~Storing Children's Clothes~

I wanted to share how I store my daughter's clothes. We are hoping to have another child, so for now I'm keeping all the clothes.

As my daughter outgrew her clothes, I would put them in bags and boxes and trundle them down to the basement. They were here, or there, or tossed over there. I'd lay in bed and fret about it, because I like to lay in bed and fret about odd things like that.

One day I was at Wal-mart and I saw their plastic totes for $3.44 each, or something like that. I bought five. I recently had to buy two more and they were $5.40 each. The price is worth it so I could stop obsessing over it when I was supposed to be sleeping. ;-)

These are the sizes I have:
Newborn/0-3 months
3 months/3-6 months
6 months/6-9 months
9 months/9-12 months
12 months/12-18 months
18 months/18-24 months
24 months/2T

The last two bin sizes are clothes that my daughter is too small for. Now, as my daughter outgrows her clothes I can take them down to the basement and stick them into the appropriate tote. It's also easier to keep clothes this way for when she grows into them.



When I was growing up, somewhere along the way my dad obtained some large plastic barrels that originally had pickled peppers in them, and that's what we stored our out-of-season clothes in. Our clothes all smelled like pickled peppers when we got them out each season. In fact, I still have an article of clothing that got stored with some clothes that had been stored in those barrels and when I pull it out I can still smell those peppers! It was never even in the barrel! We later switched to some cardboard drum containers and those worked much better (and our clothing smelled much better too!).

How do you store clothing?

~Chemical Fragrances~

I was really encouraged when I read this blog article: What's that Smell? Report--Chemical Fragrances in Cleaners Dangerous to Families.

It's a pretty discouraging article, so why was I encouraged?

:::I have been using scent-free, dye free laundry detergent for about three years (or more). I have one and half bottles left to use, and then I plan on making this detergent.
:::I haven't used aerosol air freshener since I bought a natural air deodorizer over two years ago. (In fact, I'm still using the same bottle! It will need to be replaced soon though.)
:::I have always used a limited number of cleaners, and most of those don't have strong fragrances.
:::But now that I'm making my own cleaners, I don't have to worry about chemical fragrances in cleaners at all! (Window Cleaner, Disinfectant and All-Purpose Cleaner Recipes).
:::I do not use plug-in air fresheners.

Now, the one thing I don't know is how safe scented candles are. I love Yankee Candles and used to burn them quite often. Because of my daughter's mobility I don't burn them very often any more. I haven't run across any research on candle-burning yet. If you have a link with information, I'd love it if you'd share!

The only product I need to do away with is scented laundry softener. In the winter it is necessary to use laundry softener or else the clothes have horrible static cling! I have fallen in love with the beautifully scented laundry softeners available, so I need to give those up! At the very least there is non-scented laundry softener available, and it does the job just fine!

There are a few more things that I'm working on finding recipes for and replacing in my home. But the things mentioned above are the areas of greatest concern.

~Ruffle Totes~

I am so excited about the ruffle totes I have in my Etsy shop! I love every one of them and if I needed more totes I think I'd keep them all!

Details are in the shop, but here are pictures of each one:


Retro Dots and Gingham Ruffle Tote


Floral and Gingham Ruffle Tote


Gingham Ruffle Tote

Stay tuned for a little giveaway later on this week!

~Tin Roof Sundae~

Shortly after we were married, Kevin and I discovered Tin Roof Sundae ice cream. I didn't think I would like it because it has peanuts in it, but we got some anyhow, and I was hooked.

Tin Roof Sundae is made with vanilla ice cream, swirls of chocolate, and chocolate-covered peanuts.

We haven't had this ice cream in years...ever since we moved from California! It just isn't in the stores here. But! I was shopping the other day and guess what I found? You guessed it! Tin Roof Sundae ice cream! Of course it came home with me!

