Adventures of a Crunchy Wannabe

Little Sickies

2012-01-21T14:40:00.002-04:00

Anyone notice that kids are little germ factories? With one in primary, and one in pre-school we get exposed to a whole lot of sickness. Usually the kids are snotty, maybe with a little cough but they generally carry on as usual. This time is different. They are whiny and super needy and clingy. Including during the night. I'm a little tired, but thought I'd share some pictures (don't lean too close, you wouldn't want to catch it).

My slimy growth...

A mountain of sheets and blankets (I feel like I can see the cold viruses)

Some comfort food, banana chip muffins.

A very red-cheeked and cranky boy. All day long, "Mama! Mommy!" (insert high pitched whining)

But they are still having moments of fun...

Sometimes I think being an RN has really helped with this motherhood thing. :)

Fall in pictures

2011-11-26T07:15:00.005-04:00

First day of preschool (in the green plaid)

First day of primary (kindergarten)

Boys that turn 3 and have a lightening McQueen cake...
Eat breakfast by the woodpile...
And eat lunch with the favourite birthday presents, "robos".
A trip to the wildlife park (a brave trip with 3 kids and ONLY one Mommy)
Babies that can sit on their own...

that can smash food and lick it (then make faces like it's poison)...
Tip out of chairs...And crawl really fast.

Girls that turn 5 and spend their birthday money on a sparkly dress...

And have a yoga party with all of her friends.Halloween as a Ligon (refused lion head)...

A Princess...
a little chicken...
And a pumpkin to the 5-year-old's exact specifications.
Among other wonderful milestones I was too busy to photograph.

Yippee for local business!

2011-11-26T06:29:00.003-04:00

I've been saying for 5 years (since my first was born) that the town where I live needs it's own cloth diaper/natural parenting store. One of our lovely local doulas ( Birth Services) has taken over the online business, Enchanted Forest. She has even added her own home show room where you can view/touch her products. This is very exciting if you're local, but also if you aren't and require shipping (reasonable rates to anywhere in Canada)! She has an awesome selection of Canadian made products.

Check it out! And she has a contest right now for a gift certificate!

And might I add, she is the only person I know of in Nova Scotia that does placenta encapsulation!

Warm smells of baking

2011-08-09T10:24:00.001-03:00

Needed:
- one pot
- a couple cups of water
- some cinnamon
- some ginger
-some vanilla

Simmer on stove over lowest heat setting. Instant air freshener, and it smells like you've been baking all day.

Warning:
You may actually want to bake something after smelling this for a few hours.

"Mom Cave"

2011-08-04T17:38:00.003-03:00

Little Lucy Lu is an adorable blog and she recently posted about her "MomCave" crafting room. Oh how I covet that room! Here is the detailed tour. My husband has a Man Cave, and a whole corner of it currently contains an unsightly dehumidifier, and a cluster of messy cords (and that's it.) I vow to transform this space into my mom cave.

It'll take me a long while to finish I bet, but here's the poor sad space as is: (and my lovely sewing machine is sitting to the right, just waiting for a space to call her own)

Happy World Breastfeeding week!

2011-08-01T08:35:00.008-03:00

Bringing the outdoors in

2011-07-25T16:25:00.002-03:00

As much as we love being outside, with a newbie that can only take short doses of the sun and a toddler that I need to chase (a lot), we spend more time inside than out (my right arm for a fenced yard!)

So I've spent some time this summer cutting flowers from outside to put in my kitchen. I love looking at them while I stand in the kitchen. Very pretty and not as expensive as buying cut flowers at the store. A few vases have been entirely wild flowers if nothing else was in bloom, they were just as pretty and satisfying.

Biscuits

2011-07-24T17:35:00.002-03:00

My mom makes biscuits that puff up so big that they fall over a little. Mine didn't turn out too bad this time, but they're never the same. What am I doing wrong?! Over kneading?

$3.50 curtains

2011-07-17T15:41:00.003-03:00

We've lived in this house for 9 months and my poor rustic porch remained without curtains and sorely lacking in TLC.

I decided to give it a little shoestring chic treatment. During a recent linen closet purge, I found an old sheer swag. I cut it out in simple squares (hemming the raw edges), tied some ribbon around it and I bought some pretty glass beads to sew on the ends of the bows. Total cost: $3.50 and 45 minutes of my time for 3 windows.

It's a little "country" for my tastes, but we live beside a cow pasture and my kitchen still has a sickly tractor border (ick!), so it kind of suits. I like it.

Officially mine

2011-07-15T08:34:00.003-03:00

I've made one of these cross stitch keepsakes for each of my children (it means they are officially mine... haha). The majority of it is my pregnancy project and then I finish it with name/birth stats, etc. after the birth. Only "after the birth" has happened at 3 months for the older two, and N is getting very close to 4 months. The blank spot in the centre is where I stamp the adorable little baby feet. I'm concerned that N's long feet are going to be a tight squeeze so I was up until midnight finishing it last night.

I just need to wash, iron dry and stamp those tootsies. The frame is waiting to be hung!

To my darling two-year-old

2011-07-14T11:01:00.005-03:00

Dear G,

You are the provider of some of my most joyful and most frustrating moments during the day. It's often like someone has pressed your fast-forward button and the remote is another one from which you've carefully removed the batteries. And "fast forward" does not begin to describe the dreaded before bed "tornado mode" and the "I-need-attention" destructor moments.

You love having things clean and in order. You are rarely so happy as when your room is neat and your toys are easy to find. On the other hand, you like things neat so that they can be made messy again. A neat pile of books or a straight row of shoes will meet a swipe of your arm 80% of the time. And let's not mention the fact that I need to hide in order to fold/stuff diapers.

You love to find wayward chips and pop belonging to Daddy, but you wiggle and swing your arms and arch your back when it's time to brush our teeth.

My baking supplies often meet an untimely demise. I understand that baking soda and sugar are a lot like sand and fun to play with, but it's a lot of work cleaning it off the floor!

And speaking of cleaning... an art gallery worth of crayon scribbles are upstairs waiting to be cleaned so I can paint. The box might say "magic eraser" but there's little magic about mama's elbow grease and arm strength, which is what the job truly requires.

However... even while writing this, you've came to visit me. Climbing into my lap and lovingly showing me every detail of your new plane. "Wook Mama! Plane!" And you turn your big blue eyes up at me and say, "Awwww... Mama." Which is your language for I love you. You come back with the transformer that you carefully de-limbed and say, "Robo! Broken." I ask if you broke it. A cheerful, "uh-huh!" and you're off again for another adventure.

You're the most cheerful, rambunctious, sweet, stubborn boy I've met, and I wouldn't change you for the world!

Gotta run, I can hear you opening the pantry door...

Love,

Mama

N's Birth

2011-07-12T06:02:00.003-03:00

As my last post stated, I'm currently on maternity leave. That is thanks to the sweet little addition to our family that was born in March.

In 2009 as part of Cesarean Awareness month (April) I created this post to tell my story about an unnecessary c-section and my subsequent vaginal birth. As a continuation, here's how my third birth transpired.

As my children had proven in the past, this little baby had decided that fashionably late was the best way to enter the world. At 9 days past my guess date, I had a non-stress test to check that things were healthy and I decided that a membrane sweep might be just the trick to encourage babe along. My childcare (my mom) lives 45 minutes away, and with the sweep, I decided to have her come stay the night with us.

During the night I had contractions on and off but they were irregular and not painful. I had a good night's rest. Around 4am (at 10 days past my guess date), I decided to get up to time the random contractions and hang out on the internet a bit. Shortly after, they were easily every 2-3 minutes, but the intense part of the contraction was only 10-15 seconds, so I was unsure if it was too early to pick up our doula and head to the hospital.

My husband has a history of deciding whether or not labour is "real", so I woke him for his experienced opinion. He thought we should likely go and therefore I called my doula to give her a head's up that we would be arriving. This was at approximately 5:30am.

Our doctor, who we love, and the hospital where he catches babies is about a 75 minute drive from our house. So after my husband packed the van (slowly might I add!), I walked outside and things instantly changed. (This happened with my second birth as well. I apparently need to physically leave my other children before labour kicks into gear). Standing outside the van as my husband removed the carseats, I had the overwhelming feeling that my water was going to break. The pressure was insane.

With my other births I can honestly say that labour was not necessarily painful, but at this point with N, it was overwhelming. I felt like I was already in transition and I was having difficulty coping. We made it to our doula's house in about 15 minutes. She sat beside me, rubbed my back and we discussed going to the local hospital rather than our chosen hospital. I was not digging the car ride, and decided to go to the closer hospital to have a cervical check before continuing.

At 6:30am we arrived on the local labour and delivery unit. They were none too happy to see me as I did not have my prenatal care done by those physicians and my care record was kept at the other hospital after my non-stress test the previous day. I was feeling a little "pushy", but knew in my head that it was due to my water still being intact and bulging. They laughably asked me to "pee in a cup", and as I tried, my water exploded (seriously. like a tsunami.). The sweet relief after was wonderful, but as the nurse checked the baby's heart rate, it was quite low (around 80 beats per minute) and she asked me to move to the bed so they could use the continuous monitor.

The movement to bed quickly abolished the relief I had and it was declared that I was 5-6cm dilated. The feeling of despair was intense. I felt like I was in transition since leaving home and I couldn't believe I still had 4-6cm to go. This feeling was short-lived as I started pushing with the next contraction and 20 minutes later, at 7:21am, my beautiful son saw the light of day.

So only a few-ish hours of labour and 20 minutes of pushing. I so wish more Mamas were encouraged and motivated to have a vaginal birth after a cesarean. My unmedicated, natural births were so amazing and empowering. I can't wait to do it again. ;)

Darling baby boy
8 pounds 6 ounces
March 22, 2011, 7:21am

Being a Stay-at-home-mom

2011-07-06T12:45:00.009-03:00

As the bread-winner for our family, maternity leave gives me a chance to be an at-home mom for a little while. And it also gives my lovely hubby a chance to get out of the house! I'm actually ENJOYING housework and baking and I'm learning a little about decorating a space.

I'm currently reading Nate Berkus' book:

In it, I learned about wasted space. For example, I have a baker's rack in my livingroom/kitchen that acted as a catch all for homeless objects and dust. I cleaned the children's art supplies off the top of the refrigerator and created an art desk from the baker's rack. They use it all the time!

