#### Sew a Costume

![Image is again a collage of three photos. This time the large image is on the left and the two smaller ones on the right. From left, across, and down it shows the outfit pulled out at the sides as Zoey's hands are in the pockets, then an angled one with her hands in the pockets again, and finally a back view with her arms outstretched. At the bottom on the left is says "week 41" in orange. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_Week-41.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Last year my daughter wanted to be [a pumpkin for Halloween which later turned into a jack-o-lantern once we went shopping at Walmart and found a shirt she liked](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/14/zoeys-simple-jack-o-lantern-costume-from-store-bought-and-sewn-items/). Since then she’s decided that she wanted to be *a pumpkin with no face* this year so after confirming I had the right fabric and patterns ready I saved making her her costume specifically so I could accept the challenge this week. I was able to reuse last year’s hat but she had since outgrown the [MyFit Leggings](https://apostrophepatterns.com/products/myfit-leggings?ref=simplykyra.com) and needed [a more pumpkin-like shirt so I sewed up the Ellie & Mac Tulip Tunic](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/tulip-tunic-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com) along with a new pair of leggings. [I posted earlier about her entire costume if you’re interested](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/21/zoeys-simple-and-updated-pumpkin-costume/) and also about [Ada’s mostly store-bought Wonder Woman one](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/19/adas-epic-wonder-woman-halloween-costume/).

### Week 42 – *October 14th to October 20th*

#### Sew Something Related To Sports

![Image shows the finished swim garments laid out on the kitchen floor with a black rectangle below showing the words "week 42" in orange and red. The swim garments are composed of an orange rash guard,  orange shorts, red rash guard with yellow bands, and blue shirts. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_Week-42.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Back in December I had jotted down *a workout bra* for this week but over the last couple months we have found a local swimming pool offering COVID-distanced pool rentals and had started going swimming twice a month and then, lately, weekly. I noticed recently that Ada’s swimming suit was starting to get small and knew I needed to replace it soon. I also knew that I had some random swim fabrics from [a scrap box I bought from Boho Fabrics](http://rwrd.io/zampms1?c&ref=simplykyra.com) over a year ago so I decided to use this week to make the kids new swimming suits, as swimming is a sport, before they lose the chance to use them once the pool closes for the winter. I was able to play on their Halloween costumes and make Zoey a pumpkin swimming suit and Ada a Wonder Woman one. Like the previous years I hacked a raglan for the top, this time I used [Ragamuffin Pattern’s Ragamuffin & Renegade Raglan](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-ragamuffin-renegade-raglan/?ref=simplykyra.com) that I had sized them with back in week 36, so it includes a snap placket and then used [MyFit Leggings](https://apostrophepatterns.com/products/myfit-leggings?ref=simplykyra.com) with a hacked lining for the bottoms. Previous years I used a different raglan pattern along with an underwear pattern for the swimming suits but the process was essentially the same [if you care to learn more](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/08/07/kids-swimming-suits-second-round-with-an-extra-year-of-experience/).

### Week 43 – *October 21st to October 27th*

#### Embroider or Hand Sew Something

![Image is a collage of three photos showing the pieces used to make the thread catcher, the final closed catcher, and the finished ready for thread view. At the bottom it says "week 43" in turquoise with purple shadows. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_Week-43.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

My calendar had me down for embroidering fabric to turn into pattern weights but I’d since come across a lovely thread catcher that I really wanted to try to make. The entire process involved hand stitching and the blog post I followed, on [Fabric Therapy’s website](https://fabrictherapy.blogspot.com/2015/02/a-tutorial-sweetest-little-thread.html?ref=simplykyra.com), was so simple to follow that the hardest part about the entire thing was finding a tube of Pringles. I’m so glad I came across this in the Facebook group and allowed myself the chance to make it.

### Week 44 – *October 28th to November 3rd*

#### Sew Something With Fleece or Rayon Spandex

![Image shows a collage of four photos. From top left clockwise to bottom left the images are: the final two pairs of pants, all three fabric used, the finished knit coaster with a glass on it, and finally a selfie of me wearing the shirt to be upcycled overtop of my current dress.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_Week-44.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

After sewing up [Ragamuffin Patterns’ Chilaxin’ Loungers](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-chillaxin-loungers/?ref=simplykyra.com) back in week 30 I knew I needed to sew up another pair since I loved the pants but hated the cheap fabric I used as the muslin. I immediately jumped into my calendar and decided this week was the next possible chance to justify sewing them as I knew I had flowy fabric in my stash and this challenge would justify doing it. By the time I got to this week I realized that the fabric I really wanted to use for these pants was actually a nylon spandex, bought through [Boho Fabrics back in August](http://rwrd.io/zampms1?c&ref=simplykyra.com), and although [I had also bought a rayon spandex mystery pack](http://rwrd.io/zampms1?c&ref=simplykyra.com) I hadn’t thought to record what was in the box so I didn’t quite know which would count in the challenge. I knew I wanted to fully accept the challenge but the only fabric I had that I absolutely knew was rayon spandex was used in a failed muslin over a year ago ([back in week 31 of 2019](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/01/52-weeks-of-sewing-in-2019/)). I decided to make a [quick coaster](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/12/23/sew-a-coaster-perfect-for-a-last-minute-gift/) using that fabric, accept the challenge, and then take apart my old loungers, since the fabric wasn’t the greatest, and used it’s waistband for another pair in turquoise. I ended up with a simple coaster and two new pairs of [Chilaxin’ Loungers](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-chillaxin-loungers/?aff=180&ref=simplykyra.com) that I love wearing so I feel like this week was a definite win for me!

### Week 45 – *November 4th to November 10th*

#### Alter or Mend Something

![Image is a collage of four photos and the words "week 45". The top two images show the ripped fabric above the wood and by the cushion's zipper. The bottom two images show the mended couch cushion and the base with the covered wood. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_Week-45.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

A while back I noticed that the wood under our couch cushion was showing and later on I noticed the cushion above it had popped open along the zipper. I knew I needed to fix it but didn’t really feel like it so I may have justified putting it off until this week’s sewing challenge arrived. I grabbed a needle and thread and hand stitched the cushion closed thus accepting the sewing challenge. I then went a step further by grabbing a scrap of fabric, the nylon spandex from last week, and used my hot glue gun to stick the fabric to the wood and cover up the ripped fabric edges thus, hopefully, making the couch last until we choose to replace it.

### Week 46 – *November 11th to November 17th*

#### Quilt Something

![Image is two views of the same hexagon potholder so you can see either side. They're separated by a wavy vertical line and at the bottom it says "Week 46" in black and red. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_653F894A-CA79-478C-B828-74EA18BB1A10.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I was spending this week jumping between many different sewing projects for Christmas gifts and although many of them dealt with quilting I realized that splitting my time between them meant that nothing would get finished within the challenge’s timeline. I decided to pause all of them and focused instead on this single [Log Cabin Hexi Potholder, through SewCanShe](https://www.sewcanshe.com/blog/2014/9/26/log-cabin-hexi-potholders-a-tutorial-with-partial-seams?ref=simplykyra.com), that I had fallen in love with back in week 24\. After constructing the hexagons I had both of my girls use my fabric markers to put their mark on it before I finished sewing it all together.

### Week 47 – *November 18th to November 24th*

#### Sew Something For a Holiday Or Special Occasion

![Image is a collage of three photos. The top image takes up the entire top showing some spherical ornaments with Christmas fabric. The bottom two images are basically the same thing showing a section of potholders on either side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_3E2C6CDD-E065-48FE-A4E8-3D43B4F0F86E.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

At first I was thinking that I needed to sew some fancy or Christmas-decorated clothing for this challenge and then realized it didn’t dictate what it had to be only that it was for the holiday. I’d been sewing up Christmas presents and used this week’s challenge to justify finishing them all up so I could submit them for this Christmas holiday-themed challenge. I also took a quick break to finish up, and create one more, [Christmas tree ornament that I based on Mister Domestic’s](https://misterdomestic.com/2017/10/22/quilted-ball-ornament-ornament-along-4/?ref=simplykyra.com). Either way challenge accepted once again!

### Week 48 – *November 25th to December 1st*

#### Sew a Gift

![The image is a collage of three photos with the text saying "week 48" centered at the top. The left image shows both dresses laid out on the ground. The rightmost images shows the sewn cuffs, top, and a closeup of the back with the buttons and added fabric marker cutie marks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7484.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I bought [the Kids’ Vintage Lounge Dress through Rad Patterns](https://www.radpatterns.com/product/vintage-lounge-dress-kids/?ref=simplykyra.com) and I couldn’t wait to sew it up for my kids. The last three Christmases I had made the girls [Peppermint Swirl Dresses for Christmas](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/20/even-more-peppermint-swirl-dresses/) but over the last year realized that Ada didn’t like hers (the snaps were uncomfortable) and since we’re home all the time anyway I decided to make them epic nightgowns instead. I had them choose fabric online for their nightgown and once they decided I sneaked the girls’ runner up choice into the cart. It’s with this surprise fabric, from Joann’s, that I sneakily made their Christmas gift this week. Once they opened it on Christmas they later chose to wear these that night and especially loved how they almost brushed the ground while they wore it. My youngest even pointed out how it made her like Persimmony Parsnip from the book we had been reading: [*Persimmony from the Land of Barely There* by Stephen Cosgrove](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/511439.Persimmony?ac=1&from%5Fsearch=true&qid=9xbq0Bquv7&rank=1&ref=simplykyra.com),

### Week 49 – *December 2nd to December 8th*

#### Julie’s Pick – Make a Stocking For Someone

![Image is a collage of three photos showing the boot liners on both girls feet, top, on Zoeys, bottom left, and within a rubber boot for Ada's. Centered at the bottom it says "week 49". ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7532.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I had signed up to test the new boot liners from Rebecca Page which seemed perfect for this week as stockings are a type of footwear. Living where it doesn’t snow I had hoped that these would easily upgrade our rubber boots so we wouldn’t need to keep multiple types of boots handy over the winter. After trying these on I decided to buy the girls new rubber boots for Christmas so there would be more room for the liners…although they haven’t tested the new ones out yet.

### Week 50 – *December 9th to December 15th*

#### Sew an Accessory

![Image shows six finished LEGO masks with black elastic behind it and a pair of scissors. Underneath it says "Week 50" in black outlined turquoise. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_8211.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I figured in 2020 [a mask](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/11/04/i-sewed-up-three-free-face-mask-patterns-and-here-is-my-takeaway/) was the most frequently used accessory so I had to sew up one or more masks this week. Back in August I had fallen in love with some dumpster fire fabric along with this kid-print [through Geek Garden Fabric](https://www.geekgardenfabric.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and I couldn’t wait to surprise the kids with it. I ended up cutting out two for each kids and then added one for me and one for my husband so we could all match. This was the perfect surprise to put in everyone’s Christmas stocking this year. Like before I used our new favorite mask pattern by [Iris Luckhaus](https://www.irisluckhaus.de/en/2020/diy-cloth-mask-tutorial/?ref=simplykyra.com).

### Week 51 – *December 16th to December 22nd*

#### Sew a Kid’s Pattern

![Image shows a collage of three images with the text saying "week 51" at the bottom left. The left image shows two SUAT Magnolias, top right shows two nightgowns, and at the bottom right are two Firecrackers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_A2AB6D75-CEF2-42FA-96B2-223FA003092E.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Since all of the Christmas gifts left to sew were for my kids I decided to attempt to sew them all this week. I had cut them out the week before which made sewing them within a week much easier. I had bought some superhero fabric along with a cute dinosaur panel in a preorder through [Whimsy Baby Customs](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) a bit ago that needed to become a [new Magnolia](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/16/my-favorite-simple-kids-knit-sewing-pattern-the-magnolia/) for the girls. I also needed to sew up their chosen fabric into one of my [mashed up nightgowns](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/02/27/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/) along with sewing up two new [Ragamuffin Firecrackers](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/09/ragamuffins-firecracker-kids-dress-and-top/), using the scooped back and largest batwing, in their favorite colors. I debated quickly sizing and cutting out underwear too but decided to stop with this.

### Week 52 – *December 23rd to December 29th*

#### Sew a Gift for Yourself

![Image shows two photos side by side of the same top although they look different colors in the photos. At the bottom left it says "Week 52". The left image shows a blue long sleeved tunic on the ground while the right image shows the same tunic looking grey worn overtop of my dress. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_D6493217-9862-4A1A-BB70-310E9B2EFD38.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Two years ago I fell in love with [the new December dress that George + Ginger](https://georgeandgingerpatterns.com/products/the-december-dress-womens-sizes-pdf-sewing-pattern?%5Fpos=1&%5Fsid=e25913a61&%5Fss=r&ref=simplykyra.com) came out with. I bought the dress, ran out of time, later ordered the A0 prints, and there they sat. When I saw the final challenge was to sew a gift for myself something made me think of this dress and I had to finally make it for me. I found some fabric in my stash that came from a mystery box of some sort and had just enough to cut out the tunic length with long sleeves. I had so little fabric left that the remnants went into my fabric recycling bag. I absolutely love how this turned out and wore it with leggings on Christmas Day. This was a perfect way to end out 2020 with a pattern I had meant to make for years.

---

![Image is a collage of the last thirteen weeks in the sewing challenge. All images can be found above. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_-IMG_8885.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

---

At the end of last year I had considered ignoring the sewing challenge, working on my own things when I got a chance, and only submitting if I finished something whether it fit the challenge or not. Looking back I’m so glad I chose, last minute, to fully jump in, simplify my projects, and accept all the challenges. Within such a crazy year I’m really proud of this year’s sewing challenge. That said I’m back to feeling similar to last year and am debating focusing on other things this year. This means the upcoming 2021 challenges won’t be planned ahead, will definitely have way less accepted challenges, and may even have less submitted challenges in general. Maybe next year’s post will hold only a few submitted weeks. That said I’m definitely staying within [the official Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/52weeksewingchallenge/) and can’t wait to see what everyone else sews up this year.

Whether you found an escape through sewing or something else this year I hope your 2020 had many good points in it within all the not so good points. Here’s to 2021! Hope it goes so much better for everyone this year!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Sew a Coaster - Perfect for a Last Minute Gift
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/sew-a-coaster-perfect-for-a-last-minute-gift/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:43:03.000Z
Over this last year I finally got around to [making fabric napkins](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/07/08/quick-and-simple-fabric-napkins-with-your-serger/) for my family. This started back in February with some complicated cotton woven napkins which became drastically simplified later in April and June. They were so quick and simple to make using the rolled hem option on my serger that I ended up making a lot of them. I’m telling you about these napkins now because they ended up being the perfect coaster. Before making these I had attempted to use a more [complicated origami coaster](https://www.favequilts.com/Table-and-Placemats/Four-Square-Fabric-Coaster?ref=simplykyra.com) that I loved the look of but ended up not really using. Back in April when I attempted these napkins, along with a slightly more involved coaster, I realized that these worked amazingly when I grabbed a napkin while sitting at the kitchen table to protect my sewing projects from any of the puddles made by my water glass’ condensation. I loved it and started grabbing a napkin to use as a coaster at my desk, while sitting in the living room, and on my nightstand in the bedroom. This actually worked much better than a traditional coaster as I didn’t have to worry about it breaking if it fell, it easily washable, and sucks up any condensation so I didn’t worry about my glass dripping on my keyboard whenever I pick it up. They were amazing and solved a problem I hadn’t gotten around to tackling yet. After that first official coaster for my desk back in April and then grabbing napkins whenever I needed a coaster anywhere else all summer long I ended up making a coaster specifically for Ada in September, upcycled two shirts in September and October, and, more recently, made one for my husband’s desk. I wanted to show you my coasters and their process, ranging from incredibly simple to slightly more involved, in case you’re looking for a great coaster for yourself, a quick sew, or a simple last minute Christmas (or any other occasion) gift.

![Image is a collage geared towards a Pinterest pin. It shows the title, my main URL, and six images of five different coasters along with text showing that it's double-sided along with allowing you to upcycle a shirt, practice free motion quilting, or use fabric markers to customize it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_Last-Minute-Sewn-Coaster-Gift.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

I was debating which order I should use while sharing my coasters with you but then decided to order them based on, mostly, how descriptive the images I took were. Thus I’m first going to show you the two most random coasters I made by upcycling two unused shirts and then go over exactly how I go about sewing the coasters together. I’ll follow that by the first coaster I made specifically so I could attempt to free motion quilt again and then finally how I pieced together and customized my daughter’s Wonder Woman coaster.

Both times I upcycled a shirt into a coaster I rushed and ended up with wrinkled edges as the fabric stretched out while I was serging it. Other than these two times I’ve only used woven fabric when making the coasters so I haven’t had to worry about them stretching out. If you want to make your coaster out of stretchy fabric and are worried about it stretching I could see applying interfacing to the back of your knit fabric to stabilize it. If you don’t have any I could see using a woven fabric basted to the knit fabric and/or sandwiched between the layers for that needed stability. In my case I didn’t add any interfacing or use any woven fabric; instead, I folded the fabric up until it was the perfect thickness for my coaster and then went straight to the serger to cut and finish the edges. It was so simple.

![Image shows an empty glass sitting on a serged fabric swatch on the kitchen table. The edge is stitched in black to go with the black outlined dinosaurs on the fabric. The edge closest to you is folded but the sides are flat. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_4134.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

For the sewing challenge back in September I was supposed to upcycle something. I had recently gone through my daughters’ clothing and Zoey had grown out of an adorable set of dinosaur pajamas. I loved these pajamas and they were worn enough that no one would’ve wanted them so I used the fabric to create this simple and adorable coaster so I could still see the fabric around the house.

![Image shows an icy glass of water sitting on a rippled black edged flowered coaster on the table. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_6085.jpeg?resize=750%2C449&ssl=1)

In October the sewing challenge had you sew something with rayon spandex. I had just realized that the outfit I planned for that week was from nylon spandex instead and the only fabric I had that I knew was officially rayon spandex was already made into a failed attempt at a shirt. I decided to go ahead with my original plan but also upcycled the shirt into a coaster so I could accept the challenge.

Both coasters were fully functional although not as pretty as the other ones I’ve made over this last year. To go fully into how I made all of my coasters I wanted to show you Matt’s birthday present this year: a custom-sized kid-personalized coaster to use while working from home.

To start out you’re going to want to figure out how small or large you want the coaster to be. To determine this you could go by how you want to use your coaster or determine what size you’re limited to based on where the coaster will go. For example do you want it to fit a single glass, a large mug, or be able to sit both side by side? In Matt’s case it was being made specifically for his desk where he had been using a napkin as a coaster. Since I knew his preferred location was between his split keyboard I was able to use my measuring tape to determine the exact size I wanted the coaster to be. I then used those dimensions to cut out the white woven fabric for the top of the coaster. Since the coaster uses a rolled hem to finish the edges I didn’t need to add any seam allowance and instead rounded down to the nearest inch to fit within the space he uses. I next grabbed some fuzzy snuggle flannel fabric to back the coaster and cut it slightly larger than twice the size of the white fabric so I could fold it in half to create an inner and outer layer and thus make the coaster thicker than my napkins were. Since I was using white fabric that was vaguely see through for the top I cared that the heart fabric on the inside was facing up so the hearts could be faintly visible through the fabric. Before putting the coaster together we first used fabric markers to personalize the fabric and then used my iron to set the ink.

![Image shows both fabrics laid out on the ironing mat at the kitchen table. The heart fabric has the odd heart colored in with yellow, red, orange, blue, or purple ink while the white fabric has unicorns, shapes, scribbles, and messages. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_8170.jpeg?resize=750%2C501&ssl=1)

I cut the white fabric to the size needed to fit Matt’s desk and then cut the heart fabric twice as wide to create two layers: one on the bottom of the coaster and one filling the inside. The kids and I then personalized the fabric using fabric markers.

Once the fabric was chosen and cut it was time to assemble and sew. I had rounded the dimensions up a bit when cutting the heart fabric as it was better to be too large than too small which meant once I folded it in half, taking care to leave the selvage sticking out, it was a bit bigger than the white rectangle. I laid the heart fabric out so the colored hearts were facing down and the plain ones were facing up. I then laid the white rectangle of fabric over top so the decorated side was facing up. I used my sewing clips to keep it all in place so it wouldn’t shift when being moved over to the serger.

![Image shows the grey and colored in heart fabric folded in half so the bottom edge sticks out more than the top showing the underside of the selvage. Behind it sits the decorated white fabric. Both sit on a blue ironing mat on the kitchen table. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_8172.jpeg?resize=750%2C519&ssl=1)

I folded the heart fabric in half making sure to have the selvage stick out a bit further than the other side so the selvage won’t get caught in the coaster. Looking back I wish I had cut the fabric in the other direction as the hearts ended up going sideways across the coaster instead of up it.

![Image shows the white decorated fabric laid overtop of the folded heart fabric. The top fold is lined up with the top of the white fabric while the heart fabric extends pasts the edge on the other three sides. There's a container of sewing clips beside the fabric and the layers have been clipped together at the corners and midway down all sides. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_8176.jpeg?resize=750%2C395&ssl=1)

I laid out the white fabric on top of the plain hearts so the decorated ones were facing down. Once I made sure either side of the heart fabric lined up or extended past the edge of the white fabric I then clipped the two together so it wouldn’t shift when moving it to the serger.

Before serging the coaster’s edges I had to first switch my serger into the *3-Threaded Rolled Edge* setting. Since I’ve been serging with the [three thread narrow lately (Sew Here has a post about it)](https://sewhere.com/three-thread-narrow-overlock-stitch/?ref=simplykyra.com) I didn’t have to remove a sewing needle and only had to switch three settings to get it ready. To confirm it worked I stitched a bit to see that the thread tail changed and then used a scrap of the heart fabric to confirm it looked right. Then I was ready to go.

![Image shows most of the 3-Thread Rolled Edge page in the baby lock instruction book as the serger, behind it, is opened up.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_8180.jpeg?resize=750%2C476&ssl=1)

Checking my serger’s instruction book to confirm the proper settings when switching it over. I always forget what the length and width of the stitch should be when doing a rolled hem.

![Image shows a close up of the white thread tail behind the serger's foot. The slightly closer end is wider and blurred while the thread closer to the foot has switched to a skinnier stitching. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_8184.jpeg?resize=750%2C384&ssl=1)

After switching the settings I next serged a bit to confirm that the thread tail showed I had in fact switched over to a rolled hem.

![Image shows a scrap of grey hearted fabric with a rolled hem behind the serger foot and a selvedge edge in front of the foot. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_8186.jpeg?resize=750%2C404&ssl=1)

I then grabbed a scrap of woven fabric to confirm that I liked how the stitches looked. At this point if I didn’t like it I could play around with the stitch length to make the stitches either closer together or further apart. I liked it here but last week when doing a rolled hem on cotton Lycra I tested it on a scrap from the garment and realized that I didn’t like how it looked unless I put the stitches as close together as possible.

And now that the serger is ready it’s time to serge the coaster together. This is the simplest part of the process. Since this is a rolled hem you don’t have to turn it right side out afterwards so you don’t even need to remember to leave an opening. I start out by serging along the edge of the white fabric on one side. I then rotate it 180 degrees and serged down the opposite side. Next I turn it 90 degrees and serge down one of the last two ends cutting off the serger tails from the previous sides as I go. Finally I serge along the fourth side thus completing the coaster. Since this is on the serger rather than the sewing machine the excess heart fabric was trimmed off along with the first four thread tails.

![Image shows a closeup of the coaster in the serger. The edge being serged shows a blurred rolled hem in white at the back and a sewing clip holding the raw edges together in front of the serger's foot. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_8188.jpeg?resize=750%2C515&ssl=1)

I start by picking a side and serge along it while trimming off the excess fabric as I go.

![Image shows the coaster as the serger starts to serge the second side. You can see the excess fabric being trimmed away and the thread tail connecting the first side with the second side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_8190.jpeg?resize=750%2C484&ssl=1)

I then serge off and turn the coaster around so I can start serging along the opposite side of the coaster. As you can see there’s a serger tail connecting the two sides so you may need to serge enough that the tail is long enough or bunch the coaster up a bit so it can reach.

![Image shows the finished edge of the coaster laying perpendicular to the pressure foot. The raw edge is about to be serged and the tail from the end is crossing the pressure foot so it can be trimmed. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_8191.jpeg?resize=750%2C442&ssl=1)

Once the first two edges are finished it’s time to serge the last two. Along with trimming the excess fabric you’ll also be trimming the two thread tails at the beginning and end of either side. In this case I wanted to serge the edge closest to the finished one so I was in the midst of making sure to bring the thread tail with me to the right side of the pressure foot before I started serging the end so it can be trimmed off properly.

When doing the wider default three or four thread stitches on my serger I normally finish off my project by unraveling any thread tails remaining, knot them, and then trim the excess thread away. This way I don’t fear the seam unraveling at a later point. In the rolled hems’ case the thread is too tangled together to unravel, I have tried to no avail in the past, so I’ve taken to simply trimming off the ends. I haven’t noticed any hem unraveling so far but I’d love to hear from you in the comments if you have a better way to finish off a rolled hem. Anyway after trimming you’re all done with your coaster!

![Image shows the backside of the finished coaster laid out horizontally. The hearts go sideways across it with the two bottom corners trailing a small thread tail. The top two corners and joined by a single shared tail so the corners are folded up towards each other. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_8192.jpeg?resize=750%2C412&ssl=1)

The backside of the finished coaster before I trimmed off the thread tails.

![Image shows the finished coaster laid out between Matt's split keyboard with the ipad reflecting the image of the coaster back. You can see the hearts faintly under the decorated white top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_8503-1.jpeg?resize=750%2C528&ssl=1)

The finished coaster fits Matt’s space perfectly and is more than large enough to fit both a glass of water and a mug of tea at the same time if he wants to

The really cool part about using a serger’s rolled hem to make these coasters means that you don’t have to turn them right side out when you’re done and, most importantly, you don’t need to perfectly cut out each piece before assembling it. This means whenever I make a coaster I don’t need to trim each piece, as above when I folded, or even cut it vaguely to size. When I upcycled the knit shirts to make my coasters I just folded it up until it was as thick as I wanted the coaster to be. I didn’t worry about cutting the folds or trimming it smaller. Instead I grabbed some sewing clips, or pins depending on the space, to hold the fabric together enough for me to serge where I want the coaster’s edges to be. The serger does all the work of cutting off the excess fabric and the rolled hem finishes the edge in a way that I can display without feeling like I need to hide the edges by turning it inside out.

![Image shows a shirt folded in half with a rolled hem along the fold. The top part of the shirt is cut of and the bottom part is now a rectangular coaster. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_4131.jpeg?resize=750%2C368&ssl=1)

When making the dinosaur upcycled coaster I simply folded the shirt in half, as if I was going to fold it to put away, clipped it in place, and then serged the top of the shirt off. It was so simple and I ended up with four layers to the coaster that could protect my surfaces from a wet or hot glass.

The first of all these coasters was made back in April when the sewing challenge had me sew with a challenging notion. At first I was going to make my first batch of napkins, made the same way I went over above but larger and batched to make more at once, and then realized that a rolled hem on the serger was just a settings issue and I didn’t need a different pressure foot like when I used my sewing machine. I still started out by making a few mini-napkins to test out my process but I still had to come up with something for the challenge. For some reason I remembered free motion quilting which I had attempted years ago when making [the burners on my kids’ kitchen set cover](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/02/26/kids-play-kitchen/) but I hadn’t picked up since. As I had my rolled hem set up on the serger I decided to use a similar process as the napkins to make myself a new coaster. I remembered loving seeing the puffiness around my stitches so I knew I wanted this coaster to be thicker than the napkins. To accomplish this I grabbed some quilt batting I had on hand, cut it to size for a rectangular coaster, grabbed some snuggle flannel I liked, and cut it twice as wide as the batting. I then folded the fabric around the batting and serged a rolled hem around all four sides. I had the perfect puffy coaster that I was able to use to play around with on the sewing machine with my free motion quilting foot.

![Image shows a a square of quilt packing next to a roughly cut square of blue leafy fabric. Behind it sits a package of poly-fil low loft quilt batting along with the scraps from the snuggle flannel.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7183.jpeg?resize=750%2C515&ssl=1)

I started by cutting a coaster size rectangle of quilt batting and then a larger rectangle of woven fabric. I made sure the fabric was the same height and twice as wide (or depending on the direction of the fabric’s pattern the same width and twice as tall) as the batting.

![Image shows a rectangle of fabric being held up in front of a serger. There's a clip at the center top and bottom of the rectangle. The sides have a rolled hem, the top is folded over, and the bottom shos a raw edge. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7185.jpeg?resize=750%2C537&ssl=1)

Like above I clipped it along all the corners and sides before serging a rolled hem along all four edges.

![The coaster sits on the kitchen table. You can see a black threaded flower off center on it with black spirals radiating out from it. The edges are finished with a black rolled hem. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7188.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After the napkin was made I took it over to my sewing machine where I played around with free motion quilting by creating a flower and multiple spirals spiraling out from the flower.

I absolutely love the softness of the snuggle flannel I’ve been using for my napkins and coasters and love how it can more easily absorb condensation than the plain woven fabric ones so when I went to make Ada’s Wonder Woman-themed coaster I hit a snag. I wanted to use both red and blue woven fabric as they are both *Wonder Woman colors* along with the yellow I didn’t have. I didn’t want to make one side red and one side blue as that would mean no snuggle flannel. Instead I decided to piece the top together to include both red and blue and thus still use the snuggle flannel on the underside. This was not pre-measured at all so although it turned out I wish I had pieced it together before adding the fabric marker design. I started by clipping the two fabrics right sides together at an angle while checking multiple times that the design I had pre-drawn wouldn’t be hidden. Once I was happy with it I clipped it in place, sewed them together, finger-pressed the seam open, and topstitched it down. I then grabbed some snuggle flannel scraps that I hoped Ada would like, found two pieces wider than the front would be, stacked them all with the one scrap facing down and the Wonder Woman inspired one facing up, I then clipped it in place, and serged along all four edges. And with that Ada’s Wonder Woman coaster was done! Perfect for catching any water bottle condensation while doing school from home.

![Image shows a blue fabric with a selvedge across the top laid flat on an ironing mat. On it is written "We love you. You are awesome". Above it is placed red fabric with the outline of Wonder Woman's logo drawn on in back. The fabric is folded over as I try to figure out how to line it up to cover the selvedge and not the drawings. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_4508.jpeg?resize=750%2C800&ssl=1)

I had started out by using fabric markers to write a message and an outline of Wonder Woman’s logo on two pieces of fabric, set the ink, and then decided to figure out how to piece it all together. Looking back it would have been much simpler to sew the two fabrics together and then draw in the design.

![Image shows a red fabric and blue sewn together with a black line of top-stitching along the red fabric to hold the seam down. There's an outline of Wonder Woman's logo on the red fabric and a message on the blue. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_4516.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After sewing the two fabrics together and top stitching it down I was happy with how it turned out. Even though I don’t absolutely need to trim the fabric to size, as the serger does, I still had to decide how big the coaster should be so I could cut the snuggle flannel to size, for the back and inside, and clip it together to serge.

![Image shows the finished black edged red and blue Wonder Woman coaster on a brown surface next to the laptop.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_4520.jpeg?resize=750%2C489&ssl=1)

I love how the finished coaster looked next to Ada’s computer. No more worrying about the condensation when she adds ice cubes to her water bottle!

![Image shows a slightly off square-ish coaster with fuzzy pink ballerinas on a light pink background. The edge is lined in black. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_4522.jpeg?resize=750%2C547&ssl=1)

Plus if Ada ever wants a change she could flip it over to look at ballerinas.

If you don’t have a serger that allows you to make a rolled hem you could always try to do this a different way. I know my sewing machine can also make a rolled hem using a special foot although you’d have to be more careful cutting the fabric to size then. I’ve always used my sewing machine to hem [my Peppermint Swirl dresses](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/20/even-more-peppermint-swirl-dresses/) using the rolled hem option. If yoursewing machine isn’t capable of doing a rolled hem I could see playing with the stitching until you find a stitch you like. Off the top of my head I could see doing a zigzag stitch with a much shortened length so it could cover more of the edges with thread.

I hope this helps you out if you’re looking for a super simple sewing project, expanding the techniques you’ve tried on your machine, or simply looking for a coaster to help protect your surfaces. I absolutely love how quick this was to come together and how easy it is to customize through adding thickness with extra layers of fabric or batting, starting out by piecing the fabric together, playing around with thread colors, adding free motion quilting, or by decorating it with fabric markers. I’ve previously bought paper piecing patterns thinking to make a coaster with them and realizing that eight to ten inches squared might be a bit too large for a coaster as a gift. Those patterns turned into something else instead.

I’d love to hear if you’re planning on sewing your own simple coaster now. What fabrics are you planning on using? How are you going to customize it? Feel free to share in the comments below. I hope your week is going as splendidly as it can in this time.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Easily Dye Pantry Staples for Fun and Simple Sensory Materials
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/easily-dye-pantry-staples-for-fun-and-simple-sensory-materials/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:42:54.000Z
Are you looking for fun sensory materials for your kid to play with? Do you have extra pantry items you could use? What about food dye? Over the years my daughters have thoroughly enjoyed using their dyed pasta in many ways including separating them out by color or size, pouring and transferring them between small containers, feeding the pasta to toy animals, driving toy vehicles through the pasta, and using the pasta in so many other different ways limited only by their imagination. Recently I dyed various white-ish colored pastas, beans, and rice using water-based food dye and I wanted to share these results with you in case you’re also interested in doing the same.

![PInterest geared image showing a collage of nine image all shown below too. The title, the text "I've dyed pasta, beans, and rice", and my main URL shows on it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_Easily-Dye-Pantry-Staples-for-Fun-and-Simple-Sensory-Materials.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

About a year or so ago I came across some dinosaur pasta at our local grocery store and I HAD to buy it for my kids. I used the first of the two boxes as a surprise in their tomato soup and then found myself left with the other unopened box. I wanted the dinosaurs to be enjoyed for longer than just one or two meals so I decided I needed to turn them into a sensory item so the kids could keep them around for longer and play with them whenever they wanted to. I remembered having dyed pasta a couple of years before and knew that dying these too was the way to go. The last time I dyed pasta; however, I used vinegar and ended up with splotchy colors so this time I first looked online, again, on how to dye pasta and decided to use the isopropyl alcohol I had on hand this time around and oh my goodness the colors were so amazing and haven’t started fading yet.

---

#### *How I dye the pasta.*

I had the girls help me dye the dinosaur pasta and we started out by deciding to use a four-pack of neon food dye rather than the three primary colors I normally work with. I grabbed four plastic sandwich bags to contain the dye and we quickly got to work laid out on the kitchen floor. Once we had everything laid out I started by pouring a quarter of the pasta into each bag before sploshing some of the 91% isopropyl alcohol in and then dribbling the dye over top. I then sealed the zip top of each bag before handing them off to my girls to mix up. At this point if the color wasn’t dark enough I could’ve easily added more dye and mixed it up some more. Once we were happy with the color we dumped the contents of the bag onto a paper towel lined cookie sheet to let the pasta dry. Looking back I think I used too much alcohol but it all turned out since the pasta stayed firm, the dye was set, and my cookie sheets ended up coming clean… over time. The kids had a blast with their new sensory toy and I still have these colorful dinosaurs contained in a plastic container in our sensory cupboard for whenever either girl wants to play with them again.

![Image shows the supplies needed sitting on the stovetop. The supplies shown are also listed in the caption. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_9232.jpeg?resize=750%2C492&ssl=1)

I assembled what I needed: the pasta itself, water-based food dye to color the pasta, isopropyl alcohol to help distribute and set the dye, plastic bags to contain the mess, and cookie sheets lined with paper towel to let the pasta dry out on.

![Image shows four plastic sandwich bags sitting on the tiled floor equally filled a quarter way with dinosaur pasta. Around it sits the emptied box of pasta, a bottle of 91% isopropyl alcohol, a package of four neon water-based food dyes, and part of my kids as they sit beside it all. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_9236.jpeg?resize=750%2C449&ssl=1)

Since I wanted to dye the pasta four different colors I ended up splitting it equally between four plastic sandwich bags.

![Image shows a mixed sealed bag of purple pasta on the left, two bags of unmixed dyed pasta in the center, and a red bag of pasta in the corner being mixed by a kid. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_9238.jpeg?resize=750%2C532&ssl=1)

I then sloshed some of the 91% isopropyl alcohol and several drops of a neon food dye into each bag before sealing it and handing it off to a kid to mix together.

![Image shows two cookie sheets side by side each with two rectangles of paper towel on each.. A neon pink, blue, green, and purple dinosaur pasta sits on each one. Surrounding each pasta sits wet and dyed paper towel. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_9243.jpeg?resize=750%2C475&ssl=1)

I then dumped each bag out onto a rectangle of paper towel on my cookie sheets. Even though it turned out looking back the pasta was much too wet so I should’ve aired out the opened bags to dry for a bit before dumping them out. At least I could’ve used more paper towel under the other three colors once I saw the first one. The cookie sheet did eventually lose the color.

![Image shows the girls sitting on either end of a Pilates mat with their portion of the dyed pasta. The slightly dyed cookie sheet is off to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_9282.jpeg?resize=750%2C448&ssl=1)

After the pasta dried I split each color up so both girls could play with all of them.

![Photo shows the living room with Ada to the left making some food dish with her pasta dinosaurs. Zoey sits to the right with her dinosaurs waiting to go on the slide. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_9285.jpeg?resize=750%2C442&ssl=1)

Ada ended up going for cooking utensils after separating her dinosaurs by color while Zoey brought her dinosaurs to her makeshift slide

---

#### *No isopropyl alcohol?*

I prefer using isopropyl alcohol when dying pasta as it helps to coat each part of the pasta equally with the food dye, sets the dye so it doesn’t fade over time, and dries quickly. If you don’t have isopropyl alcohol on hand you could always use vinegar; however, I noticed the first time I dyed pasta using white vinegar that it ended up looking splotchy and several years later the same pasta is rather faded. Additionally the vinegar can make your pasta soggy if you use too much of it or are too slow dumping the pasta out to dry. I’ve also noticed a strong smell of vinegar lingering on my pasta for way longer than the isopropyl alcohol smells.

I came across [a post by the Hair Bow Company back in 2015](https://www.thehairbowcompany.com/dyed-pasta.html?ref=simplykyra.com) that went over the difference between using vinegar and alcohol to dye pasta. I love the simple image she shared to show the difference between the two methods. She unfortunately didn’t go into what type of alcohol she used although in her conclusion she mentioned hearing of other people using “vodka… \[which\] seems like an expensive option to \[her\], but \[she doesn’t\] see why it wouldn’t work”. Looking further I noticed that [The Parenting Chaos website](https://parentingchaos.com/dye-pasta/?ref=simplykyra.com) mentions using rubbing alcohol so I then fell into the rubbing versus isopropyl alcohol search results and discovered, through [Production Automation Corporation (PAC)](https://blog.gotopac.com/2017/05/15/why-is-70-isopropyl-alcohol-ipa-a-better-disinfectant-than-99-isopropanol-and-what-is-ipa-used-for/?ref=simplykyra.com#What%E2%80%99s%5Fthe%5FDifference%5FBetween%5FTypes%5Fof%5FIsopropyl%5FAlcohol) that rubbing alcohol contains between 68% and 72% isopropyl alcohol and “\[t\]he remaining volume consists of water, with or without suitable stabilizers, perfume oils, and color additives certified by the FDA for use in drugs.” Additionally since “\[i\]sopropyl alcohol concentrations \[of over\] 91% volume have limited bactericidal efficiency and are less effective for antiseptic use \[calling it *rubbing alcohol*\] is not warranted and may cause confusion.” So I guess any alcohol should work to dye pasta whether you can drink it, clean with it, or anything. Heck I just found on [Paging Fun Mums!](https://pagingfunmums.com/2013/07/12/how-to-dye-pasta-at-home-for-crafts/?ref=simplykyra.com) that they used hand sanitizer to fix their dye which works perfectly if you bought too large of a bottle this year. If you don’t have any vinegar or alcohol of any sort and you still wanted colorful pastas you could look into changing your dying method and you might not need the vinegar or alcohol.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7663.jpeg?resize=750%2C429&ssl=1)

I used vinegar to dye both corkscrew and a mix of small pasta years ago and have since stored it in an unused water bottle in the kids’ sensory cupboard. When dying fresh pasta using isopropyl alcohol (shown below) this month I put any of the broken ones into the bottle and realized how faded my vinegar dyed pasta had gotten over the years.

As an aside did you know [what the specific difference is between ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol (How Stuff Works)](https://science.howstuffworks.com/difference-between-ethyl-and-isopropyl-alcohol.htm?ref=simplykyra.com) and that [70% alcohol cleans bacteria better than the 91% one (Apartment Therapy)](https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/isopropyl-alcohol-percent-disinfecting-36723904?ref=simplykyra.com). Like I said I got pulled into the search results hardcore.

---

#### *No water-based food dye?*

I’ve only used water-based food dye when dying my pasta so far. That said I’ve seen people online using other methods to color their pasta. One simple way is if you use gel-based food dye instead. [The Hair Bow Company’s *Dyed Pasta: Alcohol vs. Vinegar*](https://www.thehairbowcompany.com/dyed-pasta.html?ref=simplykyra.com), listed above, and the [Happy Hooligans](https://happyhooligans.ca/dye-pasta-easy-way/?ref=simplykyra.com) both used gel food colors along with the vinegar or alcohol. If you don’t have either form of food dye you could always use paint. Specifically [Learn \~ Play \~ Imagine](http://www.learnplayimagine.com/2014/08/how-to-dye-pasta.html?ref=simplykyra.com) used liquid watercolors while [The Imagination Tree](https://theimaginationtree.com/how-to-dye-pasta-for-sensory-play/?ref=simplykyra.com) used acrylic paint yet also said you could use tempera paint too. I also just came across [Crafty Morning](https://www.craftymorning.com/bow-tie-noodle-butterfly-craft-for-kids/?ref=simplykyra.com) who colored her pasta with fun chalk markers and they turned out amazingly brilliant although I don’t how well the color is fixed to them if you wanted it for sensory play rather than art that just sits.

---

#### *What else can you dye?*

I thought of posting about dyed pasta after I set about making a bunch of dyed sensory materials for gifts this year. I wanted to offer a variety of materials so in addition to several different forms of pasta I also included dyed great northern beans, garbanzo beans, and white rice too. Essentially I think any light-colored items should work although I’m sure there may be exceptions to this. Before starting the dying process I thought of how the materials might be played with and decided to dye them in batches so they could be kept separate. I also knew that I wanted to keep the small pasta separate from the large ones as years ago when I dyed corkscrew pasta along with small pastas I realized the small ones kept getting jammed inside the corkscrews. I thus decided to dye the large flour-based and chickpea pastas in one batch, then added the small white rice to the small alphabet pasta, and then finally dyed both types of beans together. It was nice as I was able to keep reusing the same three bags as I made each batch.

Overall my process was the same as the dinosaur pasta although on a larger scale this time. I had decided to make the primary colors so I grabbed three large freezer bags and dumped about a third of each item into each bag. Once I had all the materials equally divided into the bags I sloshed isopropyl alcohol, this time 70%, into the bags and then about twenty or so large drops of water-based food dye. It was hard to count the drops so it may have ended up being much more as I counted to twenty while attempting to drop the dye in slowly. Overall it ended up being perfect although looking back I maybe should’ve dropped less dye in and then I could’ve always added more if I felt it required it. Anyway, after sealing each bag I gently shook it or squished it to mix it. Once I was happy with the dye distribution I opened the bag so it could start airing out while I prepped a surface for the material to dry on. As I was making essentially nine batches (three colors and three sets of material) I quickly ran out of cookie sheets. I ended up moving the first batch off of the paper towel lined cookie sheet by using the paper towel to move the entire pile and place it in an empty spot out of the way. I was then able to reuse the cookie sheet, with new paper towel, for the next batch. At one point I wasn’t sure how wet the pasta still was so I placed the paper towel wrapped pile on some scrap cardboard to protect my countertop from the dye and free my cookie sheet for the next batch. I was confident they were dry relatively quickly but I ended up leaving them overnight to be sure before packaging them up.

![Image shows three large freezer bags dyed blue, yellow, and red containing white beans. Below them lay the emptied plastic bags and to the right is a sheet of paper towel with a bottle of red food dye on it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7561.jpeg?resize=750%2C519&ssl=1)

Like before I divided up the material into the bags before squirting isopropyl alcohol and water-based food dye in. This time around I used a mix of great northern and garbanzo beans as I had them on hand. I considered using red kidney beans but I wasn’t sure if they would be too dark to show the dye.

![Image shows a view looking down at the table. Zoey's arms are visible as she squishing the yellow bag filled with beans. To the right lays a flattened bag of red beans and in the back there's a blue bag of beans. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7566.jpeg?resize=750%2C516&ssl=1)

After sealing the bags the kids and I mixed the dye through the beans by shaking the bag (me) or squishing it around (them).

Once I was truly confident that all the batches had fully dried on their sheet of paper towel it was time to pack them up. I ended up bagging each type of material into a sandwich or snack-sized plastic bag with layers for each color. Any broken bits of pasta was thrown in with all of my old vinegar-dyed pasta which still smelled slightly like vinegar if I took a good whiff.

![Image shows seven bags of blue and yellow (hidden) pasta laid out in the center of the photo. To the left lays the red pasta on a sheet of white paper towel. To the right lays an opened plastic bottle of faded pasta. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7653.jpeg?resize=750%2C546&ssl=1)

I went through each type of material and bagged it up with the other colors. In this case I had bagged the yellow pasta first, then blue, and finally I was about to bag the red pasta. Any broken bits of pasta got put into the water bottle I used to store the old dyed pasta.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7662.jpeg?resize=750%2C515&ssl=1)

As the beans, rice, and alphabet pasta were smaller than the rotini and penne pasta I was able to use a snack-sized plastic baggie for those. Once each bag was filled I rolled it before sealing so there was less air inside the bag and it would take up less space.

---

#### *Comparing the colors and materials*.

As I ended up dying nine batches of materials I figured I’d include some comparison photos in case you’re debating doing the same. All these materials were dyed using 70% isopropyl alcohol and water-based food dye. I didn’t measure how much dye or alcohol I used as it’s dependent on how much of the material you use and probably also on how porous it is.

![Image shows three cookie sheets laid side by side and lined with white paper towel. The leftmost one shows yellow beans, the middle red, and the rightmost one blue. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7571.jpeg?resize=750%2C338&ssl=1)

The cookie sheets contained a mix of great northern white beans and garbanzo beans. It seems the garbanzo beans took the dye better than the great northern beans but overall there was an odd bean that looked a bit darker based on how the color settled.

![Image shows three sheets of paper towel laid overlapping side by side on the table. From left to right it's a pile of red, blue, and yellow mixed pasta. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7647.jpeg?resize=750%2C452&ssl=1)

Here I dyed two different packs of chickpea rotini pasta I didn’t see myself eating. I also included a pack of white-flour penne and casarecce pasta from Garofalo bought through Costco. I wish I knew which rotini was which for you as one of them appeared to have taken the dye on better.

![Image shows three overlapping sheets of paper towel laid out on the table. From left to right they are red, blue, and yellow. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7655.jpeg?resize=750%2C361&ssl=1)

The first batch I dyed was a mix of alphabet pasta and a bright white rice. Here the dye seemed to be pretty consistent.

In case you wanted to compare the materials closer together I also separated them by color.

![Image shows three piles of yellow sensory material laid out on overlapping paper towel. From the left to right it's a mix of large pasta, rice with alphabet pasta, and two types of beans. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7634.jpeg?resize=750%2C472&ssl=1)

All of these were dyed with yellow dye.

![Image shows three piles of blue sensory material laid out on overlapping paper towel. From the left to right it's a mix of large pasta, rice with alphabet pasta, and two types of beans. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7642.jpeg?resize=750%2C513&ssl=1)

All of these were dyed with blue dye.

![Image shows three piles of red sensory material laid out on overlapping paper towel. From the left to right it's a mix of large pasta, rice with alphabet pasta, and two types of beans. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7644.jpeg?resize=750%2C987&ssl=1)

All of these were dyed with red dye.

---

#### *Can you eat it?*

I wouldn’t recommend eating these pastas especially if you used isopropyl alcohol rather than vinegar. Plus I think boiling the pasta, so it’s more edible, would cause all the dye to come out. If you are looking to eat dyed pasta I found recipes through [Tablespoon](https://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/rainbow-pasta/d7cb2f45-dea6-43e7-893f-6708e2dc10ec?ref=simplykyra.com), [delish](https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a56689/rainbow-spaghetti-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com), and [Jenn’s Blah Blah Blog](https://www.jennsblahblahblog.com/how-to-make-colored-noodles-you-can-eat/?ref=simplykyra.com). I haven’t tried to make dyed edible pasta myself but it looks like all you need to do is boil your pasta until done, strain and shock it with cold water so it stops cooking, then divide it up into plastic bags or containers so you have a pile of pasta for each color you want to make. Then add food dye (one mentioned using water-based while the other mentioned gel-based) and some water to each bag or container, shake it up, and let it sit until the pasta darkens enough. Both delish and Tablespoon mention rinsing the pasta to take off the excess dye. Tablespoon has you plate the pasta with Parmesan clouds while Delish has you toss the pasta with butter, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. None of the three articles mentions heating the pasta again so I’m not sure if you have to eat it cold or if you could microwave it first to warm it up.

---

![Image shows a blue speckled paper towel with blue beans shaped like a heart laid out on it. Above it sits red beans on a red splatted paper towel. Beneath it sits partially filled plastic bags. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7656.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Hope you enjoy playing with your dyed pasta or whatever. <3

Have you dyed pasta or some other pantry material before? Are you planning on trying it out for your first time? I’d love to hear about your favorite materials to dye, your favorite dye, your favorite way to make art out of this, or how you have fun through sensory play with these dyed materials. Feel free to share any of these through the comments below. I truly hope your week is going well.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Easily Change Up Your Playdough With Scents
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/easily-change-up-your-playdough-with-scents/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:42:13.000Z
Are you looking to make amazing playdough? Or are you tired of your regular playdough and want some way to change it up? Why not make your playdough smelly…. in a good way? I wanted to share with you how we’ve made our playdough smell great in the past by adding scents and for fun, since the smell can’t be captured in a photo, I figured I’d also throw in some glittery playdough too.

![Pinterest Image showing a collage of found images, also shown below, along with the blog's title and the main URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_Easily-Change-Up-Your-Playdough-With-Scents.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

If you haven’t made playdough before or are looking to see how I make mine you can check out [my favorite go to playdough recipe here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/). If you’re out of food dye you can easily [leave it out for a plain white playdough](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/05/22/coloring-on-playdough/) (and later use washable markers if you want some color) or [use kids’ paints to dye the playdough different colors](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/01/18/playdough-coloring-alternatives/). Or are you having issues with your playdough? [Here’s how I troubleshoot mine when it becomes too wet or too dry](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/04/29/playdough-troubleshooting/). Now on to the scents.

---

#### *Flavor Extracts*

From [the very beginning of me making playdough](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/) I’ve often used [McCormick® Extracts](https://www.mccormick.com/extracts?ref=simplykyra.com) to add a scent component to my playdough. After making my first batch I loved it so much that I actually ended up buying all of the current McCormick® Extracts I could find from my regular grocery shopping spot at the time. I loved it… although over the proceeding years I became lazier and stopped using them. That said I can now see jumping back into using more scents now that the kids are older as it would allow them to truly be able to plan out their custom playdough.

To use the extracts I add them to the playdough at one of two different points in the playdough making process. First just a word of caution… it’s better to add too little of the extract rather than having too much as you can always add more later if the scent isn’t strong enough. If I’m making a batch of playdough with a single scent I always add the extract to the boiling water, along with any water-based food dye I want, before adding the water to the dry ingredients. I then knead the playdough so it all comes together and I end up with a large ball with only one scent. If I’m wanting to have multiple scents I first make the playdough and divide it so I have one ball of playdough for each scent I want to use. I then use my fingers to create a well in the center of each playdough ball before dropping any extract and food dye I want in. I next close up the hole by covering it with playdough and then kneading the extract and dye into the playdough while attempting to not come into direct contact with it.

![The photo shows a closeup of a white plate. On the plate rests five balls of playdough where one rests in the center and the other five surround the first one. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Scented-Playdough-28.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The time I made this playdough I mixed up a single, or doubled(?), batch of playdough and after kneading it together I split it into five groups. I then pushed a well in the center of each ball and then dropped a bit of flavor extract, along with some food dye, into each before pushing the playdough into the hole and kneading it all together. For these I used six different extracts and made sure each playdough would be a unique color to help tell them apart.

---

#### *Spices and Cocoa Powder*

Last year I made cinnamon scented playdough for gifts using my regular recipe and adding a bunch of ground cinnamon to it. I followed a similar process using cocoa powder (not hot chocolate powder) to make a chocolate scented playdough too. Both smelled truly incredible! To make them I first looked online for inspiration and then once I knew it was possible I jumped in by adding the cinnamon or cocoa powder to my dry ingredients, mixing it in, and then continuing along with my recipe. For both recipes I skipped the food dye and let the cinnamon and cocoa powder shine through.

Specifically for the chocolate playdough I used the [Imagination Tree’s Best Ever Chocolate Play Dough Recipe](https://theimaginationtree.com/best-ever-chocolate-play-dough-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com) as inspiration while for the cinnamon playdough I first read over both the [Simple Southern Mom’s Easy Cinnamon Play Dough](https://simplysouthernmom.com/easy-cinnamon-play-dough-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com) along with the [Imagination Tree’s Gingerbread](https://theimaginationtree.com/gingerbread-play-dough-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com) one before jumping in. Just remember since we’re adding more dry ingredients, the cinnamon and/or cocoa powder, you may need to add more water later on to bring it together. If you want to see how to easily recover it check out [this post I made on troubleshooting playdough](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/04/29/playdough-troubleshooting/).

![Image shows a ball of brown playdough with bits removed at the top. Around it is a squished path of playdough with Zoey leaned over squashing a section with a blue spatula. Off to the right you can see the edge of some plastic wrapped balls. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_1625.jpg?resize=750%2C409&ssl=1)

At first I gave Zoey the cinnamon playdough with just spatula I had just used to help mix the playdough up with.

![Image shows a table coated in heart cookies, Play-Doh tools, a plate of decorated cookies, and a single ice cream cone.... all brown and cinnamon scented. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_1632.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Later the kids went to town making many cinnamon-scented desserts with their Play-Doh tools.

---

#### *Essential Oils*

Twice now I’ve used essential oils to add an element of scent to our playdough. The first time I used lavender oil and dyed the playdough a dark lavender to match. This time around, just last week, I added a kids pure essential oil blend called [Peace and Calm I purchased through Fabulous Frannie](https://www.fabulousfrannie.com/kids-peace-calm-pure-essential-oil-blend.html?ref=simplykyra.com). I can’t remember how I combined the oil into the playdough the first time but this time around I looked online first and found an [*Essential Oil Play Dough Recipe* through The Pinning Mama](https://www.thepinningmama.com/essential-oil-no-cook-play-dough-recipe/?ref=simplykyra.com) who used 10-12 drops for a recipe that looked similar in size to mine. Since I was quadrupling my recipe I added just over 40 drops to my canola oil before then combining it in with the dry ingredients and continuing with my recipe resulting in one large batch of hopefully peaceful and calming playdough.

Just be careful adding essential oils to playdough especially for children. Some essential oils shouldn’t be used around kids and/or pets so it’s always good to check before using. I’ve been following [*Using Essential Oils Safety* on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/usingeossafely/?ref=simplykyra.com) to get tips and tricks.

![Photo shows a tube of light lavender playdough cut into eleven slices. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7677.jpeg?resize=750%2C266&ssl=1)

It ended up not being as pretty as I wanted it to be but I made a lavender-hued quadrupled batch of playdough with the *Kids Peace and Calm* essential oil added in for gifts this year.

![Photo shows nine equal-ish sections of playdough with my playdough-making tools laid out behind it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/12/compressed_IMG_7678.jpeg?resize=750%2C409&ssl=1)

I wanted nine balls of playdough from the quadrupled batch so I attempted to cut it into equal sections, counted out nine of them, and then took the excess playdough and added it to the smaller portions. After I took this photo I grabbed each section of playdough, rolled it into a ball, and used plastic wrap to seal it keeping it soft until Christmas.

---

### *Glitter*

Okay, I know glitter isn’t a scent but since you’re here figuring out how to change up your playdough and since it’s so hard to photograph a smell I wanted to throw some glittery playdough your way. So far I’ve only added glitter when making my own homemade playdough but I’m guessing you could also mix it into store-bought Play-Doh too if you’d like. Whenever I make glittery playdough I always dump the glitter into the dry ingredients and mix it in before adding the boiling water and bringing the playdough together.

![Image is of a floured tabletop. Both girls are sitting down with their glittery playdough in front of them. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Glitter-32.jpg?resize=750%2C505&ssl=1)

This time I had either girl make their own color, I think it was for a birthday present, and we liberally sprinkled both silver and gold glitter into either bowl of dry ingredients, and canola oil, before adding the boiling water and kneading the playdough together. Afterwards, either kid got some of both colors, some extra flour (which can dry out the playdough), and a bowl as a stepping point to play with before they went to get out their playdough toys.

![Image shows my countertop with seven small balls of sparkly white-ish playdough and one large ball. Behind them sits a metal measuring cup with some flour and my electric kettle. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_9438.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

With this batch I wanted to make different colors of playdough but I wanted them to all be glittery. To simplify the process I made a batch of glittery playdough and then split it up into smaller balls so I could dye each one individually.

![Image shows a closeup of seven glittery balls of playdough with wells full of food dye in each. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_9440.jpg?resize=750%2C423&ssl=1)

After making the balls I poked my finger into each one and then added the food dye in. If you want each one scented differently this is the time to also add your extracts or essential oils.

![Image shows a row of sparkly colored balls of playdough and a spatula. The balls are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, black, and purple. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_9444.jpg?resize=750%2C317&ssl=1)

After mixing the dye in I was left with seven gorgeously colored sparkly balls of playdough.

---

Have you made scented playdough before? Did you make it a similar way to one of the ones above or do something different? What’s your favorite playdough scent? I’d love to branch out so feel free to share what you did in the comments below. I hope your December is going well and you’re staying safe. Hope you have a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Recycle Packing Slips to Make Quick and Simple Homemade Stickers
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/recycle-packing-slips-to-make-quick-and-simple-homemade-stickers/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:42:04.000Z
Sometime over the summer I was going through a parcel I had ordered when I noticed the packing slip contained a section that appeared to be a sticker. On closer examination I realized that the whole bottom half of the sheet was a single sticker containing only a bit of printed text with the rest of the sticker remaining blank. I quickly grabbed my scissors and trimmed away the printed text so I was left with a plain white sticker. I remembered a preprinted sticker coloring kit I truly enjoyed as a kid so I thought of my kids and started a pile of plain stickers as more orders came over the next several months.

![Imaged geared towards pinterest with five images showing different ways you can upcycle the sticker section of a packing slip. All images are shown below. There's also a title at the top, some text showing the ways, and my URL. Overall it shows gift tags, labels to organize, and simple stickers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_Recycle-Packing-Slips-to-Make-Quick-and-Simple-Homemade-Stickers.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Over the following months I kept forgetting to tell the kids about the stickers but with each parcel that arrived I made sure to check the packing slip to see if it also contained a sticker and if so if there was a large enough empty section to justify cutting it out to save. Each one was carefully placed with my pile of saved stickers in the corner of my kitchen counter. That sticker stash ended up being useful while reorganizing one of my kitchen cupboards a couple months ago. I had already purchased and used some small plastic bins from the local Dollar Tree to organize my cupboard but found I had kept forgetting what was in each of the bins in the back. I knew I needed a better solution so after re-organizing everything in the cupboard in a way that made sense for our current stage I found myself turning to my sticker stash to create a label on the front of the bins so I could easily read what was in the bin without having to take it out each time. Over the last couple months my cupboard has gotten progressively messier as I use it and add more items in but those labels help me keep that area under control and make me smile when I notice it. It was a perfect quick solution for what I needed; although, since I haven’t tried to take it off I can’t say whether it might leave behind sticker residue if I had to switch the label out with a new one.

![Image shows a white rectangular sticker with a black fine tipped sharpie behind it. On the sticker there is a list of things that are in the bins. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_4156.jpg?resize=750%2C519&ssl=1)

I grabbed one of the larger rectangular stickers and started writing what I had inside my two opaque bins. I ended up writing what was in the one bin starting at the top of the sticker and then I flipped it around so I could start writing what was in the other bin from the other side. I did this since I wasn’t sure how long either list would get and I could easily trim it once I was done and ready.

![Image shows my opened corner cupboard. Inside you can see two shelves with the one bin, hidden behind, at the top and the other bin facing the other way in the back corner on the bottom shelf. Those two bins have the white sticker stuck under the handle. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_4161.jpg?resize=750%2C555&ssl=1)

Once I was happy with my lists I cut the sticker in half and attached each of them to the front of either bin.

Later I was wrapping birthday presents for two of our friends and realized that I wasn’t quite sure where our gift labels were and wasn’t even sure if I wanted to use them since they were probably Christmas-themed. Normally if we’re wrapping the gift with wrapping paper I just write the name directly on the paper with a sharpie so I don’t have this issue. This time around I was using gift bags, saved from previous Amazon gifts for my kids, and I realized I needed some way to label them. I ended up going back to my sticker stash, chose a large enough sticker, wrote out the customary to and from on one of the stickers twice, and then cut out the two labels making sure to make them heart shaped. One of the labels didn’t appear to stick well to the mesh bag so I ended up sticking it to the ribbon and then the bag hoping the difference in fabric would help it stick for longer.

![Image shows a closeup of the ribboned area of two fabric gift bags. Attached to them is a heart shaped white label addressed to the recipient (blacked out) and addressed from my kids. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_4103.jpg?resize=750%2C379&ssl=1)

Love how I was able to quickly label the gifts by using a simple packing slip. I could see, in the future, creating a larger label and having the kids’ design and color them before sticking them onto their friends’ gifts.

And now onto the main reason I saved the plain section of so many packing slips: stickers! Before showing the kids these blank stickers I grabbed one and, using my fine tipped black sharpie, quickly drew an image of flowers and then colored it in with my pencil crayons. I then waited until one day when the kids were wanting more iPad time and I simply asked them if they wanted to design their own stickers. They got so excited! I went to grab the stickers while they grabbed their art creation tools; mostly markers, pencil crayons, crayons, and gel pens. I showed them the flowers I made and explained how I could next cut out the sticker or add more around it. Both kids excitedly grabbed a sticker sheet and got to work. Going in I pictured them drawing smaller things on the sticker sheets before cutting them out so the stickers would be small and custom-shaped to whatever they drew…. they didn’t do this. They ended up grabbing a sticker sheet and coloring over the whole entire thing. Zoey focused on decorating one or two sheets before being done while Ada excitedly announced her finished count as she filled each sticker in with colors before deciding she was done after designing six. Looking back I just realized that I don’t know where Ada chose to put her stickers once she was finished but I later saw the plastic cup of plain stickers along with Zoey’s designed artwork sitting and waiting for the girls on their extremely messy art table. I can’t wait to see what they design on the leftover blank stickers and I also can’t wait to see their creations once they remember they have colored stickers again. I love how it was an extremely simple art project that was so incredibly surprising and novel for the girls.

![Image shows a stack of mostly blacked white sticker sheets. The top one still has some printed text on it with a black outlined bunch of flowers drawn right underneath it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_1915.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

To create a quick sticker sample for the girls I grabbed one of the sticker sheets and quickly drew some flowers and stems with my fine-tipped black sharpie.

![Image shows the same stack of blank stickers as the previous image. This time the flowers and stems have been colored in with pencil crayon. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_1918.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then grabbed some of the kids’ pencil crayons and colored in my drawing.

![Image shows the kids sitting beside each other at the kitchen table. Between them sits a container of crayons, a container of pencil crayons, a marker holder, and a cup of blank stickers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_6288.jpg?resize=750%2C430&ssl=1)

After showing the kids what you could do they each grabbed a sticker sheet and started designing their own sticker. I quickly grabbed a plastic drinking glass to corral all the blank stickers in one place and then let them do their own thing,

![Image is take from above Zoey looking down at the table. You can see part of her pumpkin hat and her hand while she doodles on the sticker with an orange-y peach gel pen. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_6291.jpg?resize=750%2C489&ssl=1)

Zoey got to work doodling with her favorite orange gel pen.

![Image shows the a closeup of the kitchen table with Ada, torso shown, sitting behind it. On the table are three sheets of stickers designed with hearts, rainbows, vehicles, and a lightly colored unicorn.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_6293.jpg?resize=750%2C524&ssl=1)

Ada loved designing the stickers and attempted to cover each sticker without cutting it down in size. She didn’t like the skinny long stickers along the edge of each sticker sheet so those were ignored.

![Image shows the table, stretching from the bottom of the image to the top. Ada is grabbing a new blank sticker to design another to add to her finished pile in front of her. Between the kids sits their shared art supplies. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_6296.jpg?resize=671%2C1024&ssl=1)

The girls had a blast designing their stickers although they haven’t designed more since or used their stickers, that I know of, so far.

![Image shows a cup with blank, and mine, stickers along with Zoey's designed sticker sheet sitting on top of a pile of papers and art supplies. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_6430.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I’m unsure what Ada did with her finished stickers but Zoey’s sticker and the cup of blank stickers sit on top of their messy art table waiting for the kids to discover them once again… although since this picture they’ve since cleaned off their art desk and I have no idea where they ended up putting this.

Discovering the blank sticker sections on my packing slips was a welcome surprise and I loved seeing the joy on my kids’ faces when they were designing their own stickers. I’ve since decided to continue keeping an eye out for any blank stickers in my future parcel orders because I’d love to see what they come up with when designing their very own stickers in the future.

If you want to color your own stickers but you don’t want to have to draw your own designs or wait for packing slips you could always order your own. I haven’t yet tried but I’ve done a quick search on Etsy and saw that [you can order preprinted stickers from several different storefronts](https://www.etsy.com/market/coloring%5Fstickers?ref=simplykyra.com). If you’re looking for something more open ended you can always buy blank labels or sticker sheets to design yourself. If you make sure the sticker sheet is your proper printer size you could even print out a coloring page or something for you or your kids to color.

I hope this helps you come up with something new to do with your kids or have another creative outlet for you. I’d love to hear what you created or hear about any other cool things you may have found to upcycle so feel free to share in the comments below. I hope your week is going well and you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simple, Easy, and (Sometimes) Free Advent Calendar Ideas
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-easy-and-sometimes-free-advent-calendar-ideas/
Last updated: 2025-09-01T01:17:18.000Z
I hadn’t planned to write a post about advent calendars this year as I randomly splurge at my local Costco when I found some pre-made LEGO-themed ones. That said I’ve since come across [a post in one of my Facebook groups](https://www.facebook.com/groups/thenonconsumeradvocate/permalink/10158546697435499) where a list of activities was asked for to fill an advent calendar and I’ve since been wondering if I should share what I’ve used to fill up my own in the past in case you’re looking for inspiration of your own. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not I hope the activities and ideas in this post helps you out.

![Pinterest image showing a collage of eleven images all found below. Also shows the post's title and the main URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_Simple-Easy-and-Sometimes-Free-Advent-Calendar-Ideas.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Normally before December comes around I try to create a list of potential ideas, activities, and items I want to include in our advent calendar that year. I don’t set it up ahead of time though. Instead I keep the physical items in a bag hidden away and fill in each day the night before so I don’t have to worry about the kids looking ahead. A benefit to this is if I’m giving an item larger than the drawer itself, which is often, I can easily hide the item the night before along with a small paper clue placed in the next day’s drawer. I end up hiding the items in only a couple of spots (normally under the couch or under the Christmas tree skirt) so I think the kids have learned to not peek before they have breakfast so if the surprise is hidden it’s not given away. As the month goes on I like to keep track of what we did over December by jotting them down in my advent calendar printable, [that I shared back in 2017](https://www.simplykyra.com/christmas-advent-calendar/), so after Christmas I can easily look back and remember what we did. This also means that if plans change I can easily adjust my advent calendar plans without having to remove anything last second from the calendar. Plus after they’ve opened the day’s drawer there’s nothing stopping them from playing with the advent calendar by using the drawers and putting the puzzle back together.

If you're interested in writing out your own advent calendar you can download the file here:

### Get this printable (and more!)

All my templates and printables live in one easy member hub. 

[Go to Downloads](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/) 

![Ada sitting on the bed building hte advent calendar laid out on her lap with a sock, a car, and a container of plastic dinosaurs beside her. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_4374.jpeg?resize=750%2C385&ssl=1)

A couple years ago while I was sewing and Zoey was still napping I was able to entertain Ada by giving her the advent calendar, dumping the drawers out, and having her recreate the puzzle. When she had trouble I taught her to order the numbers, as each drawer is labelled, so she could use the number sequence to her advantage.

![Image shows the back of Zoey in a Christmas red shirt as she builds the advent calendar puzzle. The calendar shows most of the left tree and the rest of the painted drawers sit on the table. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_1218.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Last year Zoey was at the perfect age for playing with the advent calendar while Ada, mostly, ignored it… after building it once or twice.

![Image shows a closeup of the inside of a drawer showing the advent calendar with an arrow to the back and a heart. Behind it sits the rest of the advent calendar with a tape covered shoe box behind it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_1913.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

At the beginning of the month I kept hiding the items under the couch or the Christmas tree skirt. This time I decided to put the surprise in a shoe box we had and I left it behind the advent calendar on the table with a cute message for the kids in the drawer.

![Image shows the advent calendar with all the drawers in place sitting on the table with white dotted fabric tossed behind it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_1795.jpeg?resize=750%2C483&ssl=1)

I wasn’t sure if I liked how it looked so I quickly added some scrap fabric to the top of the box to help hide it and make it prettier.

---

Here are many of the toys and activities we did over the years to fill both our December and our advent calendar’s drawers.

---

### *Christmas Books*

My absolute favorite idea for advent calendars are books. Every year when Christmas is over I hide our Christmas books inside a gift bag and place it in the boxes with our Christmas stuff. Then the next year I can quickly hide the books away once they’re unpacked without the kids remembering what exactly they were. This way I’m able to dole the books out with our advent calendar. The kids absolutely love it when their surprise for the day are several *new* Christmas books. Over the years I’ve been buying cute Christmas books so whenever I eventually have 24 really good books we love I’m planning on wrapping them and putting them in a basket. Then each night leading up to Christmas the kids can take turns unwrapping a book to read that night.

![Image take from above looking down at a white wicker basket filled with Christmas themed books sitting upright inside it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_6157.jpeg?resize=750%2C457&ssl=1)

Some of the Christmas books we have. That year I designated a Christmas book basket so every time the kids received more Christmas books there was a home for them to go to when they weren’t being read.

In case you’re looking for book ideas the one book I’m looking forward to reading the most each and every year is one I stumbled across at our library’s quarterly book sale and only bought because my kids were little and there was a touch and feel component to it. The book is called [*One Snowy Night* by M. Christina Butler](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228310.One%5FSnowy%5FNight?ref=simplykyra.com) and it’s an adorable story about a little hat a hedgehog gets from Father Christmas. The hat then gets gifted to each animal in the story as it’s stretched and contorted until it finally makes it’s way back to the little hedgehog as the perfect blanket to keep warm him after his friends save him from the wintery wind outside.

If you’re looking for other ways to present your Christmas books I quickly looked around online and found [Jennifer Garry’s *How to Create Your Own Book Advent Calendar* on Brightly](https://www.readbrightly.com/book-advent-calendar-how-to/?ref=simplykyra.com) where she wrapped the books in four different types of wrapping paper and added a spinner, matching the paper, to determine which book needed to be opened each night. I also found a list of [*24 of the Best Children’s Holiday Books for Advent Countdown* on Kelle Hampton](https://kellehampton.com/2016/11/24-of-the-best-childrens-holiday-books-for-advent-countdown/?ref=simplykyra.com) where she included treats and instructions like hot cocoa and a fort, popcorn under the stars, or a s’mores kit under their twinkle lights with some of the books.

---

### *Holiday Themed Outings*

Do you have any Christmas traditions that you do every year? Why not surprise the kids by having them find out they’re going with a note in their advent calendar. I don’t know if our area is going to do it again this year but in the past we’ve attempted to go see the Christmas train when it stops in our city. The morning of the train I have the kids open their advent calendar’s drawer to find a drawing of a train, so they knew we were going later on, along with a mini candy cane or something.

![Image shows part of a pink flowered post-it note with a blue inked train on tracks saying 'chug chug Choo Choo' underneath and snowflakes above. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_4042.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

For several years I’ve quickly written out a holiday train on a little piece of paper or post-it note the night before the event in our area.

Are there any places you normally go every year? With the COVID restrictions many things are being cancelled but that also means that some events are going virtual so there might be a virtual version of what your normally do. It’s not the same but in the case of the Christmas train I just found by searching online that [the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train is creating a live concert on their Facebook page on December 12th at 6 p.m. MT](https://www.cpr.ca/en/community/holiday-train?ref=simplykyra.com). Other events, like Christmas light walk-throughs, might still be going on in a more socially distanced or stay in your vehicle way so you may still be able to attend based on your area and comfort levels.

Are you looking to go shopping for any specific Christmas decorations this year? The last couple years I included a Christmas ornament shopping day in our advent calendar. This way I was able to take the kids to the store to pick out their favorite ornament in person and then I got a Christmas ornament snapshot of who they were based on these yearly ornaments purchases. This year we’re going to skip this tradition but I did want to include it in case you’re comfortable having your kids go shopping with you. For a more COVID safe way you could always have your kids pick ornaments online ([I’m surprising my kids with an adorable COVID-related one through Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/listing/849975104/2020-covid-quarantine-personalized?ref=yr%5Fpurchases)) or create your own ornaments at home.

![Image is take from above looking down at Ada hugging a blue unicorn Christmas tree ornament, from what I can remember, beside a row of Christmas ornaments. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_1382.jpeg?resize=750%2C678&ssl=1)

Ada at Target saying goodbye to the runner up ornament after she picked her absolute favorite. This was last year so pre-COVID.

---

### *Any General Type of Outing*

Two years I finally checked off an item on the wish list by taking the family out to check out the Arizona Cactus Garden. It wasn’t Christmas-themed at all but it was a fun break from our normal routine that, although planned a couple days before, the kids didn’t know about until they opened their advent calendar that morning. We had a blast checking out all the different cactus and even had a quick cold picnic beside the garden. That same year a popup at one of our nearby malls hosted [Rachel Doorley from TinkerLab](https://tinkerlab.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) so we also got to add an outing to build DrawBots to our advent calendar. As a quick aside I just looked up DrawBots and found [a blog post by Not Just Cute with Amanda Morgan showing videos of her version of the DrawBots from the TinkerLab book](https://notjustcute.com/2014/06/26/tinkerlab-drawbot-stem-fun-for-kids/?ref=simplykyra.com). Since we normally never really go to malls we had a blast afterwards simply wandering around exploring and split a cup of ice cream three ways. It reminded me of checking out the large lit up Christmas tree at the local mall with my sister and a Christmas coffee pre-kids. If COVID wasn’t around I could definitely see adding a wander around the mall with my kids to my list again this year… maybe next year it will be.

![Image shows a pink flower post-it note on top of my diaper backpack. On it is drawn an arrow with a car mid-way to the destination at the tip of the arrow. On it is a cactus, the ground, and four figures of proper heights. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_5395.jpeg?resize=750%2C542&ssl=1)

I drew a picture for the advent calendar saying that we’d drive as a family to see a cactus… and then had to translate it once the kids pulled it out.

![Image shows Zoey turned away from the camera looking at the cactus behind her. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_5471.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The kids loved the break from routine as we explored the many different cactus.

![Image is take from above looking down at Ada and Zoey carrying the empty cup with spoons. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_4328.jpeg?resize=750%2C735&ssl=1)

Even though it was spitting rain we ended up splitting a delicious cup of ice cream three ways.

---

### *Purchase Seasonal Food or Treats*

Years before the kids were born I created an entire tea advent calendar for Matt and I to enjoy. I really wanted to use my new just painted advent calendar and had just realized how much tea we owned so I went through and created 24 little plastic wrapped bundles of tea, thoughtfully placed them in each drawer, and carefully recorded which teas went in which drawers. The plan was to drink each day’s tea together, record what we liked, and later look at the key I made so we knew which were our favorites and which we didn’t like as much. Being busy university students we ended up not keeping up with the calendar and were still going through them in January.

Since then I haven’t made another food-specific calendar although I have bought a David’s Tea advent calendar one year for me and a Costco beer calendar for Matt last year. Both took longer than expected to finish but we still loved them. For the kids’ I’ve started adding holiday treats to some of their advent calendar days. This could include a simple candy cane, some special chocolate, or a special melting hot cocoa snowman from Trader Joe’s.

![Image is taken looking up at the top of the cabinet showing two advent calendar, a berry strainer, and some Christmas decorations. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_4113.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Two years ago I splurged on a tea advent calendar from David’s Tea. I still have some of the tea so I wouldn’t justify buying it again but the kids and I enjoyed checking on it every morning after the kids’ advent drawer had been opened.

![Image shows a kitchen table with a kindergarten Thanksgiving candle and a mug with a chocolate snowman being held inside it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_1869.jpeg?resize=750%2C331&ssl=1)

Last year I discovered through Instagram that Trader Joe’s had a snowman that melted in a hot mug of water to become hot cocoa with marshmallows. I was able to get my hands on some so I pivoted one of the following advent calendar days to be **melting snowmen* and saved the extra ones to go in their Christmas stockings.

---

### *Food-Related Activities*

Do you do holiday baking? Whether it’s cookies or something else for you or some friends why not include it in your advent calendar especially if it’s something your kids help you with and would be excited to do. If you don’t like making baked treats from scratch there’s tons of kits out there that you can buy whether it’s pre-made cookies to decorate or a gingerbread house. Last year I bought pre-made cookies with icing at the grocery store for a playdate and then added some extra sprinkles I had on hand so everyone had more than enough sugar to decorate their cookies with. Two years ago I found a gingerbread volcano that I couldn’t pass up at Michael’s Arts and Crafts which I added some graham cookies, a container of icing, and some more candy decorations to so the kids got a long decorating session making their special treats. Additionally, over the last several years, I’ve been baking a three ingredient shortbread cookie that Matt’s been loving and has become a mid-December tradition. If you’re trying to watch your calories there’s always the junction between food and decorations if you want to make salt dough Christmas tree ornaments or other decorations using other food stuff like cloves or orange peels.

![Image shows a table with a gingerbread volcano spouting colorful sugar paper lava. Behind and to the side of it the kids are seated with a graham cookie and icing house and candy to decorate it with.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_5064.jpeg?resize=750%2C486&ssl=1)

Matt helped them make the volcano and then they went to town making a house out of graham cookies and extra icing. They then got to decorate their creations with extra candy.

---

### *Small Themed Crafts*

If you’re looking for small activities for your kids I’ve found so many small seasonal kits at Michael’s Arts and Crafts and Joann’s Fabrics. I actually have a foam jack-o-lantern kit I bought from Michael’s at Halloween that I’ve been hiding and saving so the kids, especially Zoey, can make some pumpkin Christmas tree ornaments for our tree this year.

![Image is looking down from above of some black shaped ornaments with scratches showing the colorful designs underneath.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_1599.jpeg?resize=750%2C370&ssl=1)

Last year I had bought some scratch art ornaments for the kids. I had pictured designs being carved into it but they were more interested in scratching all of the black off to reveal the store-designed artwork below.

This year I decided not go shopping with the kids so they’re unable to pick their own ornaments in person. I instead purchased some small hollow plastic ornaments so they can design their own Christmas tree ornaments to mark this year. Years ago I bought [large plastic Dollar Tree ornaments and had the kids fill it with glittery pipe-cleaners and assorted pompoms](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/12/05/quick-and-easy-christmas-tree-ornaments/) so I’m curious what we’ll end up doing with these ornaments this year now that they’re so much older.

![Image shows the pompom and pipe-cleaner filled plastic orbs on the Christmas treed with a kid blurred out in the background playing with their kitchen set. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2017/12/Compressed-IMG_6465-Edited.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Homemade Christmas ornaments using Dollar Tree items.

I don’t know if you’re ordering parcels right now and what they’re packed with but if you received anything with packing peanuts you should definitely check to see if they’re biodegradable by seeing if they can dissolve in water. If so you can make *snowy* sculptures by getting the packing peanuts slightly damp and sticking them together. We haven’t done this at home but our local discovery museum normally sets this up once a year for the kids to create and the last time we kept it going at home by painting them with tempura paint. If you want more information I found [a post about it on Kid Activities Blog](https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/12818/recycled-art-biodegradable-packing-peanut-sculptures/?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows a table that two kids are sitting at making a biodegradable packing peanut sculpture on a piece of cardboard. In the middle sits a tray of more packing peanuts and beside them sits a bowl with a damp sponge inside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_1412.jpeg?resize=750%2C490&ssl=1)

They were each given a piece of cardstock and a bowl with a damp sponge. They then grabbed some packing peanuts, dampened where they wanted it to stick, and stuck them together.

