Before and After 4

There are a few people who may read this who have been to my home before. They may be under the impression that my house always looks nice and that I always have things under control. I assure you that this is not always the case. If you take a look at my first 3 before and after posts you will see confirmation that this is true. I am a work in progress and so is my home. I am constantly striving towards organization, but I never seem to fully attain it. Through this series of posts I am hopeful that I will be motivated to keep up with things on a daily basis. I want to bless my family with an organized home.

At our local mom's meeting Wednesday I shared a post by Lindsay of Passionate Homemaking which talked about how we show our children about God through day-to-day tasks. So, while I may not enjoy laundry, dishes, picking toys off the floor, etc., I can use use those tasks as an opportunity to share God's love with my family. I think if I change my attitude about things then I will be more willing to keep up with all of the chores. Thankfully, God is still molding me and allowing me to grow.

Before


As you can see from the photo our dining room table had become a place to pile things. We eat in the kitchen most of the time, but that is still no excuse for not keeping the table clear. It is the first room people see when they enter our home. It sure is embarrassing for people to see a table piled high with junk when they enter your home. The table also holds special meaning because it was my grandparents' table. It is well over 60 years old and reminds me of times we would gather at their home with my cousins and play. The table has the ability to seat 10 when the end leaves are pulled out. It makes me sad that I had let it get so covered with junk.

After


So, I tackled the clutter and as you can see by the after photo it is all clean now. I even filled the fabric box I made recently with cloth napkins. My dear friend gave me the Precious Moments plaque for Christmas and I got out my matching salt and pepper shakers to complete the centerpiece. Now, the table is ready for company to visit or even share a meal. I feel so much better about it now that I am trying to decide which room I will tackle next...?

Before and After 4

Bird Feeder

It is a rainy and grey morning here, but we are trying to keep things cheery and bright inside. One thing that we enjoy doing on days we are stuck inside is watching birds out of our living room window. In late 2007 I moved the TV to the basement because I wanted the living room to be a place where we could read, observe nature, crochet, and talk.



The past two winters my children and I have enjoyed watching the birds (and squirrels, deer, cats, dogs, etc.) out of our window (free of the distraction of the TV). To better observe the birds, my husband made us two squirrel/bird feeders using some scrap treated lumber. I don't have the exact dimensions, but he basically made an "L" shape by attaching two pieces of wood together. Then he hammered a nail with the point facing up, so we could put an ear of corn on it.



If you aren't lucky enough to have a field of corn beside your house there are places you can purchase dried ears of corn. Many feed/farm stores sell them inexpensively, and I wouldn't be surprised if a pet food store might have some for sale.

Something that truly enhanced our bird watching was a book my parents got us (see below). It has a checklist in the back of all of the birds in our state. The children and I have learned so much about birds. Even if you don't make a feeder like ours maybe you could use some of the ideas found on the Crafty Crow. There are always opportunities to help children learn, and you just might learn something as well.

Bird Feeder

Easter Rag Wreath

I have been doing a lot of fabric cutting the past few days. I have adopted the motto of "use it or lose it" with regards to my fabric stash. This has led me to figure out ways to use what I have or find people who will want the fabric I don't. In the fall I gave away lots of fabric scraps for a local quilt-making mission. I also used a lot of fabrics I already had for various Christmas gifts. Well, now I am planning gifts for this year for birthdays, Christmas and other gift-giving occasions. This process has meant lots of cutting, and soon will involve lots of sewing.

During this process I found a large piece of Easter egg fabric that I had gotten at a yard sale several years ago. I made a dress for my daughter about 5 years ago from some of it and still had lots left. I always thought I would use it for some project, but never had.



I needed a craft for my local mom's group today. They had enjoyed making Valentine's wreaths, so I figured Easter wreaths were a safe bet. I cut 6" x 1" strips out of the fabric using a rotary cutter. As per my daughter's request I shaped a wire hanger into an oval (egg) shape, and then tied (single knot) strips to it. I embellished with some ribbon I have had, so this project was technically "free". (Although at some point I did buy the supplies, it has been so long that I don't know what I paid.)

I am going to try the next rag wreath I make using strips that are 2" x 8" and see how I like that. Using a rotary cutter gave a more clean edge, but with the Valentine's wreath I ripped the fabric. Either way works, but I think I like the cut strips the best. So, if you have lots of fabric scraps and want and easy project, rag wreaths may be a project for you.

