Hearth and Homemaker

Fantastic Pureed Squash

I whipped up some squash for Thanksgiving, and it was sooooo good!  It was a big hit with the kids.  They liked it even more than the stuffing.  I got the idea from recipes I've seen that call for you to cook squash halves with a tablespoon of butter and a bit of maple syrup in the cavity.  I figured if you mixed it in, it would taste even better!  I can't give you exact measurements, because I just "winged it".  But here it is...

Take one Buttercup Squash (any squash will do, don't know if it will taste as good), cut in half, remove seeds and stringy stuff.  Place in the preheated oven, cook according to directions on the squash's sticker (or a cookbook).  Remove when squash is tender.  When cooled just enough to handle, scoop out the flesh, put into your mixer's bowl.  Add slices of real butter to taste (I used a lot....heck, it was Thanksgiving), mix until the butter is melted and mixed in.  Add a squirt of maple syrup, to taste.  Mix some more.  Serve.

This puree came out so smooth and sweet and delicious.  I probably added a bit too much syrup, but it was still fabulous.  I had no idea squash could taste so good!  I plan on making this often.

Learn to Play an Instrument Free

Yes indeed, my friends, I must have slept through Wednesday because this Works for Me Wednesday post is being posted in the wee hours of Thursday!    Hey, it still counts.   Because I said so.   ;-)

Have you ever had daydreams of your children playing musical instruments together in a harmonious little family band?  Would you like your child  or yourself to have the opportunity of learning to play now, only you don't have the money to do so?  I have a little secret to share...

You don't have to pay a dime to learn how to play an instrument!  You can learn to play online.  There are many videos on the internet giving instructions of the basics for many different instruments.  There are also many reasonably-priced DVDs and books online that you can order for any instrument, which are designed for beginners to teach themselves.  If you want your younger child to learn, simply learn the basics yourself, and teach it to your child.  Older children can teach themselves. 

With a little effort and a lot of practice, you'd be surprised how far you can get.  Once you find yourself at a point where you want to progress in skill, you can always pay for lessons then.  At least you've saved a lot of money in the meantime.  Plus, if you teach yourself how to play an instrument, you can teach those basics to each of your children...which, if you have a large family, can really add up!  This would be especially helpful with the piano.  I think that is one instrument everyone should learn.  Ideally I would like each of my children to learn the piano and one other instrument of their choice. 

I found a video series on You Tube for how to play the piano.  I wasn't sure I liked the instruction at first, but after a couple of minutes, I realized that the instructions were pretty simple and easy to follow.  I could learn at my own pace, rewind and watch a section again, and I didn't even have to leave the house.  Or get dressed!  Or put on makeup!  Or drag five kids in the car with me!  (Okay, you get the idea, lol.)

In five minutes I learned a few of the basics.  In fact, I learned a lot more in that five minutes than an acquaintance, who taught piano, was able to teach me in two ten-minute sessions.    And I learned it on my child's tiny toy keyboard with the teeny tiny keys!  Of course, for regular playing I will want a full-sized keyboard or piano.  There were videos on You Tube for other instruments too, including the violin, which were very well done. 

"But instruments are expensive!"  So you say.  I say not necessarily.  There are free pianos out there for the taking.  Some may be junk, of course, but often people just don't want to take the monstrosities when they move.  Go online and look up tips on buying used pianos.  Be wary of tips given on websites where they sell new pianos...they may make it sound like buying an old piano is unwise.  While there some precautions you need to take, I think you could get a reasonably decent piano free or very cheap.  On craigslist, I found two or three free pianos that sounded like they would be a good bet, and a dozen more for$100-200.  Freecycle may have some too, as well as your local newspaper's "bargain" ad section. 

Bear in mind that with a piano, free isn't really free.  Even if it's in perfect condition, pianos must be tuned after they are moved.  Also, they are extremely heavy.  You will need at least two very strong men to move an upright piano, and many of the piano owners out there will require that you hire a bonded piano mover or they won't give you the piano.

I know there may be pianists out there who cringe at this advice, but if you take care in researching and selecting your piano, I think you will find something that will work for you.  If you are buying a piano for your five-year-old to learn, or if you are a forty-year-old who just wants to mess around with the piano and have fun, your piano doesn't have to be perfect.  You can always upgrade later if your child becomes seriously interested in pursuing the piano.