I was thinking about ice cream and how even though I like ice cream I never buy it when I'm grocery shopping. There are some things that just never occur to me, and this is one. I could put it on my list (occasionally!) and we would have a treat waiting in the freezer. But I just don't buy it and don't think to buy it until I'm craving ice cream! And then we have to make a special run to the store for it! I guess it is a good thing because if we have to make a separate trip, we sometimes just don't. So we don't eat ice cream that often.

~California~

Earlier this month we went to California for my siser's wedding. The crocheted namepiece was framed. And about 1/2" too wide for our suitcase. Grrr. We'll be sending it via UPS soon.

The day after the wedding, we went up to the Sequoia National Forest. We went to Grant Grove, and then a little drive up to Panoramic Point. The tree pictures are from Grant Grove, and then the mountain views are from the Panoramic Point. It was beautiful up there! The last time I was at Panoramic Point was August of 1999. Kevin and I were dating, and we spent a day up at the mountains with another couple. The next day, Kevin left to go back to college. Ah, memories! :-)



It's hard to depict the grandeur of these trees. They are the world's largest and oldest trees. (Not the tallest, but the largest.) The trunks are enormous.

~An Ugly Pair of Shoes~

"An Ugly Pair of Shoes"

I am wearing a pair of shoes.
They are ugly shoes.
Uncomfortable Shoes.
I hate my shoes.
Each day I wear them, and each day I wish I had another pair.
Some days my shoes hurt so bad that I do not think I can take another step.
Yet, I continue to wear them.
I get funny looks wearing these shoes.
They are looks of sympathy.
I can tell in others eyes that they are glad they are my shoes and not theirs.
They never talk about my shoes.
To learn how awful my shoes are might make them uncomfortable.
To truly understand these shoes you must walk in them.
But, once you put them on, you can never take them off.
I now realize that I am not the only one who wears these shoes.
There are many pairs in the world.
Some women are like me and ache daily as they try and walk in them.
Some have learned how to walk in them so they don't hurt quite as much.
Some have worn the shoes so long that days will go by before they think of how much they hurt.
No woman deserves to wear these shoes.
Yet, because of the shoes I am a stronger woman.
These shoes have given me the strength to face anything.
They have made me who I am.
I will forever walk in the shoes of a woman who has lost a child.

Author Unknown

Early this spring I read this poem on someone else's blog. I was waiting to find out if I was miscarrying. In a very odd way this poem was a comfort to me. And just a day or so later, we found out our that baby was with Jesus. This has been the most difficult thing I have ever faced.

God has been more real to me in the last few months than ever before. I have found great refuge in His loving arms. A book that has helped point me towards God and helped me wade through the grief is the devotional Grieving the Child I Never Knew by Kathe Wunnenberg.

As the poem states, I believe I am stronger now. I have a greater sense of compassion for others going through trials and loss. And I know that no matter what I go through, I know that God will always be there for me.

~Window Cleaner~

As I'm working towards making more of my own cleaners and personal care products, I have had both success and failure. Today I want to share a success!

Window cleaner
1 part white vinegar
1 part water

Put mixture in a spray bottle and use to clean glass surfaces.

Easy-peasy! :-) At the workshop I went to last month they mentioned that you could put a drop or two of lemon essential oil in the window cleaner and it would add shine and scent. An added bonus is that when the sun hits the clean windows it will release the lemon scent into the air. Since I do not have the lemon essential oil, I haven't tried this yet, so I can't vouch for that.

But I can vouch for the cleaner! It works really well. Something I read somewhere quite a while ago (so I have no idea of the source!) is that the window cleaner you buy from the store has wax in it. So the first few times that you clean your windows with the vinegar/water, it will be a little harder to clean, but after you get rid of the wax build-up it should be easier.

A little story: about two years ago Kevin wrote on the bathroom mirror with a bar of soap. It said, "I ♥ U". Very sweet, yes? After I washed off the soap, I noticed that whenever the mirror got fogged up, I could still see his message because it didn't get fogged up where he had written. After two years, and many cleanings later, that message still showed up every time the mirror got foggy. My vinegar solution cleaned that residue right off! So I don't know whether to be glad or sad...the mirror is now "clean" (though you couldn't see the residue if the mirror wasn't fogged up) but can I no longer see his sweet message!

