Two-tie Sling

I did it! I finally sewed something sharable!!!!! I found a tutorial online for this super sweet water bottle sling, and guess what...it worked! It was the easiest thing in the world after I found ties that were the same size and shape at the Salvation Army (don't worry, I washed them at home using a dry cleaning kit I've been holding on to for years). I was surprised that it was big enough to fit our Klean Kanteen but there it is. It would also make a great camera bag...hmmm...maybe I should go make some more...

Kombucha Craze

Blame Wendy for this one...I want to make my own Kombucha tea. For those of you who have never tried it (but who really should!!!), Kombucha is a super potent, fermented tea which has been made in China and Eastern European countries for centuries. There are huge health benefits but the best part is the taste (almost like hard apple cider).

The process for making the tea almost seems like a bad science experiment gone wrong. It involves a "mother mushroom" (which is no mushroom at all but a pancake like glob of bacteria and yeast), mason jars, tea, sugar, and a whole lot of good timing.

You can find commercial kombucha in most health food stores. It comes in original and a variety of other flavors. Once I convince Andy to invest in my own mother mushroom, you can just come over to my house. Until then, you'll have to support the economy.

Yet Another Blog

My last post included an idea about exchanging handmade gifts and I realized that I would need someplace to display what I can make and eventually, include items that other people can make. Hence, I created "Gift Exchange". Over the next couple of weeks, I will be posting pictures of things I have made in the past that I would love to make again for someone else. If you're interested in anything I post, just shoot me an email and we'll talk about color, yarn and size and go from there. I would love to only give handmade gifts throughout the year but people can only use so many things made from yarn. Check out the new site and let me know what you think.

Early Start on Christmas

I went to the craft store for a pair of knitting needles and ended up with a bag of 50% off yarn. Half of the yarn is undyed organic cotton. I had to justify my purchase to my husband by the time I got home so I decided this bag of yarn would be for Christmas presents. You read it right...I'm starting early this year since my goal is to knit at least 60% of my Christmas gifts this year. I found an awesome washcloth pattern that will be perfect for the cotton yarn. If anyone is interested in bartering Christmas presents (a gift using my craft/skill for a gift using your craft/skill) just send me an email. I would love for all of my presents to be handmade this year!

Random Tip of the Week

Throw a loosely wadded ball of tin foil in your dryer to get rid of static!

We don't use dryer sheets for a multitude of reasons (that shall be another post) and all of the alternatives we tried...well...they all sucked! I picked up the tin foil trick from a random source (I can no longer remember) and it works like a charm. I don't even use brand new foil. I reuse a piece of foil that was covering something in the fridge or freezer (a piece that has little to no food on it). I keep the foil ball in the dryer until it sneaks its way out with a load of clothes but that's no biggie because Isaiah's face lights up like a christmas tree when he spies one of these "space balls" amongst the socks. Yeah for foil!

PS: Did you know that you can recycle tin foil with your aluminum cans??? You can.

3rd baby truths...

This following “list” is an email someone sent me a while ago. I thought it was pretty funny.

……………………………………..

The Evolution of Parenthood

Your Clothes -

1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.

2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.

3rd baby: Your maternity clothes are your regular clothes.

The Baby’s Name -

1st baby: You pore over baby-name books and practice pronouncing and writing combinations of all your favourites.

2nd baby: Someone has to name their kid after your great-aunt Mavis, right? It might as well be you.

3rd baby: You open a name book, close your eyes, and see where your finger falls. Bimaldo? Perfect!

Preparing for the Birth -

1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.

2nd baby: You don’t bother practicing because you remember that last time, breathing didn’t do a thing.

3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your 8th month.

The Layette -

1st baby: You pre-wash your newborn’s clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby’s little bureau.

2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.

3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can’t they?

Pacifier -

1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.

2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby’s bottle.

3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.

Diapering -

1st baby: You change your baby’s diapers every hour, whether they need it or not.

2nd baby: You change their diaper every 2 to 3 hours, if needed.

3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.

Worries -

1st baby: At the first sign of distress - a whimper, a frown - you pick up the baby.

2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.

3rd baby: You teach your 3-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.

Activities -

1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.

2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.

3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner.

Going Out -

1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home 5 times.

2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.

3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.

At Home -

1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.

2nd baby: You spend a bit of every day watching to be sure your older child isn’t squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.

3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.

Too Cute

Okay, as if you didn't have enough to do already! I found a super cute site where you can waste tons of time checking out the cute pictures and sweet stories.


The Conservatory Overcoat GIVEAWAY!!!!