Other instruments are much less likely to be free, but will be easy to transport, and less risky to buy.  After researching on craigslist, I was able to find several violins starting at $80, flutes starting at $100, and clarinets starting at $75.  That is much cheaper than new.  I was seeing new flutes starting at $350 on one website.  Wow, imagine spending that and your child ends up hating the flute!  At least if you buy a used one, you can probably turn around and sell it for what you paid.

Another idea, if you are interested in wind instruments, is to get started with a recorder.  This is a plastic instrument that appears somewhat like a clarinet, but there is no reed.  You can find them in many stores as a set with an instruction manual for under ten dollars.  I've seen them at Walmart and Barnes and Noble.   The cheap ones are made of plastic and have a high, shrill sound.  They are all soprano recorders.  An alto recorder, especially one made of wood, is much more pleasant to the ear.  However, they are more expensive, and may be a bit long for the small children to play.  The deeper the sound, the longer the recorder.

That is something to keep in mind--research online how to choose the right size instrument, especially if buying for a child.  A full-size violin is too big for a young child, and would be a waste of money. 

There are also other websites online that may have videos or tutorials on learning instruments, such as Expert Village.  Keep looking until you find the right video series for you. 

For my family, we are planning on getting a piano, a fiddle (same as a violin, just played differently and sometimes has a flatter bridge) and a recorder to start.  We will purchase them one at a time as finances allow.  I may also get a flute, since I played one for a short time as a child.  Incidentally, one video I found online for flute instruction was much more clear and easy to follow than the school's music teacher who taught me as a child. 

Good luck, and get playing!

   

Aprons and Sewing Machines

Wooo Hooo!  Not only did my wonderful husband buy me a new Bernina 700D serger last week, but this week he gave me the go-ahead to get a brand new Singer CE-250 Sewing/Embroidery Machine.  Isn't he the sweetest?

We had some extra money come in recently.  Although we have sooooo many needs right now, I know he's doing it to make me happy, and also because we really do need to start making our children's clothes.  My oldest daughter is at the age where not only can you not find dresses long enough, but you can't even find child-like clothing most of the time.  A great deal of it is very trampy.  I'm sorry, I refuse to dress my child in halter tops and "Daisy Duke" shorts.  But I digress.   ;-)

Technically, he said to buy the machine and bring it home, and we'd make the decision together about whether or not to keep it, before we opened it.  Today is the last day we can return it, but I think he wants to keep it.  I'm SO excited.  I have wanted an embroidery machine for so long. 

I have been so busy I haven't even tested out the serger, though I plan to tomorrow.  I had to clean out my closet and re-organize my bedroom to give myself enough space to work.  My first project is another pair of bloomers for my daugher.  They're quick and easy, and shouldn't take more than two hours with the serger.  Once I have the hang of the machine, it's on to an apron for Ann, the winner of my apron giveaway.  I am testing out a few designs.  I'd really like to make some vintage style aprons, and also some feminine, unusual styles.  If they work out, I plan to offer them for sale. 

When the projects are done, I will post pictures.  I'd love to have everyone's opinions on the aprons.  So please check back in the next few days!

Toy Organization

It's Works For Me Wednesday again, and I've recently begun the monumental task of re-organizing my children's toys.  Previously, I had used many clear plastic shoe boxes to organize their toys, with machine-printed labels.  It looked great, and worked well...as long as I was in the room to supervise their play.  Well, as any mom of many little ones knows, that's not always possible. 

The day I found a cracked, broken, empty plastic shoebox, sans label and full of dried, pulverized grass in my basement (apparently the three year old snuck outside with it at some point), I knew it was time for plan B.  The rotational tub plan.

I already had a couple of Rubbermaid "Roughneck" deep plastic totes that I use up in the living room.  These are for their larger toys, and are kept in the entertainment center.  Since it has no back and is sitting kitty-corner, there is enough room for them in there, with their ends poking out the back.  I picked up a few more at Target, and my plan is to divide up all the toys that aren't part of a set, and put them in the tubs.  I'll keep the tubs in the storage room, and take out a new tub or two each week.  It will be like Christmas all over again. 

