Happy Easter!

Baby Food How To: Applesauce

 

Ingredients: Apples!! You'll need half a dozen or so, give or take, depending on size. Peel, core and slice into small-ish pieces and throw into a frying pan(or sauce pan, really any pan will do).  Add a couple Tbsp's of water, not too much though, juice will come out of the apples as they cook. You can also bake the apples in the oven, I just prefer to do it this way.
I added two Tbsp's of water for my seven apples.
  

  Cook until the apples turn brown and can easily be cut with a fork.  When they're all done put the apples into a food processor or blender.
 

Before pureeing add a handful of blueberries(the super fruit!) to give your baby lot's of healthy anti-oxidents.  For babies just starting solids, stick with just the apples, and for older babies add a dash of cinnamon.  Puree the apples until smooth. If you end up having consistency problems add a little more water to thin it out, or add a banana to thicken it up.  

Poor the applesauce into containers and freeze. You can pour the applesauce into an ice cube tray, I like to use these tiny Glad containers that way I can take one out as I go and store leftovers in the fridge, plus they are great for travel.  Follow the same recipe for pears and you'll be on your way to never buying another baby food jar again!

(Originally posted 09/30/10)

Home Ec. Project: Apron

   

I finished the apron a while ago but just hadn't gotten around to uploading the photos and making a post about it. Back in the fall I needed a special gift for a friends bridal shower so I decided to combine two things I love: Christmas and sewing! And make her cute little apron. It fit her perfectly and she loved it(I already knew she would love it because I used polka dot fabric, Krys loves polka dots, it's almost an obsession). Making this apron was pretty easy which I was surprised by because I jumped way ahead on the project list instead of following in order. I found that the hardest part was cutting the fabric to the right size. To add to the challenge, I completed the apron while visiting my parents, nothing like tackling a new sewing project and having to use your mom's 25 year old(at least) sewing machine.

  

Mom's machine(above), and her iron(below).

   


(originally posted in January 2011, having issues importing my old blog)

Introducing...........

 The newest addition, Teagan Lily!!! 

Halloween Costume Sneak Peek

Soon to be Brady's Halloween costume.  Hint: Not Charlie Brown

Pallet Headboard Inspiration

I'm in need of a new headboard so I'm jumping on the pallet re-purposing bandwagon.  The pallet headboard is a cheap(or free) alternative that will look great with my new duvet cover and is an easy DIY that I think even Mr. littleindie will be able to do :)

Here is some inspiration from Pinterest:

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Fresh in the Shop

A brand new product:  Baby drooler bibs!  These bibs are a much smaller version of my other ones listed in my shop, they're great for wearing on drooly teething babies and tiny little babies just starting solids.  Perfect to use as an alternative to burp cloths when nursing or bottle feeding too! 

I added matching pacifier clips to the shop as well.  I love these fabric prints, so geeky and retro!

Bump Watch 2011

 38 weeks.

In the home stretch now(finally!) and starting to feel nervous but not nervous, tired, uncomfortable, and really big in all my too small clothes.  I'm ready for ya baby!  Just let me pack my hospital bag before you decide to make your debut!

The Great Sunflower Challenge

Update time!  Here are our sunflowers!  Growing very very slowly but almost 3 feet tall!

Originally blogged here.

The Big Boy Bed

My boyby (my nickname given to Brady because he is growing so fast, he's part boy and part baby), has been sleeping in his big boy bed for 2 weeks now and so far it's been a success!  If success means not a complete disaster and better than I thought it'd go.  

Up until now Brady had been sleeping in his crib in a little area in our room, but to make room for baby #2 we decided that something needed to change.  So we did the ol' switcharoo, the room that I had used as my office is now Brady's room(there are now piles of messy craft stuff in our bedroom!).  For Brady this was a big transition, new bed and a new room.  

The first night was a bit rough, Brady woke up in the early early morning startled to be alone and I spent most of the night sleeping with him on his super hard twin bed.  Since then I make sure that both his and our bedroom doors are open before I go to bed.  And this has helped immensely.  He still wakes up through the night, anywhere from 1:30-4:30am, but instead of crying he just comes into our room dragging his blanket all the way.  Then I'll take him back to his bed and lay beside him till he goes back to sleep.  Most of the nights though I cave in to his cuteness(and my laziness) and lift him up into our bed.  This week I have to work on being more consistent :)

Through the day, naps are a breeze and Brady loves going in there to play.  I love that he has his own space to go hang out in and that most of the toys are now out of the living room.  

We'll work on our consistency in the next couple weeks and prepare for the next challenge:  POTTY TRAINING!

Fresh in the Shop

New baby bibs and burp cloths to add to the sock monkey collection. 

 

For more info or to find the matching pacifier clips, just click on over to the shop.

Pinterest Addiction?

I recently visited the buzzed about Pinterest curious to know what all the fuss was about, and boy!  It did not take me long to jump on the bandwagon!  I love browsing, and pinning things to my very organized boards.  Often I waste my limited free time looking at all the beautiful things, it consumes hours, and sometimes whole evenings.  Once, I even forgot about supper cooking on the stove!  Here are some favorite baby/nursery pins I have come across, my new Pinterest addiction plus nesting equals a very bad combination :)

 

Love these colors. 

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DIY inspiration?

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Painted bunting = good idea

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So cool. 

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The cutest A-Z.

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A bird house for inside?  Yes please. 

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For a baby girl :)

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To see more and to follow my pins click here.

Fathers Day

Our Fathers day celebration was pretty low key this year.  I had grand intentions of posting about it yesterday, but the cloudy sky seemed to make the day pass by so fast.  

After getting the grass cut and finishing laundry we decided to take a drive out to the falls. 