I also removed my open, messy change table and made this dresser work harder to contain clothing and give a spot for the baby's bum changes:

Nate also encourages bringing the outdoors inside. So I now have lovely flowers in my kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. They lift my spirits just by being there. I have some hosta leaves and bleeding hearts in my bathroom:

I've also recently jumped back into Flylady, http://www.flylady.net/index.asp, I love the organization of having routines and it helps motivate me to remove clutter.

Flylady teaches to put something pretty in the spots that tend to gather junk. Like the top of the bureau, I love candles, so I'm deterred from dumping the junk out of my pockets here:

And also from Flylady, the simple act of making my bed sets the tone for my whole day!

And as a stay-at-home-mom, baking has become a zen activity for me. And there's something so "Norman Rockwell" about my two-year-old with his hand in the cookie jar.

And of course, here's the main reason I love being at home:

Been missing my blog..

2010-11-21T21:30:00.003-04:00

We've had birthdays!
Little G turned 2 years old.

Miss E turned 4 (and decorated her own cake!)
Baby #3 should be around 2 pounds right now...
This is my new "Mommy chair"...
And the knitting project I just finished today. Newfie mitts for G!
Ahhh... that feels better. I've been a little nesty lately, so perhaps more blogging will come along with it. :)

Snack Time

2010-04-02T11:15:00.002-03:00

My kids have 2 snacks during the day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They seem to need this in order to avoid the low blood sugar meltdowns (ie they turn into different children that make you want to tear your hair out).

I traditionally have a hard time with meal/snack planning, but with the help of google and my kid friendly cook books, I'm getting better!

I just wanted to share this snack idea that's always a hit with my children. They are plain snack crackers and I put a little of everything on them. Whatever I find in my kitchen that I think my children might eat.

Here, half are spread with natural peanut butter and half are spread with cream cheese. Toppings include: raisins, semi-sweet choco chips, cheerios, jam, cheddar cheese and blueberries. Things I've used in the past include: sesame seeds, mozza, pickles, strawberries, apple, other cereals...

And some snacking action shots (of course, the first thing to leave are the chocolate chips!). The kids love picking them apart and eating things separately... and a longer snack time means a longer rest time for Mama! (or Dad!)

Sugar free cooking...

2010-03-28T17:38:00.003-03:00

They look like they are filled with chocolate-y deliciousness yes?

No. No no no no no no. They are so bland and sponge-like. Blech. This is my second recipe in recent weeks that made me ask, did they actually try this recipe before publishing it? (the other was a pumpkin granola bar).

I've been trying to make the kids more snacks/baked goods that have low-to-no refined sugar. My adventures have not always been successful.

I have found a really cool cookbook however, "Healthy Snacks for Kids" by Penny Warner. So far everything I've made out of it is good, and all of the recipes contain no (or extremely little) refined sugar or added salt. It's from 1983, but I've discovered that she's made some newer versions.

In love with a frying pan and mud.

2010-03-24T20:55:00.003-03:00

Knowing what I know about the questionable chemicals in the non-stick coating of many frying pans, my cookware felt like my enemy. It was getting old and a little worn; it just seemed wrong to continue using them. So I bought a small cast iron frying pan and I'm in love. Properly treated it is just as non-stick as my others and it's actually more energy efficient. It holds heat so well that I can cook with temperatures that are 25% lower than before.

My new frying pan has not left it's place of honor since I brought it home.

And March break was so lovely this year. "Hippy" and I had time to prepare part of our garden.. I can't wait to start planting! (I think perhaps we should start a blog just for our garden!)

This space is twice the size as it was last year. And yes, Hippy pulled ALL of those rocks out of the mud! What a dedicated gardener.

We put some of those rocks to work as a pathway (is it hardcore recycling when you reuse rocks? heehee) Oh, and see that tiny green speck to the upper right of the big rock? That's our chives growing already! These were planted before we even moved here.

And we're so excited about this, that hill behind the kiddos used to be covered in weeds. We cleaned it off and made two tiers that we're planting the cucumbers and zucchini on... won't it be lovely when the vines are tumbling down that hill? So exciting!

We're also adding a salad and herb garden to the front of the house and a row of scarlet runner beans and sugar snap peas to crawl up the side of our deck. I can't wait for the planting! Indoor seedlings to be started soon. :)

It's not poison!

2010-03-18T22:18:00.002-03:00

I was a little worried about this yogurt experiment. Really, how fine a line do you walk between growing lots of good yogurt bacteria and the type that makes you kneel to the porcelain gods?

Well, I'm happy to report that it turned out great! Homemade organic yogurt, easy peasy. I did some unfortunate timing and ended up needing to scoop it out of the slow cooker for refrigeration at 1:30am, but other than that I was very happy. It has a nice taste and easily made around $16 dollars worth of yogurt if I were to buy the same amount at a grocery store.

I did eat a gigantic bowl myself (with maple syrup, yum!) before allowing my children to eat it... not because I'm greedy, just because I was a little nervous about the whole "growing bacteria" thing.

And...
Just a little toddler activity to share. I wrote out some numbers and drew some shapes on a big piece of paper for a bean bag toss game today. A nice way to learn shapes/colours/numbers and they had a blast keeping "score" on the chalkboard. (Although everyone had the same score because they got to throw until they made their mark!)

Homemade Yogurt

2010-03-17T10:30:00.002-03:00

In my adventures of crunchiness, I've abandon many pre-boxed and pre-made food items such as pancake mix, boxed cakes, bagged cookies... I also bread my own chicken nuggets and make my own bread crumbs... little things like that.

Today I am trying my hand at making my own yogurt and if all goes well I will be splitting the batch with my neighbour (who my husband has affectionately nicknamed "Hippy"). And then she will buy the supplies to make the next batch. Like a mini yogurt co-op. "Hippy" and her son also share the investment, work and bounty of the veggie garden. It's fun!

I'm using a tutorial found on

A Year of Slow Cooking

I don't usually buy organic milk, unfortunately. It costs $6.60 for 2L, compared to $3 for local non-organic milk. I haven't yet been able to justify this added expense. But if this yogurt recipe works, even with the more expensive milk it will still be a money saver for the amount it makes.

All told, the recipe is supposed to take around 14 hours. So I've started today, about an hour ago.

Spring!

2010-03-16T20:22:00.003-03:00

I've always considered March in this area to be another month of winter. There is the odd snow storm, piles of dirty white stuff lining the streets and parking lots. It's actually one of my least favourite months.

March 2010 however is turning out to be awesome! It has been warm, all of the snow is gone, and I've actually had the sun touch my face every day for the past week. I have a serious case of spring fever! (And no, that doesn't mean that baby #3 is on the way, not yet anyway...)

I've had clothing on the line (and it didn't freeze!). Diapers today!

We've raked the grass and turned the soil in the garden (part of it anyway, we're making it bigger!). It definitely needs some more work, but it's not frozen!

The children have played outside almost everyday, often just needing a sweater.

And I've started reading this book, so I must have summer on the mind! (I'll write a mini review a little later)

Christmas sewing..

2009-12-23T22:30:00.003-04:00

Since I don't get my knitting supplies back until tomorrow I've been spending a little quality time with my sewing machine. Here are some Christmas gifts that are ready for giving!

E is getting a new baby doll for Christmas, and it says on the box: "replacement diapers sold separately." Ha! I don't buy disposable diapers for my baby, so naturally E's will need a cloth diaper stash as well (and let's not forget the cloth wipes!): I used this pattern but adapted it just a little so it will fit more of her babies (longer wings and a piece of velcro so the wings can overlap)
While I was browsing this adorable and crafty blog, I found a post that linked to a bean bag tutorial. They looked easy to make and I had the supplies so I made these for E's stocking. Her name on one side and shapes on the other. I filled them with rice.
And yet again I've made a knitting needle roll from this tutorial that I LOVE. I think this is the 4th one I've made. They are easy but come out looking so professional... a gift that any knitter would love I think!
And Happy Holidays to everyone!

Blogiversary!

2009-12-13T11:42:00.002-04:00

I just realized that today is my blog's first birthday!

One year ago today I had just finished my first knitting project, my baby was only 2 months old, my girl was still nursing and I was on maternity leave... how things have changed!

Christmas is coming!

2009-12-13T11:15:00.004-04:00

I did something terrible. I forgot my knitting bag in a different province. No!!! I should have finished my Christmas knitting ages ago, alas.. I didn't! And now my knitting things are separated from me by a 3 hour drive and a bridge toll that costs $42.50. Doh!

Since I haven't had my needles to keep me busy I've been at some other things. E and I are decorating the Christmas tree together this year, we've started by making strands of popcorn and cranberries for garland, and after the holiday we'll string them outside for the birds.

Thankfully I didn't also bring my sewing machine to Prince Edward Island so I can still make E her cloth diaper stash for her babies. This will be her Christmas gift from Mommy. I'm going to make 3 diapers, wipes and a pretend wet bag. I'll post pictures when it's all done. Here's the fabric:

And I also wanted to share my latest knitting projects. E saw this purple yarn in Walmart and she threw it in the cart and declared, "This will be my new hat and mittens Mommy." And so it was:

And G's new winter snuggly:

I can't believe Christmas is only 11 days away!

Late Halloween

2009-11-09T17:43:00.004-04:00

I've been terribly neglectful of my blog this fall, but now that the cooler weather is upon us my love for craftiness is reigniting... I think all of the really fun stuff to make is needed in the winter. :)

So as a "Hi blog, I'm back" post, here is one of my recent projects, it took me a week of evenings to complete, but I think they turned out adorable. I bought a simplicity Halloween pattern for a lamb costume, made a few adjustments, winged some bunny paws, and voila, Max and Ruby.

G's Partywear

2009-09-23T21:14:00.002-03:00

I wanted to do a dino themed party for G's first birthday party this Saturday but I couldn't find dinosaur themed things locally. So off I went to pick up some neat fabrics. I'll be making some of the party accessories, including this outfit I finished this evening! I appliqued the front of a store bought shirt and with some simple fleece I made a pair of pants that double as a diaper cover! I hope it looks cute on him. :)

Gabriel's First Birthday

2009-09-22T21:34:00.004-03:00

Today was my "baby's" first birthday

10:53 (ish) September 22nd, 2008

10:53am September 22nd, 2009We marked the big day with his first haircut!