---

### *Holiday Cards*

Are you looking to create holiday cards for your friends and/or family? This year we’re taking it easy by ordering photo cards online but when the kids were much younger I tried to find ways to incorporate them into designing the cards with me. One year I used [paint and my children’s feet and fingers to make winter scenes](http://Footprint and Fingerprint Christmas Cards) on the cards. Another year I used [masking tape to create negative spaces on cards so they could scribble away](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/16/toddler-scribble-cards/) and once done I peeled up the tape to make a sense from the chaotic scribbles. Finally I also once carved some simple shapes onto some [potatoes so the kids could stamp their own cards themselves](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/12/04/simple-toddler-started-christmas-tree-cards/).

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_Advent-calendar-image.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

The various cards we’ve made over the years when the kids were little.

---

### *Holiday-Themed Art*

Whether you have the paint out already for a previous craft or are simply looking for some way to record how small your kids’ hands and feet are there’s always art. [I made mine while doing a series of seasonal signs for our front door so I used canvas, acrylic paint, an oil-based pen, and eventually mod podge so it would last awhile](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/12/18/footprint-and-fingerprint-christmas-cards/) but this could be so much simpler to accomplish with just stamps and pens on paper.

![Image shows a canvas hanging by multicolored yarn in front of a Christmas tree. On the canvas it says "Wishing your family a peaceful and joyful holiday season from our family!". Below the words are fingerprint snowmen, two footprint decorated trees, and a handprint reindeer on snow. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2017/11/compressed_IMG_5832.jpg?resize=750%2C598&ssl=1)

I grabbed a canvas and used my daughters’ fingers, hand, and foot to make a winter scene with acrylic paint.

---

### *Holiday Sensory Play*

Do your kids love sensory activities? My kids love sensory activities although we’ve been doing less of them since Ada started school. The kids love getting a new custom batch of playdough, mixing some oobleck up, or squishing some slime. It’s not necessarily holiday themed but back in March I created a[ summary post of all the sensory activities I’ve posted about in the past](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/03/18/ideas-for-when-youre-home-with-kids/) that would work inside or in your backyard. Feel free to check it out if you’re looking for more fun activities to do with your kids. And if you want to make it more Christmas-y you could always add food dye (for red and green) or some Christmas related toys to the activity. Just a couple weeks ago I came across [a Fisher-Price Little People® nativity set](https://www.fisher-price.com/en-us/product/little-people-nativity-dpx53?ref=simplykyra.com) at my local Target and if my kids were younger I would’ve definitely purchased it as I was looking for something like that for the last several years.

![Collage of nine different images showing several different sensory play ideas. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_Ideas-For-When-Youre-Home-With-Kids-Header.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Several of the sensory play activities we did that are mentioned in the [summary post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/03/18/ideas-for-when-youre-home-with-kids/).

Don’t want to make a mess? Why not keep it simple with water and some water-safe toys… maybe make it funner by adding a couple drops of food dye, bathtub colors, and/or some soap for bubbles. Do you have a Christmas mould you never use and copious amounts of broken crayons… why not melt them down and make some [cool shaped crayons](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/07/24/create-custom-crayons/).

---

### *Clothing*

If you have Christmas clothing set aside for the kids from either previous years or something new it’s awesome to throw it in the advent calendar so they have time to wear it before Christmas is over and done. Now is the time to get it out.

![Image shows the two shirts laid out on the table on top of fabric gift bags. On the center sits a pink post-it note with a person's face drawn on with closed eyes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_4421.jpeg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I ended up putting a post-it note in the advent calendar telling them to close their eyes so I could hand each shirt to them in a fabric gift bag.

---

### *Random Gifts*

The advent calendar is also the perfect excuse to hand out those small items you would’ve given the kids anyway any other month. Also this way they can use them before they open their Christmas stocking. Do you have anything hanging around your home that you meant to give them and kept forgetting about or are waiting until the perfect time?

![Image is showing a small section of the counter with a pink post-it not with two drawn toothbrushes. Slightly overlapping is a small tube of toothpaste with a dinosaur on it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_4279.jpeg?resize=669%2C502&ssl=1)

A couple years ago the kids were super excited to get new toothbrushes in their advent calendar. I wasn’t sure how it would go over so I think I picked a day we already had other fun plans for.

---

### *Small Cheap Seasonal Items*

Are there any small items you want to buy from the local dollar store or somewhere else? Advent calendars and stocking stuffers are the perfect justification to buy these although with advent calendars you can better justify Christmas decorations. This could be something small like splitting up a package of magic grow capsules to watch the sponges expand and then play with in the bathtub until they come apart. My absolute favorite seasonal item are the window clings from the local Dollar Tree that stick really well and for a dollar I end up with [a window puzzle if I keep the outer layer of the cling along with the individual stickers](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/10/21/halloween-quiet-time-activity-simple-quick-and-cheap/). I haven’t visited my local Dollar Tree yet this year but I normally keep the items I bought in one place, dole them out with the advent calendar, and any leftover ones on Christmas Eve get put in the Christmas stockings. [Back in 2017 my advent calendar ended up mostly being small items from local Target and Dollar Store](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/12/01/sensory-activity-ideas-for-your-advent-calendar/).

![Image shows a small illegible piece of paper for the advent calendar drawer laid on the car mat. It's surrounded by four half pieces of window cling stickers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_1222.jpeg?resize=750%2C554&ssl=1)

I absolutely love window clings and find the Dollar Tree ones stick much better than the Walmart ones. The last year I bought two sheets but then split them in half so both kids would get some of the candy and some of the cupcakes and there would be less fighting over them.

![Image shows two sheets of Holiday gel clings laying on the table.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_4665.jpeg?resize=750%2C530&ssl=1)

I was super excited about the gel clings as I saw them mixing and matching pieces to make new things.

![Image shows a window gel cling Santa being held up in front of Ada's face. Behind her is the patio door with some of the other window gel clings already attached on. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_IMG_4676.jpeg?resize=669%2C452&ssl=1)

Unfortunately after the first adorably cute day the gel clings ended up being a ripped up pile on the rug.

---

### *Large Toy to Cover Multiple Days*

If you have a larger item that can be split up and you want them to play with it sooner rather than later you can easily add it to your advent calendar over multiple days. [Two years ago I bought Ada a LEGO® set and Zoey a playdough kit from Costco](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/12/05/splitting-up-a-large-toy-for-your-advent-calendar/) and ended up splitting the kits into ten days worth of advent calendar surprises for both kids. I started out pacing how often they got the next installment and then realized that I was running out of time to give it to them. I considered saving some for Christmas and then instead just gave them out on back to back days so they got it all in time. The kids loved the toys and I felt better buying one larger item rather than so many little items like I did the year before.

![Image shows a collage of four photos. The leftmost one shows the advent calendar bags and hint. The two rightmost ones shows Zoey with her playdough kit while the middle image shows Ada building her LEGO® set.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_Advent-calendar-image-2.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

After getting one or two days worth of their new toys I had to hunt down two empty boxes so they each had somewhere to store their toy as they waited for the rest of it.

---

### *Last Minute Printables*

Do you have a printer or have access to a printer? There are tons of simple activity pages or booklets online you can find and print out to surprise your kids with. If you think they’ll use a printed page multiple times you can save time printing multiple copies by putting it in a protective binder sheet or laminate it beforehand. At the beginning of the school year I [created a double-sided printable PDF from images](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/26/create-a-simple-double-sided-printable-pdf-from-free-images-online/) I found online for free and shared how I did it. If you’re looking for more printable activities I’ve found some free activities (although they also have paid ones I haven’t tried) through [Teachers Pay Teachers](https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), [Twinkl](https://www.twinkl.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), and [1+1+1=1](https://1plus1plus1equals1.net/?ref=simplykyra.com). I absolutely adore [the custom worksheets you can generate through Create Printables](https://www.createprintables.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) if your child is working on their writing. I also love the printables on the LEGO® website although I’ve previously found them separated by how they’re categorized so if you’re looking for something specific it might be best to go through a search engine instead of the website itself. [I’ve gone into this before when I created LEGO® themed clothing for my kids](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/02/12/creating-your-own-woven-panels-with-fabric-markers/). I’ve also just looked for more and found these printable coloring pages and activities through LEGO.com [here](https://www.lego.com/en-us/campaigns/kids/lets-build-together/coloring-page?ref=simplykyra.com) and [here](https://www.lego.com/en-us/themes/letsbuildtogether/coloring?ref=simplykyra.com) that I’m definitely going to check out for my kids later on.

![Image shows a number bond and ten frame worksheet laminated in the foreground. In the background are the laminating sheets, chalk markers, Zoey tracing letters, and her custom name worksheet almost hidden in the back. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3467.jpg?resize=750%2C410&ssl=1)

Zoey tracing her letters right after I made her and Ada new laminated worksheets.

A printable is also fun if you have an activity planned for later in the day and you want something for the kids to do while they wait. For example say you’re going on a zoo walk that afternoon so you find a coloring page online for your kids favorite animal so they can get excited for the zoo while they color it. Planning on going for a drive to see the Christmas lights? Give them a printed paper filled with [blank Christmas lights (A to Z Teacher Stuff)](http://printables.atozteacherstuff.com/3674/christmas-lights-printablecoloring-page-worksheet-or-pattern/?ref=simplykyra.com), color them, cut them out, create a scene on a blank piece of paper, and glue the lights down… if gluing maybe skip the crayons. Or are you planning on decorating your Christmas tree later on? [Find a blank tree printable (Print.Color.Fun!)](https://printcolorfun.com/4143/top-100-christmas-tree-coloring-pages-the-ultimate-free-printable-collection/?ref=simplykyra.com) and have them decorate it however they want while getting excited for later.

---

### *Virtual Events*

With COVID the lead-up to our Christmas is going to look different this year. That said there are also positives. There are so many events that are going online instead. You could lookup your favorite events and see if they’ve gone virtual in some way and whether you can somehow still *go* to it. I’m currently super excited for the [Trans-Siberian Orchestra livestream event on December 18th](https://tsolivestream.com/tso/livestream/?ref=simplykyra.com) that we’ve just bought tickets for ($30 U.S.) to stream from our living room. I already mentioned it to the kids so it won’t come as a complete surprise but as it airs around suppertime I’m debating surprising the kids with a picnic in the living room while we watch it. As November ends I’m curious what other events I’ll hear about.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/11/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-11-23-at-1.46.26-AM.jpeg?resize=750%2C539&ssl=1)

---

Other years we filled our Christmas advent calendar with fun seasonal outings, playdates or family outings at children’s museums or zoos, and, last year, Matt had a fun holiday party through work and we experienced the magic of LEGOLAND® at Christmas. Although this year will feel different from previous years I’m still excited what we’ll end up filling our December calendar with this year. I’ll probably choose several of the ideas listed above including, maybe, going to the Dollar Tree as writing these ideas made me really want window clings again this year.

I hope this post helps you come up with something fun to do with your kids whether you’re planning your advent calendar in advance or you’re midway through the month and you’re trying to think of something fun to do. Feel free to share how you made the holidays special or what fun activity you came up with in the comments below. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas if you celebrate and if not that you’re having a great December.

---

If you want to create your own advent calendar you can download my printable from [my 2017 post](https://www.simplykyra.com/christmas-advent-calendar/) here:

### Get this printable (and more!)

All my templates and printables live in one easy member hub. 

[Go to Downloads](https://www.simplykyra.com/downloads/) 

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Quickly Extend Your Fabric to Fit a Pattern Piece
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/quickly-extend-your-fabric-to-fit-a-pattern-piece/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:41:56.000Z
A while ago I shared our favorite knit dress, [the Stitch Upon a Time Magnolia](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/16/my-favorite-simple-kids-knit-sewing-pattern-the-magnolia/), with you. Many times I’ve printed and cut out my pattern just to realize, once I lined the fabric panel up with the paper pattern piece, that the fabric isn’t large enough to entirely cover all the paper. In case you might also have this issue I wanted to share how I’ve gone about solving this by extending the fabric. I’m excited to now share how I extend my custom fabric panels to fit larger pattern pieces to solve this problem.

![Pinterest image showing a collage of six images, found below, along with the blog title and my main URL.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_Quickly-Extend-Your-Fabric-to-Fit-a-Pattern.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

When I sew [my Magnolia dresses](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/16/my-favorite-simple-kids-knit-sewing-pattern-the-magnolia/) using the custom fabric I’ve purchased from [Whimsy Baby Customs](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) it is often commonly slightly too small for the Magnolia’s pattern pieces. Technically, the proper way to extend pattern pieces, in this case, seems to be through color blocking where you cut a paper pattern piece into two, or more, pieces and then add the missing seam allowance to either side of the cut allowing you to use two pieces of fabric, or more with more cuts, out of that single pattern piece. As a quick aside I just looked up the proper way to color block and found [this simple *Color Blocking for Beginners* tutorial by Christina Rotz on 5 out of 4 Patterns’ website](https://5outof4.com/color-blocking-for-beginners/?ref=simplykyra.com). I also found this color blocking overview on [Schwin & Schwin](https://shwinandshwin.com/2019/04/how-to-color-block-any-pattern.html?ref=simplykyra.com); although, instead of adding seam allowance to each cut pattern piece they instead used a one and a half inch wide strip of fabric to sew each cut pattern piece back together, with a 3/8″ seam allowance to make it up, thus making an incredible sweater. I am much too lazy for this, so far, as the kids grow too quickly to justify recalculating the new pattern pieces each time I might want to sew a new dress for them. I, instead, extend the fabric to meet the pattern piece’s size before cutting it out according to the, original, pattern.

![Three knit shirts laying on a wooden floor. You can only see a single sleeve of all three. The top is a white short sleeved dinosaur top with a small triangle right before the band at the sleeve. The next two shirts have a long sleeve. The middle blue one has a seam around the armpit while the bottom hearted one has three fabrics showing with the first seam halfway down the arm and another closer to the end where a wide band was added.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4214.jpg?resize=750%2C447&ssl=1)

All three pictured shirts needed the panel to be extended near the top to fit the sleeves. Both the heart sweater ([Rebecca Page Dreamy Drape](https://rebecca-page.com/product/girls-batwing-pattern/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com)) and the blue LEGO shirt ([Ragamuffin Patterns Firecracker](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/09/ragamuffins-firecracker-kids-dress-and-top/)) needed to be extended with a larger piece of fabric to fit a longer sleeve while the one on top, with the dinosaurs ([Stitch Upon a Time Magnolia](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/16/my-favorite-simple-kids-knit-sewing-pattern-the-magnolia/)), needed a smaller extension so the end result became a simple small triangle before the band.

I start by marking the fabric with chalk or disappearing ink where the fabric needs to be extended and then sew a coordinating fabric to that spot. Once all the locations that need it on the fabric have been extended I might press the seams so they’re flatter and maybe topstitch the seams down. I then lay out the fabric and cut out my pattern piece as normal. You will need to be careful of the new seam ends where you just cut the seam off as they no longer have a backstitch to keep it together there. After the pattern pieces have been cut I continue by sewing up my pattern according to the instructions. When the kids were younger I didn’t have to extend the pattern pieces as much but as Ada, and then Zoey, grew this happened more and more frequently.

In this example below the fabric panel was a bit too skinny to fit the top of Ada’s bodice’s pattern piece. I had folded the panel in half and lined up the fabric’s fold line with the paper pattern’s marked fold line. I then used my disappearing ink pen to mark the fabric both above and below where the paper pattern extended past the fabric’s edge. I next grabbed some extra fabric, from cutting out Zoey’s bodice earlier, and used my sewing clips to keep the two layers of fabric together, right sides together, covering the marked section. If you have fabric where the horizontal and vertical stretch are different then you’ll want to be careful about which way you line up the extra fabric before sewing them together. If you’re extending the fabric by a lot then having fabric not follow the grainline could change how the pattern fits if that one section is stretching in a way it shouldn’t be or doesn’t stretch as much as the garment needs. Anyway, once the fabric was sewn together I trimmed the excess seam, since I was using my sewing machine at the time, and then pressed the seam down flat. Once I extended the fabric so it stuck out further than the paper pattern piece at all spots I was then able to cut out the pattern piece and continue along following the pattern’s instructions.

![Overview showing the folded white panel with the paper pattern laying overtop of it. The top of the sleeve is jutting out over the fabric and doesn't fit. The background of the image shows a cutting mat and ruler. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Dinosaur_3170.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

After folding the fabric panel in half and lining it’s fold edge up along the pattern’s foldline I discovered the paper pattern was slightly too wide for the fabric.

![Closeup of the fabric on the cutting mat is shown. You can see wet splotches from dampening the fabric and ironing out the fabric's curl. There are matching black marks where the paper pattern rested. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Dinosaur_3173.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

I used a disappearing ink pen, now I prefer using chalk, to mark where the fabric would need to be extended to fit the paper pattern piece.

![Image shows the dinosaur panel, with wet splotches from the spraying the fabric for the iron, with a bit of fabric sewn on on the left and right side. The right side is folded over so you can see the hidden side of the seam while the left side is right side up to see the visible prettier side of the seam.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Dinosaur_3174.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I took my extra white cotton Lycra scraps, from cutting out the smaller bodice’s panel, and clipped them, right sides facing, to either side of this panel and sewed them on. I made sure to start sewing before the first mark and finished after the second mark so the sewn on bit would definitely be large enough to extend past the paper pattern.

![Image shows a closeup of a zigzag seam. The left side of the seam has the fabric curling away from it while the right side shows the excess seam allowance trimmed off with a zigzag pattern. My pinking shears lay above the seam. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Dinosaur_3944.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Lately I’ve been serging my seams but, before I got my serger, I used to use sewing machine to zigzag stitch all the seams and then trimmed the excess seam allowance so the seam would lay flatter. In addition, whether you sewed the seam or used your serger, you can use your iron to press the seam down.

![Image shows a closeup of the shoulder/arm section of the pattern piece laid out over the sewn together fabric so the pattern piece is laying, completely, on the folded over fabric. There are three washers, two decorated with embroidery floss, keeping the pattern piece in place. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Dinosaur_3177.jpg?resize=669%2C892&ssl=1)

Now it’s time to lay out your fabric, as if it is now one piece, and cut it according to your pattern’s instructions. Here I used [my pattern weights](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/08/14/pattern-weights/) to keep it in place while I cut.

![Image shows the same pattern piece over fabric with washers on it as before but this time the fabric around the pattern piece is cut and pulled away showing the cutting mat underneath it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Dinosaur_3178.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

To cut the fabric I mostly use my 28 mm rotary cutter now but I used to cut these out with my larger rotary cutter and, before that, fabric scissors. If your seam is too bulky you may want to use your hand to apply more pressure to the top of that section while cutting around the pattern piece so it lays flat and not curved over the fabric’s seam.

![Image shows the top of the final cut out pattern piece with the vertical seams on the sleeves and damp patches from the spray bottle when the seams were pressed.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Dinosaur_3180.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

And your pattern piece is now ready to use. In this case I had pressed the seam, hence the water marks, and forgot to trim the seam allowance until after this step thus there’s an extra extended bit.

![Image shows a closeup of one end of the zigzag trimmed seam. At the end of the seam there's a clear and pink sewing clip holding the seam flat against the fabric. In the background is the rest of the white knit garment slightly blurred in places. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Dinosaur_3946.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

Whether I pressed the seam or not, at this point, I like to use my sewing clips to hold the seam down at either end before continuing to follow the pattern’s instructions. In addition to stopping the seam from, potentially, unraveling this is a good way to pay attention to where the seams are when you’re sewing past them and keep the seam, hopefully, facing the right way as you go past.

![Closeup of the sewn on triangular section of the fabric with a black background. The trianlge is a right angle with the long end, at the bottom, attached to the front bodice to extend the panel. The left side is attached to the back bodice while the hypotenuse is along the sleeve part. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Dinosaur_3947.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

As I continue to sew the rest of the garment I pay attention to the seam so it lays properly, when sewn, and the ends don’t unravel. At this point the top of the bodice, on the left side, was sewn to the back bodice so the top of the seam is now secured while the bottom of the seam isn’t.

![Image shows either sleeve, with the shirt folded in half, so you can see where the panel was extended. To the right you see the outside of the extension with a small triangle right before the sleeve's cuff. To the left you can see inside the sleeve showing the seam of that extension. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_1295.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The finished garment a couple years later after going through many loads of laundry. You can see the triangle of fabric where the panel was extended to allow the sleeves to be as the pattern dictated.

So far I’ve extended several panels to work with my pattern pieces although as time goes on and the kids grow I find I have to extend the panels more and more often. Back in August I sewed two dresses for the girls where Zoey’s panel may have been able to fit, if finagled, while Ada’s panel in contrast took up more space than the pattern piece had. I didn’t want to cut off any of the design so I decided to combine the two front pattern pieces, [mentioned in my recent Magnolia post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/16/my-favorite-simple-kids-knit-sewing-pattern-the-magnolia/), thus making the pattern piece much larger than my fabric so I found I had to extend the fabric to fit once again. After laying out the larger pattern pieces over the panels I determined where, based on the pattern pieces, the panels should be positioned and thus I could then determine where and by how much the panels needed to be extended with the coordinating fabric. I was using the same meter of cotton Lycra fabric for both dresses so to simplify the process I attached both panels, side by side, to one end of the coordinating fabric, making sure they were right sides facing, before using my sewing clips to keep them in place. Once sewn I didn’t have to trim my seam allowance, since I used my serger, so I quickly pressed the seam down before laying out the fabric, folded in half, lined up against the paper pattern pieces once again.

![Image shows the white school doodle fabric with the top edge clipped to the two panels. The panel on the right is facing right sides up so you can't see the clips while the panel on the left is right side down, against the main fabric, and tilted up showing the clips along the edge. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2442.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I laid out my two fabric panels, side by side, facing right sides together against the coordinating school doodles fabric and, after unrolling the curled up edges, clipped them into place together.

![Image shows the coordinating black doodle fabric, along the bottom, with the two panels connected at the top. The panel on the left, navy blue with planets, if right side up while the panel on the right, white with a yellow sun surrounded by planets and descriptions, is upside down. The panels are only connected on the one side and not on any other side.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2444.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After I sewed them together I opened it up to realize I had placed one of the panels upside down. After deliberating I decided to leave them how they were, pressed the seams, and then lined up the paper pattern piece against them to decided if either panel still needed to be extended or not.

At this point, once I lined up Ada’s fabric and pattern piece together, I found that Ada’s panel still needed to be extended in other locations so I marked again where the paper pattern extended past the fabric and sewed even more coordinating fabric to those spots. Once the fabric extended past the paper pattern it was time to cut out the front of the dress, and the other pattern pieces, before sewing up the dress according to the pattern’s instructions.

![Image shows the white panel with blue planets with the bottom curling up and the top, and most of either side, extended by the black fabric with white school-related doodles. Underneath it all is a cutting board. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2450.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Ada’s panel ended up being extended along the top and most of either side before it covered the entire paper pattern piece.

![Image shows a part of the paper pattern with the fabric, both white and black, extending past the edge of the pattern. Underneath it all sits my cutting mat and above it all sits four of my pattern weights. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2452.jpg?resize=750%2C284&ssl=1)

After folding the panel, and coordinating fabric, in half and smoothing out the bumps and lumps it was time to lay out the paper pattern overtop, line up the fold lines, [place the pattern weights](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/08/14/pattern-weights/) down so it doesn’t move, and cut out the pattern.

Zoey’s extended panel almost fit the dress pattern piece except for a single little section at the end of the sleeve similar to the white dress, shown first, where I added a little bit of fabric to the panel so it reached the whole way across. Since that dress; however, I’ve gotten a bit lazier so instead of extending the panel some more I instead marked on the paper pattern how far the fabric went and folded it up to create a new capped sleeve ending. After laying out the fabric with the paper pattern piece and confirming that the fabric did indeed reach the marking I then cut out the fabric. Since the change wasn’t too much I kept the sleeve band the same without changing it and didn’t have an issue. If you made a larger change at this point of the pattern you may have to recalculate the new band size.

![Image shows the cut out front bodice piece, near the sleeve end, with the paper pattern sticking out at the end of the sleeve. Underneath it all sits the cutting mat. You can see my finger holding down part of the sleeve showing how the sleeve reaches the top of the pen mark showing the new sleeve length. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2453.jpg?resize=750%2C838&ssl=1)

I unrolled the shortest side of the panel and marked, at the top and bottom, how far the fabric reached. Since the edge of the fabric was straight it was easy to use those markings to determine where the new sleeve should end. Once it was marked, and confirmed, it was simple to cut the pattern and fabric along that line.

---

And that’s how I’ve extended my fabric so it’s large enough for my paper patterns. So far I’ve kept this simple by only doing it with my custom cotton Lycra fabric so all the pieces have the same weight and stretch. I’d imagine it would be more difficult if you’re mixing up different fabric weights or stretches. Whether you’ve done this, are going to try this, or if there’s something related you’d like to share I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Have you ever extended your fabric to fit your pattern piece and if so did you do it differently? I truly hope your week is going well.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### I Sewed Up Three Free Face Mask Patterns and Here Is My Takeaway
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/i-sewed-up-three-free-face-mask-patterns-and-here-is-my-takeaway/
Last updated: 2023-12-22T15:40:45.000Z
Over most of 2020 I’ve kept debating whether or not I should share anything about fabric face masks on my blog. Masks themselves seemed controversial, at first, over whether we should or shouldn’t wear them and then on whether or not we should sew our own version up. When fabric face masks were first being sewn I was scared I’d sew an unsafe face mask causing someone to get ill while wearing it. Over time I started realizing that we’re going to have to wear masks when we leave the house and luckily, as I was realizing this, I came across a sewing pattern for a mask that I wanted to try for my family and I. After a bit I tried another pattern and then expanded out to sew a couple of face masks for a few of my friends. Before COVID-19; however, I had been attempting to sew through my woven fabric stash so by the time I started sewing our own fabric face masks I didn’t have a lot of woven fabric left and it was hard to order more online. With many months having now past, woven fabric and elastic being more readily available, and Halloween having just happened (as I created matching masks for my kids’ costumes) I figured now was the time to share the masks I did make with you in case you’re also looking at making different custom masks whether it’s to match a specific outfit or for your own day-to-day use.

![Image showing a mix of eight different images along with the title of the blog post and the main URL. The image is geared towards a Pinterest pin. The images show three different types of masks in different stages. All images can also be found below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_Fabric-Masks.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

#### *Putting on a Face Mask*

Before going into the face masks sewing patterns I sewed I first decided to show you how we wear our face masks. Most images you find online of store-bought face masks have small loops of elastic extending from either side to go around the ears to hold them on. On Facebook, in the sewing groups, I heard that the elastic around your ears might hurt them over time so I decided to customize ours using a single long stretch of elastic that can, instead, loop around the back of the head rather than just the ears. To do this I made a mask with channels going up either side of the mask which I then used to thread the elastic up through one side of the mask and then down through the other. Before trimming or tying the elastic I then sized it on the person to confirm the elastic was long enough while still making the mask stay flush against the face. Once the mask is on there’s a lower band that goes around your neck, stretching from your jaw, and then a higher band reaching from the two upper corners of the mask, trailing over your ears, and then looped around the back of your head. I’ve started putting my hair in ponytails so I can rest the upper elastic over top of the pony and I don’t have to worry about it slipping off my ears. Thus one of the many reasons I’m almost always wearing a ponytail now.

While taking photos of the masks I quickly had Zoey model how she wears her mask for you. She had just finished eating breakfast and we hadn’t had a chance to brush her hair that morning yet.

![My hand is holding a face mask over the kitchen table. The top has a small loop of elastic and there's another loop coming from the bottom, with a knot, making it one circle of elastic. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_CraftPassion_9958.jpg?resize=750%2C793&ssl=1)

If you wanted two ear loops you’d cut two smaller pieces of elastic and thread each one through a side before tying it closed. In my case I took the elastic, left uncut from the spool, and threaded it up through one side and then back through the other side of the mask. I then had the owner of the mask try it on, in this case Zoey, so I knew how long the elastic should be before cutting the elastic off the spool and knotting it closed.

![View of the back and side of Zoey's head while she's wearing a mask with elastic going around her head. The lower elastic is hidden under her hair but the top elastic band goes over her ears and around the back of her head. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_CraftPassion_5636.jpg?resize=750%2C518&ssl=1)

With this type of mask I pop it on over the head (as an aside it works great as a necklace when you’re rushing out the door with the kids to the vehicle so you later know where each one is when you need it) and then pull it back up so it’s in place. The lower elastic reaches down from the bottom of the mask and goes around the back of the neck; hidden if you have longer hair. The top elastic goes over the ears and stretches around the head. I frequently wear a ponytail tie so this elastic rests more on the pony than the ears and doesn’t slide down.

If you’re making a mask with the side channels but don’t have or want elastic you could also grab something else to tie the mask on. Several years ago I bought a multi-pack of neon shoelaces, from Amazon, for sensory play ideas which I mostly didn’t get around to (other than a couple quiet book pages: [bumblebee threading](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/02/13/quiet-book-page-threading-with-a-bumblebee-through-flowers/) and [tying shoelaces](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/03/20/quiet-book-page-learn-to-tie-your-shoes/)) so I still had several pairs left. When I heard you can use shoelaces for the masks I jumped on it and I love this alternative idea. For this set of masks the kids were able to doodle with fabric markers on the outer fabric, before I sewed it together, so funnily enough the neon colors seemed to match and worked perfectly with them. When I first tried these masks on the kids I threaded it so the loop was at the top and the loose ends were coming out of the bottom. Once the kids wore it I quickly realized it worked much better with the loop at the bottom instead. This way I can loop the mask on and once it’s around the neck I can easily tighten the two ends and tie it over their hair. I did have one issue so far, which I don’t know if I should blame on the hair or the shoelaces themselves, but I find the top loop frequently falls down and the mask gets loose so I have to keep an eye on them and their mask and be ready to tighten or fix it if needed.

![Image shows me holding the mask on Zoey's head like a crown. The lower loop goes around her head while the two ends of the shoelaces droop down from the two upper corners of the mask. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_CraftPassion_5620.jpg?resize=750%2C565&ssl=1)

Like before I start by pulling the mask on over the head. In this case there’s only one loop and you can loosen it by shortening the two ends coming from the top. Just be sure you don’t unthread the shoelace by mistake.

![View of the back of Zoey's head and a shoulder. The orange shoelace is looped around her neck with the mask hidden in front of her. Her right hand is holding an end of the shoelace. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_CraftPassion_5622.jpg?resize=750%2C490&ssl=1)

Once it’s around her neck you grab the two ends of the shoelaces and tighten the lower loop until the bottom of the mask is secure around the face.

![Image is taken from the back. You can see a part of the lower shoelace as it extends from the lower channel and disappearing under Zoey's hair. The upper shoelace is extending from the top of the mask and goes under Zoey's ear before stretching out. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_CraftPassion_5627.jpg?resize=750%2C561&ssl=1)

Once the bottom is tightened you can flip the mask up over the face and pull the ends so the mask is secure. Here the laces are under Zoey’s easr, so I could take a photo with the other hand, but you’d want to position the shoelace ends over the ears if you want the laces to rest there after tying the mask.

![View from the side as the mask is worn and the lower loop goes behind Zoey's neck, under her hair, and the upper shoelaces extend over her ears and tie at the top of her head. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_CraftPassion_5629.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After making sure the front of the mask is secure and where you want it to be you can then pull the ends up and tie them over top of the hair. Although I prefer this location for the mask itself I find the top shoelace frequently falls down to the nap of the neck as the kids wear it so I have to keep confirming it’s on properly.

![Image shows the side of Zoey's face while she wears the face mask with the upper loops pulled under her ears and tied in the back at the nap of her neck over her hair. The lower loop is under her hair but both are looped at the same spot. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_CraftPassion_5630.jpg?resize=750%2C554&ssl=1)

Since the shoelaces seem to fall anyway I sometimes end up typing it with the laces going under Zoey’s ears and tying at the nap of Zoey’s neck. I don’t like how this pinches the side of the mask but it seems better than the mask falling off from the ties being too loose.

Some of the mask patterns call for bias tape that goes over the top and bottom of the mask. In the case of the below mask the bias tape is extended from all four corners so you can easily change the tightness of the mask each time you wear it, like the shoelaces, which would not work with elastic. Like with the above mask the lower bias tape would tie at the nap of your neck, under your hair, and then the top would tie at the top of your head, over your ears or ponytail.

![Image shows two similar masks laid out over the kitchen table. They both have four bias tape stripes coming from each corner. The sides of the masks are pleated. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_DIBY_7370.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The top mask shows the underside while the bottom, dotted, mask shows the outer side. In this case you tie the bottom bias stripes behind the back of your neck and the top two ties on the back of your head after going over your ears and/or ponytail.

---

### *Face Masks*

Before going over the fabric face mask sewing patterns I used I wanted to mention the fabric. There are many studies out there on what masks are best and what fabric and filters are best to use. I ended up using the woven fabric I had sitting in my fabric stash from Joann’s Fabrics; although any 100% cotton with a tight weave seems to be recommended. I wanted it to be apparent which was the outer layer and which was the inner layer so they wouldn’t get confused so I used the smoother quilting cotton for the outside and the fuzzier snuggle flannel (thin and fuzzy on only the patterned side) for the lining against the face. I ended up only using two layers of fabric but two of the below patterns include an optional opening for a filter and you could always double up the fabric, while following the instructions, if you want more layers. Just be prepared to have to sew through more fabric if you do that.

---

#### [*Craft Passion*](https://www.craftpassion.com/face-mask-sewing-pattern/?ref=simplykyra.com)

The first mask sewing pattern I chose to try out was [The *Face Mask Sewing Pattern* through Craft Passion](https://www.craftpassion.com/face-mask-sewing-pattern/?ref=simplykyra.com) back at the end of March. It comes with the option for a filter opening, which I skipped, and an added channel for a nose wire, which I included threaded with a halved pipe cleaner once I finished. I absolutely loved how it fit at first and loved that our family now had a mask each that we could use if, and when, we left our house. Matt found it not to be roomy enough so a couple weeks later I tried another pattern, shown below, with pleats for added room. At that time I still preferred my Craft Passion one over the new mask but over the next couple months decided I liked having more room than the Craft Passion one offered. As a quick aside I later discovered a [Craft Passion Face Mask Support Group on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftpassionfacemask) that has so many people loving the pattern and willing to help if you have questions. Inside that group there’s also files for different mask options, located under Files, and I was, for a while, debating trying the [bat wing mask](https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftpassionfacemask/permalink/2701716673401993) that so many people in the group were raving about. That said I love how this mask takes less fabric and doesn’t need bias tape, as it makes a channel, letting you choose if you want elastic or some type of cord to hold it on. A couple weeks after the first batch I chose to make several more kid-sized face masks and thus chose to use this pattern again. The kids have since gotten a mask with a third pattern yet still love these original masks. Just a heads up, in case it matters to you, but this pattern does have a vertical seam going up the center of the mask so if you want to stay away from a seam there you might want to find another one.

![Image shows a black face mask on the left and the underside of a blue mask with purple edges and a top channel on the right. Both have white quarter inch elastic threaded through the sides and going around the back of the mask. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_CraftPassion_5609.jpg?resize=750%2C378&ssl=1)

The first two masks I made from the Craft Passion pattern were for Matt and I so I made two different sizes using the fabric I had on hand and hoped they’d fit properly.

![Back of both the masks are being shown with my, smaller, one in front and partially blocking Matt's black and grey mask. My purple nose wire channel has some blue fuzz sticking sticking out of either side while Matt's doesn't. Instead his pipe cleaner sits to the left showing it's length and the face the ends are folded over. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_CraftPassion_5642.jpg?resize=750%2C427&ssl=1)

I left the filter pocket off but included the channel for a nose wire. I couldn’t find my floral wire so I grabbed the craft pipe cleaners I had, cut them in half, folded the ends over so they’d be less sharp, and threaded them in the channel so the top of the mask would be shaped around our nose.

![Image shows the front of three masks and the back of the fourth. Matt's and mine are in the back while Ada and Zoey's are in the front with one right side up and one upside down showing the vertical seam, folded over side channels, nose wire channel, and the pink pipe cleaner sticking out of either end of the channel. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_CraftPassion_6622.jpg?resize=750%2C538&ssl=1)

At that time the kids hadn’t left the house since the shelter in place orders went into effect but I knew that would change so I also sewed up two little kid sized masks for them using the same snuggle flannel and purple fabric as mine for the inside but grabbed a sparkly mermaid fabric for the outside so they’d be funner to wear.

![Image shows a stack of pattern pieces on my kitchen table with a piece of paper in front of it. The two by two grid is labeled with "young" and "small" at the top for the pattern size and "main" and "lining" at the side for the type of fabric used and pattern piece.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_CraftPassion_9800.jpg?resize=750%2C531&ssl=1)

Later when I cut out several face masks to sew assembly line style I used a grid and roman numerals to keep track of the pattern pieces and make sure I had a divisible amount for the masks as I went through my fabric scraps cutting pieces as I went.

![Image shows Zoey on her knees on a chair at the table. Her two mask pieces are in front of her as she reaches over them to grab two fabric markers from the pile in the center of the table. You can see part of one of Ada's pieces at the lower right side of the image.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_CraftPassion_9891.jpg?resize=750%2C512&ssl=1)

That time around I used white cotton fabric for the outer pieces of two masks and the kids got to use my fabric markers to decorate their mask before I sewed it together.

![Image shows four, previously white, pattern pieces that had been colored by the girls. Zoey's two pieces are at the top and are more scribble doodled on while Ada drew a more detailed image to all the edges including unicorns, flowers, and the sun. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_CraftPassion_9907.jpg?resize=750%2C541&ssl=1)

Before starting I reminded the girls of the seam allowance, along all sides, and the edge being folded over, for the side channels, but they still colored the masks to the edges. I had to snap a photo as I pressed the fabric to set the ink to remember their art.

![View of white pipe cleaners on the kitchen table. There's two on the left with a folded over edge so it's balled up and softer. The pile of ten on the right show curved tips, as they were folded to find the center, and look sharper. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_CraftPassion_9911.jpg?resize=750%2C509&ssl=1)

For the nose wire I couldn’t find my floral wire, my first choice, so I decided to use the pipe cleaners I had on hand in our sensory cupboard. I went through the pipe cleaners I wanted to use, folded them in half to find the center, cut them in half, and then folded either ends over so it wouldn’t be sharp.

![Image shows a pile of inside out face masks and white pipe cleaners. The back masks are right side out and slightly blurred. The center one is inside out with a seam allowance. The front left one has a pipe cleaner clipped to a mask while the mask on the right is sewn to the mask at the center and either end of the pipe cleaner. There's a pile of straight pipe cleaners to the side a one in the center folded in half so it could match the center with the center seam of the mask. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_CraftPassion_9916.jpg?resize=750%2C519&ssl=1)

This time around I skipped the channels and instead sewed the pipe cleaners directly to the mask before turning them right side out. When I previously tried this, in the below pattern, I had my pipe cleaner snap so this time I only sewed the pipe cleaner down at the center and at either edge using a zigzag stitch rather than sewing along the entire length like I did before.

![Image shows a colored mask in the center, with the other colored one hidden below. There are neon orange and pink shoelaces coming out of them from the side channels. To the left and right are ten other masks without any shoelaces or elastic in the channels. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_CraftPassion_9956.jpg?resize=750%2C475&ssl=1)

For these masks I left the channels empty on most of them, for the photo, and used neon shoelaces for the colored masks. I love that the neon laces I had on hand happened to match the fabric markers the kids used on their masks.

![Image shows all the masks shown in this section all slightly wrinkled with time. Matt's and mine are in the upper left while the two mermaid themed ones are on the lower left and the two colored ones with shoelaces are on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_CraftPassion_5610.jpg?resize=750%2C398&ssl=1)

Over six months later the fabric face masks I sewed are still going strong. The only change I made to them was switching the shoe laces around so the loop was at the bottom, for around nape of the neck, rather than the top so they can more easily be tied at the top of the head as shown above on Zoey.

---

#### [*The DIBY Club*](https://doitbetteryourself.club/product/fabric-face-mask-sewing-pattern/?ref=simplykyra.com)

Mid-April I decided to try [*The Fabric Face Mask* pattern through The DIBY Club (Do It Better Yourself)](https://doitbetteryourself.club/product/fabric-face-mask-sewing-pattern/?ref=simplykyra.com) which Matt absolutely loved. At first I preferred the Craft Passion one but over time I grew to prefer the space offered in this one through the use of the side pleats and two darts. This pattern comes in kid sizes but I never did try it out for the girls as they loved their earlier masks. Like before I used halved pipe cleaners for the nose wire but this time I started off by sewing the nose wire to the top before adding the bias tape to hide it. The first time I sewed this pattern I used my zigzag stitch along the length of the pipe cleaner to hold it in place before sewing the bias tape on around it. I later realized my pipe cleaner, and not Matt’s strangely enough, broke in several spots the first time through the washing machine and I wonder, looking back, if I nicked the pipe cleaner with my sewing needle causing it to have weak points. The next time I sewed these masks I ended up only sewing the pipe cleaner down at the center and either end so there was less chance of nicking it. Unlike the previous and next mask this one doesn’t offer an opening for a filter but you could easily double up the fabric if you want to use more than two layers; although be sure you’re sewing machine can sew through the pleats with more layers added first.

![Image shows four slightly wrinkled but good condition face masks laid out on the kitchen table. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_DIBY_5605.jpg?resize=750%2C527&ssl=1)

So far the masks have lasted well although later, after several washes, I noticed spots where the fabric separated, or wasn’t caught to begin with, from the bias tape so I went back and patch the holes.

![Image shows two masks slightly stacked with pleats already set. The top of either of them have a pink pipe cleaner clipped into place so they don't move. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_DIBY_7366.jpg?resize=750%2C474&ssl=1)

After following the directions and adding the pleats, but before adding the bias tape, I added the halved pipe cleaner, after finding it’s center, by lining it up with the center of the mask, and clipping it into place.

![Image shows the same face masks stacked as last time although this time there's no sewing clips to be seen and the pipe cleaner is sewn down with a black zigzag stitch over it's pink fuzz. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_DIBY_7367.jpg?resize=750%2C504&ssl=1)

I then used the zigzag stitch on my sewing machine to attach the pipe cleaner to the top of the face mask.

![Image shows the top side of the face masks still stacked on top of each other. The top one shows a visible black zigzag against the white fabric where the pipe cleaner was sewn on while the zigzag stitches are hidden on the black mask.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_DIBY_7369-edited.jpg?resize=750%2C466&ssl=1)

From the front you can see the zigzag stitching from sewing the pipe cleaner down if your thread stands out from your fabric. This was later hidden by the bias tape so don’t be concerned as long as you keep the stitches within the bias tape’s range.

![Image shows two face masks. The top one is grey cuddle flannel on the inside surrounded by black stitches, on the side, and black bias tape on the top and bottom. The bottom masks is showing the topside and the neon polka dotted white fabric on the mask matches the me-made bias tape. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_DIBY_7370.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

If you have bias tape handy, or are going to make your own, then this face mask is perfect amidst the elastic shortage we had. I love that there’s no elastic that can get stretched out and broken in the washing machine and no shoelaces or pipe cleaners I have to remove and rethread later. The mask offered a fair amount of coverage and space.

---

#### *Iris Luckhaus*

I found Iris Luckhaus’ face mask sewing pattern back in September and absolutely loved the idea of it. [The pattern showed detailed instructions](https://www.irisluckhaus.de/en/2020/diy-cloth-mask/?ref=simplykyra.com) that looked slightly complicated although she had already added [a new page showing an awesome tutorial with tons of photos](https://www.irisluckhaus.de/en/2020/diy-cloth-mask-tutorial/?ref=simplykyra.com) by the time I came across it so once I justified jumping in and sewing it the pattern was super simple to follow. I first made one for myself and it was immediately my favorite mask. I had been thinking of making my kids new face masks to match their Halloween costume choice so I justified making more and quickly cut and sewed four more assembly style; as I included myself and Matt in that set. This pattern has it all including the construction to tuck around your nose to minimize the glasses fog I hate, a simple channel needing no extra fabric in case you choose to use a nose wire in the future, pleats to add extra space inside your mask, the ability to lay flat for storage and if you want to iron it later, and side channels at the sides to help cinch the mask around your face. My whole family loves the mask and I always make sure to keep the two I made for myself on top of my mask pile so I can use them as often as I can. With the backwards pleat around my nose I hardly ever have to deal with my glasses fogging. I also love that the channel for a nose wire was so simple to add that it seemed easier to add it rather than skipping that step; although I haven’t tried to thread a nose wire in mine yet. I only made one minor change to the pattern. The first time I sewed it up it was simpler to include the opening in the mask for a filter, rather than sew it closed, although I hadn’t ever used a filter yet. I noticed with the opening that there was a raw edge that could potentially unravel and although it hasn’t happened yet it still bugged me knowing it was there. To combat that the next time I sewed up the mask pattern I made sure to serge the bottom edge of the two pieces, making sure not to cut any off, before following the instructions so I didn’t have to worry about any unfinished edges at the end. I also love how this pattern comes in several sizes and you don’t have to worry about checking layers on or off. The size of the pattern changes based on how you print it off. Specifically if you print it at 100% it’s for a size medium (ladies) and fits me great. For Matt I printed it off at 110% (size large) and although the edge went off the page it still worked out great. For the kids I only remembered there being an option for older kids (aged 8-12), by printing it off at 90%, so when I sewed it up I guessed and chose to print the kids at 80%. [Checking the website now I see a chart partway down including the XS size for 4 to 8 year olds going up to the XL size at 120%](https://www.irisluckhaus.de/en/2020/diy-cloth-mask/?ref=simplykyra.com). I’m not sure if I just missed that or if it was updated since I last looked. Either way the 80% print off worked great for both Zoey and Ada (4 and 6 years old). The additional thing I loved was that you can adjust the fit with the amount of elastic you use after you sew the mask up. I make the elastic go around the back of our head and the first version I made I cut the elastic almost too small so it fits tighter to my face compared with my second mask. Looking at them now you can see the tightness in that first mask where the only change was the elastic length.

![Diagram showing the mask's specifications with labels. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-10-22-at-12.25.48-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C529&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken on October 22nd, 2020 to more easily show you what this pattern offers. [Taken from: https://www.irisluckhaus.de/en/2020/diy-cloth-mask/.](https://www.irisluckhaus.de/en/2020/diy-cloth-mask/?ref=simplykyra.com)

![Image shows me taking a selfie looking into the camera I'm holding up with my other hand on my hip. I'm standing in front of the kitchen table wearing my new Doctor Who mask with my older Doctor Who shirt. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IrisLuckhaus_5207.jpg?resize=750%2C852&ssl=1)

My first mask attempt I tried to use some scrap fabric that could maybe work for Matt, if it was too big, but that I also wouldn’t be disappointed about if the mask didn’t turn out. The second time around, once I knew I loved the pattern and it’s size, I grabbed some Doctor Who fabric to make a splurge-y mask for me. It goes amazingly with [the Doctor Who shirt I made a year ago](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/09/21/ragamuffins-dynamite-top/) and could technically be called a really simple Halloween costume in a pinch.

![Image shows a blue ironing mat on the kitchen table with two rectangles laid out. In the background are a couple scraps of fabric, stacked, for the sides of the mask. The left rectangle shows two pumpkins with some grass below while the right one shows six Wonder Woman logos I copied from my internet search results. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IrisLuckhaus_5184.jpg?resize=750%2C410&ssl=1)

This year [Zoey wanted to be a **pumpkin with no face*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/21/zoeys-simple-and-updated-pumpkin-costume/) while [Ada wanted to be **Wonder Woman*](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/19/adas-epic-wonder-woman-halloween-costume/) for Halloween and I knew I had to make matching masks. For this I cut out the outer pattern pieces with white woven fabric and quickly copied out some pumpkins and Wonder Woman logos while the kids were busy outside. I had to quickly hide them when the kids came in and press them, to set the ink, later that night before sewing the masks up.

![Image shows all four masks pleated up so they're half as tall and more obviously rectangular. There's clips on either side keeping the pleats in place. The bottom mask is my Doctor Who while the top black mask is slightly underneath the kids decorated ones. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IrisLuckhaus_5188.jpg?resize=750%2C431&ssl=1)

I then followed the detailed directions for the masks, after finishing the bottom raw edge of all the rectangles with my serger, and had to pause for a quick photo after pleating and clipping the masks. Right before I took the photo I used my iron to press the center of the masks down, trying not to touch the sewing clips, to help the pleats stay in place.

![All four masks are laid out on the blue ironing mat on the table. The top of each shows a small strip of the outer fabric as it was folded in. Other than that they all have the same grey starred fabric with horned unicorns, pumpkins, cats, and skulls tossed around. The pleats make it appear like those old paper images that you fold in to change the image. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IrisLuckhaus_5189.jpg?resize=750%2C479&ssl=1)

Here is what the backside of the masks looked like after adding the pleats and clipping them. Since they were technically Halloween masks I used the leftover snuggle flannel I bought for the girls’ Halloween nightgowns for all four masks. With the girls loving unicorns and pumpkins I couldn’t pass up this fabric and loved that I could use it for the inside of Matt’s mask, letting it shine, and also slyly matching the kids.

![Image shows a painted wooden pumpkin with a Zoey costumed pumpkin and an Ada Wonder Woman standing by it. Around it lays straw on the floor and actual pumpkins off to the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IrisLuckhaus_1433.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

With our Halloween masks done it was time to take our costumes out to a pumpkin patch so we could snap photos of the girls and, most importantly this year, snap a photo of pumpkin Zoey amidst pumpkins. They both inexplicably loved this wooden pumpkin. If you’re interested in the costumes I posted previously [my pumpkin one here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/21/zoeys-simple-and-updated-pumpkin-costume/) and [Wonder Woman’s there](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/19/adas-epic-wonder-woman-halloween-costume/).

![Image shows all five of the Iris Luckhaus masks I made. You can see the flat underside of Matt's and the curved underside of Adas. You can also see the topside of my black-ish one, Doctor Who, and Zoey's pumpkin one. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IrisLuckhaus_5645.jpg?resize=750%2C481&ssl=1)

Although the masks are relatively new they have been washed multiple times and are starting to get wrinkled. If I cared I could easily press the pleats back into place while being careful not to melt the elastic.

![Image shows the underside of Matt's mask and the outer side of mine and the kids masks. The two adult ones, on the left, are fully opened so you can see how much bigger they are in the center with the pleats. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IrisLuckhaus_5654.jpg?resize=669%2C407&ssl=1)

The previous photo showed the adult masks flattened as much as I could. In contrast I wanted to share the masks opened up so you see how much more face it can cover, when worn, while still gathering the sides in with the pleats.

![Image shows my two masks. On the left the mask is unfolded more and the side is flat and straight. The mask on the right, with the tighter elastic, is curved up more, as it's pulled taunt, and the sides are cinched in a curved. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IrisLuckhaus_5656.jpg?resize=750%2C267&ssl=1)

For my first mask, on the right, I cut the elastic smaller than I probably should’ve so it’s tighter on my face and cinched in more when not being worn. In contrast my Doctor Who mask, on the left, has longer elastic and and isn’t cinched in as much. You can see the difference specifically on the sides where the elastic is channeled through the mask. On the left one the side is flat while the right one is curved in and cinched tighter.

Hands down [this mask pattern, through Iris Luckhaus](https://www.irisluckhaus.de/en/2020/diy-cloth-mask/?ref=simplykyra.com), is my absolute favorite one and I can definitely see sewing so many more in the future. It does take a bit more fabric, especially when comparing it to the smaller [Craft Passion](https://www.craftpassion.com/face-mask-sewing-pattern/?ref=simplykyra.com) one, but I absolutely love how it fits and that it stays in place when you talk.

---

With so many masks I’ve had to come out with an organization attempt so it would be simple to grab the right mask, when needed, and also be easy to put them away. I ended up making my own organizer, [blogged about the cereal box upcycle here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/28/simple-drawer-organizer-recycled-from-a-cereal-box/), so I could easily keep Matt’s, mine, and the kids’ masks separate from each other. It works perfectly and, once they’re washed, I’ve been making sure the favorite masks are at the top to be used the most. I ended up putting the whole organizer on top of our cabinet, by the front door,

![Image shows a cereal box with the top and front count out with two dividers so there's three separate sections for mask. In the left is a pile of black masks, while mine are in the center, and the kids' masks are on the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_5659.jpg?resize=750%2C504&ssl=1)

I ended up upcycling a cereal box so I could keep the masks better divided and easy to grab.

![Image is taken from below and looking up at the cereal box organizer full of masks sitting on top of the cabinet. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_5661.jpg?resize=750%2C485&ssl=1)

I put the whole organizer on the cabinet and I can easily pull it down to grab a mask or put the cleaned masks away.

---

Have you made your own fabric masks? If so what patterns did you love and did you use the same fabric as me or something else? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Hope this helps you out and that you have a good week.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simple Drawer Organizer Recycled From A Cereal Box
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-drawer-organizer-recycled-from-a-cereal-box/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:41:23.000Z
Several months ago I was looking for a way to corral all of [our masks](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/11/04/i-sewed-up-three-free-face-mask-patterns-and-here-is-my-takeaway/) into one simple to grab spot but I wasn’t quite sure what to use to accomplish this task. I wanted the masks to be easily available at the front door, rather than stored out of the way somewhere else, so they would be simple to access whether we were grabbing a mask on the way out the door or wanting to return cleaned masks back to their spot after washing them. At this point I had just moved the masks from a pile in our office to a small cinched bag at the front door but I wasn’t happy with the bag as individual masks was hard to find and pull out of the bag when it was time to leave the house. I considered tossing all of the masks into a single basket and although Matt’s masks are all black and the kids are all small I was still worried that it might be difficult to find a specific mask in the basket if we’re rushing out the door. Apparently when I need an organizational solution I turn to recycling emptied paper boxes, to get a custom fit for cheap, and so I, again, looked to our cereal boxes and came up with this awesome short separator that is so simple to pull down whenever I’m putting away cleaned masks and incredibly easy to grab a mask from when I’m in a hurry.

![Collage image geared towards Pinterest showing three images, a title, and the main URL. The top image stretches the width of the image and shows an emptied Special K cereal box. There are two purple areas pointing to two, side by side, images below showing the two cardboard organizer. The one on the left shows three separate piles of masks while the one on the right is inside a plastic drawer and separates play money.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_Simple-Drawer-Organizer-Recycled-From-A-Cereal-Box-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

At our front door there aren’t a lot of places I could store masks so I knew going into this that I was creating a small organizer I could easily place on top of our cabinet, an Ikea Billy bookcase with a glass and paneled door, located close to our front door. I looked around our home and found a just emptied box of Kellogg’s Special K cereal that was the perfect size for what I wanted it for. I quickly grabbed my X-Acto knives, clear packing tape, masking tape, and some scissors so I could get to work.

As a quick aside. If you’re looking for an upcycled organizer but want something that looks just a bit different I’ve previously [upcycled a larger sturdy cereal box into a paper organizer by opening the front and part of the top](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/07/22/simple-school-paper-organizer/). I also [created smaller cardboard ‘cups’ to organize a drawer or shelf](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/07/03/quick-and-simple-storage-containers/) along with some toys for the kids including a [simple vehicle with a working paper plate wheel](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/03/06/simple-cardboard-vehicle-with-a-working-steering-wheel/), a [simple kitchen stove and oven set](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/05/29/easy-cardboard-kitchen-set/), and [a set of shelves for a kitchen set](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/06/create-cardboard-shelving-for-your-kitchen-set/) which I’ve done twice now.

I started out by laying the cereal box on it’s side, so it was short and wide, before using small pieces of my packing tape to reinforce the back corners. I then grabbed my X-Acto knife and, leaving an inch or two in the back and a lip along the sides, started cutting the top and most of the front of the box out. I knew I’d be stacking each set of masks and thus wanted the front open so I could easily see which masks were in each pile and which were missing, so still dirty, without having to go through all the masks. I also chose to leave the very back of the top uncut so it’s larger lip on the back edge would help hold the masks down in case the piles started getting larger so the masks wouldn’t be able to fall out easily.

![Image shows a closeup of the Kellogg's Special K cereal box with tape attached to the right side and sticking up from the back corner. Around the box sits blue-handled scissors, packing tape, masking tape, and a portion of the X-Acto knives box pokes in from the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1809.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After laying out the box on the table I started by reinforcing the back corners with my packing tape.

![Image shows the box on it's side with most of the top and front cut away. There's a large stripe of box in the top back, a smaller section at the bottom front, and a smaller lip along the sides. The silver X-Acto knife sits in the opened box and the rest of the tools sit scattered around the box. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1810.jpg?resize=750%2C444&ssl=1)

I wanted there to be a large lip in the back holding the masks in place along with a lip along the front, so nothing easily falls off, so I left the top uncut along the back by about an inch or two and kept a lip along the bottom of the front. I also wanted the walls to be sturdy so I left a smaller lip along the sides so the box retains it’s integrity. I made the simple cuts with my X-Acto knife.

I then took the piece of cardboard I had just cut off and checked to see if it could fit within the cardboard box. It did so I next stood it up so I could see how high the main box came on it and thus what width of strips I needed to cut should be. I cut two strips, as I needed three sections, from the cardboard front and laid them in the main box to confirm that they fit.

![Image shows the box with the interior showing a reversed image of the missing piece of the box. Around it sits a mask on the grey bag of masks, masking tape, packing tape, X-Acto knife, X-Acto box, and scissors.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1812.jpg?resize=750%2C436&ssl=1)

I took the large piece of cardboard that I had cut out from the box and placed it, flattened, inside the box to make sure it wasn’t wider than the opening.

![Image shows the cereal box on it's side with the top and front cut off. Inside a strip is loosely placed vertically to act as a divider making one large and one small space in the box. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1813.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I turned the piece of cardboard vertical so I could size how tall the main box was. I then tried to cut out a strip of the box keeping it to a constant width. I sized the newly created strip inside the main box and then trimmed it’s height down until it properly fit. I did this one more time so I’d have two dividers and thus three sections in my organizer.

Once I was happy with the height of the two strips of cardboard the next task was to decide where they should go. I knew Matt’s masks were a bit taller, or wider when laid down, than mine and both of ours were larger than the kids. I also knew I used the same sewing pattern size for both of the kids’ masks; hence why when I realized we could only fit three piles instead of four I decided to combine the kids’ masks together. I ended up trying to make the three spaces similar widths to each other but when it came to readjusting them I preferred making the leftmost space the largest over the kids’ rightmost space.

Once I was happy with how it was laid out I next taped the strips in by laying them flat inside the box and taping the bottom down. I then flipped the strip over the taped section, so the tape is now hidden, and taped the other side of the bottom down. This made the strip, or divider, a bit floppy back and forth but I knew it was overall secured to the bottom. I then made the divider vertical and taped the back of the newly created divider to the back and top of the cardboard box making it secured.

![Image shows a closeup of the divider within the opened cardboard box. It's laying flat so it blends in with the box and there's a clear shiny piece of tape along it's left side taping it to the box. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1814.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I figured it would be easiest to start with taping the bottom down as I was able to lay the strip down flat and simply tape along the length.

![Image shows the same closeup as the previous image although this time the strip is flipped over, and slightly tilting up, so you can see the printed side of the box. There's a strip of shiny tape holding it in the box.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1815.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once the first side was taped down I flipped the strip over and taped down the other side.

![Image shows a closeup of the back of the divider. The back isn't taped yet you can see a lot of tape at the top of the box holding the divider in.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1816.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once the base was secured to the bottom of the cereal box it was time to make the strip stand up vertical and stick it in place by taping the back top of the strip to the wide lip on the top of the box. I started by taping the underside of the top of the box and then added tape, angled, to the inner opening, cut it, and folded the tape up.

![Image is a bit hard to see as the camera was compensating for the darkness but you can see the back of the divider and see the shiny packing tape on either side of the divider holding it in place.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1818.jpg?resize=750%2C419&ssl=1)

Once I was happy with how secure the top and bottom of the divider was I next attempted to tape the back of the divider in through the small space. If you had a wider cereal box this would be easier but I liked the idea of my organizer being short and, most importantly, only had the skinny cereal box available when I wanted to make this.

![Image shows a closeup of the top of the divider showing where the strip leaves the overhang on the top of the box. There's a piece of fingerprinted tape about to be folded over by my finger. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1821.jpg?resize=750%2C485&ssl=1)

Once I was happy with how secure the divider seemed I next decided to reinforce it’s attachment to the top of the box with some more clear tape placed over the edge.

Once both strips were securely taped my mask organizer was finished. I next separated out my masks so I had a pile of Matt’s, a pile of mine, and a pile containing both of the kids’ masks. I figured I almost never left the house with only one of the kids so it didn’t matter if I combined theirs together. Each pile got it’s own slot in the organizer so they easily stay separate from each other and yet are easy to grab since you could easily see what is available from the front. I love how simple the organizer was to make and use. Once filled I carefully placed the whole organizer on the top of the cabinet near our front door for when we next needed them.

![Image shows the just made organizer with all the masks placed carefully in piles inside. The far left shows a pile of black masks with a blue pipecleaner on top available to be inserted into a mask. The center shows my masks with a black and marble decorated one on top with lavender bias tape. The far right shows a pile with brighter colors and patterns along with neon shoelaces as a tie. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1827.jpg?resize=750%2C429&ssl=1)

I separated out the masks based on the mask’s size (Matt, me, and the kids) trying to keep the current favorites near the top and then gave each pile it’s own slot in the upcycled cereal box organizer.

Since the above photo was taken the mask box has started to get fuller; as you can kind of see in the below photo. If I make more masks I could see leaving our favorite go-to masks in the organizer, for easy grabbing, and move our extra masks, that we don’t like as much, to a basket so we have them in case of emergencies but they don’t need to be as accessible. That way the cereal box holder wouldn’t get too overstuffed and break on me… although it would be simple enough to make again as long as I had another emptied cereal box handy.

![Image is taken from below looking up to towards the ceiling. It shows the top of the Ikea Billy cabinet with the organizer placed on top, slightly extending past the edge, with more masks stuffed inside compared to the image above. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_5661.jpg?resize=750%2C485&ssl=1)

It’s been three months since I’ve made the upcycled organizer and it’s still going strong. I love how easy it is to reach up and grab whether I need a specific mask or whether I have a pile of cleaned masks that I want to put away. The only issue I might have is when the bias tape strings are hanging down and getting in the way of the cupboard door but that is easily fixed by putting them away more carefully.

Like all of my upcycled paper projects at this point you could go easily go decorate this in some way; although, like all the past ones, I haven’t yet and don’t see myself doing it anytime soon.

Making the mask holder was so simple and quick that I decided to turn one of the drawers in my kids’ kitchen set into a cash register for the play money I bought them from Michael’s Arts and Crafts. I quickly grabbed another box of Kellogg’s Special K cereal, originally a three pack from Costco, and removed the bag inside before then grabbing the drawer in question along with the felt play money and random ‘coins’ the kids have collected over the years. After confirming that the cereal box does in fact fit within the drawer it was time to get started. I love that I didn’t have to shorten the box to fit within the drawer.

![Image shows the plastic drawer sitting on the table with the Kellogg's Special K cereal box laying inside. Off to the side Ada and Zoey are standing by the table organizing the bills and coins. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1829.jpg?resize=750%2C583&ssl=1)

I started out by laying the emptied cereal box within the plastic drawer to confirm it fit. I love how perfectly it fit within the drawer and especially how it’s just short enough that I won’t have to trim any of it’s height to allow the drawer to close later on.

After confirming that the box, in fact, fit in the drawer it was time to figure out how to lay out my organizer to better fit the bills and coins. I wanted there to be a space for all the money to fit in the drawer yet keep each type of bill separate from the other bills so it’s easy to grab a $1, $5, $10, or $20 bill when you wanted a specific one.

![Image shows the cereal box within the plastic drawer again. There's a $5 and $20 bill side by side. The $5 is against the back of the drawer while the $20 bill beside it overlaps the side of the box and lays over the top of the drawer's front. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1830.jpg?resize=750%2C484&ssl=1)

I started out by trying to place the bills end to end. Ignoring the fact that there’s no space between the two bills for a divider there’s also no space to fit both bills in the cardboard box or even the drawer. This way was quickly chosen against.

![Image is take from above looking down at the plastic drawer. There are four bills laid side by side (5, 20, 10, and 10) going from the left to the right and slightly overlapping the front edge of the drawer. Off to the side Ada is organizing a pile of $5 bills while Zoey is seen, slightly, beside her. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1831.jpg?resize=750%2C518&ssl=1)

I quickly snapped a photo after grabbing four bills (to represent the 1, 5, 10, and 20 dollar bills) and laid them side by side along the length of the drawer. They still overlapped with the front of the drawer but I realized, most importantly, that the drawer width fits the length of the bills and this could work if the bills were all angled a bit on their side. I quickly confirmed that they were too wide to fit in the drawer vertically, just in case, and knew angling a bit would be the perfect solution.

Once the best general layout was decided it was time to cut out the opening I needed in the box and figure out exactly how I needed lay out the dividers so the organizer worked how I wanted it to. Like before I cut the top and side of the box off but this time, other than a small lip to keep the box’s structural integrity in tact, I cut it all off. Once it was ready I put it back in the drawer, pushed the uncut side against the side of the drawer so there was more width to work with, and started by roughly planning what I wanted to do before marking the cereal box with a pencil to show where I wanted the divider for the coin and bill sections to be.

![Image shows a closeup of the cut open cereal box within the plastic drawer. There is a $5 and $1 bill set within the cereal box and overlapping out of it as a placeholder for where the bills are going to go. There is a pencil mark within the cereal box showing where the bills extend to. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1832.jpg?resize=750%2C543&ssl=1)

I started out by cutting the top and side of the box off so it could take advantage of the width of the drawer. Once I put the box back in the drawer I used two bills, on either end of the box, to mark how much space I needed so I could fit the bills

After removing the bills I cut a strip of the removed cereal box and made sure it’s height was similar to the height of the cereal box. Like with the mask organizer I laid it down, so the edge lined up with the pencil marking, and taped it before flipping it over and taping the other side down. Once it’s base was secured I next used packing tape to secure either end to the side of the cereal box. The strip ended up being shorter than what I needed so there was a bit of space between the edge of the divider and the cereal box so I next attempted to join them while making a wall with the packing tape. It didn’t feel too secure so I grabbed my masking tape and reinforced either end so I knew for sure it was secure. Just remember if you marked your cereal box you may want to erase it before applying the tape. In my case I used transparent packing tape and forgot to erase the pencil so the marks are now showing through and protected from being erased now.

![Image shows the opened cardboard box set on a table with a strip of cereal box placed printed side up across most of the width of the box. It's taped down along the top side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1833.jpg?resize=750%2C425&ssl=1)

I laid the strip of thin cardboard down making sure the one edge was lined up with the pencil line marked on the cereal box. I then grabbed a strip of packing tape and taped it down.

![The strip from before is flipped over so it's along the top of the box and you can see the pencil marks below it and the tape showing through underneath it. My fingers are holding it down. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1834.jpg?resize=750%2C420&ssl=1)

I then flipped the strip over making sure it didn’t wiggle too far off from the line. I noticed that the strip ended up not being flush against the line but since it looked slightly equidistant along the length and since it was on the coin side I left it as it was and secured it down with another strip of packing tape.

![The cardboard strip is taped down to the base behind the pencil mark. To the right you can see the edge of the divider taped to the side of the cereal box. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1836.jpg?resize=750%2C510&ssl=1)

There was a bit of a space at either end of the divider so I made sure to create a makeshift wall with the packing tape while I attached the sides of the divider to the sides of the cereal box.

![Image show a view above and to the front of the cereal box; when looking straight at it. The edges of the divider are taped down with beige tape. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1837.jpg?resize=750%2C461&ssl=1)

I didn’t like how the clear tape looked and thought it seemed a bit flimsy so I grabbed my masking tape and secured either end of the divider.

Once the main divider, for between the coins and bills, was secured it was time to figure out where to put the shorter dividers to separate the different bill types. There are four different bill types in the play money set I bought so I knew I wanted to have three dividers put in so I’d have four slots available. Like before I snagged a couple of bills and used them as placeholders so I could calculate where I wanted the new dividers placed before charging ahead. I then grabbed the excess piece of cereal box, that I had used to cut the first divider, and cut three more strips from it before taping them all down, first the one side and then flipping them over to tape the other side, so they were all secured to where I had marked them to be. After they were taped to the bottom I next taped the back of each divider to that first divider so they’d all stay upright. Before taping over the top of that junction I grabbed my scissors and trimmed the excess height from the dividers so they were all similar heights and then I secured them with more tape.

![Image shows a closeup of the cereal box with the one horizontal divider in place and a couple bills laid down. The bottom of the cereal box has been marked up in a couple places. The tape and pencil are to the right and the extra bills and coins to the left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1839.jpg?resize=750%2C458&ssl=1)

I grabbed a couple of the bills and used them to decide where I should put the three dividers and marked on the cereal box where I thought that should be.

![Image shows the box marked with two longer marks and three smaller marks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1840.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I started by dividing it into three sections and then changed it to four sections hence the five marks.

![Image shows three dividers laid down at a ninety degree angle to the first divider. All have been taped down on the one side so each one overlaps the one next to it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1841.jpg?resize=750%2C529&ssl=1)

Like before I laid each divider down and taped it before flipping it over to tape the other side. This time I started on the left side and laid the strip of cardboard down at a ninety degree angle to the first divider, I then taped it along the right side, and then went on to the next two strips repeating this process.

![Image shows the same as before except this time the strips of cereal cardboard have been flipped over so the printed side is up and they're towards the right side now. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1842.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once all three strips were placed I flipped them over, one by one, and taped it down on the other side.

![Image shows a something that almost looks like a cash register. The back is one horizontal section. Coming from it are four sections with the center three strips extending past the end of the register. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1843.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then made each divider point upward and taped the back of them to that first divider so they would stay standing up.

![Closeup showing the top of the cereal box with scissors laid over top of the one divider to show them being recently trimmed. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1844.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once they were secure I took my scissors and trimmed any excess height so the new dividers would equal in height to the first divider and the edges of the cereal box.

![Image shows a closeup of the dividers' junction with tape facing upward about to be folded over to secure their place. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1846.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then taped along the top of each divider making sure each one was secure.

And with all the dividers taped and secure it was time to check if the organizer still fit in the drawer. I knew at this point that the dividers were too long to fit within the drawer’s width but I also knew that I wanted to wait until this point to trim them as the drawer was wider than the cereal box was and I didn’t want them to be too short. I placed the cereal box in the drawer at an angle, since it didn’t fit, and then trimmed the dividers in length until the organizer fit the drawer perfectly.

![The cereal box organizer is tilted upwards in the plastic drawer as the three newly added dividers are too long to fit within the width of the drawer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1847.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I knew the dividers were too long to fit the drawer’s width but I wanted to wait until this point to trim them so I wouldn’t shorten them by too much.

![Image shows the upcycled cereal box organizer perfectly fitting within the plastic drawer as the extra coins, bills, and scissors sit of to the sides. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1848.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once trimmed the organizer fits perfectly making this drawer into a makeshift cash register. I love how it stays in place as the cereal box is as long as the drawer and the dividers are kept long enough to keep it from shifting back and forth.

And the cash register, or upcycled cereal box organizer, was done! I placed all the coins into the larger enclosed sections, currently divided but later all mixed up, and gave each specific set of bills their own home in one of the four remaining sections. It works perfectly at an angle as it’s so easy to see each of the bill types when you pull open the plastic drawer.

![Image shows the plastic drawer sitting on the table with the coins and bills all perfectly organized within. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1850.jpg?resize=750%2C492&ssl=1)

And the cash register is all organized and complete!

![Image shows two larger pieces of cardboard and a lot of little sections, from trimming things to size, laid out on the table. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1851.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

And from the two cereal boxes I only had this much cardboard left to be recycled once I was done.

And with that both upcycled cereal box organizers were complete! I’m so glad I thought of making my own custom organizer as it works amazingly on keeping my masks organized and I absolutely love how adorable the drawer looks for my kids’ kitchen set. And now the kids have easy access to their money whenever they want to sell their yummy creations.

I wanted to share these with you as, although super simple, they made my day to day life easier and I wanted you to know about them in case you were also looking for your own organizing solution for a particular section of your home. Let me know if you end up using this idea and if so what did you organize with it? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Hope your day is going well and you’re having a good week.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Zoey's Simple and Updated Pumpkin Costume
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/zoeys-simple-and-updated-pumpkin-costume/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:41:00.000Z
Last year [Zoey chose to be a pumpkin for Halloween which, after a trip together to Walmart, turned into a jack-o-lantern costume when we found an adorable top](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/14/zoeys-simple-jack-o-lantern-costume-from-store-bought-and-sewn-items/). Even before that year Zoey was enthralled with pumpkins so when Halloween approached again this year I wasn’t surprised to find out that she still wanted to be a pumpkin. As I talked it over with her I found out that it wasn’t just a pumpkin she wanted to be; instead, she wanted to be *a pumpkin with no face*… so no reusing the jack-o-lantern shirt from last year. The costume ended up changing just enough that I figured I’d share what we kept from last year, what we added, and what we removed to update last year’s jack-o-lantern costume to fit this year’s pumpkin *with no face* costume.

![Collage image for Pinterest. Shows six images, all found below, along with a title and my main URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_Zoeys-Pumpkin-Costume.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Since first deciding to be *a pumpkin with no face* we’ve hit upon a couple times where I thought Zoey had changed costumes. The first time was when Zoey came up to me and asked “who is the princess of the ocean”. I replied Moana and she told me “that’s who I am”. I became worried and asked if she was going to be Moana or *a pumpkin with no face* for Halloween. “No” she retorts “I’m a pumpkin with no face for Halloween!” “Okay”, I quickly reply, “so a pumpkin with no face for Halloween and Moana now.” Zoey nods. “Hi Moana.” Zoey grins and then replies “sometimes people throw me off the boat but I get back on”. I smile back and confirm “yes definitely” and she runs off to continue being Moana. It was adorable. Now, as I type this up Zoey sits beside me and as I wrote the introduction paragraph I read out loud as I typed. This somehow prompted a discussion on whether Zoey wants to be *a pumpkin with no face* or a *lantern that lights up in the dark*. After discussing it back and forth I realize a pumpkin is, in fact, a lantern that lights up in the dark and she still wants to be a pumpkin with no face and she’s okay if it doesn’t light up.

---

When Zoey first told me she wanted to be a pumpkin, this year, I figured it would be so simple as [she was a jack-o-lantern the last Halloween](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/14/zoeys-simple-jack-o-lantern-costume-from-store-bought-and-sewn-items/). Then I found out that she wanted to be a *pumpkin with no face* so we couldn’t reuse the jack-o-lantern shirt that still fit her from last year. I next went to try the orange leggings on Zoey just to realize that she’d grown out of them. Luckily, the adorable beanie from last year still fits on Zoey’s head so we started out with one garment already ready before having to do anything for this year’s costume.

Last year when planning Zoey’s pumpkin costume I wanted a pumpkin-esque shirt or tunic over matching leggings. I then came across and bought [the tulip tunic through Ellie and Mac](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/tulip-tunic-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com) as I realized that it would be an awesome pumpkin-shaped top. I quickly sized and cut out fabric to make both girls a wearable muslin, thus sizing it for Zoey’s costume, but before I got a chance to sew them up I came across the jack-o-lantern shirt at Walmart and we went with that instead. I then set aside those already cut out shirts for about a month or so before I finally got around to sewing them up. The finished tops were adorable, although shorter than I had expected which may have been because of my children’s growth since sizing them.

![Image shows a closeup of a blue long sleeved top with a puffed up shark fabric over the midsection. It's paired with pink pants with the background fence blurred.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9855.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

To test how the shirt fit I had used some shark fabric I had (baby shark!) as I had some blue knit fabric on hand that matched perfectly.

Although I ended up not sewing a pumpkin shirt last year I had bought several yards of a lightweight orange polyester and spandex knit fabric, when I was planning, so all the garment pieces could match. As I had only sewed up a single pair of leggings and a beanie I still had a fair amount left to use for this year’s costume which was awesome as the costume could then match last year’s beanie. Zoey had outgrown her [MyFit Leggings, from Apostrophe Patterns,](https://apostrophepatterns.com/collections/customizable-patterns/products/myfit-leggings?variant=29458037964844&ref=simplykyra.com) over the last year but I was able to simply regenerate the pattern, based on her current measurements, and sewed up a new pair for her, using the same fabric, this year.

The shirt was more difficult to tackle compared to the leggings. I knew I had the [Ellie and Mac Tulip Top](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/tulip-tunic-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com) as a good default since I had sewn a wearable muslin of it last year; although I knew I’d have to remeasure Zoey before cutting it out again this year. Last year I had worried that the top wouldn’t bubble out enough to look like a pumpkin while also worrying that if I added a face to make it a jack-o-lantern the woven fabric might hide the face within it’s folds. Around this time I also was debating adding an inner layer to the [tulip tunic](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/tulip-tunic-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com) by mashing the pattern with the [Ellie and Mac unisex raglan](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/unisex-raglan-top-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com), which I had used several times for [swimming suits](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/08/07/kids-swimming-suits-second-round-with-an-extra-year-of-experience/) in the past, so the final shirt would consist of an inner layer, the raglan, and an outer bubbled layer, the tulip tunic. I knew I’d want to include a slit somewhere so I could easily stuff, and un-stuff, the space between the knit interior layer and the woven exterior bubble so it would appear more spherical and thus more pumpkin-looking; yet still be easy to launder. This year around, once I realized Zoey wanted to be a pumpkin again, I debated, momentarily, of using that idea from last year and maybe expanding on it, but instead decided to go simpler. At first I saw simpler as using elastic and decided to allow more of a bubble by cutting the tunic version of the top rather than the shirt length from last year. I next planned to add elastic to the bottom band, so you could easily pull it up and bubble it out, and/or add elastic vertically to cinch the top and the bottom of the bubble together at different points around Zoey’s waist. In the end I went with the simplest idea overall and just made the pattern as called for, but made it two sizes larger as a tunic instead of according to Zoey’s exact measurements. This way the top is comfy and can easily be worn as an everyday top at any point…. and there’s always the option of adding elastic, in the future, if I think the bottom band should be held up higher.

Since I had an excess of newly bought orange woven fabric and a lot of the orange knit fabric on hand I decided to just jump in and skip sewing a wearable muslin this time around and it worked out great. As I cut out the woven fabric I was debating how to make the top look more pumpkin-like, while leaving off a face, and decided to use my orange fabric markers to mark the pumpkin’s segments by sketching in small curves. The markers were close to drying out, cough cough Zoey, so the colors weren’t that dark but I continued on both pieces of the bubble, so both sides of the shirt, and later used my iron to set the ink in place. That bit of coloring was the only change I made as I then followed the pattern’s instructions to sew up the tunic. It turned out adorable and looked perfect with the leggings. Zoey absolutely loved it!

![The two rectangles of orange fabric laid out on the ironing mat. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_5083.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The fabric markers were a bit dry so it doesn’t show up from a distance but I continued trying to make the fabric look segmented like a real pumpkin.

![The pumpkin tunic and leggings from the back. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_5088.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I wasn’t sure where Zoey’s beanie was, at this point, but Zoey still loved her pumpkin costume.

![Zoey standing slightly turned with her hands in her pockets making the shirt look just a bit more pumpkin-esque.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_5094.jpg?resize=750%2C658&ssl=1)

I shot several photos before finally showing Zoey that there were pockets in the top.

![Front view of the pumpkin top with the sides spread out with Zoey's hands hidden in the pockets. The leggings are worn underneath the top.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_5095.jpg?resize=750%2C865&ssl=1)

Zoey really loved the pockets.

![The image is taken from above showing a flat lay. The shirt is laid out in the center with the arms outstretched. Underneath the one arm are the leggings while the beanie is laid out under the other arm.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_5104.jpg?resize=750%2C576&ssl=1)

The final costume; after finding the beanie.

![Again the image is take from above looking down. This time the leggings are tucked into the bottom of the shirt as if someone was wearing them. The beanie is above the neckline and the whole layout looks like it is running past. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_5109.jpg?resize=750%2C949&ssl=1)

I may have had a bit of fun with the flat lay.

Since this is for this year’s Halloween costume and I had just finished the costume itself I didn’t have any super awesome photos to go with the blog post. Zoey has absolutely loved pumpkins for over a year, loved orange since she could first verbalize her favorite color, and has been a pumpkin for two Halloweens in a row…. so I knew I had to snag some photos of Zoey with some pumpkins. With the coronavirus disease lurking around I didn’t want to go anywhere crowded with Zoey so debated taking her to somewhere smaller. My first idea, Trader Joe’s, didn’t look picture-esque enough when I went grocery shopping to size it up. The local garden center looked like it had a pumpkin patch but had strict COVID-19 guidelines online so I didn’t think they’d want me and two kids snapping photos whether we bought a bunch of stuff or not. We ended up, instead, going to a pumpkin patch, skipping the rides and food, and Zoey was blown away by all the pumpkins. Last year we had gone sunflower picking which just happened to have pumpkins available but this time around the display was bigger and more spread out and Zoey loved it. When we left I held her so she could see the pumpkins over my shoulder and I chanted “good bye pumpkins” and she said things like bye, and I love you pumpkins after each time I chanted. It was so adorable.

![Angled back view of Zoey looking at pumpkins on a display.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_5488.jpg?resize=750%2C515&ssl=1)

Zoey loved all the different pumpkins surrounding her.

![A painted pumpkin looking display with Zoey standing next to it looking back at it. Regular pumpkins lay to the left going off-photo.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_1437.jpg?resize=750%2C478&ssl=1)

Both girls loved the “angry pumpkin” as they called him and took photos with him twice.