~Oatmeal and Brown Sugar~

I just love oatmeal with brown sugar.


This sock I'm making reminds me of oatmeal with brown sugar.


More info on Ravelry.

I had a little helper during my photo shoot:

~A time to plant~

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2b: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven...a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.

It's finally planting season! It felt like it would never get here!

This afternoon I worked in my front flower beds and planted petunias and alyssum. The alyssum seeds look like this:


and was in a seed packet packed for 2007. I'm hoping they grow! We'll see! I've had them, well, since 2007, and they got tucked away and I forgot about them. I had enough to put along both front beds.

One side, all planted:


The petunias are two colors - a deep purple and a mixed purple. The lighter purple petunias are in the center row. I hope it looks nice that way!



I also planted geraniums (in a pot) with a spike in the center and vinca vines around the edge.


I still have more work to do, but I accomplished a lot today!

~Doll Blanket~

Every dolly needs a blanket! I made a doll blanket for my daughter's baby. Very simple - just 3.5 inch squares sewn together, and backed with white flannel.


My favorite square in the quilt:


I made a dress out of this fabric, when I was around 21 or so, and I wore it to shreds. The fabric had wind-blown sheet music on it, and what made it special was that they were all hymns. I saved every single tiny scrap of this fabric, and I was very happy that I could include it in this dolly quilt!

For our daughter's first birthday we looked high and low for a doll. I didn't want a doll that did anything. Especially not one with a motion sensor in it! Those dolls give me the creeps in the store. We went to many stores before we found this nice baby doll:


There hasn't been much interest in the doll until recently so I thought it was high time the poor dolly had a blankie. :-) I cut out enough squares for another doll blanket and once it is finished, I plan on putting it in my Etsy shop.

~Name Crochet~

This is what I have been working on:


It is a wedding gift. I am planning on having it framed, which is where the cost of this project is involved. I've had the pattern forever, and the thread was less than $3. Of course, it involved a little time, but it was so much fun to watch the letters grow and it gave me something to do in the evenings!

I have been happy with Hobby Lobby's framing service for two other things I've done, so I'll probably stick with them. Now I just have to decide on a background mat color. It needs to be dark, and I want it to be a color that won't look "dated" in a few years. Any thoughts?

Now I'd like to do one of these for myself, but in looking around my living room and dining room, we really don't have a good spot to hang it. So I'm thinking of doing one that says "L-O-V-E" and putting in in the bedroom. Maybe. Or maybe I'm done with filet crochet for a little while. LOL

~Sneak peek~

I have a crocheted project that I'm blocking...

...I'll be back tomorrow to share the finished results!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
What else...
...rainy, cold weather
...a rose bush and a blueberry bush waiting to be planted
...lots of tea while I wait for the weather to warm!
...laundry. Lots of it!

Have a great day!

~A sweet and sticky, oily, soapy mess!~

In my effort to be using healthier products, I'm trying to make more of my own products. I've already shared two cleaner recipes with you. Those were (are) a success.

So I decided to branch out.

Hairspray:
I looked online and found some recipes. Most of them included lemon and having to remake it every few weeks. That would be ok, except that brunettes and lemon juice don't really mix. I don't want to lighten my hair. So I searched for an alternate recipe. Sugar syrup. I enthusiastically set out to make it. Very simple, really! Boil 1/2 cup water, and add 2 teaspoons sugar. Let it cool, and put into a spray bottle. Voila! Hairspray. I even had an empty hairspray bottle so I thought I was all set. Why did I think spraying my hair with sugar water was a good idea??? It's sticky. HELLO! It's sugar water! What was I expecting? Besides, I wash my hair in the morning. Do I really want to go to sleep with sugary hair? Isn't that pretty much an invitation for bugs in my bed? I have one more recipe to try, so we'll see how that goes! It doesn't involve sugar or lemons!