And then we had some cake!
He totally scarfed it! hahaHe was a very happy boy...

Dear Tide:

2009-09-07T11:50:00.003-03:00

Dear Tide Laundry Detergent.

As my son's first birthday rapidly approaches, I am still angry with you.

Every few nights or so I pull out my favourite nighttime t-shirt. It's a plain gray men's shirt that I bought in the final weeks of pregnancy. I needed something comfy that covered my whole belly. The front reads (faded now), "A little bit of exercise never killed anyone, but why risk it?". This shirt is well worn... and stain free. Here in lies my annoyance.

For birth I decided this shirt made the cut. I wore it the night I went into labour and it stayed on for the duration. My son was born onto this shirt, in all of his newborn gooey-ness. It was a moment I will cherish until my last breath.

It might be gross, but this shirt marinated in a plastic bag for over a week following his birth. I was going to throw it out until I decided it was impossible to part with. It would be the battle-scared trophy from my natural vbac. I would be able to pull it out, look at the stains and remember my son, newly born, taking his first breath.

And so I washed it. I took it from the dryer, and much to my disappointment, all of the stains were gone. I even hollered out my frustration to hubby, and I mention it almost every time I wear that shirt. I guess next time I'll let it stew in a plastic bag for 2 weeks? Maybe I'll just vacuum seal it as is? Anyone have suggestions on laundry detergents that suck?

Darn Tide.

A dissatisfied satisfied customer,

Rebecca

3 Weeks!

2009-08-17T10:52:00.003-03:00

3 weeks until my first 5K run! I'll admit that I've been slacking a little lately. I've only ran 3 times in the past 3 weeks, but a great jog/hike with a friend yesterday has re-energized me.

I assumed I haven't lost anymore weight, but I just hopped on the scale and I'm actually 158 pounds! I started this journey a few months ago at 174 so I've lost 16 pounds total! Woot! I went clothes shopping over the weekend and the sizes are showing the difference. Medium shirts have replaced the larges and I fit easily into a size 11/12 pant. Only 3 more pounds until I'm the same size I was when I got married, and that was my first goal.

I'm actually quite happy with the size I am right now, so I'm not focused as much on weight loss as I am on being fit and able to run longer distances. But I know if I keep up the running, my weight will likely keep going down (and I'll have to keep my second job just to pay for new clothing sizes... haha)

So I'm back to running at least 3 times a week in preparation for the 5k... wish me luck!

The Garden

2009-08-06T17:24:00.002-03:00

Our neighbour and I put in two small gardens this spring and things are starting to look lush and bountiful! I grew up around plenty of gardens as a child, but I've never had much patience for growing things myself... I have, however, had that inner desire to grow my own veggies and I'm shocked that it's actually working!

Some tomatoes:
Lettuce in the middle, zucchini lower right:

The peas are looking terribly spindly but I'm still hopefully they'll produce some goodies for us:
Carrots along the right edge, a tall dill plant (only one grew in the entire row, haha), basil in the centre:
Cucumber lower left, chives upper left (these just grew on their own, someone must have planted it here during a previous year), and some more lettuce lower right:
Beans are the bright green plants, they're just starting to flower:
Peppers. I can't believe how these small, seemingly weak plants hold up these large peppers:
It's so much fun to watch things grow. And it's very nice to share the garden tending with another person, she has done more than her fair share of weeding, I need to kick it up a notch in that department.

Take down those shower curtains!

2009-07-27T17:13:00.004-03:00

In my weekly (ahem cough sputter) cleaning of the bathroom, I took down the shower curtain in an attempt to clean off the mineral buildup from the clear liner. I threw it in the washing machine, and as per usual, many hours later it was still in there when I wanted to take a shower.

Drat. I settled for a bath. I shooed the children away to their father, and turned on the tap. I added some bubble bath, grabbed the Twilight book I've been meaning to read all summer long and settled into our neglected soaker style tub. It was a lovely, relaxing moment to myself. So my advice is: take down the shower curtain, "forget" it in the washer, pawn your children off on someone and have a bubble bath. You might even get to shave your legs or read a chapter in a book.

Oh, and lock the door. After 12.6 minutes of bubble bath bliss, a two year old had barged through the door, demanded that I strip off her clothing so she could bath too, and in she hopped. So my alone time quickly became hide and seek underwater with Dora the Explorer, but it was nice while it lasted.

And some recent pictures of the kidlets:

G got himself a new "manly" car seat. (have you ever noticed how much money is spent on places for your child to sit?)
And the car seat box is the most fun of course:

Baby/Toddler Newfie Mittens

2009-07-23T09:21:00.002-03:00

I love these mittens. They will keep hands warm, even in Canadian winters, and they are a childhood memory for sure. Less than a year ago my Nanny passed away, and she used to make these mittens like crazy for us grandchildren. I still have some kicking around that she knitted up. There are lots of patterns around for these mittens I've come to discover, but I had trouble finding a toddler sized one, so through trial and error I put this together:

Needed:
3.25mm double pointed needles (or 3, or 4... it will just make the mitten a little smaller or larger)
tapestry needle
worsted weight yarn, 2 contrasting colours (in the picture I used Patons Classic Merino Wool)

MC: Main Colour
CC: Contrasting Colour

K: knit
P: purl
K2tog: knit 2 together

Size: When using 3.25mm needles and a worsted weight yarn, this pattern creates a mitten that has a 1.75" cuff and the body of the mitten is 3.5". I would guess it's about a 12 month size, but it's easily adjustable by adding more repeats to the pattern, or by using a slightly larger needle.

Using MC, cast on 30 stitches, divide stitches evenly onto 3 double pointed needles and join to knit in the round.

K1P1 ribbing for 15 rounds (or longer if you wish)

Next row: purl
Next row: purl, increasing by 2 stitches on each needle (36 stitches total). It doesn't really matter where you put these increases, just separate them a bit. I use a make-one-back increase and purl it... it's pretty invisible this way.

Now for the patterned section:
Join your CC so that you have both colours still connected to the mitten. You will now use the CC for the next 5 rows, but make sure your MC hangs on the inside of the mitten.

(A): *K4 with CC, slip 2 MC stitches purlwise*, repeat ** to end of row.

Complete (A) 4 more times, for a total of 5 rows.

Pick up MC and using it, purl 2 rows.

(B): K1 with CC, *slip 2 MC stitches purlwise, K4 with CC*, repeat ** to end of row. (you'll actually end the row with 3 knit stitches instead of 4, this is ok)

Complete (B) 4 more times, for a total of 5 rows.

You may now put stitches on a holder for the thumb, or if you're making the mitten larger, you might want to add another (A) section or an (A) and (B), just make sure you alternate sections and separate them by 2 purl rows.

Next Row: Immediately following your last section (A or B, depending on size), where you would normally purl 2 rows: P2, place 5 stitches on a holder, cast on 5 stitches using the backward loop method, purl to end. Purl one row.

(hint: Backward loop method (single cast on): http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/cast-on )

Continue alternating sections A and B, separating each by two purl rows. For the 12 month size mitten, I did 4 more sections before starting the decreases.

Decreases:
(you can now break your CC, leaving a end long enough to weave in later)
Using MC:
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: *K4, K2tog*, repeat ** to end of row
Row 3 & 4: Knit
Row 5: *K3, K2tog*, repeat ** to end of row
Row 6: Knit
Row 7: *K2, K2tog*, repeat ** to end of row
Row 8: Knit
Row 9: *K2tog*, repeat ** to end of row.

Break yarn and using a tapestry needle, thread yarn through remaining stitches, pull tight and weave in end on the inside of the mitten.

Thumb:
Using your double pointed needles, pick up the 5 stitches from your holder.
From the body of the mitten, pick up an additional 5-7 stitches. Divide all of these stitches as evenly as possible onto your double points, join your MC and knit in the round for 14 rows (more for a larger size). To end, K2tog for 1 row, break yarn, thread it through remaining stitches with tapestry needle, pull tight and weave in end on the inside of the mitten.

Weave in all remaining ends and repeat pattern for a second mitten (or a third if you lose them a lot).

I like to connect our mittens with a single crochet string and then they live in a jacket until washing is needed... :)

Again, I obviously have not created this concept. I have no idea who is the original "newfie mitt" designer. I'm just sharing my adventure in making a mini-size. :) Enjoy.

Where I shop...

2009-07-23T07:58:00.001-03:00

One of my favourite cloth diaper shops here in Canada, she has awesome customer service, a wide selection of products and almost always has some great deals.

I love shopping within Canada. :)

http://peekaboobottoms.com/index.php

Easy Peasy Cheesy Broccoflower

2009-07-20T09:44:00.002-03:00

The farmer's market is now filled with beautiful organically grown veggies. There are huge tables of green and orange and red and purple, so fresh you can still smell the earth they were growing from just hours before. Perfect for baby food. ;)

G's supper last night:
1/2 cup of steamed broccoli
1/2 cup of steamed cauliflower
Thumb size chunk of pasteurized cheese. (I used marble)
You can add a tiny bit of water, but the steamed veggies are likely moist enough.
It went for a whirl in my bullet and turned out like this:
G is about 8 months from picky eating due to colour, so he gobbled it right up.

When a baby is not a baby.

2009-07-19T11:03:00.002-03:00

This is how I can tell that my baby is rapidly becoming a toddler. The change table becomes a sewing/craft station. I need some nice lined baskets for the middle shelf and I need to take the change pad off the top... but it's much nicer than the ironing board I was using before... haha. And it's still easily convertable for when baby #3 decides to come along.

And on the theme of diapers - I thought I'd share my diaper laundry/stash.

Fresh out of the dryer:
Ready for a bum. (And yes, my very hip son wears pink. )
And my helpers:

And I can officially run 2 kilometres before a walk break and I've lost 11 pounds. Less than my pre-pregnancy weight! Woohoo for me! And I'm now comfortable wearing some very fitted running clothes.. sure there are some bulges hanging around, but the tight clothing gives me incentive to keep going. :)

Sometimes I'm organized...