![Tons of pumpkins laid out on a straw covered dirt ground with a Zoey sitting among them all.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_5498.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Of course we went for a Zoey pumpkin in a field of pumpkins photo.

![Both girls standing in front of another wooden pumpkin-like display with pumpkins laid out behind it. Ada stands in front looking off to the side while Zoey stands behind looking in the other direction.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_5520.jpg?resize=750%2C785&ssl=1)

Since Zoey was in her Halloween costume Ada also got to wear [her Wonder Woman costume](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/19/adas-epic-wonder-woman-halloween-costume/).

![Image shows a metal jack-o-lantern with the girls standing inside of it. Ada is looking out of the one eye while Zoey looks out of the nose. You can see both of their legs through it's open smiling mouth.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_5522.jpg?resize=750%2C632&ssl=1)

They loved the fact you could go inside a (metal) pumpkin…. although it was a bit harder to photograph.

Overall, Zoey had a blast seeing all the pumpkins and is still going pumpkin strong. I don’t know if I’d want to go again, with COVID-19, but I’m so glad she got to see it this year in case her love of pumpkins disappears over the next year.

---

If I were to add elastic to the costume, as mentioned above, I could see it going two ways. My first idea was to cut elastic about the size of Zoey’s hips, or waist depending where I want the shirt to end, before overlapping the elastic’s ends, sew them together, quarter off the elastic and the bottom band’s seam so I could match them equally together, and then zigzag stitch them together. This would cause the band to fit tighter which could, unfortunately, cause the band to wrinkle. Ideally, the band would look fine and the elastic would help keep the woven fabric bubbled out if you lift the bottom band up so it bubbles out more. My next idea was to cut several pieces of elastic to be just under the height I wanted the pumpkin-like bubble to be. I would then attach the top of the elastic to the woven fabric’s top seam and the bottom of the elastic to the bottom band’s seam. I would repeat this several times around the shirt so the vertical elastic would lay against Zoey’s torso and cause the woven bubble to, well, bubble out. I wasn’t sure which way would be best or if I should use both ideas together. As it stands Zoey loved the tunic when I I had her first try it out so I decided to leave the elastic off, for now, and haven’t regretted it yet.

A couple weeks ago I saw someone on Facebook post about their pumpkin costume using a pillowcase dress pattern with an added band at the bottom hem to help cinch it in. It was adorable. Looking at that I could see using a pillowcase dress pattern, or maybe [my favorite Olivia pattern](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/01/23/the-olivia-top/), with an added band and/or elastic at the bottom along with the leggings. Who knows maybe that will be next year’s costume if Zoey goes for three years of pumpkin-y goodness in a row.

I’m not sure what your plans for Halloween might be this year but I wanted to share our costumes, both last year and this years, with you in case you or your kids are set on costumes this year. Between [the jack-o-lantern](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/14/zoeys-simple-jack-o-lantern-costume-from-store-bought-and-sewn-items/) and [skeleton](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/07/how-i-planned-and-sewed-adas-simple-skeleton-costume/) last year and the pumpkin *with no face* and [Wonder Woman](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/19/adas-epic-wonder-woman-halloween-costume/) this year I hope you’re able to get some ideas for yourself. In case you’re interested we’ve also bought, made, and assembled [a firetruck (to match her sister’s Costco firefighter’s costume)](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/11/firetruck-halloween-costume/), [added a working light to a train costume’s hat](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/10/25/halloween-costume-hack-adding-a-light-to-a-costume/), and [colored a store-bought onesie to make a Koko to match her sister’s Wilson costume](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/10/16/halloween-costume-chuggington-onesie/). Additionally, if you sew and are looking for [trick or treating bags I love the market bag from Stitch Upon a Time that, I just checked, is still free](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/31/halloween-trick-or-treating-bags/). Whatever you buy or create I’d love to hear what you’re planning on doing, or have done, in the comments below. Hope you’re having a great week.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Zoey's Simple Jack-O-Lantern Costume From Store-Bought and Sewn Items
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/zoeys-simple-jack-o-lantern-costume-from-store-bought-and-sewn-items/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:40:52.000Z
I considered sharing Zoey’s costume choice, an adorable jack-o’-lantern, with you last year but then decided that a rushed post right before Halloween wasn’t the best idea. I love the way Zoey’s costume turned out and I absolutely adore that over the last year Zoey was able to enjoy mixing and matching the hat, shirt, skirt, and leggings when she got dressed in the morning. Whatever your plans happen to be this year I hope this post helps you out whether you’re trying to decorate your little jack-o-lantern or doing something else this year.

![Pinterest image showing a collage of four images of Zoey's final jack-o-lantern costume. All images can be found below. The image also includes a title, my main url, and several adorable Halloween clipart images. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_Zoeys-Pumpkin-Costume-1.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Ever since the first time Zoey told us what her favorite color was, orange, it has never changed. Thus when Halloween approached, last year, I wasn’t too surprised when Zoey told me she wanted to be a pumpkin. Actually, at first she told me [skeleton, since Ada had already told me what she wanted to be for Halloween,](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/07/how-i-planned-and-sewed-adas-simple-skeleton-costume/) but once I got Zoey to stop fixating on Ada’s choice she immediately told me “pumpkin” and wouldn’t deviate away from it. I remembered Zoey refusing to wear her [firetruck costume the previous year](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/11/firetruck-halloween-costume/), thus [creating Doc McStuffins](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/02/create-a-doc-mcstuffins-costume/), but when she didn’t budge on her choice I knew I’d end up making a pumpkin for her… now all I had to do was figure out how to make it happen.

While planning what to do I decided to start with the basics and head to the required sewing patterns. I knew the simplest option for the pants would be the [Apostrophe Pattern’s MyFit Leggings](https://apostrophepatterns.com/collections/customizable-patterns/products/myfit-leggings?variant=29458037964844&ref=simplykyra.com) but there was no point generating the pattern for Zoey until I knew the stretch of my fabric. With the pants figured out the next thing I needed was a pumpkin-y top. While looking online I came across [the Tulip Tunic, through Ellie and Mac,](https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/tulip-tunic-pattern?aff=688&ref=simplykyra.com) and I knew that it would work to make an amazingly puffy pumpkin. I had some leftover orange woven fabric for the center of the top but I still had to purchase some bright orange knit fabric for the rest of the shirt and the matching leggings. I then bought the tulip tunic, sized Zoey, and cut out the fabric to make her a wearable muslin so I could check the fit. Before I could sew it up for Zoey; however, we went to Walmart and I found several different jack-o-lantern shirts and an adorable orange skirt. Zoey loved them and we went through both the girls and the boys clothing sections so she could chose her absolute favorite jack-o-lantern shirt out of all the ones offered. I ended up buying her favorite top and the matching skirt as I figured why sew a shirt when Zoey had already fallen in love with one of the store-bought ones and we could simply combine it with the me-made leggings I had already planned. Once I started the costume; however, I kept feeling like something was still missing until I found [the Brighton Beanie through Peek-a-Boo Patterns](https://www.peekaboopatternshop.com/brighton-beanie/?ref=simplykyra.com) to create the perfect stem for my little jack-o-lantern.

![Image shows Zoey sitting in a shopping car at Walmart. She's holding up two shirts that, mostly, covers her up. The one on the left is a brighter orange, thinner fabric, with a cuter jack-o-lantern shapes and bow. The one on the right is slightly scarier with pumpkin curved vertical lines and a sticker letting you know it glows. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8132.jpg?resize=750%2C446&ssl=1)

At Walmart (2019) we found one jack-o-lantern shirt in the girls section and several different ones in the boys section. The image on the right is the favorite boys version with a sticker saying it glows in the dark. Zoey went for the thinner and brighter shirt, on the left, from the girls section.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8143.jpg?resize=750%2C829&ssl=1)

After we got home Zoey tried on the shirt and skirt, to confirm it fit, before we washed it and set it aside for Halloween costume wearing.

With the store-bought stuff figured out it was time to wait on the orange knit fabric to arrive so I could start sewing the leggings and, so far unplanned, beanie. I don’t remember where I got the orange knit fabric from but it was a lightweight polyester (96%) and spandex fabric that I later noticed was a bit see-through when stretched tight so I’m glad we ended up pairing the leggings with a skirt over top. Once the fabric came in I figured out the stretch, four-way with 50% one way and 20% the other, and generated the leggings pattern based on Zoey’s current measurements. The leggings came together quickly and, as I felt like something was still missing, I next focused on adding a stem to my pumpkin somehow. At this point I hadn’t chosen a beanie, yet, so I, again, went online to find inspiration and found [an adorable crocheted pumpkin beanie, through HanJan Crochet,](https://www.hanjancrochet.com/the-pumpkin-beanie-hat-free-crochet-pattern/?ref=simplykyra.com) that I knew I didn’t have enough time to make; however, coming across it made me look at beanie sewing patterns so I then came across [Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop’s Brighton Beanie](https://www.peekaboopatternshop.com/brighton-beanie/?ref=simplykyra.com). Since this was my first time using this sewing pattern I decided to sew it up, using the extra orange knit fabric, without worry about adding a stem so if it didn’t fit I didn’t waste any extra time and supplies. Once I finished the hat and found it fit Zoey perfectly it was time to now focus on adding a stem to my little jack-o-lantern. I figured I’d add the stem and leaves after the fact, rather than sew up another beanie, and went looking for some brown and green fabric in my stash. I couldn’t find those solid colors but I did find some leftover Walmart Thanksgiving fabric, last used in [our trick or treating bags](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/31/halloween-trick-or-treating-bags/), in the right leaf-y colors. I then drew out the elements I wanted at the top of the hat, including the stem and some leaves, using my disappearing ink pen. I then doubled up the fabric, so it was double sided with the wrong sides together, and then topstitched where I had drawn earlier before cutting the items out with my pinking shears. For the pumpkin’s vines I took my excess fabric and sewed a zigzag stitch as I curved back and forth. Once done I trimmed the fabric off on either side of the stitches, using the pinking shears again, so I ended up with a wavy looking vine. I then stacked all the elements and sewed them to the top of the beanie. After sewing them down I folded them back, over the seam, and sewed once again hoping this would make the stem stand up better and make the elements more secure. With that I was done sewing the costume.

![Image shows three leaves cut out, with a zigzag, to the right. There's a scrap, to the left, with a sewn on stem at the bottom and zigzagged stitched lines curving back and forth at the top for the vines. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9062.jpg?resize=750%2C540&ssl=1)

I grabbed the scrap and drew onto them the elements I wanted, with a disappearing ink pen, then sewed two layers together, and cut it out with my pinking shears. I then used my iron to make the ink disappear but, looking back, I’ve since had the ink reappear on me so I’d use chalk if I were to do it again.

![Image shows the flattened beanie on the table showing the leaves, vines, and stem on the top.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9086.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I stacked all the pieces together and stitched them on, laid flat, to the top and then folded them all over and stitched them on again, catching anything that wasn’t caught the first time, and making the stem more likely to stand up.

![image shows the top of the beanie with the stem, leaves, and vines, mostly, drooping down. In the background is a white wall and the top of her body slightly blurred. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9063.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I loved how it looked once I put the beanie back onto Zoey’s head.

And with that the outfit was complete. I ended up only having to sew a simple pair of leggings and a slightly hacked beanie which made it so simple to put together yet looked great with the two store-bought items. I only wish they were all the same shade but at least the skirt matched the shirt and were then sandwiched between the two matching lighter items.

![Flat lay of the leggings and beanie on the table beside each other.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9077.jpg?resize=750%2C613&ssl=1)

The two finished items together.

![Flat lay of the entire outfit on the table. Photo is taken at an angle from the bottom. The leggings are tucked into the skirt with the shirt laid slightly overlapping at the top. The beanie is the furthest away right above the shirt's neckline. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9084.jpg?resize=750%2C383&ssl=1)

The entire garment all laid out together on the table.

Zoey loved the finished jack-o-lantern and I was able to snap photos of the costume out and about over the next several events we went to. The night of Halloween we paired the costume with a simple jack-o-lantern bucket for trick or treating that we’ve since gone on to use in the backyard for outdoor play and it’s somehow still held up so we’ll probably be using it again this year… if we need it.

![View in the dark from the back of Zoey walking decked out in florescent orange.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9600.jpg?resize=750%2C520&ssl=1)

The color was perfectly flashy in the dark.

![View of a tree with Zoey sitting in the dip between two parts. Her arm is lifted hiding her eyes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9537.jpg?resize=750%2C520&ssl=1)

Just a simple jack-o-lantern sitting alone in a tree.

![Image shows the back of Ada's skeleton in front of the tree. In front of her Zoey sits on the tree with the hat pulled down over her eyes. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_9542.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

The beanie was perfect as you could have the leaves and stem slouched over on the back or you could pull it down tight and fold the edges up so it fit perfectly…. or, like here, have room to be able to pull it over your eyes.

![Photo taken a bit above and to the side of Zoey. She's sitting on the floor focused on putting some LEGO bricks together. Between her feet sits a bowl full of more LEGO bricks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9765.jpg?resize=750%2C596&ssl=1)

She loved the outfit and I got a kick out of her matching the bright orange LEGO bricks at Matt’s Halloween work party.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9776.jpg?resize=750%2C603&ssl=1)

And the best part was that the outfit was comfy enough to wear to gymnastics class… meaning, after Halloween, all the pieces went into her dresser drawers to wear in whichever combination she wanted.

![Image shows the back of Zoey's pumpkin costume as she twirls. To the right is Ada's swaying skeleton. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_9510.jpg?resize=750%2C811&ssl=1)

A jack-o-lantern and a [skeleton](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/07/how-i-planned-and-sewed-adas-simple-skeleton-costume/) dancing for photos before we headed out.

![Back view of the girls holding hands and walking towards a house while holding their bags with the other hand. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/compressed_IMG_9826.jpg?resize=750%2C409&ssl=1)

While trick-or-treating Ada used [a sewn bag](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/31/halloween-trick-or-treating-bags/) I’d made for a previous Halloween while Zoey used her new and matching jack-o-lantern bucket. That bucket has surprisingly lasted through tons of water filled backyard play over the last year.

I love how simple this Halloween costume was to make; especially after all the details I needed to include on [Ada’s skeleton that year](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/10/07/how-i-planned-and-sewed-adas-simple-skeleton-costume/) too. I also love how bright the costume was and how we’ve used the hat, shirt, skirt, leggings, and even the bucket repeatedly over the last year. Overall it was an awesome costume.

I hope this helps you out whether you have a little pumpkin, jack-o-lantern, or some other creature you’re trying to create. Luckily pumpkins are a common autumn item so if you’re trying to combine elements there should be a related store-bought item available. I hope your research is going well and you create a fantastic costume. I hope you’re month is going well.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How I Planned and Sewed Ada's Simple Skeleton Costume
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-planned-and-sewed-adas-simple-skeleton-costume/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:40:22.000Z
Last year Ada started kindergarten and I wanted to be sure she had her own version of a perfect costume for when she’d get to wear it to school for Halloween. As September progressed she decided on being a skeleton and was quite firm in that decision. At first I considered keeping the costume simple and buying one but when I looked around online the only ones I saw seemed to be too expensive, constructed poorly, or both. I even went to Walmart and Michael’s Arts and Crafts for inspiration but found nothing other than a little dangly skeleton that had been constructed with one leg backwards. I finally just decided to make my own skeleton costume for her and this outfit was born!

![Pinterest image showing four skeleton images (all shown below too), the blog title, my main URL, and a couple Halloween-themed clipart.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_Adas-Skeleton-Costume.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

When Ada chose to be a skeleton for Halloween I quickly realized that I wasn’t sure how I should start the project. I did realize; however, that I needed to start out with a black outfit to hold the bones so I temporarily ignored the issue of how to construct the skeleton itself and instead focused on figuring out the perfect base for the costume. At this point in time I had recently pattern tested [the Firecracker dress and top through Ragamuffin Patterns](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/09/ragamuffins-firecracker-kids-dress-and-top/) and, since the girls loved it, figured that would work perfectly for this outfit. I had also bought the incredible [MyFit Leggings, through Apostrophe Patterns,](https://apostrophepatterns.com/products/myfit-leggings?ref=simplykyra.com) a couple months before so choosing the looser fitting version of the pants made this even simpler. With the top and bottom figured out the next step was the fabric. For the black outfit base I chose a [lightweight black cotton Lycra fabric, that may have been from Girl Charlee, with a 40% four way stretch](http://www.girlcharlee.com/create%5Faccount.php?refid=85387&ref=simplykyra.com) and then found some lightweight white knit, with a bit of stretch, in my fabric stash for the bones. Sometime during all of that I came across [a post by mummydiarysx on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/B3C2rkNBu6R/?ref=simplykyra.com) that showed her life-sized skeleton puzzle. I loved it and immediately asked her where she got it which lead to me creating [an account on twinkl, where you occasionally get a free item, and thus I had my life-sized skeleton](https://www.twinkl.com/resource/us-t-189-life-size-skeleton-cut-out?ref=simplykyra.com) paper pattern pieces for the costume’s bones.

![Collage showing screenshots of my inspiration. The first two images (on left) show my Amazon results for skeleton costumes with a T Rex, Pterodactyl, and romper with candy. The middle image shows @mummydiarys' Instagram skeleton puzzle post while the fourth image shows twinkl's life-size skeleton cut-out. The final image is a realistic and sanitized contents of a person's torso showing the skeleton and organs.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/Adas-Skeleton-Costume-Collage.jpg?resize=750%2C200&ssl=1)

The two images on the left show my Amazon search results when I was looking for inspiration for Ada’s costume. I loved the dinosaur skeletons and the candy hidden in the skeleton’s stomach. I finally came across [mummydiarys’ post on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/B3C2rkNBu6R/?ref=simplykyra.com) that showed her life sized skeleton puzzle. I asked her where she got the pieces from and found [twinkl for a life-size skeleton cut-out](https://www.twinkl.com/resource/us-t-189-life-size-skeleton-cut-out?ref=simplykyra.com). The final image shows my image result when I was trying to figure out where the stomach was located relative to the bones so I knew where to put the candy on the costume.

While planning the skeleton costume I considered taking it a step further by adding black mittens and a hat. For the mittens I considered using this [free mitten pattern, on Fleece Fun,](https://www.fleecefun.com/free-mitten-pattern/?ref=simplykyra.com) where I was then going to attach the skeleton’s hand bones to the top and bottom side of the mitten. I ended up skipping the mittens, still haven’t even tried the pattern, as we live in California and I worried Ada would get too warm with them on. I instead chose to make the sleeves of the Firecracker top longer and add a thumbhole so Ada could choose when she wanted to cover up her hands with the sleeves, showing off the bones, or push the sleeves up when she needed to use her hands. This way there were also no extra pieces that she might lose. For the hat I had planned to use the [Brighton Beanie, through Peek-a-Boo patterns](https://www.peekaboopatternshop.com/brighton-beanie/?ref=simplykyra.com), but right when I was about to start making it for Ada, just after trying on the finished shirt and pants, she mentioned wanting to be a firefighter skeleton, by [wearing a firefighter hat from the previous year’s costume](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/11/firetruck-halloween-costume/), so I put off making the beanie and then ended up skipping it. I was planning to make the beanie in black, like the shirt and pants, and attach the skull piece to it somehow.

I started out by cutting my black fabric as it was the easiest as I just needed to cut out the pattern pieces for the Firecracker top and the MyFit Leggings. I did; however, first extend the sleeves on the top along with extending the bodice’s length so it would overlap over the pelvic bone crotch of the leggings. I then, later, forgot about that logic, overthought the shirt’s length, and ended up trimming the top shorter which I now regret.

The white skeletal bones were more difficult than the base; yet, since I had gotten [the life-sized skeleton cut-out through Twinkl](https://www.twinkl.com/resource/us-t-189-life-size-skeleton-cut-out?ref=simplykyra.com) it was so much easier than I had feared it would be. I started out by printing the skeleton and then, after writing what each bone section was on the bones themselves, I started cutting them out. I quickly realized that cutting them out individually was taking a lot of time and decided to just cut the paper at the same time as the white knit fabric using my rotary cutter. I pulled out my fabric, cutting mat, [pattern weights](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/08/14/pattern-weights/), and rotary cutter before getting to work cutting out two, mirrored, pieces for each bone piece. Since I wanted the pelvic bone to sit on the front and back of the shirt and the leggings I made sure to cut four of them out instead of just the two I did for all the other bones.

![Image shows the scattered stacked skeleton printouts including the skull, feet, hand, neck, and a femur bone. The printout has the name written beside each bone section, which was going to be cut off, so now each bone section is now labelled with a pen. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8690.jpg?resize=629%2C454&ssl=1)

After printing out the full-sized skeleton I made sure to label each piece, within the bone section, before cutting them out so I’d be able to keep track of them. After I had cut out several bones I decided to instead cut the bones out while using my rotary cutter on the fabric so I could streamline the process better.

![Image shows the table with my supplies: printed bones, white fabric, cutting mat, rotary cutter, and scissors laid out. In the background Zoey dumps out a vase-full of buttons.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_59233479747__AC3F232F-FAAF-4A57-BD45-A7F4C4688D0B.jpg?resize=750%2C776&ssl=1)

I set Zoey up with a sensory bin and then grabbed my supplies.

For each paper pattern piece I folded over the edge of my white knit fabric so there would be a doubled layer of the fabric that was just as wide as the bone itself so I wouldn’t waste too much fabric. I then laid the paper pattern over top and added spaced out pattern weights so the paper would stay down and not move while cutting. I then took my rotary cutter along the outer section of each bone cutting through the paper and the fabric. I found switching to my smaller, 18 mm, rotary cutter made the smaller sections even easier. If there was a small hard to reach section I left it uncut and then later, after lifting the paper up, took my fabric scissors that area. Once the outside was, mostly, cut out I worked on cutting any details within the bone before lifting the paper up. Each set of bones were stacked, with the matching paper piece, so they wouldn’t get lost. For the pelvic bone I repeated this process a second time, so I ended up with two mirrored sets or four fabric pieces, rather than just the two pieces.

![Image shows the cutting mat with a section of folded over fabric with the pelvic bone placed overtop with three washers holding it down (two wrapped in embroidery floss). Off to the side there's another washer, a rotary blade, and a pile of paper bones. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8836.jpg?resize=750%2C438&ssl=1)

I folded the white knit fabric over so it was as wide as the bone section I wanted to cut. I then laid the paper over top and put enough pattern weights down that the paper wouldn’t budge when I cut it out.

![Image shows a closeup of the white fabric on the cutting mat. On the fabric is the pelvic bone with the outer edge cut along with the small sections near the bottom of the bone. Sitting on the bone sits two decorative washers and a plain one so the paper stays in place. Under the paper bone sits two different sized rotary cutter. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8840.jpg?resize=750%2C449&ssl=1)

After the paper was weighed down it was time to cut out the bone. I started by going around the outside lines using my 28 mm rotary cutter before going inside and cutting out the empty spaces. When the lines were too small I switched to my smaller, 18 mm, rotary cutter.

![Image shows the cut out fabric pelvis with the empty spaces emptied and the fabric around it slightly pulled away. The cutting mat is visible under the fabric while the paper pelvis and the two rotary cutters sit below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8841.jpg?resize=750%2C423&ssl=1)

Once done I removed the pattern weights and the paper pattern from the fabric. I then checked to see if I was able to remove the inner pieces from the bone and the bone from the fabric. If they were still connected I used my fabric scissors cut them apart. Since I folded the fabric in half I was now left with two, mirrored, bones.

![Image shows the left hand pattern piece on the folded fabric with two metal washers blocking half the hand from the rotary blade. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8855.jpg?resize=750%2C541&ssl=1)

Some of the smaller and detailed pieces were harder to cut out with the pattern weights in the way. You can either free up a space to cut and then carefully move the weights over or you could carefully hold it in place with your one hand while cutting with the other hand.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8857.jpg?resize=750%2C607&ssl=1)

As I finished each set of bones I stacked them so they were easy to separate and ready for the next step.

For the bones I was originally debating using a grey fabric marker to shade them so they appeared more 3D-like and the areas where the bones crisscrossed, liked the rib cage, would be more obvious. I then started second guessing whether I should color them since I didn’t want the white thread, when sewing the bones to the black base, to stand out against the grey colored fabric. I also remembered how [Zoey’s Doc McStuffins costume](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/02/create-a-doc-mcstuffins-costume/) was pressed, to set the ink, when it was just one layer of fabric and it still faded in the first wash. I ended up deciding to make the plan simpler and chose to leave the bones as they were: solid white.

Once all the fabric was cut and I decided not color the bones the next step was to attach them all together. I wanted to add the white bones to the black fabric before I sewed the garment pieces together as it would be simpler to sew while the fabric lays flat and then I wouldn’t have to worry about the fabric layers getting in the way. The first step would be laying out the bones on the fabric and, as I wanted to be one hundred percent sure they were laid out correctly, I found one of our encyclopedias and opened it to the skeleton page so I’d have a reference while I worked. I then grabbed the cut out black garment pieces, my white knit bones, and lots of pins to stick them together and I was ready to go.

![Laid out on the car mat sits an opened book to the skeleton section with a wooden vehicle laid overtop to keep it open. The bottom left of the image shows a pile of black fabric, with the odd visible sliver of white paper, with a pile of the white bones overtop. Perched on top is a purple tomato with pins in it and two extra containers of pins just in case it's needed. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8871.jpg?resize=750%2C533&ssl=1)

I found a good reference for my skeleton within one of my kids’ books. I used a readily available car to keep the book propped open and then gathered my cut pattern pieces and pins so I could put it together.

I was going to start adding the bones to the shirt willy-nilly but first decided to build the skeleton, while referring to the book, so I’d have a good place to start and wouldn’t need to analyze as much. I then laid the white bone pieces onto the front, and then back, shirt pieces. While laying out the bones I started analyzing how far apart the bones had to be to reach the whole way and decided to shorten my shirt so they’d be able to fit closer together; however, now looking back I wish I hadn’t as the pelvic bone on the shirt would’ve covered the pelvic bone on the pants rather than ending above like it now does.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8878.jpg?resize=750%2C971&ssl=1)

I figured it would be easiest to figure out the layout if I built the skeleton puzzle first.

![Image shows the a car mat with the folded black shirt, then the paper pattern, and finally the paper neck, ribs, spine, and pelvis laid out over top.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8880.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I started out by laying the bones on the sewing pattern and then tried to figure out how long I wanted the shirt before trimming it to the right size.

As I started laying out the bones on the front of the shirt I realized I wanted to add a heart under the rib cage. I quickly went to my fabric stash and could only find some red woven fabric which I was worried about at first, as it wouldn’t stretch with the shirt, but then decided it wouldn’t matter since it would cover such a small area. After cutting out the heart I remembered the Halloween onesie I saw on Amazon that had some candy in the skeleton’s stomach. Since I already had the red out I decided to quickly cut some candy-looking pieces with the red fabric and I made sure there was enough for both the front and back of the shirt. Looking back, if I were to do this again, I would choose to use another color for the candy as Ada told me, after school the day she wore it, that some of her classmates thought it looked like blood.

With the red heart and candy pieces cut out it was time to figure out where they should go. Since I was going to sew the red fabric on first, to go under the bones, I decided to lay out the bones using the paper pattern pieces since they were easier to place and move around compared to the white fabric ones. Once I was happy with how the bones were placed I confirmed where the stomach was and then carefully laid the cut pieces of red fabric, underneath the paper pieces, until I was happy with how it all looked. I then removed the paper pattern pieces,pinned the red fabric in place, and used red thread to sew them all on. I was a bit concerned with the fabric unraveling so I tried to sew close to the edge, with a zigzag stitch, and hoped the stitching would hold it in place well enough that if it did start unraveling it would just look raggedy.

![Image shows the shirt opened up over a car mat. On the shirt sits the paper bones for the neck, rib cages, spine, and pelvis. Scattered around under the bones are the candy and heart. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8884.jpg?resize=630%2C473&ssl=1)

I grabbed some red woven fabric and quickly cut out a heart and then followed it up with some candy. I wanted it to be obvious that it was candy yet simple enough to cut so I made some looked like wrapped candy and the rest were small circle shapes for suckers.

![Image shows a closeup of the black shirt with the paper bone pieces laid overtop. There are four red candies placed around the vertebrae.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8887.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

I laid out the paper pattern where I wanted it and then played around with how the red heart and candy might look before deciding on a final location and carefully removing the paper.

![Image shows a section of the front and back shirt pieces highlighting the red flannel heart, candy, and circular pieces pinned to the black knit fabric. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8889.jpg?resize=750%2C419&ssl=1)

I then pinned the heart and candy fabric pieces into place so they wouldn’t shift when being sewn.

![Image shows the front of the shirt, right side up on the right side of the photo, and the back side of the shirt, wrong side up on the left so you can see the difference between the front (red shapes) and back (thread outlines) of the fabric. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8892.jpg?resize=750%2C430&ssl=1)

I sewed around the outside of the heart, candy, and circles using a zigzag stitch. For the circles I wanted them to look like suckers, or lollipops, so once I sewed around the circle I turned, at a 90 degree angle, and sewed away to create a sucker stick.

Once the red heart and candy were sewn on I brought all the pieces back to the living room and laid the white fabric bones back on the shirt pieces. I played with how they were laid out and once happy I pinned them in place so they couldn’t budge. While laying them out I did realize I’d have to add binding to the neckline so I left the very top of the neck unsewn but, other than that, I sewed around the outside of each and every bone so they’d stay secure. Once I got to the pelvic bone I made sure to sew along the inside of each of the holes, but, once I got to the ribs, I chose to leave the smaller holes unsewn and justified this choice as you could then see the heart underneath the rib, by pulling slightly on the fabric, and by how much work sewing each hole would’ve been. I gambled on the fact that Ada wouldn’t stretch the ribs out too much after the fact and knew, if so, I could always sew more later on.

![Image shows the front (left) and back (right) of the sweater laid out side by side. The front has a red heart sewn on while both have candies sewn on. They both have white knit neck, ribs, spine, and pelvic bone pinned on. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8895.jpg?resize=750%2C508&ssl=1)

After the red candy and the heart was sewn on it was time to place the bones on the bodice pieces. After I was happy with how they were laid out I carefully pinned around it.

![Image shows a closeup of the front of the shirt close to the sewing machine. You can see the stitching around the outside of the neck, ribs, spine, and pelvic bone. There's still a pin in the center of the ribs but all the other pins were taken out.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8965.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

After pinning all the bones on I took either side of the shirt and sewed around the outside of each bone, securing it, and then sewed along the holes inside the pelvic bone. I left the small spaces inside the ribs unsewn, but if I was worried about Ada stretching out the ribs I could’ve sewed them down too. I left the top of the neck bone unsewn so I could fold it down, out of the way, when it was time sew the neckband on the shirt.

Once I was done sewing the bones from the torso on it was time to do the arms. Originally, I had planned to make mittens or gloves for the skeleton hands but instead decided to make the sleeves longer and add a thumbhole so Ada could pull them down to cover her hands whenever she wanted ‘skeleton hands’, but also easily push up her sleeves if she needed to use her actual hands to do something. After choosing that I also chose to leave the sleeves unhemmed, easier and also longer, and thus was able to have the finger tips reach all the way to the end of the sleeve without being concerned about a hem or band covering the fingertips up in the future. Anyway once I was done sewing the torso on, I next lined up the shoulder, arm, and hand bones on the sleeves and pinned them in place.

![Image shows the car mat with the front of the shirt laid out on it. All the center bones, candy, and heart are sewn on while the arm, and related, bones are pinned on. Below you can see the extra bone pieces that haven't been used and above it the opened body book with the bottom of the skeleton diagram showing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_8998.jpg?resize=750%2C514&ssl=1)

After sewing the torso onto the shirt front and shirt back it was time to add all the other bones. I carefully lined up the shoulder, arm, and hand bones before pinning it into place so I could easily sew them on.

After sewing the arm, and related, bones onto the front and back of the shirt all the required bones were secured and it was time to sew the shirt together. I sewed it up according to [the pattern’s directions](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/09/ragamuffins-firecracker-kids-dress-and-top/) while being wary to not stitch over any bones. While sewing up the sleeve I was careful to add a simple thumbhole, near the skeleton’s thumb, by leaving a spacing in the seam. I; however, had messed up the first sleeve by sewing the hand bone on facing the opposite direction from how Ada would probably naturally hold her hand. Because of that I ended up creating two thumbholes, on both the top and bottom of each sleeve, so Ada could easily put her thumb in no matter how twisted the sleeve might get. Additionally, with the neckline, I had originally decided to fold the top of the neck bone down while I sewed the neckband on and then fold it back up so I could sew around the bone as it laid over top of the neckband and it’s seam. Once I got to this step I remembered that I had chosen to create a binding instead so I sewed over the neck bone, trim the excess bone down, flipped the binding down over the last seam, and topstitched the binding in place.

![Image shows multiple hands sewn onto the shirt. On the right, on the foreground, are two white hands sewn onto a black background. My thumb is sticking out showing the edge of the fabric to show how the thumbhole works. In the background, to the left, you can see the underside of the sleeve with the thumbhole pointed inside. Since it's the underside you can't see the white fabric but can see the white thread zigzagging the outline of the hands on the reversed side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9027.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I made a super simple thumbhole on either side of both sleeves, so it would work easily whether the sleeve twisted or not. I created the thumbhole by creating a gape on the seam by backstitching to secure the seam, jumping ahead, and stitching, with backstitching, to the end. I was able to trim off the excess thread once I finished sewing.

![Image shows the opened neckline with the binding sewn on, right side to wrong side, so there's black thread zigzagging over the white bones. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9025.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I ended up sewing the neckline with a binding before I sewed the second shoulder seam. I decided to sew over the bones, when sewing the binding on, trim the excess white fabric, fold the binding down, and topstitch it. This added a clean finish to the top of the shirt without me having to sew the top of the bones down over the binding and, maybe, lose some of the binding’s stretch to get the shirt on over Ada’s head.

As I pinned and sewed the bones onto the shirt I also pinned and sewed them onto the [MyFit Leggings](https://apostrophepatterns.com/products/myfit-leggings?ref=simplykyra.com) fabric pattern pieces but I decided to wait until now to show you what I did for the pants. Unlike the shirt, where I sewed the bones onto flat pattern pieces and then sewed the pieces together, for the pants I, instead, had to wrap my head around where the bones would go since I had a pattern piece that would include both the front and back side of the body as it stretched around the leg. I considered starting with the pelvis but then decided it would be easier to start with one set of leg bones and then work my way to the rest. To do this I folded my paper pattern piece in half lengthwise and laid it over top of the fabric pattern piece so I could better visual where the front of the leg was and differentiate from the back of the leg. I also knew I shouldn’t add any of the bones too close to the edge of the fabric or too close to the center as they’d then wrap around the leg instead of staying on the front, or back, of the leg. As I chose a section to start on and played around with different positionings of the bones I realized that my pants seemed a bit too short for the bones and I had to add the paper pelvic bone on so I could better understand how it might look once finished. Looking back I wish the top of the leg bones had been a bit further away from the pelvic bone but overall I’m happy with how it turned out.

![Image shows two black flat fabric legs laid out with the matching crotch lines facing at the top. You can see part of the paper pattern piece being held over the half of the right leg. At the top center is the paper pelvic bone and descending from there are the upper and lower leg bones. The bottom of the leg bone stretches pasts the bottom of the pant leg by a bit. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9002.jpg?resize=750%2C902&ssl=1)

I folded the paper pattern piece in half lengthwise so I could use it to block the reversed side of the leg making the fabric whole leg into just the front, or back, of the leg at a time. I then grabbed the pelvic bone to help understand how it might look once it was sewn on. Based on those two aids I then laid out the other leg bones onto the pants.

![Image shows both pant legs with the upper and lower leg bones pinned on. To the left is the unused pelvic bone and the paper patterns for the leg bones. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9006.jpg?resize=750%2C492&ssl=1)

After I was happy with how the legs were laid out I removed the paper patterns, pinned them in place, and then swapped the legs around so I could go through the same process on the other side.

After pinning the leg bones onto the pants and sewing them in place it was time to sew the crotch seam so the left and right pant legs would be sewn together. I started by sewing just the front crotch curve so I could lay the front of the pants down flat and it would be easier to position the pelvic bone over the seam, pin it into place, and sew it on. While doing that I made sure to leave the very top of the pelvic bone unsewn so I could fold it out of the way to make room to sew the waistband on afterwards. After sewing the front of the pants it was time to repeat that process on the back by sewing the back crotch curve, position the pelvic bone, pin it in place, and sew it, mostly, on.

![Image shows the front of the leg bones with the pelvic bone not added yet so you can see the front crotch seam.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9020.jpg?resize=750%2C429&ssl=1)

The front of the legs after the front of the crotch seam was sewn and the pants were laid flat on top of the kitchen table. You can still see my faint chalk ‘F’ so I could tell the front apart from the back easily.

![Image shows the front of the pants with most of the pelvic bone sewn on including the holes inside the bone. The top is unsewn, folded down, and held in place with a white headed sewing pin.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9023.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then placed the pelvic bone over top of the leg bones centered over the crotch seam. I pinned it in place and, leaving the top unsewn, sewed the rest of the pelvic bone on including along the inside of the holes. I then folded the top down and pinned it in place so it wouldn’t get caught when sewing the waistband on later.

Finally it was time to add the waistband. While sewing it on I was careful not to sew through the white bones. Once finished, I unfolded the top of the pelvis, on the front and back of the pants, and carefully pinned the pelvic bone into place. I then took it back to my sewing machine and carefully sewed it on going over the waistband and it’s seam.

![Image shows the finished pants with the bottom half of the pelvic bone and leg bones sewn on. The top of the pelvic bone is pinned in place overlapping the waistband, ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9028.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After finishing sewing the pants together it was time to fix the top of the pelvic bone. I unpinned and flipped the top up before smoothing the white knit fabric and pinning it in place. Once I was happy with how it was placed it was time to sew it on.

At this point I hadn’t sewn the bands on the bottom of the leggings but figured I should try it on Ada before I went ahead in case it was long enough as it was already. All in all I was already happy with how it turned out.

![Image shows the pants, with an unhemmed bottom, and shirt laid out on the car mat. The shirt overlaps with the top of the pants so there is only one pelvis. Through the neckline you can see the inside back of the shirt showing the bone's outlines. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9036.jpg?resize=750%2C856&ssl=1)

The shirt and pants, almost, all sewn up.

![Image shows both garments inside out so you can see the outlined bones, heart, and candy. The shirt is beside the pants so the image is in landscape mode. You can easily tell the difference between the bones and the candy/heart as they used different thread. The bones are outlined in white zigzag stitches while the candy and heart used red. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9038.jpg?resize=750%2C510&ssl=1)

I flipped the shirt and pants inside out so you could see how it looks from the inside as that easily shows where I sewed and chose not to sew.

![The back of Ada is shown while she skeleton walks away from the camera towards the living room. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9052.jpg?resize=750%2C828&ssl=1)

Ada tried the garments on and absolutely loved it.

After trying the outfit on it was time to sew the cuffs onto the bottom of the pant legs. Like with the neck binding I had left the bottom of the bone unsewn so I was able to simply fold up the bottom bone so it was out of the way and pin it into place. I next sewed on the cuffs and then unfolded the bone so it would overlap with part of the finished cuff. Before sewing the bone in place I grabbed the foot pieces and pinned them so they draped below the pant leg. I pictured them laid out over Ada’s shoe giving them the appearance of a skeleton’s foot. This appearance didn’t happen and after wearing the costume out the white knit feet got browned, curled, and stretched. After getting home I cut them off and, since the fabric was knit, I didn’t have to worry about the cut lines unraveling.

![Image shows a closeup of the bottom of the pants with the white bones folded up and pinned in place. Hiding the bone fold is the cuff clipped in place. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9060.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

Like when I added the binding to the neckline I started by folding the bottom of the bones up and pinned them to keep them in place. I then took the cuffs, clipped them in place, and sewed them on.

![Image shows a closeup of the bottom part of the pants along the pant cuff. The bottom of the leg bone is overlapping the seam on the cuff and is pinned over top. Above it sits the top of the foot bone. It is also pinned in place. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9071.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I folded the bottom of the bones back down, pinned them in place, and then, on the front side, grabbed the two foot pieces and pinned them along the top so they draped below the bottom of the cuff. I next sewed these onto the cuff and it was hard to get into the small space with my sewing machine.

![Image shows a closeup of the skeleton's hands and feet. The two sleeves are draped down from the top of the image on the left while the two feet drape down on the right. The one pant leg is folded up so you can see the backside and how the foot is only sewn on the front side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9074.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The final hands and feet. As you can see I only attached two feet so there was only one on the front of either pant leg.

![Image is bright and looking down at Ada's shoes. The skeleton's legs are showing from the thigh down. The feet are stretched out with the toes all curled up and lengthened out. They're brushing the ground. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9501.jpg?resize=750%2C449&ssl=1)

Halfway through the evening at Ada’s school Halloween party I looked down and noticed the feet were all rolled up, dirty, and had become a tripping hazard.

![Image shows the bottom of the skeleton's leggings where the bones are a bit wrinkled from having been worn. The foot pieces have been cut off and they're laying on top of their respective pant leg rolled up and dirty. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9849.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

As the night out went on they got stepped on more and more. Once we got home I quickly cut the feet off, right below the stitches so they didn’t come apart, and since the fabric was knit I wasn’t worried about the fabric itself unraveling.

And the skeleton outfit was officially finished and even test driven! Ada loved it. In fact when she first saw the finished outfit she rushed to get her candy-decorated socks so her feet could match the costume’s stomach. I ended up having to make sure the socks were in the wash alongside the costume so she could wear them together. I’m so glad it worked out and she loved her costume.

![The image shows Ada from her neck down dressed as a skeleton with candy socks on to match the candy in her skeleton's stomach. Her arms are folded up as she wears the sleeves over her hands. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9462.jpg?resize=750%2C810&ssl=1)

Costume on and Ada’s loving how there’s thumbholes so the sleeves could fit over her hands making them skeletal.

![Ada is standing in the living room with one arm down and one slanted up a bit. Both arms are slightly blurry as she swings them to the side and back again. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9459.jpg?resize=750%2C719&ssl=1)

Skeleton dancing!

![The back of the skeleton is facing the camera as she spins in the costume. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9466.jpg?resize=750%2C931&ssl=1)

Spinning skeleton!

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9552.jpg?resize=750%2C465&ssl=1)

There was a tree that was perfect for a quick photo of the costume.

---

And with that Ada’s skeleton was done. I had debated adding a [(Brighton) beanie](https://www.peekaboopatternshop.com/brighton-beanie/?ref=simplykyra.com) to the outfit so I could, somehow, attach the fabric skull to the costume, but while I was debating Ada mentioned being a firefighter skeleton so I put off deciding on the beanie and then didn’t end up making it. I figured she might end up wearing [her fire hat from the previous year’s costume](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/11/firetruck-halloween-costume/) or some other dress up hat we had, but she left her head unadorned instead. Even though the outfit was a lot of work and mostly sat in her dress up drawer all this year I’m still glad I made it as she loved it over Halloween. It worked great with the Ada-approved patterns ([Firecracker top](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/10/09/ragamuffins-firecracker-kids-dress-and-top/) and [MyFit Leggings](https://apostrophepatterns.com/products/myfit-leggings?ref=simplykyra.com)) that I had already made and recently sized her for but I’m sure, if you were interested in making this, your favorite top and pants pattern could work too.

If I were to sew this skeleton again I would leave the black top longer and stretch out the bones in the torso to fit. I originally planned to have the shirt longer so it overlapped the pant’s pelvic bone but I had second guessed how much they’d overlap and unfortunately removed the extra length. I wanted the pelvic bone on the shirt to cover the pelvic bone on the pants so there appeared to be only one pelvic bone while looking at the costume without any of Ada’s skin showing if she lifted her arms up.

I know we’re in a pandemic but what are you doing for Halloween this year (or future years if you’re reading this later on)? Are you including costumes in your plan? If so are you buying a costume, making one, or doing a combination of both choices? I made this skeleton for Ada’s costume last year, but this year I went for [a simple Costco-bought one since Ada wanted to be Wonder Woman for her birthday party, back in August, and I stumbled upon it in time. She’s now planning on wearing it for whatever we end up doing for Halloween](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/19/adas-epic-wonder-woman-halloween-costume/). I’m kind of hoping her class will show off their costumes to each other, through Zoom, at some point around Halloween. Whatever you’re doing, whether you celebrate or not, I hope you have a good October.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Have yogurt... now what? What I Make with Yogurt
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/have-yogurt-now-what-what-i-make-with-yogurt/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:40:13.000Z
A couple of weeks ago I shared with you how [I make my own yogurt in my Dutch oven](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/09/how-i-make-my-own-yogurt-for-my-simple-breakfast/). When I first started putting that post together I included some of the ways that I’ve been using my yogurt but quickly realized that the post was getting way too long. I ended up moving them into it’s own post, this one, and then kept finding new things to add. I figured I had to share it with you now; otherwise, it might end up being too long once again. So whether you’re making your own yogurt, coming up with ways to use the yogurt or Greek yogurt sitting in your fridge, or you’re debating going out to buy more yogurt I hope this post helps you out. I hope you enjoy reading it and I’d love to hear what you use your yogurt for so feel free to comment underneath this post.

![Pinterest image showing a collage of eight images, the post title, and my main URL to learn more. All images should be in the post below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_What-to-Make-With-Your-Yogurt.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

For some of the items below I used to make them using Greek yogurt; however, since I’ve started making my own I’ve shifted them to use my homemade simple yogurt instead and they’ve tasted great.

Before we get into all the ways that I’ve used my yogurt, I wanted to share how I change my yogurt’s viscosity, after the fact, in case you’d prefer a thicker yogurt. Since the last post I’ve bought [a 100 micron nylon pouch](http://kleynhuis.com/introducing-the-kleynhuis-greek-yogurt-strainer-pouch/?ref=simplykyra.com). I haven’t made legit Greek yogurt yet, but after hearing about [labneh through Alana’s The From-Scratch Kitchen on Craftsy](https://www.craftsy.com/class/the-from-scratch-kitchen/?ref=simplykyra.com), I strained my yogurt for twenty-four hours to make something similar to cream cheese. I then used the excess whey to replace the water the next time I made quinoa as I heard that using whey instead of water makes things creamier. After looking for a recipe for you that isn’t behind a paywall I found [Ann’s recipe, through the Fountain Avenue Kitchen, for *Easy Yogurt Cream Cheese*, using store-bought yogurt](https://fountainavenuekitchen.com/yogurt-cream-cheese/?ref=simplykyra.com), that included different ways to use the labneh including cheese balls, or labneh makbus, which I’m especially interested in now.

![Image shows a small glass rectangular container, lower left, holding a mound of white cream cheese looking stuff. Beside it and back a bit sits a blue plastic bowl with yellowy liquid inside the white interior. Behind both sits a metal bowl-like strainer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4127.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I put about one quart (32 ounces) of yogurt into my pouch which I then placed in a strainer and then a plastic bowl. The strainer was there to hold the pouch above the bowl so it wasn’t submerged. I then placed it all in the fridge overnight. In the morning I had the expelled whey in my plastic bowl and the thick yogurt in my pouch. The labneh was so good spread on bread and I’m interested in what I can use it for in the future.

Since the previous post I’ve also bought [a Ninja® Foodi® multi-cooker, when my slow cooker broke, that comes with a yogurt setting](https://www.ninjakitchen.com/support/product-series/147/ninja-foodi-8-qt-9-in-1-deluxe-xl-pressure-cooker-and-air-fryer/?ref=simplykyra.com). I love how it heats the milk evenly so I don’t have to keep stirring, and the bottom doesn’t scald, but I did have issues with cooling the milk back down afterwards. The first time I used it I finally gave up, three hours into the cooling process, and popped the lid off as I had no feedback on just how cool the milk had gotten and how much longer it could take. Since then I messaged Ninja® to find out what temperature it heats the milk too, the instructions just said it heats to reach pasteurization but not the specific temperature, and, most importantly, what temperature it cools the milk to. I was unfortunately told they couldn’t disclose that “information for features that already have their temperature preset”. Since then I’ve still used the multi-cooker to heat the milk but then once it comes to temperature, about 180° Fahrenheit for mine, I pop the insert out and, with my thermometer inserted, cool the yogurt to under 120° Fahrenheit. Once I add the yogurt culture I pop the insert back into the multi-cooker and incubate it (using the ferment setting) for the maximum time it allows 12 hours. I still don’t know to what temperature it cools the milk as I haven’t tested it with water and I don’t want to waste milk testing it while making yogurt.

![Image shows a plastic yellow bowl half filled with white yogurt topped with frozen blue-black blueberries and drizzled with yellow honey. Behind the bowl to the left sits Zoey's fabric name-tag and to the right lays a separated plastic cereal spoon.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4265.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Since making the yogurt in my multi-cooker I’ve started making my yogurt later in the evening and thus have been dishing my yogurt out while the kids eat breakfast instead of before they wake up. Zoey occasionally chooses to eat the warm freshly made yogurt before it goes in the fridge and loves it topped with honey, for sweetness, and fruit, in this case frozen blueberries.

---

#### *Smoothie*

I bought a [cheese kit](https://www.etsy.com/shop/UrbanCheesecraft?ref=yr%5Fpurchases) a while back and about a month ago I decided to stop putting it off and I attempted to make ricotta cheese. My idea was to [make spaghetti afterwards for supper and then turn the leftovers into lasagna using my newly created cheese](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/07/01/simple-lasagna-ish-from-leftovers/). To make the ricotta cheese the instructions had you add citric acid to milk, warm it up, let it sit, and then spoon the curds off. I let it heat and sit twice and it still had no curds but then I got pulled away to a video call and I figured maybe the curds were smaller so I quickly poured the milk through a cheesecloth lined strainer, had the cheesecloth crumble in, and left it with a lid on in fragile hope that it had worked. It didn’t. I was left with warm milk and it was time to start figuring out supper. I quickly looked up yogurt and citric acid online and found [Veena Azmanov’s website that listed, under the ingredients in how to make yogurt, “Citric-acid (without yogurt starter)- If you do not have active bio yogurt you can also use citric acid.”](https://veenaazmanov.com/homemade-yogurt-two-ingredients/?ref=simplykyra.com) I was on my phone and didn’t notice that further down she tells you how to make yogurt with citric acid and that it involved adding the acid after the milk was heated and had cooled. I did; however, decide to take what I had just read on faith that I could still make something constructive out of this botched cheese experiment so I waited for the milk to cool the last ten degrees, added some powdered starter, mixed it together, and put it in my warmed oven to set overnight. It did become more yogurt-like in smell overnight but it didn’t set so I decided to still count this as a win and poured it into four canning jars, put it in the fridge, and ended up deciding to make smoothies out of it by combining each jar with fruit and honey in the blender. I had heard about kefir before, although I had never tried it, so for each smoothie idea I thought of I first looked online by searching for the fruit I wanted to use and kefir to see if anyone had tried that combination before and liked it. I ended up starting out by using my excess watermelon and combining it with my liquid yogurt, and maybe a bit of bottled lime juice, in my blender and it worked. The next two times I used frozen berries with the liquid yogurt. Finally, on the last attempt, I ended with my absolute favorite version, that had no leftovers, made by mixing the liquid yogurt with frozen pineapple and banana to make a cold piña colada type drink. Any leftovers, the first couple times we had the smoothies, were frozen in an ice cube trays so the kids could have a frozen fruity yogurt treat in the future. All in all the experiment was a success although I haven’t tried to make cheese again since then…. yet.

![Image shows my blue Dutch Oven with yogurt inside sitting on a white towel. Off to the side sits two filled glass canning jars and an empty one, in front, with a metal wide mouth funnel sitting in the top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_3619.jpg?resize=750%2C496&ssl=1)

Even though the yogurt didn’t set all was not lost. It still smelled and tasted like yogurt and I finally got the chance to use my new wide mouthed funnels making it so much easier to transfer the yogurt.

If you want to make a smoothie out of liquid yogurt but don’t want to go down the longer path I took I just looked up how to make legit kefir. [The article I found on The Kitchn](https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-milk-kefir-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-202022?ref=simplykyra.com) mentions using kefir grains, essentially cell-structures containing the bacteria and yeast you need, and keeping the milk mixture at room temperature for 24 hours to ferment. I also wondered if, in the future, it was possible to make yogurt with citric acid instead of with a yogurt starter and found [Yogurt Nerd’s *How to Make Yogurt without Starter Culture* that in addition to the citric acid method, labelled recipe 5, lists six other ways to make yogurt without the culture](https://yogurtnerd.com/how-to-make-yogurt-without-starter-culture/?ref=simplykyra.com). I haven’t tried any of them, but figured I’d share just in case you were interested.

---

#### *Fruit and Granola Parfaits*

My main reason to make my own yogurt was to make it simpler to always have yogurt in the house for my breakfast parfaits. I make my parfait simpler by combining one part fruit with two parts yogurt in a glass container one to three days before I’m going to eat it, giving me advanced notice to know if I am running out of yogurt, and then stack it in the fridge so it’s ready to go in the mornings. In the morning I simply grab a container, mix up the contents, add my granola, and breakfast is ready. It’s so quick, simple, and delicious. So far I’ve tried several different types of granola and have decided that the [Pumpkin Seed + Flax one through Nature’s Path Organic](https://www.naturespath.com/en-us/products/natures-path-foods/pumpkin-seed-flax-granola/?ref=simplykyra.com), that I buy at Costco, is my absolute favorite. I always make sure I have at least one unopened bag at home before going to Costco in case I need more. When I started making my own parfaits I mostly used a mix of berries including blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries. I’d buy a bunch for the kids, wash it all, and, if there were a lot left, a couple days later I’d spread it on a Silpat™ lined cookie sheet to freeze flat. Once they were frozen I’d then move them to a Stasher bag and then they were available to use whenever I ran out of fresh fruit in the fridge. [The frozen berries are also great to have on hand when it’s hot out for cold snacks for the kids or a refreshing drink](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/27/ideas-for-when-its-hot-outside/). With yogurt readily available in the fridge I’ve also started making the kids their own make-your-own parfaits in their lunchbox for lunches.

![Closeup image showing a circular glass container filled with chunks of red, white yogurt, and pink 'yogurt' where it mixed. A metal spoons is poking out of the yogurt.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_0444.jpg?resize=750%2C524&ssl=1)

So far my favorite combination includes red cherries. To make the cherries last longer, as I only use a half cup at a time, I cut the cherry flesh from the pits so I can freeze them. Then when I make my breakfast I just have to measure out my frozen cherries and yogurt and then the cherries have time to defrost in the fridge overnight. I end up with a gorgeous sweet yogurt breakfast in the morning as the cherries released their liquid as they thawed.

![Image shows a glass circular container with mixed cherry and yogurt inside it. The yogurt is at the bottom of the photo with a bag of Pumpkin Seed + Flax Granola sitting behind it. There's a metal measuring cup with granola over top of the yogurt and it's tilted so the granola is pouring onto the yogurt. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_0452.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

My current absolute favorite granola to add to my breakfast is the [Pumpkin Seed + Flax one through Nature’s Path Organic](https://www.naturespath.com/en-us/products/natures-path-foods/pumpkin-seed-flax-granola/?ref=simplykyra.com). I’ve been buying it at my local Costco and make sure I have a backup package on hand for whenever I run out. That said I’ve also started experimenting with making my own granola.

![Photo shows a glass rectangular container filled with white yogurt and pink chunks of grapefruit. There's a metal spoon sticking out of the container. Behind the yogurt is a bag of granola, to the left, and, to the right, a metal measuring cup filled with granola.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_0568.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

My second favorite breakfast version combines the yogurt and granola with a half of a grapefruit. When using the grapefruit I normally make two breakfasts at a time (unless I’m giving the kids each a quarter of a grapefruit in their lunchbox) and I take the time to remove the grapefruit contents from the segment’s skin so it’s easier to eat in the morning.

![Image shows two bento lunchboxes with yogurt, oranges, cherries, raisins, mix of cashews and various seeds, licorice nibs, and a half sandwich.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2465.jpg?resize=750%2C331&ssl=1)

I’ve started creating make-your-own parfaits for the kids for lunch. Here we had an extra bun so I threw in a sandwich too. It normally consists of a section with yogurt, flax seeds, honey, and chia seeds. I then add a compartment with a mix of seeds and nuts, dried fruit, fresh fruit, granola, and/or cereal depending what’s on hand and what they feel like.

---

#### *Flavored Yogurt*

When [the last yogurt post went live](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/09/how-i-make-my-own-yogurt-for-my-simple-breakfast/) I was still debating making flavored yogurts and had just watched [Alana Chernila’s](https://eatingfromthegroundup.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) class [on Craftsy, The From-Scratch Kitchen](https://www.craftsy.com/class/the-from-scratch-kitchen/?ref=simplykyra.com), where she made yogurt with fruit on the bottom before going on to add flavorings to heated milk, before the yogurt incubated, to make chocolate, coffee, and maple yogurt. [Gianaclis Caldwell’s book *Homemade Yogurt & Kefir*](https://www.storey.com/books/homemade-yogurt-kefir/?ref=simplykyra.com) took it further and touched on using herbs, spices, citrus zest, coffee, tea, fruit purees, and vegetable purees. Since then I’ve attempted several different flavored yogurts and love them all.

The first time I flavored my yogurt was after using the multi-cooker for the first time to make my yogurt. Since I had left the lid on the milk for so long when it was cooling I had more yogurt than normal once it finished incubating all night. That time I decided, last minute, to grab the last of the jam in one of my jars and combined it with the warm yogurt in the canning jar. Once I put the lid on I shook it so it mixed, tasted it, added a bit of vanilla extract, and then shook it some more. The kids loved it.

![Image shows four 32 ounce canning jars with a small jam jar in front of them. In the background you can see a pressure cooker lid. The one canning jar is pink with chunks of red while the other jars have a white yogurt inside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4008.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The first time I wanted to try to make flavored yogurt I also wanted to have plain yogurt on hand for my breakfasts. I ended up using the last of my Bonne Maman Raspberry Reserve jam in the one canning jar to make a simple raspberry jam. I left the lid on the milk when it cooled the night before so I had more yogurt than normal so I poured the excess in the emptied jam jar and the kids went to town on it during breakfast.

The next time I made flavored yogurt it also wasn’t premeditated. Earlier that day I had watched[how to make margarita three ways on WES Barker’s YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsqp81mzNKQ&ref=simplykyra.com) and I decided that evening to make coconut simple syrup; although I still haven’t made the margarita I’m so glad I made the syrup. After simmering my pot of water, sugar, and flaked unsweetened coconut for a while I let the syrup drain from the coconut into a clean jam jar. Later on I debated what to do with the leftover coconut as it seemed a waste to get rid of it. I finally decided to try and make coconut yogurt by grabbing a canning jar of yogurt from my fridge, that was still half filled, and dumped the coconut in. There was a bit of headspace left in the jar so I topped the whole thing off with a bit more yogurt from another canning jar before stirring and shaking it up. Looking back I wonder if I should’ve let the coconut cool a bit more first but either way it turned out AMAZING. We ended up eating it for dessert a couple days later.

![Image shows a portion of a half filled canning jar with yogurt smeared around the inside. To the left sits a canning jar with white-y yellow-ish liquid inside, a white layer at the top, and a funnel, strainer, and pile of flaked coconut on top.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4343.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After simmering the coconut simple syrup it was time to strain the syrup away from the coconut flakes.

![Image shows the lidless can of coconut simple syrup sitting on a flannel napkin on the table. Beside it sits a 32 ounce lidless glass canning jar mostly filled with white. In the center is the yellow-ish, in comparison, coconut.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4353.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I dumped the, still warm, coconut into the canning jar and then topped it all off with more cold yogurt.

The last set of flavored yogurts I’ve tried came about just last week. I had realized that the milk in my fridge was set to expire in a couple days and I had just made a batch of yogurt a couple days before that. Since I didn’t need plain yogurt and I didn’t want the milk to go bad I decided to experiment with yogurt flavors. That night, while the milk heated in my multi-cooker, I looked online and found [*How To Flavor Yogurt at Home + 10 Flavor Ideas!* through Traditional Cooking School](https://traditionalcookingschool.com/food-preparation/recipes/how-to-flavor-yogurt-at-home-10-flavor-ideas/?ref=simplykyra.com) and I immediately started picking which flavors I wanted to make. The website’s recipes each used a cup of yogurt and since my canning jars each hold four cups I decided to quadruple the recipes so they may have ended up more flavored than expected. I chose to try vanilla, fruit-on-the-bottom, and chocolate yogurt from the Traditional Cooking School’s post and then, since I still had lots of the coconut syrup left, decided to experiment making a different form of coconut yogurt. That night I measured out the ingredients for each yogurt and put them in their own canning jar before putting them into the fridge and finally, the next morning, poured the warm yogurt into each one, shook them to mix, and then tossed them back in the fridge to set.

![Image shows four clear canning jars sitting side-by-side on the stove. All have stuff in the bottom; from left to right the first has pink jam, the next has cocoa powder and honey, the third has white-ish liquid with white flakes on top, and finally the last one has honey, balanced upside down in a funnel above, drizzling down into a darkened pool from the vanilla extract.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4619.jpg?resize=750%2C450&ssl=1)

While the milk was coming to a boil I picked out my yogurt flavors and put each ingredient, other than the yogurt, into a canning jar before putting them, lidded, into the fridge overnight. From the left to the right are fruit-on-the-bottom ([using a refrigerator rhubarb jam recipes made a couple days before](https://www.craftsy.com/class/the-from-scratch-kitchen/?ref=simplykyra.com)), chocolate, coconut (using a mix of the last of the coconut simple syrup and some unsweetened coconut flakes), and vanilla.

![Image shows the multi-cooker and insert, with the yogurt and a purple ladle, to the left. Beside it sits a canning jar with a metal wide mouth funnel at the top. The contents are brown at the bottom with brown lines going to the top of the, quarter-filled, yogurt. To the back are two canning jars with lids on and in the front is one jar with the lid off. All three have different color hues.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4630.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The next morning I removed all four cans from the fridge and, one by one, filled each one with the warm incubated yogurt. Once I put their lids back on I shook them to mix their contents up so the yogurt would set with the flavor already mixed in.

![Image is taken mostly from above showing two plain yogurts, one with a funnel in the mouth, lidless to the left. To the right sits the rhubarb and coconut yogurts all mixed up with lids on. In the front two canning jars upside down with dry cocoa powder in the one, with darkened by honey sections on the edges, and honey in the other. In the back there is a cork trivet and spilled yogurt. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4631.jpg?resize=750%2C544&ssl=1)

The chocolate and vanilla yogurts were the hardest to mix so, after making sure their lids were on tight, I alternated putting them upside down, so gravity helped, and shaking them. I think they were so hard to mix since both recipes used honey that got harder to pour once chilled in the fridge. If I were to do it again I might leave those two on the counter overnight since their ingredients (honey, cocoa powder, and vanilla) don’t normally need to be refrigerated.

![Closeup of two canning jars with blue letters. The one on the left is labelled coconut and is whiter than the slightly brown-hued jar on the right labelled vanilla. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4634.jpg?resize=750%2C482&ssl=1)

The coconut and vanilla flavors looked close to the same color so I grabbed a chalk marker to label them. I’ve already smeared the ink onto my hand once or twice while shifting them around in the fridge.

![Image shows a white bowl with a portion of a metal spoon showing in the back. There's a moon shaped pink-ish yogurt on the left with a couple chunks of rhubarb. The rest of the bowl is filled with a mound of white yogurt. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4644.jpg?resize=750%2C533&ssl=1)

For dessert one night I poured the rhubarb yogurt in one half of my bowl and the coconut one in the other half. They were fantastic on their own and amazing together. I love the freedom of mixing and matching flavors whether it’s in canning jars or, after the fact, in my bowl.

---

#### *Sweet Sauce On French Toast*

A month or so ago I surprised the family with french toast as we had extra challah bread from [a Milk Pail Drive-Thru grocery order](https://the-milk-pail-pop-up.myshopify.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). I’m normally not a big fan of syrup, so as the french toast was finishing I was thinking about what else I could add to the table to go with it. I quickly searched online for ideas and came across [a french toast casserole that was drizzled in a yogurt sauce and topped with toasted pecans through A Side of Sweet](https://asideofsweet.com/baked-french-toast-whipped-greek-yogurt-candied-chai-pecans/?ref=simplykyra.com). I didn’t have the cold cream or Greek yogurt that the recipe called for so I decided to replace both with my fridge-cold yogurt. I only had a bit of yogurt left in one of my canning jars so to make it I simply opened the lid, added a bit of vanilla extract, sprinkled some icing sugar over top, and then shook it all up for a perfectly sweet topping for the french toast. The kids liked the yogurt sauce mixed with some syrup while Matt, my husband, is more of a syrup purist. Me? I fully enjoyed each piece of my french toast drenched in the sweet yogurt sauce. I dubbed it a success and can see this being made more often whenever we might want a sweet and simple sauce. It was so delicious that I could’ve sworn I snapped a photo for you but I can’t find it on my phone so it must not have happened. To make it up to you I’ve since made waffles and another batch of the sweet yogurt sauce so I could snap a photo of it for you.

![Closeup of an orange plate with little fingers beside it. On the plate is a single waffle with a pile of blackberries and coated in a white sauce. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2972.jpg?resize=750%2C529&ssl=1)

The kids couldn’t wait to eat their waffle. I topped their first waffle with some blackberries I had quickly boiled and mashed up to make a sauce and then poured some of the yogurt sauce over top of it all. It was so delicious all together.

---

#### *Sour Cream or Mayonnaise Replacement*

Even before making my own yogurt I got into the habit of using store-bought Greek yogurt as a replacement for my sour cream and mayonnaise. Matt still buys mayonnaise for the kids and him but he’s, mostly, accepted it as a sour cream replacement. Once I started making my own yogurt I stopped buying Greek yogurt and instead replaced all three with it and it’s been working fine. This includes me putting a thin layer of yogurt on my bread, if making sandwiches, or adding a dollop of it onto my tacos. I also [used it on my Chicken Fajitas and Mexican Quinoa Casserole with Guacamole in my cookbook review post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/05/healthy-one-pan-dinners-cookbook-review/). I’ve since read that yogurt works better as a sour cream replacement if you add some vinegar or lemon juice to curdle it, which I’ve also done with milk to make buttermilk, so I tried that a couple weeks ago with lemon juice and loved how it turned out. That time I had actually bought some sour cream and did a taste test between the two while eating perogies and although I loved the texture and thickness of the sour cream I found it had no taste and I much preferred the yogurt and lemon juice mixture instead. Though I should note Matt easily preferred the sour cream. For me, I can see in the future straining my yogurt so it’s thicker, like sour cream, and then it might’ve won on all counts.

![White yogurt covering a pile of food consisting of yellow-white, green, and pink. It all sits on a white bowl.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_8797.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

A while back I cooked up diced bacon, wilted spinach, and, I think, added leftover mashed potatoes and eggs. Whatever it was it tasted good and it also tasted so much better when I added yogurt on top of it.

![Closeup of pasta with tomatoes, seasoning, cheese, and yogurt. There's a serving fork in the pasta. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3103.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I ended up using yogurt as a milk replacement a bit ago when nuking dried out [pasta, tomato, and cheese](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/03/01/pasta-tomato-and-cheese/). After partially microwaving the pasta I decided to toss some yogurt on top, threw it in the microwave, and stirred it all together. So good.

![Image shows a white plate on a table with four browned taquitos laying in a row next to a pile of white yogurt and green avocado hummus.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4413.jpg?resize=750%2C480&ssl=1)

We air fried boxed taquitos a bit ago and I dredged mine through some avocado hummus and yogurt which made them so much yummier.

![Image shows a white bowl on a wood table with corn tortillas sitting next to the bowl. In the bowl sits a brown-ish soup hidden under corn, shredded cheese, avocados, and white yogurt.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4591.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I made [slow cooker enchilada soup, from Adventures Of Mel,](https://adventuresofmel.com/slow-cooker-chicken-enchilada-soup/?ref=simplykyra.com) and, in addition to topping the soup with corn, grated cheese, avocados, and tortilla chips, I also drizzled it with yogurt.

Quick aside. Since using yogurt as a more savory topping I’ve noticed that whenever I open the lid on my multi-cooker to a fresh batch of yogurt I’m reminded of tacos or something. Guessing it’s just the smell of warm yogurt.

---

#### *Ranch Dressing*

I’ve always found that I only need ranch dressing occasionally so whenever I want the kids to eat more vegetables, so they could dip veggies into it, or if I need ranch dressing for a recipe I’d have to buy a fresh bottle. Then that bottle would sit forgotten in the fridge until I realized it had, once again, expired. This repeated off and on until, over time, I got tired of buying a bottleful each time so I tried using a store-bought powdered ranch, found it way too onion-y, and then started trying to justify not buying it again. When I saw [macaroniandbutter’s post, on Instagram, showing her homemade ranch recipe](https://www.instagram.com/p/B%5F-wudfgVDl/?ref=simplykyra.com) I jumped on it. I’ve tried it twice now and both times found it a bit too garlic-y for me but overall loved it and I realized making my own ranch dressing on-demand is the perfect solution for our family. I’ve also tried a slightly different ranch recipe found in the[ *Homemade Yogurt & Kefir*](https://www.storey.com/books/homemade-yogurt-kefir/?ref=simplykyra.com) book and loved it; although Matt thought it had a bit too much lemon in it. To be up front I did make a few changes to both recipes. I replaced any mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, or buttermilk with my yogurt (adding a bit of lemon to curdle it if replacing the buttermilk) and left out the parsley and fresh chives from both recipes as I was out of both of them. I love how simple both were to make and how they can easily be altered in size or ingredients base on your preference. I’ve since started throwing my own version together if I feel like we need a veggie dip out of just yogurt, dry dill, garlic, and lemon.

![Image is a screenshot from Instagram showing a jar of ranch dressing, on the left, and the recipe to make it on the right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-08-09-at-1.08.34-PM-1.jpg?resize=750%2C555&ssl=1)

[Screenshot of the image and recipe on macaroniandbutter’s Instagram post. The screenshot was taken on August 9th, 2020.](https://www.instagram.com/p/B%5F-wudfgVDl/?ref=simplykyra.com)

![Closeup of a white plate with two different slices of pizza on top drizzled in ranch dressing. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2809.jpg?resize=750%2C538&ssl=1)

I forgot to take a picture the first couple times I made ranch and thought this post was going to be ready sooner so justified ordering pizza so I could snap a photo of the homemade ranch dressing for you.

![Image shows part of the OXO salad dressing container in the foreground. Behind it sits a plate with chicken wings, quinoa, and veggies drizzled with the ranch dressing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4341.jpg?resize=750%2C539&ssl=1)

I normally make under a cup of ranch dressing at a time so it doesn’t go bad and I can mix it up in [my pourable salad dressing container I bought a couple of years ago](https://www.oxo.com/little-salad-dressing-shaker.html?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image is taken slightly from above of an opened canning jar showing a bit of yellow liquid, green flakes (dill), and chunks of brown-ish white (dehydrated garlic). In the background is a bottle of lemon juice from Costco. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4647.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Since trying out the two ranch dressings I now just grab a container, yogurt (in this case I just grabbed a partially filled canning jar of yogurt), bottled lemon juice, garlic (different forms depending on what’s on hand), dried dill, and then shake it to mix whenever I want ranch dressing.

---

#### *Tzatziki*

Many years ago, pre-kids, I came across [Janet and Greta Podleski’s Looneyspoons book](http://janetandgreta.com/cookbook/the-looneyspoons-collection/?ref=simplykyra.com) and fell in love… with the tzatziki recipe. I’ve since discovered I’m really bad using a cookbook long-term so I only grab this book now whenever I want the one tzatziki recipe. It uses Greek yogurt as it’s base and I always made sure I bought more than enough Greek yogurt so I could dice the cucumber and use that to dictate whether the recipe was a single batch or doubled, tripled, or quadrupled that time. This was and is my absolute favorite recipe in the book that I always brought to parties accompanied by veggies or chips and then later, once [I discovered BreadIn5](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/01/04/breadin5-make-hot-fresh-bread-easily-on-demand-at-home/), accompanied by homemade bread. Since making my own yogurt I’ve replaced the Greek yogurt with my own plain yogurt and have had no issues; although, if you find it too runny I could see straining your yogurt so it’s the right thickness first. If you want to try the recipe out I’ve found a version of it in [a blog post, by Suzie the Foodie, that tells you how to make it](http://www.suziethefoodie.com/janet-greta-podleskis-skinny-dipping-tzatziki/?ref=simplykyra.com). I stumbled across this years ago when I was out of the house and needed to know the ingredients to go shopping and have since returned to it several times when I didn’t have the cookbook on hand to refer to. The ingredients are scattered through the post instead of located in one simple to see section but it’s all there.

![Image shows a plastic container filled with green (dill), white (sugar and yogurt), and beige (garlic). Off to the sides are a vegetable peeler, measuring spoons, and a measuring cup. Behind it sits a lemon juice bottle and a dried dill container.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4037.jpg?resize=750%2C483&ssl=1)

I dice my cucumber, measure it to dictate how much I’m making, dump it into a container or bowl, measure the yogurt, and then measure all the other ingredients. Finally, right after this photo was taken, I mix it all up and put it into the fridge for the flavors to meld for a couple hours or overnight.

![Image shows a plate with two slices of bread, quinoa and chicken coated in tzatziki, and a pile of asparagus.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4107.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

This is amazing with vegetables, pretzels, bread, or, in this case, chicken breast. I try to make tzatziki whenever Matt barbecues the Costco marinated chicken shawarma and they’re divine together whether you’re having it in a bowl with a grain or in a wrap.

---

I’ve been really loving yogurt and wanted to share these simple things you can make with it. I’ve since come across two different posts about making frozen yogurt and I’m now debating trying that too. Specifically, it you’re interested, the posts are [Yogurt Nerd’s *How to Make Frozen Greek Yogurt*](https://yogurtnerd.com/how-to-make-frozen-greek-yogurt/?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Cultures For Health’s *How To Make Cultured Ice Cream*](https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/general/how-to-make-cultured-ice-cream/?ref=simplykyra.com). I’d love to hear from you if this got you excited about yogurt whether you might have some sitting in your fridge for awhile, you’re debating buying some, or you might be looking for reasons to make your own. Either way I hope you find whatever you make to be delicious. Have you made anything else with yogurt? I’d love to hear about it, too, in the comments below. Hope you’re having a great week.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Excess Apples? Here's Some Simple and Delicious Things I've Made
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/excess-apples-heres-some-simple-and-delicious-things-ive-made/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:39:45.000Z
With the smoke covering our area over the last month and the heat wave finally breaking my thoughts have started turning more towards autumn. Last year, and again a couple years before that, we went apple picking and it was amazing! Both times I ended up spending about $65 on apples and once we got home I’d feel like I needed to do something with them right away. I’d then spend the rest of the weekend making applesauce, apple butter, apple pie filling, dehydrated apple rings, and apple leather with the sauce and butter. I also remember, fondly, back in Edmonton buying a case of apples at the farmer’s markets, a smaller amount than my current apple picking adventures, so it was much simpler to buy and not as overwhelming once I got home. Anyway, with Covid-19 around I don’t know if we’ll be apple picking this year but I figured, just in case, now was the time to use up the last bit of the apple butter in my freezer and, more importantly, the frozen apple pie filling. Thinking about apples made me go through all my old apple-related photos and I decided I wanted to share these apple-y ideas with you in case you’re also debating buying apples or might already have too many on hand.

![Pinterest image showing seven images, also shown below, along with my blog title and the main URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_Excess-Apples-Heres-Some-Simple-and-Delicious-Things-Ive-Made.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

#### *Once I Bring Home Lots of Apples*…

Every time I buy a large amount of apples I go through the same process. I start by coring and cutting them up into two large pots to make apple butter and applesauce. Once the pots are simmering away on the stove I next peel, core, and cut up more apples so I can freeze batches of apple pie filling. Then, finally, I try to come up with ways to use the last of the apples as I start to lose steam and stop caring. Sometimes I use them all and sometimes I bring the numbers down enough so the remaining apples can easily fit in the crisper drawer in the fridge for the next couple weeks. I think last year I finally just started freezing plain peeled and sliced apples without doing anything special with them first since my pots were busy and I’d run out of ideas.

---

##### *Fresh Apples*

I love apples! They’re great by themselves, they’re awesome sliced up on a saucer with cheese and maybe crackers, and they’re also great dipped in a fruit sauce or nut butter. That said sometimes you may have too many apples to know what to do with and thus I created my apple pie pizza… though typing this is making me want to make it again. To make the apple pie pizza I started by taking a portion, somewhere between a third and a half, of [my homemade pizza crust](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/02/01/my-favorite-pizza-crust-including-my-go-to-tomato-sauce-and-dessert-pizza/) and rolled it out so it was flat. I then baked it at 425° Fahrenheit for five minutes, took it out, smeared cream cheese all over it, spread out sliced apples, and then sprinkled all of it with brown sugar and cinnamon before tossing the pizza back into the oven. The final pizza was amazing!

![Image shows a closeup of a beige pizza crust with white cream cheese, sliced apples, topped with brown sugar and cinnamon.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_CreamCheeseAppleCinnamonBrownSugar.jpg?resize=750%2C562&ssl=1)

This shows the apple pie pizza right after it was decorated but before it was thrown back in the oven to bake. You can bake it however long you think is best.

If you prefer bread over pizza you can always roll out some bread dough, [here I used my breadin5 dough](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/01/04/breadin5-make-hot-fresh-bread-easily-on-demand-at-home/), and add some apples to it. In this case I took the rolled out dough and started by sprinkling it with bits of butter, then peeled apple slices, and finally cinnamon; kind of like the pizza above. I then grabbed a wheel of brie, placed it in the center, and brought the dough up to the brie’s edge. Once I was sure the dough was firmly in place I put a towel over top of it and let it rest as the oven preheated. I then baked it until the bread was done. It was perfect! You could simply slice it like a pizza, so everyone gets some of the ooey gooey brie, or break open the center, tear off bits of the bread, and dip each bread bit into the center.

![Image shows two photos side by side showing the formed unbaked loaf with the brie showing in the center, on the left, and, on the right, the final baked loaf with the browned brie top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_Apple-Brie-Cinnamon-2.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

In this case I flipped up the edge of the bread dough and pressed it against the brie making sure there were no openings for the filling to come out of. I love how the top of the brie browned and when you cut into it the brie was all melted over the apple slices.

![Again this image shows two different images. On the left you see an unbaked circular loaf with brie in the center and ropes of bread coming out of the center like a flower. The photo is taken from the side. On the right you see a photo taken from above looking down at a browned loaf sitting on a plastic cutting board. The flower is less apparent but still there and the brie isn't browned yet is sprinkled with cinnamon. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_Apple-Brie-Cinnamon.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

The other time I made it I changed how the loaf looked by leaving a space around the apples, cutting into it so the bread looked like a sun, and then took each piece (sun ray) and pulled it to the side a bit before I pressed it down. I ended up with a cooler looking loaf which I then sprinkled cinnamon on top of before baking.

---

##### *Apple Butter and Applesauce*

A while back my mom bought me the [Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook](https://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/cooking-basics/a-little-lore-on-americas-no-1-cookbook/?ref=simplykyra.com), my very first cookbook, although with so many recipes online now I find I use it less and less each year. That said whenever I buy a lot of apples I always default to making the apple butter and, sometimes, apple sauce using that cookbook. For apple sauce you essentially combine cored and chopped apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon in a pot and cook it for under half an hour or so; long enough for the apples to soften and so you can easily mash them up. Apple butter is similar but uses more spices and is boiled for longer so it gets stronger in taste and thicker in consistency. Apple butter is divine when topped with cream cheese on toast. The recipe I use in the cookbook boils the apple butter on the stovetop and calls for apple juice instead of water so the apple taste is more concentrated, although I use water, but [I found this simple pressure cooker or slow cooker apple butter recipe, on BHG’s website, that uses water in case you’re interested](https://www.bhg.com/recipe/so-easy-apple-butter/?ref=simplykyra.com). Some recipes call for you to peel the apples and then you can use a potato masher or something to break up the softened apples. I’ve heard that most of the apple nutrients are in the skin, [although I just googled that and realized that that may have been disproved](https://www.thekitchn.com/most-nutrients-in-fruits-vegetables-are-found-in-the-skin-fact-or-fiction-185491?ref=simplykyra.com), and I’m a bit lazy so I normally just core and chop my apple but leave the skin on when making applesauce and apple butter. That way when the apples are softened enough I just use my immersion blender to break it all up for the perfect sauce.

Once the applesauce and apple butter are made you could can it all in mason jars. I did this once or twice but when we moved, about five years ago, I chose to get rid of my canning equipment so I now put it in canning jars, washed out jam jars, or other containers and freeze most of it so it lasts longer. I normally start using the containers I don’t need right away but as I run out I start grabbing my regularly used containers or even ice cube trays. The kids love the cool shapes you get from the silicon ice cube trays and, once frozen, you can pop the shapes into a freezer bag so they last longer and you can use the ice cube trays for something else.

![Image shows an open pink divided lunchbox. The section being shown shows star-shaped applesauce shapes. The other cubbies hold sandwich bread, apples, and a mix of cheese crackers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_7882.jpg?resize=750%2C477&ssl=1)

I put some frozen star-shaped applesauce cubes in my daughters’ lunchbox the night before and although it defrosted overnight it still, mostly, kept it’s shape for the next day’s lunch.