Easter Rag Wreath

Gratituesday

I am going to join Heavenly Homemakers every Tuesday (assuming I can remember) for Gratituesday. With a blog titled "Blessings Overflowing" I think this will be a great way for me to keep focusing on all of the blessings I have been given.



The picture above was taken yesterday afternoon. It shows my three oldest children all actively engaged in quiet activities. My daughter was working on her math homework, my oldest son was playing with homemade play-dough, and my middle son was painting. They were all busy and a true joy to watch as I was cleaning and cooking. (Not pictured was the littlest guy who was wandering around investigating.)

Even though this picture makes it look like they are the model children a mere 10 minutes earlier the boys were running around yelling and "fighting". My daughter was distracted and I wasn't able to get anything done. Rather than yell I chose to re-direct. I find that my children can get out of control if I give them too much freedom. Sometimes they just need a change of venue. I know that I am able to be a better mommy if my children are close and busy with somewhat guided activities.

I shared this because I am grateful for each moment I have with my children. Sometimes the moments are "picture perfect" and sometimes they are moments that make my blood pressure rise. Yet, I thank God every day for all of the moments with my children because I know they won't be this little for long. When they are older I will be wishing they were wrestling around and yelling because the house will be too quiet. I guess I am not ready for that chapter in my life just yet, so I will enjoy each moment of this chapter and be grateful for God's bountiful blessings.

Gratituesday

A Cake, a Movie & a Sewing Project

What do the items in the title of this post have in common? They all are things I did this weekend. I celebrated my birthday this weekend in a quiet way with my family. Birthdays aren't as exciting as they were when I was a child, but I am grateful for each one I get to celebrate. I cherish each moment I get to spend with my family--both the good times and the challenging times.



Speaking of challenges, I have really been experimenting with recipes my son will be able to eat. This led me to make my own birthday cake. I used the recipes I found here for the cake and the icing. For the shortening I used coconut oil, and for the cake flour I used a mixture of flours. I can't seem to remember where I found this recipe, but the ingredients were 1 cup each of rice flour, tapioca flour, and cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of potato flour. I also added 3/4 tsp. of xanthum gum because of some things I read about it being good for gluten free-flour. My son ate a piece and seemed to like it, so that was the main thing.



Friday night we had a dinner and movie family night at our church. We saw the movie Fireproof. I loved the movie. It had such a powerful message. If you haven't seen it I would definitely encourage you to do so.



Finally, I was able to do a little sewing Saturday while the baby napped. I made the fabric box pictured above from the tutorial I found here. This box was fairly quick to put together, and I think it is a cute size. Something that helped me was to make a template based on the dimensions given in the tutorial, and use my rotary cutter to cut the fabric. I am already in the process of cutting out more of these from fabrics in my stash.

A Cake, a Movie & a Sewing Project

Allergy-Free Cooking Update

Well, I have been working on finding things that my son will eat. For those who don't know he was diagnosed with allergies to wheat, dairy, soy, egg whites, and dust mites. I have been working to eliminate all of the foods he is allergic to before I try adding any back in to see if he has a reaction. He is so picky as it is that I am about at my wits end. It would be so much simpler if he would just eat fruits and veggies willingly.

My order from Vitacost came in yesterday, and now I am ready to start baking. I made an all-purpose flour mix using several types of flour and xanthum gum. The recipe can be found here. Since I was so excited, my son and I mixed up a batch of zucchini mini muffins and bread. In fact, I just pulled the zucchini muffins out of the oven.



The muffins taste surprisingly good. I used my recipe for zucchini bread with some modifications. I used the all-purpose flour mix from the link above in place of the flour. I used virgin coconut oil for the oil (This is not necessary, but coconut oil has so many benefits and makes things extra yummy!). The eggs were replaced by Ener-G's Egg Replacer. I used 4 1/2 tsp. of the egg replacer and 6 Tbsp. of water. I waited until the end to mix it up and add it to the dough. Here is a good site that had a video on how to make gluten-free baking powder to be used in place of regular baking powder from the store. Those were the modifications. I poured some of the batter in some silicone mini muffin cups I got for $3/dozen at Big Lots last week. The rest I poured into a loaf pan.