2009-07-12T07:54:00.004-03:00

This took me a couple of hours to complete but it will save me time in the long run. All of the patterns and tutorials I use are found online and sometimes it's a pain when a computer is not available, or I have to run back and forth from my sewing machine (or knitting chair) to look something up. I have printed things occasionally, but with many tiny hands around, papers get rumpled and lost fairly easily. So here it is folks, this dull and boring three-ring binder:

Is actually Rebecca's Super Cool Book of Patterns N' Stuff:

All of the patterns and tutorials are held inside plastic page protectors and where applicable, the pattern templates are located in the back. An example in the sewing section is shown here:

Each section (sewing and knitting) is divided into categories with coloured tabs:

I included all of the patterns I use most commonly. It's a big binder so there's lots of room to add!I'm quite excited about this project. I've already used it and referred to its pages many times. Perhaps it makes me a geek, but I'm at peace with that. : )

Birthday Gift

2009-06-30T22:49:00.006-03:00

I fell in love with this tutorial back in January. I loved the finished product and have since made one for Rose (my hubby's mom) and I just finished this one for a friend that's in desperate need of some knitting needle organization! (and it's her birthday this week!)

The fabrics were some great "clearance" finds that I adore. (I may even go back to get enough to make myself a skirt!). I crocheted the wrap around tie from some merino wool - this is the only thing I know how to crochet.. ha!

I embellished the inside with some iron-on applique butterflies, neat wooden buttons and a ribbon to hold stitch markers. I just LOVE how it turned out!
Something a little extra... we decided to get a shot of G's favourite nursing position of late. This position is usually accentuated by humming and "singing". He's such a boy.

And another project I just finished up for TataTushies . I ADORE these little pants. I guess the colours are just my taste. I'm going to knit up a second pair for G's fall/winter stash. ;)

And my adorable son playing on Canada Day. I like this picture. :)

Cinnamon Apple Squash

2009-06-28T17:41:00.004-03:00

Now that I'm done work for the summer (well, for the time being anyway..) I already have some extra time to make more-than-basic baby food. So today I pulled a squash and an apple out of the fridge and whipped out my new bullet one shot blender (a lovely mother's day gift from my mother-in-law, great for baby food and perhaps more importantly - margaritas)

So I would normally bake the squash in the oven but it's too darn warm, so into the microwave it went for 9 minutes. Washed, cut in two, seeds removed and placed face down in a dish with 1/4 cup of water...

Once complete, I scoop out the soft guts and place in the blender (if you fill this, it's the perfect amount to fill one ice cube tray!). Also in the picture is a bowl of cut up apples, about 2 tablespoons of water (I don't really measure...) and about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. I cook the apples in the microwave for 2 minutes to soften.
Now a fairly important step... check on the kids to make sure they aren't destroying something or each other...

One is lining up crayons...

The other is making a mess in his sister's closet...
Add apples to the squash and blend away!Taste it to see if it needs a little more cinnamon. Yum!

Freeze in an icecube tray or feed fresh to baby. :)

Supper time update:
The Cinnamon Apple squash was a hit with G.

I was sneaky and put some semi-frozen squash mixture on the toddler's plate. I assumed it was enough like apple sauce that she would be cool with it. I even called it "apple icecream treat". She took a bite with much coaxing and promptly gagged and said, "Oh! That made me very very sick." *eye roll*

Extra Squishy-ness

2009-06-23T11:56:00.003-03:00

I think it's odd that our society is so secretive about weight. We women rarely tell others how much we weigh. But why? People can make educated guesses based on the bone showing, or lack thereof. I've started a new journey in life to become fit and a healthy weight... so I'm just going to put it out there. Numbers and all!

My last year of highschool, I don't remember what I weighed exactly but I was a healthy size 8/9. When I was married in 2005, I was 155 pounds and my wedding dress was a size 10. Pregnancy with my daughter brought me to an impressive 198 pounds and I quickly dropped back to 164. I stopped looking at the scale with my son, but I was slightly over the 200 mark when he was born 9 months ago. Until recently I hovered at 174 pounds and I wear a size 13-ish.

A few months ago I started an aquacise class for ab toning once a week (and boy do my abs need it after one c-section and two babies!), and 4 and a half weeks ago I started a run/walk program 3 times a week. So I've gone from a desk potato to working out 4 times a week! Woohoo for me! And I'm proud to say that I'm now 165 pounds. Down 9 pounds. :)

If only I could commit to changing my eating habits, the weight would come off quicker. But I don't feel ready for that change yet... one thing at a time. But I'm already feeling better, my clothes are fitting like crap (too big!), and I have more energy to play with my children.

My first goal is to be wedding size, at 155 lbs. Secondary to that is a 5k fun run that's happening in the first weekend of September. I want to be able to jog the entire distance. So I'll update periodically with my successes (and backward steps) and you can make me feel better by putting "it" out there and replying to this entry with your current weight. (lol)

Something I've learned about feeding babies...

2009-06-18T09:45:00.003-03:00

My daughter, long before I actually gave her non-booby food at 6 months, was interested in our plates, tried to steal a meal from our hands, watched us eat with an open mouth. She was very ready for food at 6 months of age and so I did the typical thing, I went to the baby section of the grocery store. I picked out a variety of little glass and plastic jars, there were a wide selection of things that sounded pretty good, and healthy. And indeed, I'm sure processed baby food has come a long way. It doesn't have a lot of preservatives and is tested for safety. But man... why are those "first foods" so watered down and runny? I could feed it to babes with a straw. And have you ever actually tasted them? Bland city. Some of them don't even taste like the actual product. Potato, cheese and broccoli puree? I kid you not, my dog (who gladly eats garbage) literally would not eat it.

And so I started to make my own baby food and I mixed nothing with water and pureed it. I spent a day steaming, cooking and mashing. Some things needed to be blended because of the "stringy" factor (like carrots), but I never needed to water it down. I think this was due to the fact that I waited until she was actually ready to eat. It didn't need to be the consistency of soup because she was able to manipulate soft foods with her tongue, sit on her own and swallow without gagging.

My son, who will be 9 months old in a few days, is really just getting into foods. He was not at all interested in eating at the 6 month mark and I feel that he wasn't ready physically for such a skill. I trusted that my breastmilk will provide him with everything he needs until such a time that he was ready to embark on soft solids. And waiting has been very rewarding! He has gone straight to feeding himself a lot of foods. He picks up pieces of cooked green beans and peas, he will gladly dip his fingers in yogurt and suck it off his hand, he holds rice crackers very well and can pick up cereal... I often don't need to sit there with a little spoon and mechanifcally plug food into his mouth that he spits right back out. It feels like we are enjoying meal time more. He's feeling independent and mom can eat her meal while it's actually hot! All because I didn't fret over 3 squares a day for my 4-6 month old, and just waited for him to start on his own.

I felt like feeding a baby solids would be a chore, but it's actually a lot of fun. :)

Dear Yarn Shops,

2009-06-09T08:34:00.003-03:00

I have yet to visit one of you lovely shops filled with delicious skeins of fibre. I have found you though. The Loop Craft Cafe and LK Yarns... consider yourself spotted. You might be an hour's drive from my house, but I'm going to come visit and I will likely buy some of your wares.

I wish I knew you existed when I was learning to knit. I would have enjoyed taking a knitting class, back when my tiny breastfeeder likely would have slept the time away (this no longer happens during convienent times). Alas, I will still gather together a few dollars and come browse around your shops... potentially for hours... and I will leave with something new and exciting to work up with my needles.

Sincerley,
A Lonely Knitter Who Lives Far From a Yarn Shop

Finding the time

2009-05-23T09:57:00.004-03:00

That is the title of my life right now. I'm always "finding the time" to do everything... dishes, going to the store, laundry, reading to the kids, taking the dog outside, knitting, watching something from the DVR, blogging... and everything is squished around going to work.

The summer is coming soon, and I'm thankful for the fact that I will be off, and hopefully time won't be as scarce. :)

We returned from a work trip at White Point Beach Resort a little bit ago. The conference was useful and I think the kids had a nice time exploring the beach, swimming at the pool and looking at the bunnies (the place is full of wild bunnies that have been tamed over the years). It was fun and I'm always amazed at the ocean. I grew up beside it, but our beaches often have gentle waves and warm water in the summer. The open atlantic is like ice and the waves are awe inspiring and huge! I wish I had been better at taking pictures during this trip. Here's a shot that I stole from the website...

The grand opening of TataTushies drew quit a few visitors and lots of entries for our free-for-shipping draws. We didn't make a whole lot of sales, but hopefully as we get some positive feedback, word-of-mouth will work in our favour. :) It's a fun venture!

Here's my only contribution to the stocking so far. I've had to resist the urge to put it on my own son's behind... lol His change table is already filled with wool! It's a pair of shorties (diaper cover) with a matching doll:

I'm working on something girlie for the next stocking. :)

News from the kiddo front... G is a busy little man. He has starting to cruise around furniture a little, although I don't think he realizes he's doing it yet! And E is enjoying the warmer weather and wants to play outside constantly. She's also had a word explosion over the last several weeks and I don't think there's anything she can't express these days. It's a fun time. (I'll add some pictures soon)

And as if I don't have enough things to do, I've started taking a little "me" time to exercise. I go to an aquafit class once a week and last week I started a couch-to-5K run program. You don't realize how out of shape you are until you try running for just 60 full seconds! I've lost 3 pounds so far, so only 5 more to go before I'm pre-baby-G size. ;)

Knitting for other little bums

2009-05-08T23:00:00.003-03:00

Other babies may soon be modeling my knitting. :) I've joined up with my friend to start a little online shop of handmade baby goods. I have fun knitting and sewing, so why not offer it up to others? I have yet to actually finish a project to sell, but our grand opening will be on May 27th!

TataTushies

We also have a Blog and you can find us on Facebook.

I'm really looking forward to this little business venture. :)

Thoughts on Sleeping Through The Night

2009-05-01T09:28:00.002-03:00

His grunts and whines echo from the baby monitor on the bedside table. A quick glance at the clock never reveals morning; it's always between 12 and 3am.

I pull myself from bed and tip toe into the hallway. A two-year-old sleeps nearby and I certainly don't want two little ones awake in the middle of the night. I slip into the darkened room and feel my way to his crib, the light from outside illuminates a hungry 7-month-old, sitting up and still half enveloped in the swaddle from bedtime.

I pick him up and hold him close to my chest. I make quiet "shush" noises in his ear to keep the protests of an empty tummy quiet long enough to duck back into the adult's bedroom.

We lay back down in bed and snuggle under blankets. His tiny hands are often like ice as he rolls toward me, flailing and frustrated that I'm taking more than 0.005 seconds to settle next to him.