![Image shows an opened lunchbox with an apple filled stasher bag leaned against the lid and a glass container, with similar stuff, in front of it. There's a small plastic container of crackers in the front. The dried, wet, and sauces are separated by the lunchbox sections of silicon cupcake liners. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_7942.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

I packed this lunch last year when Ada was going to school (lunchbox and stasher bag) and Zoey stayed home with me thus the glass container with crackers on the side. This was a simple thrown together lunch that included cottage cheese and apple butter along with carrots, apples, cheese, and crackers for them to dip and explore with. The kids already showed me they liked the cottage cheese when mixed with apple sauce or apple butter so I figured this was the perfect meal for them to explore different combinations with.

If you have extra apple butter or applesauce on hand that you want to use right away you can easily dehydrate it to make apple leather or fruit roll-ups. I just looked around online and found [this recipe by Baked By Rachel](https://www.bakedbyrachel.com/apple-cinnamon-fruit-leather/?ref=simplykyra.com) but I essentially just pour some apple sauce or apple butter onto a lined cookie sheet and bake it for awhile at a low temperature until it’s tacky and no longer wet… I often over-analyze and bake it for too long though. Additionally, both applesauce and apple butter work great on savory recipes like pork chops. This time, pictured below, I seasoned and seared both sides of some pork chops in my frying pan with seasonings and butter before placing them in a casserole dish. I then topped the pork chops with a mixture of apple butter and diced apples before covering it tinfoil and baking it until the pork chops were done. I kind of looked around online and combined a couple different recipes that I had screenshots of but didn’t record where they were from so I don’t have anything exact to share with you.

![Image shows a clear lidded metal frying pan with some raw looking seasoned, black speckled, pork chops frying in butter. In the background is a lidded pot and a casserole dish already half filled with seared pork chops.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_6885.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I had to split the pork chops into two batches so I could sear them in my frying pan. I first seasoned them on one side and then placed them seasoned side down in the melted butter. As the first side seared I seasoned the top side so it would be ready when it was time to flip the pork chops.

![Image shows a closeup of the glass casserole dish filled withe chunks of apples and brown sauce. The pork chops are mostly hidden underneath. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_6890.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once the pork chops were seared on either side and placed in the casserole dish it was time to top them with a mixture of apple butter and apples. I then put tinfoil over the dish and tossed it in the oven to bake.

![Image shows a white plate with a steak knife off to the side. On the plate is a pile of roasted diced Brussel sprouts and asparagus. Beside it is a pile of rice topped with a pork chop and apple topping. Around the food you can see the apple butter sauce. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_6899.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

This time I served the pork chops on rice with a side of oven roasted vegetables.

---

##### *Apple Pie Filling*

Anyway back to my original batch of apples. Once I fit as many apples as I can into my two biggest pots, for the apple butter and sauce, and have them simmering away it’s time to figure out what else I should do with any of the leftover apples. My earlier default was making apple pie by peeling, coring, and slicing the apples and, once you have enough, mixing all the other ingredients in and throwing it between two pie crusts. I can’t remember where my previous recipes were from but I’m guessing they were from [the Better Home and Gardens cookbook so I found a listing of apple pie recipes on their website just in case you are also interested](https://www.bhg.com/recipes/desserts/pies/apple/?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Collage of five images with a blue border around them. From left to right it shows: 
1. a plastic bowl two thirds filled with sliced peeled apples topped with flour, sugar, and seasonings. 
2. a bottom pie crust filled with a heaping mix of pie filling.
3. Apples on a cutting board being peeled. 
4. The top of the baked apple pie with the odd heart outline from a metal cookie cutter. 
5. a closeup of a slice of pie on a plate with the rest of the pie in the pie plate behind it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_apple-pie.jpg?resize=629%2C167&ssl=1)

Collage of images, from several years ago, of my apple pie with homemade crust imprinted with a metal heart cookie cutter.

Lately I haven’t made any pies but that hasn’t stopped me from making apple pie filling. Last year I either tripled or quadrupled a batch of the apple pie filling, with added craisins, before splitting the contents into individual freezer bags. And there the pie filling stayed until I was ready to use it… which ended up not being on actual pies.

The first thing I did was take the apple pie filling, defrost it, cut up some brie, mix it in, and add it to bread for an amazing dessert-y bread. To do this I used my premade breadin5 dough, [previously posted about here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/01/04/breadin5-make-hot-fresh-bread-easily-on-demand-at-home/), rolled it out into a rectangle, spread the filling over it, rolled it up to make a loaf shape, and tucked the ends under so the filling wouldn’t fall out. I then baked it in a preheated oven until it was done. This would’ve been great without the cheese too.

![Image shows a metal bowl filled with sliced and peeled apples, craisins, and seasonings. Beside it sits a small marbled cutting board with sliced brie cheese with the rind on. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_1032.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once I had the bowl of the apple pie filling all ready to go I grabbed a wheel of brie, from Costco, and diced it up before mixing it with the pie filling.

![The image shows parchment paper with two loaves sitting on it. Both loaves are sliced. The back loaf has cheddar cheese on it and some deli meat showing at either end. The loaf in the front shows craisins and brie oozing out from the sliced sections. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_Main-Whole-Wheat-brie-OR-ham-and-cheese-2018-02-02-588.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I grabbed some of my breadin5 dough, rolled it out. spread the pie filling, rolled it up, tucked the ends under, and baked it until it was done. I did the same to the loaf in the back, with cheddar cheese and deli meat, for a more sandwich-like bread to go along with the more dessert-like bread.

If you’d prefer not to roll the filling with the dough I’ve also created an apple pie bread by rolling the dough out, dumping the pie filling in the center, flipping the sides of the dough up to cover the top, and then flipping the entire loaf over so the edges stay in place. That time, when I made it, I made two different loaves so I could bake the first right then and there while the second loaf was placed back in the emptied plastic container, already on the parchment paper, to wait to be baked the next day.

![Image shows a closeup of the top side of the plastic breadin5 bin with parchment crinkled up as if it was a gift basket. In the background sits a flour covered silpat sheet and a kitchen towel. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_SIDE-Brie-Apple-Cinnamon-MISC-2018-01-19-4148.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After forming the loaf I placed it on parchment paper, so it wouldn’t stick, and placed it back in the, emptied, plastic container in the fridge so I could bake it the next day with less fuss.

![Image shows two photos side by side. The image on the left shows the unbaked loaf blob on a silpat sheet sprinkled with flour and cinnamon. On the right you can see the baked final loaf. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_Apple-Cranberry.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

When it was time to preheat the oven I took the loaf out of the fridge, moved it to the silpat lined cookie sheet to rise, sprinkled some cinnamon on top, and then baked it. If you look closely on the left loaf you can see the wrinkles from the parchment paper on the front.

As an aside whenever I wanted to take my freshly baked loaf with me to another location I’d keep it on a cutting board, for stability, and wrap it in tinfoil, as it was still warm, and then plastic wrap over that to keep it sealed. I would then put it into an insulated casserole carrier.

![Image shows an opened purple insulated Rachael Ray casserole carrier. Inside the tinfoil wrapped bread blends in with the silver interior of the carrier.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_SIDE-Brie-Apple-Cinnamon-MISC-2018-01-19-8503.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

My wrapped loaf of bread sitting inside an opened and insulated casserole carrier before I closed it up to keep it hot. I just realized that I’ve only used this for loaves of bread and keeping things safe while moving and not for the “lasagna lugger” this item is marked as.

Last week I wanted to use the last of the apple pie filling in the freezer but I didn’t feel like making pies or baking bread. Instead I dumped the pie filling in a 9 by 13 inch glass casserole dish, spread it out, and topped it with cheese. I had a wheel of brie in the fridge so I sliced through the top and bottom, so the cheese could easily melt through the rind and spread through the apples, before placing it on top. I would’ve put the brie wheel in the center but Ada doesn’t like brie so I put it at one end of the casserole dish and sliced cheddar cheese to melt over the other half. I then put it in the oven and waited for the cheese to melt through the warming apples.

![Image shows a closeup of a clear casserole dish sitting on a stovetop. In the dish is a pile of apple slices, craisins, and a brown sugar syrup clumped in places and a pool below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4292.jpg?resize=750%2C491&ssl=1)

I dumped the equivalent of one and a half recipes of apple pie filling with craisins added into my 9 by 13 inch glass casserole dish.

![Image shows the glass casserole dish filled with a flat layer of apples, craisins, and sugar syrup. On the left sits a partially coming apart wheel of brie. Behind the casserole dish sits the flattened brie wrapper and the brie container from Costco.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4295.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After spreading out the pie filling contents I grabbed the wheal of brie I bought, unwrapped it, scored either side of the brie so it was almost diced looking, and then placed it on the one end of the casserole dish.

![Image shows the casserole dish half filled with the apple pie filling. On the left sits the brie and on the right are five mismatched slices of orange cheddar cheese. Behind the casserole dish sits the brie wrapper and the wrapped leftover cheddar cheese. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4299.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Ada doesn’t like brie and I’ve read before that cheddar cheese goes really good with apple pie so I sliced some sharp cheddar cheese and laid it over the other side of the casserole. I didn’t get to taste test that end as the kids both loved the cheddar cheese end.

I had recently looked up whether [I could use my slow cooker to bake my breadin5 dough](https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2012/05/29/crock-pot-bread-baking-fast-bread-in-a-slow-cooker/?ref=simplykyra.com) and wanted to test it out so earlier I slow cooked a pound of breadin5 dough on high for, what ended up being, three and a half hours. Before we ate I grabbed both that and a loaf of bread that was going stale and sliced them so we could choose which bread we preferred and how we wanted to eat it with the cheesy apple pie filling.

![Photo was taken from above looking down at the table. On the left is the cheesy apple pie while the white blue tipped plastic cutting board sits beside it with two types of sliced bread. At the bottom of the image you can see the edge of two plates, two name tags, and two glasses.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4312.jpg?resize=750%2C444&ssl=1)

The fresh out of the oven cheesy apple pie filling next to a cutting board full of sliced bread so they could be eaten together.

![Image shows a plate with a pile of brie coated apples and crasins on it sitting in syrupy sauce. Leaned against the side of the plate are two slices of bread; in the back sits a dried slice of store bought bread while in the front sits a soft dumpling-like slice. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4315.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

It got a bit rich as I finished the saucer but it would’ve been great as part of a potluck or as a side or dessert. I was able to dip the bread in the sauce on the plate or top the cheesy apples on the bread.

![Image is taken from above showing two lunch boxes, appearing to be above and below each other, with similar contents. The only difference is one lunchbox has melted brie apples while the other one has a more plain looking apple filling. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_4319-1.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

We had a bit of leftover cheesy apple so I divided it between two lunch boxes, attempting to keep the brie in only one half, and topped it with cheddar cheese. I quickly paired it with [plain yogurt](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/09/09/how-i-make-my-own-yogurt-for-my-simple-breakfast/) and blueberries along with some crunchy rice cakes and cheddar crackers.

---

And those are the apple-related things that I’ve made over the last couple years and have saved photos from. Whether you have an apple tree that’s producing more than you expected, just went apple picking and ended up with way more than you expected, have extra apples in the fridge, or are just looking for more apple-y ideas I hope this helped you out. There are so many apple-related recipes out there but I wanted to share some of my favorite creations in the hope that it helps. Regardless what you end up making with your apples I’d love to hear from you. What did you make? What’s your favorite apple-related dish? Feel free to share in the comments below and I hope you’re having a good week.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### My Favorite Simple Kids' Knit Sewing Pattern: The Magnolia
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-favorite-simple-kids-knit-sewing-pattern-the-magnolia/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:39:37.000Z
I can’t remember when I first came across [Stitch Upon A Time](https://stitchuponatime.com/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com), but, checking my order history on their website, shows that my first Stitch Upon a Time sewing pattern was bought back in April of 2018\. Three days later I went back and bought all of their free patterns including the [Magnolia Top and Dress](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/magnolia-top-and-dress/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com), now a paid pattern, which I fell absolutely in love with from the first time I sewed it up. The Magnolia is perfect for showing off any custom knit fabric purchase for my kids and is so quick and simple to sew. Both my kids and I absolutely love the kangaroo pocket and it took until the very last time I sewed it up to leave the it off and even then it was only with my kids permission after explaining that the panels were too big to fit otherwise. Over the years I kept recommending this pattern on Facebook and yet never get around to creating a post dedicated specifically to [the Magnolia](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/magnolia-top-and-dress/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) as I always seemed to be waiting until I could sew it up just once more first. I figured now was the time and decided not to put off sharing it anymore.

![Pinterest image showing several finished views of the Magnolia top along with some closeups of the sewn together fabric. Most images can be found further down in this post. The image also includes the words "S.U.A.T. Magnolia" and the main website URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_Magnolia-Knit-Top-1.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Over the last couple years I’ve shared [the Magnolia](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/magnolia-top-and-dress/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) while showing you my [simple trick to simplify sewing bands onto clothing](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/09/19/simplify-sewing-bands-onto-clothing/) along with my 52 week sewing challenge recap posts from [2018](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/12/31/52-weeks-of-sewing/) and [2019](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/01/52-weeks-of-sewing-in-2019/).

---

The very first Magnolia I sewed up was back in 2018 and I shared it as part of my [kids-specific Me Made May that year](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/05/22/recent-kid-patterns-for-me-made-may-2018/). This was back when I was first starting out in garment sewing and wasn’t sure about knit fabrics. I had bought cotton Lycra [Magic School Bus panels. for both daughters, through Whimsy Baby Customs](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and [had gotten some cute vehicle fabric through an Elevated Fashion Fabrics knit mystery box I’d bought to increase my fabric stash](https://elevatedfashionfabrics.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). I remember that I wasn’t sure what to use for the bands along the neckline and arms of the Magnolia as the vehicle fabric didn’t have enough stretch, or probably recovery, and I didn’t have enough leftover fabric from the front panel to make the bands. I ended looking through my stash and ended up settling on ribbing for the bands which, looking back, wasn’t the most comfortable choice I could’ve made. Yet the girls still loved their new dresses and wore them often over the years. I loved how simple they were to sew together and how great the instructions were while the kids were impressed with the large pocket and loved the vehicles and bus.

![Overview of the dresses laying out on my carpet for a flat lay shot. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2018/05/Compressed-IMG_8335.jpg?resize=750%2C609&ssl=1)

Flat lay of the front of the matching dresses back in May of 2018.

![Back of both girls can be seen as they run in the grass; making them a bit blurred in places. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2018/05/Compressed-IMG_8371.jpg?resize=750%2C530&ssl=1)

Loving the dresses as they run around in circles.

Since then Ada has decided she didn’t want her dress although it’s the only Magnolia, so far, that she’s decided she was done with. About a month or so ago I dug Zoey’s original dress out from her drawer and it surprisingly still fit her. I didn’t get a photo of it but I’m impressed with all the Magnolias as they’ve easily grown with my kids as the dress becomes more shirt-like yet still stretches around their torso.

Later that same summer we were planning on visiting [the Royal Tyrrell Museum, while visiting family in Canada,](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/08/02/a-visit-to-the-royal-tyrrell-museum/) and I wanted to surprise the kids with dinosaur dresses for the occasion. I grabbed some adorable dinosaur panels and matching striped fabric, [through Whimsy](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), and another [Magnolia](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/magnolia-top-and-dress/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) was born. The pattern was awesome for an easy quick last minute sew!

![Front view of the matching dresses as the girls walk over mathematical stepping stones (they count from one to five in different small equations). Ada is in the front and you can see from the top of her dress down. Behind her and partially overlapped is Zoey in the slightly more oversized dress. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Dinosaur_1958.jpg?resize=750%2C433&ssl=1)

They frequently wore the dinosaur dresses and the dresses were especially comfortable now that I used cotton Lycra on the bands too.

![View from the back of the dresses as the girls hold hands. You can see Matt's hand to the left holding Ada's hand. On the other side Ada is holding Zoey's wrist as they walk. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Dinosaur_1981.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

From the back, with this fabric, it’s obvious that there’s a seam connecting the bodice fabric on the back as well as the front.

![View of a mess covered deck at our old apartment. The kids are gathered around an old laundry detergent bottle balanced on our garden ledge. You can see part of Zoey's dress and the side of Ada's as Ada presses down on the bottle button so dyed yellow water dribbles out into a bucket. There's old plastic test tubes on the ground so this happened sometime after her science party.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Dinosaur_2014.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Although, over time, the dresses got stained they still stayed remarkably white for a while which was surprising with all the food dyed sensory play the kids frequently did. I think what finally got the dresses was food stains; rather than sensory play stains.

Whenever there was fabric I loved at Whimsy Baby Customs the Magnolia pattern was the perfect pattern to show it off and the kids absolutely loved the resulting garment each time.

![View of Ada's monster truck dress with matching tire tread fabric. Ada's standing straight with her hands in her pocket enjoying the kangaroo pocket in the skirt. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_MonsterTruck_Dinosaur_1863.jpg?resize=750%2C326&ssl=1)

I can’t remember if I happened to buy the Monster truck fabric on purpose or if Ada just happened to pick it during the Whimsy fabric preorder but when Ada got to go to her first Monster Truck rally the fabric was available I was able to quickly whip her up a dress for the occasion.

Over time I realized that I could easily remove the horizontal seam on the back of the dress if my fabric was tall enough to cover the height. I did this by overlapping the top and bottom pattern pieces, to account for the seam allowance I didn’t need, and taping them together to create a single paper piece before cutting my fabric out. I absolutely loved the look of the back of the dress once it was all in one continuous piece of fabric whereas my kids were just enjoying that the pocket existed.

![View of the back of Zoey's black dress with rainbow dinosaurs on it. You can see the back of the dress is all one piece with no seam so the dinosaurs aren't interrupted. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_MonsterTruck_Dinosaur_1902.jpg?resize=750%2C862&ssl=1)

I loved how the back of the dress could highlight the gorgeous fabric without interrupting the print plus this method was almost simpler than when it was in two separate pieces.

Whenever the kids picked a new rapport, through [Whimsy’s fabric preorders](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), the Magnolia was the natural choice to sew it up with.

![Flat lay of both dresses laying on the kitchen floor. One corner of either dress is flipped over to see the back fabric. The larger dress has Pete the Cat holding a book beside an owl saying "I <3 books". The back and the bands are striped, around the image is white, and the bottom of the skirt shows scattered images from Pete the Cat. The smaller dress, in front, has the panel on the skirt saying "Oh the things you can say from A to Z". The rest of the fromt of the dress has Dr Suess-eque letters whiel the black is white with red strips and characters on the white. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Book4204.jpg?resize=750%2C703&ssl=1)

The finished dresses with the one fabric piece on the back and the panels being shown off on the front.

![View of Ada's back as she walks away showing an unbroken repeating colored stripes going across her back. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Book4949.jpg?resize=631%2C809&ssl=1)

Like Zoey’s dress before I taped the cut out back pattern pieces together for these two dresses, and may have shortened both skirt pieces, so the back could be made from one continuous piece of fabric.

While planning my sews for the 52 week sewing challenge, back at the beginning of the year so pre-Covid, I found two planet panels and two meters of school blackboard doodled fabric that I had bought the girls in the September/October 2019 pre-order at Whimsy. I decided then and there that I’d save them for the August, week 32, *sew something for school* challenge. As August approached school looked like it would be distance learning again; yet, it was nice to have something normal to sew up and I again went with the simple and awesome Magnolia; although, this time I changed it up. The panels looked too large for the front of the dress if I included the pocket so after printing, taping, and cutting out the pattern I laid the paper pieces over the fabric to confirm they were in fact too large and, after getting the girls permission, I left the pocket off of the dress for the first time ever. Like with the back of the dress I took the top/bodice and bottom/skirt paper pieces, overlapped them to account for the seam allowance, and taped them in place. Since the panels were, now, smaller than the pattern pieces I sewed the coordinating fabric to the panels, wherever the paper overlapped with the fabric edge, before cutting the fabric out. The girls loved their new dresses, even without the pocket, and I think they’re adorable.

![Flat lay of the two dresses side by side. The one on the left are cartoon-ish planets on a navy blue background with the school doodles for the bands along the neckline, cuffs, and along the bottom of the dress. The other dress had a diagram of the planets with text about each one added. The doodle fabric for the bands don't stand out here as the coordinating doodle fabric was added to the bottom sides of the panel along with the top bodice. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2660.jpg?resize=750%2C495&ssl=1)

The finished dresses with the new seams based on the panel size. I love how they match yet are unique since the panels are different and yet the overall theme and coordinating fabric are the same.

![Closeup of a bin of fake snow with Ada crouched behind it and Zoey sitting beside it. Both are wearing their matching dresses. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/09/compressed_IMG_3274.jpg?resize=750%2C375&ssl=1)

And then they later went out and played in fake snow wearing the new dresses. They ended up coated and I had to leave their dresses outside to dry before attempting to shake off all the snow.

I absolutely love the [Magnolia Top and Dress](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/magnolia-top-and-dress/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) and am so glad that I’m finally sharing the pattern with you. The finished garment is amazing letting your fabric pop, the instructions are easy to follow, and the pattern is simple to sew. And there you have it; my favorite go to knit garment for my girls. I hadn’t realized, until I started this post, that I had used [Whimsy Baby Customs](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) on every Magnolia so I guess that’s my favorite fabric site for the girls. Have you sewn up the Magnolia yet? If so how did it go and have you made changes to it? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. I hope your week is going great.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### How I Make My Own Yogurt For My Simple Breakfast
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/how-i-make-my-own-yogurt-for-my-simple-breakfast/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:37:58.000Z
Back at the end of the year I purchased [The Balanced Life’s Reset program](https://thebalancedlifeonline.com/friend/ref/14822/?ref=simplykyra.com) and discovered my new go to breakfast consisting of plain whole yogurt, fruit, and a low-sugar granola. It was so simple to make and I’ve been eating it every morning since; although, I’ve been frequently changing it by buying different packaged granola and pairing it with different fruits. I especially love how I am able to portion out two or three days worth of breakfasts at a time, by combining the fruit and yogurt into individual containers, and each morning I can simply grab a container from the fridge, mix it up, and add the granola on top… in bits so it doesn’t spill over the side. With COVID-19 hitting our area back in March and bringing with it the shelter-in-place order, less frequent shopping trips, and limiting the grocery items available I came to the decision to try to make my own yogurt and, later on, decided to attempt my own granola. I still prefer store-bought granola over my own, but I feel like I’ve gotten pretty good at making my own yogurt now and I wanted to share it with you in case it would also interest you. Yogurt is so simple to make… and this is coming from someone that has tried and failed, multiple times, to get a sourdough starter going.

![Pinterest image showing a collage of eight images, the post title (Make Your Own Yogurt), and my main URL (SimplyKyra.com). The top four images are smaller and go across the top showing the finished yogurt. The lower four images are larger and are in a two by two grid showing the yogurt in the Dutch Oven. All these images are also shown below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Make-Your-Own-Yogurt-1.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

With the shelter-in-place order enacted I found I started running out of yogurt for my breakfast before we could come close to running out of milk; which was my normal indicator for when we really needed to go grocery shopping. Then when I did go out to the stores I, sometimes, wasn’t able to get my plain whole yogurt and either had to use a more sugar-y option or find a different breakfast until I could try again on the next trip. I wanted to be sure I had enough yogurt for breakfast and maybe even go grocery shopping less frequently so I decided, for fun, to look into making my own yogurt. It turned out to be not that hard and I’m now using about a gallon of milk every one or two weeks to make it myself. The downside… I’ve been running out of milk way more often now so I still end up grocery shopping way more frequently than I did back in March and April.

To make my own yogurt I kept referring back to [a single post by The Kitchn titled *How To Make Yogurt at Home*](https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-yogurt-at-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-125070?ref=simplykyra.com). They made it seem so simple and since I already had a Dutch oven and an instant read thermometer I was all ready to go without having to buy any supplies… so I couldn’t put it off any longer. My first batch of yogurt was created from eight cups of whole milk (two quarts) and a half cup of store-bought yogurt containing active cultures. Over time I switched out my yogurt starter to homemade yogurt, flavored Greek yogurt, and, finally, I found [powdered cultures from Cultures For Health](https://shop.culturesforhealth.com/collections/yogurt?ref=simplykyra.com). To store the finished yogurt I started out by simply cleaning my older yogurt containers, from the store, and using those. I had saved them mainly to create [frozen toy filled ice for the girls to melt outside](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/27/ideas-for-when-its-hot-outside/) so it was simple enough to steal them back. After awhile I noticed the plastic lids cracking from constant use so I replaced the containers with 32 ounce glass canning jars. Below I’ll go over specifically how I make my yogurt and then follow that with two other yogurt resources I’ve found.

---

### *How I Make My Yogurt*

To make your own yogurt you need to start by changing up the protein structure of the milk which sounds difficult but it’s essentially just heating up the milk until right below boiling. To attempt not to scorch the milk I’ve taken to heating it on medium and using my whisk to stir it every so often. To make sure the milk doesn’t get too hot I use my instant read thermometer and set a temperature alert to 200°F so the milk doesn’t have the opportunity to boil before I take it off the heat.

![Image shows my Dutch oven filled with milk sitting on a red burner. Beside it sits an instant read thermometer showing a temperature of 49°F and the thermometer portion is sitting in the milk with a cord connecting the two. On the right side you can see the metal handle of my whisk leaned against the edge so it doesn't fall in.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_9969.jpg?resize=750%2C527&ssl=1)

I start making yogurt by heating the milk up until it hits 200°F and then remove it from the stove top. This denatures the proteins in the milk. During the process I repeatedly use my whisk to stir it and make sure the milk at the bottom isn’t scalding.

Once the milk hits 200°F I move the Dutch oven off of the stove top so the milk can start cooling down. I normally place it on a potholder on the kitchen table and turn on the ceiling fan in the hopes that there’s a cool cross-breeze from the window that can speed up the cooling process. I’ve also read you can put the hot milk in a sink full of ice water but since I’m normally starting my yogurt during suppertime the sink is normally occupied with me washing dishes at this point. You will want to cool the milk until it’s warm to the touch so I continue to use my thermometer and occasionally stir the yogurt to break up any skin that may be forming on the top. In this case I can’t use the temperature alert as it would just go off immediately as the milk is now cooling. The Kitchn article says to cool the milk so it’s between 112°F to 115°F but I’ve heard elsewhere between 115°F and 120°F and, as I’m not patient, I go onto the next step as soon as it hits 120°F.

![Image shows the Dutch oven sitting on the table (potholder hidden underneath) with the whisk and thermometer tip still in the milk. The temperature gauge shows it's at 129°F. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_9972.jpg?resize=750%2C536&ssl=1)

After the milk hits 200°F I move it to a cooler area of our home and make sure to put the whisk and thermometer back in. As it cools I occasionally whisk it so a skin doesn’t form as I keep an eye on the temperature. Once it hits, or goes below, 120°F its time for the next step.

At this point the milk is cool enough to not kill the yogurt culture yet still warm enough to help the culture thrive in the milk. You can use a variety of different yogurt cultures at this point but whichever one you choose don’t just dump it into the Dutch oven; instead, remove one to two cups of the warm milk and stir the culture into this.

Before we go on I wanted to go over yogurt cultures. When I first started I used a half to a full cup of store-bought yogurt that contained active cultures. You need to make sure the yogurt says active cultures otherwise there’s nothing in it that’s going to be able to turn your milk into yogurt. As I became successful I stopped buying yogurt and so I started using the last of my homemade yogurt as the starter instead. I was concerned, while doing this, that the yogurt wouldn’t set as [the Kitchn mentioned that “\[i\]f after a few batches, you notice some odd flavors in your yogurt or that it’s not culturing quite as quickly, that means that either some outside bacteria has taken up residence in your yogurt or that this strain is becoming weak. As long as this batch still tastes good to you, it will be safe to eat, but go back to using some store-bought commercial yogurt in your next batch.”](https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-yogurt-at-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-125070?ref=simplykyra.com) I was also worried I might run out of homemade yogurt before making a fresh batch and be left without a starter. Once, when I was worried about the culture level in my yogurt getting week I chose to use a store-bought cup of rhubarb-flavored Greek yogurt as my yogurt starter. It turned out okay but all the visible flavoring ended up sinking to the bottom, which made me think I had badly scalded it for a second, yet the yogurt was too diluted to taste much rhubarb. I didn’t want to buy a large container of yogurt just to make more yogurt so I started looking into other more long-term solutions and found [Cultures For Health](https://shop.culturesforhealth.com/collections/yogurt?ref=simplykyra.com) where I bought yogurt starter and didn’t have to worry anymore.

![Image shows a 64 oz. container filled with homemade yogurt with dollops of pink-ish yogurt at the top. To the side is a glass rectangular container and a metal spoon sitting in yogurt and granola. Behind it is a measuring cup mostly filled with granola. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_8947.jpg?resize=750%2C504&ssl=1)

The one time I used a cup of flavored Greek yogurt as my starter I worried the yogurt wouldn’t turn out flavored until I got to the bottom of the Dutch oven and I noticed all the flavoring had sunk to the bottom. This meant all the flavor was at the top of one of the two yogurt containers; shown above.

Anyway, once you remove a cup or two of the warm milk from the Dutch oven you add your culture, in this case a [quarter tsp of yogurt culture](https://shop.culturesforhealth.com/products/kosher-yogurt-starter-traditional?ref=simplykyra.com) per each gallon or two of milk, and mix it in. Once the culture is fully mixed in you can then add this milk back into the Dutch oven and stir, again, to mix it in. At this point it’s time to incubate the milk so it has enough time and warmth to turn itself into yogurt.

![Image shows the Dutch oven on the table with the thermometer tip still in it. The temperature is shown to be 120°F. In front of both items sits a one cup jug filled with milk and a metal whisk.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_9976.jpg?resize=750%2C540&ssl=1)

Once it goes between 112 and 120°F it’s time to add the yogurt culture. I don’t want to dump the culture directly into the Dutch oven all at once though. Instead I remove, around, one cup of the warm milk and add the culture to that. After whisking the culture into the milk I next pour it back into the Dutch oven while stirring it with my whisk.

Typically the bacteria, in the yogurt starter or culture, are thermophilic, meaning they like heat, so you need to keep the milk warm so the bacteria can turn it into yogurt. To keep my milk warm I preheat the oven to 200°F and wrap the Dutch oven in a towel before turning the oven off and putting the wrapped Dutch oven into it so it can sit, warm, overnight. There are other methods you can use to keep it warm and I just looked up [The Spruce Eats post called *Multiple Ways to Incubate Homemade Yogurt*](https://www.thespruceeats.com/multiple-ways-to-incubate-yogurt-1327496?ref=simplykyra.com) if you’re interested in them. That said the warmer it is the faster the yogurt will set; unless it gets too hot and then the bacteria will die off.

![Image shows a white towel laying on the table with the lidded Dutch oven sitting in the center of it. Off in the back is the thermometer without the tip attached and, part, of the potholder.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_9981.jpg?resize=750%2C486&ssl=1)

Once the culture is fully mixed into the warm milk it’s time to incubate it. To keep it warm I put the lid on the Dutch oven and wrap it up with a towel.

![Image is taken above looking down at the towel wrapped up on three sides. The towel on the left side is held up still.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_9984.jpg?resize=750%2C491&ssl=1)

While wrapping the Dutch oven I start by tucking in the two short sides and then fold over either long side making sure to wrap the flaps around it.

![Image shows the Dutch oven fully hidden inside the white towel. My hand is holding the towel in place while the temperature gauge sits in the background not needed anymore.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_9985.jpg?resize=750%2C485&ssl=1)

This is what it looks like fully wrapped.

![View of the wrapped Dutch oven sitting on the top shelf of my oven. The door is open to take the photo so the light is on.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_9986.jpg?resize=750%2C456&ssl=1)

I had preheated the oven to 200°F while the milk was cooling so after I wrapped the Dutch oven up with the towel I next turned off the oven, stuck the wrapped Dutch oven inside, closed the door, and left it to set overnight. Some people, instead, leave the oven light on but I prefer preheating the oven as my oven light turns itself off after a while and I worry about the bulb burning out.

Instead of counting the hours and worrying about whether it’s too soon to check if the yogurt is set or not I make my yogurt around suppertime and check it in the morning so it’s left for about twelve hours. I pull it out of the oven, unwrap the towel, take off the lid, and voila yogurt is ready!

![Slight overview looking down at the lid of the Dutch oven showing through the slight opening in the towel.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_8941.jpg?resize=750%2C506&ssl=1)

The next morning you carefully take it out of the oven and unwrap the towel.

![Photo taken from above, and angled, to show the top of the yogurt. You can see the pits in the top showing the bubbles that formed and along the edge you can see how the yogurt sunk a bit overnight. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_8943.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Then take off the lid to see your gorgeously set yogurt. Even though all my yogurt has set, so far… knock, knock, I’m still relieved and happy each time I see this sight.

At this point the yogurt is still warm so I move it into containers and throw it into the fridge to make the bacteria hibernate and the yogurt firmer. And that’s all there is to making yogurt!

![Overview of the Dutch oven, on the right, with a couple off white spots showing where the whey separated from the main yogurt. To the left is the Dutch oven lid, in the back, and the lidless containers waiting for the yogurt. Underneath it all sits the white towel.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_0010.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

At first I used washed out yogurt containers to hold my freshly made yogurt. In this photo you can see some of the separated whey, slightly yellow-er, along the edge of the yogurt but I didn’t try to separate it and just let it mix with the yogurt as I moved it over to the containers.

![View from above of the Dutch oven half filled with yogurt in clumps within it. To the left is a filled large container of yogurt and, in the foreground, I'm pouring more yogurt into the other container with a purple plastic soup ladle. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_0014.jpg?resize=750%2C536&ssl=1)

I use a simple soup ladle to move the yogurt into the containers and, when I get close to the bottom of the Dutch oven, switch to scrapping the yogurt out with a spatula and pouring the yogurt directly into the container.

![Overview of an emptied Dutch oven showing scald marks in the center and a blue spatula. Behind it sits one large and lidded container of yogurt, one small lidded container of yogurt, and, beside it, one small opened container of yogurt with brown flecks inside.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_9780.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Sometimes, if I scalded the milk, there’s bits of darkened yogurt at the bottom of the Dutch oven but I haven’t noticed it tasting bad yet so I just scoop it all in and eat the last container I dished first.

After a while the lids of the yogurt containers, that I kept reusing, started splitting along the rim. I finally went out and bought a dozen 32 ounce canning jars so now when I use a gallon of milk to make my yogurt I end up with four full canning jars full of yogurt at the end. I love how simple it is to make my yogurt and how handy it is to have the yogurt sitting around.

That said I wanted to add in how I’ve heard about thickening your yogurt if you prefer it to be less runny. I haven’t tried this yet but I have read that to do so you can either add something to it, like dry milk powder or gelatin, or you can strain the whey out of it. To strain it both the [*Homemade Yogurt and Kefir* book by Gianaclis Caldwell](https://www.storey.com/books/homemade-yogurt-kefir/?ref=simplykyra.com) and [The Kitchn](https://www.thekitchn.com/thick-and-creamy-how-to-make-g-125304?ref=simplykyra.com) mention using a cheese cloth. For fun I looked online and found, through [*The Easy Way To Strain Yogurt Without Cheesecloth* on Salad In A Jar](https://saladinajar.com/yogurt/how-to-strain-yogurt-the-easy-way/?ref=simplykyra.com), that you could also use coffee filters, a fine-mesh strainer, or a Kleynhuis yogurt pouch. I can see purchasing one of those solutions if I ever want to take my yogurt a step further by thickening it up.

![Overview of the Dutch oven sitting on a white towel. Inside of the pot you can see the set yogurt with the metal soup ladle sinking into the yogurt showing whey, white liquid, over top of it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_8795.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I don’t strain out the whey after the yogurt has set so as I scoop some of it out I’m left with chunks of solid yogurt mixed with ‘watery’ yogurt. I scoop it all into the jars or containers and later, after getting cold in the fridge, it’s set even more.

![View of the Dutch oven, on the left, with scoops of yogurt taken out, akin to scoops of ice cream, and a container, to the right, of yogurt with strawberries at the bottom.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_8945.jpg?resize=750%2C500&ssl=1)

If you want you can quickly setup some breakfast containers before packing up the rest of the yogurt into larger containers.

![Shows my hand holding and tilting a 32 oz. canning jar over Dutch oven. There's a filled canning jar in the background. Inside the Dutch oven are clumps of yogurt within the whey liquid and you can barely see the purple plastic soup ladle sitting among the yogurt. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_1614.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After upgrading the containers to canning jars I realized it was harder to scoop the yogurt into the smaller openings. I’ve since bought a wide mouth canning funnel to make this easier but then misplaced it when it came time to package my yogurt, the last time, so I haven’t gotten to see how easy it makes it quite yet.

---

### *Other Resources I Came Across*

Matt, my husband, found [Robert Mosolgo’s post *How I Make Yogurt*](https://rmosolgo.github.io/blog/2019/03/28/how-i-make-yogurt/?ref=simplykyra.com) trending on [Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) several months ago and shared it with me. I love how in depth he goes into making yogurt and I can see incorporating some of his steps into my process over the next couple years; although, I love my simple process right now. He mentions using a makeshift double boiler to heat his milk so it doesn’t burn (a problem I still have as I scald the bottom of my pot), speeds up the milk’s cooling by placing it in a sink of ice water (I normally do the supper dishes as mine cools), bottles the yogurt right after adding the culture (simpler process at the end than mine), and finally uses a cooler to keep it close to temperature while it sets. Since [the Kitchn post](https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-yogurt-at-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-125070?ref=simplykyra.com) had mentioned letting the yogurt set for four hours or overnight I felt much better leaving my yogurt for longer after reading that Robert leaves his for eight to sixteen hours and that was after he used to leave it for around twenty-four hours.

Before looking up [the Kitchn article](https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-yogurt-at-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-125070?ref=simplykyra.com) I was able to read over [Gianaclis Caldwell’s book *Homemade Yogurt & Kefir*](https://www.storey.com/books/homemade-yogurt-kefir/?ref=simplykyra.com). This book goes over both diary and plant-based yogurts along with cultured butter, creams, cheeses, soups, drinks, and desserts. Before starting my yogurt-making journey, I must admit, this book kind of scared me but it still got me really excited about yogurt and I loved the idea of adding simple flavorings, as needed, to my homemade yogurt. Seeing this book on NetGalley, requesting it, and being accepted for an advanced copy made me truly excited to make my own yogurt and thus made me look around and find different ways to make yogurt online and led me to the simplistic Kitchn post. Now, after having made yogurt for the last couple months, the book doesn’t seem that scary and I can see expanding my yogurt to add different flavorings and try many of the mouthwatering recipes contained within these pages.

![Screenshot of the Storey website showing the cover image of the book, price, title. author, and a link to buy or share the book.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-08-07-at-3.23.15-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C455&ssl=1)

Screenshot of the [*Homemade Yogurt & Kefir* book page on the Storey Publishing website taken on August 7th, 2020](https://www.storey.com/books/homemade-yogurt-kefir/?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

Have you tried to make you own yogurt? If so how did it go? Are you considering making your own yogurt now? I hope this post helped and I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. I hope your day is going great.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Announcing Ada’s Simple Zoom Birthday Party
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/announcing-adas-simple-zoom-birthday-party/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:37:49.000Z
Back in June, when places were first starting to open up in our area, we decided to do [a Zoom birthday party for Zoey and after looking around we chose to go with Amazing Fairytale Parties (no affiliate) and had Anna, from Frozen, join our Zoom call with friends](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/06/24/zoeys-shelter-in-place-fourth-birthday-party/). After Zoey’s party Ada immediately started planning her own, but limited herself to the Disney princesses that she could think of. I jumped back onto [the Amazing Fairytale Parties’ website, saw a photo of Wonder Woman](https://amazingfairytaleparties.com/birthday-party-characters/?ref=simplykyra.com), and, after messaging them and confirming that Wonder Woman was in fact offered, I waited until they started planning again and let them know that we could maybe check if Wonder Woman was available. Both girls got so excited and thus this party theme was born.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Adas-Shelter-In-Place-Sixth-Birthday-Party.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

### *Treat Bags*

The best part about having a virtual party is that it doesn’t matter where your guests live as long as they have a stable internet connection. I did; however, want to offer Ada’s nearby guests a treat bag that could be fun for the party, and entertain them afterwards, without it being a distraction from the party since everyone didn’t have one. I also wanted to tie the bags to Wonder Woman herself or, at least, a general superhero/heroine theme. I started out by buying a couple items, planned some others, and then, a couple of weeks before the party, I sent out a message to the guests to get a total head count for the treat bags. Once I knew who all were interested in picking up a bag I was able to write their names on white paper bags, [bought two years ago for Ada’s science-themed treat bags](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/04/10/science-birthday-party-favor-bags/), and got Ada to decorate them. So Zoey wasn’t left out I got her to decorate Ada’s bag for her.

![Over view of the girls sitting at the table decorating white paper bags. There's a container of pencil crayons between them and a bunch of stamps scattered around. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2679-2.jpg?resize=743%2C1024&ssl=1)

So Zoey didn’t feel left out she got to decorate Ada’s treat bag while Ada decorated the rest of them.

![Over view of Zoey drawing a red line coming from one of the many pink fingerprints on the flattened paper bag in front of her. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2685-2.jpg?resize=750%2C503&ssl=1)

I looked away for a bit and when I got back Zoey had fingerprinted balloons over the bag and was adding lines for the balloon strings. I loved it and had to snap a quick photo.

---

#### *Crocheted Water Balloons*

A couple years ago I came across the idea of crocheting water balloons using blanket yarn. I absolutely loved the idea; however, other than buying a ball of Bernat Baby Blanket yarn I never got around to trying it out. A month or two before Ada’s party I thought of it again, looked online for crochet patterns, bought three more balls of yarn at Walmart, and started making them. Once I crocheted a couple balloons it was time to take them outside to test with the girls and they worked splendidly… although the kids ended up using them to clean the concrete rather than practice Wonder Woman throws. At this point I knew the balloons would be perfect for after the party so I continued crocheting them and ended up with enough to include two balloons in each treat bag along with a printed off tag, [from the Left in Knots website](https://www.leftinknots.com/home/crochet-water-balloons?ref=simplykyra.com), so the guests would know what they were. I added the words “and target training” to each tag and included two sticks of sidewalk chalk so they could draw targets for the balloons to hit making it more superhero/ione themed. If you want to take this further [last year, for Zoey’s birthday party and then Ada’s, we bought water blasters from the local Dollar Tree and laminated coloring pages for the targets](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/07/17/water-gun-targets/). I can see mixing and matching multiple targets and water throwing methods for a larger crowd or if you just want to change up your outside fun.

![Image from above showing two blue dappled yarn made balloons sitting on pavement, slightly overlapping, with three small pieces of sidewalk chalk beside them in white, green, and orange.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2480.jpg?resize=750%2C539&ssl=1)

I brought the first two finished balloons outside so the kids could test it and quickly realized I should find some sidewalk chalk so we could draw some quick targets on the fence or shed wall.

![I'm holding both soaked water balloons in my left hand over top of the blue colored pool. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2487.jpg?resize=750%2C550&ssl=1)

After drawing a couple hearts and diamond-like shapes on the side of our shed I made sure to get the two water balloons really wet.

![Image shows a shadow covered shed with some white outlined shapes drawn onto the wall. In the foreground is a single wet yarn water balloon flying towards the wall and spraying water out the back (above). ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2492.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then threw the balloon at the shed, with one hand, while attempting to take a great photo with my other hand. The balloons made great splats as they hit the wall but I had to show this photo with the water spraying off of it as it flies to the wall.

![Both kids are standing behind the small pool. Ada is slightly in front and has one hand on the side of the pool as she bends over to soak the water balloon in her other hand. Zoey is slightly behind her and is squeezing her balloon out over the pool. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2495.jpg?resize=750%2C483&ssl=1)

I then handed a water balloon to each kid to see what they’d do with it… after telling them not to throw them at each other since Zoey hates getting wet on someone else’s terms.

![Background of the image shows a wooden fence with a couple small orange circles colored on. Ada stands in front of it with a single arm raised holding a wet water balloon. You can see she started swinging as there's water flying off of it towards her in an arc. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2501.jpg?resize=750%2C370&ssl=1)

Ada drew several circles on the fence before throwing her first balloon at the target.

![Ada's arm is now outstretched and angled downwards as she just finished throwing the ballon. The balloon is crumpled up a bit and is falling to the ground. Slightly above the balloon, on the fence, there's a wet splat mark where one of the sidewalk chalk targets were. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2502.jpg?resize=750%2C390&ssl=1)

She hit a target! I love the satisfying splat of the water when the crocheted balloon hits the fence.

![View looking down of the concrete with that's mainly wet. You can see Ada's feet, her hair draping down, and one hand wiping the ground with a crocheted water balloon.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2525.jpg?resize=750%2C397&ssl=1)

After throwing the crocheted water balloons a couple times both kids ended up mopping the concrete with the balloons instead of throwing them.

![View shows two crocheted blue water balloons. The one on the left is dirty and shriveled looking while the one on the right is clean, dried, and puffy.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2642.jpg?resize=750%2C413&ssl=1)

Only one of the two balloons made it’s way into our home and washing machine so I ended up being able to take a comparison photo of the dirty used balloon, on the left, and the washed and dried balloon, on the right.

[My Ravelry project page for these balloons, including any needed links, can be found here](https://www.ravelry.com/projects/ArtsyBakingGeek/crochet-water-balloons?ref=simplykyra.com) while the pattern I used, including a printable tag, can be found at the [Left in Knots’ website](https://www.leftinknots.com/home/crochet-water-balloons?ref=simplykyra.com).

---

#### *Assembling the Treat Bags*

In addition to the water balloons I wanted something that the kids could do before or during the party. I ended up hopping on Amazon and bought a twenty-four pack of AIMIKE Superhero capes, masks, and stickers while Ada, later on, chose to make everyone glittery pipe cleaner hearts. She originally wanted to make four or more pipe cleaner shapes for each person but we ended up putting two in each bag instead.

![Overview of the treat bags and all it's contents spread out on the floor. Ada is sitting at the top of the photo, the empty bags to the left, a box with four filled bags to the right, and the water balloons, pipe cleaner shapes, capes, and stickers laid out around her.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2846.jpg?resize=750%2C381&ssl=1)

We laid out all the items and, one by one, filled up each treat bag with the stuff. I was careful to have the stuff for after the party hidden under the stuff that was more geared for during the party just to make it simpler.

![Image showing the contents of the treat bags with two treat bags sitting behind it. One item is a white sheet with comic book Bam, Kaboom, etc stickers. There's also a printed rectangle of paper saying "Reusable](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2968.jpg?resize=750%2C518&ssl=1)

Each person had the two pipe cleaner hearts hidden at the bottom of their bag, followed by the sidewalk chalk and water balloons, the printed label went next flat over top, and then finally the cape, mask, and stickers.

---

#### *Personal Cupcakes*

The last couple years I’ve been making [cupcakes](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/07/10/colorful-and-simple-lego-themed-cupcakes/) or [a sheet of brownies](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/17/pineapple-brownie-cake/) for the girls’ personal birthday cakes so they’d blow out the candles on their plate only. I didn’t realize I’d done it so much until Zoey and I made a simple birthday cake back in June and the girls got so excited because it was their first actual birthday cake. Coming up to Ada’s birthday this year she made sure to quickly request her favorite birthday dessert: [Ghirardelli brownie mix with a can of pineapple added](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/23/simple-halloween-themed-brownie-cupcakes/). I wanted the brownies to be easy to split up among all the treat bags so I decided to make personal cupcakes and, as they’d gotten stuck on paper liners before, I decided to make them using silicone liners so, once they cooled, I could take them out of the liners and package them up for the guests’ treat bag. I kept the packaged brownies in the fridge and whenever someone came by to pick up a treat bag I was able to grab the pre-filled and labeled treat bag, toss their brownie inside, and bring it out for them. The treat bags were, mostly, handed out the day before the party.

![The purple stand mixer is currently beating the contents of the bowl. Ada's hand is resting on top of the mixer while I hold the emptied can of crushed pineapple up for the camera. Off to the right, on the counter, sits the two unopened bags of brownie mix. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2951.jpg?resize=750%2C473&ssl=1)

We wanted to use two bags of brownie mix so we followed the doubled recipe on the back of the box. Since the 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple had about the same amount of liquid as the water the recipe called for we combined the entire can together with the called for eggs and oil, mixed it together, added the brownie mix, and mixed it again before baking it in the silicone cupcake liners. [Previously, we’ve used pineapple chunked pineapple.](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/17/pineapple-brownie-cake/)

![Image shows two yellow rectangular bins with soapy water in it. Between the bins are two white washcloths and a stack of dirty silicone cupcake liners. The back top of the kids' heads are showing and they're currently putting liners in the soapy water. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2965.jpg?resize=750%2C287&ssl=1)

I always find it difficult to wash the silicone liners as they always look clean and then dry dirty. I’ve found it so much simpler if the kids do the first wash and I do the second wash later. To set up this fun sensory bin I gave both kids a bin of soapy water (one wanted warm and one wanted cold), a washcloth, and the dirty liners. Ada got bored quickly but Zoey spent a good hour or two on it before she decided she was done.

---

#### *Night Before the Party*

Leading up to the party I also bought comic book themed punching balloons, found our birthday banners, and printed several copies of a Wonder Woman W logo I found online so Ada could decorate the walls ([through The Graveyard by The Lair of Gary James](https://bigwords88.wordpress.com/2010/01/23/icon-redux-wonder-woman/?ref=simplykyra.com)). The kids didn’t manage to finish decorating the walls so after they went to bed I laid out the requested special tablecloth and left the coloring pages out for them to finish in the morning.

![A wooden table covered in a blue/green table cloth with napkins, glasses, papers, and coloring pencils on it. Around the table sits four chairs and above the table is a Happy Birthday banner on the wall.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3001.jpg?resize=750%2C559&ssl=1)

The table all ready for the kids in the morning.

---

#### *The Party!*

The morning of the party, after having breakfast and [getting in costume](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/19/adas-epic-wonder-woman-halloween-costume/), I gave the girls their treat bags and we all decorated our capes. Some of the stickers, that came with the capes, started peeling off almost immediately but the rest have remained stuck, so far, and the capes were fun to decorate. I also made sure to lay out candles for Ada’s cupcake and added cream cheese to a saucer, and put it back in the fridge, so I could make the birthday candle stand up easily. And finally it was time for the party. Wonder Woman lead them in a quick training involving jumping, pushups, and some running before going over her story and leading everyone in singing Happy Birthday to Ada. Ada had a blast and was so happy to see her friends.

![View looking down at the floor of three capes: red, silver, and orange. I quickly finished attaching the stickers to the silver cape while the kids are still crouched in front decorating them. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3049.jpg?resize=750%2C389&ssl=1)

Before the party we decorated our capes with the included stickers.

![Image shows the kitchen counter with two birthday candles, a lighter, and a square white saucer with a dollop of cream cheese on the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3036.jpg?resize=750%2C489&ssl=1)

I then added a pile of cream cheese to a saucer, so the number 6 candle had a place to stand, before putting the saucer back in the fridge and laying out the birthday candles and lighter I planned to use.

![Wonder Woman Ada and Unicorn Superhero Zoey attempting the two pushups.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3069.jpg?resize=750%2C498&ssl=1)

Love that Wonder Woman made everyone move their body although I would’ve loved more of the party to be like this.

![View of the television screen showing Wonder Woman.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3068.jpg?resize=750%2C754&ssl=1)

Wonder Woman!

![View from above of a brownie cupcake in a red flower silicon liner sitting on a white square plate on the kitchen counter. In front of the brownie sits a number 6 candle, lite, on a pile of cream cheese. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3071.jpg?resize=750%2C522&ssl=1)

At Zoey’s party I had to make everyone wait while I lite the birthday candles when it came time to sing. This time around I tried to light them when needed, but ended up lighting them way too early and had wax dripping down while I waited.

---

[If you’re interested in a Wonder Wonder costume whether you’re throwing a party or not here’s a link to my daughter’s costume. We ended up making a glowing lasso of truth to go with it.](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/08/19/adas-epic-wonder-woman-halloween-costume/)

---

I wanted to share what we did during Ada’s birthday party in case you’re also looking at what you might be able to do from home while sheltering in place. I would much prefer an in-person party with fun sensory activities but this was a great alternative I found that worked for both Ada and [Zoey](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/06/24/zoeys-shelter-in-place-fourth-birthday-party/). What have you done for your kids’ birthday parties? I’d love to hear ideas in the comments below in case we’re still, mostly, sheltering in place next year. I hope your year is going well, considering, and you’re having a good day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Create a Simple Double-Sided Printable PDF From Free Images Online
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/create-a-simple-double-sided-printable-pdf-from-free-images-online/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:37:36.000Z
So far Ada is a week and a half into distance-learning, for grade one, and her most frequently used item is a plain piece of cardstock within a protective binder sheet that they’ve been calling their whiteboard. The first or second day of school Ada scribbled on the paper, by mistake, and I had to replace it with a less sturdy piece of computer paper so her whiteboard would, once again, be white for her. Additionally, over that first week I noticed Ada having to create a lot of number bonds and needing to be careful while erasing the contents of each circle so she didn’t have to redraw the whole thing each time. Also at the end of the week, when I picked up her math supplies, I noticed that a little piece of paper with a ten frame on it was included and I wondered how long that would last even if was protected within the binder sheet… spoilers I noticed marker marks on it a day later. Between the whiteboard, number bonds, and the ten frame I decided I needed to come up with my own simple solution so we’d have a longer lasting and simpler material making class easier for Ada. Looking back I could’ve simply printed each image I found onto it’s own page or manually returned each printed paper to the printer so I could have it print double-sided, but I instead choose to create a PDF and I figured I’d share it with you in case you’re also interested.

![Pinterest Image showing the two images from online (left a number bond with three circles and right a double ten frame), the printed full size images, the blog title, and the url of my website: www.simplykyra.com](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Copy-of-Pinterest.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

I’m showing you how I created a PDF file on an Apple computer so if you don’t have a Mac some of this will be different. If you have a Microsoft Windows machine this article, [from How-To Geek called *How to Combine Images into One PDF File in Windows*](https://www.howtogeek.com/248462/how-to-combine-images-into-one-pdf-file-in-windows/?ref=simplykyra.com), looks helpful.

---

All the screenshots, below, were taken on August 21st, 2020\. The images I used, ordered by when they appeared, are:

- The simple number bond image was on [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/142004194477137627/?ref=simplykyra.com), but when I clicked through it brought me to [a free download through Teachers Pay Teachers](https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Large-Number-Bond-Template-319134?ref=simplykyra.com).
- The double ten frame image was, again, linked to [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/316659417532259193/?ref=simplykyra.com) but I clicked through and was brought to [Printablee](http://www.printablee.com/post%5Ften-frame-template-printable%5F317226/?ref=simplykyra.com).
- The four circle number bond image was [a direct downloadable PDF on Google that said it was from Covedale school](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcovedale.cps-k12.org%2Fsites%2Fcovedale.cps-k12.org%2Ffiles%2Fpdfs%2Fcovedaleunderstandingnumberbonds.pdf&psig=AOvVaw1OgzNV3XHalzPv6y-7GAZo&ust=1598137356721000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjhxqFwoTCLicuN6zresCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD).
- The alphabet practice sheet was from [awarofloves](http://awarofloves.com/preschool-worksheets-tracing/worksheet-writingts-for-pre-k-worksheets-free-alphabet-preschool-3/?ref=simplykyra.com).
- The caterpillar counting page is, again, a free download through [Teachers Pay Teachers](https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Caterpillar-Counting-Freebie-Common-Core-Math-for-Kindergarten-912598?utm%5Fcampaign=TransactionalEmails&utm%5Fsource=sendgrid&utm%5Fmedium=email).
- [Create Printables](https://www.createprintables.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) helps you generate personalized worksheets.

---

I started out by looking for the images I wanted to use for Ada’s new whiteboard by using the image search through Google. I didn’t want to download anything random from a third party site so I wanted to save the images to my computer rather than downloading files. Through Google, on my computer, whenever I clicked on an image I could see more information about it pop up on the right side of my screen. Once I found an image I liked I right-click on it and chose to save it to my computer. At this point I can use the name it’s already assigned or rename the image to something that makes more sense for me.

![Image shows the results, on Google image search, of "number bond blank".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-08-21-at-4.52.09-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I used Google image search to find blank number bond diagrams.

![Image shows the Google image search results (see above image) with the right side of the screen changed. Now it's showing the blank three circle number bond along with the name, source, and related images below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-08-21-at-4.53.13-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C594&ssl=1)

When I clicked on an image I was shown where it was from, [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/142004194477137627/?ref=simplykyra.com) in this case, and the title. When I clicked on the link and then the Pinterest source I was brought to [a free download through Teachers Pay Teachers](https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Large-Number-Bond-Template-319134?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Like the previous image this shows the Google image results and an overlay, on the right side, of the selected image. Also shows in the menu, when I right-clicked on the image, and the line "Save Image As..." is selected. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-08-21-at-4.53.24-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C496&ssl=1)

At this point I right-clicked on the image and chose *Save Image As…*. This then popped up a dialog box and I was able to rename the image and choose where I wanted to save it to. The image size was small which caused my final US letter page sized image to look a bit blurry.

I then followed similar steps to find a ten frame I liked online and saved it to the same folder, or directory, as the first image. You could repeat your image searches many time so you’d have multiple saved images to create your PDF from if you’d like.

Once I had my images I next opened them up in *Preview* and went to the print dialog by going to *File* and selecting *Print* at the bottom of the menu. You could also press command and then p to open the same dialog. At his point I chose the orientation I would, later, want to print it in, selected *Scale to Fit*, and then switched between *Print Entire Image* and *Fill Entire Paper* to decide which print version I liked better. When switching between these two points the percentage, beside the label *Scale*, changes to reflect how much you are resizing the image. Any percentage below 100% shows that you are making the image smaller to fit within the paper and any percentage over means you’re making the image larger which could cause the image to pixelate, be blurry, so you might not want to go too high. Remember, at this point, your preferred percentage and then close the print dialog and, under *Tools*, select *Adjust Size…* so the *Image Dimensions* dialog opens up instead. At this point I make sure that the little lock image, next to the width and height text fields, is set to locked so adjusting one field automatically also adjusts the other one; however, if you keep it unlocked, in this case, you can easily set both fields to the same value. Beside these fields I changed the dropdown to *percent*, rather than my default pixels per inch and then filled in the width and height of the image with the percentage you preferred on the print dialog. Once you’re done click okay so the dialog closes and saves.

![Image shows a ten frame diagram with the print dialog open overtop of it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-08-21-at-3.46.30-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C322&ssl=1)

I opened up the print dialog by pressing command and p, chose my print orientation, and chose to “scale to fit” the image. You can then check what the scale, currently greyed out above these choices, is set to, remember it, and close the dialog box as you don’t really need to print it right now. This double ten frame image was found on [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/316659417532259193/?ref=simplykyra.com) but linked to [Printablee](http://www.printablee.com/post%5Ften-frame-template-printable%5F317226/?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Image shows the double ten frame hidden being the image dimensions dialog box. In the box you can see the width and height set to 87%.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-08-21-at-3.46.54-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C390&ssl=1)

I then opened the image dimensions by going under *Tools* and selecting *Adjust Size…*. After choosing to alter the image’s width and height, via percentage, I then put in the percentage I chose in the print dialog. If this matched the previous image I would’ve inputted the number 96% so I’m not sure if this was a mistake or if that was the percentage when the image filled the entire paper (not shown in the earlier screenshot).

At this point, if you wanted the image to be in landscape mode, you could rotate the image 90 degrees. I, personally, left this step until later when I rotated both images at the same time but if you want some images in landscape and some in portrait mode this would be the best time to rotate them. You can rotate the image by pressing command and either l (to the left) or r (to the right) or you could go under *Tools* to *Rotate Left* or *Rotate Right*. I then repeated this entire resizing process with my other image.

![Image shows a zoomed in image of a number bond map with the image dimensions dialog open overtop of it. The height and weight have been changed to 217%. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-08-21-at-4.55.00-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C423&ssl=1)

After going into the printer dialog I took note of the percentage I wanted my image to scale at before going into *tools* and *adjust size* where I changed the drop-down to *percent*, adjusted the width and height to 217%, and then pressed *OK* on the dialog to save.

Now that the images have been resized it’s time to create a PDF including them. The first time I created my PDF I realized that the images where both right side up when I wanted them to be sideways for landscape mode so I had to rotate both images and generate the PDF again. Both the image rotation and the PDF creation are found by highlighting your images, right-clicking on them, and choosing *Quick Actions*; although you can also rotate your image by highlighting it and pressing command and either l or r for left or right. When I was ready to create the PDF I made sure all the images I wanted to include were selected and then right-clicked, chose *Quick Actions*, and then *Create PDF*. To select multiple images you can press command, for a single image, or shift, for a range of images, while clicking the images you want so they’re all selected at the same time.

![There's enough background to show two image files being selected. In front of the images is a drop-down menu, from right-clicking, showing the Quick Actions option highlighted and the sub menu with the Rotate Left and Create PDF options. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-08-21-at-4.55.54-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C464&ssl=1)

To create the PDF or rotate the images you first select them before right-clicking, choosing *Quick Actions*, and than either *Rotate Left* or *Create PDF*.

![Image shows two 2-page PDFs side by side. The one on the left shows smaller upright images while the PDF on the right shows larger sideways images.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-08-21-at-4.56.44-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C800&ssl=1)

The PDF on the left was the first one I created. I quickly realized the images were in portrait mode and they needed to be in landscape so I closed the PDF, made sure the two images I used were still selected, right-clicked, chose *Quick Actions*, clicked *Rotate Left*, right-clicked again, chose *Quick Actions* again, and then *Create PDF*. This PDF, on the right, shows the images sideways so I can easily print the entire PDF and have the pages be in landscape mode.

![Image shows three PDFs with a double ten frame on the first page and a four circle number bond on the second. The far left shows smaller images, in particular the number bond, while the middle shows full sized up right images, and finally the rightmost image shows full sized sideways images so they'd print in landscape mode. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-08-21-at-3.51.43-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C495&ssl=1)

The first time I tried this was with a more complicated number bond image which I then decided to redo with the simpler image above. The far left of the image shows the first PDF I made with these two images. The middle PDF shows the images after they were resized. The final, rightmost, portion shows the final PDF after rotating both of them so they’d both be in landscape mode. This number bond image was [a direct downloadable PDF on Google that said it was from Covedale school](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcovedale.cps-k12.org%2Fsites%2Fcovedale.cps-k12.org%2Ffiles%2Fpdfs%2Fcovedaleunderstandingnumberbonds.pdf&psig=AOvVaw1OgzNV3XHalzPv6y-7GAZo&ust=1598137356721000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjhxqFwoTCLicuN6zresCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD).

Once you have the PDF file all you have to do is print it now. I went through all these steps because I wanted to print a double sided page and this seemed easier than feeding the paper back through the printer and worrying which side should be up.

![Image shows a sideways double ten frame with a print dialog open and the "Print on both sides of paper" selected. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-08-21-at-4.57.22-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C451&ssl=1)

Once you have the PDF how you want it all you have to do is print it! You can find *print* under the *File* menu option and I made sure it was set to print double-sided… my whole reason for turning these images into a PDF in the first place.

![Picture showing two printouts on a kitchen table.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3442.jpg?resize=750%2C528&ssl=1)

The resulting printed out pages. Since I printed out a number bond that was larger than I wanted the first time I ended up going through this process a second time and ended up with two double sided pages.

![Image shows the finished PDF on the left side and the images used, opened in preview, on the right side.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-08-22-at-1.47.44-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C373&ssl=1)

I loved this but I also didn’t want Zoey to feel left out so I had her help me choose two open-ended preschool images online and went through the same process to print hers. We chose [an alphabet practice sheet from awarofloves](https://www.simplykyra.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=11327&action=edit) and a [free caterpillar counting page from Teachers Pay Teachers](https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Caterpillar-Counting-Freebie-Common-Core-Math-for-Kindergarten-912598?utm%5Fcampaign=TransactionalEmails&utm%5Fsource=sendgrid&utm%5Fmedium=email).

Once you print these out you can either have your kids fill them out directly and print the PDF whenever you want a new one or you could find someway to make them reusable. Ada’s school whiteboard is just a protective binder sheet which could easily be used for this. A couple years ago; however, I bought a laminator and a pack of thermal laminating pouches so I took this a step further and laminated the sheets. This way I don’t have to worry about a protective binder sheet ripping and the kids can use the sheets again and again with either chalk markers or dry erase markers. We’re still using the laminated plain sheet of paper from last year as Ada’s second whiteboard for school and it only has a bit of color staining from heavy chalk marker use.

![Overview photo shows a laminator warming up, a red package of laminating pouches, and three printouts already encased in the pouch.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3455-1.jpg?resize=750%2C529&ssl=1)

The papers were put into the laminating pouches once the laminator was plugged in and warming up.

![Image shows the two grade one laminated worksheets on the table. In the background Zoey uses a blue chalk marker to trace a letter, on the right side, while the laminating pouches, more markers, and the Zoey page sits on the left side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3467.jpg?resize=750%2C410&ssl=1)

While we closed the laminating pouches with the thermal laminator I pulled out the [Zoey name page we created from Create Printables](https://www.createprintables.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) last year and Zoey started using it before switching over to tracing out the ABCs when it was cooled enough to touch.

![Overview of a laminated alphabet practice chart sitting on the table. Most letters are light blue while a couple are green and one is red. Off to the side are some other chalk markers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3468.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Zoey had a blast tracing the letters and was excited to show us when she was done.

The process to create a PDF from images ended up being a much simpler process than I had expected yet was still more complicated than manually printing each image on a single sheet of paper. I wanted to share how I did it with you though in case you were also looking at generating your own PDF from simple images for your kids. I’d love to hear if you have any tricks or tips with your printables. Feel free to share them in the comments below if you do as I’d love to hear about them. I hope you’re having a great day.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this very post.
### Ada's Epic Wonder Woman Halloween Costume
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/adas-epic-wonder-woman-halloween-costume/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:37:16.000Z
At some point during kindergarten last year Ada was introduced to super heroes and decided that Wonder Woman was the best out of all of them. Slowly, since then, her love of Wonder Woman has grown until she eventually told me she wanted to be Wonder Woman when she grew up… and for Halloween. I, personally, don’t know what’s going to happen for Halloween this year but I do know that I’d love to have more awesome outfits in our dress up drawer to choose from so I told her yes and immediately started planning on how to make it happen. Luckily, before I started I stumbled across the perfect costume at our local Costco. I wanted to share this costume, along with what we added to it, sooner, rather than later, in case the costumes get bought up quickly.

![Pinterest image showing a collage of four images of Ada in her costume (also shown below), the blog title, my URL, and a couple Halloween clip-arts featuring pumpkins, a ghost, and a spider on it's web.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Wonder-Woman-Costume.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

In addition to Halloween this year Ada also wanted to dress up as Wonder Woman for her birthday party so I knew I had to jump on creating her costume early. I started planning out what to do and looked for the iconic blue knit fabric with white stars on it in online fabric stores. The only fabric I could find that I liked was either swim or a cheap costume spandex that I didn’t see being comfortable to wear day in and day out in case this became the new favorite outfit. In addition I was also having difficulties coming up with how to make a detailed top. I considered using white cotton fabric with [the Rebecca Page Olivia top](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/01/23/the-olivia-top/) so I could design her shirt with all of the needed details using fabric markers. Luckily, at this point, I sat down with Ada and started showing her my plans just to find out her vision of the top was a simple red shirt with the W logo on it. She did love my blue skort (connected skirt and legging) idea and, while looking at Wonder Woman’s photos, we decided to use her red shoes instead of the Wonder Woman boots. Overall way simpler than I had thought and I’m so glad we went over the costume idea together before I got too far in the process.

![Image shows Ada standing in our kitchen holding up the white decorated front bodice piece so I could grab a photo of her with her creation.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_0999.jpg?resize=750%2C632&ssl=1)

Back near the beginning of July I made the girls each a new nightgown, [using my Olivia and Patsy mashup](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/02/27/sleepy-gowns-hacking-and-mashing-the-patsy-party-dress/), and Ada chose to trace the Wonder Woman logo ([through The Graveyard by The Lair of Gary James](https://bigwords88.wordpress.com/2010/01/23/icon-redux-wonder-woman/?ref=simplykyra.com)) onto the white bodice fabric and colored it in with fabric markers before adding in drawings of her current DUPLO® creations.

This story then gets even simpler as before I ordered fabric or started working on anything I ended up finding the perfect costume at Costco; about two weeks ago. The one time I was super excited that the Halloween stuff coming in early. I ended up agonizing, off to the side, about which[ size I should get and even brought up the sizing guide on the Rubie’s Costume Company website](https://www.rubies.com/size-chart/?ref=simplykyra.com) before I finally made myself choose. When I got home Ada was ecstatic and I, as I wasn’t sure how best to launder it and I didn’t want to wreck it before her party, then put the costume into a one week quarantine just in case. Ada finally got to try it on a couple days before her party and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it also contained more accessories than I had realized making it even better.

As the main costume was essentially just a dress I went ahead and made Ada the skort so she could wear it under the costume or with something else in the future (like her first day distance learning). Since the dress was going to be hidden I dug through my fabric stash and found two different blue knit fabric remnants and used them instead of buying new fabric as I didn’t need the skirt to be starred anymore. In the end I used the more structured and darker knit fabric to create the leggings, reaching right below the knees, using the [Apostrophe Patterns’ MyFit Leggings](https://apostrophepatterns.com/collections/customizable-patterns/products/myfit-leggings?variant=29458037964844&ref=simplykyra.com). Before sewing the waistband onto the pants I purchased and used the [Apostrophe Patterns’ Circle Skirt Generator](https://apostrophepatterns.com/collections/customizable-patterns/products/add-a-circle-skirt-to-anything?variant=13031209828396&ref=simplykyra.com) to create an above the knee skirt, using the lighter fabric, and then serged the three pieces together, sandwiching the skirt between the leggings and waistband, to create a custom fitted blue skort.

![Photo is an overview of a blue skort laid out on the floor. I used a darker fabric for the leggings and waistband and a lighter fabric for the full skirt.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2919.jpg?resize=750%2C491&ssl=1)

The just finished comfy skort. Ada helped me while generating the pattern for the skirt part and chose to have it in six pieces and left unhemmed. The leggings themselves where the simplest version with a hemmed bottom.

At this point we tried on the costume and leggings and discovered all the cool accessories the costume came with. Ada loved how it all fit!

![Closeup view of the front of Ada's costume with the homemade leggings poking out the bottom of the dress.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3020.jpg?resize=750%2C746&ssl=1)

Quick view of the front…

![View of the back of the outfit. The blue leggings are, again, poking out from below the skirt and the skirt overlay hides the skirt itself, from the back. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3022.jpg?resize=749%2C1024&ssl=1)

… and back of the costume.

As a quick aside before the party I noticed that the skirt overlay (which can also be flipped over and attached at the shoulders for a cape) kept disconnecting from the dress. I assumed it was the costume’s problem and grabbed some sewing clips, making sure to pick ones matching Wonder Woman’s color scheme, to keep the skirt overlay attached during the party. Afterwards, I hunted down my sew-on hook and loop tape so I could make the skirt more secure and realized that there was fabric covering up the hook part of the skirt’s Velcro. I didn’t have to fix anything and I know that it will be secure for Halloween.

![Closeup of the belt part of the dress. You can see a blue sewing clip holding the edge of the skirt overlay to the bottom of the red bodice fabric on either side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3037.jpg?resize=750%2C309&ssl=1)

Figured I’d share how I used my sewing clips to keep the skirt overlay attached to the dress and belt. In the back I added several more clips and later found a broken one on the couch.

![Closeup of the upper corner of the skirt overlay showing the blue fabric pulled back so the blue hooked Velcro is visible. Beside it sits white Velcro, scissors, and crazy glue that wasn't needed.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3114.jpg?resize=750%2C471&ssl=1)

I was going to use my crazy glue to attach some of my white sew-on hook and loop tape to the skirt overlay just to realize that the square I thought was a softer hooked Velcro was, in fact, fabric covering the hooked side of the Velcro I needed to have used.

For Ada’s party we had bought a set of capes for all the guests living nearby, before finding the costume, and so we used one of those. I had also purchased an iron-on Wonder Woman logo, through Amazon, and after telling Ada about it and giving her the choice on if she wanted it on the cape or a red shirt, in the future, she chose the cape. Since I didn’t want to melt the cape I used black thread and machine sewed the W on, zigzagging around the outside edge, instead of ironing it to the cape. I guess this way if the cape rips I could, technically, seam rip the logo off and use it again for something else.

![Closeup of the red cape with the black edged yellow Wonder Woman log pinned on. The yellow pins stand out at the top and bottom of the W but there are other smaller ones along the top of the logo too.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2894.jpg?resize=750%2C926&ssl=1)

I had Ada choose where on the cape she wanted the logo placed and then I made sure to use a pin in each point so it wouldn’t move on me.

![Closeup of the logo on the cape as it's being sewn together in my sewing machine. My left hand holds the fabric while my right hand snapped the photo. To the left you can see Ada's hand, a doll's head, and part of Ada as she watches.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_2897.jpg?resize=750%2C457&ssl=1)

Ada watched as I zigzagged stitched around the outside of the logo, making sure to stay within the black section, so my stitches weren’t visible from the front. As I approached each pin I stopped the machine so Ada could remove the pins herself.

And, after Ada added some temporary stickers to the cape, the costume was finished and ready to go!

![Front view of Ada in her costume including the skort and cape we added. Her arms are crossed in front of her face showing the arm guards and the tiara.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3078.jpg?resize=750%2C922&ssl=1)

Posing as Wonder Woman.

![View from the back showing the skirt overlay starting to fall off, the decorated cape, and a POW balloon we added for super heroine training.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3095.jpg?resize=750%2C679&ssl=1)

I love how the cape turned out!

In case you’re debating heading to Costco to get your own costume I have to admit that I can’t remember how much the Wonder Woman costume was and I can’t find it on their website to check. That said, I ended up buying [Zoey a unicorn costume, through a different brand called TeeTot, that came complete with hooves, a horn/ear headband, and wings for $33 U.S. based on the website later on](https://www.costco.com/costume-dress-up.html?ref=simplykyra.com).

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_Unicorn-Costume.jpg?resize=750%2C679&ssl=1)

The TeeTot unicorn costume came with pants (with hoof overlay), dress with a longer (tail) section, hoof armbands, headband with ears/horn/tulle main, and wings. Figure this one costume could go towards a unicorn, pony, butterfly, and many other costumes in the future.

I’m so glad I stumbled across the Wonder Woman costume before I ended up buying fabric and making it myself. I wanted to share with you the costume, in case you want to buy your own, and what I had originally planned to do and add to the costume in case you’re making your own. The only item we’re still missing is Wonder Woman’s lasso of truth. Ada hasn’t asked about it yet but I started wondering if I could purchase gold or yellow yarn and crochet a makeshift belt that could give the look of a lasso around her waist, and be simple to not lose, or crochet a rolled up version to attach at her hip. I started looking up potential solutions online and came across this [Glowing Wonder Woman Lasso through Hendo At on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaLhV9Dtvek&app=desktop&ref=simplykyra.com). Matt is planning on surprising Ada with a lasso of truth creation session, once the supplies are delivered, and I can update this section once they’re done so you can know if it’s worth making yourself.

*Update: August 22nd – Ada and, mostly, Matt just made the Wonder Woman glowing lasso of truth following [Hendo Art’s YouTube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaLhV9Dtvek&app=desktop&ref=simplykyra.com). It turned out amazingly! We deviated from her instructions by using a single of the mesh tube, since it looked golden already, and covering the handle with black foam sheets rather than painted masking tape.*

![Wonder Woman holding up her lasso of truth. The black handle is in her hand and the glowing lasso hangs and drapes onto the floor. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3481.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

![Image from above of Ada, as Wonder Woman, holding up the glowing lasso of truth, while blocking her face from attacks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3487.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

![Wonder Woman crouched with her lasso of truth wrapped around her crochet doll trying to extract the truth. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/compressed_IMG_3492.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

If you want to see a truly amazing Wonder Woman cosplay costume I absolutely love [ambrose\_cosplay’s one on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/CBWONIqjcUV/?ref=simplykyra.com) along with her finished [trenchcoat for her Diana Prince persona](https://www.instagram.com/p/CCZGqc3jFjc/?ref=simplykyra.com).

Have you bought or made a Wonder Woman costume before? If you made it what patterns and fabric did you use? If Ada keeps loving Wonder Woman I could definitely see making different versions over time. I would also love to sew her a simple top that works with the skort I made her so she can feel like Wonder Woman while still seemingly be dressed less costume-y; kind of [like the Disneybounding costumes I’ve heard about](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/disneybounding-ideas-for-disney-lovers%5Fn%5F59e5185ce4b02a215b325a30?ref=simplykyra.com). I’d love to hear from you in the comments below and I hope your day is going great.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### My Simple Marker Holder - Hardest Part Was Drying The Mod Podge
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-simple-marker-holder-hardest-part-was-drying-the-mod-podge/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:37:05.000Z
Years ago I came across this felt pen, or marker, holder in [Jean Van’t Hul’s book The Artful Parent](https://artfulparent.com/the-artful-parent-book/?ref=simplykyra.com). It was geared towards toddlers as it’s easier to pull the marker out of the holder rather than the from a little lid and much simpler to put the marker back. I knew I had to create it for ourselves and made sure to snap some photos of it; however, once finished, I never got around to sharing them with you. I loved the finished product and the kids enjoyed using it but Zoey was still a bit too small to use it by herself and Ada became disinterested in it so once the markers dried out it became simpler to store the new markers in a pencil box so the felt pen holder was set aside. A couple months ago; however, Zoey came across it and asked me about it so I decided to fix it up so they could use it again. Both girls, now four and almost six, have been enjoying using it again. I’m not sure how long they’ll stay interested in using it but I wanted to share it with you, while I still remembered, in case you’re looking for something similar for your kids. Although, I made it when my kids were younger I could see this being a fun project to do with them if I were to make it again now.

![Pinterest image showing a collage of five images (all shown below) of the felt pen holder along with the title and URL of my blog post. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_Felt-Pen-Holder.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

I immediately went out to buy a bucket of plaster of paris and, as the felt pens’ lids would be stuck within the plaster of paris, knew to choose markers that would be simple to find, over the years, so I could easily replace them whenever the old ones dried out. I ended up deciding on the [Crayola Pip-Squeeks Skinnies](https://shop.crayola.com/color-and-draw/pip-squeaks-skinnies-marker-16-count-5881460007.html?ref=simplykyra.com) and bought a multi-pack. I actually hoped their size would mean more room for the markers in the holder and more room around each marker for the little fingers to grasp them. After assembling the rest of the supplies, including a bright and colorful thick flannel scrap I got from the first and only time I visited [a Fabmo sale](https://www.fabmo.org/?ref=simplykyra.com), I finally got started making it. I followed the directions listed in the book and and it turned out fabulously…. and then I continued on my own and had a few issues. I had dyed the plaster pink, using red dye, and it didn’t seem as apparent as I expected so I wanted to go on and glam it up by adding plastic Dollar Tree rhinestones and tons of glitter. I also didn’t want that glitter all over the house so I decided to protect it with mod podge. I knew if I brushed the mod podge onto the surface the glitter might also be brushed off or streaked so I, instead, chose to pour it on. This caused a much thicker layer of mod podge than I had wanted but since I was in a hurry to go somewhere, probably a play date, I left it as it was and returned, three hours later, to our home smelling so strongly of mod podge and the mod podge itself still thick and wet. At this point I knew I had to do something so I trimmed the excess flannel around the top edge and, using a brush, moved some of the mod podge to coat the top and sides of the flannel. I made sure to leave the bottom unpainted as I wanted the soft flannel to cushion the felt pen holder and not scrape my table when the kids moved it back and forth. I then grabbed one of the plastic plates we had, wrapped it in plastic wrap, and flipped the felt pen holder upside down on it hoping the excess mod podge would drip off and the remaining mod podge would dry much quicker. I then set it aside for two days before discovering the mod podge was still wet in places. Some of the mod podge had dribbled down the markers and dried so I took all of them off, scrapped the dried mod podge off of them, used a paintbrush to remove any wet patches on the surface, put the markers back, and then left it right side up to dry overnight. Finally it had dried and the kids were so excited to try it out!

![Closeup of the felt pen holder. The surface is all white from the mod podge and the fabric is unfolded around it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_17Jan25-599.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I followed the steps in the book to create my felt pen holder. Once it dried I removed the resulting plaster holder from the bowl, added rhinestones and glitter, and poured mod podge over it all.

![The felt pen holder is now sitting on a plastic wrap coated yellow plastic plate. The one piece of flannel is flopped down and the other piece is wrapped around the plater of paris bowl.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_17Jan25-600.jpg?resize=750%2C438&ssl=1)

I then trimmed the excess flannel from the edge.

![Closeup of the base of the felt pen holder. You can see the glitter and a couple of gemstones where the white mod podge was scraped away. The paintbrush used rests leaned up on it at the left while the excess wipes are at the bottom of the photo. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_17Jan25-601.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The mod podge wouldn’t dry so I tried to take the excess off with a paintbrush and apparently a wet wipe based on the picture.

![Upside down view of the felt pen holder showing the soft flannel bottom of the holder. Then pens in the holder are keeping the base upright above the plastic wrapped red plate. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_17Jan25-666.jpg?resize=750%2C537&ssl=1)

And then laid the felt pen holder upside down so the excess mod podge would drip off onto the plastic wrapped plate.