I found another site for gluten-free, casein-free recipes and it is Frugal Abundance. The owner of the site used to run Hillbilly Housewife which is a site I have enjoyed. Anyway, I am anxious to try some of her recipes and ideas for being more frugal as we make these dietary changes.

My husband got me a new blender this morning on his way to work (I haven't even seen it yet). Mine got fried the other night while I was pureeing prunes to freeze for the baby. With the new blender I plan to start making smoothies. I think they will be a great way to get my son (and all of us for that matter) to consume the good foods he needs. I was emailing a good friend about it, and she gave me some suggestions that her family likes. She said she usually chops up some ice in her blender and then adds frozen fruits. This will be great because the smoothies will be dairy-free.

I am going to try to make an allergy-free cake this weekend for my birthday. Yes, it would be nice not to have to make it myself, but I wouldn't want my son to be deprived if someone else made it without modifications. I will let you know how it goes.

Allergy-Free Cooking Update

KCK1 Diapers

I have often referred to myself as a procrastinating perfectionist. Meaning, if I can't do something perfectly right now then I will think about it later. With regards to some KCK1 diapers I was going to make last summer this translated into not finishing them until yesterday afternoon.

Here is what happened. I had high hopes of making 18 of these diapers since I had already made three and liked them. So, I ordered all of the supplies. I cut everything out even the hook and loop tape. I stitched all of the tags on, and started on the welt pockets. Things were going pretty well, but it was time consuming. So, I thought that I would get at least 6 finished. My machine was messing up when I was trying to sew the outer loop on the diapers, so I ended up quitting for a while. A few months later I decided to sell 6 sets that I had of everything cut out, and 6 sets on which I already had the welt pockets and labels sewn. I got enough money to cover all of my expenses which was great, but I still needed to sew the last of the hook and loop on the 6 diapers I had left as well as topstitch them.

Fast forward to this week. I decided now was the time to finish the diapers. I got out a size 16 ball point needle and started working. I had a helper (my 4 year old wanted to sit on my lap and "help") which was fun. Do you know what happened this time? Do you think my machine messed up on the hook and loop? No, things went very smoothly and now I have 6 more diapers. I could have been using them all along, but my procrastinating perfectionism got in my way. I want to be a person of action, and be someone who gets things done. While this is true for the most part there are times where I could just kick myself for things like this. I pray that God will keep molding me to be the person He wants me to be.



Now for the diaper details. The diapers were made using the KCK1 pattern I purchased from Kayla's Cloth Kits. They are PUL outer with buttersuede inners. The welt pockets were sewn using the buttersuede. A size 16 ball point needle seemed to be the best choice for sewing the diapers. I also didn't topstitch around the elastic. I just skipped over the areas with elastic. I think it will allow the PUL to roll in so there is no leaking at the legs. The diapers are stuffed with birdseye flat diapers, and are a great choice for outings because they are so easy to take off and put on a fresh diaper.

KCK1 Diapers

Before and After 3

I have a confession to make. I am not an awesome housekeeper. There, I said it. The problem stems from having too many hobbies, cooking, and keeping up with the kids. I do strive for organization, but I often fail miserably. It isn't for lack of trying though. I do know that trying to reorganize junk just doesn't work. I really need to be better at eliminating clutter. However, I am of the mindset that I might need something someday and won't want to have to buy it again. Regardless, I really want to make our home a place my husband will enjoy when he comes home. Last night as he was kicking toys out of the way I took it personally (as always). I guess it makes me think I am not doing a good enough job even though I didn't put the toys on the floor in the first place. :-) God has blessed me with the ability to be home full-time, and I don't want to take that blessing lightly.

So, in an effort to try to make our home more clutter-free I bring you the third installment of "Before and After". The area behind the recliner in our living room is where I have kept my crochet items and projects for the past year. I have reorganized it several times only to have it get cluttered again. Well, the littlest guy got back there and was messing with the yarn, etc. (on more than one occasion). Rather than having to keep that area off limits I took some action.

Before (This was taken before the yarn got even more tangled.)


After


Now the area behind the chair only has an afghan we were given as a wedding present and a pillow. Much better! Now, on to the dining room table...