As for the toys that are parts of a set, or are small and numerous, I will modify the shoebox plan.  Most of the sets are toys that belong to one particular child, such as my daughter's farm set or my son's plastic soldiers.  Those will be kept in the shoeboxes (unless they continue to abuse them, in which case I'll find an alternative) and put in each child's closet.  The closets have the slide locks for bi-fold doors on them, and the kids are told to stay out of them (and mostly they do).  I'll choose 2 boxes to pull out every few days, to keep next to their bed.  These will be the toys they play with when they are awake during nap, or wake up in the morning.

As for the toys that don't belong to a particular child, such as the box of matchbox cars, each child will get one of those, also to keep in their room.  I will rotate these boxes among the children.  The extras will be kept in the storage room with the extra Rubbermaid tubs. 

I've also picked up a few new boxes for the toy sets that have outgrown the plastic shoe boxes.  They are white plastic with gray handles and holes in them.  They come in many sizes.  What I like about them is that they are tough, and cheap.  When I saw the new bigger sizes that Walmart is now carrying, I cleaned them out.  If you go looking for them and see a big empty shelf...sorry, that was probably me!

I'm also very proud of myself for finally letting some toys go.  Broken pieces I've been saving, toys that were given to us second-hand that are ugly, or something I don't want my children to have--you name it!  I even got rid of something brand-new, bought for us by a family member.  It was ugly, the kids didn't like it, and they never played with it. Boy was that hard for me!  I cleared out a whole box of toys.  My husband was so proud! 

I'm always on the lookout for new ways to organize toys, because I'm finding that as my family size grows and my children grow up, our needs are ever-changing.  But for now...this Works for Me!

WFMW (Backwards Day) Removing Urine Odor?

Today is Works for Me (Backwards) Wednesday.  This means that instead of sharing a tip with you, I will be asking for YOUR tips.

Calling all moms of little boys, and expert house cleaners!  If you have little boys, this question will make you laugh, or cringe from flashbacks:  How do you get horrendous urine odors from little boys' "near-misses" out of your bathroom?

Here's the situation:  As you know, many little boys like to stand "like Daddy" when they pee.  I try to discourage this with my boys, until they are old enough to really control their aim, if you know what I mean.  My five year old recently started standing up, but unbeknownst to me, the three year old must have seen it, and started copying him.  What's worse, both of them were standing off to the side a little bit, instead of standing right in front of the toilet.  You guessed it, I started noticing yellow stains on the walls and my white shower curtain.  The older one sometimes cleaned it up, but not well.  I noticed this in the main bathroom, but I don't go in the children's bathroom as often, so sometimes it dried in there before being cleaned up. 

Even worse, my daughter, for some strange reason, started not sitting up all the way on her potty seat on the toilet, resulting in a waterfall of pee onto the floor.  Yikes!  She, being sneakier, did clean it up--at least in the front.  She then proceeded to hide her wet underwear and put on new ones.  *sigh*

So at this point, you are imagining what the floor behind my toilet must be like.  But my friends, it gets worse, because the idiots who built this house (don't get me started on them) put unprotected wood trim in the bathroom and no sealer or caulking between the trim and the linoleum!  So after about ten times of trying to clean the bathroom with every known cleaner and deodorizer, I finally realized that the smell was most likely coming from the drywall behind the trim and the wood sub-floor under the linoleum, where some urine must have gotten into. 

This is a rental home, so short of tearing out the drywall and linoleum, what can I do?   Any tips would be appreciated.  Tell me what works for you!

Organize Your Move: Bankers' Boxes

My family has moved many times over the last few years, for a variety of reasons.  After multiple moves using boxes from the grocery store, and saved boxes from the cases of diapers we bought, etc., I'd had it.  Hard-to-fit odd-sized boxes, smooshed box corners and broken items all convinced me that it was time for an alternative.

For this move, I bought white storage boxes from Sam's Club, often called "bankers' boxes".  Businesses often use them to hold files during a move or storage.  They have great carrying handles, and lids that make it easy to search inside for something you need, and put them back with no trouble.

These storage boxes come folded flat in a box of ten for $13.72.  If you've ever bought one of these individually, you'd know this is a phenomenal price.  They are made of 50-60% post-consumer recycled materials, are maximum strength, and have a stacking strength of 600 pounds. 

They are not kidding about the strength, either!  I have boxes stacked in the garage at least six-high full of heavy stuff, including a lot of books, and they are holding up great!  One important tip is:  you MUST stack them properly.  They must sit squarely on top of each other.  If you don't have them stacked neatly, it can put too much stress on a weaker part of the box, and cause damage.  None of the boxes are broken, despite much shifting and moving them around, but a couple of lids got the edges bent when I caught the edges of them with another box. 