![The felt pen holder is now upright with blobs of pink mod podge laid out around the felt pens. Some of the felt pens have dried upside down mod podge puddles connected to the bottoms.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_17Jan25-668.jpg?resize=750%2C533&ssl=1)

Since it was upside down the mod podge ended up looking funny. I had dollops of wet mod podge on the base and had to scrape any excess dried mod podge off of the markers.

![Closeup of the base without the markers in the lids. You can see the pink hued plaster of paris and mod podge with the multi colored glitter and plastic gemstones showing through the clear mod podge. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_17Jan25-725.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Closeup of the base after taking the markers out of the caps.

![Clseup of Ada pulling out a pink marker from the felt pen holder. The holder sits on a piece of paper towel on a brown paper lined table. A painted paper stocking sits in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_17Jan25-784.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

When it was finally driy I loved how it turned out. The first time we used it I put paper towel under it since it seemed damp from the Vaseline but over time the soft bottom was perfect when the kids moved it along the table.

![Collage of three views of the felt pen holder as Ada reaches out and grasps the marker (left), pulls it out (center), and draws next to the holder (right). ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_Felt-Pen-Holder-Collage.jpg?resize=750%2C300&ssl=1)

Ada loved the novelty of a new toy; although, looking back I wonder if it was too young for Ada, as she had already kind of learned how to take the markers’ lids off, and too old for Zoey as she had trouble and I let it get ‘lost’ after the markers dried out.

Over the next couple years the holder went through some abuse including having a crayon stuck into one of the marker lids. This meant when Zoey became interested in it I had to fix it up by removing the crayon and used crazy glue to insert a new lid once the force of removing the crayon pulled it out. Other than one cracked lid that I couldn’t remove, it was simple to fix up and let the kids play with it again.

![Closeup of the top of the felt pen holder showing the open lids and one open hole in the plaster. Among the lids lays a single lid on it's side with a bit of orange crayon sticking out and a metal screw. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_5146.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I decided to remove the crayon from the lid by screwing a screw into the crayon and pulling it out. Unfortunately. the lid popped out of the plaster before the crayon came out of the lid. Either way the crayon eventually popped out and I decided to instead use a new marker lid instead of the crayon coated one. Either way crazy glue easily stuck the lid back into the open space.

![Closeup of the broken lid, in my hand, while, in the background, you can see the little bit of the lid left in the plaster. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8848.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Zoey and I realized one of the other lids were cracked. I tried to pull it out but the top stayed in the plaster while the sides came off so I finally gave up taking it out and one slot was lost.

![Photo shows a new package of Crayola Pop-squeaks skinnies markers, the emptied felt pen holder, and Zoey's pink clad knees.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8844.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

We had one final pack of pip-squeak markers on hand so we didn’t have to wait to order more before adding the new markers to the holder.

![The felt pen marker has a single marker already in it while a yellow one is poised to be added. Zoey is on her knees behind the felt pen holder and there are various markers on the floor beside it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8845.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Zoey had fun matching the markers with their lids.

And if you’re refilling the felt pen holder then you’re left with all of the marker lids. Zoey had been rescuing emptied toilet paper rolls from the garbage bins so I grabbed some of them and, along with the lids, set up a temporary sensory bin for her.

![Image shows our yellow sensory bin with two vertical toilet paper rolls inside it and three below it. Inside of each roll are a couple marker lids.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8852.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

She started by hiding the lids inside of the vertical toilet paper rolls.

![In the foreground I'm holding an angled toilet paper roll and Zoey is about to drop a turquoise lid into it. In the background there's a yellow bin with two vertical rolls and a lid that just came from the 'slide'.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8856.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I next showed Zoey she could use the toilet paper rolls as a slide for the lids.

---

Overall I’m so glad I came across this and made the felt pen holder for the girls. That said I haven’t made anything else with my bucket of plaster of paris so do you have any recommendations on what to do with it? Have you come across [The Artful Parent](https://artfulparent.com/the-artful-parent-book/?ref=simplykyra.com) before? If so did you try to make the felt pen holder? How did it turn out for you and what would you do differently? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. I hope your day is going great. And thanks for the awesome idea Jean Van’t Hul.

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### 'Healthy One Pan Dinners' Cookbook Review
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/healthy-one-pan-dinners-cookbook-review/
Last updated: 2023-12-17T17:10:22.000Z
I absolutely loved this cookbook! So much so that even though I decided early on that I had to review it on my blog I kept putting it off as I made more and more recipes from the book. Every single recipe, even ones I substituted ingredients for and thought wouldn’t turn out, ended up being amazing!

I do; however, want to be up front and tell you that I didn’t pay for this book. [I received it for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review](https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/184623?ref=simplykyra.com). That said this is the first book I read through [NetGalley](https://www.netgalley.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) that I loved enough to actually post a review on my blog and will probably, most definitely, end up buying it for myself. That said I am not an affiliate for the book or publisher and I make no money if you buy it. Also, to note, as I haven’t bought the book yet I don’t know if any reviews I make below may have been updated before the book went to print. [You can find the book through DK, a division of Penguin Random House, here: https://www.dk.com/us/book/9781465492661-healthy-one-pan-dinners/](https://www.dk.com/us/book/9781465492661-healthy-one-pan-dinners/?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Collage of nine images of food that was made from the cookbook reviewed in this post. All images can be found below. The image also contains my blog post title and url.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_Healthy-One-Pan-Dinners-Cookbook-Review.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

I was going to review these recipes in the order I made them in, but then realized just how many I actually made (fourteen!) and realized I should order it differently to make more sense to you. The cookbook itself is ordered based on which cooking vessel you use to make the recipes so I decided to order these reviews under the same sections and then sort them alphabetically within each one. I don’t have a multi-cooker though so I wasn’t able to review any of those recipes.

One substitution I frequently made throughout the book was using the bottled version of the called for fresh lemon/lime or zest. I normally google it each time I need the conversion rate but [the Taste of Home’s article Easy Lemon Zest Alternatives](https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/easy-lemon-zest-substitutes/?ref=simplykyra.com) that wrote that one teaspoon of lemon zest is supposedly equal to two tablespoons of lemon juice seems like what I did.

---

## *Sheet Pan*

The author, Dana, recommends, in the introduction of the book, lining a sheet pan with aluminum foil and parchment paper for the easiest cleanup. I, instead, used my Silpat™ liner. I did notice liquid gathering on and under my liner while baking the recipes but I’m not sure if that’s on me, because of the liner difference, or the recipe itself. I had no other issues and the food tasted great.

### *Chicken Fajitas*

It’s fitting that the Chicken Fajitas are the first recipe listed in my review as I’ve made them several times. I personally don’t care for onions, although I’m trying, so the first time I made the recipe I used half of the called for onion and the next time left it out and increased the bell pepper instead. The photos below are from both of those times. I made this even easier by cutting up the vegetables and chicken whenever I had a time to kill in the morning and tossed them together, with the seasonings, in a Stasher bag to store in the fridge until I was ready to preheat the oven. While the oven came to the proper temperature I grabbed the Stasher bag, tossed the contents onto the lined sheet pan, and used a spatula to spread it out. The next time I made this I had cut the meat a day or two before, when making another recipe with the other half of the packaged chicken, so the morning of I just had to cut up the peppers, add the seasoning, and tossed it together making it even simpler.

![Image shows a view from above showing an opened blue Stasher bag. Inside you can see the seasonings sitting on top with yellow and then green pepper slices underneath. To the right is a plastic blue lined cutting board with part of a knife showing. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0059.jpg?resize=750%2C504&ssl=1)

I love how I can throw the chicken, vegetables, and then seasoning into a Stasher bag, or container, as I cut them in the morning making the fajitas, themselves, easier during suppertime when you feel more rushed.

![View of the half-gallon sized Stasher bag, closed with the fajitas inside, on it's side leaning against the Silpat™ lined sheet pan.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9468.jpg?resize=750%2C306&ssl=1)

I then mush the contents of the Stasher bag together for a half-hearted mix and toss it into the refrigerator until it’s time to preheat the oven. Then I pull out the sheet pan, a Silpat™ liner, and the stashed fajitas.

![Closeup of the sheet pan showing raw pink chicken, sliced red peppers, sliced green peppers, and sliced onion.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0077.jpg?resize=750%2C372&ssl=1)

After dumping out the Stasher contents I use a spatula to move it around making sure it’s all mixed and spread out equally before putting it into the oven.

![Closeup of the sheet pan showing baked white chicken, sliced red peppers, sliced green peppers, and sliced onion.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9471.jpg?resize=750%2C456&ssl=1)

Fresh out of the oven and looking amazing!

The recipe calls for flour tortillas to make chicken fajita wraps. This is what my husband did while, for my kids, they got a flour tortilla and tried bits of each vegetable and chicken. I deviated from the recipe, as I had leftover quinoa I nuked, and made a fajita bowl and then the next time I, instead, topped mine on spinach and added plain yogurt for a fajita salad-ish. I didn’t get a good photo of the actual fajitas but I took photos of my alterations which were so good.

![Closeup of a white plate containing quinoa, chicken fajitas, sliced jalapenos, and sliced avocado.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9473.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The first time I topped the fajita ingredients, that called for a flour tortilla, on reheated quinoa for a fajita bowl.

![Closeup of a white bowl containing spinach leaves, chicken fajita mix, and plain white yogurt. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0083.jpg?resize=750%2C542&ssl=1)

The next time I had a bag of spinach we needed to eat so I tossed the chicken fajita on top of a handful or two of spinach leaves and then topped that with plain yogurt.

### *Egg Sandwiches*

I was super excited to try the egg sandwiches. I’d been buying brioche hamburger buns for whenever we barbecue burgers so I made sure to grab an extra bag of them along with the ingredients I needed. The recipe calls for a quarter sheet pan (9 by 13 inches) which I didn’t have and my casserole dish, of that size, was in the freezer so I ended up mixing the ingredients up and tried to pour equal amounts of the mixed eggs into two nine by nine inch glass casserole dishes instead. The dishes made it so easy to split the recipe into eight, rather than the six servings it called for, so I upped the cheese amount and we each had ‘two servings’ so a quarter of the recipe. My one daughter doesn’t like pepper jack cheese so you can easily see which sections were hers in the photo below. My kids started off saying they loved the egg sandwiches but didn’t end up eating a crazy amount so I’m not sure how much they truly liked it. Matt and I loved this recipe and I especially love how the contents of the eggs can be customized based on what excess vegetables are in the fridge. I wonder if I should next make it in silicone lined muffin trays, instead of a sheet pan, so the kids can customize their own egg sandwiches using their own mix-ins.

![View of the two casserole dishes freshly taken from the oven and sitting on the stove. The left, slightly cut off, dish has white melted cheese with the odd broccoli bump showing. The right pan is half coated in the white pepper jack cheese while the half closest to you has two partially melted orange squares of cheddar cheese. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9923.jpg?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

The eggs and, mostly, melted cheese fresh from the oven.

![Closeup of two buns, opened, on a white saucer. There is a square of pepper jack cheese covered eggs on the bottom buns and the top buns are clearly buttered and toasted. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9925.jpg?resize=750%2C495&ssl=1)

The recipe called for toasted rolls or English muffins. I grabbed brioche buns, spread butter on them, and tossed them in the oven to toast while the eggs baked.

![Side view of the plate. Up close you can see the cucumber and fruit while behind that you can see the side view of the egg bun-wiches.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9928.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The recipe didn’t call for lettuce but I had some on hand we had to use so I topped the eggs with them for a bit more crunch. I served it alongside sliced cucumbers, assorted apple slices, blueberries, and cherries.

### *Sheet Pan Barbecue*

Considering we’re a family that mostly only uses tinfoil while freezing casseroles with the odd ‘veggie boat’ for the barbecue thrown in this recipe seemed like an awful lot of aluminum foil. That said, I followed the recipe as written and it turned out amazingly. My husband loves both barbecued ribs and baked beans so this was an awesome surprise for him and even the kids, surprisingly, loved the ribs and corn. I can definitely see doing this again as a special occasion treat.

![Closeup of the aluminun wrapped food sitting on the stovetop. To the left is a nine by nine casserole dish containing the beans, To the right is a sheet pan with the wrapped ribs down the center and the wrapped corn on the cob along either side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0761.jpg?resize=750%2C427&ssl=1)

I baked the beans on a separate shelf in the oven from the sheet pan with the ribs since the ribs were too long to fit the nine by nine casserole dish on the same sheet pan with it. I still followed the recipe when I baked the beans and added the corn. This photo was taken halfway through the two hour bake time.

![Image shows a white plat with sauced ribs, in the back, pinto beans, and slightly browned corn on the cob. To the left of the plate is a fork resting on a fabric napkin and a full glass of what sits behind everything. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0770.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The finished meal! Technically I was supposed to top the beans with scallions but I didn’t have any so I left it off.

### *Sheet Pan Pancakes*

This recipe was on my list to try but I almost didn’t attempt it as I have two bags of flour in the house and whole wheat pastry flour isn’t one of them. I had also made something similar before for the girls, with added sprinkles in the dough, otherwise I would’ve jumped on it quicker this time around. That said, last week the girls woke up and told me they didn’t want cereal or porridge (our defaults) and instead wanted sprinkle oven pancakes. I remembered I’d been meaning to make these and decided to attempt them using all-purpose flour, a one-to-one substitution with the flour I didn’t have, and they turned out great. The batter looked a bit runny so instead of adding sprinkles to the dough, before baking, I added them on top of the finished pancakes instead. It was a hit and the next morning I microwaved the little bit of pancakes that were leftover for their breakfast. Pancakes in the oven are perfect for me as normal stovetop ones always set off the smoke detector when I make them.

![Image shows most of a long rectangular glass casserole dish a third filled with a smooth yellow pancake. Off to the side, back and left, are the waiting saucers, dip holder. oven mitts. and sprinkles.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_2043.jpg?resize=750%2C493&ssl=1)

It looked perfect coming out and the toothpick came out clean. The kids and Matt enjoyed them although apparently they could’ve been baked a bit longer.

![Overview of the two saucers of pancakes and syrup filled attached bowls. Zoey's head is starting to block one of them. Beside the plates are cups and their name tags.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_2045.jpg?resize=750%2C434&ssl=1)

The sprinkles were scattered on top and I got to use the dip holders, I just bought, for the syrup.

---

## Dutch Oven

I’ve had a dutch oven for years, since our wedding, and occasionally pulled it out for a recipe or two here or there. Between this cookbook and attempting yogurt during our shelter-in-place quarantine I’ve pulled out the dutch oven more times in 2020 than before this year and, with these recipes, I can see using it way more often in the future. The dutch oven is perfect for starting something on the stove and finishing it in the oven, like these recipes, and is great at retaining heat, perfect for yogurt.

### *Chili with Cornbread Topping*

I love cornbread and as soon as I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it and I realized just how long it had been since I did last make cornbread. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find cornmeal so I had to be patient and wait a month or so until our main grocery store magically had it in stock again. This was simple to cook and tasted amazing. Since it’s finished off in the oven, for twenty-five minutes, you have time to get together any sides, set the table, play with your kids, or just get a break while it bakes.

![Overhead view of the dutch oven after it came out of the oven and I had served some of it. You can see the chili peaking from underneath the cornbread layer around the outside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0038.jpg?resize=750%2C520&ssl=1)

The baked supper… it smelled so good that I didn’t think to take a photo until after I had dished the kids and my plates.

![Side view of my food on a saucer, making it look bigger, with the kids orange plates in the background. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0039.jpg?resize=750%2C491&ssl=1)

All dished and ready to eat!

### *Shepard’s Pie*

The other dutch oven recipe I tried was the shepherd’s pie so another ground beef dish topped with something. I used my kitchen scale to measure the one pound of potatoes it called for and when I next make it I’ll probably double the amount to make a larger layer on the top. Otherwise it tasted great.

![Photo taken from above looking down at a half filled dutch oven with shepard's pie. Along the edge you can see the ground beef mixture, with a dot of yellow and green, spilling out from the white topped section. A serving spoon sits leaned up against the pot edge.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9524.jpg?resize=750%2C453&ssl=1)

The finished Shepard’s pie that I once again snapped a photo of after it was dished.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9529.jpg?resize=750%2C478&ssl=1)

It wasn’t too pretty but it did taste great.

---

## Cast-iron Skillet

I don’t have a cast-iron skillet but really wanted to try the roasted chicken so I decided to use my dutch oven, without a lid on, and it turned out great in the end.

### *Roasted Chicken With Root Vegetables*

So… full confession. I really screwed up following the recipe and made several ingredient changes and it still turned out fantastic. I could definitely see making it again, but I don’t know for sure how it would taste if I used the ingredients listed. The changes to the recipe I made are:

- Used my, lid-less, dutch oven rather than a cast-iron skillet.
- I was out of fresh herbs so I left some out (rosemary) and replaced others (ground thyme and garlic powder).
- Used lemon juice rather than using a lemon.
- Since my seasonings consisted of powders and juice I didn’t place anything inside the cavity of the chicken and instead sprinkled it over the top.
- Changed the root veggie ratio to two thirds diced potatoes and one third carrots.
- Forgot to add olive oil overtop of it all.

It turned out awesome and I’m definitely keeping this recipe in mind the next time I purchase a whole chicken.

![Angled overview of the inside of the dutch oven containing a whole chicken. The browned and seasoned top of the chicken and tips of the drumsticks are sticking out from it's diced white potato and orange carrot bath. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9731.jpg?resize=750%2C516&ssl=1)

The finished roasted chicken fresh out of the oven.

---

## Baking Dish

### *Chicken + Rice Casserole*

This recipe called for eight chicken drumsticks and I bought a package of ten so I was concerned there would be too much chicken compared to the rice. Since I figured it was a fair assumption to make more rice for the kids rather than chicken I decided to multiply the rest of the ingredients by one and a half. This meant I needed a bigger casserole dish, which I didn’t have, so instead I mixed the rice mixture in a large bowl and tried to pour it into two different casserole dishes. One dish was eight by eleven inches while the other one was eight by eight inches. The one dish ended up getting a larger amount of the liquid compared to the rice while the other dish had more rice. This became fully apparent when I checked on it two thirds of the way through the cook-time, to remove the foil, and one casserole was still sitting in liquid and the other was bone dry. I considered mixing it up but instead left it as is. I was concerned about the dry one while it finished baking but they both turned out great. The dry one was still edible and offered the perfect amount of crunch while the other one was as I expected. We all loved it. I could see this becoming a staple… note add chicken drumsticks to my grocery list… although I could see it needing a bit less salt but I wouldn’t want to leave it out completely.

![Angled overview looking down at the square (left) and rectangular (right) casserole dishes filled with cooked and seasoned rice topped with baked chicken drumsticks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0704.jpg?resize=750%2C392&ssl=1)

The two casseroles fresh out of the oven and ready to eat.

![View looking down at a large white bowl with rice and two drumsticks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0707.jpg?resize=750%2C472&ssl=1)

I didn’t think to add sides until it was too late so we ended up with just chicken and rice for supper. I could see a salad, if we were salad people, or boiled carrots with butter and dill as a side.

Once we were done eating I took the leftover drumsticks and removed the meat from the bone so I could mix the leftover rice and chicken together inside a Stasher bag for an easy microwavable meal. I debated freezing the leftovers just to see if it worked but the kids and I ended up eating it for lunch the next day instead.

![Closeup of the square casserole dish filled with rice and broken up pieces of chicken. To the right is the other casserole dish with a metal serving spoon and rice. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0711.jpg?resize=750%2C504&ssl=1)

I removed the meat from any of the leftover chicken drumsticks and then put all of the leftovers in a Stasher bag for the next day’s lunch.

### *Chicken Enchiladas*

I absolutely loved these and will definitely make these the next time I buy rotisserie chicken. With COVID-19 I wasn’t sure how safe buying the whole rotisserie chicken at Costco was so I decided, instead, to buy the prepacked rotisserie chicken, in the deli area, and used my scale to weight the amount the recipe needed. This made it easier as I didn’t have to take time removing the meat from the chicken bones. To make the wrap part I found room to spread out the flour tortillas, all at once, so it was easier to split up the chicken enchilada mix. I then rolled them up one at a time and put them into my casserole dish to bake in the oven. These were so simple to make.

I loved Zoey’s reaction to these. We almost never bake our tortilla wraps as they’re normally used for banana wraps so when Zoey noticed they were hard she asked us if they were frozen. I next got complimented, repeatedly, on making the wraps hard as she ate the outer layer of the enchiladas. She then went on to tell me not to make it again (with a positive voice so I thought I misunderstood at first) as she “only likes Annie’s mac and cheese and pasta”. Overall it went okay, the kids picked and chose sections to eat, but Matt and I love them so I’m counting it as a hit.

![The black stovetop with an empty glass casserole dish off to the side, mostly off-screen, and white flour tortillas laid out over the rest. Each tortilla wrap ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_1155.jpg?resize=750%2C488&ssl=1)

I was able to split up the enchilada filling equally among the tortilla wraps by laying the wraps out all at once and eyeballing the piles.

![Closeup of the wrapped enchiladas lined up next to each other. They're covered in salsa verde, orange melted cheddar cheese, and the ends have browned a bit. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_1158.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The enchiladas fresh from the oven and smelling fantastic.

![White bowl on a brown table with a fork off to the side. Inside the bowl is lettuce with a chicken enchilada placed overtop. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_1160.jpg?resize=750%2C519&ssl=1)

I had some lettuce on hand I wanted to use so I plated my bowl with the enchilada on top of the bed of lettuce. Not really a salad… but kind of? Either way it tasted great.

### *Mexican Quinoa Casserole with Guacamole*

So this recipe definitely didn’t go as planned. I cooked up way too much quinoa the day before specifically so I’d have leftovers to make this dish. After I scooped the cooked quinoa into a bowl I came to the grim realization that I didn’t have any black beans. After deciding to replace the black beans with red kidney beans, and increasing the amount to a whole can as there wasn’t much left after measuring it, I next had to replace the vegetable broth with chicken broth. I finally got the mixture into the oven just to discover that my avocados, that I needed to make the guacamole with, where older and more bruised than I had thought. By then I had basically given up on this dish and figured worst case I could grab something last minute to go with it but figured I’d try to cut off the bruises and recovered enough avocados to charge ahead. I next used bottled lime juice instead of fresh and then finally, by the time I saw the salt, I decided to sprinkle it in instead of measure which ended up causing extremely salty guacamole. Since the kids normally don’t like spicy I didn’t assemble the toppings onto the casserole, as the recipe called for, and instead had us assemble the parts on our plates with the additional option of plain yogurt. Funnily enough, this recipe still turned out amazing; which I feel is testament to this book. And once combined together the guacamole didn’t seem too salty anymore.

![The square glass casserole dishes sitting on a hot pad on the kitchen table with a metal spoon in it after serving some of it out. Off to the side you can see the white bowl of guacamole, hot sauce, and pickled jalapeño peppers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_1753-1.jpg?resize=750%2C518&ssl=1)

The finished Mexican Quinoa Casserole without the guacamole and pickled jalapeños on top.

![White bowl with the quinoa mix on the left, plain white yogurt on the right, guacamole/jalapeños/hot sauce in the back covered in tortilla chips. To the left is a fabric napkin with donuts on it and a glass of water. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_1754.jpg?resize=750%2C542&ssl=1)

After all the changes in the recipe it seemed negligible to add some plain yogurt on the side of mine.

---

## Slow Cooker

I love my slow cooker but go through spurts of using it and than ignoring it again. I especially love when I can prep food in the morning, when the kids are the happiest, and have a simple supper ready to go later on when life might be a bit more complicated. I loved using it when the kids were younger and now that Ada was (is going to do) distance learning I can see the slow cooker being a big part of our life again as I can set it up when she’s focused on school work while I stay nearby and ready to pause if she has questions or needs help. The only issue I had with this section was that the multi-cooker recipes were mixed in with the slow cooker ones instead of in a separate chapter. As an aside I just looked up multi-cooker on [Wikipedia and found that “some multicookers can also function as slow cookers”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multicooker?ref=simplykyra.com) which explains why this sections may be mixed while the others aren’t. I guess I can see this only bugging you if you have a slow cooker and not a multi-cooker rather than an appliance that can handle both cases. That said she does mark which is which at the top of each recipe so you definitely aren’t guessing.

### *Beef Stew*

This was a recipe that I ended up having to make a bunch of replacements with. I replaced the fresh herbs with dried while also decreasing the amount of beef, onion, and thyme. I was out of bay leaves so after looking up [*The Spruce Eats* bay leaves substitutions](https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-substitute-bay-leaves-in-recipes-4153525?ref=simplykyra.com) I settled for sprinkling oregano in the dish instead. Overall it was simple to throw together and even though I normally don’t like stew it tasted decent over mashed potatoes.

![Closeup looking into the slow cooker with a wooden spoon leaned inside. The contents are orange browny with floating chunks of beef and carrot inside.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9805.jpg?resize=750%2C501&ssl=1)

My slow cooker full of finished beef stew.

![White plate with a fork and glass of water off to the side. On the plate is a pile of white potatoes covered in brown-ish liquid and chunks of meat and carrots. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9804.jpg?resize=750%2C516&ssl=1)

I served the beef stew over mashed potatoes.

### *Chicken Noodle Soup*

I was excited to try this simple chicken soup and it didn’t disappoint. After leaving it in the slow cooker the chicken breast were so simple to break up using two forks. I didn’t have a lot of orzo pasta left in in my opened bag so I ended up combining two different brands, eyeballing the amount as I poured it in, and may have ended up with a bit too much… though with the kids maybe that was a good thing. I added grated sharp cheddar cheese, not called for in the recipe, to the bowls of soup.

![Closeup of the contents of the finished slow cooker. There's a metal soup spoon sitting in the contents showing broth with a mix of chicken, orzo pasta, and veggies.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_1496.jpg?resize=750%2C538&ssl=1)

The finish chicken noodle soup smelled so good.

![View of our kitchen table with the kids bowls of soup (one near the front and one near the back) laid out on top of pink donut fabric napkins and bowls.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_1494.jpg?resize=750%2C814&ssl=1)

I laid out the kids bowls on cloth napkins as the heat goes right through the bowls and topped them with extra grated cheddar cheese. The kids liked parts of the soup.

### *Coconut Chicken*

This was the first recipe we tried from the cookbook and although it didn’t look appetizing it tasted so good. I started with packaged Costco rotisserie chicken rather than the called for chicken thighs so I skipped the first couple steps making the recipe even simpler. I ended up making a couple other replacements substituting powder for fresh herbs, downsizing the onion, using bottled lime juice (two tablespoons) instead of a fresh lime, and using a bit of salt instead of celery salt. I paired the curry with white rice and it was amazing. It made our house smell good all afternoon. The recipe mentioned this was a spin on butter chicken and Matt thought it smelled familiar all afternoon until I finally put him out of his misery and told him why and what.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9142.jpg?resize=750%2C480&ssl=1)

The coconut curry was amazing on rice topped with cashews. We’re not a fan of cilantro so I left it off the top.

### *Sweet Potato Coconut Stew*

This was, officially, the first recipe I technically put together from the book but I ended up not cooking or eating it until, almost, the end as it was a freeze and cook when you need it type recipe. It was so simple to put together. I prepped it the same morning as I made the slow cooker Coconut Chicken as they had similar ingredients so it wasn’t any major effort. I actually went to make it last week and realized my advanced copy of the cookbook had expired so I’m really glad I wrote the instructions on the freezer bag. I took the expired cookbook as a sign that it was time to get a move on writing this review hence finally sharing this book with you now.

A quick note to the wise if you make this. Definitely freeze the stew in a freezer bag that you can easily remove it from (check for me) and that would fit in your slow cooker (I didn’t this). This recipe is made so you can dump it frozen in your slow cooker and forget about it until dinner (I made rice to go with it). My freezer bag made the stew thin and large so my lid wouldn’t fit on the slow cooker with it inside. After turning it on and hoping for the bottom to thaw enough to firmly close the lid, for five minutes or so, I switched gears and used my knives and the pressure of pushing on the edges to break it into pieces so it would fit properly. So not as easy as it made it seem but still worth the effort as it tasted great.

At one point, while Ada was eating it, she noticed that there might be beans in it, she doesn’t like beans, and then told us that “it’s so good I can’t even taste the ingredients I don’t like”. High praise.

![Closeup of the plastic freezer bag holding all of the ingredients for the freeze and slow cook stew.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9102.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I made sure to write the cook time, cook temperature, and any sides on the freezer bag after packaging it up…. and yet I still forgot to add the crushed cashews when it came time to eat.

![View of the Crockpot, to the right, with chunks of frozen stew in it. To the left is the cutting board with the two knives off to the side and a large chunk of stew with a groove down the center of it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_1993.jpg?resize=750%2C410&ssl=1)

I used two large knives, one butcher and one serrated, to attempt to cut the frozen stew in half before pressing down on the edges and breaking pieces off.

![View of the finished stew in the crockpot and plated in the bowl. The bowl is in the lower right side on black rice while the crockpot sits in the upper left corner with cooked stew in it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_2019.jpg?resize=750%2C512&ssl=1)

It smelled delicious and tasted great over the rice.

---

#### *Recipes On Your Phone*

I read the advanced copy of this cookbook through [Adobe Digital Editions](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adobe-digital-editions/id952977781?ref=simplykyra.com) on my phone. I’ve since seen that you can buy the Kindle version on Amazon, which I haven’t yet, as I first need to figure out if I want it as a paper copy or an ebook. Since it was on Adobe each “page” was a two page spread and if I wanted to see a recipe better I had to either turn my phone vertically and/or magnify in. After returning to the app to find the cookbook reset and needing to quickly find the recipe while cooking I ended up taking screenshots of the recipe (by holding down the power and volume up button on my iPhone) so I’d have it handy and then later went a step further by “favorite-ing” it so I wouldn’t have to scroll through all my photos to find it later on. This made it so much simpler to create my grocery list, figure out what I was making, and cook it by finding the recipe quickly.

---

Even though all of the above recipes turned out great and I’m planning on purchasing the cookbook myself I did notice a couple things that weren’t the best that I couldn’t keep from sharing with you.

The book was marketed as *Healthy One Pan Dinners* and I noticed, sometimes, it seemed to need to reach to satisfy the *one pan* aspect of these meals. For instance the *Sheet Pan Barbecue* recipe had you put the beans in an oven safe dish that you then placed on the same sheet pan as the ribs, wrapped in tinfoil, and then had to remove halfway through the cook time so you could fit the corn on the pan to bake while the ribs finished. I was then worried the beans would get too cold, as she recommends microwaving if needed, although they were luckily still warm enough after sitting in the small covered glass casserole dish.

Looking over [other reviews on GoodReads, for this book](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49357980-healthy-one-pan-dinners?ac=1&from%5Fsearch=true&qid=BoB7pEaSnV&rank=1&ref=simplykyra.com), I found other people thought the recipes were too diverse and seemingly jumbled. Our family, luckily, doesn’t suffer from serious food allergies or stay to a strict diet so I didn’t pay too much attention to the recipe’s label and didn’t realize that the vegan labeling might’ve been misleading until I read Becky’s review that pointed out that “Out of the 100 recipes, I believe around 30 are labeled as vegan. In actuality, only 6 are and that’s if you allow recipes with parmesan topping (which vegans don’t, but easy enough to omit).” In other reviews there were issues with the healthy labeling itself. For me I saw a diverse set of recipes that offered something for whatever I was feeling that day. I felt like most of the recipes offered a balanced meal and I enjoyed the variety offered. If you are calorie counting each recipe lists the yield and, at the bottom of the page, the nutrition per serving. I liked how the nutritional information was easy to see if you wanted to but easy to forget if you didn’t care. In fact for my first review, back in June when the book came out, I thought the book didn’t include nutritional information… oops.

The other issue I had was that the instructions sometimes seemed to be lacking. When I look through the beginning of the book there’s a list of must-have ingredients and detailed information about the cooking vessels used which seemed to cater more towards a beginner. That said, later on, I noticed the two dutch oven recipes I made didn’t mention whether you should bake it with or without a lid on. The first recipe I kept the lid on, since it was a dutch oven recipe and not a skillet one, and found it too wet when I checked on it so I removed the lid for the last bit of baking. The next dutch oven recipe I made also made no mention of the lid so that time I left it off and had no issues. There were other times where I wasn’t sure how small, or large, to chop a specific ingredient. I noticed [KES’s review, again on Goodreads,](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49357980-healthy-one-pan-dinners?ac=1&from%5Fsearch=true&qid=BoB7pEaSnV&rank=1&ref=simplykyra.com) mention the same concern about “poor instructions. For example, cutting a chicken breast into 8 pieces. I have purchased some mighty large chicken breasts that 8 pieces is NO WHERE near popcorn sized\[…\] One recipe called for a head of cabbage but didn’t instruct in the ingredients to have it chopped, shredded, julienned???” She also felt the “prep & cook times were WAY off. Especially, for beginners.” I can’t remember, for myself, if I had trouble with the prep times or not because I sometimes cut the prep into two sections so I could do a part when I had a chance in the morning and do the rest closer to suppertime. Plus since they were all one pan meals if it had run late it wasn’t as noticeable as there wasn’t another time-critical part done and waiting. There was added rice, a couple times, but I try to make that early and then just leave the pot aside with a lid on until everything is ready so I don’t have to stress.

![Image contains the Healthy One Pan Dinners cookbook cover with accompanying information below including the ISBN (9781465492661, size (233 x 195 mm), page count (160), and published date (09 Jun 2020).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-07-07-at-8.03.23-AM.jpg?fit=658%2C1024&ssl=1)

[**Healthy One Pan Dinners* cookbook cover screenshot taken on the DK website on July 7th, 2020.](https://www.dk.com/us/book/9781465492661-healthy-one-pan-dinners/?ref=simplykyra.com)

Overall I loved cooking these simple recipes. My husband and I thought each meal was a hit and the kids sometimes even agreed with us. I’m so glad I requested and received the early release of this book as I truly loved cooking through these recipes. It was such a hit that I knew I had to share it with you guys in case you were looking for your own cookbook to change up your meals.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Have you tried this book? How did you like it? If not what cookbooks do you recommend? I hope this post finds you well and you’re having a good day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### My Custom Queen-Sized Blanket and Pillow Set
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/my-custom-queen-sized-blanket-and-pillow-set/
Last updated: 2024-12-23T22:30:46.000Z
Back at the beginning of 2019 [I made an afghan for our couch from a toddler blanket topper](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/01/03/toddler-blanket-topper-to-comfy-couch-afghan/) and then, near the end of the year, [I made both kids their own comfy blanket for their beds using custom minky which I backed with a Costco-bought blanket](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/15/kids-simple-quilt/). Ever since that first afghan I’ve kind of wanted to make a custom printed epic blanket for our queen-sized bed so when I saw the Travelers round open at [Moon Beam Textile Company](https://moonbeamtextileco.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) at the beginning of this year I couldn’t pass it up and this blanket and pillow set was born. I now have a fantastically covered bed and I’m so proud of seeing it whenever I walk into the room!

![Pinterest image for this blog post containing three images, the title of the post, and the main url for this blog. All images are also found lower down in this post. The top image shows the fabric at the beginning while the bottom two images shows the finished bed set (left) and the pillows that had to be sewn together (right).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_Custom-Queen-Sized-Blanket-and-Pillows.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

The Travelers preorder round opened at [Moon Beam Textile Company](https://moonbeamtextileco.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) back in January of 2020 and I wasted no time confirming the measurements of a queen-sized mattress top online so I could order the double plush *Gallifreyan* blanket topper. I, unfortunately, completely forgot I would need excess fabric at the bottom and sides of the topper so it could hang over the sides of our bed so I didn’t think to add more fabric to the order for our blanket. I, instead, went on to realize I wanted to make a matching pillow and since I loved the *Stargate*\-themed fabric, I chose a toddler sized cotton spandex *Home* panel along with a coordinating minky *portals* fabric to my order. Since it was a preorder I had to wait patiently for the fabric to be printed and mailed out. It wasn’t until the fabric finally arrived that I swiftly realized my blanket-size mistake and had to wait patiently for the extra fabric to go on the website as retail so I could buy more. Once it was listed, in mid-May, I hopped on and chose a two yard pre-cut of a coordinating *Gallifreyan* double plush fabric so I could turn the blanket topper into a larger blanket using the [same magic, at a larger scale, as my coffee afghan](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/01/03/toddler-blanket-topper-to-comfy-couch-afghan/). I really wanted to use the striped coordinate, rather than the *Gallifreyan*, to edge the blanket topper but the stripes only came in cotton spandex; however, after thinking about it I ended up grabbing a yard and justified it as wiggle room for my blanket but in actuality it ended up being made into more pillows. I did end up using all of the fabric I bought and love how they all look together on my bed. With shipping the two orders together came to $185 U.S. so this definitely isn’t the cheapest option out there.

![Most of the fabric laid out in one photo. The blanket topper is missing in this picture but the rest are showing. The background is the double plush Gallifreyan coordinate while the mink portals fabric lays across the center of the image. In the center of that lays the Stargate home cotton spandex panel with the striped cotton spandex beside it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9887.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

With the exception of the blanket topper I laid out all the fabrics together to confirm their colors all worked… luckily together it all looked great.

Since these are custom printed all the fabric is white on the back and along the front edges. The double plush fabric, bought for the blanket, is soft on both the front and back while the minky, for the coordinating *Stargate* fabric, is instead soft on only the front side and rougher on the back. The *Stargate* *Home* panel is a smoother non-fuzzy thicker cotton spandex (no name version of cotton Lycra). [I made the mistake of last year buying the girls their blanket fabric out of minky and ended up having to back it with a Costco-bought blanket so the underside would be cozy](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/15/kids-simple-quilt/).

---

### *The Blanket*

The blanket was, I thought, the simplest part of this although I did end up with a skinnier and longer blanket than I had pictured. I started out by laying both the blanket topper and the two yard coordinate on the ground overtop of each other so I could easily confirm that they were the same size and thus confirm that using [the same process used in the coffee afghan](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/01/03/toddler-blanket-topper-to-comfy-couch-afghan/) would work.

![The blanket topper is laid out in the living room with our cars mat showing under the left side. Around it is hardwood and in the top left our Duplo bag.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9880.jpg?resize=750%2C565&ssl=1)

At this point only the blanket topper was laid out.

The blanket topper and coordinate are both two yards, or 72 inches, long. I then measured their width, from the blue sides edges, at 57 inches wide. To calculate how wide I should cut the side strips I used the following equation where X dictates the width of each side strip:

```
X = (Length of the Blanket Topper - Width of the Blanket Topper) / 2
X = (72 - 57) / 2
X = (15) / 2
X = 7.5 inches
```

Once I found the width I needed I was able to cut two strips of the matching coordinate along the length resulting in two strips each 7.5 inches wide by two yards long. I then took the leftover coordinate, folded it in half lengthwise, and cut along that fold to create two equal pieces. These last two pieces are going to be added, sideways, to the top and bottom of the blanket which is why I did the calculations to make the blanket’s total width match the two yard length of the blanket topper and coordinate. Since I cut the remainder of the fabric in half the top and bottom of my blanket will have equal amounts of the coordinating fabric. If, instead, I cut them at a different spot, say about one quarter over instead of halfway, there would be more fabric at the one end of the blanket compared to the other end.

![Image showing the corner of the coordinating double plush fabric on a cutting mat with a quilting ruler measuring 7.5 inches from white edge to cut mark. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0348.jpg?resize=750%2C505&ssl=1)

I started by measuring 7.5 inches over from the edge where the fabric goes white and cut that width the entire length down. At first I kept the white part of the fabric on as I wanted to maximize it but found that it was too difficult to determine, from the wrong side of the fabric, where to serge so I later trimmed it off. Next time I’d use my ruler to trim off the white strip and then measure the seven and a half inches along the length.

![The fabric is folded in half lengthwise and then folded the other way so it mostly fits on the 36 inch long cutting mat making it easier to cut in half without measuring the fabric.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0352.jpg?resize=750%2C815&ssl=1)

After cutting the first two strips I next folded the fabric in half and then in half again, or quartered, so it would fit on the cutting board. With the fold in place I was able to easily find the halfway point without having to measure the fabric again.

![The fabric is folded in quarters, like the previous picture, but the top half is cut, lengthwise, up to the fold while a pair of sewing scissors sit poised to cut the other half.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0355.jpg?resize=750%2C443&ssl=1)

I then cut along the halfway point making the rest of the coordinating fabric be in two equally wide strips.

Once I had the two yards of coordinating double plush fabric cut into four strips it was now time to sew my blanket together. [A year ago when I did this I used my sewing machine’s zigzag stitch](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/01/03/toddler-blanket-topper-to-comfy-couch-afghan/) but I’ve since upgraded to an awesome serger so this time around I serged all my seams. I started by clipping the 7.5 inch wide strip to one of the long edges of the blanket topper and then went on to clip the other strip to the other long edge. I next serged the sides on, removing the clips as I went, giving me a blanket with the width done. I tried the blanket on my bed and wished, a bit, that it was wider but still went ahead with the plan, without over-analyzing, as I wanted the blanket to be long enough to tuck under our toes and knew if I added more fabric to the sides I wouldn’t be able to make the blanket any longer than to the mattress edge. I then took the last two coordinating pieces, the wider strips, and turned them sideways so their length matched the blanket’s width. I then clipped one to the top and the other to the bottom of the blanket, making sure they were right sides together, before finally serging these last two strips on.

![Side view of the blanket on the bed. You can see a good part of the blanket topper on the bed and a section of the side coordinate draping down from the topper. It doesn't stretch too far and although it's too dark to see under the blanket the grey sheets are draping further down than the blanket.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0375.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Trying the blanket on the bed after sewing both the side strips on.

![View from the foot of the bed showing the bottom of the blanket just barely touching the floor. Most of the top of the bed is visible in the photo.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0610.jpg?resize=750%2C772&ssl=1)

Trying the blanket on the bed after finally sewing the top and bottom strips to the blanket topper. After pulling the top of the blanket over the pillows so it reached the very top of the bed the blanket was still long enough to drape to the floor… which would’ve been awesome if the sides were just as long.

And with that the blanket was done!

Looking back the only thing I wish I could’ve changed was magically making the blanket wider and shorter. Unfortunately, if I had made the blanket wider, by cutting the initial strips wider, than the blanket would’ve been too wide to allow me to add the last two strips to the top and bottom since the blanket would’ve been wider than the two yards. I would’ve had to piece something together with the leftover fabric, thus maybe wasting some of it, or leave it without any additional length. This was why we used the calculations to decide the width of the initial strips. That said if I bought a three yard cut of the fabric, which wasn’t offered, I could’ve instead cut two 2-yard strips of the coordinate, wider than 7.5 inches, and then used the rest of the fabric to cut two strips that would’ve been more than long enough to cover the width of the blanket; as long as the width would’ve been kept to less than three yards. I would’ve been left with the remaining one yard of fabric leftover from cutting the initial two strips unless I had put it, somehow, towards my pillow covers.

---

### *The Pillows*

I designed my larger *Stargate* pillow before I came up with a way to use the striped cotton spandex coordinating fabric but then chose to sew all three pillows at the same time so I could batch the steps together and make it simpler for me. Going into designing the pillows I knew right off the bat that I wanted to be able to wash the fabric easily so I needed to create pillow covers with my fabric rather than simple throw pillows so I could easily take the stuffing out. I looked online for pillow inserts, since I wanted to know what sizes I should aim for when creating my pillow covers, and quickly realized how expensive they truly are. I browsed through some blogs showing me how to create my own pillow inserts and stumbled upon the idea to just buy cheaper standard-sized pillows and alter them to fit inside of a pillow cover. Since I didn’t have any stuffing on hand that seemed to be the best idea so I justified doing a Walmart run and ended up grabbing three standard-sized pillows each for under $3\. This way I could simply alter my cheaper and easier to replace pillows to fit inside of my finished pillow cover; rather than worrying about sewing my limited fabric to fit around a expensive store-bought insert. My next issue was how to design an opening in my pillow cover so I could easily get my insert in and out. I didn’t want to have any buttons, Velcro, or anything on the cover that might bug me when using the pillows so I started defaulting to creating envelope covers with my fabric but was leery of having the enveloping section gape open or of wasting some of my limited fabric on a, hopefully, hidden section of the cover. I instead pivoted and chose to use zippers but kept them hidden away on the back rather than putting them on a side seam or through the front where I could feel it. I had previously bought [a three pound bag of assorted zippers from Wawak](https://www.wawak.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) so instead of buying perfectly matching zippers for this project I instead went hunting through my collection and found three mismatched plastic zippers. I had made a point of not choosing metal zippers as I didn’t want there to be rough zipper teeth or a zipper pull that might catch and rip my fabric. Since the matching striped pillows include photos better showing you how I put my zippers in I wanted to share those with you first and then follow up by showing you my favorite one; the *Stargate* pillow. Finally, after that, I’ll go over how I created my custom pillow insert that perfectly fit into the *Stargate* pillow using the three standard-sized pillows I bought at Walmart for under $9.

![The photo shows the long Stargate pillow (center panel with coordinating fabric to the left and right) laid over the car mat on our living room floor. Overtop of the pillow, angled away, lay two matching navy striped matching pillows both with a blue (mismatched) zipper along the center length of them halfway opened.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0506.jpg?resize=750%2C436&ssl=1)

The final sewn pillow covers. Below I’ll show you how I made them starting with the matching striped pillows, immediately below, followed by the longer *Stargate* pillow, and then finally how I created my custom length pillow insert.

---

#### The *Striped Rectangular Pillows*

I quickly realized that I wasn’t going to be able to use the final yard of striped coordinating cotton spandex fabric on the blanket, but I promptly decided, since it matched, to instead turn the fabric into two coordinating pillows for the bed. I preferred the idea of two matching pillows and knew using the whole yard of fabric on a single pillow would’ve been too large plus having two pillows meant I could help frame the *Home* panel on the longer pillow behind them.

I started these pillows by folding the yard of fabric in half, lengthwise, and cutting along the fold so again I wouldn’t need to measure.

![The fabric is shown folded in half and laying on top of the car mat in our living room. The bottom is cut with scissors laying overtop and ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0424.jpg?resize=750%2C943&ssl=1)

I started by folding the fabric in half lengthwise, so I’d easily find the center, and then cut along that fold with my scissors.

I wanted the pillows to be rectangular with a zipper hidden in the back so I could easily remove the insert when I needed to wash the pillow covers. For the zippers themselves I had chosen my only two blue separating ones which also happened to be longer than the width of my fabric so I was able to easily have them run horizontally through the center back with the excess trimmed off at either end. To accomplish this I simply chose to attach either side of the zipper tape to the long ends of my rectangular fabric so, once the zipper was done up, I’d have a long tube with a zipper running down the length of it. I then made sure the zipper was partly opened, turned the pillow the wrong way out, flatten the pillow so there were two folds with the zipper centered horizontally on the back, and then finally sew either end closed. Since the fabric is knit and thus a bit stretchy I realized I needed to first add interfacing to the long edges of the fabric before sewing the zipper on. I was running low on interfacing and didn’t want to waste any by eyeballing the pieces I’d need so I instead chose to partially attach the fabric to the edge of the main piece of interfacing, trim around the edge, and then finally finished pressing it to make sure it was fully secured. Since the fabric is cotton spandex the edges were curling badly so I had to be careful to uncurl the fabric while pressing it down. I then repeated these steps so both pieces of fabric were interfaced on their two longest sides. I next used my double-sided wash away tape to attach my zipper in place making sure the tape was placed closer to the edge of the fabric rather than close to the zipper itself so it wouldn’t show later after topstitching. That said if the tape does show through you can grab a wet washcloth to rub it away since it easily dissolves. I then sewed that side of the zipper on, finger pressed it open, and topstitched it down. After I brought the other interfaced side of the fabric around, while making sure the fabric wasn’t twisted and was right sides together, and used the same steps to sew the other side of the zipper on. Once I had sewn both sides of the zipper to the fabric I zipped it closed and confirm it was in fact zippable and the fabric was lined up properly at either end.

![Closeup of the edge of the blue striped cotton spandex fabric laid out over the white interfacing. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0426.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then laid the long end of the fabric overlapping the interfacing by about an inch and used my iron to start sticking them together.

![The cotton spandex is still laid over the interfacing with the edges curling up and away from it. The interfaced has been cut away along the edge. Above the fabric my sewing scissors rest and below the fabric my ironing pad lays on the table.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0427.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once the interfacing was connected enough to not move I carefully cut the excess interfacing off before pressing it again to fully attach the two together. I then repeated this on the other three long edges of the two pieces of fabric.

![Closeup view of the zipper clipped to the fabric. The end of the fabric is folded over so you can see the front and back of the fabric and clips. On top of the fabric is a basket of sewing clips while the extra fabric, double sided tape, and my sewing scissors sit in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0431.jpg?resize=750%2C414&ssl=1)

I next used small pieces of double sided wash away tape to attach my zipper to the interfaced end of the cotton spandex making sure the two were right sides together. I used my sewing clips to make sure it stayed secure so I could carry it over to my sewing machine without worrying about the two separating. I then sewed them together, finger pressed it open, and topstitched it down.

![Closeup of the closed zipper and the striped fabric. The one side of the zipper, facing down, is sewn to the fabric and topstitched. The top of the zipper is unattached to the fabric and has two visible pieces of white tape showing on the left side and center of the image. The fabric goes off photo on the right so you can't see anymore tape.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0465.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then repeated the process using the other side of the zipper and attaching it to the other end of the fabric. Like before I started by attaching small pieces of the double sided wash away tape to portions of the zipper tape making sure I was away from the zipper so the tape didn’t show through.

![View of the wrong side of the striped fabric. The one end is folded up so it stretches horizontally across the image. There's a layer of interfacing along the edge and sewing clips along the top of it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0467.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then pulled the other end of the fabric over and lined up the interfaced end of the fabric over the zipper and used double sided tape and sewing clips to keep them together.

![View with the fabric folded in half (hidden) so you can see both sides of the zipper (at the top) with the fabric reaching down from it. The top layer shows the right side of the fabric with the zipper clipped to the top. Above it (in photo) you can see the top of the underside with the sewn on (other side of) zipper.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0468.jpg?resize=750%2C473&ssl=1)

Same step as above but this time you can see it from the front of the fabric.

![View above and looking down at the zipper that's zipped up a couple inches. Where the zipper is zipped the fabric is folded over and meeting in the center. Along the open end of the zipper the fabric gaps open showing the inside, underside, of the pillow.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0485.jpg?resize=750%2C714&ssl=1)

After I sewed either side of the zipper onto the fabric I was able to zip it up and confirmed I had sewn it well, it zipped, and the fabric was properly lined up on either side.

Once the zipper was done it was time to sew the sides closed. I first made sure the zipper was halfway open so I would be able to turn the pillow right side out, through the zipper gap, afterwards and be sure that the zipper pull wasn’t stuck outside of the pillow (that happened earlier this year with a purse I made). I knew I wanted the zipper to run horizontally along the center back of the pillow so to do this I laid the inside out pillow cover flat on the ground making sure the zipper was centered equidistant between the folds. Once I was happy with how it was laid out I used my sewing clips to secure the zipper to the other side of the fabric before adding more clips about an inch or so to either side of the zipper. Before adding more clips I next took the pillow covers to my sewing machine to secure the zipper, using a straight stitch, by sewing over either end of the zipper. Even though my zippers were plastic I had to sew carefully and did break my needle a couple of times. After the zipper was sewn down, with the zipper pull in the center, I used my regular scissors to trim the excess zipper tape on the outside of the stitching so my serger blade wouldn’t have to cut through it in the next step. I then triple checked that my zipper was halfway or so open, clipped the rest of the pillow’s sides down, and serged along either side of the pillow thus finishing both pillow covers.

![The pillow is laid flat on a floor mat. The right side of the pillow is curling up showing the zipper underneath it. The left the of the pillow is clipped in the middle and the end of the zipper tape is sticking out from the side showing where the zipper is. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0487.jpg?resize=750%2C344&ssl=1)

After laying out the pillow cover the way I wanted it to be, wrong side out, I clipped the zipper to the other side of the fabric making sure the clips made it secure and the opened end of the zipper was pressed closed.

![the pillow case is inside out and folded in half so you see the fabric side on the left and the zipper side, folded up, on the right. Both sides are clipped on and around the zipper. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0489.jpg?resize=750%2C524&ssl=1)

This shows another view of both sides, including the ends, of the zipper clipped to the reverse side of the pillow cover.

![Both pillows are shown, stacked, with the zipper facing up. If you look at the fabric on either side of the zipper, at the bottom, you can see the blue thread showing where the zipper was sewn down.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0496.jpg?resize=750%2C367&ssl=1)

View of the end of the zipper, on both pillowcases, after the zipper has been sewn shut and to the other side of the pillowcase.

![View of one end of both pillows. They're stacked slightly askew so you can see that end of both pillows at the same time. The ends of the zippers have been trimmed so you can see the fabric at the bottom.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0501.jpg?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

I then used my non-sewing scissors to trim the excess zipper, close to my stitches, to make it easier to serge the pillowcase. I then made sure the zipper was opened enough to turn the pillowcase right side out before clipping along either end of both pillow so the sides would be equal.

![Closeup of the serger while closing the side of the pillow. The needle has been paused to take the photo but the pressure foot is about to reach the sewing machine's stitching so it's a couple inches from the zipper tape. The other end of the zipper has been folded over so you can see where the serger went over the zipper end and sewing machine's stitches and how it looks a bit looser there. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0505.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then serged either end of the pillowcase closed while making sure to slow down and sew carefully while going over the ends of the zippers. Even though I was careful I still ended up breaking two needles (one left and one right) while going over the zippers.

![View of the back of both pillowcases. The top pillow is slightly folded in at the center so you can see the both ends of both pillows as they lay on the floor mat.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0519.jpg?resize=750%2C452&ssl=1)

The finished pillowcases using the striped coordinate in cotton spandex. The pillow on top is folded over in the center, allowing you to see all four zipper ends, so the picture only looks like more than two pillow covers.

And with that I was done the two matching coordinating pillows and I love how they turned out. After making them I tried to put one of the standard Walmart pillows I had bought into them and found the covers were a bit too wide to support the pillow. I measured the finished casing and, based on looking up pillow sizes online, decided a King sized pillow may fit better as it’s longer than a standard sized one. I didn’t want to go back to a store, during the shelter in place, for a simple pillow and they seemed too pricey online for what I wanted it for. Luckily, a couple days later, I realized Matt and I had two older pillows so I grabbed those and, although they’re probably still standard sized, they are firmer and seem to work in the pillow covers, for now, so I was able to put my final completed bed set on our bed.

![Closeup view of the matching blue striped pillows with a standard pillow inside them. The one on the left is zipped with the zipper hidden underneath it. The pillow on the right is zipper side up unzipped so you can see how much space is at the end. It's laying on the long custom Stargate pillow, will be shown in the next section, and is on the car mat. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0510.jpg?resize=750%2C459&ssl=1)

The finished matching pillow covers with the Walmart standard pillows inside of them. If you look closely you can see the ends aren’t the sturdiest as they need more pillow in there.

---

#### *The Long Custom Stargate Pillow*

While zipper hunting I had found a zipper slightly shorter than the *Stargate Home* panel and chose to put it vertically down the center back of the pillow. Since it was a bit short I didn’t have to worry about trimming the excess zipper before serging over (or beside) the ends. This time I chose to create a long and skinny strip of fabric and sewed the zipper to the short ends creating a giant loop of fabric when the zipper was closed. Like before I then laid the completed fabric loop down, right sides together, and centered the zipper, and this time panel, between the two folds. Once I was happy with how it was laid out and attached the clips I then serged along the top and bottom of the pillow cover. This is just a quick general overview and since I took photos during this process I figured I’d share in more depth below.

I started this pillow by taking the cotton spandex panel and checked it against the height of the *Stargate* minky coordinate I bought. I saw the panel was twice as tall so I folded the coordinating fabric in half, lengthwise, and cut down the fold so I’d have two long pieces. I then sewed the short end of either coordinate to the sides of the panel so I ended up with one really long short strip of fabric the height-ish of the panel. I then switched to my sewing machine, which was threaded with a matching blue thread, and topstitched the serger seam down with a narrow zigzag stitch.

![Closeup of the end of the folded coordinate placed over top of the panel so you can compare the heights. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0414.jpg?resize=750%2C548&ssl=1)

I checked the height of the coordinating yard of fabric against the toddler-sized panel. I then folded the coordinating fabric in half lengthwise, confirmed it matched the panels height, and then cut along the fold line before clipping the fabric to either side of the panel and serging them together.

![Closeup view of the topside seam between the double plush and cotton spandex. The fabric is in the sewing machine so you can see the sewing needle, and foot, about a quarter inch over from the seam topstitching.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0418.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After sewing the double plush coordinate to either side of the cotton spandex panel I folded the seam allowance toward the center and topstitched it down with a skinny zigzag stitch (lightening stitch).

![Closeup of the panel and a bit of the coordinate coming out of either side. Below the panel you can see the pillow holding it up.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0421.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After topstitching either side of the panel I laid the resulting strip of fabric over a standard pillow to judge how much of the height of the pillow it would cover.

I then took the resulting long strip of fabric and interfaced both of the short ends before attaching a zipper to it creating, essentially, a really big loop of fabric. I turned the loop of fabric the wrong side out so the right sides would be together. I then laid it out on the floor so the panel and zipper were on top of each other, in the center, with the long ends stretching out to either side.

![Closeup of a part of my kitchen table. On the left you can see a small section of the coordinating fabric, angled, with the zipper placed along the edge. In the middle of the image is my roll of wash-away tape with my sewing scissors to the right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0429.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Like the previous pillows I interfaced the wrong side of both ends of the fabric that I wanted the zipper to attach to before using double sided wash away tape to attach the zipper to the topside of the fabric. This time I attached it to the short ends. This photo was taken before I used my sewing clips to make sure things didn’t shift when moving it to my sewing machine and sewing it down.

![Image is captured looking down at the pillow cover from above. It's laid out on my car mat with a container of sewing clips and wash-away tape next to it. The fabric was folded right sides together with the zipper zipped closed. The zipper end of the cover is folded over a couple times but still shows the zipper with the sewing clips attached to the non-sewn side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0462.jpg?resize=750%2C514&ssl=1)

After sewing and topstitching the one side of the zipper on I next zipped the zipper closed and attached the other side of the zipper to the other end of the pillow. I kept the zipper zipped so I could level the fabric on either side of the zipper so the fabric would be even on either side. After attaching the zipper to the fabric using the wash-away tape and reinforcing it with sewing clips I next, after this image, opened the zipper so I could sew it together, finger press it open, and topstitch it.

I folded the pillow in half making sure the closed zipper was centered below the middle of the panel. I then used my sewing clips to clip the center of the panel and the zippered areas together before moving out from the center and clipping the rest of the fabric together until I got to the fold at either end. I clipped along the top and bottom of the pillow. Since this zipper was slightly shorter than the fabric I didn’t have to worry about serging over the zipper teeth like the previous pillows so I also didn’t have to sew over the ends of the zipper. Instead, after making sure that the zipper was halfway open, I went straight to serging the top and bottom of the pillow cover closed.

![The fabric is laid out on the car mat with the left and right side of the pillow cover going off photo although the left side is folded or rolled up so you can see more of it. In the center the panel, and zippered coordinate underneath, is laid out flat and clipped along the top and bottom. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0477.jpg?resize=750%2C502&ssl=1)

I then folded the pillow cover in half, wrong sides facing, so the zipper was centered compared to the panel. I clipped the panel to the zipper and the coordinating fabric.

![The pillow cover is laid out, mostly, flat and clipped along the top and bottom. The pillow goes a bit off screen on the right and left but you can see most of it from the reversed side as it's inside out. The paneled side is showing with the zipper hidden underneath.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0480.jpg?resize=750%2C320&ssl=1)

After clipping the center of the pillow together I spread out and clipped the coordinating fabric, on either side of the center, together creating a long rectangular shape.

![Closeup of the center of the pillow showing the opened side of the zipper with the panel image showing through the gap. The top is clipped together but there's space between either side of the zipper teeth that may be too large for the zipper which may cause a pucker to form.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0481.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Before serging the top and bottom closed I first flipped the pillow over to make sure the zipper was halfway open and inspect the ends. I noticed the opened end of the zipper was gaping apart, probably since the panel was knit, so I removed the clips, re-positioned the zipper, and reattached the clips so the zipper tape couldn’t move apart again.

![Same closeup image as before but now the opened end of the zipper is touching, maybe slightly overlapping, at the tip and there's clips holding it in place. The one clip, in the center, has both sides of the zipper and the panel in it's clasp which stops the panel from stretching the zipper sides apart.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0483.jpg?resize=750%2C556&ssl=1)

I made sure to keep either side of the zipper even and tried to slightly overlap the zipper tape. I then used several sewing clips to keep the zipper ends together. I also made sure to sew this side of the zipper with this side facing up so I could make sure the zipper tape stayed close together while serging it.

After tying off and trimming the serger thread and turning the pillow right side out I inspected the seam to make sure it was secure and didn’t show any of the panel’s white selvedge. And with that the long pillow cover was completed… although I still needed to put together a custom pillow to fit inside it.

---

### *Creating the Custom Pillow Insert*

Around the time I started sewing the pillow covers I went to Walmart and came out with three standard pillows for under $3 each. Once I finished sewing the long *Stargate* pillow I zipped open the back and inserted one of the pillows into it. It was definitely too short but I was really testing the pillows height and it was perfect inside the cover. With the height already good the next issue to solve was the pillow length. I decided to eyeball the pillows by laying out all three, end to end, over the pillow cover and although they were longer than the cover itself I figured they’d be perfect once cut open and sewn back together since I’d be loosing length with the seam allowances. I decided to attach all three pillows together, along the sides, so I’d have one long custom pillow for inside my cover. To do this I took two of the pillows and cut open only one end, the side with the tag so I could easily remove it, resulting in essentially a fabric sack filled with fluffy stuffing. I then took the third pillow and cut off both ends before pulling the stuffing out. I figured the two pillows with one side opened could be the left and right side of the final pillow with the last one becoming the center of it; hence why I removed the stuffing.

![Image shows the long pillow cover laid out on the car mat mostly covered by the two pillows with the one end open. The center panel shows through but covering the bottom of it, angled up, lays the stuffing of the third pillow with it's pillow covering flopped overtop. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0516.jpg?resize=750%2C458&ssl=1)

The three pillows after I had cut them open and, for the third, removed the stuffing out of it.

Sewing the center pillow to the first side was simple. I turned the pillow, with both ends opened, inside out and stretched it over the first pillow so they’d be right sides together with the open ends lined up. I then clipped the two open ends together, making sure the top and bottom seam of the pillow lined up, and then serged them together. I then grabbed the other side of the center pillow, the only hole left, and pulled it so the center pillow would come off of the first pillow making, basically, a longer pillow with a hole at one end or, if I turned it with the hole in the top, a sack with stuffing in the lower half. I then stuffed the stuffing from the center pillow back into it creating a pillow twice as long as it was before with the one end open.

![Closeup of the resulting, small, seam in the pillow.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0530.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The serged seam connecting the two pillows together didn’t stand out at all.

![Closeup of the two pillows, sewn together, laid overtop of the pllow cover. The third pillow is inside the end of the pillow cover so you can see they are almost the same length, just a bit long for the pillow, compared to the cover. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0518.jpg?resize=750%2C305&ssl=1)

After putting the stuffing back into the pillow I ended up with a pillow about two thirds the length of the pillow cover I made.

At this point I have a standard pillow opened at one side, a double-long pillow opened at one side, and a pillow cover that’s just a bit shorter than the two pillows if you lay them side-by-side. I knew I wanted to join the two pillows together but wasn’t sure how. Technically I could’ve cut the other end open on the standard unaltered pillow and removed the stuffing so I could follow the same steps as I did above. I chose not to as I didn’t want an obvious side seam, when closing the hole, that might show through the cover plus I was worried the stuffing might end up bunching weirdly if I had to re-stuff the pillow after the fact especially if it was through a smaller opening. By leaving the stuffing in I knew I couldn’t turn anything inside out so these pillows would be harder to join together. By laying out the two pillows end to end overtop of the pillow cover it looked like the pillow might end up being a bit too long so I knew I shouldn’t be worried about loosing too much length in the seam allowance when joining them together. I decided to shove the stuffing into either pillow, so it wouldn’t get in the way, and then serged the edge of both pillows to their ends wouldn’t unravel. I then placed the two pillows beside each other and pushed them together so their open ends overlapped, one pillow inside the other, before lining up the top and bottom seams and used my sewing clips to keep them together. Since the pillow looked like it might be too long for the cover I made sure to overlap the pillow ends by at least an inch resulting in a slightly shorter one. I then hand stitched the two pillows together using matching white thread. I noticed, at times, the thread pulled the pillow case fabric so it ended up gathering along the stitching so I made sure to frequently pull the fabric so it remained un-gathered and every five stitches or so tied a knot so it wouldn’t cinch the fabric in later. The knot also meant that, in the future, if part of my stitching rips I’d only have a small hole to fix rather than the whole thing. Also since I had serged the ends I didn’t have to worry about sections of the pillowcase unraveling.

![Closeup of the two pillows joined with the edges mostly overlapping. The center top of it is pulled apart so you can see both edges and the stuffing in the middle. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0521.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After finishing the two pillow edges, separately, on the serger it was time to overlap them so I could connect the pillows together.

![Closeup of the new 'seam' connecting the two pillows. Near the bottom you can see the bottom seam lined up with an orange clip holding it in place and at the top a blue clip holds the pillow together. In between the two you can see the serged edge of the pillow overlapping the other and a sewing needle threading white thread through the layers holding the seam in place.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0524.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then lined the pillows up making sure the top and bottom seams would match up before clipping them in place so they wouldn’t budge although I found jostling them a bit made some of the clips pop off and I’d have to put them back on. I then threaded my sewing needle with white thread and sewed the two together making sure to knot it every five or so stitches so the thread wouldn’t cause gathers in the pillowcase.

![Closeup of the serged edge as I hold the one part of the join up so the fabric underneath is pulled taunt. The needle is sitting through the layers of fabric while I take the picture with my other hand. In the background, to the right, you can see part of the pillow and DUPLO, blurred out, on the floor. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0525.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

I found it easier to sew along the edge while the fabric is pulled taunt so it doesn’t bunch up.

![Closeup of the overlapped hand sewn seam. You can see the finished serge end of the one pillow. The seam puckers and ripples from the hand stitching that's hard to differentiate from the serged edge.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0528.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

When done the seam still blended in although the one serged end does stand out more than the first seam.

Once I was done hand sewing them together I smacked the pillow a bit to try to distribute the stuffing equally throughout the entire pillow. I then folded the finished pillow in half and started stuffing one end of the pillow into the pillow cover and, after getting about a foot into the cover, started stuffing the other end in. I figured it was better to stuff the two ends in equally and, once I got to the center, unfold the pillow, pushing the last bit in in, and zip it closed. Compared to the first seam the hand sewn one seems ungainly and obvious but inside the cover it’s one giant comfy pillow.

![Closeup of the long Stargate pillow. The light from the window is shining on the left side causing the one stargate to light up more compared to the others. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0533.jpg?resize=750%2C227&ssl=1)

The finished Stargate pillow with the custom length pillow inside of it.

The kids absolutely loved the final pillow and after making them stand back so I could quickly snap the above photo I let the kids hug and play with the pillow before I moved it out of their way.

![View from above of the pillow with Zoey laying on it, in child's position, and Ada, below her, laying on the end.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0535.jpg?resize=750%2C333&ssl=1)

The kids started by hugging the pillow…

![The kids rocking on the pillow. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0539.jpg?resize=750%2C426&ssl=1)

They next sat on the pillow and rocked back and forth until Ada fell off and then Zoey copied. They repeated this until I put an end to the game.

---

### *Zipper Troubleshooting*

After I finished the matching pillows I quickly realized one of the ends of a zipper was trying to separate from the fabric so when the pillow was right side out you can see the stretching serger stitches. To fix this I turned the pillowcase inside out again and took it back to my sewing machine to stitch over the end of the zipper. I made sure my new stitches lined up with the serger’s inner line of stitches so they’d match and be reinforced. I also made sure to carefully go over the stitches several times. It fixed the zipper end perfectly.

![View of the zipper ends laid almost flat pulling up the center of the side seam so it looks like there's a 2D hill along the seam. You can see the white serger stitches stretching from the seam to whichever zipper tooth it's looped around or through.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0511.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Closeup of the zipper and serger stitches pulling away from the side seam. Since the pillow was made with cotton spandex it was easily able to stretch the fabric wherever it wanted and since the zipper, and interfacing under it, doesn’t stretch this is where it chose to pull.

The other issue I noticed was when the white selvage wasn’t completely hidden in the seam allowance so it showed when the pillow cover was turned right side out. Since I wasn’t worried about exact measurements I just turned it wrong side out again, used a clip to mark where the shown selvage line started and ended, and re-serged over that section. After turning it right side out and confirming the selvage was hidden I made sure to unraveled the excess serger tails, tied them, and trimmed off the excess thread.

![The side of the pillow is laid flat so you can see the side seam. The closed end of the zipper is on the left side of the image with a white selvage line showing starting a couple millimeters over from the zipper.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0512.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Visible selvage of the outside of the pillow cover.

---

### *The Finished Set*

And with that the bed set that I didn’t realize I absolutely needed was done. Both fabrics are so comfy and the double plush is so soft. I love sitting on the blanket and am so glad I decided to buy it and sew it up as the end result is amazing. I was never a person that wanted extra pillows on the bed but I’m so glad I have them now.

![Angled overview of the blanket and pillows on the bed.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0622.jpg?resize=650%2C922&ssl=1)

The complete bed set all laid out and looking awesome. I love the quote on the blanket and the *Stargate* pillow shining out between the two dark striped pillows. At first I was worried the *Stargate* pillow wouldn’t match but I think they used similar colors in parts, since it’s from the same preorder, so it all goes together beautifully.

![Close up view of the bed showing the pillows and the upper third of the blanket.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0629.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Closer view of the pillows.

![Closeup view of the corner of the bed showing the blanket just hitting the floor at the foot of the bed and laying much higher on the side allowing the sheet to dangle lower. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0628.jpg?resize=750%2C531&ssl=1)

I don’t mind how skinny the blanket is while using it but looking at the blanket on the bed I wish it was wider and, maybe, not quite as long. I would love if the length matched on all three sides of the bed.

![View from the foot of the bed looking up the bed and seeing the, slightly blurred, pillows at the head of the bed.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0634.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

Overall though I love the blanket and matching pillows.

---

I’m so glad I jumped on the Travelers preorder through [Moon Beam Textile Company](https://moonbeamtextileco.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) even though I had to buy more to make it work once the fabric went to retail. If I had to order all of it at once the sticker shock may have made me not jump on it although, looking back, I’m so glad I did. I absolutely love it together on our bed.

Have you made a blanket set before? Where did you get your fabric and what did you do? What do you wish you did differently and what did you learn? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Hope you’re having an amazing day!

---

If you’re interested in getting any of my future blog updates I currently come out with a new one every Wednesday and share them to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). If you’d rather you’re more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post.
### Simple School Paper Organizer
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-school-paper-organizer/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:36:01.000Z
With this school year fast approaching I’ve started seeing discussions online on how full time distance learning might look from our homes. To, hopefully, help I wanted to show we ended up organizing our school paper and booklets while sheltering in place which may make school a bit easier for you. This year I’m planning on starting school at almost the same point we left it on last year with the addition of a couple simple changes up my sleeve that I’m hoping we can make as school progresses to help keep it fresh and interesting for the girls.

![Pinterest image showing four images, the title of the blog post, and my main URL. The top image shows piles of papers and other things on the counter. The below two images shows two different views of the cereal box paper organizer on the counter. Between the two sections, beside the blog title, there's a small picture of the cereal box along with an arrow going from the top to the bottom saying "from this to that with this".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/Simple-School-Paper-Organizer.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Earlier this year, back when the shelter in place order first went into effect, we were able to print off a bunch of papers for Ada to work on over the first three weeks of her distanced learning. Since I had access to the other packets, including the transitional-kindergarten work, I also printed out a packet for Zoey so she’d have the option of something similar to do when Ada was busy with schoolwork. This, combined with other free printables I found, was a lot of paper I had to keep track of all of a sudden so I grabbed a small cereal box I had just emptied and stuffed the, organized, stack of papers in the top. This kept them all together and each morning, before we started school, I’d pull them out and separate each stacked section, based on if the work was completed and whose it was, and we’d get to work. Once done I’d re-stack the papers and put them back in the top of the cereal box. As the weeks went on the constant pulling out of the papers and the addition of other free entertaining printables, as I came across them, meant the cereal box looked rather ratty and I wasn’t sure how much longer it would last. Eventually the box became so top heavy, or bottom bent, that it started tipping over and I had to, gradually, learn to lean it further back each day against the wall so it wouldn’t topple and spill the papers. The straw that finally broke the camels back came with Easter break and the advent of mandatory distance learning as we were given the opportunity to pick up Ada’s bundle of stuff, including all of her future workbooks and sheets, and I realized my current system wasn’t going to be able to handle the load anymore.

![The small counter beside the stove topped with diaper wipes, scissors, and so many papers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_7397.jpg?resize=750%2C495&ssl=1)

To the right of our oven we have a small section of counter space that became the spot for the cardboard box and the dumping spot of any of Ada’s and Zoey’s school-related papers and objects. I didn’t get a chance to snap a picture until after I cleaned it up a bit so I could dump the papers from the old cereal box resulting in this view. This didn’t include any of the newly received papers and books that were sitting on the table for this photo.

Luckily, I had a giant cereal box on hand so I quickly emptied the last bag of cereal from it and freed the box to make a paper organizer as soon as possible. As this box had held two bags of cereal it was made much wider and sturdier than my older single bag cereal box I had used before.

![View of the large, double, cereal box emptied and open at the top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_7380.jpg?resize=750%2C537&ssl=1)

Started with an empty cereal box.

I started out by taping the box closed, keeping it sturdy, before grabbing my X-Acto knife to cut into it. I then cut part of the top and most of the front side open making sure to leave a slight edge on either side.

![View, angled, of the top of the box (Frosted Mini Wheats) with beige masking tape holding down the top flaps in the center and on the one corner edge. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_7385.jpg?resize=750%2C466&ssl=1)

I knew I’d want to cut about a third of the top of the box open so I made sure to secure the center and only one side with the masking before I started cutting. There was no point taping down the portion I was going to cut into.

![Angled edge view of the box showing a small rectangle missing from the taped down top of the box.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_7386.jpg?resize=750%2C528&ssl=1)

I started cutting the top of the box off by focusing on the one flap before going over to the other flap. Since I already applied the masking tape to the center of the box I had a line I could easily follow with my knife.

![View of the box missing most of it's front and some of it's top so you can see the brown inside of it. In the foreground, at the bottom of the image, you can see the opened X-Acto box, the knife, the blades, and the removed part of the box all going off photo. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_7388.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After cutting a portion of the top off I continued the two cuts along the front going most of the way down to the bottom and then cut across. I made sure to leave a lip around all the edges so the box would still be structurally sound.

Once I was happy with how the opening looked I taped along the top edge so it would be smoothed down. I then added tape to the inside and outside of the bottom of the box so no smaller items would fall out if I had to move it around.

![View of the top of the box showing the last piece of tape stretching across the width of the box overlapping with the cut edge. The right side has a rip in the tape leading to that corner. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_7389.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I started by laying a strip of masking tape over the edge so half of it wasn’t attached to anything. I then cut into the corners, seen on the right side, and folded the tape over into the inside of the box.

![View of the top of the box showing the tape edge. The image is focused on the left inner corner and shows a piece of tape laid over that section with the end hanging over the abyss. The cut has been cut from the tape edge to the corner and one half is missing, folded over, while the other one lays flat waiting to be bent over.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_7390.jpg?resize=630%2C473&ssl=1)

I wasn’t sure if the tape in the corner would pop up so I added another piece angled to intersect perpendicularly with the corner, cut into the tape meeting the corner, and folded the two unattached pieces over.

![View from above showing the box. You can see the taped top of the box and the inside. The very bottom shows a strip of tape going from one inner flap to the other inner flap. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_7394.jpg?resize=750%2C770&ssl=1)

Once the top was taped I laid another piece of tape over the hole in the bottom of the box. I worried the tape would stick to something below the box, in the future, so I then flipped the box over and taped it from the bottom too.

And then you’re done; although at this point you could tape the rest of the edges too. I left it as is at this point and haven’t had an issue yet. Once I was finished with my cereal box paper organizer I placed it on our counter, angled away from the stove, where I could easily access the papers.

![The small, bent, rounded, and ripped cereal box barely stands on it's own on the counter. Behind it, barely seen, is the newer, larger, and strong paper organizer box. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_7404.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Here you can see a comparison between my first, quick, solution and my newer long term solution.

![View from the side of the orange boxed paper organizer with the papers already inside it. Above it is a small rectangular plastic basket and in front is the tipped over older cereal box.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_7402.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I was able to fit all of the schoolwork (old and new) along with my miscellaneous other papers I planned to entertain the kids with inside of the box. I separated my paper by having each stack rotated 90 degrees from the previous and next stack. For instance I put Ada’s upcoming schoolwork stacked vertical, then behind it Ada’s used school papers stacked horizontal, then behind that any miscellaneous papers I printed to entertain Ada with stacked vertically… continued onward with each stack turned 90 degrees from the previous stack. On top I put a small plastic basket to contain any related small items I needed to corral like my tape, pens, and a dry erase marker.

A couple weeks later I remembered the plastic drawers I had put together awhile back, [as a kid distraction area in my kitchen](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/01/29/kids-distraction-area-in-the-kitchen/), that had been moved under the kids art table at some point after we move. I decided to pull them out, reorganized it a bit, and placed it beside the paper organizer so it would be easily accessible when Zoey needed it while Ada was in school. If needed it was simple enough to move the whole thing to the table for Zoey or pull out a single drawer at a time for her. After adding a cup of pens and scissors to the top along with the smaller basket of school-related items I had before the area was completed.

![Closeup of the lower half of the paper organizer. You can see a hint of the metal paper separator in the center, with a bit of LEGO shining through, and papers on either side of it. To the left of the photo you can see some of the plastic drawers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_7962.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Later on Matt decided he didn’t need a metal book divider he had so I ended up adding it to the box to help better separate Ada and Zoey’s papers from each other. We had a [LEGO® storybook adventure set](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/mulan-s-storybook-adventures-43174?ref=simplykyra.com) that I had set aside specifically for Zoey while Ada had school meetings so I tucked it in between the papers so it would be easy to access and out of the way.

![View of the counter with the stove behind it. Against the wall sits the paper organizer with two rolls of masking tape on it. Beside it sits the plastic drawers with a old David's Tea tin with dry erase markers and scissors alongside the white basket with a clock and other school items. In the drawers you can see the water wows and puzzles.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_7965.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The final setup.

I chose to leave the paper organizer as it was since I wasn’t sure how long we’d be using it. It ended up working beautifully for the rest of the school year and now, still, sits on our counter full with the same papers as the last day of school. I’m planning on going through the papers and reorganizing my kitchen counter before school starts back up so the paper organizer is ready for the school year and placed in a less obstructive spot. I’m probably going to leave the box as is but if not I could definitely see making it prettier by covering it up with paint or taping decorative paper to the outside. I could see even having Ada and Zoey decorate it with paint, stickers, or markers. It could potentially be a great art project that keeps the kids busy, giving you some time to yourself, and contributes to getting that paper clutter organized.

---

This year I’m going to start the school year at almost the same point I left it at last year, but I’m also coming up with a list of simple changes I could make as school progresses to help keep it fresh and interesting. Last year we organized our art trolley, [shown in our quick and simple storage container post](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/07/03/quick-and-simple-storage-containers/), so any crayons, markers, etc Ada needs during the day are easily accessible. We also bought her a wobble cushion and already had an [Ikea FLITSAT art table](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/flisat-childrens-table-50298418/?ref=simplykyra.com). For this year I just ordered two stools for the table and am thinking we could create different areas, through these items, for Ada to choose to work from, other than main one: the kitchen table, allowing her to have more agency over her schoolwork. Like last year we’ll see how it goes and take the weekends to decide if and how we should change our space or approach for the next week.

I hope this simple way you can throw together a paper organizer with things you probably already have can help you out with school. I’d love to hear what you’ve done to make distance learning easier so feel free to share any in the comments below. If you’re interested in any future updates feel free to follow my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) or [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com) where I share my new posts; although, if you prefer to stay updated through email, there’s also my email list. I hope, if you need to, you’re able to make a decision, for you, about school. Hope you’re having a good week.
### Simple Create Your Own Pizza
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-create-your-own-pizza/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T18:59:58.000Z
Are you looking for a way to change up your at home meals with your kids. I keep repeatedly forgetting about our simple create your own pizzas, remembering again, surprising the kids with it, and then forgetting for awhile once again. I personally prefer how the pizzas taste when [I make an entire one](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/02/01/my-favorite-pizza-crust-including-my-go-to-tomato-sauce-and-dessert-pizza/) at once, but when I pull this idea out my kids’ faces light up. In fact, this reminds me I should probably do this again sometime soon.