Before and After 3

Brain Dead Afghan

I am sure you are wondering about the title of this post. Well, I just finished an afghan using a pattern called Stashaholic's Brain Dead Afghan. This afghan crocheted up quickly and was rather monotonous which is why I am sure the pattern's title is appropriate. I added to the width by first chaining 180 instead of the suggested 156 stitches, and used a burgundy acrylic yarn. I also added a few inches to the length making this afghan 35" x 53". I think it will be a good size for lounging around reading a book or whatever the recipients choose to do with it. This is going to be a gift for next Christmas, so that makes 2 gifts I have completed. Yay!

Brain Dead Afghan

A Fun Trip to Town

I decided to take a “mental health” morning today. So, after putting some pinto beans in the crock pot, the two little guys and I set off for the big city around 9:00 a.m. I stopped by the bank and got $60 in cash. I want to try to use cash more at stores, so that I know exactly how much I have to spend. I also still had a little money from last week. I spent a total of $65.32 on our adventure which you can read more about below.

We first stopped at the library to visit the children’s department. The boys had fun interacting with some children their age. We also picked out some books for them and for their siblings who were at school. Last night I logged into the library and placed four books on hold. This made it so easy to just go to the front desk and quickly check out the books I wanted since they were already there waiting on me. I worked at this library during college, so I knew that this could be done. But, I share this information now for those of you moms who may feel like you don’t have time to search through the library for books. Find out if your local library has an online catalog, and you will see how it can be a time saver.

The books I checked out are all about children and food allergies. The book I am most looking forward to reading is called Feeding Your Allergic Child. I think my daughter will be excited to read the next two books about Kit from the American Girl series. I also think my older son will like the I-Spy book and my middle son picked out a Thomas the Tank Engine book which was no surprise to me. The library was a fun and free activity to start our morning.

We then headed to an Asian Market. I had never been inside one before and was thrilled to find so many wheat free options. I picked up several types of rice noodles, some flours, and more. Next time I go I will be picking up a large bag of rice. The couple who runs the store was so nice and helpful. I spent a total of $14.24.

Right next to the market was a yarn store. I had never seen it before and found out it has been open for five years. The woman was very nice, and there was a group of women knitting near the front. I found out that the store offers knitting classes as well two days of open knitting a week. While I don’t knit it may be something I will learn in the future. I did love looking at the yarns, and most of them were wool which was so nice. I have never purchased a malabrigo yarn before, but have heard wonderful things about it. I purchased the yarn in the picture, and I have plans to crochet a soaker to sell in my Etsy shop. My sons loved it when the woman working asked if I wanted her to wind the yarn into a ball. I said that would be wonderful. She used a yarn swift and a ball winder, but you would have thought she was performing a magic trick to hear how excited the boys were. It was a great service and I plan to go back there again. I spent a total of $11.72.

We next visited the Farmer’s Market where my grandma always used to buy her produce. It was fun to make our selections. We spent a total of $20.06 on the produce in the picture above. My middle son ate a banana as soon as we got into the van. I am hopeful he will branch out more on his fruit and vegetable eating. Involving him in the shopping is one technique I think might help.

Our last stop was at Aldi’s. I really think we have saved a lot on our grocery bill since we started shopping there. I spent $19.30 on the items that are in the back of the picture above. I didn’t need much since we have quite a stockpile of food in our house.

While there are still dishes and laundry to do, I really treasured this little break from the norm. I think that even if I hadn’t spent a dime today I still would have enjoyed getting out. For the last six and 1/2 years that I have been a full-time SAHM I have not been out of the house much. I feel like saving money on gas, and not buying things we don’t need is very important. Yet, every so often, especially during the winter, it sure helps to get out and be a part of the world. I met some nice people and visited some places I don’t normally go. I also got to spend time with my boys showing them how to interact with others. I feel this was a good way to spend our morning and early afternoon.

A Fun Trip to Town

A Doll's Hat

My daughter wanted me to make a hat for her American Girl doll that would match the one I made for her for Christmas. I am still working on perfecting the pattern, but my daughter was so excited. It is a wonderful feeling when your work is appreciated.

A Doll's Hat

Going Gluten-Free

I am trying to eliminate all gluten from my son's diet as well as dairy, egg whites and soy. He tested positive, through blood tests, for allergies to those items as well as dust mites. During this whole week since finding this information out I have done a lot of online research. It is going to be quite a shift for me, but my son is worth whatever I have to do for him.