You can easily write on the end of them, and see it clearly.  You can also use those color-coded moving stickers, and they show up great against the white.  If there are breakables inside, you may want to tape the cover to the box.  I didn't for most stuff, but for anything I didn't want to risk spilling out, I did.   

If you take care of the boxes, they can be unfolded and saved for another move, or re-used for holiday or out-of-season clothing storage.  These boxes are a great, inexpensive alternative to the outrageously expensive moving boxes, or the frugal-but-frustrating giveaway boxes.  For me, it has been worth every penny.

And the Winner Is....

....Ann'Re!!  You can visit her blog at http://blog.kerchners.com/ .  She has a home business crocheting afghans, scarves, etc. 

Congratulations, Ann'Re, and thank you to everyone who visited my site and entered the drawing.   It was so much fun,  I think I will do my own giveaway again in the near future, so check back again soon!

Less Than a Day Left to Win an Apron!!

If you just stopped by, be sure to check out my apron giveaway for the Fall Y'all Bloggy Giveaway.  There is less than a day left to enter!  I've had a ton of visitors and over 180 people enter the giveaway so far.  I am really surprised, since my giveaway was so far down the Mr. Linky list for the bloggy giveaways that I thought surely people would pass out from exhaustion before getting to enter mine!

I, myself, have entered probably fewer than one hundred giveaways (although it seems like more).  I've heard some people have entered them all.  Are you people crazy?!  Don't you have kids?   If so, are you feeding them?!  ;-)  Just kidding!  I just take waaaaaay too long signing up for the giveaways.  I think  I couldn't sleep if I entered them all.  (Actually, I haven't slept much anyway, lol.)

I am STILL on the lookout for the vintage apron.  My husband is the one who packed the aprons up...and naturally, he doesn't remember where.  I tore apart my entryway closet looking for it, sure it was in there.  It wasn't. On the bright side, my closet looks pretty good now.  There were too many boxes in there, and not enough room for coats and shoes.  My feet have not been bruised in an avalanche of shoes when I've opened it today, as they usually are!  I've tried locating a vintage apron on craigslist, but to no avail.  Well, there was one, but it didn't sound that nice.  Nothing but the best for my giveaway participants!

This weekend I have been on the hunt for a serger.  I had been wanting one anyway, and I figured if I end up making the winner an apron, it will be much more finished and nicer-looking, and should hold up much better to wear and tear.

That doesn't mean I'm giving up, though.  I have plenty more boxes to look through.  If I haven't found it by Sunday night/Monday morning, when I announce the giveaway winner, I will then ask the winner their fabric choices for their specially-made apron.

Vision Forum Giveaway at Life in a Shoe

Life in a Shoe is hosting a giveaway of $250 worth of Vision Forum goodies.  Yep, you read right, $250!
Just download their catalog, peruse the goodies, and make up a $250 wish list of Vision Forum publications.  Then post it on your blog and link back to the Life in a Shoe post.  Last, go back to the post at Life in a Shoe, and post a comment, with a link back to your own blog posting. 

Goodness, my head is spinning at the thought of all the freebies out there in blogland this week.  Whew!

So here is my dream list:

Best of Entrepreneurial Bootcamp, $125
How to Help Your Husband, $16
A Knight of the White Cross, $20
Prairie Bonnet, in pink, $12
Child-size Yellow Apron, $10
Modesty Slip, size small, $10
Beautiful Girlhood Tea Set, $55

Apologies...Comments are now Allowed!

Ooops!  No wonder why I wasn't getting any comments!  I was starting to think nobody liked my poor little blog...then I signed up for the Fall Y'all giveaway, and my site meter showed visitors...but nobody commented in order to sign up for the giveaway.  Something HAD to be going on...

Well, it turns out silly old me didn't somehow had the comments allowed only to registered users.  Eeek!  Sorry about that, my friends.  I am not good at blog design or HTML stuff.  Heck, I'm lucky I manage to figure out how to edit my posts!  LOL 

Someday soon I hope to figure all this stuff out, so my blog will be a prettier place to visit.

Now...comment away!

Win a Dyson!