Baby Wipes:
It's simple! Cut a roll of paper towels in half, and soak it in a mixture of water, baby shampoo and olive oil. As we know, oil and water do not mix. So when I plunked my paper towels into the mix, the top layer "grabbed" the oil. Great. I just wasted a half roll of paper towels. I didn't follow the directions completely though, because I didn't have a round container that I could stand the paper towels up in. So this may be my fault, though I really don't see how standing them up will alter the problem. Do I try again? Has anyone made their own baby wipes with success? (Since I do not use cloth diapers, I don't want to use cloth wipes.)

~Simplicity 8720~

Twice a month, a young girl from my church comes over and watches my little one while I run around like a crazy woman and clean as fast as I possibly can. Yesterday she was coming over so I decided to sew as fast as I possibly could while she was here. All was going well, and then the lights flickered and the electricity went out. I got in a grand total of 15 minutes of sewing time!

Harumph. I decided to clean instead.

When you're used to something like electricity, you forget just how much you rely on it! I went to switch on lights, tried to use the garbage disposer, and had to call my husband so he could tell me where to find the key for the garage, and how to open the garage door!

So anyhow. Yesterday didn't really work for sewing. But today did!

I finished this apron, for my sister's wedding shower. Well, her wedding shower(s) have already passed, but I still wanted to give her a gift.


Ten years ago when I was preparing to set up house, I made this same apron for myself. Ten years was long enough to make me forget how painful a process it was to encase seams and ric rac in 1/4" double fold bias tape! But I'm glad I forgot because I wouldn't have made this pattern again, and I really love how it turned out.

~Cleaner Recipes~

I mentioned in my previous post that I made two cleaners at the green cleaning workshop that I went to. They handed out a sheet with the recipes, but there is no indication on the sheet where they got the recipes from.

Disinfectant: Fill 16 oz. spray bottle 3/4 full with water. Add 1 T. borax. Shake well. Add 3 T. castile soap (Dr. Bronner's) and 15-20 drops pure tea tree oil. Shake well before each use.

All Purpose Cleaner: Fill 16 oz. spray bottle up to the 16 oz. line with water. Add 1 t. borax, and 1/2 t. baking soda. Shake well. Add 2 T. vinegar, 1 T. lemon juice, and 10 drops of your favorite essential oil. (I used lavender)

When choosing which essential oil to use, you can either use one you like or use one of the following: lavender, tea tree, lemon. I learned at the workshop that all three are anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal. They'll add a little extra "oomph" to your cleaner!

So far, I've found plenty of uses for both! Each evening after I do my dishes, I spray the counter down with the disinfectant and wipe it well, and rinse out my sponge and spray it several times with the disinfectant. I cleaned my bathroom today and used the disinfectant for the toilet with some baking soda in the bowl (dump a bucket of water in the toilet and it will empty the toilet bowl. Then you can clean with the disinfectant/baking soda). For the tub and sink I used the all purpose cleaner and put baking soda on my sponge. They both worked great, and I feel so much better cleaning with all natural cleaners and not having to worry about what fumes I'm breathing in.

One thing about green cleaners is that sometimes you'll need to add a little elbow grease. Another option is to do preventative cleaning. Moving away from magic potions chemicals may mean a little extra work, but it's worth it to me!

~Green Cleaning~

With Earth Day being last Thursday, there was a lot of "green" talk on the blogosphere, and of course in communities too! I really appreciated Stephanie's view of Earth Day and "green" living. You can read it here. It's worth the read!

I attended a little workshop on "green cleaning". It was fascinating, and not only did I learn a lot, but I came home with two cleaning products I made in the class: a disinfectant and an all purpose cleaner!

I'm excited about learning more about green cleaning. So far I have loved cleaning with the two cleaners that I brought home. They smell so good and I know that as I spray them I'm not releasing harmful chemicals into my home!

As I replace my cleaners I plan on sharing my recipes. To me "green cleaning" equals "healthy cleaning". A lot of companies are now offering "green" products. But if you read the ingredients or look closer online (since they are not legally required to list their ingredients, you might not find a complete list anywhere) the ingredients are about the same as regular cleaners. So I have come to the conclusion that they have fewer chemicals in them, but they are not free from chemicals. This may not be the case for every green cleaner on the shelf, but for the ones I have looked into it has proved to be the case.