In order to get started right away we purchased a couple of items locally to try. As you can see from the picture above we tried Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Pancake Mix as well as Rice Dream and an egg replacer from Ener-G. I made the entire bag's worth of pancakes and thinned the mixture quite a bit with more rice milk. My son did eat them, and I froze the remaining pancakes for future breakfasts (See tip below.). I tolerated them, but the main thing I tasted seemed to be the corn meal. However, I felt good about giving him a familiar food in an allergy-free form. I used coconut oil in place of butter and topped his with my homemade cinnamon and sugar mixture. The rest of us prefer the real maple syrup we purchase from a local park.

Pancake Tip: If you make a large batch of pancakes you can freeze the remaining pancakes for another time. Just lay them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and stick them in the freezer. In a few hours take them off the cookie sheet and put them into an airtight container or zipper bag. Pull out the amount you want to eat and put them in the toaster until warmed.



We decided to purchase an inexpensive coffee grinder to make some rice flour (and maybe others) ourselves. I ground some rice on the fine setting three times to get it to the consistency I thought would be most like regular flour. I am going to try some of the recipes I have found for combining the rice flour with other flours to get a good baking mix. I have ordered some things from Vitacost. I will let you know how it goes. I am here to tell you that you cannot exchange rice flour for regular flour straight up. It does not work. (I don't even know if the dogs ate the results of that experiment.) :-)



This weekend I made some homemade French fries by cutting potatoes into fry-sized pieces. As I was cutting I put the pieces into a bowl of ice water. Then I drained them and placed them in a dry bowl in the freezer until I was ready to use them. I decided that it wasn't too hard to make my own fries, especially after reading what was in some of the commercial frozen fries I saw at the store. Reading labels is a scary thing.

I will be sharing more of this journey as we go. I am praying that my son can have some relief through the changes we are trying to make.

Going Gluten-Free

More Valentine's Ideas

Well, first I want to say that my mind is slightly boggled at the task of cooking for my son with all of the allergies he has been diagnosed with. The obvious foods to feed him are fruits, vegetables, beans, and unprocessed meats. However, getting him to eat a variety of foods is the challenge. I think that over the years he has had trouble with eating and feeling strange when he eats certain things that he just doesn't want to step out of his comfort zone of a few foods. I wish I had found out all of this when he was younger, but it is too late for thinking about "what if" now. Onward we must go.



With Valentine's Day coming up I wanted to find a recipe for a treat my son could have. I found what I was looking for in a recipe for Hershey's Special Dark Bark from The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network website. I happened to have all of the ingredients. It called for shortening, but I used coconut oil. I just tried some and it is tasty.



On a slightly different note, I had saved laundry scoops for several years thinking I would do something with them some day. Well, today was that day. I am in charge of treat bags and games for my daughter's Valentine's party tomorrow. So, these scoops of "Kisses" are one of the items I put in each treat bag. I made these very plain using a non-zippered plastic baggie, some yarn, and a small printed piece of paper. If you wanted a fancier look they could be covered with tulle and flowers. There was even a poem I found on one site that would have been cute.



I found several good game ideas, but had to narrow the choices down to just a few. We will be playing the conversation hearts pick-up game and the blindfold drawing hearts game found at this site. We will also play the stacking hearts challenge game found at this site. If there is still time I may partner the students and ask them to write a short story or poem using as many conversation heart sayings as they can. I hope the kids have fun.

More Valentine's Ideas

My First Tutorial-How to Hem Jeans

I created a tutorial on how to hem jeans. A friend had asked me to hem a pair of her jeans, so while I was working on them I took pictures. I have never written a tutorial before, so I would love to know what you think.

How to Hem Jeans

Please do not sell this tutorial or post it on your website. You may link to this site to direct your readers to my tutorial. Thank you.

My First Tutorial-How to Hem Jeans

A Few Valentine's Projects

Saturday my kids and I had a crafting morning. We got out the Shrinky Dink sheets and got to work. I remember making some when I was young. It was always fascinating to look through the oven window to see them shrink. Well, it was just as exciting as an adult. :-) My daughter made a doll and some hearts while my oldest son made a rocket, a meteor and a deflector shield. (I love their imaginations!)