He nurses.

His small warm body is curled into mine and I hear the satisfied sounds of eating. I know his eyes are likely still closed and soon we both fall back to sleep. I'm too tired to move him back to his own bed and honestly, I don't want to. It's a quiet, blissful time of bonding. I'm most grateful for breastfeeding during these wee hours of the morning and although most give a tiny look of pity when I reply "not yet" to the sleeping-through-the-night questions, I'm secretly glad. I don't want my baby to abandon our nighttime routine just yet. I love it and wouldn't change it for the world.

Cool swinging and warm snugglies

2009-04-25T22:25:00.005-03:00

It was warmer today but yesterday's chilly breeze called for hats and mits at the playground (boo!). This was G's first time trying out the swing and while we can always get a few picture-worthy smiles out of him, he was not impressed.

Ella loved the swings as always.

And let us not forget the monkey bars and slide. ;)

And the "warm snugglies" part of the title... I went to a conference for work early last week and it appears that shawls and wraps are popular (I'm not very trendy... so I wouldn't know these things). I decided to make one for myself, so that's my latest knitting project. I found a soft cuddly handspun-type yarn in blue. I can't wait to wrap up in it on chilly spring/summer evenings. :) Pictures to follow...

Pulling up and a Girly Cover

2009-04-21T22:13:00.003-03:00

Gabriel is now pulling himself up on everything. He also got his first tooth on Sunday! (I'll try my hardest to get a picture) He'll be 7 months tomorrow... babies grow way too fast.

I would love to get feedback from folks that try my patterns/tutorials (found off to the right). I received a lovely e-mail from a Mama who made these for her daughter from the Gabey Baby pattern. She did an awesome job and gave me permission to share! Don't you just love the colours? Great job!

What we're up to.

2009-04-17T08:50:00.010-03:00

My second week back to work has fizzled away. As it was the first time around, the dread beforehand was worse than real life. I do miss my kids while I'm at work, but going home twice a day to nurse my son makes it a whole lot easier. So now the countdown to summer break begins. :)

Easter was fun. E had a wonderful time doing an egg hunt and even though it snowed that weekend, she still had some outdoor fun. (Spring is more than welcome to show up any time now!)

My new found love for crafting has slowed, but has not died. I just finished knitting 4 dolls for trades (trading for wipes, dryer balls and a new pocket diaper! woot!) and I've started another pair of shorties for Gabriel to wear this summer.

Example of the doll sets I've been making:

Gabriel's new shorties-to-be:

I have sewing projects on the go (they've been this way for quite some time now). I'm making some mama head scarfs, I need to make bedding for E's new doll crib, I need to fix a hole in my bed skirt (as a certain toddler uses it as a foothold to climb onto our bed). When I was young (maybe 7 or 8?) one of my aunts used to let us embroider at her house... and I'd like to try it again. E is starting to draw pictures that actually look like faces and I want to embroider one (or more) of her drawings and frame it... so now I just need to re-teach and refresh my embroidery skills (if you could call them that).

I also need to reupholster my dining room chairs. Before you think I'm some kind of know-it-all... no, I have never in my life put new fabric on a piece of furniture... but the lovely creamy white fabric is just not working with the finger paint and food stains, and so I will try. I have the fabric. I have the staple gun. I've watched home decorating shows. It can't be too difficult... right?!

The embarrassingly stained chair and the new fabric:

Our weekly creative circle is also still trucking along. Occasionally it has been a little sparse member-wise with one having a baby and one finishing school, but I look forward to it every week. It's nice to have a time set aside where I know I'll get some knitting or sewing done. ;)

Some of our most recent projects:

Letters for a toddler's room ~

Doll knitting ~
Drawing~
Painting ~ (we just let her do as she wishes at her art table... haha)

And one of our members has been MIA because she was making this ~ (awwwww)

News on the baby front: I have pictures and video of E's first time pulling herself into a standing position.

Ella, 9 months old~

I will not have the same documentation of this first for G. Last night he awoke at about 1:30am for a little boobie snack. I snoozed for a few minutes, hoping he would go back to sleep. When it was clear he wasn't going to, I went to get him. And there I find my son, standing in his crib, and since the mattress is still at the highest setting, arms and head dangling over the side *insert Mommy heart attack here*.

So needless to say, no middle-of-the-night-first-pull-to-stand pictures. And I suppose it's time to lower the crib mattress. Why don't I just get him a toddler bed and save myself the surprise of my baby hitting another milestone and getting closer to toddler-hood?

Also, he's starting into some non-booby food (I guess it's also time to start steaming/baking/mashing/blending. I normally hate cooking, but there's a certain satisfaction in making my own baby food):

Longest blog post eva. Ha!

Back to work..

2009-04-03T13:18:00.005-03:00

The final days of my maternity leave are sliding away. I go back to work on Monday and I'm a little sad. I enjoy being at home with my babies and I worry about missing their milestones and important events.

Even the little things can be so much fun...

Like Ella making her own breakfast:

Or Gabriel not realizing how funny he is...

Cesarean Awareness Month.

2009-03-31T21:53:00.004-03:00

April is Cesarean Awareness Month.. a cause that is near and dear to my heart. This year's theme is, "Real Women. Real Lives." and is all about telling our stories.

So here it is, a condensed version of my story.

At 41 weeks 2 days of my first pregnancy, my body finally decided it was go time. I was excited that I was in labour and I had avoided the dreaded induction I was having hung over my head. In the back of my mind, I had wanted a natural birth, but upon arrival at the hospital with no birth plan, things changed drastically.

Over the next several hours I had IV narcotics, anti-emetics, an epidural that paralyzed me from the armpits down and pitocin to speed up labour slowed by the epidural. My daughter started to show signs of stress at this point (who wouldn't?) and I was wheeled into the OR for surgery.

My beautiful baby was born blue, requiring bagging to breath and a shot of narcan to counteract the narcotics during labour. She spent the next 20 hours in the NICU for observation where her blood sugar dropped and she was given formula rather than being brought to me to nurse.

And that doesn't even touch on what it's like to recover from surgery when you have to care for a newborn.

The next time around I vowed things would be different. I knew that the cascade of interventions I received during labour ultimately landed me that c-section scar. My son, 22 months later, was born drug-free into my arms following the most incredible experience of my life. I pushed out my 8 pound 9 ounce baby and I felt like super woman. :)

Meeting my daughter for the first time:

Meeting my son for the first time:

Tell your story too, every little bit of awareness can make a difference.
http://www.ican-online.org/

Birth of a Baby

2009-03-28T13:15:00.002-03:00

The Stats:
Born March 27th, 2009, 3:47am
8 pounds 14 ounces
20 and 3/4 inches long
Baby boy Grayson

I was honoured to be invited to the birth of my friend/cousin's new little baby. As a nurse, I've been to many births, but it's so different to be there as solely a support person. You don't have to worry about charting and other nursing activities, you can just focus on being present for the mama.

What an awesome experience. I'm continually amazed at the strength women have when it comes to childbearing. 35 hours at the hospital, 21 hours of hard contractions and then to have the strength to push that baby into the world. It is awe inspiring and may I just say, my new little cousin is an adorable little man. He's so peaceful and bright... looking around and into his mother's face like no other 1-day-old I've ever seen. :)

I can't wait to see him grow. I hope my son and him become the best of friends, just like his mother and me.

It's been an exciting week!

Wildlife park

2009-03-21T14:34:00.003-03:00

For some sunshine and fresh air, we went to a wildlife park today. It was a little chilly, but thankfully the puddles weren't frozen (a main attraction for a two-year-old I've come to discover). This park has animals that have been rehabilitated from injuries or handraised in captivity due to the loss of their mother or have been born at the facility.

I wasn't able to capture too many photos due to the above mentioned puddle jumping (although my sister is a star for redirecting):)

You can feed the deer. E had no fear and reached right in to pat her head.

Gabriel was less than thrilled with his first trip to the park. :)

I asked the peacock to shake off a few feathers for us... he didn't go for it.

The wolf that's standing is huge. He must be close to 100 pounds. He was handraised by humans and wags his tail and whimpers to get out just like any dog:

Anyway, that's what we did today!

Uh oh!!

2009-03-20T18:46:00.002-03:00

I put G on his back on the floor and he went from a nearly-crawling position to his first independent sit! He just started to be able to sit without support for about 30 seconds earlier this week, and now he thinks he's a big grown-up baby that not only doesn't need support... but doesn't need help to get into the position at all!

It's not good to compare, but Ella was 8/9 months old and pulling-to-stand when she had her first independent sit... which is totally normal.

My babies are growing too fast! Wahhh!

Bloggy Giveaway!

2009-03-19T13:31:00.004-03:00

Not by me, but from an awesome online friend Jamie. Free babylegs! Check it out.

More recycled wool

2009-03-17T09:00:00.003-03:00

Last night at "creative circle" I made this sweet wool diaper cover (in hopes that summer will soon show it's face). This was a 100% lambswool Gap sweater I found for $4 at a second hand clothing store. I used this training pants pattern which happens to fit very nicely over a diaper on a baby. I used the bottom and collar ribbing of the sweater for the trim areas. It was fun to make and it looks adorable! And I still have enough sweater to make another soaker and a pair of longies or shorties.

If you cloth diaper, it really is worth it to give recycled wool a try. It's a awesome first sewing project, and they work great!

Charity Auction

2009-03-16T00:00:00.003-03:00

Want a chance to own your own "Little Joe"? I've knit this lovely little duo for a charity auction on Hyena Cart. They would like to be adopted to a caring home, perhaps with children, where they will be played with and loved on. :)

More information about this fundraiser and the actual auction which occurs on March 18th, 2009 can be found here http://hyenacart.com/NorthStarCreations/ (these little knit cuties will be posted sometime over the next 24 hours or so).

Happy Bidding!

Where are those pearly whites?

2009-03-13T13:05:00.003-03:00

I've been expecting the day when G chews on my hand/arm/cheek and I feel the poke of a tooth, but nothing yet! He's doing the drooling, getting a little chin rash from the acidity, chewing on EVERYTHING, fussing some... but no tooth. Not that I'm rushing him out of that gooey gummy grin, just waiting.

Currently we have an amber teething necklace and some teething toys that I can chill, he also likes chewing on an icecube wrapped in a baby wash cloth... anyone else have good teething remedies?