So the obvious solution is to make your own! :-) It is very inexpensive to buy the ingredients for your own cleaners. I checked, and my grocery store (Meijer) has all the ingredients, with the exception of the essential oils. Now, I did say it is inexpensive, but if you go out and buy all the ingredients at once, it will cost you something. However, once you make up your cleaners you will see how long the ingredients you purchased will last!

Next up: recipes for the all purpose cleaner and disinfectant
Tell me: do you make your own cleaners? and if so, what are your favorites?

~National Infertility Awareness Week~

This week (April 24-May 1) is National Infertility Awareness Week. I have written about my own infertility struggles before - we waited almost seven years before seeing those double lines on a pregnancy test.

I have to say that infertility was one of the hardest things I've gone through. I know that all parents love their children, but I think my husband and I appreciate our daughter so much more because of the difficulties we went through.

In the post that I linked to above, there are several links that are helpful if you're on the other side of the fence: if you have friends or family who are going through the heartache of infertility, it is hard to know what to say or not to say, and sometimes you probably just don't know what to do! So do take a moment and click through to those links. The articles are short, so it won't take long to read through them.

And...if you're going through infertility right now, my heart goes out to you so much. Primary infertility (no living children) isn't understood by others and is very difficult to go through as I can attest to. I understand that secondary infertility (one or more living children, but unable to conceive after 12+ months of trying to conceive), which I have no experience with, is often harder for friends and relatives to understand and empathize with. Either way, it is a difficult and mostly lonely road to walk down.

Here are some great resources that helped me:
Stepping Stones, a free newsletter that you'll get every other month. Follow the link and click on the button "Subscribe Now".
Stepping Stones, look through the links on the side for a lot of encouragement and helpful information
Hannah's Hope, written by Jennifer Saake
Don't Waste Your Infertility, a blog article written by a man whose wife and he were going through infertility
There is also a lot of information at the RESOLVE site

~Spring Flowers~

My flower beds are pretty bare right now. I planted some perennials a few years ago, but most of them got killed by a very cold winter. But there are a few plants and flowers starting to grow!

I have two hostas, and I'm thinking of adding some more. They seemed to do well in the front.


These pretty flowers bloom in the spring. They spread pretty fast, and are quite hardy. I bought them in the spring of 2008 and didn't get them planted till the summer of 2009! They took root and grew nicely though! Could someone help me with identifying them? I don't have the plant marker for them!


This bleeding heart blooms from early spring to late fall. It has done really well since we put bark mulch in the bed.


Lilies of the Valley...I think of the song "He's the Lily of the Valley" every time I see them in bloom!


And a few tulips!


In the back yard I have lilacs getting ready to bloom, and the tulips will come shortly after. I'm hoping to get in some more perennials this year, especially to fill in the side flower bed. Usually, I put off weeding until I can plant (which is mid-May). But this year I'm getting a little ahead and weeding my beds early! It will make planting day a whole lot easier!

~If You Give a Mom a Muffin~

Are you familiar with the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? If so, you'll enjoy this variation:

If you give a mom a muffin, she'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
She'll pour herself some.
Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.
She'll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she will find dirty socks.
She'll remember she has to do laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer, she'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan supper.
She will get out a pound of hamburger.
She'll look for her cookbook. (101 Things To Make With A Pound Of Hamburger.)
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook.
The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.
She'll smell something funny.
She'll change the two-year-old.
While she is changing the two-year-old the phone will ring.
Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.
She'll remember that she wants to phone a friend to come for coffee.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
She will pour herself some.
And chances are, if she has a cup of coffee, her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.


by Kathy Fictorie
based on "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

I was blog-hopping a few days ago, and reading through someone's archives. Unfortunately, I can't remember whose blog I was reading. So I Googled Swagbucked, and found it at a different site.