![Pinterest image showing several simple photos of pizza. Specifically spreading ranch on personal pizza crust, watching the oven, and some finished baked pizzas. The image also shows the post title and my main blog url.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/07/compressed_Simple-Create-Your-Own-Pizza.jpg?resize=471%2C706&ssl=1)

---

Some of the common quotes I've heard when the kids make their own pizzas include:

> My brain is making up the directions and recipes! -Ada

> I’m using a flock of tomato sauce all over the pepperoni. (Ada) Me too! (Zoey)

> I’m following my brain’s directions! -Ada

---

Several years ago, [when I was making pizzas for supper, I decided to double my pizza dough recipe](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/02/01/my-favorite-pizza-crust-including-my-go-to-tomato-sauce-and-dessert-pizza/) and, while we ate our finished pizzas, I baked several smaller sized personal pizza crusts to save for later. I was able to easily freeze the crusts individually on a cookie sheet in my freezer and then once frozen moved them to a sealed bag. The bag was simple enough to pull out the day before I wanted them so the pizza crusts could defrost overnight in the fridge and then I simply laid them out on a cookie sheet so the kids could decorate them. I was then able to toss the completed pizzas into a preheated oven without having to move them around. This time I didn’t have any tomato sauce on hand so I instead squirted some bottled ranch salad dressing onto each pizza crust and gave Ada a spoon to spread it out while I brought her a plate filled with individual pizza toppings. If you’re doing this with a toddler or someone who might lick their fingers I highly recommend working with ingredients that are either precooked or good to eat as is rather than anything raw.

![Closeup of Ada spreading ranch dressing on her pizza crust with a spoon. Underneath the two pizza crusts are a silpat and cookie sheet. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/07/compressed_1-Add-and-spread-your-sauce.jpg?resize=629%2C675&ssl=1)

Start with your pizza crust and spread out your choice of sauce. I’ve used tomato sauce, ranch salad dressing, or Alfredo sauce before.

![While Ada still spreads the ranch dressing on the pizzas on the cookie sheet there's a plate of toppings in the background with grated cheese, pineapple, pepperoni, and ham sandwich meat. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/07/compressed_2-Spreading-the-ranch-after-a-snack.jpg?resize=534%2C750&ssl=1)

I then placed a plateful of toppings beside the pizza so she could decorate it herself.

![Closeup of the final two pizzas on the silpat lined cookie sheets. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/07/compressed_3-Pineapple-eaten-and-pizza-decorated.jpg?resize=545%2C750&ssl=1)

The final pizzas before going into the oven.

![The one pizza sits on an orange plate and the edge is slightly lifted up by two toddler hands. The pizza between the two hands has a little nibble already stolen off. In the background the other pizza sits on the plate that used to house the toppings.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/07/compressed_5-First-bite-was-good.jpg?resize=785%2C750&ssl=1)

The final melty ooey gooey pizzas warmed just enough to melt but not be too hot for her to eat.

![The orange plate in the foreground is now naked with bites taken around the outside. Behind the plate is another, pink sectioned, plate with the meat toppings filling one of the smaller sections. Ada leans over to take a bite of the other crust.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/07/compressed_6-Pizza-good-deli-meat-not-so-much.jpg?resize=542%2C750&ssl=1)

In this case I had hoped decorating the pizza itself would mean she’d eat all the chosen toppings and had gotten excited when she had used them all. Alas this time the topping that she didn’t like went into a section of the plate so she could better eat the cheese and ranch-coated crusts.

If you don’t have small homemade personal sized pizza crusts on hand it doesn’t matter as you can easily use something else. I vaguely remember my mom using a large halved loaf of french bread before and although the bread to topping ratio is much different it still worked out. One of [my default lunches for the kids are Nutella banana wraps](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/06/19/simple-banana-wraps/) so more often than not I may have an opened bag of tortilla wraps hanging around our kitchen that I can easily grab from so my simple choice of pizza crusts are the flour tortillas.

![Ada on her knees in front of the lit up oven entranced at the contents inside.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/07/compressed_IMG_5912.jpg?resize=750%2C542&ssl=1)

This time around Ada again used all of the decorations on her pizza and then stayed at the oven door watching it all melt…

![View from behind Zoey as she eats the leftover cheese and pineapple from her plate of pizza toppings.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/07/compressed_IMG_5915.jpg?resize=750%2C505&ssl=1)

while Zoey instead used a portion of her toppings and waited out her pizza baking by eating the leftover toppings that didn’t make it onto her tortilla wrap pizza crust.

![View of the cookie sheet with an orange silpat liner over the entire surface and a green half sized one on the left side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/07/compressed_IMG_5916.jpg?resize=750%2C520&ssl=1)

Since I wasn’t sure if the kids would be done decorating their pizza at the same time I gave a small Silpat™ liner to one kid and a large liner to the other so I was able to pull the one pizza to the side and put both on the same cookie sheet when they were both ready for the oven at the same time.

The tortilla wraps can be used for pizzas when you’re looking for a simpler meal too. This time around I batch baked them, although I can’t remember why at this moment, by laying out the flour tortilla wraps on two Silpat™ lined cookie sheets. I was able to get three whole tortillas on each sheet, with the edges turned up, and then cut a final tortilla wrap into quarters to fit the last two corners on either sheet. After I poured some tomato sauce on each tortilla wrap and then used a spoon to spread it out I next added some cut up ham deli meat, canned pineapple chunks, and two types of grated cheese.

![Closeup of the two cookie sheets with the tomato sauce covered flour tortillas. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/07/compressed_IMG_0403.jpg?resize=750%2C502&ssl=1)

I tried to fit as many flour tortillas as I could onto the two cookie sheets by slightly overlapping them and cutting the final tortilla wrap into four pieces to cover the last few small spaces.

![Closeup of a half stack of deli meat sitting on a marbled square cutting board with a knife next to it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/07/compressed_IMG_0407.jpg?resize=750%2C503&ssl=1)

To made cutting up the Costo deli meat easier by plopping the entire stack on the cutting board and cutting strips from it starting at the one side and making my way to the center until I had enough for the pizzas. I then wrapped up the leftovers and put it back in the fridge for later.

![Closeup view of the cookie sheets, angled from the side, showing them with tomato sauce and strips of deli meat on top.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/07/compressed_IMG_0405.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I sprinkled the meat strips onto the tortilla wraps.

![Closeup of a white bowl with a spoon, inside it, sitting in yellow liquid with the odd floating chunk of pineapple. Behind the bowl is the opened and emptied can of pineapple chunks and behind both are the blurred out pizzas from before now also topped with the pineapple chunks.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/07/compressed_IMG_0408.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I next dumped a can of pineapple chunks into a bowl and used a slotted spoon to move the pineapple onto the pizzas.

![View angled from above of the two cookie sheets with tortilla wraps topped with tomato sauce, deli meat, pineapple chunks, and mixed grated cheese. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/07/compressed_IMG_0412.jpg?resize=750%2C501&ssl=1)

Finally I topped the pizza with grated cheese. Normally I just use sharp cheddar cheese since I make sure to keep some on hand but this time I must have also had some mozzarella in the fridge.

![Image of a personal pizza topped with melted cheese and other toppings sitting on a white plate on a wooden table. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/07/compressed_IMG_0414.jpg?resize=750%2C484&ssl=1)

Fresh out of the oven a melty yummy tortilla wrap personal pizza.

Making the pizzas are simple and a great sensory activity for your kids if you want to turn mealtime into a longer fun activity. It’s a perfect way to combine mealtime with playtime when you’re not in a rush which seems to happen so much more frequently now that we’re sheltering in place. Have you had your kids make personal pizzas themselves? What did you include on top? What did you use for the crust? Any tips and tricks that you recommend? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below. If you’re interested in getting updated on any of my future posts, currently once a week on Wednesdays, I share the updates to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com); although, you are also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar or underneath this post. I hope your day is going good and you have a blast with your kids making pizzas if you decide to do this. Have a great week!
### Quick and Simple Fabric Napkins with Your Serger
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/quick-and-simple-fabric-napkins-with-your-serger/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:35:51.000Z
For the last year or so I’ve been wanting to make cloth napkins for our kitchen so we’d stop using paper towel at the table. Back in February the [52 week sewing challenge](https://www.facebook.com/groups/52weeksewingchallenge/), that I take part in, challenged us to sew something for our kitchen. I jumped on the chance and after dabbling with the idea of making unpaper towels finally decided to switch to the much simpler napkin. That week I chose to make a more time-consuming version, using my sewing machine, that I didn’t absolutely love so over the next couple weeks I came up with the idea of using a rolled hem to finish the edges and create simple double-sided napkins. Over April the sewing challenge pushed me to play again by trying out my serger’s rolled hem function which, surprisingly, didn’t need a special foot and I fell in love with these resulting simple napkins. I ended up adding to my collection the following week and then went on to buy four yards of thin flannel specifically to make even more and sewed them up in June. I haven’t tried making these napkins on my sewing machine’s rolled hem foot yet as I love the simplicity of having my serger cut the fabric for me although I’m sure you could if you were willing to spend a bit more time cutting the fabric to size first.

![Pinterest image showing the title of my post, my url, and four images of my napkins. The top three images show the fabric folded before it's sewn (left), two piles of napkins (center), and a rolled up cutlery set with a pile of matching napkins (right). The bottom image shows all of my clean napkins stacked next to a container holding the smaller napkins, a couple coasters, and my kids nametags. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_Quick-and-Simple-Fabric-Napkins-With-Your-Serger.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

### *My First, More Complicated, Version*

I wanted to include the way I sewed my napkins, using my sewing machine, back at the beginning of February in case you wanted to sew a more clean and decorated way version. To make them I used some of my leftover cotton woven fabric and cut each pair of squares to different sizes ranging from 6 1/2 to 12 1/2 inches. I didn’t save what tutorial I used but I looked around and found a similar one on [Crafty For Home](https://craftyforhome.com/2018/12/08/handmade-cloth-napkins/?ref=simplykyra.com) if you want different pictures to follow around with. Looking for the tutorial made me come across [Home Made Lovely who made her napkins single layered and hemmed them with mitered corners](https://homemadelovely.com/how-to-make-cloth-napkins/?ref=simplykyra.com). I’m sharing this specifically because the top of the post shows the *proper* napkin sizes in case you wanted to keep to convention with yours.

For each of my napkins I made that week I cut out two matching squares and placed them right sides together so I could sew around the outside, leaving a space, and then turned them right side out. I next used my iron to press them flat while making sure the opening’s seam allowance stayed tucked in. I then topstitched around the entire napkin using a decorative stitch, because why not, making sure to close the opening on my way by. I did this, conveyor belt style, on all the napkins I cut out. The kids absolutely loved them at supper that day and, immediately, requested more.

![Four black monster covered squares of fabric stacked on the wood floor. The top two are turned a bit so it looks like two sets of squares only.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_3480.jpg?resize=750%2C708&ssl=1)

I cut out two matching squares for each napkin I wanted to make.

![The wrong side of the fabric is shown, with a scrap of the right side of the fabric showing through the top from the fabric below, and is clipped on all four sides to keep the two pieces together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_3482.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then placed the two pieces of fabric together, with the right sides facing, and then clipped them together. I sewed around all four sides making sure I left an opening large enough to turn it right side out. The top piece of fabric, on this napkin, has a part missing but I made sure to just widen the seam allowance on that side when I sewed them together.

![Closeup of a pile of five napkins with clips on the, non-obvious, opening. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_3485.jpg?resize=750%2C506&ssl=1)

After turning the napkins right side out I poked the corners out with a chopstick and pressed them flat with my iron. I clipped the openings closed so they’d be more apparent while topstitching the napkins.

![Closeup of the pile of napkins each with a different decorative stitch for the topstitching.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_3489.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The finished napkins after being topstitched.

The kids absolutely loved these napkins but they were time consuming and I had only made enough to get us through one or two meals. I also found these to be less absorbent than paper towels so I knew if I wanted the napkins to replace most of our paper towel use I’d have to use a more absorbent fabric and find a way to speed up the process so I could make more of them in a smaller amount of time. For the kids makeshift napkin I normally just split a skinny paper towel into two so I also knew I could easily make these napkins smaller for our day to day use and then they’d take up less storage room. I debated how to accomplish all these tasks and when April rolled around the weekly sewing challenge asked me to use a challenging notion so I decided to experiment making napkins with a rolled hem.

---

### *My Simple Napkins*

Up to this point I had only ever sewn a rolled hem while using my sewing machine and a rolled hem foot whenever I made [a Peppermint Swirl dress for my kids](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/20/even-more-peppermint-swirl-dresses/). This meant when I saw the challenge for the fifteenth week was to sew with a challenging notion I decided to try out the rolled hem foot on my serger and then swiftly discovered that there was no special foot and it was more of a settings change. I ended up going ahead and making a couple small napkins using thin and soft flannel, to try it out, before sewing up a different project so I could still accept the challenge that week. The following week was to sew something green or Eco-friendly so I decided to make more napkins using up the rest of that fabric.

If you’re making these I realized that there wasn’t a rolled hem foot for my serger and instead used the three thread narrow settings to generate the rolled hem. To do this I used just the one needle, removing my left needle, with the altered stitch settings. I wasn’t able to find my serger’s instruction and reference guide, at that time, so I googled my serger brand and model so I could download the PDF from the company website making it so much easier to search, using control/command-f, rather than paging through the physical book. For my Babylock Imagine I needed to switch the stitch selector to D, set the stitch length to the rolled hem range at 1.5, and finally set the stitch width to 3.5 M.

![Closeup view of the back of my Babylock serger showing the one and a half cones of serger thread and the thread guides on the top of my machine. The closest spool of thread has a machine needle taped to the top of the cone with masking tape. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_7323.jpg?resize=750%2C482&ssl=1)

Since the stitch type needed only the right needle I had to remove my left and only use the three spools of thread instead of four. To not lose the needle I temporarily taped it to that fourth spool of thread.

This was mostly just a test run to see if the flannel, instead of cotton woven, and technique would work as I quickly realized it wouldn’t fit the challenge, use a challenging notion, so I wanted to sew something else that week too. I took my super snuggle flannel, leftover from Joann’s, and folded the end over before clipping it in place. I then sewed along the fabric so the blade would just cut off the tighter edge and the excess fabric before finishing it off with the stitches. Once I was done sewing that side I flipped it around and sewed down the fold, being careful not to trim too much off, resulting in a strip of two pieces of fabric, wrong sides together, sewn on either side with both short ends open. I then turned my fabric and used my serger blade to cut the long rectangle into squares and finished both sides so I’d had several small square napkins. I attempted to tie off my serger threads but there was no easy way to untangle them so I finally decided to just trim them off… and I was done.

![Purple fabric with rainbows and donuts lay on the ground, wrong side up, with the end folded up and clips holding it in place. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_7167.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I started by folding my fabric over and clipping it in place creating my napkin width.

![Closeup of my serger showing the foot, needle, and excess fabric being pulled away. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_7169.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then sewed along the edge making sure the tougher top edge and excess bottom fabric was evenly cut off with my serger blade.

![The fabric is shown in the serger. The left side of the long rectangle is shown on the lower left with the three thread narrow black threads holding the two layers together. The right side is partially sewn showing the threads behind the machine and the folded fabric in front of the serger's foot.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_7171.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After sewing the one side I flipped the fabric around and sewed along the folded side trying not to trim too much of the fabric as I went along.

![The long rectangle of 'napkin' is shown with the long edges sewn down and the top and bottom unsewn. It lays on the rest of the fabric it was cut from. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_7173.jpg?resize=750%2C342&ssl=1)

After sewing the two long edges you’re left with this.

![The rectangle of napkin lays on the ground with all four sides sewn closed and thread ends dangling from all four corners. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_7174.jpg?resize=750%2C375&ssl=1)

I then sewed down either short end which fully finished all the fabric edges. At this point, if you like the size, you’re done and can call this your finished napkin.

![Photo show the rectangular napkin, going off photo, with the raw edge almost finished while the cut square with the raw edges hangs below the blade.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_7175.jpg?resize=750%2C441&ssl=1)

I then made the napkin smaller by going along the length of the rectangular napkin cutting off smalls squares and finishing the raw rectangle edge at the same time.

![Image shows the serger blade and needle moving as it finished the squares raw edge. Behind it lays another, finished square or rectangle connected by the serger thread tail. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_7178.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After cutting off the napkin square I grabbed it and finished the cut edge making a fully finished square napkin.

![Four squares lay on a wooden floor. The three tops are connected by the serger thread tails while the bottom one lays alone. All of them have a tail coming out of each corner. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_7179.jpg?resize=750%2C494&ssl=1)

I sewed one after another, mostly, only cutting the serger tails if I needed to.

![All four squares laid out on the flour with no excess thread coming off of them. They're slightly overlapping and shaped in an arch. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_7182.jpg?resize=750%2C593&ssl=1)

I tried to untangle the serger thread tails my normal way which didn’t work so finally I just trimmed the excess thread off of all four corners. I haven’t noticed it fraying… yet.

I absolutely loved the resulting napkins! The thin snuggle flannel was softer and more absorbent than using the cotton woven and by using the three thread narrow stitch on the serger they were so easy and simple to cut and sew in one step. They were a bit small but I knew I found my method for all future napkins and since the next week’s challenge was to sew something green or Eco-friendly I waited until the following week before making more with the rest of my fabric scrap. I only had one square-ish piece of the fabric left so I folded it in half, making a wider napkin than before, and sewed following the same steps as before.

![The photo shows the kitchen table with the purple fabric (with rainbows and donuts on it) folded in half. There's a container of sewing clips next to the fabric and some of the clips are attached along the left side and either end of the fabric. To the right top of the photo there lies a a vase with the bottom part of a lily shown. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_7326.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I folded my fabric scrap in half, wrong sides facing, and used my sewing clips around the outside to hold it in place. I love how it doesn’t matter if you have directional fabric… unless you happen to be making rectangular napkins and care which orientation they lay on the table.

![Closeup of the serger where the blade is cutting the excess white off the end of the fabric while finishing the resulting edge. The end of the newly serged line trails to the previously serged side to the left in the image. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_7331.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I followed the same steps as before and serged all four sides closed.

![A long flannel rectangle lays on the table folded over, at an angle, so you can see either side.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_7333.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Like before I ended up with a long rectangular napkin with all four edges finished. Again if you like this size you can stop here.

![A slightly scattered stack of rectangular nap laid out sideways. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_7334.jpg?resize=750%2C549&ssl=1)

Like before I cut pieces of the long rectangular napkin and then finished the resulting raw edge. Since the fabric was wider than before I ended up with smaller rectangular napkins much larger than the squares from the previous week.

![The photo shows a fork and spoon wrapped up in a napkin, on it's side, on the left of the photo. The right side of the photo shows the other four napkins folded in half and slightly overlapped making a slight arch going up the photo.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_7337.jpg?resize=750%2C530&ssl=1)

While taking the final photos for the sewing challenge I realized I could turn the napkin sideways and wrap it around the cutlery which looks awesome if you have guests over or want the table to look special… I normally just toss one down at each spot while I finish making supper.

I absolutely loved these napkins. They were the perfect size for us and worked amazingly. I knew I wanted to make more so when I went on the Joann’s website to buy snuggle flannel fabric for the girls’ nightgown I decided to buy a couple yards of some other choices to make more napkins so we’d have more than enough to last us between laundry cycles. This was during the end of March and beginning of April so my online order took awhile to fulfill and I kept finding another email from Joann’s telling me that yet another choice I made became unavailable. When I finally got my order I was able to make a dress for Ada, but not for Zoey, and my prettier heart fabrics had all been cancelled. I did; however, get my two food-related fabrics, apparently they weren’t as popular, so when week 23 of the challenge came around, sew with a unique stitch, I decided to create more napkins. I had bought two yards of donut fabric and two yards of pizza fabric and used every bit of both to add to my burgeoning napkin stockpile. Like before I followed the same steps but made sure to make my first folds, determining the width of each napkin, larger than the first time and attempted to make each fold more consistent until I was limited by the amount of scrap I had left and folded the remainder in half for that one more strip of napkin. I also had a bit of flowered snuggle fabric leftover from something else so I made napkins with the main bit of the fabric and with the leftover scraps I ended up using the same process to make little face cloths. For the face cloths I took a single piece of fabric, not doubled up, and stitched along each edge and since it was a weirdly shaped fabric remnant some of the resulting cloths became truly weird polygons.

![Five piles of napkins beside two piles of face cloths. The face cloths are a pile of square shaped cloths (top) and a pile of weird polygon remnants (bottom). The five piles of napkins consist of two donuts (left), two pizza (center), and one vertical pile of flowers (between the pizza and face cloths).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9609.jpg?resize=750%2C361&ssl=1)

I ended up sewing two yards worth of donut fabric, two yards of pizza fabric, and my leftover flowered fabric that I think I bought as a remnant years ago.

![There are three piles on the table and the photo is take from above looking down on the piles. Each is topped with the grey flowered fabric though you can see the other two fabrics peaking out on the two left piles. The leftmost pile consists of large rectangular napkins, the center pile are smaller square napkins, and the rightmost pile are small single-layered face cloths. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9610.jpg?resize=750%2C419&ssl=1)

I love that organically I seemed to get either big rectangular napkins or smaller squared napkins based on the width of each strip of napkin that was created. This resulted in two different napkin shapes making a larger rectangular pile and a smaller square pile on the table. To the far right is my randomly shaped face cloth pile.

![Photo showing the napkin piles from the side. Closest in the image are the face cloths, next is the small pike of square napkins, and finally is the tall pile of the larger rectangular napkins.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_9615.jpg?fit=707%2C1024&ssl=1)

I chose not to take the extra time to trim each thread tail and haven’t had a problem yet though I could easily sit and trim them all of if I care sometime in the future.

I absolutely love our resulting napkins from these weeks. It’s now the beginning of July and the napkins still make me smile when we use them and, bonus, we’re using way less paper towel too. I keep them in a small stack on our kitchen counter so they’re easy to grab whenever a meals ready and simple to put back after I wash them. Before sewing the napkins I had bought a small plastic pail, from the Dollar Tree, and kept it on the counter in the corner of our kitchen to hold the dried dishcloths, hand towels, and kitchen towels while they waited to be laundered. Since I’ve sewn the napkins the pail now lives on the floor so the kids can easily clean up their dirtied napkins by themselves by putting them in the pail and I wash them with the other kitchen cloths. And as an added bonus whenever the kids spill, a small bit of, water I just get them to grab something from the pail to sop it up with and let it dry before putting it back which saves even more paper towel and immediate effort on my part.

[![A stack of napkins sit on the counter against the backsplash with the cotton woven ones at the bottom. Beside it sits a teal plastic basket holding the smaller napkins and some other fabric items.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0828.jpg?resize=750%2C472&ssl=1)](http://localhost:2368/2020/03/25/simple-and-washable-name-tags-for-your-kitchen-table/?ref=simplykyra.com)

The napkins are normally stacked on the back of kitchen counter making them easy for me to grab and more difficult for the kids. Beside the stack I have another Dollar Tree container holder the smaller ‘napkins’, a couple of coasters, and [the clean name tags for the kids’ spot at the table](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/03/25/simple-and-washable-name-tags-for-your-kitchen-table/).

![Overview of the white plastic pail in the corner of the kitchen between the cupboard side and blinds. Inside the pail yuo can see a couple dishcloths, a hand towel, and many pizza decorated napkins.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/compressed_IMG_0823.jpg?resize=750%2C573&ssl=1)

I took a photo of the plastic pail but it just lives in the corner of the kitchen floor as a place to throw any towels, dried dishcloths, and napkins in. When it gets full I wash them all at the same time.

And that’s it. The hardest part of this whole process is switching your serger to a three thread narrow setting and remembering how to switch it back when you’re done. I love how simple this stash buster is and can see saving up my larger scraps to make napkins and having each napkin remind me of other items I’d previously made with them. Or you could buy fabric specifically for this project like I did finding any available food-related snuggle flannel fabric.

Have you made napkins before? [Or did you create something more complicated like snappable unpaper towel (Etsy link to a search)](https://www.etsy.com/market/unpaper%5Ftowels%5Fwith%5Fsnaps?ref=simplykyra.com)? I’d love to hear about what you made so feel free to share in the comments below. If you’re interested in any future updates feel free to check out my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/), [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com), or join my email list located on the top left side of the page under the search bar, if you’re on a wide screen device, or underneath this post. Hope you’re having a great day.
### Simple Lasagna-ish From Leftovers
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-lasagna-ish-from-leftovers/
Last updated: 2023-03-23T22:39:19.000Z
Are you tired of cooking each and every night? Do you miss lasagna but don’t want to go to all the trouble of getting the perfect ingredients and spending tons of time assembling it? Why not combine your normal supper making time with only a little bit more effort afterwards, while packing up the leftovers, so you end up with a great supper and a lasagna waiting for you. Since making my first lasagna-ish I’ve stopped making legit lasagnas. The kids have a blast watching me assemble the lasagna-ish as they finish their supper and have started getting excited whenever there’s a casserole for supper as they’ve become accustomed to my more pasta-centric ones. Now whenever I buy a large package of ground beef from Costco I always make sure to grab a container of cottage cheese to go with it. Half of the ground beef gets cooked up for supper and my leftover lasagna-ish while the other half gets thrown in the freezer for other dishes. I find this is a great supper and I love having the lasagna sitting in the freezer ready to go for whenever I feel like it.

![Pinterest image showing the leftovers from the pasta and meat sauce (top) and the finished casserole uncooked (left) and baked (right). Additionally there's text saying (top) Simple Lasagna-ish From Leftovers (middle) Go from pasta and meat sauce leftovers to a tasty freezable lasagna by adding cottage cheese, eggs, and cheese (bottom) Learn more at SimplyKyra.com. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_Simple-Lasagna-ish-From-Leftovers.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Basically, all you need to make this is ground beef, cottage cheese, pasta, a grate-able cheese like cheddar or mozzarella, and then whatever else you normally use to make your meat sauce. In my case I usually add canned tomatoes (normally diced but I’ve used tomato sauce before too), garlic powder, onion powder, basil, fennel seeds, and, to make it a bit healthier, spinach.

For the first meal I make simple pasta and meat sauce. Before my first lasagna-ish this would’ve normally been with spaghetti but, although I’ve made lasagna-ish with spaghetti before, I normally go for the shorter pasta now. Because I want time for the meat sauce to simmer to meld all the flavors together I normally start out by browning the ground beef before starting the water boiling for the pasta. Then after the ground beef has been browned I next add any seasonings (garlic powder, onion, basil, fennel seeds, oregano, etc), canned tomatoes (diced, sauce, and/or paste), kidney beans (stretches it further), and, to make it healthier, spinach. This is a perfect way to use up any extra spinach you have in the fridge. For the pasta any type should work for this although we usually use the six-pack from Costco and, lately, I love the idea of pasta with tunnels like penne or caves like in the giant shells. I normally grab one, or two if we’re really hungry and I want to make sure there’s leftovers, pounds of pasta. Once the meat sauce has simmered and the pasta is done it’s time to eat. Each one of us prefers different meat to pasta ratios and we top it with either Parmesan cheese or grated cheddar cheese. You can easily serve this with veggies or other things but it’s also good by itself. And once you’re full the magic of leftovers takes over.

![There are two pots in this image. On the left the large pot is half full with a ground beef and diced tomato mixture with a spoon resting inside. To the right is a smaller pot filled with penne pasta and a slotted spoon. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_6040.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Leftovers on the table after we finished eating. This time it looks like my meat sauce was ground beef, seasonings, and diced tomatoes. Other times I’ve substituted the diced tomatoes for tomato sauce and may have made the meat stretch further with kidney beans and/or spinach.

What we’re missing so far is the lasagna’s cheesy layer. Lasagna is traditionally made with ricotta cheese but over the years I’ve realized that cottage cheese, with a larger curd, works just as well and it’s easier for us to use up cottage cheese leftovers compared to ricotta. After seeing how many leftovers I have I decide, approximately, how much cheese layer I’ll need and eyeball the cottage cheese I dump into a bowl. I then add a couple eggs, grated cheddar cheese (traditionally mozzarella but we always have cheddar in our fridge), parsley, and Parmesan cheese. Lately I’ve simplified this further by leaving out the Parmesan cheese and parsley. At this point I often grate extra cheese to go on top of the lasagna but I’ve also left it unadorned if I’m running low as I can always add this later once it’s partially baked. Additionally, I’ve noticed the cheddar cheese topping might stick to the tinfoil while it bakes so this way I don’t lose any of the cheese since it’s not added yet. Then once all the ingredients are in the bowl it’s time to mix them all together.

![A large plastic bowl is on the right with cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, eggs, dried parsley, and grated cheddar cheese inside. There's a spatula resting inside the ingredients. To the left is an Ikea container with the extra grated cheese for on top. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_6035.jpg?resize=750%2C524&ssl=1)

I threw cottage cheese, dried parsley, two eggs, Parmesan cheese, and grated cheddar cheese into the bowl for the cheese layer in the lasagna-ish. I made sure to grate extra cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top of the casserole at the end.

![Closeup of the contents of the bowl showing the pink spatula inside a white, orange, and yellow mixture with the odd fleck of green (parsley). ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_6041.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

And then I broke up the eggs and stirred it up so it’s fully combined.

With your layers ready to go it’s time to create your lasagna. At this point you need to decide if you’re making one or more casseroles and how large they should be. If I have a lot of leftovers I check if my 9 by 13 inch casserole dish is free. I’ve also used a loaf pan which, although smaller, is taller than my casserole dish so it offered more vertical space so I could create more layers. In this case, below, I chose my 9″ squared casserole dish and started by adding a thin layer of meat sauce to the bottom. After it was spread out I grabbed the cooked penne pasta and added a loose single layer overtop. Since I didn’t use lasagna noodles there’s often gaps between the noodles, and in them in this case, so I next followed it with the cottage cheese layer so I could fill in all the holes. Normally, at this point, I don’t have much room left so I finished it off with a thin layer of meat sauce and then, sometimes, sprinkle the grated cheese overtop.

![A square clear glass casserole dish sitting on a crocheted trivet. Meat sauce, including diced tomatoes, have been partially spread across the bottom. A metal spoon with meat sauce in it rests in the casserole dish. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_6043.jpg?resize=750%2C540&ssl=1)

I start by spreading a thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom of my casserole dish.

![Closeup of the square glass casserole dish with penne noodles covering the meat sauce. You can see the bottom layer along the edge and between the noodles. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_6044.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I followed that up with a single-ish layer of cooked penne pasta.

![The 9 inch square clear casserole is now about two thirds filled. The top is the yellow, white, and orange mixture with beige penne pasta poking through. There's still the odd open space in the pasta layer but not many. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_6045.jpg?resize=750%2C539&ssl=1)

I then plop the cottage cheese mixture over the entire casserole and spread it out making sure each section is covered. Since there were so many open spaces between and in the pasta this ended up becoming a pasta and cheese layer rather than two distinct layers.

![The clear casserole pan is mostly filled. The top is coated in meat and tomato mixture with a hint of pasta showing on the right side. From the front side you can vaguely see the pasta and cheese layer sandwiched between the two meat layers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_6049.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Afterwards I added more meat mixture and spread it out making sure to leave a hint of space for the cheese topping… and any extra liquid that forms while it cooks.

![The glass clear casserole dish with a crocheted trivet underneath. The photo is mostly top down so it's harder to see the sides. The top shows the ground beef and tomato mixture covered in grated cheddar cheese with the odd pasta sticking out.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_6050-1.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Finally I finished by sprinkling the rest of the grated cheese on top. I find sometimes that the cheese sticks to the tinfoil in the oven so if you don’t have enough cheese grated, no sweat, just leave the cheese off when you throw it in the freezer and add the cheese after the tinfoil comes off, after it’s heated through, and let it brown in the oven.

Finally I wrap the casserole up for the freezer. I normally use tinfoil on top (that can go directly in the oven later) and then follow that up with a layer of plastic wrap so it stays sealed. At this time, when I took photos, I wrote what the casserole was and the date directly onto the plastic wrap with a oil-based sharpie pen. Since then, I’ve instead written the information on a piece of paper (or paper towel when it was easier to grab) and leave the paper sandwiched between the two layers so I can still read what it is but I can also easily remove the paper before I bake the lasagna.

![View from above with the casserole dish top wrapped in tinfoil and then, partially, with plastic wrap. On the top of the plastic wrap it was written, in black, "LASAGNA PENNE/Dec 26, 2018".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_6051.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then wrap the casserole dish up with tinfoil followed by plastic wrap, making sure to mark what it is and the date, before putting it in the freezer.

I normally take the lasagna out of the freezer to thaw in the fridge for a day or two before I need it, although, if you’re fine with it taking longer to bake I’m sure you could go directly from freezer to oven too. I remove the plastic wrap and toss the tinfoil covered casserole in the oven before preheating it as the lasagna-ish can easily heat up with the oven and that way, if you get distracted by your kids, you don’t forget to put it in. After a while I take the casserole out to check if it’s hot by sticking a cutlery knife into the center, making sure to not touch the bottom of the dish, and waiting ten seconds. If the knife is still cold, or I couldn’t get in because the center was still frozen, I know to cook it longer. Sometimes I try to speed it up, at this point, by leaving the tinfoil off and turning the oven up some more. If the lasagna-ish is hot when I check it I can either take it out to eat or remove the tinfoil, add any needed cheese, and throw it back in to brown while I set the table.

![Overview of the top of a loaf pan filled with lasagna. The top is cheddar cheesy with ground beef showing through. Behind the loaf pan is the tinfoil that was on top, previously, and beside it is an empty lined cookie sheet.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_6136.jpg?resize=750%2C507&ssl=1)

The finished lasagna-ish in a loaf pan. If all your sides are ready and you still need to brown your cheese you can easily toss it back in the oven on broil to speed it up.

There’s so many sides you can serve with this although I normally make it easy and just serve the lasagna-ish. You can easily throw on a side of frozen veggies or you can spread some butter on bread and sprinkle garlic powder and Parmesan cheese before toasting it in the oven. Heck once when I took my lasagna-ish out of the oven to check if it was hot I realized it was way too greasy as all the oil was sitting on top. That time I remembered reading that you can sop up oil with bread so I decided to take some extra buns we had, cut them in half, and dipped the top of each one in a section of the lasagna before toasting them in the oven creating some epically yummy buns.

![View, from above, of the orange Silpat lined cookie sheet with the bun halves on it and the slice of garlic sprinkled unmelted butter. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_6138.jpg?resize=750%2C503&ssl=1)

I took some buns we had leftover, cut them in half, laid them out on a Silpat lined cookie sheet, sliced butter on each one, sprinkled garlic powder, and, maybe, Parmesan cheese.

![The finished baked buns with the butter melted into them. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_6139.jpg?resize=750%2C425&ssl=1)

The buns came out all melty, toasted, and delicious.

In case you prefer the recipe written out I've included the recipe here!

---

## Lasagna-ish

This recipe depends on how much pasta and meat sauce you have left after supper along with the amount of other ingredients you want to use. Since it so variable I'm leaving the serving amount and most of the ingredient amounts off. I normally use a third to a half of a package of Costco ground beef, maybe two to three pounds, and half a Costco-sized container of cottage cheese, about 1.5 pounds, along with two eggs. The ratios between each layer (meat, cheese, and pasta) are fluid based on your preferences so you can easily change the amount of each layer.

![Loaf sized casserole with cheesy lasagna.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_6136.jpg)  
 Main Course; Oven, Stovetop, Leftovers  
 Prep Time: 1 Hour  
 Cook Time: 1 Hour  

### Ingredients

#### Main

- Pasta

#### Meat Sauce

- ground beef
- spices: garlic, onion, basil, oregano, fennel seeds (seasonings) fresh, dehydrated, or powder
- canned tomatoes diced, sauce, and/or paste
- fresh or frozen spinach (optional)
- kidney beans (optional)

#### Cheese Layer

- cottage cheese (traditionally ricotta)
- eggs; a couple
- cheddar cheese + extra for topping (traditionally mozzerella)
- parsley (optional)
- Parmesan cheese (optional)

### Instructions

#### Pasta and Meat Sauce

1. Brown the ground beef in a large pot.
2. Bring another pot with water to boil and add your pasta. Cook pasta according to the package's directions. If it's done and strained before the meat sauce is ready you can always add a bit of olive oil to help it not stick together.
3. Once the ground beef is fully browned you next add any seasonings and stir it together. For us this includes dried garlic, onion, basil, oregano, and fennel seeds.
4. Add any additional items and simmer it so the flavors meld. I normally add a can or two of diced tomatoes or, if out, tomato sauce and/or tomato paste. This is also the perfect time to use that extra spinach in your fridge. To stretch it further I've previously included a can or two of rinsed out kidney beans too.
5. Suppertime! Enjoy your pasta and meat sauce. I sometimes add a sprinkle of grated cheddar cheese and/or Parmesan cheese on top.

#### Leftover Lasagna-ish

1. Once you know the amounts leftover its time to figure out how much lasagna-ish you can or want to make and what size casserole dish(es) you want to use.
2. Create your cheese layer by combining cottage cheese, eggs (you don't need a lot), grated (cheddar) cheese, and, optionally, Parmesan cheese and parsley. Break up the eggs and mix it all together.
3. Assemble the lasagna-ish starting with a thin layer of meat sauce, followed by pasta, the cottage cheese layer, more meat sauce, and then finally a sprinkle of cheese. Remember to smooth each layer as you go.
4. Seal your casserole dish and place it in the fridge, to eat in the next couple days, or freezer for later. If freezing remember to mark what it is, when you made it, and any extras you'll need to remember like if you left the cheese on top off.
5. Bake it anywhere between 375 and 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Remember to factor in more baking time if it's still frozen.
6. I stick a cutlery knife in the center, not touching the bottom, to check if it's hot, warm, cold, or still frozen. If it needs to cook faster I turn up the oven. If it's hot and needs the top browned I switch to broil and keep an eye on it.

---

And that’s how I make our lasagna-ish. I love how simple it is to make and, if you’re planning on making pasta and meat sauce for supper anyway, it doesn’t take much more work to create the lasagna-ish. I hope you enjoy this and I’d love to hear from you if you make it. If you do how did it turn out? Did you change anything to make it more yours? What was it? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

If you’re interested in getting updated on any future posts, currently once a week on Wednesdays, I link to them on my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) or [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com) although you’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar either to the left-top under the purple arrow, if you’re on a wide screen device, or underneath this post, for all devices. I hope this post finds you well.
### Zoey's Shelter-In-Place Fourth Birthday Party
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/zoeys-shelter-in-place-fourth-birthday-party/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:35:14.000Z
Over the last couple years I’ve shared several posts concerning my daughters’ birthday parties including [sensory activities at Zoey’s second birthday party](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/09/05/zoeys-2nd-birthday-party/), [Ada’s fourth birthday science-themed party](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/05/01/adas-4th-birthday-party/), [Zoey’s orange DUPLO®/LEGO® themed party last year](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/07/31/zoeys-third-birthday-orange-duplo-lego-theme/), [the dinosaur dig we held for Ada](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/09/11/dinosaur-fossil-dig/), and finally the [birthday signs I made them for our front door during their birthday month](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/11/13/happy-birthday-door-sign/). When 2020 started I expected this summer to be similar, but with Coronavirus keeping us apart from our friends Zoey’s party became different as we turned to Zoom to host the party rather than in-person in our home. I tried to find ideas online for toddler video conferencing parties but my results seemed skewed towards older kids as they mentioned using chat functions and/or online gaming platforms. Instead I came up with this for Zoey’s party and, although it wasn’t perfect, I do want to share what we did in case some, or all of it, might help you plan your socially distanced party.

![Pinterest image showing a collage of six images (also shown below), the title of the blog post, and mention of my main URL. The images consist of the chocolate mousse, Zoey blowing out candles, Zoey's hairstyle, my hastily drawn on Olaf balloon, the goodie bag contents, and Anna.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_Zoeys-Shelter-In-Place-Fourth-Birthday-Party.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Both of my daughters love Frozen so I wasn’t surprised when, leading up to Zoey’s birthday, whenever I asked what she wanted to do she told me she wanted Frozen LEGO® which, unfortunately, didn’t seem to be an easy Zoom party idea. Over the last month or so she’s been repeatedly telling us that “She’s the one without ice powers. Whose the one without ice powers?” and then we’d have to tell Zoey that she’s Anna; which happened way more frequently than “the one with ice powers” so we knew Anna was her favorite. I took Zoey’s idea into account and decided to go with the ever popular Frozen theme for our party. I next hopped online, about a month before her party, and after reading over multiple virtual-Princess themed party websites decided to schedule through [Amazing Fairytale Parties](https://amazingfairytaleparties.com/video-message-birthday-package/?ref=simplykyra.com) (no affiliate). Filling in the form through the website I chose to prioritize the weekend before her birthday, without thinking about Father’s day, and picked Anna as the first option with Elsa as the runner up. Even though I messaged them in the evening they still got back to me really quickly and I felt rather pressured to decide then and there by paying and then, since we chose to host our own Zoom call, schedule the Zoom call so we could give them the information right away. Over a span of a couple hours Anna was booked and our party date was decided. Getting our first weekend, optimal time, and first choice of person booked so quickly kind of made me worried it would all fall through so I was careful not to tell Ada and Zoey about our final guest. The quick booking process combined with the lack of confirmation emails leading up to the party, they had told us there wouldn’t be any, made me over-analyze and worry as the party approached.

---

### *Treat Bags*

I wanted to create treat bags for the party guests and since I also wanted to cover my bases, in case Anna didn’t show, I decided to chose items that could also work to help the party move along. I searched online through Amazon, Etsy, and Walmart for Frozen themed items and, although [I found a shop from Toronto selling adorable cardstock wands](https://www.etsy.com/shop/SNCreationJustForU?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing%5Fid=755996571), I finally chose to settle on Walmart so I could get a wider variety of items from a single order. I started off with [two packs of Melissa and Doug wands for the kids](https://www.melissaanddoug.com/role-play-collection---dress-up-wands/8550.html?ref=simplykyra.com) to wave during the party and then followed that up with general treat bag stuff including a Frozen favor pack, sheets of Frozen temporary tattoos, a bag of blue snowflake latex balloons, and snowflake decorated cellophane bags to hold the items. The deciding factor for Walmart was the wands and an adorable Anna accessories pack I bought for Zoey so she could match Anna. At that time I was considering making cupcakes to drop off at the guests’ houses ahead of the party so I also bought snowflake themed cupcake liners and snowflake sprinkles to go along with it. We ended up not using these so at supper, after the party, I surprised the kids by using them to plate their food.

Word of warning: I’ve had several of the jewels fall off of the crown and the scepter/wand from the Anna accessories pack so I highly recommend also getting crazy glue if you buy it. I prefer using LOCTITE super glue (no affiliate) as you can use a bit and put the lid back on for later without the glue drying out which is perfect because I’ve glued different jewels back on over four separate times in the first twenty-four hours after the party. I did not have this issue with the Melissa and Doug wands though.

![A collage of eight product images taken from Walmart.com. These include, in columns top to bottom from left to right, the cellophane bags, favor variety pack, snowflake balloons, Anna accessory kit, Melissa and Dough wands, cupcake kit, tattoos, and snow sprinkles. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_Zoeys-Shelter-In-Place-Fourth-Birthday-Party-Bought.jpg?resize=1000%2C750&ssl=1)

The products bought from Walmart. These images were saved from the Walmart website on June 20th, 2020.

Do you want to know one of the pros of using video conferencing for your birthday party? If you have a friend that moved away you can easily still invite them to the party and it doesn’t matter how far away they are. Hi Xavi! We ended up getting the Walmart order delivered just over a week before Zoey’s party which was perfect as I wanted to mail them the treat bag so they wouldn’t feel left out during the party. I still thought the bag was lacking however so Zoey and I quickly whipped up a double batch of ‘snow’ playdough by adding [blue dye and glitter to our normal playdough recipe](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/). We then divided the playdough up and put each one into it’s own sandwich bag so it would stay fresh.

![Top down view of two of the Melissa and Doug wands, a bag of blue snowflake latex balloons, two balls of gliittery blue playdough, and two clear cellophane bags with blue snowflake on it and Frozen items inside it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_0101.jpg?resize=750%2C435&ssl=1)

I snapped a photo of Ada and Zoey’s favor bags as the other ones were already handed out at this point. Basically everyone got a wand for the party, a bag of ‘snow’ playdough, and a treat bag which also held a snowflake balloon. The idea was they could play with each other, via Zoom, using the items if Anna didn’t show up or if they got bored during the party.

---

### *Dessert*

At first I was planning on redoing one of our previous party ideas and baking either [brownie](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/23/simple-halloween-themed-brownie-cupcakes/) or [dyed angel food cake](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/07/10/colorful-and-simple-lego-themed-cupcakes/) cupcakes so I could hand deliver them, to the guests who lived nearby, the night before or morning of the party. A week or two before; however, I randomly bought chocolate mousse from Costco and Zoey absolutely loved it. She dubbed it ‘airy poop’, which I decided not to tell anyone… until now, and later renamed it to ‘Zoey’. We decided why not and decided to have it for her party and so I returned to Costco to buy more. With Covid-19 around I figured it also made more sense as the dessert came already made, sealed, individually packed, and I could drop them off before the party without worrying about packing them up or squashing the icing. Another pro to store-bought, via a box store, meant I could text the out-of-town party guest’s mom so they could match desserts if they wanted to. Before the party started I made sure to find a couple candles and the lighter so everything was ready to light up the second Anna was ready to lead the Happy Birthday song to Zoey.

![Closeup of four of the chocolate mousse from Costco. They beside each other with distinct layers in a glass cup, each, and a plastic lid. In front are two candles (one orange balloon and one Happy Birthday one) with a white lighter going off photo to the right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_0143.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I kept the desserts in the fridge, except for this quick photo before the party, and made sure I had my candles and lighter laid out and ready to go. These lids were just popped on but I remember a previous dessert’s lid being sealed with tape or something so I also confirmed beforehand that the lid popped off easily. The candles were brand new so I also made sure to light them so the wax on the wick melted and it would be quicker to light during the party.

When the party ended the kids still had half of their chocolate mousse left in their cups and Ada suddenly remembered the sprinkles I had bought, and gave them at breakfast, so they may have gotten ‘snow’ sprinkles added to theirs. I hadn’t thought about the lack of lunch, since it was a video conference party, so everyone might’ve ended up with a chocolate mousse sugar rush an hour before lunch.

---

### *Decorations*

Since the party was through video conferencing the guests were limited to our camera range for what they could see which made cleaning and decorating way simpler. I considered hanging a banner up over the couch but figured it would be too difficult to hang and it would also need to be low enough to be in the camera’s view so would get in the way of the kids on the couch. I instead unhooked all the jackets on the wall behind the couch, tossing them hidden onto the floor, so I could hang a happy birthday banner within the camera’s view. I also had two other banners leftover from previous years, LEGO®-style, so I hung them above the kitchen table and between the two rooms for the girls. We had told Zoey multiple times about the birthday party and she had helped make the playdough a week before but I guess she didn’t fully realize the next day was her party until she came around the corner and saw the decorations. When I pointed out to Zoey that she wanted LEGO® Frozen and she was getting a Frozen party with LEGO® decorations in the kitchen she shrieked so happily. She then ended up dancing and singing the rest of the evening and when it was time for bed I thought to point out that this was her first Zoom call, as she saw so many for Ada during school, and she yelled with excitement. When Ada saw the decorations she loved the idea and instantly wanted to get to work decorating paper hearts for Zoey so I cut some out for her and she colored while Zoey sang. When the decorations were finished Ada laid them out in one spot so the next day, when Matt set up the Zoom call early, she was able to attach them onto the wall inside the visual range of the camera.

![Side of Ada sitting at the table coloring a paper heart red. Behind her is holder with all the markers and in front of her are two more paper hearts. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_0124-1.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

That night Ada started decorating paper hearts for Zoey to have more decorations for her party.

![Wall with a multicolored sparkly Happy Birthday banner. There are six colored paper hearts around it and above it all, to the side, are the command hooks we use for the kids' jackets.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_0159.jpg?resize=750%2C273&ssl=1)

I hung the banner on the wall so it would be ‘above’ the couch in the camera’s view. Ada decorated paper hearts for Zoey and that morning attached them, with masking tape, to the wall making sure they were also visible to the camera.

![At the top of the image, close to the camera, the LEGO® banner hangs. In the background, on the wall, is the Happy Birthday banner with a LEGO® cake between the two words.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_0113.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I had two brick banners left from [last years’ LEGO® party](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/07/31/zoeys-third-birthday-orange-duplo-lego-theme/), bought from either the Dollar Tree or Walmart, so I hung the Happy Birthday one above the table (under Ada’s heart) and the banner between the kitchen and living room.

![Closeup of the LEGO® Happy Birthday banner on the wall. There's masking tape on either end keeping it up. Over the d in Birthday one of Ada's older hearts hang. Under the IR in Birthday there's a doodled white sheet of paper with the word ZOEY in orange capital letters. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_0121.jpg?resize=750%2C269&ssl=1)

When I asked Zoey what it said she replied “Happy Birthday Zoey” so I got permissions to use one of her doodles and wrote “Zoey” in her favorite color so the wall would say that for her.

---

### *Day of the Party*

The night before the party I had the girls pick their party dresses. Ada went for her big sparkly Elsa dress that my sisters gave her, and Zoey also owns, while [Zoey went for her oldest peppermint swirl dress](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/20/even-more-peppermint-swirl-dresses/) which was so adorable. The morning of the party, before Zoey woke up, I wrote her a message with chalk markers on our fridge door. After a special birthday breakfast I confirmed with Zoey what she wanted to wear and, after getting changed, I showed her the Anna accessories one by one as I did her hair for the occasion. I tried to braid her hair around the crown headband, to help it stay on, and then, after clipping the Anna braids on, wrapped Zoey’s braids around the Anna ones to help keep them secure. I used a ponytail to, slightly, hide her hair so she only had the Anna braids showing. Zoey absolutely loved them and, a day later, still won’t let Ada borrow the braids although Ada’s gotten to use the other items.

![Black glossy fridge with "Happy Birthday Zoey!" in white along with white balloons and red heart balloons. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_0125.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I’ve been writing messages and drawing pictures on our fridge for the girls with chalk markers, after they last cleaned the magnets off, so I figured today was the perfect day to change the message.

![Overview of white plate with one and a half french toast slices decorated in brown Nutella and colorful blue and white 'ice' sprinkles from Walmart.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_0126.jpg?resize=750%2C496&ssl=1)

For breakfast they changed up their cereal with leftover French toast from the night before and I added Nutella (by request) and sprinkles to make it extra special.

![Photo showing Zoey's back with the dangling Anna braids. Her hair is french braided over the sides of the crown and then at the bottom the braids switch to normal and the Anna braids, with the blue centerpiece, is clipped between them. Zoey's braids are wrapped around the Anna braids and then pony-tailed in place so they're less visible. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_0128.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

I french braided Zoey’s hair around the crown and then, after braiding most of the way down, switched to a normal braid. I clipped the Anna braids between her braids and then wrapped them around the Anna ones and used a ponytail, blue to fit the theme, to keep the hair together and out of the way.

![Closeup of the other side of Zoey's hair showing another view of the previous picture.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_0132.jpg?resize=750%2C416&ssl=1)

Another view of the back of Zoey’s hair. I didn’t really match the two sides as I went.

![Front view of Zoey looking down to show the crown and top of her head. In her hands is the wand, hard to see, and around her neck is the new Anna necklace. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_0139.jpg?resize=750%2C494&ssl=1)

From above the crown was visible and held in place.

After getting Zoey’s outfit and hair ready we quickly blew up the blue snowflake balloons we bought along with some white ones we already had. I figured we could always use more balloons and technically they could count as snow; although, the kids threw off the color-scheme when they requested a couple other colored balloons. While blowing the balloons up I suddenly pictured stacking three ‘snowball’ balloons to make a snowman which ended up with me making an Olaf balloon, once I had a couple extra minutes, by grabbing a black oil-based sharpie, a white balloon, and brought up an Olaf line drawing on my phone to copy. I only made the one but the kids passed him around before the party and a couple times during. At one point Zoey even tucked him carefully between the cushions on the couch.

![Closeup of the Olaf balloon in Zoey's arms, while she holds two wands, with Ada wearing an Elsa dress behind her.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_0150.jpg?resize=750%2C514&ssl=1)

Zoey, I mean Anna, holding Olaf while Elsa (Ada) stands behind her.

And it was finally time for the party to start! We chose to start the party about fifteen minutes before Anna was slated to arrive. Looking back I wish I had come up with some games or something for the kids to do together over those first fifteen minutes as I thought the kids seeing their friends would be enough, but it was hard to hear each other speak and the kids may have been shy. At one point I started playing “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” picturing an epic singalong and dance party with Frozen music but Ada refused to take part, Zoey tried to dance off-screen, and I’m not sure if any kids heard it very well. Thus we were extremely excited when [Amazing Fairytale Parties](https://amazingfairytaleparties.com/video-message-birthday-package/?ref=simplykyra.com) did come through and Anna joined the call promptly on time. Anna did amazing. She started off asking where Zoey was (I had to help Zoey lift her hand up), talked with the group, regaled the kids with the Frozen story while breaking into a couple lines of song wherever a song sequence should be, led the group in singing happy birthday to Zoey while I held up her candle-lit chocolate mousse, and then asked if there were any questions before coming up with an excuse to leave the party. Considering how hard it is for toddlers to communicate during a Zoom call I’m so glad we hired Anna so everyone could have a blast at the party.

![View of our living room floor during the party. Zoey is off to the side, behind two balloons, holding her wand. Ada is in the middle of the photo with her wand swung and the snowflake balloon in front of her moving away.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/compressed_IMG_0163.jpg?resize=750%2C372&ssl=1)

At some point in that first fifteen minutes someone in the party whacked their snowflake balloon with a wand and Ada and Zoey joined in. It was cute but I wasn’t sure if some kids were bored.

![Collage of five images side by side with a blue border between, above, and below. The far left, center, and right images show Anna during the call waving, smiling, and clapping. The two off center images shows Zoey and Ada (left) playing with balloons and Zoey (right) blowing out her candles while I hold it in front of her and Ada (off photo) looks on while singing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/06/Zoeys-Shelter-In-Place-Fourth-Birthday-Party-Party.jpg?resize=750%2C200&ssl=1)

Scenes during the party. Anna looked like ‘herself’ and stayed in character the whole time. Zoey loved that Anna sang happy birthday to her, talked to her, and called her Princess Zoey.

Zoey had a blast at her party though looking at her while Anna told her story you’d think she was bored; yet, every time princess Anna sang a couple lines of a song Zoey got this little smirk of happiness on her face. After the party Zoey became Anna and we weren’t allowed to call her Zoey at all. She went back to talking about coronation parties, ice powers, her sister Elsa, and Olaf just like she was doing months ago. Several times she paused and mentioned the “other Anna in the picture” (holding her jewelry to show us) and that Anna called Zoey “Princess Zoey” and that “that was nice of her”. At one point Zoey was putting her jewelry on and I heard her say “I’m going to look as beautiful as a reindeer… for coronation day. Don’t you think I’ll look beautiful for coronation day soon? It’s going to be fun!”

---

Overall, I’m so glad we were able to have a party with our friends, although socially distanced, for Zoey and I’m so glad we decided to hire Anna to host it. With Ada’s birthday coming up in a couple months I’m going to keep [Amazing Fairytale Parties](https://amazingfairytaleparties.com/video-message-birthday-package/?ref=simplykyra.com) in mind as a backup plan although I’m still hoping, maybe, our area might open up a bit more before then or maybe I’ll just come up with something else.

Have you hosted a birthday party for a toddler, or a six year old, during your shelter-in-place? If so what did you do and what would you do differently next time? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below because I, unfortunately, see this dragging on for awhile and would love more ideas. If you’re interested in my future posts, or if you want to share through social media, I also post updates on my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) or [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). You’re also more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar. If you’re on a wide screen device the signup is located in the top-left of the screen, under the purple arrow, although it’s also under this post too. I hope this helps you if you’re planning your own party and, either way, I hope that you’re having a good day.
### Family Covid-19 Handprint Sign
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/family-covid-19-handprint-sign/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:34:52.000Z
I can’t remember why but a couple of months ago I looked up handprint artwork, for fun, during the Coronavirus and came across several different types of family handprint art that were all so adorable. Essentially, the easiest version looked like you trace and cut out a single paper hand shape for each member of your family, stack them from biggest to smallest, and add a quote like “when the world stayed apart, this was my favorite place to be”. I’m not sure who had the first idea but it was amazing and I knew that if we did only one Covid-19 memory keepsake it had to be this one. After making other handprint art over the last several years I knew immediately I wanted to create ours with acrylic paint on canvas rather than with paper and glue. Although we haven’t yet gotten around to adding wire and hanging these up I’m so happy that we finally attempted them and, just in case I screwed one up, decided to try three versions of these family acrylic painted canvases. I love how they all turned out and I had to share these with you in case you’re also thinking about making something similar.

![Pinterest image showing the four images, taken from below, and text saying "Sheltering in place? Make a family Handprint Sign" along with my website. The images show the stamped canvas (bottom) and the completed canvases (top).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_Family-Covid-19-Handprint-Sign.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

[If you like the idea of preserving your kids’ hand or footprints in art but don’t want to specifically make this one I’ve previously posted our holiday-related canvas door signs](https://www.simplykyra.com/tag/stretched-canvas/). These include [Halloween](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/10/16/halloween-ghosts-footprint-door-sign/), [Thanksgiving](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/01/thanksgiving-turkey-handprint-door-sign/), [Christmas](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/28/christmas-handprint-footprint-and-fingerprint-door-hanging-sign/), [Valentine’s Day](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/01/30/valentines-day-loved-handprint-and-footprint-door-sign/), [Easter](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/03/13/easter-bunnies-hand-and-footprint-door-sign/), and [a general loved one](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/06/05/two-person-hand-and-footprint-canvas-art/) for the kids bedroom wall. I left these Covid-19 canvases with only the acrylic paint on them but [if you want to protect your canvas I’ve previously coated mine with outdoor Mod Podge](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/11/27/protecting-your-outside-artwork-from-the-weather/) since they are hung outside for about a month each year.

---

After discovering the Covid-19 shelter-in-place family handprint art I knew we had to make a painted one. It took me a couple weeks to get to it as I kept putting off looking for my canvases but finally realized that the shelter-in-place may actually lift (it’s been slow since then) and I knew I had to get the handprints done before then. I was also worried about a handprint getting smeared or writing the words wrong so instead of stressing about each step along the way I decided to simply create three different canvases and if one or two got screwed up oh well as I had a third. In the end all of the canvases turned out great so we ended up with three pieces of artwork. Matt and I each have our favorite one, out of the two larger canvases, and the kids like the small one so when we finally hang it up we may just put the small one in the kids room and the larger ones in our bedroom and the living room but who knows for now. The handprints themselves were the only time sensitive part so I’m not worried about getting them hung up right away.

I knew I needed to paint the canvas before we could start with the handprints so as soon as the canvases were found I quickly got the ball rolling by painting the entire front and sides of the canvas. I wanted the prints to show up easily so I started with white paint but then I wondered how black would look against the prints and decided to experiment by painting one of the three canvases black. I absolutely love how the handprints ended up standing out against the black paint so looking back I wish that I had painted all the canvases black. For the background itself I squeezed the paint onto the canvas and then spread it with a foam brush. If I needed more paint in a spot I squeezed some directly onto that spot of the canvas and then brushed it in. I made sure to paint the sides of the canvas and then, once the paint was spread, ran my brush over the entire canvas going in a single direction so the grooves made by the paintbrush would line up. Once the paint was fully dried I went over it again, with the same color, going across the canvas in the other way to minimize the grooves. I then left the canvas to dry overnight as I wanted to be sure the handprint wouldn’t smudge into the background.

While the background dried I went online to look up the artwork, again, so I could figure out exactly how we should position the hands and what quotes I wanted to use. Looking at the results I realized that my favorite designs were when the hands were stacked and I especially liked it when the palms were overlapped so the size difference of the hands were more apparent and the fingers stood out more. Since I was making three different canvases I considered whether I should make each one different. I considered making one where each hand was slightly rotated a bit to make a fan-like shape and while talking it over with Matt he decided he liked it if I made a circle which ended up with us creating an X-shape with our hands. Looking back if you have a wide and short canvas I could also see lining up the hands so they all stand alone so nothing is hidden by another hand.

![Grid of 29 images from the Google search results all showing different versions of handprint family art. Most of these are for the Covid-19 shelter-in-place. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-05-24-at-8.14.49-AM.jpg?resize=750%2C875&ssl=1)

Screenshot of the ‘quarantine handprint art’ Google search result taken on May 24th, 2020 when assembling photos for this blog post. I searched through a range of them closer to the beginning of May when deciding what I should say.

Whenever I previously made these canvases I used my art-grade acrylic paint I purchased a while back. This time around I had a set of acrylic paints I bought for the kids artwork so instead of digging for my tubes I decided to use these ones instead. I considered deciding ahead of time what each person’s color should be and making sure they all stand out from one another but I knew the kids would prefer to use their favorite color causing a snapshot into what our favorite colors where over this time. I briefly considered having them choose their favorite colors for one of the canvases and having me decide the colors for the other two but realized it would be simplest to stamp all three canvases with the same color so the kids wouldn’t have to wash their hands between each one. In the end I went with the simplest idea and each person chose a color and used it to stamp all three canvases so I just had to reapply a coat of paint to their hand each time and we left washing the hand until the end. And I’m so glad they all wanted different colors.

After I did two separate coats of the background color and made sure it was completely dried it was time for the handprints. We started with the biggest hand in the family, Matt’s, and after he choose the paint color I squirted it directly onto his hand and spread it out before he pressed his hand to the canvas. After the first one I reapplied the paint to his hand, by squirting directly onto the paintbrush, before he stamped the next canvas and then we repeated the process again with the third. On the two canvases where we wanted the stacked hands he made sure to leave his handprint in the center of the canvas while with the third canvas, in the shape of an X, he made sure to angle his handprint outward and put it on the upper left side of the canvas leaving just enough room to write above his hand.

![The three canvases laid out next to each other. In the image the canvases are turned sideways with the black one closest and the other two canvases beside it going further away. All three canvases have a blue handprint on it with the closest two centered in the middle and the furthest away one at an angle. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8897.jpg?resize=750%2C554&ssl=1)

After putting the first two coats on the canvas and letting it dry it was time to add the first handprint. This is when it matters what design you want. The closest two images were to have stacked hands so Matt put his handprint in the center. The back image was going to form an X with the two adult handprints at the top so Matt angled his hand and, making sure there was space to write, put it in the upper left-hand side of the canvas.

Quick word of advice? Make sure your paintbrush is completely dry before doing your handprint. Matt, mine, and Ada’s handprints went great but Zoey’s almost seemed too watered down because of the wet paintbrush. This was because there was less time between Ada’s and Zoey’s handprints compared to the other ones so the paintbrush didn’t have time to dry. If I were to do this again I’d blot out the brush with a paper towel, or something dry, before leaving the brush to dry so I’d be sure it wouldn’t water down my paint when we went to coat the next hand.

Once I was sure the blue handprint was fully dried I chose purple paint and, using my left-hand, painted my right-hand. Once my hand was coated I pressed it onto the canvas and then pulled it back up leaving a handprint behind. I then added more paint, evenly, to my hand and stamped my hand onto the next canvas. For the stacked handprints I made sure my hand was lined up with the bottom right side of Matt’s handprint allowing the fingers and thumb to stand out while the palms overlapped. For the X-shaped print I angled my hand away from Matt’s and stamped it so the palm and my thumb overlaps with his palm.

![View of the the three paintings side by side on the table. The rightmost one has a black background and the blue and purple handprints are stacked over one another. The center small canvas is white with the prints, again, stacked. The far left and slightly blurry (in the image) is also white but just as large as the right canvas. Here the two handprints are slightly overlapping with the top of the hands leaning away from each other. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8906.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The canvases after Matt (blue) and I (purple) stamped our hands. I love how the blue and purple shine from the black canvas.

Once the paint dried, once again, it was time for the next handprint. When I asked Ada what color she wanted she chose pink… the one color I didn’t have. Since I wanted her handprint to be one color without any hue or shade changes, to match the style of the other ones, I premixed the red and white paint together on a plastic paint dish before applying it onto her hands. As I didn’t want to run out of the pink paint halfway through I made sure to mix more paint than I needed so after she stamped her hand on all three canvases, with me pressing lightly on top to make sure it was even, I let her use the rest of the paint for paper so we wouldn’t waste it. Once the pink handprints dried I let Zoey choose what color she wanted and she went with orange. Like with Matt and my handprints I squeezed the paint directly onto her hands and, for top ups, brush. Once her hand was coated I then helped direct her hand down and then gently pressed the top of her hand down to make sure it was pressed firmly.

![The three canvases are shown again with three handprints stamped on. The left (black) and right (white) canvases closer to the bottom of the photo are the larger ones while the smallest (white with stacked hands) is furthest away from the camera and is centered above the other two.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8910.jpg?resize=750%2C538&ssl=1)

The canvases after the third handprint, Ada’s pink, was pressed onto the canvas.

![The canvases are placed side-by-side with the small one in the center and the larger ones on either side. In the foreground you can see the pack of acrylic paint I used.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8918.jpg?resize=750%2C393&ssl=1)

And finally all four canvases are fully stamped with all four handprints.

I absolutely love how gorgeously the handprints came out and I love all three of them; although the black one was my favorite as the colors popped extra magically. Once they were dry I was moving them around for a photo when Ada pointed out that I had forgotten to add a heart on them, as she had seen the ones that did online, so we quickly decided on a red heart and I added it to the stacked and overlapping palms on the smallest canvas.

![The three canvases leaning against the wall and sitting on the table. They're placed beside it each other so from left to right we have: 
1. the black canvas with the handprints stacked overtop of each other from biggest to smallest. 
2. The smallest canvas with the white background. The hands are the same color and are stacked like the left one. In the lower right corner of the palm there sits a red heart.
3. The white large canvas with the handprints forming an X with the largest handprints forming the top and the smallest ones forming the bottom legs of the X. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8927.jpg?resize=653%2C287&ssl=1)

The three canvases after the handprints were all made and the, single, heart was added. I love them all although I especially love how the painted handprints pop against the black background. I love how although we all chose our favorite colors without planning the colors still stand out and work together. The only thing I’d change is making sure Zoey’s (orange) fingers aren’t overlapped so perfectly over Ada’s (pink) fingers so they stand out more.

Once the paint dried it was time to take my oil-based paint pens and write out the text. I actually did these while the kids ate breakfast so they got to listen to the logic of my thinking while I did the first two and then got an input on the last one.

![The black canvas with the centered stacked hands reads "When the world needed to stay apart, together was our favorite place to be." above the hands while below it reads, over two lines, "Last Name Family" followed by "shelter-in-place 2020".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8993_removed_lastname.jpg?resize=750%2C882&ssl=1)

On my favorite one I put the quote above our hands and underneath put “LastName Family” (edited the photo to not show our last name) followed by ‘shelter-in-place 2020’.

![This canvas was painted white and the four handprints were stamped with the palms slightly overlapping with the fingers spread outward into a circle. The largest blue handprint is on the upper left side and then the handprints decrease in size going around until it reaches the smallest orange handprint in the lower left side. The other two handprints are purple (upper right) and pink (lower right). Above the handprints are the words "When the world stayed apart, this was my favorite place to be. <3". Below the hands several lines of text angled in the left corner reads "Family/Covid-19/in/2020".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8992_removed_name.jpg?resize=750%2C863&ssl=1)

To change it up I used a similar, but slightly different, quote above these handprints. Since this canvas was Matt’s favorite and he designed it I waited to find out what Matt wanted written on the bottom and then I angled it on the bottom left. (Note. The painting says “LastName Family” but I edited the image to remove our last name.)

![The small white canvas has all four hands stacked in the center with the lower right side of the palm lining up so the fingers, mostly, stand out. From largest to smallest it goes blue, purple, pink, and orange with a small red heart in the center of the orange palm. The names are written outside each handprint on the lower left side in black with an oil-based paint pen like I used with the other letters. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8997.jpg?resize=750%2C827&ssl=1)

The smallest canvas, unofficially, ended up being the kids so I read over some choices with them and then showed them some images online before they decided what they wanted and I wrote it down. We labelled the handprints (lower left side of each handprint), wrote a simple “side by side, heart to heart <3 hand in hand” on the top, and in the bottom left corner kept it simple with “covid-19”.

I absolutely love how each one of the canvases turned out. Matt and I both love the one with the black background, even though he loves the X-shaped design the best, so if I were to go back and do this again I would paint all three canvases black. Like I said before we haven’t gotten around to adding hardware to hang these yet but since the handprints themselves are done I know there’s no rush. I love how I made these keepsakes, from this time, to remember the positive times we had together and am so glad I came across this idea. If you’re interested in how to hang these I’ve previously used a glue gun with ribbon or yarn on some of my smaller canvases ([Two Person Hand and Footprint Canvas Art](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/06/05/two-person-hand-and-footprint-canvas-art/) and my [Christmas Scene Door Hanging Sign](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/28/christmas-handprint-footprint-and-fingerprint-door-hanging-sign/)) and for our larger canvases, which we’ll probably do for these, Matt and I had purchased a picture hanging starter set. In the kit you get D-rings to attach to the vertical wood bars in the back and picture wire to string between the two rings so you can hang the canvas on a hook. [I just looked this idea up and found a tutorial on Spruce Crafts if you’re interested in hanging yours](https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/hanging-a-painting-wire-d-rings-2578378?ref=simplykyra.com).

Have you made any Covid-19 or shelter-in-place themed crafts and/or mementos in your house? Have you made something similar to this? How did it turn out? I’d love to hear about what it was and how it went in the comments below. If you’d like to be notified about any future blog updates feel free to follow my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/), [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com), or join my email list. The email list signup is located in the upper left menu, if you’re on a wide screen device, or below, on any device. Wherever you are or whatever you’re doing I hope you’re doing well and have a great day.
### Me-Made-May 2020
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/me-made-may-2020/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:33:59.000Z
The last couple years I’ve heard about Me Made May in the sewing communities I joined on social media but other than a brief post back in [2018, where I shared my recent kid makes](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/05/22/recent-kid-patterns-for-me-made-may-2018/), I hadn’t felt like I had anything to truly contribute. This year when Me-Made-May started being mentioned on Instagram I realized why not join in. Over the last couple years I’ve sewn several items for myself which included some amazing ones I love to wear out in public, others I wear a lot but keep at home, and then others still that haven’t left the closet since the last stitch was made. Since we were privileged enough to be able to shelter-in-place this was the perfect time to try to wear something novel everyday and see if I was capable of completing the challenge. Over the last month I was able to highlight a new item of clothing everyday, though a couple times I only wore the garment for a couple of hours, and I can’t believe I finished it.

![Pinterest collage image showing all thirty-one days of outfits, with a partially transparent purple overlay, along with the title and URL of my homepage.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_Me-Made-May-2020.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Throughout the past month I posted a weekly recap on Instagram as each week ended so every picture, excluding the last three days, have been previously shared [on my Instagram account (@simplyartsykyra)](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). I still wanted to create a post showing all the makes in one simple to find spot so if there was something you wanted to make yourself you could. Each day’s entry links to the pattern website, the fabric source (if remembered), and, if created, a blog post with more images of the outfit.

I used an app, through my iPhone, on all of my images, below, to add the date. The first week I used PicCollage but then I switched to PhotoCollage for the rest of the month.

An added benefit of this challenge, while participating I made a point to move every garment I wore over to one side of my closet so with Me-Made-May over this year I should be able to see what I did wear making it easier to downsize so I have room for new makes. Over the last couple years I kept every wearable muslin I sewed thinking I could just wear them around the house yet as I didn’t enjoy some of them they just sat in my closet for no reason. With us staying home and seeing Me-Made-May I realized why not use some of my loud fun fabric I bought to test out new garments to wear around the house even if I know they’re going to stay confined there? I ended up cutting out some fabric that had been sitting for a while and sewed up a couple fun tops that are shown below.

---

## Week One

And here we go!

#### *May 1st*

![Image showing me wearing a blue dress with crossed out angel statues with TARDISes in the background. I'm smiling as I take a selfie. Beside my head there's font saying "May 1st".](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8276.jpg?resize=750%2C1006&ssl=1)

I’ve posted about the Stitch Upon A Time Brazi back [when I created a workout bra using an underwear rapport from Whimsy](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/07/01/using-an-adult-sized-underwear-panel-for-a-workout-bra/). This is the one and only time I made [a dress version of the Brazi](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/brazi-ladies-bra-and-dress-sewing-pattern/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) and although I absolutely love the design and flow of the fabric, bought through [Snowy Owl Fabrics](https://snowyowlfabrics.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), I haven’t been able to let myself wear it out of the house. That said this is my most worn garment and I couldn’t help but kick start this years Me-Made-May off with it. This dress is perfect on the weekend to wear around the house whether I’m vacuuming or having fun with the kids. Pre-Covid-19 I used to lay it out most mornings so I had something quick to put on after I showered. I’d then wear it until I changed to go out on a playdate, run errands, or, if staying home all morning, to go pick Ada up from school. With the shelter-in-place I’ve tried to separate my weekends from my weekdays and made myself *get dressed* in pants, comfy knit ones, and a shirt on weekdays and left this, mostly, for the weekends only. I’m actually wearing it again as I edit this post.

#### *May 2nd*

![Me standing, with my head tilted to fit partially in the photo, in front of our blinds. I'm wearing a blue tshirt with stripes across my breast and grey capris. Beside me is black font saying 'May 2nd'.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8277.jpg?resize=750%2C1006&ssl=1)

I couldn’t help but grab one of my favorite shirts to wear today. My top is the [Dynamite, through Ragamuffin Patterns](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-dynamite-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com), made with [Doctor Who fabric bought through a pre-order at Zenith and Quasar](https://www.zenithandquasar.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). I paired it with a pair of comfy [Pippa Pants I made awhile back through Rebecca Page](https://rebecca-page.com/product/stretch-pants-pattern/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com). I’ve [previously posted about the shirt here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/09/21/ragamuffins-dynamite-top/).

#### *May 3rd*

![Me standing with my hand on my hips in front of a wooden fence. I'm wearing a grey wrap dress with pink flowers patterned on it. Beside me there's black font saying 'May 3rd'.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8278.jpg?resize=750%2C811&ssl=1)

We planned on going out to pick up a grocery order and grab some takeout today and although the kids and I stayed in the car it’s the first time we left our house together since the shelter-in-place started. Since it was such an exciting day I chose to wear my [Ragamuffin Patterns Billie wrap dress](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/04/22/ragamuffins-billie-shirt-and-dress/) made with [Girl Charlee cotton blend fabric](http://www.girlcharlee.com/create%5Faccount.php?refid=85387&ref=simplykyra.com). [If you want more information about this dress you can easily check it out here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/04/22/ragamuffins-billie-shirt-and-dress/).

#### *May 4th*

![Selfie picture take from above looking down. I stand in front of a white door wearing black pants, partially viewed, and my me-made tops. I have a loose knit short sleeved crop top over top of a black and white patterned camisole, visible from the bottom. Beside my smiling head there's black font saying 'May 4th'.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8279.jpg?resize=750%2C1006&ssl=1)

I chose to fully embrace staying home and that there was no scheduled zoom meetings for Ada’s school today and grabbed [the Rebecca Page strappy cami](https://rebecca-page.com/product/camisole-sewing-pattern/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) and paired it with [my crop top version of the Dynamite](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-dynamite-shirt-dress/?aff=180&ref=simplykyra.com). Even though both of my daughters chose to put a fancy dress overtop of their shirt and pant combo just yesterday Zoey was still aghast that I’d dare to wear two shirts at the same time. [If you want more information about the strappy cami I posted about it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/03/the-strappy-cami/).

#### *May 5th*

![Selfie image of me looking up into the camera. I'm wearing a knee length, crewneck, short sleeved dress with a tired looking unicorn on it. The background of the fabric is faded, so the unicorn pops, with coffee beans, mugs, and spilled coffee. Slightly hidden, under the unicorn, it reads 'Still Magical AF'. To the left of me, at the bottom, there's black font saying 'May 5th'.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8280.jpg?resize=750%2C1006&ssl=1)

I wore a store bought shirt and pants for most of the day but once I finished my new pajamas, made from [the Ragamuffin Dynamite](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-dynamite-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com) with a slightly altered skirt to fit the main panel, I swiftly changed into it for the remainder of the day. I finally justified using the adorably cute fabric I bought through a preorder two years ago from [Fabric Geeks (now 5 Oceans Fabric)](https://fiveoceansfabric.com/collections/preorder?ref=simplykyra.com) and am so glad I did. The back of the shirt, and several underwear I’ve sewn since with the remnants, have scattered tired looking animals holding mugs and are so adorable.

#### *May* 6th

![Closeup of my side and an arm. My hand is on my hip and I'm wearing a blue knit bra and navy underwear with sloths. On my stomach is black font saying 'May 6th'.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8281.jpg?resize=750%2C1006&ssl=1)

I laid out a store-bought outfit today so I had planned to take a photo of my morning workout gear but once I hopped into the shower I realized I had forgotten to snap the photo. I had happened to lay out me-made undergarments so I took this photo instead. These are both made from Stitch Upon A Time patterns where the top is the [Brazi](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/brazi-ladies-bra-and-dress-sewing-pattern/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) and the bottoms are either [Scrundlewear](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/scrundlewear-2-0-womens-underwear/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) or [Bunzies](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/bunzies-underwear/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com). I’ve made all three patterns many times and love them all.

#### *May 7th*

![Selfie photo with my head angled to the side to fit in the, mostly, full body photo. I'm wearing a pink top with a stretched out neckline and rolled up hem. The pants hem is also rolling up and both legs are made out of different fabric. Facing you the left pant leg is blue and the right is patterned with stacked black circles on green squares with a white background. Beside me black font says 'May 7th'.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8282.jpg?resize=750%2C1006&ssl=1)

I planned to wear something store-bought today so I, instead, made a point of taking a photo after my workout. Both garments were wearable muslins that I didn’t want to wear out of the house yet instead of being ignored in a drawer they became my favorite workout-from-home outfit. The shirt is [the Stitch Upon A Time Titania](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/titania-top-and-tunic/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) while the pants are [my first version of the Pippa from Rebecca Page](https://rebecca-page.com/product/stretch-pants-pattern/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com).

---

## Week Two

And here is what I wore for week two of Me-Made-May! I’m surprisingly more put together this week compared to the last week.

#### *May 8th*

![Selfie view of the bottom of my fave and shirt. The shirt is a green and white mottled fabric with pleats along the neckline. The blue woven fabric used as a lining is showing along that neckline too. Under the shirt you can see one of the straps of my blue brazi and my grey capris. Beside me, in green font, it says 'May 8th'.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8623.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Back at the beginning of January I tried out [the Kathryn top from Itch To Stitch](https://itch-to-stitch.com/product/kathryn-top-dress-digital-sewing-pattern-pdf/?ref=simplykyra.com). I love the top although I haven’t yet made it a second time; my goal is to sew it up again making it a bit longer. I pulled it out today along with my comfy [Rebecca Page Pippa 3/4 length pants](https://rebecca-page.com/product/stretch-pants-pattern/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) and [Stitch Upon a Time Brazi](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/brazi-ladies-bra-and-dress-sewing-pattern/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com).

#### *May 9th*

![Selfie position showing a portion of my mouth and my whole shirt. I'm wearing a flow-y blue and white patterned shirt with a v-neckline and elbow length sleeves. At the bottom of the photo are the words 'May', to the left, and '9th', to the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8622.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Decided to go comfy today and I pulled out [the Love Notions Laundry Day Tee](https://www.lovenotions.com/product/laundry-day-tee-xs-xxxl?ref=simplykyra.com) I sewed up years ago. I made it too big for me and made it back when I still used a straight stitch on knit when hemming and topstitching so I can constantly hear the seams popping but I haven’t been able to make the decision yet to toss, upcycle, and/or make another one.

#### *May 10th*

![Selfie view showing one eye and the bottom of my face, tilted to fit, along with my dress. It's a wrap dress with slink ITY in blues, grey, and black. To the right of me are the words, in blue, saying 'May 10th'.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8621.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

With today bring Mother’s Day I decided to take the day and make it a good one. I laid out my fanciest dress, [Ragamuffin’s Billie](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-billie-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com) made with [BOHO](http://rwrd.io/zampms1?c&ref=simplykyra.com)[ Fabrics ITY](https://www.bohofabrics.com/?ref=simplykyra.com), and chose to apply makeup to start the day out right…. but Ada was extremely excited for Mother’s Day so she woke up five minutes into my workout. After pivoting my workout plan so we could workout together she helped me make my breakfast so we could eat together (she wanted cereal) and then I put on a show so I could take my time showering and getting ready. [Again, I blogged about this dress before and you can read about it here.](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/04/22/ragamuffins-billie-shirt-and-dress/)

#### *May 11th*

![Selfie view showing three quarters of my face and my entire shirt. The sides, bottom, and sleeve of the shirt is black while the center is made up of pink and black fabric. The center is gathered over the bodice making the neckline drape down. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8620.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I chose to wear my other [Itch To Stitch garment, the Plitvice top](https://itch-to-stitch.com/product/plitvice-top-digital-sewing-pattern-pdf/?ref=simplykyra.com), today. I wish it was longer in the torso but otherwise I absolutely love it and keep meaning to make another one… sometime. This is the pattern that brought me to Itch To Stitch.

#### *May 12th*

![Closeup of my pants while I stand in flamingo pose (and lean over to selfie the picture). My shirt is pulled up so you can see the entire ruched waistband. The pants are long and loose and come just under my feet. At the bottom are the words 'May 12th'.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8619.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

It was spirit day for Ada’s school today so I wore her school shirt so we’d match. Because of that I went with one of [my Pippa pants from Rebecca Page](https://rebecca-page.com/product/stretch-pants-pattern/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) to make my outfit more me-made. I sewed these using the ruched waistband with ties but I find the height of the waistband and the presence of the strings make my shirt bulkier so if I ever make them again I’m going to go with the simpler flat waistband instead.