Sort of on the same topic - I've been doing a lot of reading and research on when babies start solid foods. E was such an eager little eater. She started soft foods at 6 months but at 5 months she was studying us as we ate, opening her mouth as we did, trying to grab food from our hands and attempting to drink from cups. G is so not there yet. The 6 month mark is 9 days away and I don't feel like he can hold himself up enough yet, he still has the "eject" tongue reflex to spit things out, no teeth and he just doesn't seem interested.

Most current research states to take baby's cues for readiness and that starting solids between 7-9 months (or even later) is perfectly acceptable and perhaps superior to starting at 6 months, especially if they aren't ready.

So no solids in the immediate future, but I'm going to start cooking and freezing very soon!

Fun Mail and Get-Togethers

2009-03-12T13:20:00.004-03:00

Belle and Burger is a fun blog that I've come across. She's amazingly crafty and sells her homemade goodies both online and at a farmer's market. In preparation for making baby food (oh too soon...) I decided I needed one of her awesome aprons. I received my package in the mail today and it's even sweeter in person and it was so fun to open with a little hand written note and a free card. I can't wait to cook something with it... how domestic! ;)

Edit to add an action shot for Jamie:

On a different note... Monday evening now holds "creative circle" time at my house. It's like a knitting circle, only my sister participates and she doesn't knit, she draws/sculpts/writes/builds/carves so it's a "creative circle". :) I worked on another "little joe" for a charity auction while Melissa came close to finishing a vest for her son, my sister Kim wrote a story for E and next week I hope Elaine will join us, if she's not in labour.

We drank tea and ate cookies.. it was nice!

"Little Joe"

2009-03-05T11:18:00.003-04:00

I was making this little guy for G as an Easter present (a teething toy really), but E has fallen in love and named him "Little Joe". I think he's too cute. ;)

Made from a pattern found here: http://jeangreenhowe.com/patterns.html

A Handmade Holiday

2009-03-03T09:15:00.004-04:00

This Easter the only shopping we'll be doing could be to the yarn or fabric store. I've decided that everything the kids get this holiday will be handmade by someone. My carpenter sister will be crafting a wooden doll cradle for E and I'll sew the bedding. I'm knitting a bunny hat and doll for G. Other treasures I have found at etsy.com and hyenacart.com (both awesome places for handmade goods). And I'm sure some baking and candy making is in order!

I can't wait to share pictures of their Easter morning goodies!

Have you had or considered a handmade holiday? :)

Relaxing, Mommy Style.

2009-03-01T17:06:00.004-04:00

Hubby is home today so I'm taking the opportunity to hand the kiddos off and do some things for myself... you know, like taking a shower, doing art with E and making baby shoes for G. *wink wink*

I love the Robeez brand shoes. They are one of the few baby shoes that actually stay where they're supposed to. G is starting to get a little more mobile around the floor so I spent $30 a couple of weeks ago on a new pair of Robeez (with dragons - so cute). But there are also a ton of awesome tutorials on making your own soft soled shoes for your little one, so I thought I'd whip up a pair today. I used this great pattern, and here's the result:

And here's our art project:

We played with homemade playdough, in case you can't make out my beautiful scupture (ha), that's a mommy, daddy and two baby birds in a nest. Playing with dough really is just me trying to make things that the toddler requests... not always pretty.

Here's our dough recipe: combine 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, 1/2 a cup of salt, 1 tablespoon cream of tartar and some food colouring to a saucepan and heat until warm. Remove from heat and add 1 cup of flour. Stir then knead until smooth. Store in closed container in fridge and it will last a really long time (ours is 2 months old at this point).

And one last thing: yesterday was my Mom's birthday... (happy birthday again Mom!). I made her these pillows for her couch. They are so soft and squishy! Apparently mom put them on the bed last night and Dad was complaining about having to remove them all before sleep.... men...

And the Winner is...

2009-03-01T13:15:00.003-04:00

Today was the draw for the "I'm-sewing-too-much" giveaway .

The dramatic process: (I was going to get my two-year-old to do it, alas... nearly all twenty people can't win one diaper, haha)

The winner is Jenn MacB! As mentioned in her comment on "going green" she is preparing for the arrival of a baby this May! So I hope this diaper finds it's way well to the bum of your little one.

That was fun! I'll have to do another giveaway soon, so stay tuned. ;)

Learning to love tea

2009-02-27T09:33:00.003-04:00

I always admire gorgeous little teapot and cup sets. I've been on the verge of buying one several times... the only trouble is, I don't like tea. Ha!

So finding a love for tea has been a longstanding goal. It started with drinking red raspberry leaf tea at the end of pregnancy... (heavily laden with honey, and steeped with vanilla rooibos), and I also drank a nursing tea given to me from a friend. And once I love it, I will reward myself with an adorable teapot set. ;)

I've made a couple of breakthroughs lately. Some herbal tea at a breastfeeding group on Wednesday was delicious with a piece of carrot cake, and at a natural food shop yesterday I sampled some coconut chai tea and actually bought a tin! If you can find this locally, I totally recommend it, it smells heavenly! It's called "Zhena's Gypsy Tea". It's organic and fair trade black tea and it comes in a variety of flavours.

Does anyone have pointers on how to make a good pot/cup of tea? It seems to be an art that I know nothing about...

Run t-shirts, Run!!

2009-02-25T20:44:00.006-04:00

My sewing machine and I had a little session last evening. I had just finished a pair of shorties for tiny man and I was knitting the i-cord when I decided I hated knitting i-cords and set it aside for a bit.

So I hunted through the closet and found a giants t-shirt that was given to us (originally a freebie in a box of beer I think!). It's hubby's favourite team, but he doesn't wear this shirt because I've put "booby bumps" in the front of it. So men's shirts are the best for PJs. Sue me.

I cut and refashioned the shirt into a new diaper for the small one:

And here's G all ready and waiting for summer in his new shorties (minus his i-cord), if only the 3 feet of snow outside would stop replenishing itself.

$700 worth of power.

2009-02-23T10:04:00.003-04:00

Yikes. We moved in November and got our first full power bill today at our new place. Granted, it's electric heat with not-so-brand-new appliances, but for 2 months the grand total was $716.46. The power company was so kind to explain, "well, the majority of the usage time occurred after the rate increase." Oh well, sorry to continue using power after you increased the price by 10%.

Insane.

So I'm on a conserving energy kick. Here's my list so far:

- Turning the power bars off when the computer and TV are not in use.

- Break out the slippers and housecoats! Body heat is cheaper than electricity. haha

- It's hard during Canadian winters, but I'm hanging laundry out on the line during sunny days. This will happen more as the weather improves.

- Everything is washed with cold water other than the baby's diapers.

- When I use the clothes dryer, I'm giving things 40 minutes on medium heat. If it's not dry, tough luck, it gets hung up somewhere.

- Using natural light. I'm opening blinds and curtains during the day, it's also good for chasing away the winter blahs. However, once the sun is down, I close them up to keep heat from escaping.

- Short showers.

- I've been taking note of things that are always plugged in and if they don't need to be.. I unplug them.

- Letting my hair dry on its own. My hair will thank me for this anyway.

- I need to fix a tap in the bathroom that's leaking hot water.

Any other suggestions? Anyone have $700 they're looking to give away? haha

Paper Bag Prince

2009-02-21T20:13:00.001-04:00

Oh yes. My son is in a paper bag. Once he got on his belly, he kicked and kicked and had a great time. Free fun for the whole family. haha

Little Artist

2009-02-17T13:09:00.003-04:00

E LOVES to paint and colour and do crafts. I can set up a little art station for her and she'll create away the time. Sometimes she needs a break so she'll ask to have her hands washed and do something else for a while but she'll come back for as long as her supplies are out. I just have one problem with this... what do I do with all of her lovely artwork? Will I get over the desire to keep every little scrap of paper she puts a mark on? :)

An "I'm-sewing-too-much" giveaway!!

2009-02-14T22:27:00.007-04:00

Draw is TODAY March 1st at 12:00pm Atlantic Time!

I got the idea to have a blog giveaway from an online friend a little while ago but I wasn't sure what I'd "give away". As I was sewing this diaper I realized that my little man has all of the diapers he needs right now and maybe there's another little bum in the world that needs it more.
So here it is folks...

...a pocket fitted made-by-me with the Rita's Rump Pocket pattern . It features a white fleece outer and a brown/black tie-dyed flannel on the inside. It has ruffled leg openings and I added an elastic to the back for those extra-explosive poops. This pattern has long wings designed to wrap around your baby's waist and secure in place with one diaper pin in the front. This is a one-size fits most diaper, although I've only tested the pattern out on my 15 pound 4-month-old. They work great on him.

Due to the fleece outer, this diaper could be worn coverless for a while at home, but you may want to slap on some wool/extra fleece/PUL if you're going out.

And because I can't just give away an empty diaper, it also comes with a double layer flannel wipe and a flannel/cotton terry/bamboo insert.

Remember... I am not a seamstress, I sew for fun so it's certainly not perfect!

And how can you win this diaper you may ask? Post a comment to this blog entry stating the super-creative ways that your family tries to be more "green". It can be anything from making your own diapers to hanging out the laundry to growing vegetables. Tell me what you do to be kind to our world and why it's important to you! I will randomly select one person on March 1st.

******Be sure to leave your name and correct e-mail address so I can contact you for shipping information. Or a link to your blog... just someway I can contact you ******

Thanks and have fun with your entry!

Happy Heart Day!

2009-02-14T13:29:00.002-04:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! We're having some lovely snow here (as long as you're not out driving) and E and I had an opportunity to do some sleding and playing in the snow. Here's my little girl as a snow baby. (not long after this, our fun was cut short by, "I have to go PEEPEE!!")

Valentine's Day

2009-02-13T21:45:00.004-04:00

I struggled this year about whether or not to buy a gift for Ella. We may have got a little chocolate or something as kids, but it wasn't really a "gift giving" holiday. We were fine with that and I had decided that I wouldn't buy gifts for my children either.

However, what about making something? I came across this little gem on a blog I follow and I thought it was a wonderful idea. The original tutorial is found here . I just made Ella a flannel sheet set last week, so I made her a matching embellished pillow for Valentine's day.

I set out for it to be a nap time project, but with the knit flower and beaded name it took me most of the day to finish it (around the kiddos needs of course... haha). I hope she likes it!