After seeing this post (by way of this post) I remembered that I still had three boxes of large candy canes. I thought that making some hearts out of them would be fun. After unwrapping all of the candy canes we placed them on parchment paper covered cookie sheets. We baked them at 300 degrees for about 8 minutes. When I took them out I pinched the points together to make sure they would stay that way as they cooled. I also had some broken pieces I made into the word "Love".



My daughter is crafty, so I thought it would be fun to try something different for her school Valentine's this year. Being the frugal crafter I am (plus I am a pack rat) I had saved over 40 Cd's. They were Cd's that had come in the mail, or were either unwanted or didn't write properly when we tried to store information on them. Here is what we did. First, we used hot glue to attach 2 Cd's together (label sides together). Then we used a permanent marker to write on them (not pictured is the opposite side where my daughter wrote her name and the recipients name). Then she applied some stickers to finish them off. We opted not to put ribbon on them or other embellishments, but that would certainly be a possibility. I hope the students in her class think they are cool.

A Few Valentine's Projects

Allergies

Through a process that has lasted about a month, I found out yesterday that my second son has allergies to egg whites, milk, soy, wheat, and dust mites. Without going into all of the details I believe he has probably had undiagnosed allergies his whole life. He has always been a picky eater, fussier than the others, had lots of breathing issues, and some behavior issues.

There are some things I have done over the years that I am hopeful have helped him even though we didn't know about his allergies. I breastfed him until he was 2 1/2 years old, I use only natural cleaning products, I cook mostly from scratch, and we plant a large garden. Some things that may have been less than helpful are that he was fully vaxed on schedule, I allowed him to be picky instead of insisting he try more variety, and I didn't get a diagnosis earlier in his life. I am hopeful that we can help him now that we have a starting point and some information. I know that God will see us through anything we have to deal with.

I have been trying to do some research and have found lots of information. I am going to list a few sites, so that I don't forget them. I will probably add to this as I go. I am looking into vegan diets as well as allergy-free diets to see how they meet nutritional needs without some of the ingredients my son is allergic to.

Allergy Information
The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network
Mayo Clinic

Recipes
Vegan Dad
The Vegan Lunchbox
Baking Delights

Allergies

Crocheted Dish Cloths and a Scarf

I crocheted the dishcloth in this picture using a single crochet stitch with a half-double crochet edging. The dishcloth measures 9" x 9" and was made using 100% cotton yarn. The smaller dish cloth started as a 9" x 6" rectangle that I folded in half and stitched the edges together. It is designed for more heavy duty scrubbing with a finished size of 6" x 4.5". I used a single crochet stitch on it and the remainder of the cotton yarn from the skein. I am going to give them as a gift. I think they will match the recipient’s kitchen well.



After sorting through my yarns I found some yarn I have had for several years. I bought it, and then never used it. It is very soft and I think it is called Homespun (I lost the label). The finished size of the scarf is 7" x 42". I used a large hook and a double crochet stitch.

Crocheted Dish Cloths and a Scarf

Angel Wall Hanging

Several years ago I got some fabrics at a yard sale. I really liked the angel fabric, and tried to come up with something to make with it. At the time I was still embroidering and digitizing, so I created my own angel embroidery design. With the help of my husband's aunt (a long time quilter and embroiderer) I was able to make this small 15" x 15" wall hanging. I put four loops on the back, so that it could hang from a shelf where I have several angel figurines that have been given to me over the years.

If you would like to download the embroidery design you may click the link below.

Angel Embroidery Design

The file has been zipped for faster download. You may use this design for embroidery of items for personal use or for sale. I only ask that you do not sell the design itself. If you would link back to this blog if you do publish a picture of the design somewhere on the web I would appreciate it. Let me know what you think. Enjoy.

Angel Wall Hanging

Reusable Products for Women

I am sure you may be wondering what kind of reusable products I might be talking about. Well, I am talking about cloth pads or "mama cloth". I know some of you may be thinking that it is "gross" or some other such term. I am sure that if you had told me about them when I was younger I might have thought the same thing. However, after reading about the benefits to the environment, cost savings, and the benefits for my own health I made the switch three years ago and have never looked back.

I have included a couple of sites below that have some good information about using cloth pads in case you may be interested. There are many more sites out there, but these will give you the general idea as to why I made the switch.
Benefits of Cloth Pads
Why Use Cloth?