Go to The Domestic Diva to enter to win a $400 Dyson vacuum cleaner.  Boy, do I want one of these!  Our vacuum hasn't worked right since our landlord "borrowed" our vacuum to vacuum our carpet after he had it cleaned (while we were in the moving out process).  All the wet carpet fiber plugged up the vacuum, and all the cleaning in the world hasn't restored it to normal.  We had just bought it, too.  Grrrr!

Anyway, I digress....go win a Dyson!  (Though I admit, I hope I win, lol.)

(By the way, does anyone know how to add HTML into the sidebar for my typepad blog?  I'm supposed to add a picture link in my sidebar to the Dyson giveaway, but I've looked in the help files and tried everything, and nothing works.  I'm blog illiterate--help!  Thanks.)

The Amby Baby Hammock - Review

If your baby has colic, acid reflux, or you are worried about your baby getting a flat head from laying on his back...or if you even just want a more natural way for your baby to sleep, the Amby Baby Motion Bed may be the solution for you.

Also known as the Amby Baby Hammock, this unusual "bed" is designed somewhat like a hammock, and hangs from a sturdy spring on a heavy duty tubular frame.  The hammock surrounds the baby, with plenty of room for your baby to grow.   The sides are made of a breathable net fabric to allow air circulation.  There is a pad with a cover in it, and the hammock can be adjusted so the baby's head is raised a bit, helping reduce reflux, gas, and colic.  The baby feels warm and swaddled, like in the womb, and you are able to lay the baby on his back, as recommended, without the worry of causing a flattening of the baby's head, as with a firm crib mattress.

Most babies sleep longer in an Amby.  If the baby wakes, his thrashing movements can make the bed jiggle and sway, often calming him back to sleep.  Many mothers keep the Amby bed near their bed, so they can reach out and jiggle the hammock and soothe the baby back to sleep. 

My experience with the Amby is a positive one.  I didn't quite find it the miracle that some did, but it was helpful with my baby, who was so restless that I just can't sleep with him in bed most of the time. He also had trouble with gas in the beginning, and it seemed to help. Now, at almost three months old he sleeps for a very long time.  When he sleeps in it, I set my alarm so that I can get him up and feed him (to keep my milk supply up, for natural child spacing).  Otherwise he'd sleep too long, and I could have a drop in milk.

The nice thing is it just fits through a bedroom door, so you can move it from room to room without taking it apart.  When taken apart and put into the carrying bag, it is easier than a Graco Pack n' Play to carry.  It's not too hard to put together.  I did find, however, that I couldn't get the baby's head raised at all, even following the directions.  So I bought a memory foam wedge designed to elevate a baby's head slightly, and I used that in it until just recently.

The Amby can be used until your baby is 12 months or 25 pounds. Because of its design, babies are not able to sit up in it until much later than they normally would for a baby swing or crib.  However, starting at age 9 months, Amby recommends that the parent be in the same room with the baby, so you can monitor when he wakes up, to be sure he can't sit up in it.  Once the baby is too old to sleep in it, there is a jumper seat that can be attached to it, for the baby to use it as a Johnny Jump Up type of thing.  There are a few different packages you can buy, and one of them comes with the seat and a heavier duty spring.  If you purchase the basic package, you can buy the jumper seat later.  There are also other accessories, like the cuddlers, which hold a newborn or preemie in place and make them feel more "snuggled".

One word of warning:  the American distributor of the Amby Baby Hammock, in my opinion, has TERRIBLE customer service.  I had called with a question about ordering, and the woman seemed reluctant to be bothered to find someone to answer my question.  But she promised she would get back to me shortly.  Hours later, I called, and got voice mail, and left a message.  I was polite, but made it clear that I wanted to get one that day, and needed an answer, and that I was desperate.  I had already told her earlier that I was recovering from the birth, very ill, and was getting no sleep because of the baby, so it was urgent for me to find out the answer so I could get an Amby right away.  I not only didn't hear from her that day....I NEVER HEARD FROM HER, EVER!  For a company that specifically serves post-partum mothers, many of whom probably have colicky babies and are already emotional, it seems rude and fiscally detrimental for them to have such poor customer service. 

Needless to say, I decided not to do business with them.  I knew already that there are Amby beds on craigslist and ebay, and it isn't too hard to get one half the price of new.  So that's exactly what I did.  I was happy, because the woman who I bought from was SO nice. She couldn't find one of the sheets that went with it, and promised to look for it.  She did, and not only mailed it to me, but followed up with me to make sure I got it.  The American Amby distributor could learn a lot from her!