And here's what hubby is getting along with a couple of cards:

Fun with Kool-aid

2009-02-11T15:55:00.003-04:00

So we don't drink Kool-aid around these parts, but it's fun to use as a dye! I've had a pair of plain coloured wool pants sitting around for a while now.. I wanted to dye it but kept procrastinating. That's likely a good thing because I had planned on making it pink or purple for Ella, but now that she's potty trained, she won't be needing it! So I went with lemon-lime and I also attempted to tie-dye it.

Stewing away...

All clear!...

I decided to mute the green and tie-dyed areas a little so I did the process again with a willow green food colouring, and here's my cutie in the finished product...

Sewing (?) Bag

2009-02-10T23:43:00.003-04:00

I set out to make a bag for my sewing supplies. I found this nice picture tutorial: http://www.make-baby-stuff.com/diaper-bag-pattern.html , added my own creativity and came out with a pretty cute bag. The pockets feature velcro, zipper and button closures and it will easily hold all of my sewing supplies or everything you need for an outing with the kiddos.

I might just use it as a diaper bag so I have a reason to take it out of the house. ;)

Back to Work Soon

2009-02-10T08:49:00.002-04:00

I started my current job already pregnant so I only worked for a few months before starting Maternity leave. I decided I would come back to work when Gabriel was about 7 months old, partially because we'd need the money and partially because I felt bad about leaving them without a nurse.

I had heard they found a replacement for the school year and with Rob's new job I had pretty much decided to stay off until September. Alas... they didn't find a replacement so the highschool has been without a nurse and they are very eager to have me back. So back to work for me on April 6th. I'm going to miss my babies... :(

So satisfying...

2009-02-07T13:13:00.002-04:00

I love hanging my diapers out on the line. Granted, in the winter they still have to go in the dryer for a bit, but the sun works better and is far nicer to my dipes then any amount of bleach. I can't believe the stains that will come out just from some sunning (and believe me, breastfed poop can cause some serious staining!)

Plus a part of me hopes that a neighbour will see them hanging out there and might want to give cloth diapers a whirl... ;)

A Gift For Baby H.

2009-02-06T16:24:00.003-04:00

My friend and cousin is due with her first baby in March. She has hand made so many adorable things for my children and I'm so glad that I'm able to return the favour a little bit. I made her this diaper set which includes an embellished prefold (far left), an appliqued tee (middle top), recycled wool footies (bottom) and a set of 6 flannel/minky wipes (far right).

I can't wait until baby is here to try it on!

Been a Busy Mommy

2009-02-06T16:01:00.005-04:00

G had his 4 month check-up yesterday (he's a little over 4 months but I didn't want him to get vaccinations while he had a cold). He's 15 pounds 9 ounces, over a pound heavier than Ella was at 4 months. He cried getting his shots, not even nursing during them helped much this time, but after a few minutes he was back to smiling at me. They've had a lasting effect into today however.. low-grade fever and generally cranky and miserable. Sometimes I question my decision to vaccinate on schedule in the early months (I only delay MMR and Varicella later on). It just seems like a lot for a tiny little baby to handle... maybe my decision will change for the next baby.

Project-wise, I've been busy finishing up a gift for my friend's baby shower (can't share those pics until after the fact!), making some crib sheets and I'm about to make a sheet set for my daughter's toddler bed. The toddler bed uses a crib mattress, so it's hard to find cute sheets for it... crib sets don't come with pillowcases and a top sheet (generally).

Here's the tutorial I used for the fitted sheets... it couldn't be easier and you have so many adorable prints to choose from! http://www.make-baby-stuff.com/crib-sheet-pattern.html

Chillin' on his new flannel sheet...

Made some matching teething toys from the corner scraps and stuffed them with my bits of scrap fabric I can never bring myself to throw out...

5 minute, $5, no-sew baby wrap

2009-02-03T18:50:00.007-04:00

The 5 minute $5 No-Sew Baby Wrap

I own several lovely store-bought baby slings/carriers but my favourite to use around home costs next to nothing, I didn't have to sew it, takes 5 minutes to put on (and faster once you've practiced!), it's lightweight, easy to store, comes in hundreds of colours and patterns and best of all, baby loves it!

This idea is certainly not new to me. I picked this up from a breastfeeding group, but I want to share the wealth!

What you will need:

- Approximately 11 feet of a 2-way stretch fabric (like Lycra, or special cottons that don't fray). You may want more if you're a little bigger, or less if you're a little smaller (best to buy a little big and cut later than not have enough). I'm 5'5" and fairly large chested and I use 11 feet of fabric. And it's cut to approx. 18 inches wide.

- A baby, or something else you want to carry close to your chest. ;)

*Pics are clickable for a closer view, sorry if my mirror is dirty... lol*

1. Pick up your fabric, finding the half-way point.

2. Wrap the centre portion around your tummy to the back.

3. Criss-cross the fabric over your back and bring the ends over each shoulder.

4. It will now look like this from the front. Try to keep the fabric from twisting too much.

5. Criss-cross the fabric in the front and bring the two ends to the back. Pull a little so all portions feel snug against your body, but not tight.

6. Tie a good knot in the back, tug it to make sure it's not going to slip.

7. Find your prey. Hold him or her close to your chest.

8. This part can be a little awkward at first, but insert baby into the top portion of the criss-cross in front. Pull each of baby's legs through the sides of the cross so that baby is straddling the fabric. Like so...

9. Fan the fabric out across baby's bum and back and over his or her shoulders.

(at this point you may also want to let your toddler fill her teapot at the sink... heehee)

10. Tuck your baby's legs into the section of fabric that you first wrapped across your tummy.

11. Now fan that same piece of fabric over your baby's bum, back and shoulders (even the back of the head should the baby need neck support) and ta-da! you're wearing a baby comfortably and for dirt cheap.

And just for comparison, same fabric with a 25 pound two-year-old...

Disclaimer: Of course you must always be vigilant with any product or materials you use around your baby. Do not use near hot surfaces that could burn your baby, downhill skiing and similar activities should also be avoided (lol). For very small babies you will need to be aware of proper airflow around the face. I cannot be held responsible for any injury that could result should you wear your baby in this way. That being said, I've found it to be extremely safe with my own kiddo.

Tag team sleeping

2009-02-03T15:23:00.002-04:00

Some days are bliss. The kids wake up together, have naps together, go to bed together... and I get a few wonderful hours of alone time.

Then there are days like today. G is up at 5am, he goes back to sleep at 7am only for me to hear the distance call, "Mommy! I have to go pee!!". G has another nap at 9am, but E is not ready until 1pm. From 1pm to 3pm, G yells at me which tuckers him out and he falls asleep just in time for E to roll out of her bed.

With any luck, they'll both be in bed by 8pm, but who counts on something silly like that? ;)

Winter Days with Kids

2009-02-02T18:51:00.004-04:00

When you have a toddler and a small one, it's hard to get outside when it's cold. Here's what we've been up to this winter:

- Reading
- colouring
- finger painting (a working parent loves a finger painting stuffed into their lunch box)
- "cooking" with kitchen utensils in a bubble bath
- going to the local free playgroup
- folding laundry... believe it or not, toddlers love to help with the folding and babies are amused amongst the pile.
- building forts with blankets
- baking... my toddler LOVES to stir (and taste of course).
- Making "birdie food" by ripping up a bowl of bread scraps (props to Mimi for this one)
- inviting over a playmate. (What?! add more kids? But two toddlers are good at amusing themselves without you)
- Letting the toddler feed the dog some treats. They both get exercise. ;)
- a little TV is sometimes necessary for mom's sanity.
- cleaning up that trashed bedroom can be fun. I get the two-year-old to see how many toys she can throw back into the toybox from a predetermined distance.
- Water play. Fill something up and let them pour/stir/taste... it's only water, how much damage could they possible do? Ok... so maybe keep it away from the plasma...
- A small toy on a string. If you have a cat and a kid wanting to run... you have at least 20 minutes of hilarity all lined up.
- Movie night. Popcorn and a cartoon. (although I recommend against peter pan... holy cow I don't remember the movie being that violent!)

Anyone have suggestions?

Something for Me.

2009-01-23T23:14:00.003-04:00

If you're a mother, you know that your children's needs and desires come before your own. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but I've learned that it's nice to do things for yourself every now and then. ;)

My knitting bag was a jumbled mess of thread, markers, needles, scissors, measuring tapes and gawd knows what else. It was a huge pain in the butt to find things so I've been meaning to pick up one of those handy organizers you can find in the craft section. Alas... with my sewing machine birthday prezzie, why not make one?

I found a neat and versatile tutorial here http://multicrafty.blogspot.com/2007/09/knitting-needle-case-tutorial.html , so I gave it a try! I love how it turned out. I'm now looking forward to my next knitting project.

All rolled up with a white fleece outer...

And the inside.. lots of pockets and a neat marker holder...

Learning Lessons and Sewing Knickers

2009-01-22T23:01:00.005-04:00

Today's naptime project was a hat for my son. I mimicked a pre-existing hat given to my daughter when she was an infant. A couple of things went wrong... I've learned a lesson in paying attention to the direction fabric stretches. This hat should have fit my son into toddlerhood, but I turned the fabric and therefore there's no stretch in the earflap/band section. It will go on his head but it's much too tight. It would fit a newborn.

My second problem involved my pattern. I thought I'd save some time by folding the fabric over when I cut but I confused the way I was folding and my hat ended up with an unsightly seam in the front. So here's the finished product, I'll have to try again and work out the kinks for next time!

"Mom, what the heck do you have on my head?"

Onto another project... my daughter is for the most part potty trained. She hasn't had an accident during the day in a long time, but every few nights she wakes up with a wet bed and I feel like it's disrupting her sleep. So I made some training pants for her. I used the Wee Weka Pull-on Trainers pattern found here: http://www.thenappynetwork.org.nz/diy.php . I added a layer of cotton terry covered with a bamboo/cotton fabric at the gusset to soak up accidents, and the outer part is made of fleece for it's water proof properties.

The front...

The inside of the back, showing the soaker.

She's sleeping now, so I hope it fits her! It was fun to sew. I recommend this pattern to anyone looking for a versatile pant/diaper cover/trainer pattern for about age 2.