#### *May 13th*

![Selfie view with one arm cut off, holding camera, and the other one in my pocket. I'm looking up to the camera wearing a slouchy sweater made out of a thin grey cotton blend with pink flowers on it. To the right of my image are the words, in pink, 'May 13th'.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8617.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I’m at the point where I’m feeling like I’ve worn all my go to makes already. I was trying to find unique items to bring out and since it’s a tiny bit chillier today I grabbed my comfy and slightly oversized [Sara Sweater, through Rebecca Page](https://rebecca-page.com/product/sara-sweater/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com), that I made back in February. Figured I had to wear it before the weather heats up again.

#### *May 14th*

![Selfie view with my head tilted and my other hand on my waist. Shirt drapes down in the neckline showing my matching blue brazi underneath. The fabric is a slinky ITY with horizontal blue, white, and pink patterns going across which showcases the draping.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8656.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

While looking through my closet I realized I’d somehow not worn one of my favorite shirts in the last two weeks making today’s choice an easy decision. This is the [Angel top by Rad Patterns](https://www.radpatterns.com/product/angel-top/?ref=simplykyra.com) made with a mystery box slinky ITY fabric… and is yet another top I keep meaning to make more of.

---

## Week Three

And with two weeks down we’re just under halfway through the month.

#### *May 15th*

![A just off the shoulder top highlighting a cityscape/landscape custom printed panel. The top, right under the neckline, says 'love' and features a large moon in the background with a silhouette of a man pushing a woman on a swing hung from a tree in the foreground.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8836.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I finally sewed up my [Cherry Bomb, through Ragamuffin Patterns](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-cherry-bomb-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com), using cotton lycra bought a while back from [Whimsy Baby Customs](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). I added bra cups to the shelf bra so I don’t have to worry about bra lines when wearing the top. I actually took photos of it this morning, unhemmed, but didn’t like how the bottom was rolling up so I stopped to hem it mid-morning and snapped another photo for this post.

#### *May 16th*

![Selfie of a boxy tshirt with slinky fabric so it drapes. It's made with the same horizontally patterned blue, pink, and white fabric as the shirt two days back.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8834.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I realized I hadn’t worn [the Toronto Tee through Rebecca Page yet](https://rebecca-page.com/free-tshirt-sewing-pattern/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com). It’s a boxy pattern which I normally don’t like on me so I chose to sew it up with some ITY, found in a mystery box, for maximum drape.

#### *May 17th*

![Selfie view of my go to workout gear. I'm wearing grey knee-length knit pants and a drapey grey top with pink flowers on it. The top has unfinished edges along the bottom, neck, and arms and drapes down showing off a bit of my purple brazi workout bra. To the right there's light pink letters saying May 17th.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8833.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I was planning on being comfortable today in the dress I wore on May 1st so I made sure to wear one of the, un-photographed, workout outfits I have in rotation, in the morning, and snapped a photo after I worked out. I’m wearing [Pippa pants](https://rebecca-page.com/product/stretch-pants-pattern/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) and [a Twist top](https://rebecca-page.com/product/twist-strap-top/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com), both through Rebecca Page, with a purple [Brazi, through Stitch Upon a Time](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/brazi-ladies-bra-and-dress-sewing-pattern/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com), showing through the top of the top.

#### *May 18th*

![Selfie view of the one of my eyes, face, and shirt. The hand not holding my phone is placed on my hips. The top is a short sleeved, crew neck, slim fitting, shirt with think black fabric adorned with white, lavender, and purple flowers akin to Horton Hears a Who. To my left, in white letters outlined in black, it reads 'May 18th'. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8831.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

This is one of my favorite tops so I couldn’t believe I hadn’t worn it yet this month. The fabric is from [Girl Charlee](http://www.girlcharlee.com/create%5Faccount.php?refid=85387&ref=simplykyra.com) and the top is [the Dynamite through Ragamuffin Patterns](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-dynamite-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com). [Like before, if you want to read more about it or the fabric you can check out my previous post here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/09/21/ragamuffins-dynamite-top/).

#### *May 19th*

![Selfie view of my top with the bottom bit cut off. The top is a sleeveless galaxy print shirt with a stretched out neckline and is brought in slightly under my breast. To the right of me are hot pink letters saying 'May 19th'.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8830.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

It was spirit day again today so I was planning on wearing store-bought clothing. To be able to photograph something me-made I made sure to wear my last set of workout clothing and grabbed a photo before I worked out. This is the [Rebecca Page Bralette Tank](https://rebecca-page.com/product/ladies-bralette-tank/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com) I sewed and ended up stretching the neckline out of when sewing the elastic along it’s seam allowance.

#### *May 20th*

![Selfie view showing both my eyes this time! The top is a short petal sleeved wrap shirt tied at the waist. The fabric is black with teal and white flowers and a hint of pink. To the left, in pink, it reads 'May 20th'. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8829.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

We had plans, over lunchtime, today for Matt to take time off from work so we could find an empty parking lot and have a picnic together in the back of our van and let the kids bike close by. These plans made me want to grab a fancier shirt than normal and this [Billie, through Ragamuffin Patterns](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-billie-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com), [using fabric from Girl Charlee](http://www.girlcharlee.com/create%5Faccount.php?refid=85387&ref=simplykyra.com) was the perfect solution. [I’ve blogged about Billie, both the top and the dress, before and you can find it here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/04/22/ragamuffins-billie-shirt-and-dress/).

#### *May 21st*

![Tilted head selfie photo showing a woven shift shirt. The fabric is black with grey-ish blue curved patterns on it. The bottom of the photo cuts of the shirt. Beside the shirt it reads, in light blue with a black outline, 'May 21st'.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8828.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

At first I wasn’t sure what to wear today but once I saw [the Laura, through Rebecca Page](https://rebecca-page.com/product/ladies-laura/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com), hanging in my closet I knew I should wear that. I sewed it up using quilting cotton bought through [Fabric.com](https://www.fabric.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) and I don’t know if it the pattern itself, the fit on me, or the fabric but I don’t like how baggy the top feels while also feeling tight when I move so I didn’t wear it for too long that morning.

---

## Week Four

And now for the last week, and a half, of May!

#### *May 22nd*

![Selfie view of my face eyes down to the bottom of my shirt. The shirt is black with a framed 'painting' of the Mona Lisa and The Girl with a Pearl Earring striking a selfie in front of The Scream while the night sky behind them dances akin to Van Gogh's Starry Night. The top of the shirt has quotes from famous artists in blues and yellows. To the left of the photo the words, in blue, say 'May 22nd'.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_9173.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I realized my favorite shirt had somehow gotten forgotten making it the perfect top to kick start this week by wearing it. This shirt was made with [RP Custom Fabrics ‘Selfie Girls’](https://www.rpfabrix.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) that I bought back in 2018 and attempted another project with before salvaging it with [Ragamuffin Patterns’ Dynamite top](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-dynamite-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com) pattern.

#### *May 23rd*

![Selfie view, back to one eye, of a purple and white flowered dress. The neck is a crew neck with a binding and the sleeves end at the elbows. The dress reaches to my knees but it's hard to see the length from this angle. The shirt has a large batwing so you can see extra fabric draping at the armpit of the arm holding the phone. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_9172.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I had plans to vacuum and mop today so I reached for one of my around the house dresses. This isn’t the best photo of it although I’m also undecided on if I like it or not. It is; however, comfy. Like yesterday the pattern used is [Ragamuffin Patterns Dynamite](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-dynamite-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com) but this time around I used the knee length dress option paired with the largest batwing and sewed it up with [Girl Charlee’s cotton spandex fabric](http://www.girlcharlee.com/create%5Faccount.php?refid=85387&ref=simplykyra.com) instead of the thicker custom cotton lycra. It’s amazing how different both look yet they both come from the exact same pattern. [I love how many options Ragamuffin Patterns has in their sewing patterns. If you want to read more about my views of the Dynamite you can find them here, but it was posted before I sewed the Selfie Girl shirt I wore yesterday](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/09/21/ragamuffins-dynamite-top/).

#### *May 24th*

![Selfie view showing my eyes and most of my glasses down to my knees. I'm wearing a shiny ITY wrap shirt in splotches of teal, cyan, grey, and black. You can see part of my black Pippa pants under my shirt. To the left, in cyan, it reads 'May 24th'.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_9171.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I realized I hadn’t worn my [last Billie, pattern through Ragamuffin Patterns](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-billie-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com), yet this month. I sewed it up with a [two way stretch ITY from BOHO Fabrics](http://rwrd.io/zampms1?c&ref=simplykyra.com) instead of the required four way stretch that the pattern needed so, unlike the wrap dress, the faux wrap top ended up being a bit too small. [If you want more information about this top you can check out my post here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/04/22/ragamuffins-billie-shirt-and-dress/). That said I love how the top looks and as I can’t get more of this fabric I’m still debating keeping the shirt around for the odd fancy night at home.

#### *May 25th*

![Closeup selfie showing most of my face and my workout bra. The bra is purple with a bright pink band underneath. Across my breast it has an adorable lidded cup and says 'too hot to handle'. The back, not seen, of the bra and top of the straps has small cups. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_9170.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I was going to wear a tank top today but while I was getting into my workout clothing I figured I’d save the tank for another day and show off the [Stitch Upon A Time Brazi](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/brazi-ladies-bra-and-dress-sewing-pattern/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) I made with [an adorable underwear panel from Whimsy Baby Customs](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). I technically wore this with a couple other previous photos but in them the bra was mostly hidden under a shirt so I decided, last minute, what the heck and went with this. I sewed it up using bra cups for better coverage and, as all of my [Brazis](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/brazi-ladies-bra-and-dress-sewing-pattern/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) are absolutely my favorite comfy bra, a version of this pattern has probably been under most of the tops this month so I realized it needed it’s own day.

#### *May 26th*

![Selfie view, from my tilted head down to the hem of my dress, showing my dress. The neckline and armholes are finished with black fabric bindings. The from of the dress is black with a sloth in a green cup labeled, partially viewable, 'sloffee'. The hint of the back you can see, via the skirt, is pink with a pattern of sloths and pillows. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_9169.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

Today was another spirit day for school so I decided to snap a quick photo of one of the pajamas I’ve previously made. When making it I ignored the skirt that came with the [Stitch Upon a Time Calista](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/calista-curvy-bra-top-tunic-dress/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com) and lengthened the bra to be a new type of dress using the length of the front panel to decide the length and width of the skirt. I hacked the Calista to have a stand-alone inner shelf bra with cups and elastic. Both the sloth fabrics, front panel and back print, were bought from [Whimsy Baby Customs](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com).

#### *May 27th*

![Selfie view of me tilting my head again so one of my eyes are visible. The arm not holding the phone is on my hips. I'm wearing a light blue tank with white flowers on it. Under the tank you can see the purple workout brazi and under the shirt you can see my grey pippa capris. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_9168.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I wanted to wear one of my previously worn [Dynamite tops](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-dynamite-shirt-dress/?aff=180&ref=simplykyra.com) today so I grabbed a tank I made back in 2018, [simplest version of the Stitch Upon a Time Excalibur](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/excalibur-tank-dress/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com), to workout in so I could snap a quick photo for you and still wear the repeated top later on in the day.

#### *May 28th*

![Yet another selfie of my head tilted and hand on my hip. The focus of the photo is sleeveless purple-y top with white stars spaced in clusters. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_9176.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

The weather is still hot down here so I grabbed my last comfy sleeveless top to wear today. I’m not sure where the fabric is from, though it feels like a double brushed polyester (DBP), but the top is the [Spoxxy through Stitch Upon a Time](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/spoxxy-top-and-dress/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com).

---

## Week Five

#### *May 29th*

![Selfie view showing most of my mouth and my top. The top ends in a V over the breast showing my black brazi rather than cleavage. The bottom of the shirt drapes down from my waist while the wide sleeves also drape down on my arms.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_9414.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I realized when laying out my clothing last night that I hadn’t yet shared [the Mariella through Rebecca Page](https://rebecca-page.com/product/ladies-knit-dress-sewing-pattern/?affiliates=225&ref=simplykyra.com). I love the pattern, which comes in a shirt or dress length, but the sleeves are wide enough that it’s difficult to cook and do dishes while wearing it so I don’t often wear it and when I do I usually change right before I make supper. The first and third version of this top have larger sleeves but this one, my second, I screwed up and put one sleeve in upside down and instead of seam ripping and fixing it I, instead, sewed the sleeves slightly skinnier so they’d match making this version a bit easier to wear. I’ve never made it as a dress and am now wondering if I should at some point.

#### *May 30th*

![Selfie view showing a single eye down to the bottom of my shirt. The shirt is white with many rainbows, coffee cups, small hearts, and unicorns on it. If you look closely you can see the seam lines vertically over my stomach and showing the bra cups have been sewn together. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_9413.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

I spent all day yesterday sewing up a wearable muslin of [Ragamuffin Patterns Bonnie top](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-bonnie-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com) because I wanted to fit it into Me-Made-May before it ended. I had cut the pattern and fabric out awhile back, at the same time as the May 5th and May 15th’s tops, but hadn’t gotten a chance to sew it up before now. The unicorn fabric was bought a while back, when I still drank coffee, from [Whimsy Baby Customs](https://whimsybabycustoms.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). I finished the top in time and laid it out the night before. This morning, when I tried it on, the seam at the center of the bodice popped and the seam allowance was showing through. I changed to another top, a [sweater version of the Dynamite](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-dynamite-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com), took some photos, and then went to fix the popped seam. Since I wasn’t ready to display so much cleavage I decided to also sew in a modesty panel with some of my leftover fabric scraps while the shirt was still being worked on. The panel still gapes out so I’m still debating how to fix the top but it was good enough, especially since it’s a home top, to change back into, take a photo, and wear for the rest of the day.

#### *May 31st*

![Selfie outside rather than most of the other indoor ones. Here I'm wearing sunglasses, a mask, and a cuff on my visible arm. Behind it all you see a hint of a previously work purple flowered Dynamite shirt. The mask is white with colored circles and you can see the bias tape along the top is made of the same fabric. The cuff is pink with scribbled hearts in white and lighter and darker pink. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_9412.jpg?resize=750%2C750&ssl=1)

With this being Me-Made-May in 2020, a.k.a. COVID-19 shelter-in-place time, I had to include a photo of a mask. The mask I’m wearing is the [Do-It-Better-Yourself fitted fabric face mask](https://doitbetteryourself.club/product/fabric-face-mask-sewing-pattern/?ref=simplykyra.com) although I’ve also used [Craft Passion’s face mask pattern](https://www.craftpassion.com/face-mask-sewing-pattern/?ref=simplykyra.com) which uses elastic instead of bias tape. I like both patterns equally, although my husband prefers the DIBY one, and they’re both free. A week or so ago I came across [the cufflet sewing pattern through Make It Last Patterns](https://makeitlastpatterns.com/products/the-cufflet?ref=simplykyra.com) and had to sew it up as it looked like a simple way to carry around accessible cash and be easy to wash when you get back home. Today was the first time I tried it out, at our local farmer’s market, and it was a bit difficult to get your folded up cash out but I could see it being perfect with minimal bills and/or cards in it… or more practice using it.

---

Over the last month I’ve learned just how much I love Ragamuffin Pattern’s [Dynamite top](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-dynamite-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com). I’ve made it so many times and have only stopped because I don’t want my whole closet to be only the one style of shirt. I reach first for the Dynamites to wear which stands out to me as many of my shirts are sewn once or not worn very often. I also absolutely adore my me-made underwear and bras. Most of them are through Stitch Upon a Time ([brazi](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/brazi-ladies-bra-and-dress-sewing-pattern/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com), [scrundlewear](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/scrundlewear-2-0-womens-underwear/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com), and [bunzies](https://stitchuponatime.com/product/bunzies-underwear/?affiliate=27&ref=simplykyra.com)) although I’ve recently bought and loved the [MyFit Underwear through Apostrophe Patterns](https://apostrophepatterns.com/collections/customizable-patterns/products/myfit-underwear-bikinis-and-briefs?ref=simplykyra.com) and have made the [Lovesick Bralette through George and Ginger (free in their Facebook group)](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1486285618343038/) a couple times. And now that May is over I’m going to go through my closet to down size it and then enjoy picking out my outfits without wondering if I wore them yet this month. I know some of my favorites will probably be worn once every laundry cycle.

Did you participate in Me-Made-May this year? Have you before? What’s your favorite part about it? If you’re wishing it wasn’t over I came across [weboughtamr on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/weboughtamanor/?ref=simplykyra.com) who did Me-Made-May amazingly. She used clothing from her “me made” wardrobe to recreate famous artwork and it looked incredible. I’d love to hear what you think about Me-Made-May in the comments below. If you like this, or my other posts, I currently come out with a new blog post every Wednesday morning. If you’d like to be notified about any future blog posts you can easily follow my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/), [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com), or join my email list. The email list signup is located in the upper left menu, if on a wide screen device, or below, on any device. I hope your week is going better than expected.
### Ideas For When It's Hot Outside
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/ideas-for-when-its-hot-outside/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:34:33.000Z
Several weekends ago we had a really hot couple of days and I realized I should post some of my hot weather ideas. I took some photos of what we did over those days and then looked through my photo archive for other past things we did. I hope all of these ideas help you and I’d would love to hear what you do to cool down because we’d all love some more ideas.

![Pinterest image showing a collage of five different images, also shown below, along with the title and url of the blog's homepage.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_Ideas-For-When-Its-Hot-Outside.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

Most of my kid-related ideas center around ice while the remainder of them still need a freezer. I find the best way to keep our cool is to do [simple water play](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/05/13/simple-water-play/) and then, if you’re really hot, you can take it one step further by adding ice cubes to the play. Where we last lived our freezer didn’t have an ice cube dispenser so if I knew it was going to get warm I’d start freezing a tray or two of ice cubes. When they had fully frozen I’d move them to a freezer bag or container so I could freeze more using the same trays. I then continued freezing ice cubes and moving them over until we had more than enough or I ran out of room in the freezer. This way whenever the kids complained about being hot or bored, or started getting grumpy, I had a bunch of ice cubes readily accessible I could pull out quickly. And with that extra space created I could go on to freeze more for the next time.

![There are two bins laid out over towels on the kitchen floor. To the left of either the towel extends were toys and the girls sit to play. By Zoey, in the back, there's plastic dishes, muffin tin, and scoops to transport water. Hidden, by Ada, at the bottom are a couple bowls and small plastic toy animals and insects for pretend play. The bottom bin has a hunk of ice cubes stuck together into a ball.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_5039.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Our simple bin, water, and toys on the kitchen floor activity with the added dimension of a ball of ice cubes. We played with water on the floor a lot in the past but now with the kids older we’ve mainly brought it to the table now. I absolutely love how this works over a range of ages as you can add cups to play with water pouring or add some animals to create pretend world stories. Looking back on this picture I’m assuming the kids fought over whether or not they wanted ice resulting in one bin of only water (Zoey) and one bin with the ice (Ada).

![Two bins side by side filled with Dollar Tree kitchen items. Underneath are towels now soaked through in places while Ada sits behind the back one playing with ice. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_5042.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once Zoey was done with the sensory bin Ada got free reign with it all.

If you want something larger to keep them occupied for longer you could always freeze their water-safe toys in water using a bowl or container for the mould. This gives them a larger piece of ice that’s going to take much longer to melt, especially important on a hot day, and keep them cool for longer. If you have enough room in the freezer you can easily freeze it whenever you get a chance so it’s there when the weather gets hot next. Then you can simply pull it out to surprise your kids with no added fuss on your part, at the time, letting them have a cool way to play and an activity, attempting to get the toys out, to keep them occupied. Just a word of warning; depending how determined your kids are the toys may break so use items you don’t mind maybe getting broken.

There are many sensory activities out there that use salt to help melt ice but I haven’t used salt at home as, I’ve heard, since the salt lowers the freezing point of the water, helping it melt, it can potentially cause an ice burn on your kids. Since I use sensory play as a method to give myself a break I leave salt out of their icy play. That said if you choose to add salt to yours [our local children’s discovery museum used salt to help melt an ice ball and they used watercolors dropped onto the ice with a pipette to highlight where the water melted](https://www.cdm.org/virtual-museum-ice-exploration/?ref=simplykyra.com). It was gorgeous.

![Closeup of the top of the frozen metal bowl with the plastic wrap half pulled off. If you look in the ice you can see a brontosaurus and an green-ish iguana in the depths. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_6102.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I gathered up a bunch of their outside vehicles and dinosaurs, tossed them in a large metal bowl, filled it up with water, covered it with plastic wrap, and then carefully placed it in the freezer to freeze solid.

![The icy ball is shown placed onto the foam squares outside. Both girls are clustered around it. You can see the odd wheel from the vehicles within. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_6104.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once the kids sounded like they needed a distraction, and more importantly to cool down, I pulled it out, ran hot water over the bowl, and popped it out. I then stuck it back in the bowl to carry outside so the kids could unveil it themselves. I loved how cool the ball looked when placed flat side down.

![The icy toys are flat side up while Ada rubs the top to try to see what's inside. Zoey is laying on her stomach on the chair looking down at it. From the side you can see the dinosaurs 'running' through the icy side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_6111.jpg?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

They started by just poking it and over time got more inventive with their methods. I love how the dinosaurs look like they’re running inside the ice.

Once the kids were done and ready to go inside I gathered up the toys, tossed them back in the bowl, poured water in, and carefully put it back in the freezer for the next day. I don’t know if I somehow gathered up more toys than before or if they were just stacked differently but with the water added the brontosaurus’ neck and head kept sticking out of the bowl no matter what I tried. After several attempts trying to fix it I gave up and let his head stick out of the plastic wrap in the freezer.

![Overview of the second bowl of icy toys. Shows the top with the side of the brontosaurus body sticking out and his neck exiting the bowl. Between his front legs you can see the tyrannosaurus rex. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_6203.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After freezing the toys a second time around we ended up with this. Love the thin layer of ice that froze against the plastic wrap.

This time around Ada went straight to the ice with a rock while Zoey just played next to it. Yesterday they focused on freeing the animals the whole entire time while, in contrast, this time they started prioritizing smacking ice off of the ball and gathering it up so they could *cook* with the ice pieces as they melted.

![Image shows Ada crouched down holding the ice bowl with one hand as the other hand smashes a rock against it. You can see ice particles flying in the air. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_6230.jpg?resize=750%2C467&ssl=1)

Ada attempted to use a rock to brute force her way to the toys.

![Closeup of the eroded ice ball with Zoey crouched beside it playing with her cement mixer. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_6210.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Zoey playing beside the ice ball and gathered up the ice fragments with the broken cement mixer.

![Closeup of the metal bowl with ice and water at the bottom of it. Ada stands behind it and is using a play ice cream scoop to stir the pot. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_6213.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The ice was gathered up and put into the emptied metal bowl. Ada ‘cooked’ with it while getting Zoey to gather more ice for her.

Recently I decided to try this again and for fun I added dish soap to see how the ice would be affected. The container sat in the freezer for so long that I had forgotten that I added dish soap so I was confused once I opened it up and saw the top wasn’t as smooth as I expected. That said, Ada and Zoey loved the *snow* on top, caused by the frozen bubbles, yet other than the top bit there was no major change using soapy water over regular water.

![A long plastic holey basket is held tipped over a large yogurt container with soapy water inside. The plastic container holds plastic animals and you can see some of them already in the soapy water below.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_7312.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Pouring plastic toys into the soapy water. After dropping the plastic toys in I finished filling it to the top with water before putting the lid on and throwing it in the freezer to wait for it to get hot outside.

![Ada sitting on the fake grass with the container of ice between her legs. She's reaching into the container to play with the frozen bubbles. Zoey crouches beside her and is reaching into the container. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8343.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The kids loved the *snow* on top of the ice.

![Zoey's foot off to the side shows her getting into the pool. To the right Ada is crouched over holding the upside down container dropping the ice into the pool. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8351.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

It was warm enough for our pool and I told the kids to dump the ice in.

![Zoey sitting on the edge with a foot on the ice underwater. Ada crouches next to it with both hands on the ice.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8354.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

They had fun playing with the ice in the pool and freeing the animals.

![View of the empty pool and the fake grass behind. There's a pile of plastic animals in the pool and another pile on the grass behind.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8359.jpg?resize=750%2C923&ssl=1)

The freed animals! Once the kids were done playing and ready to go in I had them gather the plastic animals up so I could freeze them again.

The next time I made this I added water-based food dye to change it up. I split the toys into two piles so I could freeze them in two parts creating a blue lower layer and a red upper layer. I was careful to use two primary colors, instead of a primary and it’s opposing secondary color, so if it melted together it would make an actual color, purple in this case, and not cancel each other out into grey or brown.

![View of the empty yogurt container half filled with blue water and with two animals floating in it. Off to the side is the blue food dye and more plastic animals on the counter. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8385.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I started by dumping half the animals into the container and filled it halfway full with water and added blue food dye.

![Container of solid blue ice with animals inside it to the right. The left shows the container lid. Behind both are the plastic animals and a bottle of red dye. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8394.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once the blue froze solid I added the rest of the animals, water, and red food dye.

![Open container showing toys in red water. There's a spoon handle sticking out and the water is shimmery. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8398.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I stirred it all together, pushed the lid back on, and put it back in the freezer where it sat for a couple weeks waiting until the weather got hot again.

When the kids were ready to play with ice again I grabbed it out of the freezer, ran water over the container so it released, and then took it outside to surprise them with. If you dye a large amount of water to freeze I did notice that the outer layer of the ice froze clear with the color only in the center. Both the red and blue sections looked more like balls of color trapped within the ice rather than solid layers. This looked cool, especially with the animals floating in it, but I’m not sure how you’d counteract that in the future. When I unveiled it Ada stated “What the heck! Why is it dyed?” and then as I walked away, smiling, I heard both kids marveling at the *snow* caused by the condensation on the lid as it froze.

![Open container showing the frozen ice pieces and block of red-hued water containing a crocodile and other various plastic animals.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8962.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The frozen container of dyed water and plastic animals. You can see the *snow* on top.

![The bottom of the photo shows the upside down container and a part of Ada's skirt. The bin takes up most of the photo with the upside down ice centered inside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8965.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I placed the container upside down in the bin before pulling it off of the ice dramatically.

![Ada trying to pick up the ice while Zoey touches it. You can see the bin around the cylinder ice. The animals float within the ice and the color shine through from the center. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8968.jpg?ssl=1)

The food dye seemed to have moved into the center as each section froze making the outside transparent. I love how it looks.

![The ice cylinder with the animals sticking out and some scattered around it. The edges of the bin are filled with mostly red-dyed water making it appear pink.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_9002.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The kids focused on the side with the red food dye so as the ice melted the water around it appeared red (or in Ada’s words pink).

![Overhead view of the bin showing the frozen chunk of ice in the center with plastic animals partially stuck within. The freed animals are scattered around with the purple-hued water to the right and rocks, mostly, to the left.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_9005.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

At some point rocks joined the animals and water though I’m not sure why. At this point the kids stopped playing and I took a quick picture before leaving it outside to melt just in case they wanted to check on it later. I love how the red turned more purple as the ratio of red to blue changed in the water. Other times I would’ve tossed the leftover ice back in the container along with the freed toys, added water, and refroze it. Looking back now I’m curious whether the ball of ice would’ve stay frozen in the center while the new water froze around it or if it would’ve fully thawed, and leak it’s color, while the outer ice froze.

If you prefer something smaller you could always freeze cups of dyed water. This means it melts faster which works perfectly if your kids are less patient or if you want to play at color mixing. For color mixing, for instance, you can combine two frozen colored cups, like red and yellow, and while they melt the secondary color, green, would appear. For these I took six plastic cups, leftover from laundry detergent bottles, and created two blues, two reds, and two yellows. I made sure to put a toy inside each one so the kids could enjoy these whether they felt like mixing colors or freeing the plastic animal. Plus since the plastic toys didn’t fit in the cups it also created a handle.

![The photo is a closeup of the cookie sheet. On the sheet rests six plastic cups filled with blue dye, on the left, red dye, middle, and yellow dye, the two on the right. Inside each is a plastic animal: centipede, frog, and praying mantis. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_7270.jpg?resize=628%2C471&ssl=1)

To freeze I put all of the cups on a cookie sheet and slipped it into the freezer. I used the cookie sheet to help keep the cups level as they froze and to catch any spilled water so it would be easier to clean. Once these froze I moved them, individually, to another spot in the freezer and took the cookie sheet out.

![Closeup of part of an outdoor table with the six colored cups lined up. Zoey is closer to the camera holding the red ice cup while Ada is furthest away getting the blue ice out of the cup.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_7295.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The kids loved the bright colors and started out with the challenge of how to get them out of the cups (hint they just had to wait for it to warm up and start thawing).

![Overview of Ada sitting of fake grass with two buckets of water on either side. She has the filled blue and yellow cup near her leg and the emptied red cup on the other side. She is holding the red ice right above the water in the smaller blue bucket. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_7297.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I told the kids they could put them together to make new colors and so they asked for buckets of water. They then thawed the ice out using the water to help.

![Cookie sheet showing the remnants from before and two new cups with plastic toys. The white cups show the bugs and some of the leftover colored water and un-melted ice. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_7305.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once they were done I gathered up the cups, toys, and any remaining ice to freeze again for later. I also grabbed two plastic cups and threw in a couple of toys to surprise them with for the next time.

![Another view of the same cookie sheet after all the items were pushed, gently, to one side so the ziploc bag could fit. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_7306.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I had a used, but mostly clean, freezer bag on the counter that seemed a shame to throw out so I also grabbed that, along with some more toys, to create another surprise. I carefully slid the cookie sheet with all these items into the freezer to freeze.

![Overview of the cookie sheet on the kitchen table. There's ice frozen to it and the kids are leaned over it picking the ice off to play with.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_7319.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Later, after they froze, I moved the cups over in the freezer as they couldn’t spill anymore. The freezer bag had a small hole so it leaked water until the hole was frozen closed so there was a lot of ice frozen to the cookie sheet (and not loose in my freezer!) that the kids enjoyed picking off and playing with, momentarily, at the table.

![Overview of the three large sand pails filled with clear water. Zoey's standing beside one holding her rec cup while the other red cup floats in the red pail. Ada stands beside them hovering over the upside down bin with the frozen cups and placing one into the blue bin.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_7761.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Later, when the cups came out of the freezer, the kids had fun dropping them into buckets of water and watching them melt.

![Closeup of Ada holding a plastic cup with orange water in it. Beside it, on the table underneath, lies a freed frog and centipede beside another frog and centipede in a cup of orange water. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_7762.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Ada ended up making orange at one point by mixing red and yellow together.

If you do any of the above ideas and need to extend the play after the plastic toys are released you could easily set up a soapy water bin and get the kids to clean them off. This way you just need to let them dry, unless they dried them too, and put them away, or in the freezer, for later. [Throw in Doc McStuffins to get them interested if you need to sell the idea](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/06/20/cleaning-the-dusty-musties-sensory-station/).

![Zoey sitting at the table with a yellow bin full of soapy water in front of her. Beside the bin rests the emptied cups and plastic toys ready to be washed. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_7764.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Set them up with a bin or bucket with soapy water so they can wash the toys for you. A scrubby brush or washcloth helps complete the sensory bin. And worst case they get bored and you can simply soak the toys before dumping out the water.

---

### *Ideas that, mostly, don’t include ice*

When Zoey was younger and getting teeth coming in I read online that you can freeze washcloths and then let the baby chew on it to help with the pain. I grabbed a couple of clean washcloths, got them wet, and froze them in a large freezer bag so they would probably stay separated. Time went on and we didn’t seem to need them, or at least I didn’t remember them if we did, and on one hot day I came across them. I figured why not? and gave the kids the frozen wash cloths and asked them to open them up. Simple but it cooled them down and got them interested in the challenge.

![Overview of the table showing the kids arms holding washcloths. Zoey is visible with a single arm holding a washcloth. To the right Ada sits holding onto two washcloths. All the washcloths are folded over and frozen in place. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_9274.jpg?resize=750%2C506&ssl=1)

Zoey holding onto a white frozen washcloth while Ada starts feeling out the other two.

If you’re looking for other cooling sensory play and are interested in [oobleck (cornstarch and water) ](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/09/12/oobleck-a-simple-two-ingredient-sensory-material/)you can easily take it [further by freezing it](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/03/06/making-frozen-oobleck/). I absolutely love using it to color mix from frozen oobleck cubes as, while it thaws, it doesn’t lose it’s shape and you need to physically mix the colors together. This is perfect as it allows you enough time to decide how much of each hue you should mix together. Writing this makes me realize I need to mix a batch of primary colors and freeze it for this year once I make more room in our freezer. If you’re looking for new sensory ideas, and have oobleck sitting around from this activity, [you can simply leave it outside when you’re done and let the heat dry it out turning it into oobleck sand](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/08/21/dried-out-oobleck-oobleck-sand/). It’s not cold but the kids spent hours with it last summer.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/02/compressed_Making-Oobleck-Collage2-.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&ssl=1)

The kids, and I, testing [frozen oobleck for Ada’s science themed birthday party](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/03/27/frozen-oobleck-color-mixing-sensory-play/) last year. [Image taken from this previous blog post.](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/03/06/making-frozen-oobleck/)

Or try to cool yourself down with food. If you have a blender or food processor you can grab some fresh or frozen fruit and mix it up as a fun side with your meal. Then take it a step further and use ice cube trays or shaped silicon moulds to create frozen treats you can dole out to your kids at a later date. Or make it simpler and freeze store-bought applesauce. What do you have that might taste different and yummy while frozen?

![Plate showing a barely based food topped with a fried egg on the right and two piles (cottage cheese and the blended applesauce) on the left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_Appleasauce-and-Berries-9307.jpg?resize=750%2C416&ssl=1)

The photo I saved of the kids version of this looked too blurry to share to I’m sharing the adult version instead. I reheated a mixture of spinach, barley, and bacon leftovers and topped it with an egg. I then added cottage cheese and the blended applesauce on the side. The kids got this without the egg, as they refused that part, and a bit more finger food. They had the option of eating it all separately or mixing it as they’d like.

![Pouring the applesauce and frozen fruit mixture from the blender into the jellybean shaped silicon moulds. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_Appleasauce-and-Berries-9321.jpg?resize=750%2C465&ssl=1)

With the leftovers I grabbed an ice cube tray and silicon Jelly Belly mould and filled them up, as much as I could, before putting them in the freezer.

![The stack of ice cube trays sitting in the freezer. Top is the jellybean mould, then the closed top ice cube tray, and then finally two white plastic moulds with oobleck frozen inside. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_Appleasauce-and-Berries-9325.jpg?resize=750%2C439&ssl=1)

The moulds sitting in the freezer on top of an ice cube tray of frozen oobleck (the pink underneath).

A while back I bought silicone plastic freezie tubes to make our own cold treats by mixing up frozen fruit, smoothies, juice, or even adding in soda/pop and freezing them. For one of my girls’ birthday parties I bought Frozip disposable ice popsicle mold bags and we made up several different batches to help everyone cool down. Lately I take the easier way out and when I buy yogurt tubes I sometimes throw them in the freezer for an awesome cold treat. This is perfect a week before the best before date when you buy a Costco size box of yogurt tubes and can’t finish them in time. If this is too cold for them I grab [a freezie cover, to keep their hands warm,](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/02/27/freezie-yogurt-tubes-or-frozen-pop-holder/) making it a quick and simple icy snack that they love with no effect on my part.

Lately I’ve been starting my day with a mixture of yogurt, fruit, and granola. To make it easier to keep fruit on hand I buy a bunch of berries when we go grocery shopping, they were cheap lately, and I wash and cut them all at once right before supper. I then line my cookie sheet with a silpat liner and, after the kids eat as many as they want, I freeze a bunch overnight. The next morning, or in a couple of hours, they’re simple to pop off the liner and I move them into a freezer bag so they stay ready for whenever I need them. That said I’m sharing this because sometimes my kids need the excitement of something novel like eating the same fruit frozen rather than fresh. Additionally, if you’re getting tired of plain water and have them on hand anyway you can add frozen fruit to your water to add quick flavoring. Last Summer I loved water with ice, frozen strawberries, and lemon juice. It was super simple strawberry lemonade that was refreshing and amazing.

![Showing my tall cup, cut off, and two small glass cups all with transparent water and floating frozen fruit.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8288.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Mixed the kids and I a drink with water and a mixture of frozen strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Currently, I’m drinking water with some lemon juice and a mix of frozen strawberries, blueberries, and pineapple. Feel free to explore based on what you have available. You can drink down the water and top it up, keeping the fruit in the cup to flavor it, or eat the fruit when you get to the bottom. Either way it’s delicious.

To continue with the fruit theme a couple weeks ago I bought a watermelon and as we neared the end of it the kids got tired of eating it… so I froze the leftovers and surprised them a couple days later with frozen watermelon in their water. It was novel enough that they drank the water and ate most of the watermelon. I had seen a bunch of watermelon pureed drinks online and figured this was a simpler version of it, but if you want something more complicated normally it seems to be paired with mint, lime juice, and/or a shot of something or other.

![Overview of two plastic cups sitting on the brickwork outside filled with frozen watermelon and topped up with water. Ada's hand is about to grab the pink cup. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8361.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

I started by putting frozen watermelon into plastic cups for the kids to eat outside and then thought they might be thirsty so I combined the two ideas so it would be simpler to clean up later.

And since we’re talking about watermelon a couple days ago I came across [@MacaroniAndButter’s post on Instagram where she froze watermelon. for only an hour, and the dipped it in melted dark chocolate and sprinkled it with salt](https://www.instagram.com/p/CAijGBcg8TQ/?ref=simplykyra.com). I didn’t have fresh watermelon but I did have the leftover frozen watermelon in the freezer so I tried the same with some milk chocolate wafers and fine salt we had on hand. Note to self next time make sure the salt is by you so you can sprinkle it before the chocolate hardens. I then had extra chocolate so I spread frozen strawberries and blueberries on a silpat lined cookie sheet, sprinkled a bit of salt, tried some, and then quickly broke it up to throw in a freezer bag before it could thaw. All of it was good though personally the chocolate coated blueberries were the best. Definitely keeping this in mind and adding dark chocolate to my grocery list whenever we next buy a watermelon.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_9043.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I drizzled melted chocolate (in the microwave at 50% power for a minute at a time and then stirred) over the frozen watermelon and then sprinkled it with fine salt. Next time I’m going to try to move faster so the salt can stick to the chocolate before it hardens.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_9048.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I had extra chocolate so I spread out some of my frozen blueberries and cut up strawberries on a silpat lined cookie sheet and then drizzled the rest of the chocolate overtop. I also sprinkled a bit of salt. After trying some I broke it up, before it could thaw and get tacky, and threw most of them in a freezer bag ready to be doled out in smaller amounts.

What other hot weather snacks, meals, drinks, or desserts can you think of that would keep you feeling cool and hydrated? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below.

---

### *Some other ideas…*

I don’t have a pet but a couple days ago I saw someone’s post on social media where they mentioned buying a cooling scarf or collar for their dog and tried it on themselves. They, apparently, loved it enough that they went on to say they’d have to buy another one for their dog. Because I wrote that down I decided to hop on Amazon and found human-centered cooling rags listed that would also be an idea. Searching for ideas for hot weather I found [Apartment Therapy’s post that listed five ways](https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/5-tips-for-keeping-cool-during-152170?ref=simplykyra.com) to keep cool including, the best sounding one, freezing a damp washcloth in a “U” shape and then wrapping it around your neck. Another one of their ideas was to put a bowl of ice in front of a fan to help circulate colder air. That reminded me of a time, years ago, when my sister visited our apartment during the hottest heat wave we’ve had. At the time Amazon Fresh, who we used for grocery deliveries, used dry ice to pack frozen items. The hottest evening when we couldn’t stand it anymore we did a grocery order, including a frozen item, for the express purpose of putting a bowl of cold water and dry ice in front of our portable fan. It was glorious… while it lasted. All in all the prevailing theme in all the tips I found, [whether through Quora](https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-safety-tips-to-protect-against-hot-weather?ref=simplykyra.com) or somewhere else, seem to be simply drink a lot of water so try to stay hydrated.

---

I hope this helps you whether you’re planning on what to do for the next heat wave or currently suffering through one. I’d love to know if this helps you or what other simple ideas you may already have to help me so feel free to share in the comments below. If you want to be notified about any future blog updates you can follow my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/), [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com), or join my email list. The email list signup is located in the upper left menu, if on a wide screen device, or below, on any device. I hope your week is going well and this helps you find a bit of coolness.
### Even More Peppermint Swirl Dresses
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/even-more-peppermint-swirl-dresses/
Last updated: 2025-05-21T21:02:11.000Z
I first posted about [the Peppermint Swirl Dress, from Candy Castle Patterns](https://payhip.com/b/xWAVS/af682cdb34c8728?ref=simplykyra.com), back at the beginning of 2018 after I made two for my girls as part of their Christmas present. The next year Ada’s only Christmas request was another Peppermint Swirl dress so I went on to sew two more that Christmas, 2018, and then chose to sew another two the following Christmas in 2019\. I love all the ones I sewed so I can totally see this becoming a yearly tradition. So I guess I’ll be measuring the kids again this coming November or December to make yet another set. I fell in love with this pattern from the very first dresses I sewed and have since gone on to refer it, using my older post [Our Peppermint Swirl Dresses](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/01/02/our-peppermint-swirl-dresses/), whenever I see someone on Facebook asking about dress recommendation. I absolutely love how complicated these dresses look but once you get all the pattern pieces cut out they’re truly simple to sew up with really detailed instructions. [And if you don’t want a dress there’s a free add-on to teach you how to make the paid pattern into a skirt](https://payhip.com/b/9bpqS/af682cdb34c8728?ref=simplykyra.com). Over the last couple years I’ve wanted to create an updated post to refer people to showing my updated photos. When creating this I had considered [taking down my older Peppermint Swirl Dress post but decided to keep it around in case something in it might still interest you](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/01/02/our-peppermint-swirl-dresses/).

![Pinterest image showing a collage of six images that are also available to view below. Image also shows the title of this blog post and my website's url. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_More-Peppermint-Swirl-Dresses.jpg?resize=471%2C706&ssl=1)

---

#### *Christmas 2017*

Having sewn the first peppermint swirl dresses almost two and a half years ago I’m still surprised that Zoey’s dress still fits and, technically, until Ada puts hers on again and proves it doesn’t I’m counting it as fitting her too. For these I had Ada pick out her own fabric, back when she loved only vehicles, and I chose fabric I liked for Zoey, as she was too young to choose. I’m actually still using the leftover scraps from Zoey’s dress to sew up my small projects and appreciating the fabric each time I sew up another small item. I tried to get their dresses to match by using black fabric on the flutter sleeves and alternating black swirls on the skirt. I love how both dresses turned out unique but still vaguely matching when viewed together. Once the bodice no longer fits I’ve heard of other people who cut off the bodice and add a waistband to the skirt so it can be worn longer so who knows how long the skirt part will actually last us.

![Closeup of the skirt as Ada twirls in our living room. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_2214.jpg?resize=750%2C698&ssl=1)

Ada spinning in her dress a year or so ago.

![Photo taken looking down at Zoey on a balance board. She's holding her dad's hand, on photo, and getting twirled. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_2512.jpg?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

A while back Zoey twirling and balancing in hers at our local children’s discovery museum.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8455.jpg?resize=750%2C570&ssl=1)

On Mother’s day this year Zoey chose to wear the first dress again and it still fit! Though it’s shortness shows how tall she’s been growing.

---

#### *Christmas 2018*

For the dresses a year and a half ago, December 2018, I hadn’t planned to sew any but Ada made it her only Christmas request that year which made it so important to do. Once I decided to sew them up I quickly realized I wanted them to match each other but still represent who Ada and Zoey were at that point in time without confirming with them that I was, in fact, making the dresses. At that point Ada absolutely adored the color red while Zoey was firmly behind the color orange. So I chose to work with that. While looking for fabric I came across some Christmas Pete the Cat, through Fabric.com, which I didn’t specifically include for these dresses, as I wanted them worn all year round, but I did use the coordinating fabric that was red with orange stars. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to tie the two favorite colors, and dresses, together. I also bought some orange fabric and some red fabric that I hoped would match the stars along with black, as I loved the contrast last year, and car fabric, as the kids still loved vehicles and, like the stars, it included both red and orange. And I had my matching but different dresses figured out. To further enhance the red versus orange aspect of the dress I chose to sew each dress with it’s own matching thread including using that color to topstitch each seam of the skirt. I had read that topstitching the swirls can take away some of the twirl-ability of the skirt but I loved how it looked and I wanted to make sure all the seams were more secure this time around. And when done the dresses still seemed twirly and swirly enough that I topstitched the next years too.

Since I had the experience of last years dresses behind me I was extra careful to include interfacing along where the snaps were going to go to make them extra secure. I chose to interface the snap spot by using HeatnBond to glue woven fabric to the back of the outer bodice making that part of the fabric thicker. Since the bodice is lined this means that the snaps will go through three layers of fabric instead of just the two: lining and outer. While adding the snaps I put one in the wrong way and had to remove it causing a larger hole but I was able to patch it with some woven fabric and added the new snap to that same spot. I considered adding the sash, again, but I wasn’t happy with how sad last years sashes were looking after a couple washes and so I decided to instead leave it off. Bonus this way I don’t have to keep tying the back of their dresses or worry about the sash catching in something when they play.

![Photo showing two rectangular scraps of fabric, one orange and one red, attached to the shiny side of heat'n bond interfacing, ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_5580.jpg?resize=750%2C517&ssl=1)

I cut two scraps of fabric, one for each dress, making sure they’re as tall as the back of the bodice and then pressed them onto one side of the HeatnBond.

![Showing the wrong side of the outer layer of the bodice. The two cut edges, making up the back, are interfaced with the solid orange fabric. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_5582.jpg?resize=657%2C357&ssl=1)

After the scraps were interfaced I cut them in half and attached them to the back edge of either side of the bodice.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_5630.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

I ended up putting my one snap in wrong and created a hole when removing it. I was able to easily patch it using a square of woven fabric that’s easily hidden when the placket is closed. Other than that I had no problem and my reinforced snaps have held up over the last year and a half.

![The two dresses laid out on the floor with the photo take above looking down. The larger, red, dress has it's skirt completely open so it's a circle with the bodice in the center. The smaller, orange, dress is laid out at an angle at the bottom. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_5712.jpg?resize=750%2C756&ssl=1)

The finished dresses were gorgeous. I love how they match by using the same starred, black, and car fabric while standing out by using a different color, red or orange, for half of the swirls, the bodice lining, and the thread.

![Ada and Zoey playing with the traffic lights in a children's discovery museum.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_5783.jpg?resize=750%2C717&ssl=1)

The car fabric was a fuzzy flannel and yet blends in on Ada’s red dress while popping on Zoey’s orange dress giving two different looks while matching.

![Zoey lays on her tummy on the green grass carpet surrounded by toy dinosaurs and driftwood. Her upper body rests on a 'stone' pillow. Ada sits on her own 'stone' pillow next to her while playing with the brontosaurus. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_5831.jpg?resize=650%2C788&ssl=1)

I absolutely love how both dresses turned out.

---

#### *Christmas 2019*

This last Christmas I was debating skipping making the Peppermint Swirl dresses as the girls still had the two previous ones that still fit and didn’t ask for them when asked what they wanted for Christmas. Closer to the end of November; however, we decided to surprise the kids by taking them to LEGOLAND® before Christmas. With the tickets to LEGOLAND® booked and remembering the dance parties the girls had participated in the first time we went I knew what I had to do… make LEGO® inspired dresses and what better to use than the Peppermint Swirl dress. We wanted the trip to be a surprise so I couldn’t make it obvious what I was working on. We actually didn’t even tell the kids there was a trip until the night before, [so they could pack a hotel toy bag](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/01/16/adding-a-collar-and-leash-to-a-stuffed-animal-backpack/), and we waited until that morning to tell them about LEGOLAND® by making [their advent calendar present](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/15/christmas-advent-calendar/) show the surprise.

![The back of the LEGO® snowman is showing with the one side partially hidden behind the corner of the box. You can see Zoey's hand behind the snowman as it props her up as she leans in closer (off photo). Behind her arm are Ada's hands holding the paper she pulled out of the advent calendar.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-05-14-at-8.45.54-AM.jpg?resize=750%2C636&ssl=1)

The surprise LEGO® snowman fresh out the box they had to open. Matt had built the snowman earlier that month and the night before I quickly stuck a bunch of LEGO® people all over it and one of the LEGOLAND® keycards from the last time.

I knew I wanted to make them LEGO® inspired dresses but after looking online and not finding any woven fabric yardage I decided I had to create my own. I knew, from previous experience, that I could use fabric markers to customize the perfect LEGO® inspired panels for the kids but I didn’t want to spent too much time on it since creating this had to be confined to after the kids went to bed as it was a surprise. I wanted the skirt and bodice to go together by making both of them look LEGO®-ish without having to create any LEGO® drawings on the skirt too so I decided to limit the colors to primary and secondary colors, in bold, to look like LEGO® bricks. I already had orange and red fabric leftover from last year’s dresses so I went to Joann’s Fabrics to look for other fabric that might work with those colors and ended up choosing a single brand that was on sale, so the fabric look and feel would match each other, buying it in blue, purple, and yellow along with another brand’s white cotton fabric. I wanted the kids’ dresses to match without being identical so, again like last year, I chose to make the dresses with their favorite color as the primary and used matching colors for the rest. Over the last year Ada had switched her favorite color from red to blue and Zoey had stayed orange. To do this I made sure to use the main fabric in their favorite color to line the bodice and for half the skirt (alternating) along with using that color of thread to sew up the dress, and most importantly, topstitch.

I started the bodices, shown below, first but since the kids didn’t know we bought tickets for LEGOLAND® I wanted to keep them a surprise, so I waited until they were in bed to work on them. That said I was running out of time so I started cutting out the skirt swirls when the kids were home and when they didn’t seem to care or notice what I was working on I continued on and ended up sewing most of the skirts when they were awake at home. If they realized what I was working on they didn’t say anything about it to Matt and I. Since I was going to hem it without trying it on the girls anyway I went ahead and hemmed the skirts once I finished them without waiting for their bodice to be done.

![My sewing machine is shown while it top stitches the seam down between the blue and yellow swirl. Off to the left you can see the underside of the topstitched seam between the blue and purple swirls. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_1553.jpg?resize=750%2C438&ssl=1)

I went around alternating the primary color, this skirt was blue, with the other four colors one by one. For this skirt it was blue, orange, blue, red, blue, purple, blue, yellow, and then repeated once more to make sixteen swirls in all. For Zoey’s it was orange, purple, orange, red, orange, blue, orange, yellow, and then repeated once more also making sixteen swirls. I figured out the order before I cut out the swirls and stacked them so I wouldn’t make a mistake. I then took the top one and sewed it together with the second. Before continuing on I then topstitched the seam while finger pressing as I went. I then sewed these two together with the third swirl, topstitched the seam, then sewed it to the fourth swirl, topstitched, and continued on until I got to the end where I sewed both ends together and topstitched .

![Closeup of sewing the rolled hem the first time around on the dress.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_1645.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Like the previous dresses before them I used a rolled hem on my sewing machine to hem the dresses. I basically only use this hem on the peppermint swirl dresses so I only attempt it once a year making me not an expert. Even though it ended up better than my previous attempts I still missed some areas so after hemming the bottom of the skirt once I continued along and hemmed it a second time. The second time around I made sure to leave a sewing clip at the beginning so I’d find my stopping point at the end and not continue on for a third time around. Doing the hem twice meant it looked great the whole way across, without missed points, and the second time around hid the stitching under the fabric so you still only see the one rolled hem from the front.

To make these bold skirts look truly LEGO®-ish I used fabric markers on the outer bodice to tie the dresses together. Ahead of time I asked the girls what their favorite LEGO® items were and Ada chose LEGO® Friends and dinosaurs while Zoey surprised me with animals. To fulfill their choices I went online and found LEGO® and DUPLO® coloring pages for Friends, dinosaurs, and various animals. I then moved the images to [the, free software, Gimp](https://www.gimp.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) where I played around with their sizes and printed them out so I could trace them. For the bodice itself I cut out the fabric, figured out where to place each character while paying attention to the seam allowance, and then traced them all out while being careful not to unravel any threads on the bodice edge. Some images were hard to fully trace, even with the light box, so I then pulled the coloring page out and sketched in all of the missing details.

![Closeup of two images showing the LEGO® Friends. The image on the right is part of the printed out coloring page. The image to the left shows a partial drawing using black ink on white woven fabric. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_1029.jpg?resize=750%2C369&ssl=1)

Depending on the quality of the coloring page I used my light box to trace out as much as I could of the image before moving it out of the way so I could fill in the details myself. This was how the group of LEGO® Friends looked after I had sketched out as much as I could. If you have an area you aren’t sure about I find it easiest to use dots instead of lines to estimate the markings underneath and that way it’s easier to fix if you make a mistake.

![The image shows the three pattern pieces with the coloring pages, I referred to, and the light box behind and to the back of the image. The front bodice piece, to the left, shows a DUPLO® scene with a sun and DUPLO® cloud to the left and right side of the bodice. The two back pieces are to the center and right show miscellaneous LEGO® animals spread around.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_1043.jpg?resize=750%2C545&ssl=1)

Shown are Zoey’s pattern pieces, with the outlines matching the coloring pages, after I traced them and filled in any missing details. Once I was done tracing the DUPLO® scene on the front of the bodice piece I felt like it was missing something so I looked up LEGO® clouds online to find a simple DUPLO® one to add in.

Once I was done with the outlined images and pressed the fabric to set the ink it was time to add in the colors. I started by laying out the skirt fabric and tried to pick out the fabric markers that best matched each fabric to help bring the bodice and skirt together. I was then careful to separate the chosen fabric markers from the rest and started coloring the images. As I colored each image I tried to use colors that had already been used, in my chosen already pile, and only if it wasn’t there did I move a new color in. I was trying to make an overall coherent dress where the images all matched each other and the skirt via the use of similar colors repeated instead of being a messy amalgamation that clashed. I’ve found over the years if two wet colors touch they blend into each other so I tried to color with a single marker over multiple images before going onto the next color so each section has time to dry and there was less chance of color bleeding. Once I finished coloring all the bodice pieces I pressed them all again so the ink would set and then followed the pattern’s instructions to sew up the bodice and attaching the skirt. [I’ve posted before about creating your own woven panels with fabric markers](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/02/12/creating-your-own-woven-panels-with-fabric-markers/), before I [upgraded my light box](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0771J6JY4/ref=ppx%5Fyo%5Fdt%5Fb%5Fsearch%5Fasin%5Ftitle?ie=UTF8&psc=1&ref=simplykyra.com), if you want more details.

![The image shows varying hues of fabric markers spread across the table and along the bottom of the image. The upper half of the image shows the stacked bodice pieces, to the left, and the pile of cut, presewn, skirt pieces to the right and overlapping the pattern pieces and some of the markers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_1470.jpg?resize=750%2C437&ssl=1)

I dumped out all the fabric markers and attempted to find the colors that matched the best with my skirt fabric. I then went on making sure any colors I used where separate from the rest so I could attempt to duplicate any colors, making it go together better, instead of using clashing hues.

![This image shows all three of Ada's bodice pattern pieces. The closest piece, in the foreground, shows a LEGO® Friend laying down and two dinosaurs. In the background you can vaguely see the other half back showing and another LEGO® friend and three dinosaurs. In the very back of the image you can see the bottom of the front bodice piece with the group of Friends and two dinosaurs facing away.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_1473.jpg?resize=750%2C542&ssl=1)

Other than the dinosaurs, where I attempted to have some of the colors bleed, I tried to focus on one color at a time and color in all the images that needed that color before going onto the next color. This way, when I went onto the next color, the previous colors had time to dry and wouldn’t bleed.

![Overview of all six pattern pieces for the two dresses. The bottom three are the DUPLO®-esque pieces showing the animals while the upper three piecea are Ada's LEGO® dinosaurs and Friends.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_1481.jpg?resize=750%2C452&ssl=1)

Once I was done coloring all the images I pressed them, to set the ink, and started assembling the bodice.

Going into the dresses this year I was considering how to change up the bodice while still being able to hold up the weight of the skirt and came across Alyssa’s version, [in the Candy Castle Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/CandyCastlePatterns/permalink/1296046000567975/), who left off the flutter sleeve and, although it was a simple change, her dress looked gorgeous. I decided to do the same and left off the flutter sleeves on mine making the dress even simpler. I chose to leave off the sash even though I had cut them out and started sewing them up already. I chose to leave the sash off, last minute, once I realized it would cover up the bottom of the bodice including the drawings.

![Closeup of the front of the bodice showing the group of LEGO® Friends surrounded by two, looking away, Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaurs. Surrounding the bodice are the skirt's swirls going away from the bodice and the visible blue liner from the inside of the bodice.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_1664.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The front of Ada’s bodice after I sewed it together and topstitched it with her, primary color, blue. Even though it’s not noticeable while she’s wearing the dress I love that I lined the bodice with more blue.

All that was left to do was add [KAMsnaps](https://kamsnaps.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) to the back of the dress. Once I started overlapping the edges of the bodice I realized my mistake as one side covered up the drawings on the other side and my perfectly lined up drawings were no longer centered. I realized there was nothing I could do about it and started analyzing which side was better to cover up so less of the image would be hidden. Once decided I overlapped it and used my Crop-a-dile II to punch three equally spaced holes and added my KAMsnaps making sure, this year, to not make a mistake by paying extra attention on which snap I was adding and in which direction.

[![The back of the bodice is, mostly, visible showing the two laying down LEGO® Friends and four of the five dinosaurs. The skirt swirls are radiating out from the bodice.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_1665.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)](http://localhost:2368/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed%5FIMG%5F1665.jpg?ssl=1&ref=simplykyra.com)

The perfectly centered back on Ada’s dress… before remembering I had to overlap the sides.

![Closeup of the back showing the two sides of the bodice clipped together and the holes already in place on the top portion. The disappearing ink pen and Crop-a-dile II both sit near the back right of the image.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_1673.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After deciding which side of the back should overlap which side I used my Crop-a-Dile II to cut three equally spaced holes on the top side. I then carefully overlapped that side over the other side, making sure it’s line up properly, before clipping either end to keep it in place. I used my disappearing ink pen to mark where the holes should be on the bottom side before removing the clips and cutting the holes, with the Crop-a-Dile II again, on the back side.

After adding the KAMsnaps to either side of the bodice, and confirming I did it properly, I grabbed the original coloring sheets and tried to sketch in the rest of the hidden image and attempted to match the color to the back image as much as I could. With the snaps in place, and being scared of melting them, I attempted to heat the ink, with my iron, enough to set it.

![Part of both back bodices are visible in the image showing the KAMsnaps. The missing part of the image is drawn on with black ink. Above the outlines the coloring page rests. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_1678.jpg?resize=750%2C488&ssl=1)

I grabbed the coloring sheet and, using the black fabric marker, tried to sketch in the hidden part of the image on the overlapping side of the back bodice.

![Closeup of the KAMsnaps and images on both peppermint swirl dresses.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_1681.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After drawing in the missing image I attempted to match the colors and colored them in.

![Back of both dresses are shown with the back open so you can see the original, hidden, image along with the newly created front of the image.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_1680.jpg?resize=750%2C355&ssl=1)

When the back of the dress is opened you can see both copies of that part of either image.

And with that both dresses were finished. I love how, again, both are unique to the child wearing them yet they still match each other. After taking some quick pictures I wrapped them up and packed them in our suitcase to surprise the kids with. Once we got to LEGOLAND® this trip felt more rushed and we spent more time in the park itself. Between that and the fact that the dance party was pajama-based, this time around, we ended up not opening the peppermint swirls immediately and I felt impatient. The second, and last, day in the park it was supposed to rain and since I figured all the rides would be closed anyway the kids got to open the dresses. Because of the rain, and rain jackets, I didn’t get a lot of photos but the kids were so excited to have them and they didn’t seem to get in the way of the opened rides though they did catch more water than a regular shirt and pants would’ve.

![Zoey's dress laid out on the floor. The front of the bodice is shown, along with the back of the lining, as the bodice has been set upright. Around the bodice the skirt is spread out into a fluttery circle.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_1683.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Zoey’s dress in all it’s glory. Zoey walked in, wearing the dress from two years ago, while I wrote this blog post and she got super excited about the pictured dresses who were “spreading all of it’s colors”.

![The front of both bodices are visible, Ada's on the right and Zoey's animal bodice on the left, with their skirts spread out around them. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_1690.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Love how both dresses are unique and adorable on their own but together create a LEGO® inspired matching set.

![Zoey, wearing the dress, at LEGOLAND® standing in front of the Christmas tree looking at the LEGO® statue of the boy with his ice cream cone.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_2186.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Zoey wearing the dress mesmerized by the LEGO® ice cream cone.

![The back of Ada is shown as she holds her LEGO® structure and touches a LEGO® picture brick frame while standing beside a mirror.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_2191.jpg?resize=750%2C807&ssl=1)

Both girls, but especially Ada, loved the LEGO® building area at the breakfast buffet.

![Photo is taken from above looking down at the girls' backs while they stand in puddles wearing rain jackets. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/compressed_IMG_2211.jpg?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)

I didn’t get many photos of the dresses around LEGOLAND® as they wore rain jackets all day but they had a blast in them. It worked out that their jackets kind of matched their skirts though they jumped in the puddles as we went into the park and the skirts immediately got wet right from the beginning.

I absolutely love all these dresses and love how each year’s is unique from the other years even though it’s all the same pattern. Although they’re a lot of work to cut out they’re a fun sew and the instructions really hold your hand as you follow along with them. The girls didn’t wear the dresses too often over the year, but with the shelter-in-place over the last months the girls have been pulling the dresses out a lot to wear around the house. I can definitely see making them again this Christmas though I have no idea what theme I should use…. yet.

Have you made the peppermint swirl dress from Candy Castle Patterns yet? Are you planning on making it? If you do, or have, I’d love to see your version. Feel free to share yours in the comments below, on my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/), or through [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). If you want to be notified about any future blog updates you can follow my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/), [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com), or join my email list. The email list signup is located in the upper left menu, if on a wide screen device, or below, on any device. I hope your week is going well and you’re staying safe and secure.
### Simple Water Play
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-water-play/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:32:15.000Z
Over the years we found playing with water so easy and fun. So simple, in fact, that I hadn’t thought to post about it before. Last week I was thinking of ways we could stay cool with the upcoming hot spell and realized I should start with simple water play. Water is fascinating and works with so many ages, even now a couple months shy of four, water play is keeping Zoey entertained for a good portion of time while Ada works on her schoolwork. Changing up for the toys for characters can also keep Ada, almost six, entertained while she crafts pretend stories that the toys are taking part in.

![Pinterest image showing several forms of water play, all taken from below. The bottom of the image shows a sandy ocean, free image from Canva, with the title of the blog post and my URL overtop. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_Simple-Water-Play.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

The simplest and most obvious way to play in the water in the summertime is getting a pool. Up until last year we lived in an apartment with a deck and I didn’t want to have to dump large amounts of water off of it, or have to fill it somehow from our kitchen sink, so we stayed away from wading pools and kept ourselves limited to plastic bins, occasionally, and jugs of water for our play. Last year, after gaining a backyard and garden hose, we bought one of those cheap plastic kiddie wading pools but after storing it outside over the winter and using it once it sprang a bunch of leaks. I debated just buying another one but after wondering if it was worth doing a Walmart run for just a pool and shopping around online I came across [this Intex framed pool that we’ve been loving since (no affiliate and we’ve only used it a couple times so far) that we had delivered from Target](https://www.target.com/p/intex-57172ep-48-x-12-inch-mini-frame-kids-beginner-kiddie-swimming-pool-green/-/A-79406899?ref=simplykyra.com). The reason I shared this was because last year the kids took hours to actually swim in the pool and then it was almost time to go in and dump it out. Since then we’ve gained a [Melissa & Doug sprinkler](https://www.melissaanddoug.com/blossom-bright-kids-sprinkler/6251.html?ref=simplykyra.com) so I had the bright idea to slowly fill the pool by using the sprinkler, turned down so most of the water stays in the pool, and then the kids have time to get wet. Did they get their hair wet last time? Nope, but they stayed in the pool longer and played outside all afternoon. While filling the pool the kids often leave the the sprinkler resting at the bottom of the pool so, once the water gets high enough, it floats up; though they’ve also learned they can hold the sprinkler upside down so the water rains down. Once the water gets high enough in the pool I turn off the water and pull the sprinkler out.

![Short and wide image showing the Intex pool (left side of image with a sprinkler spraying up a bit and Zoey in it. To the right you can see the garden hose coming out over the side of the pool and Ada's feet as she rushes over. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8349.jpg?resize=750%2C268&ssl=1)

The sprinkler was placed in the center of the pool and turned on just enough to work but low enough the water would stay within the pool. Once the pool is full enough I turn it off. A longer but funner way to fill it up.

---

#### *Simple Water Inside*

I went looking through my archives for water play photos and found this adorable scene. Zoey’s first sensory bin was water and toys though she preferred just the water. We had just gone to Costco where I had found a new sand toy set, I saw a similar one recently at our Costco this year if you’re looking, so when I got home I randomly grabbed a large container, opened the sand toys, laid out some towels, added water, and both kids had an absolute blasted in our kitchen. I know we did this several times, with different sized bins, over the next couple weeks before I decided the sand toys should go to the playground with us thus ending this form of water play.

![On the white towels on the ground are a clear bin with a baby playing while the toddler attempts to fill up her purple sand toy. Scattered around them are various other toys.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-05-03-at-5.00.38-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C429&ssl=1)

Zoey had a blast exploring how the water splashed while Ada got to use the new toys.

![Zoey's hand reaches into the water as Ada (toddler) lifts the large bucket enough to pour more water into the plastic container. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-05-03-at-5.00.08-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C484&ssl=1)

Zoey exploring the water while Ada pours more into the shared bin.

Over the years we often pulled out water bins inside the house so the kids could play and learn. I tried to change it up by switching out the bin, bringing the play to the table, changing out the toys, and adding containers to pour with. Since this is inside it works great regardless of what the weather outside is doing or the season you’re in. And since it’s just water if they make a mess all you need is a towel and a change of clothing.

![Zoey with a bin full of waters and plastic insects, reptiles, and amphibians... yet she's interested in the water in her plastic container. In the background you can see Ada's playing in her own water-filled bin.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_4155.jpg?resize=750%2C872&ssl=1)

At one point we bought a play table that didn’t last very long… we did, however, keep and love the yellow plastic drawers that came with it and they’ve became our go to sensory bins for many types of sensory play since. Adding in some cheap plastic toys and a clean container to gather and pour your water made for some entertaining play.

![To the left of the photo Ada sits looking down at the plastic characters in her hands. Beside her rests a bowl and handled strainer holding more plastic animals. Almost off photo to the right is Zoey. Between them rests a bin.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_5037.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Before we bought the play table and realized we could use the drawers for sensory bins we often played on a towel on the floor so we could share a large bin together. Many of the toys came from the kitchen section of the Dollar Tree (bowls, strainer, measuring cups, spoons, and spatulas to name a few). The bins were lidded storage containers from Walmart but looking back I could see [the smaller Ikea trofast bins working amazingly for individual play](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/trofast-storage-box-white-80089239/?ref=simplykyra.com) too.

![Zoey sits in a booster seat playing with two containers while her right foot rests beside it on the table. Under the containers is a kitchen towel with a pile of plastic animals. The end of the towel closest to use is extremely wet.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_4160.jpg?resize=750%2C937&ssl=1)

After playing with the plastic animals in the water you can always continue the play by drying them… or get distracted by the empty plastic containers that are way cooler. I love how either kid used to put a leg up on the table while they played or ate in the high chair. At that age so many things are cute that aren’t anymore as they get older. Plus since it’s just water if they’re tired of the bin you can toss the toys on a towel for them to dry themselves with no extra fuss.

If you’re looking at toys you could add to your water play you could always check out the kids toy area. I’ve often told Ada and Zoey to go grab two water-proof toys from their room and come back while setting up a sensory bin. My hope was that if they chose their toy themselves they may play with it for longer. Back in [2018 Zoey wanted to be a firetruck for Halloween and to round out her costume we bought an accessory pack that included a fire extinguisher with a spray capability](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/11/firetruck-halloween-costume/). I was careful not to tell the kids what it did, they didn’t realize what they had, and after Halloween I put all the accessories in their dress-up drawer and completely forgot about what the one toy could do. A couple months ago, while Ada was in school, Zoey pulled it out and showed it to me. I decided then and there to show her what it could do and another toy was added to our sensory bin shelves. The first day she made a mess with the water, easily cleaned up with a towel, so after that we pulled out a tray to put next to her sensory bin to pour the water on. For a solid two weeks she played with it, almost daily, while Ada was in school for a couple hours each time. Now it comes out less frequently but it made a reappearance last week and she’s still loving the independence of filling the fire extinguisher up herself and she, sometimes, still uses it to spray too.

![Closeup of Zoey pouring water into the opened fire extinguisher toy standing on a plastic tray. The lid lays beside it and the yellow sensory bin lays behind it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_3872.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The default items when she plays with the fire extinguisher include our sensory bin, a tray, and my one cup glass Pyrex measuring jug. When she plays I pull an extra kitchen chair up to the sink so she can refill the jug herself without having to pull anything over each time.

![Overhead view looking down at Zoey about to fill the opened fire extinguisher on the white plastic tray. The lid and two plastic toys (Fisher Price boat and doctor) lay beside it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_4080.jpg?resize=750%2C430&ssl=1)

Once I had her go to her bedroom to find two water-safe toys to play with hoping it would make the fire extinguisher fun last for longer.

![Back view of Zoey in front of our kitchen sink about to turn on the water and refill the measuring jug. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_4083.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

And when she empties the measuring jug she has the independence to refill it herself using the kitchen sink letting me focus on something else nearby without, as many, interruptions.

---

#### *Simple Water Outside*

You could also take your water play outside. When the kids were younger I didn’t want to keep refilling a big bin of water especially since we didn’t have a garden hose outside so I ended up using emptied bottles, and filling them all up at one time, so the kids could learn how to work it themselves and have a measure of independence while I had, the idea of, more time without frequently having to refill dumped out buckets. When I first introduced an empty laundry jug for water, so the water would take longer to get out and thus last longer, I still had to keep getting up to fill buckets, from the jug, for Ada since she couldn’t work it herself yet. Over time, however, she learned how to use it herself which felt so liberating, at the time, for me. Of course, Ada eventually learned how to unscrew the main lid so she could dump it out quicker which defeated the pump’s purpose but it was great while it lasted.

![Zoey is shown attempting to get water out of the jug by holding up a mould against the spigot without trying to turn it on. Lined up next to the bottle is another detergent bottle, shampoo pump bottle, and a filled milk jug lined up going towards you. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_4751.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Here I had filled up an emptied milk jug, a shampoo pump bottle, and two emptied laundry detergent bottles.

![Zoey standing in front of the row of filled bottles playing happily.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_4752.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

This way the kids got to explore different methods to retrieve the water and, most importantly, I didn’t have to keep refilling buckets that would immediately be dumped. At the apartment then I had no garden hose so it was easier to fill them all up at once in the kitchen than repeatedly bringing a bucket inside and filling it up.

What other tools and toys can you use to help your kids play with water outside? What can they themselves find? Last summer I bought the cheap vegetable scrubbers from Ikea and the kids had a blast scrubbing down their playhouse and toys. I’ve even seen them using it to scrub down rocks and the sidewalk. A frequent activity last year was chalking up their plastic playhouse and then immediately afterwards scrubbing it down so they could do it again. It kept them occupied for hours at a time. Another thing we did last summer was [buy a bunch of water shooters from the local Dollar Tree and create targets for Zoey’s birthday party](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/07/17/water-gun-targets/). The targets themselves weren’t used too much after the party but the water shooters have been used frequently by the kids as another method of moving water from one place to another and, lately, for Wonder Woman training targeting the tree, wall, and self-created chalk targets on the walkway.

![Overview shot showing a couple sand pails and the tip of the vegetable brush. Zoey is, partially, seen about to shoot water into a small container.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_7763.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Zoey uses her water shooter to move water from one container to another. In the upper right corner you can see a vegetable scrubber laying out.

Another activity we did, years ago, if you have a large pail or bin was create a simple [sink or float experiment](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/07/25/sink-or-float-water-play-sensory-bin/) to keep the kids occupied for longer. Just the other day Ada brought me a cool hole-y rock she found and I asked her if it might sink or float resulting in her going to figure it out.

---

#### *Soapy Water*

To change it up I often added soapy bubbles to the water. This could be either leaving the newly emptied laundry detergent bottle un-rinsed, so detergent remained, before filling it with water or by adding a bit of dish soap to the jug when refilling it up. It was always fun to surprise the kids with soapy water in an opaque bottle when they were expecting plain water; though after a while they’d ask if it was soapy or request soapy water so doing it often took away from the fun reveal.

![To the left Zoey leans over reaching into a purple sand pail filled with soapy water. To the right Ada walks towards Zoey carrying an item to the bin of soapy water. An emptied ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_oq9UX.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The kids, pictured here years ago, playing in soapy water in bins and buckets with toys.

![Mostly off screen to the left you see Zoey pulling up her dress looking like she's about to get into her red pail of soapy water. In the center if the photo Ada stands in her blue bucket filled with soapy water and throws a handful to the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_5986.jpg?resize=750%2C593&ssl=1)

A month ago I gave them dish soaped water and they were just as excited as before. Of course the soap was immediately poured into buckets and Ada swiftly got into hers.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8422.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Just Saturday I emptied a new detergent bottle so I gave the kids soapy water. I later went outside and found Ada sweeping up the foam squares for Mother’s Day. It was adorable and she had a blast sliding around in it.

I’ve previously posted about using soapy water outside [when I had the kids clean their outside toys](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/07/18/cleaning-deck-toys/) and [when we created simple dinosaur swimming pools in our garden](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/06/12/easy-dinosaur-swimming-pool-in-the-garden/). Or you can bring it inside. This can be simply a squirt of dish soap with a bit of water added, [like when I had the kids clean their toys’ dusty musties](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/06/20/cleaning-the-dusty-musties-sensory-station/), or [you can amp up the bubbles by using a stand mixer or blender to mix them up](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/06/14/simple-soapy-water-play/). Use the soapy water to your advantage. I have silicon cupcake liners that I absolutely love… except they never seem to get clean and so I keep washing them over the next couple days. A couple weeks ago I was putting away my clean dishes and realizing just how many of the liners didn’t come clean from the first wash. Ada was busy doing school and I realized I could keep Zoey occupied and having fun by getting her to wash the cupcake liners for me. When she was done I still put them next to the sink so they could be formally washed that night after supper but I didn’t have to do any added scrubbing on them to get them clean. It was a big help to me and Zoey had an absolute blast playing in her sensory bin that morning.

![Partially overview of the yellow bin. The right side holds a glass bowl filled with soapy water and a spoon. Over the bowl Zoey's hands are washing a yellow cupcake liner with a small washcloth. To the left, in the yellow bin, a pile of cupcake liners sit waiting to be washed. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_7930.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Zoey had a blast cleaning up the, still dirty, cupcake liners for me using a washcloth and a bowl of soapy water in her sensory bin. I also gave her a spoon so she could mix up the water and move it into the cupcake liners if she so desired at any point.

---

#### *Dyed Water*

Another way you can change up your water play is by dying the water. You don’t want to add too much food dye as you don’t want to dye your kids hands. I started out exploring food dye by using the assorted boxes of McCormick water-based food dye you can find at the grocery store but I always found I was using the bottles at different rates and had too much of a single color leftover. They come in sets of four colors so I frequently used the primary colors and was left with green at the end. When the kids favorite colors turned to red and orange I found I was going through so much more red and yellow while not using the blue and green very often. I ended up looking online and found single 16 fluid ounce bottles of McCormick culinary food dye, same essential stuff, and bought all three primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) through Amazon. That, bought in September of 2017, and then the addition of a small bottle of black dye meant I haven’t had to worry about not being able to make a color or buying more dye ever since.

Whenever I use dyed water in our sensory bin I find a small plastic container I don’t worry about being permanently dyed (though it hasn’t happened yet) and drop some food dye directly in before filling the cup up with water. I saved all those measuring cups you get with your laundry detergent bottles over the years and those are perfect for this. About four years ago I bought a pack of a hundred plastic pipettes so I’ve started pulling those out more frequently, now that both kids understand how to use them, and they work perfectly. Since we’re not using them with food, as I’m not sure if they’re food-safe, I keep reusing them until they get too dirty ([filled up with baking soda and vinegar](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/01/30/color-mixing-explosion-sensory-play/) or stuck into dirt outside for example) and they’re not worth cleaning out.

![Closeup of the containers of food dyed water. The, slightly hidden, one on the far left only has dye while the two back ones have water added already. The bottom-most one is getting filled with room-temperature water from the kettle as it seemed ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8314.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I love the little plastic cups that came with the laundry detergent I used to buy. They’re perfect for when you want smaller quantities of dyed water. Since Zoey’s favorite color, off and on, is orange I filled up two containers with red and two with yellow (using different dye amounts) so she could make orange herself. I had water leftover in the kettle from yesterday so I used that to fill up the cups as it seemed easier. I didn’t use boiling water for this.

![Over view of the yellow sensory bin holding the, previously, empty white bowl, clear water, and four cups of food dye. Zoey is currently squeezing dye into the white bowl making a pool of orange at the bottom. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_8319.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then gave her the four containers of dyed water, a glass measuring jug with regular water (though it looks blue here), a plastic bowl, and some pipettes. It’s all contained, hopefully, in a yellow sensory bin. The jug of water is there so the food dye can be diluted out more and, like with the fire extinguisher above, Zoey knows she can get more water from the kitchen sink with that. The outside bottom of the white Dollar Tree bowl is dyed a slight pink from siting in food dye water for too long once but that’s the only item that’s succumbed to food dye so far.

![Again an overview of the yellow bin with a white bowl with red tinged water in the base. To the left is a squeeze bottle with clear liquid and two cups filled with yellow and red dye. The part of the bin at the bottom of the image shows Zoey forcing yellow dye out of her pipette causing an expanding orange cloud permeating through the clear water from that spot. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_IMG_7281.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Other times I used a mini squeeze bottle (Wilton branded bought through Amazon in 2015) so Zoey could dilute the colors by squeezing the water out herself but this is harder for her to refill so you may get interrupted if they need more water. This time she poured water into the yellow bin and then squeeze the dye out making awesome patterns in the expanding dye.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/05/compressed_60850570966__F3B9F333-AA28-4CAE-A8AC-E07DB03144AF.jpg?resize=750%2C605&ssl=1)

With everything placed inside a bigger bin the mess is contained and the bin itself allows for another canvas to create in.

---

I love how simple and fun water play can be. I also love how it can seem so novel by making simple changes like switching out the toys, changing the tools, updating the location, adding bubbles, or dying the water. Let me know if you try any of these water play ideas or if you have a different favorite you’ve found in the comments below. You can also check out my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/), [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com), or join my email list if you want future updates. I hope this post finds you well and you’re day is going well.
### Create Cardboard Shelving For Your Kitchen Set
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/create-cardboard-shelving-for-your-kitchen-set/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:31:29.000Z
I’ve previously shared a [tabletop kitchen set I made out of a cardboard box](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/05/29/easy-cardboard-kitchen-set/) and then I later created a new [play kitchen set by making a fridge, oven, and cupboard out of boxes and put it all in an unused end table](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/04/03/cardboard-kitchen-from-an-old-end-table/). [I later updated the end table by adding a fabric stove and sink cover to the top of it](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/02/26/kids-play-kitchen/). The kids’ loved their kitchen set but I needed someway to store all the kitchen items so the kids could use the fridge, cupboard, and oven when they wanted without having to empty them out first. The issue I had was the kitchen set was placed right by our own kitchen alongside a skinny wall and I didn’t want to move it somewhere else. Since there wasn’t a lot of space and I wasn’t sure if the kids would keep using it I decided to create some temporary shelves out of cardboard boxes we had on hand. It worked perfectly and lasted way longer than I expected. Even now, after the bottom box broke, we separated the top and put it on it’s side for a less picturesque storage area. The best part is when you rearrange or your kids get tired of it you can recycle the boxes and you didn’t lose anything by making it.

![Pinterest image including pictures of the custom shelving.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/03/compressed_Cardboard-Shelving-For-Your-Kitchen-Set.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&ssl=1)

---

I started by grabbing a short box that was the exact width we needed. I taped the top closed and reinforced the bottom. I then grabbed my X-Acto knife and cut two horizontal lines in the side with a vertical line connecting them in the middle. My cupboard was ready and was able to open and close. If you want to take more time on it you could grab a thinner strip of cardboard, card stock, or ribbon and create a loop for a handle. I instead took the easier way out and cut a circle out of the center so each cupboard door has a half circle cut into it and you can use it to get your finger in and pull the doors open.

![The new cupboard. Ada’s foot is by the open door and her hand is placed on top. The doors are partially opened. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/03/compressed_IMG_2182.jpg?resize=750%2C618&ssl=1)

I cut the two horizontal lines near the top and bottom. Just enough to create a lip on either side. I then cut down the center creating the opening for the cupboard. I finally cut a half circle on either door, lined up, to create a circle large enough to get a finger in.