So my opinion of the Amby is that it is very useful and an excellent product...however, I recommend getting it second-hand.

UPDATE:  4/18/08 -  This has been one of my most popular posts by far.  Almost neck-and-neck with Organizing Little Girls' Hair Accessories, this post has brought in a lot of traffic.  So it's only fair to update you all with my complete Amby Baby experience...my son loved his hammock.  He slept so long at night, and at naps.  When he woke up, he stayed happy in his hammock until we came to get him (which, with a large family, was sometimes delayed a while).  Now, I have to say he also was without a doubt my happiest and most easily self-entertained baby, but I still think the Amby helped.  Around the age of 8 months, he started twisting around in the Amby, always rolling onto his right side.  Sometimes he would push himself up towards the head of the hammock a bit, and sometimes get his blanket pushed up under him.  It did make me nervous that he was getting so mobile, but I knew he couldn't sit up on his own yet (his only desire is to play in his walker-toy, which is amazing and I will have to review very soon...so he hates to lay down or sit anywhere else).  The reviews I had read all said that as long as the baby couldn't sit up on his own, he should be safe.  Even now he can't do that, but at 9 months, his contortions were making me a bit nervous, so we moved him to the crib.  Big DOWNSIDE to the Amby...the transition.  As expected, he hated going from a snug, cozy, womb-like environment to a cold, "hard", open one like the crib.  He cried a bit the first day or so.  But I attached some crib toys and now he's fairly happy.  I still think he misses the Amby though.  It has been a useful product.  It has lasted much longer than a bassinet and was very easily transported.  We used it when we were in a temporary apartment, waiting to move into our new home.  With five children in a two bedroom apartment, he ended up in the master bathroom.  But the Amby fit, and was easy to set up, and could be moved from room to room without being broken down.  Definitely a good buy, especially if you get is used, which I highly suggest.  If I weren't having more children, I could sell it for what I paid. 

The "Fall, Y'all!" Bloggy Giveaway

NOTE:  The giveaway is now closed to further entrants.  Results will be announced by Monday, November 5th.

Shannon over at Rocks in My Dryer has a sister site called BloggyGiveaways.com that is having...well...a bloggy giveaway!  It's called "The Fall, Y'all!" Bloggy Giveaway, where many of her readers link to their own blog where they are giving something away.  Pretty neat!

My contribution to the giveaway is a beautiful vintage-style apron.  It is white with a field of lavender-colored roses covering it, with purple piping along the edges.  It is a lovely apron, my absolute favorite.  But  I just don't use it that often, because I prefer my longer apron with the pockets.  So I've decided to bless a dear reader with this treasure. 

Pictures of the apron will be forthcoming, as soon as I get a new card for my digital camera this weekend.  To enter, simply leave a comment with a link back to your own blog.  You don't have to be participating in the giveaway yourself, but I need the link as a way to identify you and contact you after the contest.   If you don't have a blog, you can leave your email address in the comment, but be warned that this is a public blog and you could end up with spam as a result!   Also, you must be a resident of the United States to enter, so I can afford to ship it to you free.  ;-)    (My apologies to any dear international readers.)

I will choose a winner by November 4th at 9 pm.  Approximately--I've got a lot of kids, lol.  But I'll either close the comments for this post (if I can figure out how) or edit this post to let you know the giveaway is closed.  My method of choosing will be fair to everyone--I will draw a random day, then a random time, and whoever posted closest to that day and time, wins.  Good luck, everyone, and spread the word!

EDIT:  I looked for my apron, and it wasn't in the box with the other aprons.   (We're getting ready to move soon, and they are boxed up.)  I'm not giving up, I'll keep looking, but if I can't find it, I promise to sew the winner a lovely apron instead.  I have some beautiful fabric, and may even be able to let the winner choose.  But hopefully I'll track the purple-flowered apron down, because I don't want to disappoint anyone.  Please note that the apron is, I believe, vintage style, but not actually vintage.  Judging by the fabric, it looks fairly new.  Also the apron does not have a neck strap or ties--it is meant to be pinned to your blouse, in Amish fashion.  It is very cute.

And please take a look around my blog, and let me know what posts you like, and what you'd like to see more of.  Thank you for visiting, and good luck!