Me and Brady ordered the Da Da's gift from the pottery shop LennyMud on Etsy.  He is forever misplacing his keys, sunglasses, phone, wallet, and watch, pretty much anything of importance and value. We thought this rustic looking change dish would be the answer to the problem and help keep Daddy's things all in one place.  

The change dish arrived just in time, despite a postal service rolling and national strike, I was so thankful for Lorrie's super fast shipping.  The dish has 'Dad I love you' stamped into it, is just the perfect size, and so far has worked like a charm! 

Fresh in the Shop

 New burp cloths are now listed in my Etsy shop in cutie Michael Miller, Riley Blake, and Alexander Henry fabrics.  They are backed with creamy minky fabric making them so so soft and very absorbent for soaking up those emergency spills or spit ups.  These burp cloths are so much nicer than those cheap packages(of 6 or 12) you can get in any store with a baby aisle, these cloths continue to keep baby trendy and in style even after 100 trips through the washing machine.  I have been busy making a stock pile of the gender neutral prints for when our new bundle arrives, I can't wait to be able to throw a couple in the diaper bag and show them(and the baby) off. 

Pair a couple burp cloths with a bib(below) and make a really great baby gift.  Visit the shop for more deets. 

Weekend DIY - Crochet Doily Bunting

I have been wanting to make one of these for a while, because they're just so pretty!!!  This weekend I decided to go for it!  And while I was at it I decided I might as well take photo's so I could make a tutorial to share.  It was an easy peasy project, and it didn't take me long at all.  I was able to make the bunting and photograph it all while Brady napped.

You will need: 
- Doilies, I was lucky enough to find 3 matching ones at our local thrift store.  Of course they don't have to match, get a whole bunch of different shaped ones, use colorful ones!  Make your bunting anyway you like!
- Extra wide bias tape, which I also found at the thrift store, score!
- And the usual: pins, scissors, thread, bobbin, iron, and a sewing machine

Step One:  Cut your bias tape to your preferred length, or just leave it.  I cut mine to 48 inches.  Then give your bias tape a quick once over with the iron, just to get rid of any bumps it may have gotten from being packaged.

Step Two:  I ate a bowl of cereal, you can omit this if you like.  I also ate a cookie.

Step Three:  Cut your doilies in half, I folded mine in half and cut along the crease.

Step Four:  Find the center of your bias tape(mine is 24"), place your first doily there and pin.

Pin the rest of your doilies in place, working your way out.  It helps to have a big working space for this step, I used my ironing board, there is never ever any room on my desk to work.  

Step Five:  Time to sew!  I left some space on the ends of my bias tape to use as ties, that's where I'm going to start to sew, right at the start of where my doilies are placed. 

Very carefully sew your bunting together, makeing sure you are stitching through both sides of the bias tape and the doilie in the middle.   Very tricky, but if you have pinned everything well you shouldn't have any problems.

Step Six:  After sewing your bunting together, run the iron over the bias tape one more time.  Then you're done! 

Right now my new bunting is prettying up my kitchen, but if I happen to have a baby girl in September maybe I'll hang it above her crib :)

The Great Sunflower Challenge

 

Today at our Mommy and Me/reading group one of the girls brought in these adorable sunflower growing kits.  One for everybody.  The idea is to have a contest among the moms and our littles to see who can grow the tallest sunflower,  she even started a blog so we can share our progress(or to check out the competish) over the summer.  Our contest is mostly for the kids, so they can help plant the seeds and watch their plants grow, but I think I might be a little more excited than they. 

Day 1: Team Brady planted the seeds.  

We actually planted 3, Seed A, B, and C, just for good measure.

I did most of the dirty work while Brady napped.  He woke up in time for the watering.

I hope we didn't drown them.

Bump Watch 2011

We are expecting our second baby in September and I am just starting to show at 24 weeks(I shouldn't complain, I can still fit into my blue jeans), I thought finally I could share some bump photo's(not that you can even see any roundness in this picture, it's there, I promise!  Next time I'll make it a side view).  Everything has been going great and we are very excited.  

If you look below Brady's dirty pant leg you will see a white and gray stripe layer under my t-shirt, that's my belly band!  I ordered it from a shop on Etsy called Run System 63 and it is the best thing ever!!!  One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing a pregnant ladys belly unintentionally peeking out from the bottom of her shirt, it makes me crazy, but this totally solves that problem.  It extends the life of your normal clothes so you don't have to rush out and spend hundreds of dollars on expensive maternity ones.  I bought an extra long belly band(can be worn as a tube top too) and I'm glad I did, I wear it folded in half and I feel comfy and supported.  When you get to that point where you just can't button your jeans up any more, don't, just put a belly band on!  I have pants and shorts in my closet that I haven't been able to wear for years because they are too small, well guess what?  I can wear them all now(so long as my butt doesn't get any bigger, lol) because I don't have to button them up.  I plan on wearing my band even after the baby comes, it's a pregnant lady must have.  I'm in love my belly band and I don't care who knows it!

Go! Jets! Go!

This is me and my brother at ages 6 and 4. 

The current news happenings made me think of this old photo, I had to dig it out and share.  Since 1996 there has been an empty space left in my heart and just recently that tiny space has been filled with hope.  Soon, maybe this week?  We are expecting an official announcement from the NHL that a team will finally be back in our city.  I get a little teary eyed thinking about it and I fantasize about the day I can take my son to his first game.  Until then, I patiently await.

Fresh in the Shop

A zebra print pacifier clip/toy leash.

 

Burp cloths for baby.

And a bib.  

The burp cloths and bibs are totally brand new additions to my Etsy shop, and I'm very excited to finally show you what I've been working on.  I'm still busy uploading and listing so if you'd like to see more keep your eye on the shop ;)