~Apple Galette~

Some time ago, I printed Amy Karol's recipe cheat-sheet, mostly because I wanted the gingerbread recipe. It has been on my fridge ever since, and now has another recipe over it. But the apple galette recipe was peeking out, calling my name.

So I made it:


The lighting wasn't very good, and it is on my (well-seasoned) baking stone. So it doesn't look very pretty, but it is seriously delicious!

When Amy blogged about it she said she and her husband ate it in six hours. Well, ha! Kevin and I have them beat! We had the whole thing consumed within two hours, I think. It is so delicious! better than apple pie! Next time I make this (because there will be a next time!) I will make it for company so that we have someone to share with. After all, it has a whole stick of butter in it. I tried to forget that as I was eating it. LOL

~'Lil Bloomers~

I took my bloomer/diaper cover pattern (from Ottobre 3/2009) and lengthened the legs by two inches, added lace along the hem, and instead of elastic for the legs, did elastic shirring, and, voila! Bloomers:


By the time babies get to size 18 months (and some 12 month sizes) the dresses don't always come with bloomers. But it is still nice to have something to cover the diaper. I thought I'd make a pair in white so that they would go with everything.

I love how they turned out but I think I'll also make a plain pair so that if I don't want the lace showing under the dress, I'll have something simple.

~i before e except after c~

Here's a little spelling lesson for you today. *grin*

(It doesn't have anything to do with "ie" or "ei" though, I just thought that would make a catchy title...)

Do you know the difference between lose and loose? There is a big difference, you know. I see this spelling rule broken all the time online, and it drives me bonkers. LOL And don't worry, it wasn't you. It was just something I was thinking about today!

When something gets lost you lose it. One o. So you lose weight, or you are working on losing weight.

When something is too big, it is loose. An easy way to remember this is that loose rhymes with goose. Or moose. So you lose weight and then your clothes are too loose. But you can't loose weight, because that doesn't make sense!

Trust me, I'm no candidate for a spelling bee! I have to spell check every time I use the word definitely because I can never remember how to spell it! And every time I write beautiful, I think, "bee-E-A-U-tiful". And it's and its are always confusing too (I've probably misused them dozens of times on my blog). But I have no trouble remembering the difference between lose and loose. ;)

ETA #1 - LOL I had to come back and add an "ing" to a word for the sentence to make sense. I probably have other mistakes in this post too. Maybe I should skip the spelling lessons. Hahaha

ETA #2 - Misuse of "you're" pointed out to me. Good grief, this is my just due for posting this...I shall never point fingers again. ;-)

~Sundress and bloomers~

Late last summer I purchased two coordinating prints to make a dress for The Baby. However, I never got around to it, and the fabric sat in my bin all winter. When I was going through my fabric recently, I got the idea to make a little sundress and bloomers.

So that's what I did!



The sundress is shirred with elastic thread. It was so much fun to do the shirring! I didn't have a pattern for the dress, I just started cutting fabric and sewing. :-)



The bloomers are from Ottobre 3/2009. I used the pattern last winter to go with a little flannel dress. They work up quickly! I sewed a little ribbon loop in the back of the bloomers to make identifying the back easier.



This took me a while to get finished, not because the project itself took a long time, just because I sewed a little here and a little there. I'm glad it's finished, now we just need some sun! :-)

~Now I just need fabric~

I just got One-Yard Wonders from Amazon.com. Wow, this book is chock full with projects that I want to do! Unlike most knit/crochet/sewing/craft books that are about $20 and have one project that I'm interested in, this book actually has quite a few projects that I hope to get around to.

This is my favorite project in the book, I think I gasped when I saw it for the first time:


And this smock would be perfect for canning projects:


There are 101 projects in all. I won't be doing all 101 projects, but I have quite a few to choose from!

~Weather~

Yesterday was gorgeous! So gorgeous that I went for two different walks!

I don't think I'll be walking today though. Here's a little snippet of our weather:



It hailed for quite awhile, and is now back to heavy rain. I hope we get some warm weather back soon!

~He lives!~

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.