Of course, being the DIY'er that I am I had to make my own. :-) The pads pictured above were made using fabrics I had leftover from making some cloth diapers. (I tried to show all of the different views in one shot.) I used PUL for the outside, alova suedecloth for the inside, and flannel as the soaker for some and microfiber as the soaker for the rest. I used this pattern and made a dozen of the all-in-one style. The wet bag was made using this tutorial. It was very easy to put together.

I have to say that I like these pads, but I would like to try some of the other patterns out there and some different fabrics. This is a good site with several patterns.

Reusable Products for Women

A Bag and Some Blankets

A couple of months ago I decided that my little guy needed a bag to carry his toys when we go places. I already had a few canvas tote bags and was trying to decide if I wanted to embellish one or make a bag from scratch. I had quite a bit of extra flannel from making his pajama pants, so I decided to use some of it to "slipcover" a bag. Basically, I made the "slipcover" like you would make a lining for a bag only I put it on the outside. It was an easy way to turn an ordinary bag into something more fun to carry.



I have been trying to come up with projects that will use fabric from my stash. I had some red and white fleece and decided that I would make some no-sew blankets to go with the hats I crocheted for our local hospital's nursery. The blankets are a little smaller than normal, but I think they might be just the right size for an infant carrier. There won't be much of the blanket hanging down over the sides, so maybe they will stay stay clean more easily.

I cut the fleece at 24" x 26". I then cut a 3 inch square from each corner. I drew a chalk line on each side 3 inches from the edge to use as my cutting line. Then, I cut through both layers to make the ties. I used pinking shears to make all my cuts. My daughter helped me double knot the ties on the blankets.



The blankets were fun to make and are an easy charity project. It is a project I am hopeful my local mom's group might enjoy doing. Even in these times where most of us are struggling, doing something for others is always uplifting for me. It is also a great way to show God's love to others. I would encourage you, during this month where we think of love, to find a way to bless someone else with either your time or your talents.

A Bag and Some Blankets

Before and After 2

This is another before and after post to keep me motivated. When I started my kitchen reorganizing project last week one cabinet that has always been a problem is my spice cabinet. So, armed with my label maker and some glass jars I went to work. I am pleased with the result, and I have found it much easier to see where the spices are and how much is left. Now, on to the photos...

Before



After

Before and After 2

Random Recipes

I am calling this post random because there is no theme to the recipes I am posting. I am working on typing up recipes for my recipe binder, and these are the ones I have finished today.

White Chili



I found this crock pot recipe several years ago on this site. It is quite yummy. I like to serve it with sour cream and tortilla chips.


Stuffed Peppers



6 Medium Green Peppers
½ tsp. Salt (Plus additional salt for inside of peppers.)
Dash of Pepper
1 Pound Ground Beef
1/3 Cup Chopped Onion
1 16-Ounce Can Tomatoes, Cut up
½ Cup Uncooked Long-Grain Rice
½ cup Water
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 Cup Shredded Cheese (American, Cheddar, etc.)

Cut off tops of peppers, remove seeds and membranes. Precook peppers in boiling salted water for 5 minutes; drain. (For crisp peppers, omit precooking.) Sprinkle inside of peppers with salt.

Brown meat with onion. Add salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, rice, water, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in cheese. Stuff peppers; place in a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes

This recipe came from my mom. It is a great way to enjoy end of the season peppers from the garden.


Peanut Butter Cookies



1 Egg
1 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Cup Sugar

Mix all three ingredients. Roll into balls. Lay on cookie sheets and make imprints with a fork to slightly flatten. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 9 minutes. Cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet and then place on a rack.

This super easy recipe came from a woman at church.

Pumpkin Bars



I found this recipe a couple of years ago and we really enjoy them. I usually use fresh pumpkin or pumpkin that I have frozen. I also omit the icing and just dust a little powdered sugar on the top when I serve a piece.

Random Recipes

Pioneer Dress

My mom made this wonderful pioneer dress set for my daughter for Christmas. She made a dress, full slip, pantaloons, apron, and bonnet. My daughter loves it, especially since she is really into pioneers right now. We have been reading the Little House book series in the evenings and it has been fun for both of us. The books along with her studies of our state history have only increased her interest in pioneers.



This picture shows my pretty girl with her American Girl doll. A woman from church has made all kinds of clothes for the doll, so my mom asked the her to make a matching dress and apron for the doll. My daughter was so excited.

Pioneer Dress