I have been meaning to do this project for quite some time.  When I posted as part of Jen’s Patriotic Series last week, this was actually the original project I planned to post.  However, life got a little cah-ray-zee and I didn’t have the chance to get it completely finished before I finished the Washi Tape Flag.  So that one won the race to be my contribution to the series (you can check out all the awesome projects in the series on the Washi Tape Flag post – at the bottom).

Anyway, this project was pretty easy and only took as long as it did because I messed up painting part of the sticks, had to wait for the paint to dry and then repaint them the correct color.  I’m going to blame my distraction on my children, ’cause well that’s why you have children, right?!

Materials:
– Seven Paint Stir Sticks
– Red Acrylic Paint
– White Acrylic Paint
– Blue Star Washi Tape
– Picture Hanging Wire
– 1/16″ Drill Bit and Drill
– Needle Nose Pliers

Directions:
– Begin by painting the sticks.  Paint three of them white.  Paint two of them red (this is where I messed up, paint the whole stick red).  On the other two, decide how long you want the blue star portion of the flag and mark it on two of the sticks.  Paint everything to the left of your line white.  Everything to the right should be red.  Got that?  Basically, make it look like the photo, but paint the last two half-and-half sticks all red.  Let the paint dry.

– Take the two sticks you painted half-red, half-white and another all white stick and apply the star washi tape to the left side of the stick.  I was able to get about two rows of tape on each stick with some overlap and minor folding over the edges.  Make sure to alternate the stars, if you want it to look like an authentic flag.  Trim any parts of the tape that don’t cover wood.  I had to trim the handle notches on a couple of the sticks (you don’t want dirt to get stuck to it as it can work it’s way between the tape and the stick and cause all sorts of problems – ugh, so just trim it).

– Lay out your sticks in the correct order and make a small mark where you will drill the hole for your wire.  I just eyeballed it, I didn’t measure.  Make sure you are in from the edge far enough that the stick isn’t going to break when you pull the wire through.  Drill holes with your 1/16″ bit on the marks you made.  Your bottom stick only needs a hole at the top.

– Thread your wire through the holes you drilled.  Start in the bottom hole of the top stick and thread up through the hole.  Go down through the top hole on the next stick down.  This way the wire will be behind each stick and only visible in between the sticks, not over them.

– Repeat the last step until both sides of all the sticks are connected.  Twist the wire on the back side of the last stick to hold it in place.
– Thread some wire through the top hole in the top stick, loosely over the top of the flag and back up through the hole on the other side.  Cut the wire and twist the ends to hold in place and form your hanger.  You can put a little twist in the wire with a pencil if you wish.  Tie on some ribbon if your heart so desires.  Mine did not, but my brain thought about it…

– Hang it up and bask in your awesomeness.

It’s very possible these apps are available on iOS, but I didn’t double check on that.  Life with a newborn can be hectic, crazy and a big whirly blur for the first few weeks.  Especially if you have other kiddos already.  Between medication schedules, feedings, diaper changes, daily life and existing on very little sleep sometimes you need a little help.  In this day, how many of us don’t have smart phones attached to our palms… or at least our hips?  Let’s use that to our advantage, shall we?  Here are my very favorite, must-have, can’t survive without apps…

1. BabyESP.  This app is amazing.  If you only check out one app on this list, make it this one.  I bought this when Big J was born nearly five years ago.  It is my lifeline every time a new kiddo joins our family.  You can track EVERYTHING with this app.  Diapers, baths, feedings – both bottle and nursing, medications, growth, sleep – both naps and nighttime sleep.  This app just keeps getting better and better.  Baby N is three months old now and I still use this app multiple times every day.  So worth the money.

UPDATE 03/2016: This particular app is no longer available. I was so disappointed. BUT, it made me do some searching and I think I found one that’s pretty similar. Baby Connect has most of the same features, although I did like the Baby ESP layout better. I’ve never used Baby Connect with an infant – which is when Baby ESP was the most valuable to me – but I have used it with my boys to track growth and things like that. It does a great job. Find out more about Baby Connect!

2.  Baby Monitor.  The only downside to this app is that you have to leave a phone with the sleeping baby and it has to stay on.  If you don’t need your phone attached to your body and you can plug it in, this app is fabulous.  You download this app on two phones, one is the monitor and the other is the number that will be alerted if baby wakes.  You set a volume threshold and the monitoring phone will listen.  If baby wakes and begins to cry, it will call the number you’ve put in and alert you that baby is making noise.  We have used this on multiple occasions – camping, at a family dinner held in a church, and during a birthday party.  You can tuck baby away in a quiet corner so they get a decent nap without worrying you won’t hear them wake or having to check on them every twenty minutes.

3.  A noise maker.  I have tried a couple different apps and don’t have one that I am just completely in love with.  But, Baby Sleep Instant is usually my go-to.  It’s your average noise maker app, but I like that it has the basic sounds and some other, not-so-common ones too.  Like, washing machine for example.  And shushing.  I’ve had the thought that I should record a shush sound before… now I can just turn it on and I don’t have to get a major 20-minute workout for my cheeks at 3am.

4.  WebMD Baby.  While this in no way replaces your pediatrician or family physician, it can be helpful when junior develops a weird rash or something minor.  Even after 3 kids, weird things still pop up at 4 in the morning.  When I start to suspect my kids are sick, I can check the symptoms and see if they fit with the illness I suspect.  It gives me enough info to know if I need to make a call to the Peds Line or if I can wait and call my doctor in the morning.  It’s also got tracking abilities similar to BabyESP as well as a fun milestones tracker.

5.  Newborn Development is nice for the first few months and can help you know what to expect.  Newborns change and grow so fast that sometimes it’s overwhelming.  It’s got good basic information on the first 16 weeks of your baby’s life.  It would be nice if the info went further than the first four months, but it’s better than nothing.