With the base done I decided to add shelving above. I grabbed two empty Soylent boxes, cut the one side off of both of them, and taped them together so their openings where on the same side thus creating a two shelf system.

![Closeup of the side of the two opened boxes. You can see the masking tape connecting the two boxes on two of the four sides. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/03/compressed_IMG_2183.jpg?resize=563%2C750&ssl=1)

Making sure the openings were facing up I pushed the two boxes together and securely taped them along the front, back, and sides.

Now all that was left to do was decide how the cupboard and shelves should go together and tape them in place. I realized quickly that the (brown box) cupboard was longer than the white Soylent box shelving so I decided the cupboard would have to be on the bottom. The next step was deciding how the shelving should sit on the cupboard. Once we decided on the placement Ada helped me tape them together by applying vertical stripes of masking tape making sure their join points are secure.

![Cupboard on the bottom with the opening matching the kitchen set. The shelves are placed sideways on top with the opening facing out the side. The Soylent boxes are essentially side by side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/03/compressed_IMG_2184.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The first configuration we tried had the cupboard facing the same way as the kitchen set with the shelving more like cubbies facing out the side. At this point the shelving didn’t seem like it was solving a purpose since the white box’s self was a single divided one. I didn’t have more boxes on hand so I decided to turn it so there would be two small shelves instead.

![Ada is kneeling down looking into the shelving. The Soylent boxes are now stacked on each other and balanced near the back of the cupboard box. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/03/compressed_IMG_2187.jpg?resize=673%2C505&ssl=1)

I chose to move the shelving so it would be vertical and facing forward. I then moved it further back so the top of the brown cupboard would act like extra shelf space. This way I could also make the inner side of the white shelves go over the side of the brown cupboard making it appear, from the right side, to be as wide as the brown cupboard

![The shelving is overlapping the cupboard by a couple inches and then was taped together so it couldn’t move. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/03/compressed_IMG_2191.jpg?resize=620%2C465&ssl=1)

I made sure the inner side the shelves overlapped the side of the cupboard making the other side even. This way the new storage shelves could nestle into the kitchen set and be less likely to move too far forward.

![Shows Ada holding the tape onto the box. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/03/compressed_IMG_2198.jpg?resize=609%2C449&ssl=1)

Ada got into the taping action and I might’ve had her hold the odd one in place as I figured out where the next should go and could tear it off of the roll.

![Closeup angled side of the box showing the front barely taped and the side with two pieces of tape. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/03/compressed_IMG_2190.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

You could add as much tape as you need to make it feel secure.

And I was done. It was time to place the kitchen set’s item. We have a Melissa and Doug stand that holds pots and pan so I put it on top of the boxes and used more masking tape to attach it in place to the shelves, below, and wall, behind. I figured this would make it more secure but found every time I vacuumed I had to keep removing the tape and reattaching it until I finally gave up. If you aren’t going to be moving your kitchen set attaching it to the wall would work great and make it easier to clean up since it’s harder to move off.

![The top of the box and side of the main kitchen set is showing. The main feature is a metal stand taped to both the box and the wall behind it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/03/compressed_IMG_2201.jpg?resize=710%2C532&ssl=1)

I taped the pot stand to the wall and the cupboard but later made it free-standing when it was too much trouble to move it each time I had to vacuum underneath it.

And then I loaded the shelves and cupboard with all the kitchen supplies. I loved how the main kitchen set suddenly had so much room to play without having to unpack everything each time.

![Closeup of the stand again but this time it’s covered in pots, lid, and strainer. In front of the stand but still on the shelves sits a loaf pan with some plastic play utensils. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/03/compressed_IMG_2202.jpg?resize=589%2C959&ssl=1)

I love how the stand can sit on top of the shelving making even more space.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/03/compressed_IMG_2203.jpg?resize=563%2C750&ssl=1)

And then I loaded the rest of the shelving and cupboard with the rest of the toys. The mixing bowl (from a cupcake sand toy set) became a catchall spot for all the smaller items.

Years later the brown box has been recycled and the white boxes sit on their side holding all the kitchen set’s toys. As the kids sometime go over and play with the kitchen set now I’m debating, once again, improving the food storage but haven’t decided how quite yet.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2019/10/compressed_IMG_8645.jpg?resize=750%2C614&ssl=1)

View looking down at how we use the shelving now.

I loved how simple and quick it was to throw these cupboards together. Are you looking for more storage space for one of your play areas? Let me know if you make your own cupboards or shelving after this and for what. Feel free to share yours in the comments below. You can also check out my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/), [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com), or join my email list if you want future updates. I hope you have a great day!
### Playdough Troubleshooting
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/playdough-troubleshooting/
Last updated: 2023-03-26T23:06:26.000Z
I’ve noticed recently that my most popular blog post is [Playdough Coloring Alternatives](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/01/18/playdough-coloring-alternatives/) where I use four different kids’ paint I have on hand (liquid watercolors, tempera paint, washable kid’s paint, and washable finger paints) to add color to [my playdough recipe](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/). As an aside if you don’t have food dye or kids’ paint you could also [leave your playdough un-dyed and use washable markers to color on it instead](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/05/22/coloring-on-playdough/). Anyway, seeing these numbers made me wonder if I should film a way to fix your playdough if it ends up too dry or too wet, a common issue when adding paint, and so this troubleshooting your playdough post was born.

![Pinterest image showing a collage of five images, a title, two subheadings ("too dry" and "too hot?"), and my website URL. All images can be found below. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Playdough-Troubleshooting.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

### *tl;dr*

Basically this whole post can be boiled down to ([if you use this recipe](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/#wprm-recipe-container-181)):

- If it crumbles too easily and/or breaks apart it’s too dry. Add a bit of water and knead until it comes back together. Keep checking, adding water, and kneading until you like how it feels.
- If it’s too sticky, either to you or on the table, then it’s too wet. Sprinkle some flour on the table and knead it in. Keep checking, sprinkling, and kneading until it easily separates from you and the table.

Takeaway: With flour being much harder to get than water it’s overall better to make your playdough with less water than you’d probably need as it’s easier to add water in until the playdough texture is perfect for you than making it too wet and having to add more flour in. That said if you add more water than needed you can always bring it back if you have the flour.

If you want to see the playdough being made either too wet or too dry and then brought back to the proper texture you can watch the video above. I also included pictures of each stage below if you’d prefer that over video.

### *Playdough Consistencies*

---

#### *Just Right*

I first started by making blue playdough using my regular method. I mixed together the flour, table salt, cream of tartar, and canola oil. I then boiled some water, combined the water with blue food dye, and poured it over the mixed dry ingredients. Normally, when I do this, I do chose to add a bit of flour while kneading so if you’re short on flour I recommend leaving some of the water out and you can add as you need it, showcased in the next batch. [If you want to see my playdough recipe or watch a video in which I make it you can check it out here](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/). If you just want [the recipe you can use the button right under the video to jump directly there or use this link](https://www.simplykyra.com/2017/11/25/make-your-own-playdough/#wprm-recipe-container-181).

![A smooth ball of blue playdough resting on the table. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_1225.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The finished blue ball of playdough made as I normally make it.

---

#### *Too Dry*

For the next batch of playdough I used the same recipe. I chose equal amounts yellow and blue food dye, added to the measured and boiled water, to make green and then only poured about half to two thirds of that water so the resulting playdough would be too dry. I attempted to mix it as much as I could in the bowl, letting it cool down, before dumping it out onto the table. After trying to knead it together I formed the playdough into a little volcano and poured a bit of water in the center. I then put some of the excess dry bits in the hole, to soak up some of the water, and then attempted to knead it all together again. Once it was fully mixed in I checked if the playdough was too dry by grasping the playdough on either side and slowly pulling it apart. It broke in half easily and had small bits of playdough crumble off so I knew it was too dry. I, again, formed a volcano and poured a bit more water in and, again, kneaded it together. I kept repeating this process until the playdough was the right texture for me. If you add too much water, see the next color, you can always add some flour and knead it in to fully recover the playdough.

![Clumps of green playdough coated, on parts with white. Around the clumps, resting on the table, are lots of white powder from the flour that wasn't able to be mixed in. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_1227.jpg?resize=750%2C438&ssl=1)

After trying to mix the dry playdough in the bowl I dumped the contents onto the kitchen table so I could knead it together easier.

![The playdough is spread out in, basically, a line from the upper left of the photo to the lower right. As it was pulled it broke in place about a third down from the top. About a third from the bottom you can see another point that was getting closer to splitting. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_1229.jpg?resize=750%2C482&ssl=1)

As the playdough gets closer to being the right texture you can check if it’s ready by gently pulling it apart. If it breaks apart much too soon or has pieces crumble off then it’s probably still too dry and you have to add more water. I add water by forming the playdough into a volcano and pouring a bit of water into it’s center. I then knead it together until the playdough feels the same all over.

![The playdough is now a shorter, than the above, cylinder. You can see the grooves in the side where I held the playdough as I pulled. The width, along it's length, is similar all the way so it doesn't show any parts that were about to crumble if I pulled for longer.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_1232.jpg?resize=750%2C416&ssl=1)

Once it was ready I was able to pull the playdough and the width stayed about the same along the length and it didn’t crumble apart.

---

#### *Too Wet*

For the final batch of playdough I wanted to make it too wet to show the opposite problem. I knew the easiest way to make *too wet* playdough would be to dye it with kids’ paint rather than with food dye. Since I was making the playdough too wet on purpose I dumped in all of my, plain, water before dying it by adding brown tempera paint, twice. This ended up being much more liquid than I had bargained for as I ended up with a slushy mess in my bowl. Instead of attempting to recover the playdough in the bowl I, instead, sprinkled the table liberally with flour, dumped the playdough on top, and then attempted to mix it together with the spatula. Once it had cooled enough and was a bit less sticky I switched to kneading the playdough while pausing, frequently, to sprinkle on more flour or scrape the playdough off the table with my spatula. After a lot more flour was added it was finally feeling almost like the first two playdoughs and was ready to be played with.

![View of a metal bowl with brown sludge in it. You can see a mostly covered blue spatula in the bowl, used for mixing, and streaks of dark brown, unmixed, paint along the side. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_1234.jpg?resize=750%2C532&ssl=1)

After adding the full amount of water and two different servings of brown tempera paint to my playdough I ended up with a slushy mess. I tried to stir it in as much as I could with my spatula.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_1235.jpg?resize=750%2C492&ssl=1)

I liberally sprinkled flour on the table before scraping the playdough out, from the bowl, onto it’s center. I then kneaded the flour in while repeatedly pausing, testing, and adding more flour until it was ready.

![The light brown playdough is resting on a dark brown table. The playdough has been pulled into a cylinder shape though the grooves are diagonally across the playdough rather than horizontally straight across like before. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_1238.jpg?resize=750%2C458&ssl=1)

I could tell the playdough was getting close to being ready when it stopped sticking to my fingers and table. I was able to pick up the excess playdough off the table by kneading the playdough over any leftover bits. I then tested I hadn’t made it too dry by pulling it gently from either side.

---

And with that the three playdoughs were done and ready to be played with. After rolling them into balls for a picture I transferred them to a freezer bag to keep them sealed and fresh for whenever we are next ready to play with them.

![Three balls of playdough rest of the table all with a finger mark on the top to show how the playdough squished in. The green is furthest away, to the left, with the blue closest, to the right. The brown is resting in the middle. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_1244.jpg?resize=750%2C478&ssl=1)

The three colors were made with the same beginning ingredients and ended up in almost the same state. Their journeys were each different with the green being really dry and needing to have water added, the brown was really wet and needed more flour, and the blue being made almost on point with a bit of flour added.

![A closed freezer bag lays on the table filled with three colors of playdough. The space between the playdough shows condensation on the inside of the bag since the playdough is still warm.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6653.jpg?resize=750%2C592&ssl=1)

When the kids aren’t playing with the playdough I keep in a sealed freezer bag so it stays fresh and pliable.

I hope this post helps you whether you are gathering your courage to make your first batch of playdough or whether you’ve already made some and might be looking to recover it. Have you made a lot of playdough before or are you new to it? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

---

##### **EDIT: March 22nd, 2023:** 

I lost my comments when moved my website but wanted to share this comment in case it helps you. Back in December of 2020 Sita Swarbrick asked 

> How long will it keep and also after a week found made dough has gone sticky and moist

I shared that I haven’t had trouble with mine going bad although I seal mine in either a freezer bag or with plastic wrap whenever we’re not using it. We normally only toss it after the colors get mixed together and the kids want fresh stuff. Although my six year old has started making playdough cupcakes and leaving them out to dry out.

---

If you’re looking for any future updates you can easily follow my blog by subscribing to my email list. The signup is located in two spots on each page including at the very bottom and, if on a wider screened device, to the left. If you’d rather follow me on social media I also post any updates to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/), [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com), and to [Twitter](https://twitter.com/SimplyKyraBlog?ref=simplykyra.com).

I hope you week is going, overall, good.
### Ragamuffin's Billie Shirt and Dress
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/ragamuffins-billie-shirt-and-dress/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:31:20.000Z
For the last year or so I’ve been considering looking into buying, or maybe making, a wrap dress so when I saw that [Little Ragamuffin Patterns had put out a testing call for their new Billie Wrap Dress](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-billie-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com) I jumped at the chance to test it and I’m so glad that I did. The pattern is so easy to follow and the end result is so gorgeous! I wore my first version out on a date with my husband and I felt so fancy…. and then I sewed up an even fancier one. I was originally going to post these two dresses when the pattern went live mid-March but decided to first make a couple different versions, as shirts, and so I put off posting it. With Coronavirus affecting life I ended up putting the Billie wraps shirts I started into a time out for awhile, which put off sharing the dresses, until I made myself finish them. I highly recommend this pattern. Since it first came out Little Ragamuffin has since added a kids version, the Evelyn, so you can sew up the [adults](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-billie-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com), [kids](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-evelyn-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com), or [bundle up the two if you want both](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-evelyn-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com). I’ve made two tea length dresses and two shirt length tops and it’s definitely still on my make again list.

![Pinterest image showing two different dresses. The first has four views, angled, across the top while the second has five views. All images are below in the blog post. Since this is a Pinterest collage image it also shows the title of the post (using the term dress), where the pattern is from, and my website URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_Ragamuffin-Billie.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

![Pinterest image showing two different tops. The first has two views centered vertically on the image showing the front and back. The second shirt is shown in five images across the top and bottom. Since this is a Pinterest collage image it also shows the title of the post (using the term shirt), where the pattern is from, and my website URL. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Ragamuffin-Billie-Shirt.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

First of all there are so many options with this sewing pattern. There are six lengths (crop top, shortie shirt, shirt, mini, knee, and tea length), four bodice styles (simple or gathered either with or without a collar), six sleeve lengths with four different sleeve styles (basic, bishop, petal, and gathered petal), different skirt styles (A Line, pencil, and tulip), and finally four different wrap styles (half, full, faux, or no wrap faux). If that wasn’t enough if you chose to gather your bodice, which I absolutely love, you can choose different cup sizes from A to H. Woah that’s a lot! The pattern is drafted for size XXS to P3 and needs one to four yards of 60 inch non-directional four-way knit fabric (at least 50% horizontal stretch and 25% vertical) with good recovery. Of course if you choose directional fabric you may need more to get the pattern pieces to lay how you want. I didn’t sew up the kids version for my daughters but it looks like [the Evelyn](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-evelyn-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com) has almost the same options as [the adults’ Billie](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-billie-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com).

For the first two versions I chose to make a gathered bodice, half wrap, tea length dress. Choosing the half wrap meant that one tie was shorter than the other instead of having two long ties around the waist. As I decided to cut the tie the width of my fabric I also ended up having to slightly shorten the longest one for both dresses; although I never had any difficulties tying either up.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_4888.jpg?resize=563%2C750&ssl=1)

For my second dress I ended up shortening the tie by less than two inches (this is folded over) and I made sure that the selvage was fully hidden in the seam allowance. I did the same with my first dress although I didn’t record by how much.

---

For my first version of the dress I used [a light to medium weight (8.5 oz.) cotton spandex rayon blend with a four-way stretch (55%, 35%) that I bought through Girl Charlee Fabrics at the beginning of January (2020)](http://www.girlcharlee.com/create%5Faccount.php?refid=85387&ref=simplykyra.com). Like I mentioned before I chose to make a tea length half wrap dress with a gathered bodice according to my cup size. In addition I also went with a gathered short petal sleeve and an A line skirt. The pattern was later updated, before the second version below, to fix the hemline and stop the puckering at the top of the bodice gathers but even with those issues I absolutely adore this dress and wore it out on my last date night before the shelter in place order went into effect. I felt so fancy. I love that even using the two different length ties they were long enough to choose to tie the dress with a large bow and draping ends or I could bring the ties to my other side to do a smaller and cute bow. This is actually the first dress I’ve ever sewn that I’ve worn out of the house let alone was proud to show off… unless you count a quick trip to take the garbage out in my favorite TARDIS ‘house dress’.

![Front full view of dress. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_4180.jpg?resize=447%2C750&ssl=1)

![Back view of dress with me looking over my shoulder at the camera.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_4218.jpg?resize=473%2C750&ssl=1)

![Side and slightly front view of the dress.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_4242.jpg?resize=404%2C750&ssl=1)

![Full on front view on the entire dress.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_4270.jpg?resize=499%2C750&ssl=1)

![Front side view of the dress.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_4282.jpg?resize=562%2C750&ssl=1)

![Angled front view of the dress showing the front petal sleeve draping.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_4331.jpg?resize=434%2C750&ssl=1)

![Closeup of the side and sleeve of the dress.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_4363.jpg?resize=467%2C750&ssl=1)

![Closeup of the front bodice of the dress with the more wrapped belt and my arms up to show the draping gathered petal sleeves.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_4393.jpg?resize=568%2C750&ssl=1)

![Full view of the dress as I twirl.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_4438.jpg?resize=476%2C750&ssl=1)

---

Like I mentioned before both dresses were made at it’s longest length as a half wrap dress with a gathered bodice. For my second version I chose to make a short petal sleeve again but this time chose the version that wasn’t gathered to see how it would look. I also wanted to play with the skirt hemline so I chose the curved front hem for the crossing front pieces but left the side seams with the A line skirt I’d used before. This fabric I used is [a cool and slinky ITY I bought previously from BOHO Fabrics (August 2019)](http://rwrd.io/zampms1?c&ref=simplykyra.com) that has the right horizontal stretch but no vertical stretch. Since the pattern is designed for a four way stretch (25% vertical) fabric I worried it wouldn’t fit and kept the sleeves loose to hopefully negate that worry. The dress turned out amazingly and whenever the shelter in place lifts I can’t wait to wear it out. The fabric makes the dress pop although the slinkiness made it so much harder to work with compared to the first.

![Full view of the back of the dress with my hands on my hips.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5094.jpg?resize=480%2C750&ssl=1)

![Front full view of the dress showing the curved front hem.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5104.jpg?resize=422%2C750&ssl=1)

![Closeup of the dress's gathered bodice.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5144.jpg?resize=610%2C750&ssl=1)

![Side view showing the non-gathered short sleeve.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5152.jpg?resize=563%2C750&ssl=1)

![Side view of the dress with my arms up showing the gathered bodice, side seam, and ties. The hem if below the bottom of the photo.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5172.jpg?resize=563%2C750&ssl=1)

![Back of the dress.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5194.jpg?resize=700%2C723&ssl=1)

![Front of the dress closeup, missing hem, showing the alternative way to tie the ties.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5222.jpg?resize=563%2C750&ssl=1)

![Front view of the dress with my arms up to show the sleeves slightly draping.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5233.jpg?resize=563%2C750&ssl=1)

[![Closeup view of the tie and dress.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5241.jpg?resize=563%2C750&ssl=1)](http://localhost:2368/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed%5FIMG%5F5241.jpg?ssl=1&ref=simplykyra.com)

![Full view of the front of the dress with the shorter ties.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5336.jpg?resize=571%2C750&ssl=1)

![Back of the dress with the skirt lifted to see the width using the curved front and A line side seams.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5313.jpg?resize=595%2C750&ssl=1)

![Front of the dress with the edges lifted to see the hem better.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5307.jpg?resize=560%2C750&ssl=1)

![Slow spin showing the full dress.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5283.jpg?resize=568%2C750&ssl=1)

![Fast spin seeing the side of the dress.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5292.jpg?resize=523%2C750&ssl=1)

![Closeup of the front of the dress.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5259.jpg?resize=563%2C750&ssl=1)

---

I was originally going to post about [the Billie dress](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-billie-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com) after sewing up just the two dresses but I really wanted to show you guys the awesome collar and how versatile the pattern is. I decided to cut out two tops to show off the alternative options. I started sewing these up but then the craziness of the Coronavirus shelter-in-place happened and they were put on hold for a couple weeks. I finally forced myself to finish them even though I wasn’t feeling like sewing them right then and there. The one shirt, using the same fabric with no vertical stretch, is a bit too tight and I had issues sewing it but the other shirt is absolutely amazing. To show you the difference between them and the dresses I’ve included both below.

For both tops I decided to make the gathered bodice again as I loved how it turned out. Since I was making shirts that I saw myself potentially wearing mostly to a playground I didn’t want to make a full wrap in case it untied while chasing the kids around. There were two different options if I didn’t want an openable wrap and I decided to make one of each.

---

Once I knew I was cutting out a shirt I knew I had to use the last of my [BOHO Fabrics ITY](http://rwrd.io/zampms1?c&ref=simplykyra.com) even though it was lacking the required vertical stretch. Since it worked for the dress I figured why not try. If I had made a looser sleeve and kept the shirt a wrap so the edges weren’t sewn into the side seam it may have worked… that said the shirt is just a bit too tight to lay properly over my bodice and I don’t see myself wearing it too much. That said it’s still gorgeous and I’m also not ready to cut it up or donate it either. I chose to make the gathered bodice (with the same bust cup size) and used the curved tulip hem but from there the similarities with it’s dress version ended. I made the no wrap faux wrap (the front edges are sewn into the side seams like a shirt and there’s no ties), long basic sleeves, shirt length, and a simple collar. Even though this shirt ended up a bit too tight I don’t regret sewing it up… only wish I had, maybe, tried a size larger to combat the lack of stretch. Word of warning with this type of fabric. Since it didn’t have the stretch I noticed, especially after trying it on without sleeves, that my fabric developed runs along the attempted to stretch edges. This meant I ended up with a run in my facing, hidden, and in one of my armpits. Something I didn’t realize I needed to keep in mind with this fabric as I didn’t have this issue making the dress.

![Front view of the shirt with my arms on my hips slightly to the back.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6861.jpg?resize=750%2C475&ssl=1)

![Side view of the shirt.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6870.jpg?resize=750%2C762&ssl=1)

![Back view of the shirt.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6880.jpg?resize=750%2C492&ssl=1)

![Closeup fornt view of the bodice, simple collar, and one sleeve (in the background).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6790.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

---

This last shirt is my absolute favorite. It’s so awesome that I’m trying not to wear it during the shelter-in-place so I don’t stain it before I can show it off… although I have given in and worn it once or twice already. For this shirt [I used a light to medium weight (8.5 oz.) cotton spandex rayon blend from Girl Charlee with a four-way stretch (55%, 30%) that I bought at the beginning of March (2020)](http://www.girlcharlee.com/create%5Faccount.php?refid=85387&ref=simplykyra.com). So… basically almost the same fabric specifications as the first dress’s fabric. Like all the Billies before I used a gathered bodice. From there I used a full collar by combining the simple collar and the collar stand (if used alone it makes a mandarin collar) pattern pieces. I think I cut out the gathered short petal sleeve but forgot once I put the pieces on hold so treated it like the un-gathered one making the edges overlap more than the pattern called for. Like the first shirt and second dress I cut the hem on the tulip lines as I loved the way the front looked with the curved hems. Unlike the last shirt I had enough fabric to cut the ties so I went with the simple faux wrap which meant the front was sewn in on the one side seam but left open on the other side. This meant that I cut out two short ties instead of one of each length like the dresses did. So this shirt can still unwrap but offers a bit more coverage if it unties than the half or full wraps would have. I absolutely love this top and can see easily making many more. It has coverage so I can wear it with my favorite [Stitch Upon a Time brazi bras](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/07/01/using-an-adult-sized-underwear-panel-for-a-workout-bra/) yet feels extremely flattering all over.

![Closeup of the front of the shirt.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6921.jpg?resize=750%2C473&ssl=1)

![View of the back with my hands on my hips showing how the sleeves drape.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6933.jpg?resize=750%2C497&ssl=1)

![Closeup of the front of the shirt while my hands rest on my hips and I'm looking slightly down.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6978.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

![Side view of the shirt.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6990.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

![Front angled view of the shirt. The bow is slightly hiding the tips of my fingers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_7017.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

![Closeup front top view where I'm lifting the collar up a bit to show it's length.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_7039.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

![Closeup view of the shirt highlighting where the petal sleeves overlap and the gathering on the front of the bodice.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_7048.jpg?resize=650%2C867&ssl=1)

![And if it comes untied you aren't truly flashing anyone giving you a chance to tie it back up. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_7077.jpg?resize=750%2C845&ssl=1)

---

Overall, I’m completely in love with [the Billie shirt and dress from Little Ragamuffin Patterns](https://littleragamuffin.com/product/ragamuffin-patterns-billie-shirt-dress/?ref=simplykyra.com) and am so glad I came across it. The instructions are straightforward, the pattern’s forgiving, and it was a fun sew to tackle. I can see making many more of these in the future.

Have you sewn up a Billie for yourself. If you’re planning to I hope you have as much fun as me. Feel free to share your sew in the comments below. If you’re interested in any future posts I always share my updates to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com) in addition to my email list. If you want to sign up to my email list it’s located right under the search bar either to the left-top under the purple arrow, if you’re on a wide screen device, or underneath this post if you’re on your phone. I hope your day is going good.
### Random Things That May Make My Days Better
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/random-things-that-may-make-my-days-better/
Last updated: 2023-05-10T16:11:03.000Z
Our schools didn’t formally close, due to coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), until the weekend of March 14th but due to Ada getting the flu and staying home from school the Thursday and Friday before that we’ve been sheltering in place for about five weeks now. With Matt working from home since the Tuesday before, having a sick and vomiting five year old, keeping a three year old happy, and then the schools announcing that they were closing made that week and subsequent weekend rather stressful. That first week sheltering in place was filled with trying to figure out how to handle filling in for Ada’s school with her school’s worksheets and YouTube videos, attempting to fit in all the things I was used to doing at home, keeping Zoey happy with ‘school’ in session, losing ‘my office’ to become Matt’s office, and being inundated with school-related content on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram that I felt I needed to fit in. In addition to that I was realizing how long we may be stuck inside and I really wanted to add perfect content to my blog so I stayed up Monday night working on a double post that didn’t pan out and then I stayed up even later on Tuesday [to finish up my sensory play summary post so it could go out at my normal Wednesday morning schedule](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/03/18/ideas-for-when-youre-home-with-kids/). By that Thursday I was itchy and by Friday we realized I had broken out in stress-induced hives. They weren’t large but they were all over my legs, arms, and torso and so distracting. The only other time I’d gotten them was at my wedding but even then it was just across my stomach. I knew I needed to try to calm down and relax as my body found a way to yell that at me, but it was hard to figure out how to put less on my plate. Over the last several weeks since then I’ve tried, and often failed, with my expectations on myself but I wanted to share some of the activities and online resources that have helped the most in case they can also help you. Maybe you’re different and these may stress you out but if one of these things helps lessen the load and helps you find your balance that would be awesome.

![Pinterest image showing a collage of images you can find below. This also includes the name of the blog post and my URL to find it later.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Random-Things-That-May-Make-My-Days-Better.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

### *Main Things*

Some of the main things that are helping me are:

- Differentiating the weekdays from the weekends. Matt is able to work from home during this time so I immediately wanted the weekends to stay this awesome time that breaks up the weeks. On weekdays, after breakfast, we get changed into daytime clothing, open the blinds, and start school-work or something right away while Matt heads to the office to start working. On the weekends they get way more daddy-time, no obvious schoolwork, and they may stay in pajamas all day if they want. When you combine this with the scheduled Google hangouts with Ada’s class and the YouTube videos her teachers uploaded we still see the difference between the days and, more easily, keep track and value them.
- Over that first week of sheltering in place we attempted two different iterations of a weekday schedule before settling on a more simplistic approach. If you’re interested I can later show you what I tried in case that works for you. We ended up structuring our weekdays so we now start the day with the worksheets from our school district. If we’re running low that week or need a change I supplement them with printables I found online like [the LEGO® and Doc McStuffins free printables from 1+1+1=1](https://www.1plus1plus1equals1shop.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). When we get tired with that I break up the morning with quick moving breaks (dance parties, once I did [a MadFit song workout](https://youtu.be/XeOjgAq89zU?ref=simplykyra.com), or [if longer a Cosmic Yoga](https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga?ref=simplykyra.com)), school-related or educational YouTube videos, [writing in sand](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/04/01/practice-erasable-sight-words/), and then, when I’m tired of the morning, educational apps on the iPad until lunch. Lunch is the simple and clear-cut way to have them put away their iPads and know afterwards they can do anything, within reason, like playing with toys, sensory bins, outside play, art, etc. When we first implemented morning schoolwork and afternoons play the kids kept asking for their iPads so I told them they could do the whole afternoon if they wanted… twice a week. So the other three days they have to find something else. Last week I implemented a weekly movie after lunch Wednesdays so I can see our screen-time creeping up as the weeks progress. With Spring break last week the school YouTube videos went, mostly, away and there weren’t any worksheets so we loosened the plan without completely taking it away so they felt like they had a break but overall still had structure.

![Closeup view of our first schedule with the laminator in the background. The day was divided into morning, afternoon, and evening. Each item on the list was accompanied with an orange and blue dot so each kid could scribble out the dot when that item is done. That paper is laminated so I could wipe it clean each night.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5673.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The first iteration of the schedule was not time-dependent but was structured around our meals. Every daily thing was listed with a bullet point for each kids to hide (by coloring over it with a chalk marker) as they finished it. This only lasted for most of one morning… with only Ada using it.

- I made up a morning routine for me. Over the summer I started waking up earlier to workout before the kids woke up. Sometimes I got a workout in and many times it was still interrupted. When school started in September I moved my alarm even earlier so I’d have time to workout before waking Ada up at 7 am. With the shelter in place going into effect I considered sleeping longer but decided to keep waking up at the same time so I could try to workout and get a hour of learning in using the [100 Days of Python](https://training.talkpython.fm/courses/explore%5F100days%5Fin%5Fpython/100-days-of-code-in-python?ref=simplykyra.com). At first I was constantly interrupted within the first fifteen minutes of starting Python but we ended up deciding to move the kids bedtime to be an hour later which, over the next couple mornings as they acclimatized, gained me just enough time to, mostly, get it done in the mornings. We sold the idea easily to the girls as they’d get an extra hour of ‘daddy-time’ every night.
- ‘Snack’ lunches, when I discovered them, are amazing. We haven’t been eating the kids’ snack food as much without school and picnic outings so, a couple weekends ago, when I had leftovers that the kids didn’t like and I wanted to stay away from making more pasta I decided to throw together a lunch out of the random snacks we had. The kids absolutely loved it and quickly requested it for the next day. I started making it more often, the night before, and would let them chose one thing to add to their lunch and I filled in the rest making sure it was kind of balanced and might force them to try things they didn’t prefer.
- I read somewhere to use a lunchbox for school lunches at home although I can’t remember the exact why. Using it adds to the dishes as a lunch box takes longer to clean than a plastic plate but I decided to try it during the second week. At first I thought it didn’t matter as the kids didn’t seem to care but by the end of the week when I made some hot food and gave them a plate I got in trouble. Last week I kind of skipped lunch boxes again with ‘spring break’ as I was using reheated leftovers or cooking pasta fresh for lunch but I started using them again over the weekend. This has been amazing enough, especially when combined with the ‘snack’ lunch idea, that I actually bought Zoey a lunchbox to match Ada’s school one and bought two extra snack-sized bento boxes to make their food fit easier.

![Used their new snack-sized bento boxes to make a yogurt parfait. Both opened boxes are next to each other filled up with a simple and easy lunch.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_7193.jpg?resize=750%2C425&ssl=1)

I’m really bad at saving items a bit too long to surprise the girls. I kept telling myself I should stop and use them sooner… but I’m now so happy I have random things I’ve saved. Those ‘hamburger’ candies we got along with a fast food kids meal back at Christmas time. I finally remembered them on the weekend and pulled them out to go with the ‘make your own parfaits’ I came up with. The bottom section has plain yogurt, honey, and cinnamon. The top right section has granola and honey nut cheerios to top the yogurt with while the oranges can be eaten alone or, I guess, thrown in too. I added a cheese string in case they were still hungry.

- I sometimes try to plan sides (or meals) along with my planned leftovers. This can be small like make a double batch of rice so you can easily heat it up with yesterday’s leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Or if I’m making pasta with tomato meat sauce for supper and I have cottage cheese on hand I try to make a double batch and use the leftovers to make a quick lasagna. Another instance, a couple weeks ago, I grabbed a bag of frozen raspberries and blended them up with water and a bit of lemon juice to make a raspberry sauce… was thinking a spin on applesauce. I let the kids have a large spoonful for dessert, filled a tray in their lunchbox for the next day, and then I froze the leftovers in silicone ice cube trays. After they were frozen I popped them out and put them in a Stasher bag to surprise them with later. I actually took the large LEGO® people out of the freezer one night for their lunch the next day and it was perfect. The next day at lunch you could still see the vague LEGO® shape but it had thawed enough overnight that it still worked as a cold raspberry sauce to eat up.

![Closeup of both bento boxes showing the contents listed in the caption. Additionally, there's a plastic (Ikea) spoon laid out in the larger hole with the granola and slightly opened cheese string.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_6451.jpg?resize=750%2C284&ssl=1)

I made the raspberry sauce while planning out their ‘snack’ lunch. This time I combined it with dehydrated mango (they both chose it that night), peanut butter granola they like to eat as a snack, and a cheese string.

![The flower tray is half filled (back empty) to the left while the LEGO person tray is completely filled to the right. In the back you see the bottom of the emptied blender jug.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_6454.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After packing their lunches I threw the leftover raspberry sauce into silicone moulds to easily surprise them with later on. After they freeze I move them into a freezer or Stasher bag so they take up less room.

![Closeup of the bento boxes side by side. Both LEGO® people (female and male) are shown. The other pockets, slightly cut off, show the dried mango slices, halved Z-bar, bun with cream cheese, and grapes.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6540.jpg?resize=750%2C452&ssl=1)

A couple days later when I was looking for something to fill their bento boxes with I remembered the frozen raspberry sauce. I showed the girls the night before as I packaged it (shown here) so they could see the awesome LEGO® people before throwing them in the fridge so they could thaw overnight. Eating them frozen would’ve also been fun and I still have the rest in the freezer to do that with later.

- I try to make a rough outline of what tomorrow’s meals will be sometime before going to bed. It can be range from specific meals like recipes I want cook, already packed lunch boxes, or leftovers to something more general like just a reminder to look up recipes to cook a specific meat product in the fridge whose best before date is coming up. Having a general idea on supper makes going to sleep so much easier.
- On that note reminders in general makes life so much easier. I have an iPhone so whenever I think of something I need to do I tell Siri to remind me. Then as I go about my day I can check my notifications to see what reminders have come up, if I have time, and otherwise they sit there waiting for me to have the time. This can be a general reminder, like adding a grocery item to my shopping list or seeing if I’m out of something specific, which I then set for five minutes from now so I can be reminded about it soon. I also set reminders in the future like if I want to make something specific for supper (set the reminder at 2 p.m. of that day so I’m reminded before I start worrying about I should make) or laying out something specific the night before (like a recurring weekly reminder, when school was on, for Ada to lay out her school shirt or put her library book in her backpack). Setting a reminder and ‘forgetting’ about it helps me not worry about whatever it is since I know the reminder itself will be there to help me out.
- I’ve also been trying to be more grateful. Back in January of 2018 I came across the [Grateful app on the iPhone](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/grateful-a-gratitude-journal/id1197512462?ref=simplykyra.com). At that point I only used it about three times but later, May of 2019, I started using it daily (free version allows 15 entries but it’s cheap to upgrade) to help me be more grateful and positive. The app allows you to choose, or make your own, prompt where you then fill in your response and can, optionally, add up to five images. This can be something majorly awesome about your day or something small like a cute quote your kids said, something small you accomplished, or the fact your constipated kid pooped. Writing it down helps you dwell on the positive and looking back through the app, seeing an entry pop up on the phone widget, or looking at the exported PDF helps you see the good about your life instead of dwelling on the negatives that may have seemed insurmountable.

![Screenshot of my Grateful app showing things that 'made me smile'.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_7235.jpg?fit=477%2C1024&ssl=1)

A snapshot of my Grateful app from the beginning of April. It’s super simple to use.

---

### *Cool Things*

I also wanted to share some of the cool things I’ve found online that made me smile.

#### *First the Items I Enjoy*

[The ACM Digital Library is offering free access to their digital library until June 30th, 2020](https://dl.acm.org/?ref=simplykyra.com). I haven’t had a chance to check it out but it’s on my to do list.

![Screenshot of the ACM Digital Libary's homepage.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-04-11-at-3.04.41-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C489&ssl=1)

Screenshot of the ACM Digital Library taken on April 11th, 2020.

It’s been harder to focus on books lately but for the last while I’ve been reading ebooks offered free through [NetGalley](https://www.netgalley.com/?ref=simplykyra.com) for the price of an honest review. Some books listed on their site you can read immediately while others you need to be approved by the publisher first. In addition to NetGalley, if you like reading ebooks, you can also look online through your public library’s website or get free ebooks through Amazon (if you have prime) using their [prime reading program](https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/fd/prime-pr/?ref=simplykyra.com) or [choosing one of several](https://www.amazon.com/firstreads?ref=simplykyra.com) [books offered each month through First Reads](https://www.amazon.com/firstreads?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Screenshot of NetGalley's homepage.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-04-11-at-3.05.13-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C418&ssl=1)

Screenshot of NetGalley taken on April 11th, 2020.

If you’re looking at learning something new I’ve been working on the [100 Days of Python](https://training.talkpython.fm/courses/details/100-days-of-code-in-python?ref=simplykyra.com) that I bought and started back at the end of January and have, so far, kept up by working on it an hour a day. I never seem to make it a priority but if you’re looking at learning something else Coursera has a bunch of free courses in a diverse range of subjects. [I joined their course about the Coronavirus disease but have only managed to complete the first two weeks](https://www.coursera.org/learn/covid-19/home/welcome?ref=simplykyra.com)… so far at least.

![Screenshot of the TalkPython #100DaysOfCode in Python page.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-04-11-at-3.06.06-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C449&ssl=1)

Screenshot of the Python 100 Days of Code website taken on April 11th, 2020.

If you’re looking at learning embroidery I loved the kit I bought from [Nerds and Needles (as I type this she only has digital patterns available)](https://www.etsy.com/shop/NerdsandNeedles?ref=simplykyra.com). [I posted my finished TARDIS from her a while back](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/09/04/finishing-your-embroidery/). More recently [I bought a kit through Namaste Embroidery](https://www.etsy.com/shop/NamasteEmbroidery?ref=simplykyra.com) to give myself a crash course in thread painting. Not sure when I’ll make time to crack it open but I can’t wait for when that happens. [If you’re looking at learning crochet or knitting I can’t recommend Ravelry enough](https://www.ravelry.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). It’s an amazing, free to join, website that lists all yarn, tools, and patterns. You can filter the patterns by whether they’re free, and loads of other stuff, and if you want a paid pattern many of them can be bought directly through Ravelry without dealing with a third-party website each time. Their community is amazing if you have any questions. [With all my sewing lately I haven’t been crocheting (never could figure out knitting) but they have the ability for you to list all your projects (along with your favorites, library, yarn, etc) so you can see what you’ve made, easily re-find patterns, and see how much you’ve improved over time](https://www.ravelry.com/projects/ArtsyBakingGeek?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Screenshot of the Nerds & Needles Etsy page showing some of her amazing embroidery patterns. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-04-11-at-3.06.34-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C715&ssl=1)

Screenshot of Nerds & Needles Etsy shop page taken on April 11th, 2020.

If you have yeast, salt, and flour on hand I love making simple bread dough through [Bread In 5 Minutes A Day](https://artisanbreadinfive.com/?ref=simplykyra.com). If there’s room in the fridge I try to keep the dough pre-made so it’s available when I need to make hot dog buns, a loaf of bread, or mash leftovers into dough for my self-titled ‘sandwich bread’. I posted previously about BreadIn5 twice with [a general overview (from January 2018)](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/01/04/breadin5-make-hot-fresh-bread-easily-on-demand-at-home/) and [my sausage hot dogs more recently](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/02/12/sausage-in-a-blanket-a-k-a-hot-dogs-with-breadin5-dough/).

![Closeup of the cut open sandwich bread filled with leftover chicken and bacon combined with diced brie.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6515.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

That day I rolled out some bread dough before sprinkling it with leftover chicken and bacon that I had frozen and defrosted earlier. I then cut up some Brie and added it on before rolling it up so all the filling was stuck inside the dough. I baked it at 425**°**F until the top was browned and it was cooked through.

[*The Tunes To Fight Gloom* series of videos from The Holderness Family](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl2axinLKd00nMBW6RTASag?ref=simplykyra.com) has become my weekday morning tradition and makes me smile. They’re amazing! I think my favorites are [the Barenaked Ladies Parody *One Week*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0%5F-tzrd0UI&ref=simplykyra.com) and their [*“Sanitized Songs” Quarantined Medley*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVgO75yTXo4&ref=simplykyra.com).

![Screenshot of The Holderness Family's YouTube homepage.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-04-11-at-3.08.49-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C599&ssl=1)

Screenshot of the Holderness Family’s YouTube page taken on April 11th, 2020.

I know I’ve talked about Pilates a lot but I absolutely LOVE Robin Long’s membership program the Sisterhood so when I saw she reopened [the Strength and Stress Relief Challenge](https://thebalancedlifeonline.com/pilates-strength-stress-relief-challenge/?utm%5Fsource=home&utm%5Fmedium=page&utm%5Fcampaign=pssr%5Fevg) I had to add it in. If you want more information about her Pilates I’ve posted about it [a year ago](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/10/08/pilates-with-robin-long/) and then again [a month or so ago when I mentioned my favorite workout videos](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/03/04/free-at-home-workouts-to-de-stress/). If you don’t want to workout or already have a workout plan that works for you [she’s also come out with a podcast that’s incredible](https://thebalancedlifeonline.com/podcast/?ref=simplykyra.com).

![Screenshot of the Pilates Strength and Stress Relief Challenge signup page.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-04-11-at-1.32.00-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C527&ssl=1)

Screenshot taken of the Robin Long Pilates Strength and Stress Relief Challenge sign up page on April 11th, 2020.

---

#### *Some of the Stuff the Kids Have Been Enjoying Are*

We used to live in Edmonton, Alberta whose library system was rated one of the best in North America. Since the shelter in place started I’ve noticed they’ve uploaded [a lot of content to their YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/user/edmontonpl/videos?ref=simplykyra.com) and a section on [their website is dedicated to EPL from home](https://www.epl.ca/epl-from-home/?ref=simplykyra.com). Although your library is probably closed you can still check what digital offerings they may have and look up other libraries if you need links to more content. Our current local library just started offering twice a week story time sessions through Facebook Live and I love how if I miss it I can find them under their video heading on their Facebook page. The kids have only watched the one from EPL but I’m excited to show them the new one from our current local library.

![The first four rows (five across) of the Edmonton Public Library's videos hosted on YouTube.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-04-11-at-3.09.17-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C785&ssl=1)

Some of the Edmonton Public Library’s videos on their YouTube page. Screenshot taken on April 11th, 2020.

Also through Facebook I found out that Kristi Yamaguchi is doing twice a week readings on her page. [You can join the Facebook events or look at her past videos to watch](https://www.facebook.com/kristiyamaguchi/). So far we’ve watched her read *Dream Big Little Pig* and *Maneki Neko, the Tale of the Beckoning Cat*. After the first one I went onto YouTube to show the girls Kristi’s amazing figure skating and then went on to show them the awesomeness of Kurt Browning and the paired skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier. They’ve decided that Kristi is their favorite though they laughed with Kurt and were blown away by Jamie and David’s tricks.

![Screenshot showing Kristi Yamaguchi's nine most recent Facebook videos.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-04-11-at-3.10.00-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C884&ssl=1)

Screenshot of the videos listed on Kristi Yamaguchi’s Facebook page taken on April 11th, 2020.

I haven’t heard of him before but very recently we came across [Gym Class with Adam Rosante](https://www.youtube.com/user/adam58a?ref=simplykyra.com) through an Instagram post by Parents. Three times a week he does two live gym classes; one for kindergartens to third graders and another for fourth to sixth graders. So far we’ve tried his first one (K-3 on Wednesday April 8th) and Ada seemed to love it although Zoey, not the targeted audience, got distracted. I can see adding this to our routine when we need to move especially if I want to join in with the girls (so they don’t just sit and watch like Ada’s been doing with [Cosmic Kids Yoga lately](https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga?ref=simplykyra.com)).

![The video page on Adam Rosante's YouTube account showing the latest ten videos.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-04-11-at-3.13.49-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C534&ssl=1)

Screenshot of Adam Rosante’s YouTube videos including *Gym Class with Adam* taken on April 11th, 2020.

I posted [Mo Willem’s Lunch Doodles through The Kennedy Center](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL14hRqd0PELGbKihHuTqx%5FpbvCLqGbOkF&ref=simplykyra.com) before but I had to share again as they’re so amazing. We’re behind now but watching the first several episodes at the beginning of the shelter in place really kicked Ada’s doodling into overdrive. I’ve printed out his worksheets for the later episodes and I’m now patiently waiting for the girls to want to watch more.

[![Ada and Zoey standing beside each other. At their feet are two of Ada's doodles on the ground. Ada, on the left, holds her version of Gerald while Zoey, on the right, holds the instruction sheet for Gerald the Elephant.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5794.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)](http://localhost:2368/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed%5FIMG%5F5794.jpg?ssl=1&ref=simplykyra.com)

Ada, five years old, blew me away with her artwork even after the first two episodes. Zoey, three years old, loved to doodle while watching from beside Ada. I didn’t realize until after I took this picture that Zoey chose to hold the instruction sheet instead of her drawing.

[The Bay Area Children’s Theater started up a Creativity Corner](https://www.creativitycorner.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) with videos (under the *Challenges* menu and hosted through YouTube) that comes with accompanying printables (under the menu heading *activity sheets*). We’ve watched three so far and the girls absolutely love them. After watching Chef Olive’s restaurant, which featured making a menu, Ada ended up creating a restaurant in our living room complete with a ottoman table, four chairs made out of different stuff, and a play area (collapsed tunnel on it’s side filled with DUPLO®) that she got Zoey to sit in for a while.

![The latest two challenges on the Creativity Corner are shown in the image.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-04-11-at-3.15.35-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C951&ssl=1)

Screenshot of the challenges listed on the Bay Area Children’s Theatre’s Creativity Corner website taken on April 11th, 2020\. You can find the accompanying printables under ‘Activity Sheets’.

The Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose just started up a [virtual discovery museum that they live stream on their Facebook account](https://www.facebook.com/ChildrensDiscoveryMuseum/). It looks like [one of their videos from the first day, Friday, was posted to YouTube along with a new series about the Virtual Museum Educators](https://www.youtube.com/user/sjdiscoverymuseum/videos?ref=simplykyra.com). The rest of the videos seemed to have stayed up on their Facebook page. While writing this I wondered what other places might also be doing so I just quickly checked in on the [Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito to find them bringing research-backed home activities to you](https://bayareadiscoverymuseum.org/bringing-badm-to-you?ref=simplykyra.com). The Tech Interactive, in San Jose, put together [a collection of lessons and activities](https://www.thetech.org/athome?ref=simplykyra.com) and, apparently, hosted a live discussion for high school students titled *Leading Through Uncertainty with Miss CEO* on the 9th. [They have an upcoming *Tech Challenge Virtual Showcase* on April 25th and 26th](https://www.thetech.org/thetechchallenge?ref=simplykyra.com). [The TELUS World of Science in Edmonton lists several science experiments you can do at home](https://telusworldofscienceedmonton.ca/explore/experiences/science-home/?ref=simplykyra.com) and it looks like they have [a bunch of cool videos on their YouTube account](https://telusworldofscienceedmonton.ca/explore/experiences/science-home/?ref=simplykyra.com). [The Vancouver TELUS World of Science also looks like it has a bunch of resources](https://www.scienceworld.ca/dome-at-home/?ref=simplykyra.com). [The Monterey Bay Aquarium blew me away with their changed new homepage look](https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/?ref=simplykyra.com) to allow you to experience the aquarium online including meeting the animals, seeing the live cams, and trying some remote schooling (paired with a video of a school of fish). I especially love their main heading “*Welcome to the Monterey Bay Aqarim. It’s just not the same without u.*” I’m currently pausing typing this up to sign the kids up for [the pre-kindergarten to grade two online course (they have various courses and guided activities for all grades)](https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/for-educators/learning-at-home?ref=simplykyra.com) and [printing out the sea otter lunch bag puppet pieces](https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/for-educators/curriculum-and-resources/games-and-activities/sea-otter-lunch-bag-puppet?ref=simplykyra.com). If you have any favorite museums, discovery centers, or aquariums now seems to be the time to check their website, Facebook page, or YouTube channel and they may be posting your child’s favorite content with their favorite people or animals.

![The YouTube homepage for the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose showing their three most recent videos all within the last two days.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_Screen-Shot-2020-04-11-at-3.17.04-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C536&ssl=1)

Screenshot of the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose’s YouTube page taken on April 11th, 2020.

[If you’re looking for live animal cameras I posted several links, including many from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, back while we were stuck inside because of the smoke from the forest fires about two years ago](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/11/21/streaming-animal-cameras/). If you’re looking for really cool science videos the girls have been watching, over the last year or so, [Smarter Everyday](https://www.youtube.com/user/destinws2?ref=simplykyra.com) and [Mark Rober (who has just started live stream science classes)](https://www.youtube.com/user/onemeeeliondollars?ref=simplykyra.com). Their topics are diverse and entertaining, mostly, for the toddlers, kids, and adults.

[If you want something that isn’t online I posted an overview of all my sensory play activities about a month ago](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/03/18/ideas-for-when-youre-home-with-kids/). A couple of weeks ago we took our emptied laundry detergent bottles that we hadn’t yet repurposed and filled them up with water for the kids to play with. Sometimes the simplest things are the best. Last week I thought to give Zoey a bin with plain and soapy water and some pipettes and bowls. She loved it! I later changed it up by adding some food dye to the bowl so she got to convert all the clear water to orange on her schedule.

![The photo was take outside. To the left Zoey is rolling up her pants about to get in the bucket of soapy water like her sister. To the right Ada is standing in her bucket of soapy water flinging some of the soap bubbles to the right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5986.jpg?resize=750%2C491&ssl=1)

The kids had a blast with the soapy water but no matter what if you give them water they will stand in it.

![Overview of the yellow bin with vaguely soapy water in it. In the center is a white plastic bowl with soapy orange water in it. Underneath the water you can see a metal spoon, to the right, and orange water spreading, on the left, from where Zoey is squeezing an upside down bottle with orange water in it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6738-1.jpg?resize=750%2C442&ssl=1)

After Zoey had had a blast with the soapy (originally only in the bowl) and plain water I changed it up by adding a bit of red and yellow food dye to the bowl. She squeezed the bottle and after putting it in the bowl loosened her grip to fill her bottle so she could spread orange water into the bin.

![The bowl has been moved to the right side of the bin so you can't see the metal spoon. The bottle has had it's lid removed and now sits lidless to the left. There's a pipette filled with orange water above the bottle and about to be squirted in.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/04/compressed_IMG_6742.jpg?resize=750%2C400&ssl=1)

After adding some orange to the bin she next used her pipette to transfer more orange water back into the now lidless bottle.

Overall I’ve been trying to listen to what the kids want to do and guiding them from there. No matter what you want to do and how cool your idea is I’ve found if they aren’t ready for it it may not be fun and it’s better just to save it. Last week, one morning Ada somehow got it into her head to make “Happy Coronavirus Day” cards so we each grabbed a sheet of paper, I looked up the coronavirus molecule, and we drew it. They weren’t given to anyone and now I’m kind of wondering what happened to those papers but it was a fun time before we went onto other things.

---

I hope you aren’t feeling too confined right now and are, hopefully, staying healthy. I hope these ideas help you out and I would love to hear what your favorites might be in the comments below. If you come up with any other great ideas I’d love to hear about them. If you’re interested in getting updated on any future posts, currently once a week on Wednesdays, I share to my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) and [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com) although you are more than welcome to join my email list located right under the search bar either to the left-top under the purple arrow, if you’re on a wide screen device, or underneath this post if you’re on your phone. I hope one or more of these ideas help you find a bit more balance in your week and the rest of your month goes well. Stay safe out there.
### Theater or Concert Play Curtain
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/theater-or-concert-play-curtain/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:30:46.000Z
A couple of months ago when the kids had a playdate Ada asked her friend if they wanted to put on a play. Once they were dressed up in their makeshift costumes and ready to start Ada realized she had no curtain. As the show must go on I had to quickly come up with a makeshift curtain by grabbing [my afghan](https://www.simplykyra.com/2019/01/03/toddler-blanket-topper-to-comfy-couch-afghan/) so they could hold it up and drop it when they were ready for the play to start. It was adorable as they sang and danced in their dress up dresses and capes. A bit later the girls had another playdate and the same thing happened. As I sat and watched them I came up with this doorway curtain which I kicked into high gear about mid-February when [the 52 week sewing challenge](https://www.facebook.com/groups/52weeksewingchallenge/) called to make a toy. I figured that although this wasn’t a traditional toy like a stuffed animal or something it still fit the bill as the kids would, hopefully, play with it.

![Pinterest image showing a collage of four images of the play curtain. Each image also appears below. Image also includes the title and this website's homepage.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_Theater-Inducing-Curtain.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

I wanted to make the curtain as simple as it could be. Something that wouldn’t be too intense to make so it didn’t matter as much if they went through phases of not using it ([I’m looking at you kitchen stovetop cover](https://www.simplykyra.com/2020/02/26/kids-play-kitchen/)) yet keep it nice and workable enough that if they love it and use it often it’s not an eyesore. Since I wanted the curtain to be easy to put up and take down I decided to use a dowel or a rod to hold the curtain up and command hooks to attach it to the doorway. I was originally going to check out a hardware store for a wooden or plastic dowel or an extension rod but when I next went to Walmart I came across a selection of wooden dowels, all 36 inches long, in the craft section and picked out one of the wider ones, at 5/8th inches, that ended up being a bit shorter than I had wanted but otherwise still worked great. Once I knew that I had the right dowel I went through my command hooks and picked the ones I thought would work the best; both with the dowel and to attach to the door frame.

![Blue blanket with the command hooks spread out on them. On the far left are two medium-sized rectangular command hooks followed by three medium oval hooks, and then a large rectangular hook. Above them are a random assortment of other command hooks mostly too small. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_3697.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I sorted through my command hooks so I knew how many I had in each size.

![Closeup image of the side of the door frame as my hand holds two command hooks on the flat-ish surface of the door frame. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_3701.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

I next grabbed the hooks and checked if they appeared to fit on the beveled door frames. The larger command hook appeared as if it might not work as the surface area was too wide for the curved space. The medium-sized one looked like it may just fit on the flatter section of the door frame.

![My finger holding the dowel in place on four medium sized command hooks.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_3702.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I next took the command hooks I thought would work on the door frame and checked if the dowel would fit inside of them.

![Dowel laid out in two small command hooks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_3705.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then checked my smaller command hooks and although it looked like the dowel would still fit I wasn’t sure if it would be secure enough long term so I chose not to use it.

Now that the curtain rod and fixtures were decided the next step was the curtain itself. When we were moving I had grabbed a piece of fabric and made a make-shift curtain by tossing it over a clothes rack (we had bought for dress up dresses) to separate the kids mattresses. I found the ‘curtain’ kept falling off so I actually used masking tape to hold it in place as it didn’t matter if the curtain could open or close. The plan with this was to create a wall to help give the kids privacy if they needed alone time and stop them from arguing… in reality; however, I had to keep attaching it to the clothing rack and we eventually only used it upon kid-request. However, once we were fully unpacked I thought fondly of the fabric and wanted to come up with the perfect project for it but beyond unneeded pillows I couldn’t think of anything to do with the fabric so I set it aside until I could think of the perfect project… which was now. The second I thought of making the kids a curtain I knew I had to use it. After finding where I set the fabric aside I examined it to realize that it only had selvage on one side so I quickly knew that was the side that I was going to use to create the channel for the dowel. I started out by using my iron to stop the selvage from curling and then folded up that side, measured it, and clipped it in place.

![Fabric on my ironing mat. The bottom of the fabric shows the selvage while the top portion shows the cut end as it's folded up.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_3713.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I used my iron to make sure the end of the curtain didn’t curl up so it would be simpler to fold, clip, and sew.

![The top of the fabric is folded over and clipped in place. A measuring gauge is laid overtop so you can see that it's two inches from the fold to the selvage edge. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_3714.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then flipped it over making sure the fold was even by using my measuring gauge. I wanted to make sure there was more than enough space to feed the dowel in and have it move easily so I ended up folding it in two inches, not including the selvage, and clipped it in place.

To create the channel for the dowel I sewed along the edge of the folded over fabric making sure that the created channel was wide enough that the curtain could easily slide along the dowel. This was the only sewing part of the whole project and if you don’t have a sewing machine you could always attach it another way. The first time around I used masking tape (did not stay too long with this fabric type) although I’m sure you could hand stitch it, attach snaps or Velcro, or use fabric glue too. This was supposed to be a quick sew right before going to bed and my sewing machine tried to eat the fabric multiple times. I ended up giving up, tired and frustrated, and saved figuring it out for when I was calmer the next day. I can’t believe such a simple thing gave me so much trouble. And even with the break my stitching ended up not being perfect but in the end the channel was mostly closed, the dowel fit, and I could always go over it again in the future if need be.

![The dowel is sticking out of the end of the channel showing the cinched up channel on the right side and the plain dowel on the left. Underneath you can see the wrong side of the curtain, ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_3738.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After, finally, sewing the channel closed I made sure the dowel fit inside and had enough space to easily move back and forth.

![Underside of the channel shows it's not fully enclosed. The center section in this closeup shows a hole with the stitching underneath of the flipped over fabric. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_3739.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

My stitching wasn’t perfect and I ended up missing some of the folded over fabric but overall it worked. I considered seam ripping that section and trying again but remembering my issues the night before (mega seam ripping and a tear on the fabric) that made me decide it was fine how it was and I could always fight with it another day if needed.

Once I was done putting the curtain on the dowel I grabbed my glue gun and used it to add a stopper to either end of the dowel so the fabric couldn’t easily come off. I figure if I ever need to wash the curtain I could always pull off the glue and add fresh glue later. To do this I held the dowel and turned it as I pulled the trigger on the glue gun. I then continued around until I had surrounded the dowel two or three times so the cap would be wide enough.

![Closeup of the dowel end with transparent glue attached to the end of it. I the background you can see the slightly blurry blue glue gun laying on the kitchen table. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_3743.jpg?resize=750%2C727&ssl=1)

I glued around the end of the dowel making sure to go over it a couple times making it large enough to stop the curtains from falling off the dowel.

Finally I put up the command hooks. I put them in the kids doorway and in the door leading into the living room. This way Ada and Zoey can use the curtain if playing in the bedroom or if they want to put on a show for the living room-sat audience. I made sure to use isopropyl alcohol and paper towel to clean off the door frames where I wanted to add the command hooks and, after attaching it, I pressed firmly on it and left the hook, itself, off for a day or two to make sure the base attached properly. Once I knew they were secure I slotted the hooks into place.

![Closeup of the not-quite-fitting command hook trying to slide onto it's base.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_3796.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Sliding the hook back onto it’s command hook base was a bit difficult as the edges of the door frame’s groove made it harder to fit. I applied a bit of pressure and was able to secure it.

![The picture is taken in the living room doorway showing the right side of the doorframe with the rectangular command hook. Through the doorway you can see the wall and the bedroom doorway with another command hook. On the far left of the image you can see a blurry Zoey playing in her bedroom.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_3801.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I then slide the other three command hooks into place making two different doorways all ready for the curtain laden dowel.

With the command hooks in place it was time to set the curtain rod inside.

![Center of the image shows a command hook attached to a white door frame. On the left you can see the edge of the curtain on the dowel and on the right side you see the glue covered tip of the dowel. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_3804.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Closeup showing the extra length I had with the curtain rod in the living room doorway. Love the glue at the end making sure it’s extra secure.

![Closeup of the opening curtain on the dowel in the living room door frame. To the left you can see part of Ada's head as she closes the curtain.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_3802.jpg?resize=750%2C586&ssl=1)

Ada sliding the curtain closed as it sits on the command hooks.

![Closeup of the back of the curtain showing the folded over edge and seam. This time it's sitting in place in the bedroom doorway so the kids inside can see the flowers on the curtains. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_3807.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Since the dowel and curtain can be moved around easily you can move it from the living room doorway to the bedroom doorway and back or simply flip it around so the right (or wrong) side of the curtain is facing either way.

![Full view of the curtain hanging in the living room doorway. The bottom just rests on the floor. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5472.jpg?resize=750%2C1002&ssl=1)

I made the curtain so the, unhemmed, bottom just brushes the floor as it sits in the command hooks.

![The dowel is still resting in the command hooks on the living room door frame although this time the end of the curtain is twisted and flipped over the dowel so there's an empty space below the curtain.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5473.jpg?resize=750%2C518&ssl=1)

If the curtain isn’t being used you could easily flip the end over the dowel so it’s easy for the kids to duck underneath. The issue comes when I try to quickly duck underneath as I attached the command hooks a bit too low for me although I love how Ada can reach to move the curtain rod herself.

![The center left side of the image shows the dowel on it's end with the curtain wrapped around it leaning in the corner. The bedroom door is closed and you can see one of it's command hooks sitting on the door frame. In the slightly unfocused foreground, to the right, you can see a closeup of one of the living room doorway's command hooks. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5475.jpg?resize=750%2C883&ssl=1)

To easily get into and out of the room it’s simpler to take the dowel off the command hooks and lean it against the wall. With just the command hooks on the door frames the setup isn’t too intrusive yet is so simple to setup each time they want to play.

When making this I pictured showing the girls the finished curtain and having them be so excited to play with it. In reality, the day I unveiled it I had already ‘surprised’ the girls with a preferred lunch, a surprise activity, and a snack so when I showed the girls Ada just asked what my other big ideas were. Zoey seemed more excited but it didn’t last too long as Ada wasn’t playing with the curtain with her. I later asked Ada about her reaction and told her that I thought she liked doing plays. She then informed me that she only liked plays when she had friends over. Yet a day later when I took the curtain down, as I was tired from ducking under it, they were disappointed as they loved going through the curtain to get into and out of their bedroom. Overall, I’m glad I made this as it does get used just not as frequently as I thought it would… at least so far.

Just a warning I made my curtain with a knit fabric so it won’t unravel. If you use an unfinished woven fabric you’ll want to finish your edges so it doesn’t unravel while the kids play with it.

Do your kids love putting on shows? Have you made them a curtain and if so how did you do it? Are you creating your own now? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below, through my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/), or on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). Hope your day is going great.
### Practice 'Erasable' Sight Words
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/practice-erasable-sight-words/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:30:37.000Z
With the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) keeping us indoors we’ve been working on Ada’s school worksheets. The packet from our school division includes two sheets of sight words for each week’s worth of school work other than cutting them out we’ve been ignoring them so I wanted some way to make them funner. During the second week home I finally remembered the trays I bought near the beginning of the school year to practice Ada’s sight words and hadn’t yet used. When I first bought them using them were contingent on Ada cutting out her sight words, that came home with her after our parent-teacher conference, so we could laminate them and do a ‘surprise’ with them. She never cared enough to cut them out so I never got around to setting it up and mostly forgot about it. Looking back I’m so glad we hadn’t as it was something new I was able to pull out to change up the girls school-work time.

![Pinterest image showing a collage of five images (all shown below), the title, and the URL where they can learn more. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_Erasable-Sight-Words-Practice.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

I couldn’t remember where I saw this idea but I loved it enough that it stuck in my head. As it was bugging me where I may have gotten it from [I just went onto my Pinterest boards and found what may have been the source: Miss Giraffe’s Class *Short A Activities and Resources*](https://missgiraffesclass.blogspot.com/2015/09/short-activities-and-resources.html?m=1&ref=simplykyra.com). In it she used an opened pencil box with colored craft store sand in the lower area and the sight word papers balanced in the lid. For me, I had realized I only needed a shallow dish, something sand-like, and a chopstick, or something, to use as a pencil.

Close to the beginning of the school year I had started looking for a shallow dish we could use to create this ourselves and I came across the perfect thing, a plastic vanity tray at Walmart, and snatched two of them up. Since a thinner layer of sand seems to work the best you don’t need a lot of sand just enough to cover the bottom of your tray or dish. If you’re limiting your area to a single letter or number at a time you could easily use something smaller than I did like the lid from a yogurt container or even a plate. For the sand itself I had a container of colored salt I made years ago (thinking it was pre-blog as I have no photos). If you don’t have colored sand and want to make your own dyed salt I found this great tutorial on [*How to Make Colored Salt* on Babble Dabble Do](https://babbledabbledo.com/diy-art-materials-colored-salt/?ref=simplykyra.com) that uses food dye or liquid watercolors. For a drawing utensil I grabbed our metal chopsticks though for Zoey I’m also thinking of finding something much shorter, in the future, so she can more easily work on her pincer grip. Just a word of warning the metal chopsticks against the plastic tray with the salt can make some frightful sounds defeating any ‘relaxing break’ you may be attempting with this activity.

Since I bought the vanity trays at the beginning of the school year and had the sand and chopsticks on hand it was so easy to throw this together… once I finally remembered I had it. I started off by pulling the sticker off of the bottom of the tray, which was luckily really easy, and then poured the colored salt in. At first I filled it about a half way up but once I tried to trace letters I realized it was a bit too full and removed two thirds of it. Basically you want the tray full enough to see where you drew the letters but shallow enough that they don’t fill in too easily while drawing them. You can play around with the levels until you like where they’re at. I also didn’t want it so full that the kids, mistakenly, spill all the sand or salt everywhere.

![Closeup of the two vanity trays with the container of dyed salt off to the side. The new vanity with it's sticker still on is placed off center on the other, sticker less, tray with a thin layer of salt flat overtop.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_6221.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I started by removing the sticker from the plastic vanity tray before pouring a thin layer of salt and shaking it gently to flatten.

![Both trays beside each other (in image top and bottom) with the word 'Now' drawn in. Balanced over the trays, on the left hand side, is a cut out sight word with 'Now' printed on it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_6222.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I used a metal chopstick to check that the writing in the dyed salt worked and ended up removing two thirds of the salt before deeming it okay.

When I downloaded and printed Ada’s school packet I also downloaded the transitional kindergarten packet so Zoey had something similar to do at the same time as Ada; although, other than tracing the numbers on the number sheets I’ve been using the pages mostly to get Zoey to cut and color while I work with Ada on her worksheets. In the packet, however, I found a page that, I think, has the kid trace the shape on the left column and copy it onto the right column. I figured that was the perfect thing for Zoey to draw in her tray so I had her cut out all of the rectangles and then I used the blank rectangles to draw out the letters of her name. You could easily grab a sheet of paper and draw your own shapes, squiggles, letters, numbers, or words on them. Any word flashcards you have on hand would also be perfect here without having to make or find your own.

![Closeup of the table showing the uncut sheet with the rectangles (blank or with a squiggle). Beside the sheet are cut out rectangles (from the other sheet) and scraps of paper. At the bottom right of the image Zoey is cutting along the lines to separate two of the rectangles.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_6224.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Had the kids cut out their own sight words (Ada) or designs (Zoey).

![Closeup of the cut out rectangles. The bottom four have the letters Z, O, E, and Y written on them for Zoey's name. Under them is the orange crayon used to write it. Above them are the printed rectangles showing a circle, dot, and a line (one horizontal and one vertical). The scissors and uncut paper are above and to the left. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_6225.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

The first page had four rectangles which were perfect to start Zoey on her name.

Once the trays were filled, chopsticks found, and papers cut it was time to get them started. Ada, five and a half years old, had a blast with the change of materials and went through the sight words drawing each one until she got bored. Zoey, three and a half years old, started strong by writing her letters and the shapes but then continued onto doing her own designs. Either way the kids had fun, loved shaking it to ‘blank’ the tray, and asked for it the next day too. I’m not sure yet if this will be used daily during the school-work time or not but I love that there’s a way to use the sight words and have the kids focus on them so they’re more recognizable in the future.

![Bottom, forefront, of the image shows Zoey placing the letter 'y' behind the tray so she can sketch it out. In the background, further back, Ada has the 'the' played behind her tray and is drawing it out in her tray.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_6227.jpg?resize=750%2C962&ssl=1)

Ada started out with the word ‘the’ and quickly got to writing while Zoey picked the letter ‘y’.

Once they’re done you can pour the sand, or salt, into a container and put it away with the empty trays. If you use a recycled plastic container you could store the sand in the container and then turn your writing tray back into a lid making this even simpler to clean up and store. I’ve been using a freezer bag for each kid to store their own sight words, and anything else Zoey wants to cut up, so they don’t get mixed up and are easy to pull out each time.

![Front, to the side, view of the kids drawing. Ada is in the foreground drawing the word HAVE and about to run out of room (told her to 'erase' and write it smaller). Zoey is in the background doing her own writing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_6280.jpg?resize=750%2C541&ssl=1)

The next day the girls asked for it again and it was just as simple to set out.

![Closeup of Zoey's tray, and top of her head. The tray shows her doodle consisting of lines, a circle, a triangle, and two squares all interconnected. The sight words and shapes are on either side of her tray (hers to the right and Ada's to the left).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_6282.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Zoey started, creatively, making her own designs.

![Ada, from above, writing out the word 'pretty'. Her hand obscures the y as she finishes off. The sight word is laid on the other side of the tray with the previously written sight words below it. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_6284.jpg?resize=750%2C518&ssl=1)

While Ada had a blast going through and writing her sight words.

I loved how easy this was to set up and get going. Once they were done I poured the colored salt back into it’s container and put it and the trays in our sensory cupboard. The chopsticks went beside the sink to wash and the sight words were put away. I love how this can be as simple as you want it to be or you could make it more complicated based on what you like. You could even start with it being incredibly simplified and, once the kids love it, change out parts to keep it fresh and upgraded. I could see recycling a small lidded container (say for yogurt or cottage cheese) so you could store the sand inside and easily take off the lid for a writing tray each time you want to use it. You could extend the play over time by upgrading to a tray, changing the material you’re writing in, or changing how you’re writing by using a twig, popsicle stick, or even a toy. [We’ve previously used playdough and a plastic dinosaur to make dinosaur prints](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/08/08/dinosaur-footprints-sensory-bin/) which makes me wonder how playdough would work to write into… or if you could use a dinosaur tail to write.

Are you going to create a writing tray for your kids? Or have you already done so? I’d love to hear what you used to set yours up so feel free to share it in the comments below. If you’d like to share an image of yours feel free to post it through my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/) or [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). If you want to be updated on any future posts you can follow either account or sign up on my email list located right under the blog search. On a wider screen device you can find the signup field to the left near the top (may have to pop it out with the blue arrows at the top) or if you’re on a smaller device it’s located below. I hope your week is, overall, positive and you’re staying healthy and happy.
### Simple and Washable Name Tags For Your Kitchen Table
URL: https://www.simplykyra.com/blog/simple-and-washable-name-tags-for-your-kitchen-table/
Last updated: 2023-03-25T23:30:09.000Z
Is one, or more, of your kids sick and you want them to be sure which water glass is theirs so there is less chance of them swapping germs? Why not create simple name tags? Makes it simple to remember who is sitting where and whose glass is whose. After using a fabric marker to write the girls’ name on the cut woven fabric I released my fabric markers to the girls so they could color their own making it a perfect activity to do together while allowing them the ownership of the design on the tag so they could be proud of the finished name tags.

![Pinterest image including the title of the blog post and four images that are also included down below. This shows the previously used paper towel scrap uses and three images of the final washable name tags. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_Simple-and-Washable-Name-Tags.jpg?resize=471%2C707&ssl=1)

---

For a while now Matt and I have been sitting at either end of our kitchen table with the kids along one of the long sides of the table. This, of course, meant that Ada and Zoey started fighting over who got to sit next to daddy. We solved this my letting them take turns and alternated days which seemed to work… at first. Eventually, I started forgetting who sat where the day before so at breakfast I’d have ask the girls and hope they agreed on where they sat and thus where they should sit today. A couple months ago Ada got a fever and I didn’t want them to use the wrong drinking glasses so I grabbed some paper towel and made them quick make-shift name tags with a sharpie. Of course whenever they spilled on these name tags I’d have to make a new one as they now ‘needed’ them. A couple weeks ago after scrawling Zoey’s name on her new name tag scrap I got berated about how I drew her ‘o’ and reminded about it the next day morning, after I had fixed the letter, so I figured I needed to come up with a more permanent, less wasteful, and way simpler solution and these washable name tags were born. When we first started using these last week I planned to use each one until they got dirty and then switch the name tag to a new one so the old one could be washed with our laundry. I figured making four each would offer a large enough buffer that we wouldn’t run out. With the threat of COVID-19 and Ada coming down with the flu I’ve already started switching the name tags and washing them much more frequently than I had planned and they’ve held up great.

![Closeup of the two scraps of paper towels with the girls' names on them. The two sides of the image show the water glasses holding down the paper towel.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5391.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Our original name tags were small pieces of paper towel that I quickly scribbled their names on with a sharpie. Let me tell you all the curves made writing the names so much harder. We had to leave the water glasses on the name tags so if the fan was turned on they wouldn’t blow across, or off, of the table thereby losing their whole purpose.

I considered sewing the name tags right sides facing and turning them right side out to topstitch but I also wanted to add fusible fleece, that I had on hand, to the top and bottom layers to make the name tags sturdier and thicker which would’ve made this too bulky to turn right side out. Thus I decided to simplify and make these wrong sides together from the get go.

I chose to make four name tags for each kid so I ended up creating a total of eight name tags in all. Once I figured out the size I wanted I got to work cutting out eight pieces of white woven fabric for the top of each name tag before choosing some interesting scrap fabric to cut out eight more backs. I made them all the same size cutting them to be four inches wide and three inches tall.

![Closeup of the corner of the transparent quilting ruler showing the three by four inch rectangle that I was about to cut out from the fabric.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5389.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I started by grabbing some white woven fabric and cut out one for each name tag making a total of eight.

![View of the four squares I cut out from the Frozen fabric I got from Walmart. The top two show Elsa's head with the surrounding characters cut off while the bottom two show, mainly, Anna. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5392.jpg?resize=727%2C545&ssl=1)

I then grabbed some Frozen fabric and cut four backers from it before grabbing two more woven fabric pieces for two more backers each. I cut the Frozen fabric with the fabric upside down without thinking and was then happy that I hadn’t cut all the characters in half. I decided Ada and Zoey both get a whole-ish Anna and an Elsa so no arguing over who got what luckily.

After cutting out the squares the next step was to add the girls’ names to each one. I laid out all eight of the white rectangles and used a different fabric marker color, and font, for each pair of name tags.

![The white rectangles are laid out two across and four down. The first column contains squares with Ada's name on it while the second column contains Zoey's name. Each row is made with a  different color and font starting with orange and shadowing (top), then red, green, and finally (at the bottom) purple. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5394.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&ssl=1)

I then laid out all the white rectangles and had Zoey help me choose which fabric markers I should use before writing out Ada or Zoey’s names on each rectangle. I decided to make the girls matching ones so I only had to come up with four unique styles and colors. I couldn’t resist adding hearts to most of them too.

After writing their names I used my iron to set the ink so the names wouldn’t bleed into the girls’ artwork. I then divided up the backs and tops before explaining to Ada and Zoey that they’d get to choose which back went with which front and that I’d have to sew around the outside so anything close to the edge would get hidden. Otherwise could do whatever they wanted. They ended up designing them over two days before Ada decided she was done. Zoey was basically done the first day but added a bit more the next day when Ada worked on hers.

![Foreground shows Zoey looking down while holding a fabric marker and dotting the square below her. All her squares are laid out around it. In the background are the rest of the fabric markers and Ada's area.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5404.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Zoey adding dots to her name tag. She had fun decorating the front and back pieces (on either side) while Ada was more methodical.

Once the kids decided they were done I laid out all the squares on my fusible fleece and, after adding paper towel to protect the iron from the glue, fused the fleece to the woven squares. Originally, I was going to set the ink on the squares first but I forgot so I was extra careful to try to heat set the ink during this process. Once they were attached to the fusible fleece I took my scissors and carefully cut each one out separating them and put each one into piles based on whose name tag they belonged to and if they were a back or front pieces.

![Showing ten of the sixteen rectangles laid out on the fusible fleece leaving a small border around each one. The bottom right side of the photo shows the remaining pile of rectangles that still needed to be laid out.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5417.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

I laid out all the rectangular pieces of fabric on the fusible fleece making sure there was just enough space around each one to allow me to cut them out later. I then added a piece of paper towel and used my iron to stick the layers together.

![Showing the four piles and four of the uncut rectangles. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5418.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once each rectangle was firmly attached I carefully cut them out and put them into one of four piles. I had two sections, one for Ada and one for Zoey, and each section had two piles for the front and the back of the name tag.

Once the pieces were prepped it was time to choose which ones should get paired up together and which way they should each be turned before being sewn together. I ended up taking Ada and Zoey, separately, and we went over which backs should go with which fronts and in which direction they should be while I clipped them together with my sewing clips to make the sewing go more smoothly later on. We then went through my sewing box of thread so they could choose which color thread I use to sew their name tags together. I simplified it by allowing them to choose one color that would be used on all four of their name tags. Zoey went first and I showed her the multi-color thread sure that she would choose her new favorite color, rainbow, before she went through my colors, studiously ignoring the rainbow thread, and chose a neon version of her old favorite color orange. In contrast Ada methodically went through all the colors until I eventually told her she had to choose as my thread was getting unrolled with her rifling through the box whereas she then ignored all the colors she’d been going through and gravitated to my baggie of multicolored thread instead.

After changing the thread in my sewing machine I carefully sewed around each label, making sure I sewed through all the layers, using a blanket stitch so it would look pretty and cover a wider area than the simple straight stitch. Once they were done I trimmed the excess fabric making sure to not cut through any of the stitching.

![Foreground shows a part of my scissors while the pile of finished name tags sit in the background. The trimmed fabric lays between the two off to the right. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5419.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

Once the name tags were sewn I carefully cut the excess fabric away while making sure to not cut through the stitches.

And they were done! They were so quick to make as the longest part was waiting for the kids to color them all. So simple and I love how they turned out.

![All eight name tags fanned out to see. The bottom shows Zoey's name tags and they're spread out enough to see most of them. The top half shows Ada's, more overlapping, name tags. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5432.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

And the name tags were finished and I loved how they turned out.

![Closeup of Zoey's name tag leaned against a transparent empty glass.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5434.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

They are all adorable while propped up against the drinking glasses.

![View of the washed off table with two transparent water glasses spaced a seat apart with the name tag laid out by each one. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5437.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After clearing the table off and washing it I put out clean glasses and swap the kids spot before they go to bed. This way the glasses are out if they want water before bed (or if they come out repeatedly during the night) and their spots are already switched and ready for breakfast. The name tag closer to you is basically name-less as Ada drew Zoey standing in the rain say ‘oh no’ and then she added clouds, a rainbow, and a star effectively hiding her name.

![The first two name tags used shown slightly overlapping after they were washed. There are threads coming off some of the edges but otherwise look great.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d3/68/d3684a67-f3a9-4c11-9d37-bc9fc8fe73ed/content/images/wordpress/2020/03/compressed_IMG_5498.jpg?resize=750%2C563&ssl=1)

After going through the laundry once the name tags started losing a bit of thread but otherwise looks great. I figure once the thread is lost up to the stitches it will all stay put.

I found this was a quick sewing project and I love that the kids had a hand in designing their name tag and choosing what thread color I used. This did mean that one of Ada’s name tags is, basically, name-less as she colored her picture overtop but we know that one is Ada’s so it still works. I could see making both sides with white fabric if your kids want to color either side. I could also see using their favorite fabric scraps and if they’re unique to each kid you don’t even need to add their name. This project could also be a good excuse to stitch their names onto the fabric if your machine has the capability to monogram ([my bead counting quiet book page also used monogramming](https://www.simplykyra.com/2018/03/22/quiet-book-page-counting-with-beads/)). Being so quick with minimal sewing I could see this also being a good project if you want to hand sew or embroider something small.

Are you looking at making your own name tags? I’d love to see yours if you make these. Or if you made a different type of name tag what did you use and how did they turn out? Are you making these for a different purpose and if so what? Feel free to share in the comments below, through my [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/SimplyKyra/), or on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/simplyartsykyra/?ref=simplykyra.com). I hope your week is going great.

_Truncated after 5 MiB. Use `/sitemap.xml` for the complete archive of public content._