(Matthew 28:6a)

We serve a risen Savior!

May God bless you this Easter as we reflect on all Christ did for us.

~For a Friend~

I have a friend who had an extremely rough pregnancy, especially towards the end. She had to endure all kinds of tests, multiple trips to the doctor each week to be monitored, and a delay of several weeks for delivery.

So I was very happy when she told me that her C-section was finally scheduled! I sat down and crocheted around this blanket for her baby girl, pairing it with a coordinating burp cloth:


This afternoon I popped over to the hospital to see her and her precious baby, and to give her the blanket set.

Pattern notes:
I used Ruth's new design as a springboard for my own crochet edge.



Here's my pattern:
Round 1: With crochet cotton and a size 6 hook, *sc, ch 2*, repeat from * to * around blanket edge. Join with sl st to first sc. It would be a good idea to count your ch 2 spaces and make sure there is a multiple of two. I didn't do this...oopsie!

Round 2: sc in next ch 2 space, *5 tr in next ch 2 space, sc in next ch 2 space*. Repeat from * to * around. Join with sl st in first sc.

~One Year~

Last Thursday we celebrated our daughter's first birthday! She is an amazing gift from the Lord, and brings us such great joy!

When we brought our baby home from the hospital she was so helpless. Now she's walking! It's amazing how much development happens in a baby's first year! The time spent with our precious girl is worth every second! All those sleepless nights, extra laundry, toys scattered from one end of the house to the other, food that goes flying off the high chair in every direction, every "Mama", every sloppy baby kiss...all such cherished moments. We are so blessed.

~How to crack an egg~

For thousands of years men and women have been cracking eggs just fine! OK, so I don't have documention but let's just assume that people have been eating eggs for quite some time now. You bang the egg on something and crack it, how hard is that?

Sure, I've accidentally gotten shells in my eggs when I cracked the egg, but do you know the best way to get those little shell bits out? Use the shell! It is a "magnet" to the shell. And if you drop an egg on the floor do you know how to clean it up? Sprinkle salt very liberaly over it and it will clean up marvelously!

Oops, got a little sidetracked there. Maybe I should have a Time in the Kitchen with Tammy column. LOL

Back to my reason for this post. We have DVR so we rarely watch live television. This means that we can fast forward through all the commercials. But Kevin was watching a show tonight and a commercial caught his eye.

Dum, da-dum! The EZCracker! It cracks eggs so effortlessly! (Because we all know how hard it is to crack an egg!)


It separates the yolk from the white too!


And it comes with a in-shell egg scrambler!


After I picked myself off the floor from laughing so hard at a mini, in-shell egg scrambler I came right to my computer to look up this wonderful contraption.

For only $19.95 plus shipping ($6.95), this marvel can be yours!

Images from EZcracker.com, this post is not sponsored by EZCracker. ;-)

~Howdy!~

Boy, I've been MIA! A lot has been going on and I've been spending less time online!

I had some friends over for coffee and dessert the last week of February. It sounds simple, but it took a lot of preparation! It was nice to have some fellowship, something I don't get enough of these days!

Then right after that my daughter got sick. It seems to be going around our church, and the bug is very tenacious. It lasts and lasts and lasts...or so it seems! Anyhow, our whole household has been feeling quite crummy and I'm looking forward to getting well again!

The weather is warming up. One day it was in the balmy 40's and I looked out the window and our neighbor girl (about 7 years old) was skating down the sidewalk, wearing shorts and a short sleeved shirt. Yes, the sun is nice! I don't think I would have been out in my short sleeves, but when it has been so cold all winter, sun + over freezing is nice and warm!

I have a few projects I've been trying to wrap up, and when I do, I'll be sure to post pictures of them!

Have a great day!

~Jean Quilt~

I have wanted a jean quilt for quite a few years. Not to put on a bed, but to use as a picnic throw. It would be perfect for throwing on the ground or over a picnic table!

I saved a pile of Kevin's jeans, added in a skirt, shirt, and some fabric scraps (all denim). Then I got busy and cut:



If I were sewing anything else, I would have taken a little more care and ironed my fabric. But this is something that is going to take a beating. So I figured if the seams didn't match up perfectly it was not a big deal (as it turns out jean fabric is kind of "stretchy" along the edge so it was easy to get the seams matched up! They are all perfect except for one or two that are off by a tiny bit). My squares arranged how I sewed them:



I'm very pleased that some of the squares come pre-stained. LOL There are some with grass stains, and some with paint splashes. It adds character to the quilt, and ensures that I will not be upset when extra stains get added to it!

I sewed it up in a jiffy! Big squares are fun to piece! It took me two afternoons to get sewn, and then it sat on or near my sewing table:



Yesterday I decided it was high time to to get it finished up! I watched some of the Olymic coverage and tied it off with bedspread weight cotton thread. Using a curved upholstery needle helped me make short work of the tying.



Several years ago I bought a vintage sheet at an estate sale for 50 cents. I never could figure what to do with it, so I saved it. And now I'm glad I had it! It made a perfect back for my quilt! I carefully figured the size of my squares to correlate with the sheet size (twin size).



The total cost of this was $.50! I used up thread that I've had sitting in my sewing cabinet for years, and all the fabric was free or "upcycled".

~WIP Wednesday~

It's been awhile since I've done a WIP Wednesday! Here is my current WIP (Work in Progress):


A sweater for The Baby, using the free pattern Mossy Jacket. I haven't added details to my Ravelry page yet, but I'll do that soon. You can find my projects here.

I am making the 12-month size, but my gauge is a little off so it is probably closer to the 18-month size. That's ok, it will give The Baby the rest of the winter and spring to wear it. :-) This will be my first sweater! I started a sweater for myself long, long ago, but it got frogged. I am moderately pleased with how this sweater is coming out. The neckline is a little big which gives it a bit of a homemade look. But once it gets sleeves and is blocked I'll probably like it more!

~Bloggy Stuff~

I recently added a list of blogs I enjoy to my sidebar: ------> I didn't realize how ridiculously easy it was! I was able to import the blog addresses straight from my Google Blog Reader!

I've been working on my Etsy shop lately. I have a number of baby items in my shop that I am very pleased with. The blanket and burp cloth sets would make lovely gifts. I made three blankets just like these for myself, and I used them every day until we stopped swaddling our daughter, which was around three months. Even now I still find uses for them. They are the perfect size!



And finally, are you searching with Swagbucks? It sure is fun to earn Swagbucks as I do normal online searches! I've earned another $15 in Amazon gift cards. I don't know what I'm going to spend them on yet! Any suggestions? :-)

~Chocolate Bread~

With special thanks to Anna of Pleasant View Schoolhouse for her wonderful idea, I made chocolate bread this afternoon.


My hips, however, do not thank Anna. ;-)

~Happy February!~

I can't believe we turned a calendar page already! January just flew by!

I am growing basil on my kitchen counter top. I didn't know if it would be too cold or if it would get enough sun, but I thought I'd give it a try. I set out to do this last November, but who carries seeds in November? No one around here! So I waited till the seeds came out in stores. And guess what? my seeds are coming up! Which makes me do a little happy dance. ;-)



Do you like to spell? Have I found the book for you! So You Think You Can Spell; Killer Quizzes for the Incurably Competitive and Overly Confident, by David L. Grambs and Ellen S. Levine. I checked this out of the library yesterday and last night I was doing spelling quizzes and all of a sudden it was 11 o'clock! So far my best scores are 16 out of 20, which isn't too bad!

(Picture and link from Amazon.com)

The weather has been cold, cold, cold! I'm ready for spring already! I dug up most of my bulbs last fall since they weren't flowering very well, so I don't have much color to look forward to this early spring. Next fall I will make it a priority to plant some bulbs! But first on the list is to make sure all the voles are out of our flowerbeds. Those little boogers drive me nuts! They can plow through a flower bed and wreak havoc!

Well...just wanted to say a February "hello!" Keep warm! =)