Today's Naptime Project

2009-01-21T21:37:00.003-04:00

I had heard of several people making their own "Rita Rump Pocket" diapers featured here: http://handmadebyrita.blogspot.com/2007/10/classic-rrp-ritas-rump-pocket-pattern.html

It was a fun, quick (like 40 minutes) sewing project and in the end Gabriel has a brand new completely functional diaper. He has outgrown his infant size prefolds, so by making some of these diapers, I can use all of those prefolds as inserts. I'm betting this diaper cost me about $1.50 to make.

Gabey Baby Drool Catcher (knitting)

2009-01-19T22:24:00.003-04:00

Gabey Baby Drool Catcher

My son is in the "drooling like a hound dog over a steak" phase. Those little terry bibs hold up for about 2 seconds before they become a wet limp towel around his neck... and does that make him mad! This basic knit bib lasts 10 times as long, plus it has a large stockinette face where you can place an adorable knitting chart. Above I've added a breastfeeding mommy and the phrase "Boob Man".

Abbreviations:
DPNs - double pointed needles
Co - cast on
K - knit
P - purl
BO - bind off
S - slip
K2tog - knit two together

Size baby (toddler)

Needed:
4.5mm straight knitting needles
4.5mm (or 4mm) DPNs
Tapestry needle
Sized with worsted weight yarn. Se whatever type/weight you like, just be aware that it will make it larger/smaller based on what you use.

Co - 40 (50) stitches
Row 1-5: knit (garter stitch)
Row 6: k7, p26(36), k7
Row7: knit
Row 8: k6, p28(38), k6
Row 9: knit
Row10: k5, p30(40), k5
Row11: knit
Repeat Row 10 & 11 until desired length.

Then:
Row 1: k6, p28(38), k6
Row 2: knit
Row 3: k7, p26(36), k7
Row 4-8: knit
Row 9: knit 15, place these 15 stitches on a holder, BO 10 (20), knit 15 to finish row.
Row 10: k15
Row 11: s1, k2tog, k9, k2tog, k1
Row 12: knit
Row 13: s1, k2tog, k7, k2tog, k1
Row 14: knit
Row 15: s1, k2tog, k5, k2tog, k1
Row 16: knit
Row 17: s1, k2tog, k3, k2tog, k1
Row 18: knit
Row 19: s1, k2tog, k1, knit2tog, k1
Row 20: knit
Row 21: s1, k2tog twice (3 stitches remain)
Row 22: knit
- finish this side of the bib with an I-cord using the 3 remaining stitches.
- Return to the 15 stitches on the holder, restart your yarn and repeat rows 10-22 and finish this side with another i-cord.

I-cord: Slip remaining stitches purl wise onto a DPN (same size or slightly smaller), *knit all stitches, slide to opposite end of needle without turning, knit all stitches*, continue ** until desired length is achieved (12“ will give you lots to make a bow). Cut yarn, and using a tapestry needle, thread the end into the 3 stitches, pull tight and weave in end.

Recycled Longies with Feet (sewing)

2009-01-18T17:12:00.011-04:00

Recycled Longies with Feet

What's better than a diaper cover that you don't have to match with socks? ;) I came up short when looking online for a tutorial on this, so I chronicled my own "winging it". Please let me know if anything is unclear.

You will need:

-A soft 100% wool sweater, lamb's wool or merino are nice. (you can find lots at used clothing stores!)
- a sewing machine (or a needle if your adventurous)
-some fabric of your choice for the feet
-elastic for the waist
- a measuring tape
- scissors
- matching thread
- straight pins
- a pencil

Credit is given to this lady for most of the instructions for the pants alone: http://www.diaperswappers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=227639 I'm just giving a recap with my materials.

*Hint* I did this by looking at the foot of a pre-existing sleeper. So grab a set and turn it insideout, it may help to have an example in front of you.

1. Measure your baby. Waist, inseam, rise and foot length.
2. Cut the sleeves off of your sweater like so...

3. Measure up from the cuff along the seam and mark the length of baby's inseam with a straight pin. (both legs)

4. Cut down the seam until you reach the straight pin. (on both legs)

5. Turn one leg inside out and tuck the right-side-out sleeve inside of the inside out sleeve. Line up the cut edges, pin and sew down both sides. I added an extra layer of sewing over the crotch. (the point of the V)

6. Turned out properly, they will look like this:

7. Measure your desired rise and pin down the top, all the way around for the waist. Sew it down, leaving a few inches open for your elastic.

8. Cut your elastic about an inch shorter than your baby's waist measurement. Thread it through the opening with whatever method you like. Some attach the end to a large safety pin, I used a crochet hook. Sew your elastic to complete the loop and finish sewing down the waist.

9. Now pick out your cutie fabric and freehand an oval, make it one inch longer than your baby's foot. The width is approximately one inch smaller than the length (i.e., my baby's foot is 4 inches, so my oval was 5x4)

10. Now make a matching half oval.

11. Fold your fabric over so you can cut out two ovals and two half ovals at once. Pin them together to hold the ovals while you cut.

12. They will look like this:

13. Unpin them and lay the half ovals over top of the full ovals, right side together and pin them. Like so:

14. Sew them together leaving the straight edge open. Also leave a little flap on either side (don't sew right up to the straight edge, leave about a half an inch free)

15. Turned right side out, they will look like this. (it's almost a foot!)

16. On the front portion of the cuff, cut an indent as pictured below. This is where the half-oval, (a.k.a. top of the foot) will attach to the pant leg.

17. Turn your pants inside out.

18. Pin the straight edge of your half oval to the indent you cut in the pant leg. Remember your pant leg is turned inside out, but you still want to pin your fabric to the right side of the wool. And to further complicate (lol), the wrong side of your fabric is facing out... like so:

19. Sew where you just pinned. (so you're sewing a straight line, connecting your half oval to the wool)

20. Now open the bottom of the "foot" so you're looking at the full oval, wrong side up.

21. Match the portion of your oval that's not sewed up with the remaining wool cuff, and pin the edges. Doing so should completely close in the foot.

23. Sew the two edges together.
22. It should look like the foot pictured below.

24. Once you turn the leg right side out, you have a foot! Repeat for the other leg.

It's a little hard to explain in spots. Please let me know if you can't follow a section!

What was old is new again

2009-01-17T22:49:00.004-04:00

I made a spontaneous trip to a used clothing store today (crazy, I know.) to look for some wool sweaters. I've noticed that a lot of people sew longies from old sweaters so I wanted to give it a try.

I made these longies with feet this evening from a $2 lambs wool sweater, and I think they turned out pretty cute! It'll be nice to not have to search for a pair of socks when he's wearing them... heehee

I'll add action shots when they've been washed and lanolized. And since this was a trial pair, next time I'll take pictures and post a tutorial.

ETA: An action shot... and now that I've tried them on, I'll be adding some elastic to the back part of the ankle to keep his feet in place!

Embellishing a Prefold Picture Tutorial

2009-01-16T14:01:00.009-04:00

Embellishing a Prefold: A Picture Tutorial

Is your diaper stash lacking a little sparkle? Is your baby adorable and you want to put adorable things on his or her butt? Do you lack the funds to blow hundreds of dollars on custom designs? Embellishing your prefolds may be the answer.

First, put your kids down for a well deserved nap and pluck your freshly washed prefolds from the dryer.

Find, and dust off that hot, metally thing with the nobs and long cord.... ahh... an iron, that's it... and shove aside your partner's wrinkly shirts.

Iron out all of those lovely quilty pillows in your prefolds so they're easier to measure and won't bunch up in your sewing machine.

Next, measure the thicker centre portion of your prefold and pick out your favourite adorable fabric. Here I use flannel because I like cotton. Later I might put some minky on a different one for a built in diaper cover. ;) Cut your fabric to fit the centre part of the diaper that you measured, adding a 1/2 inch seam allowance all the way around.

Next, you fold in the edges of your rectangle of fabric and press them flat. (I do this right on top of the diaper so I know my fabric is the exact same size as the centre of the diaper).

Pin the edges of your fabric down to the diaper.

Now dust off that other necessary piece of machinery, the sewing machine. Also, now's your opportunity to use one of those fancy stitches your machine can do but you may know nothing about... lol

Run your stitch pretty close to the edge of the fabric, all the way around your rectangle. Double back a very short distance at the beginning and end of your sewing to prevent unravelling. (When I come to a corner, I stop with my needle still in the fabric, lift the foot, turn the fabric and continue along the new edge)

Cut any loose strings and voila! you have an adorable new diaper. And just in time... the baby's up from his nap and ready to wear his new custom.

Enjoy!

Mommy Dating

2009-01-14T08:50:00.002-04:00

We moved to a new town at the end of November, so I've had to find new things to do with the kiddos. On Monday we went to a breastfeeding group and on Tuesday a pre-schooler play group.

I've never been one to easily make friends. I have had the same friends since my childhood... they are safe and I hope they never leave me because the world of Mommy Dating is a little scary.

I talked to the Moms at these new groups. They all seem very nice and some have children the exact same age as my children, but I can't help but think, "Is their place way bigger/nicer than mine?" "Will they think I'm too young to be a mom of two?" "Does she think I'm boring?" Uggg... at least when one is interested in a man you can fall back on a sexy outfit and some flirting... women are far more complicated.

I would love to have a Mommy friend with a toddler for Ella to play with and a baby for Gabriel to grow with but how does one go about courting a fellow Mom? Do you ask her over for coffee? Do you exchange phone numbers? e-mail addresses?

Why is this so difficult? lol

Gabey Baby Diaper Cover

2009-01-13T20:44:00.012-04:00

Gabey Baby Diaper Cover

*This is my first attempt at writing a knitting pattern. Please direct any questions or suggestions my way so I can improve. Also, I have not physically created the large size, so the number of stitches cast on is a guess.*

Gauge:
22 stitches in 10cm

Needed:
3.25mm 40cm circular needles
4.5mm 40cm circular needles
4.5mm double pointed needles
Tapestry needle
Measuring tape to make rise and leg length the correct size

Abbreviations Used:
CO- cast on
cm - centimeters
YO - yarn over
2tog - 2 together
ss - stockinet stitch
M1L - make one left
M1R - make one right
DPN- double point needles
K - knit
P - purl

Size Small (Medium, Large) using Worsted 3 Ply 100% Merino Wool

CO 100 (112, 120) Stitches using size 3.25mm 40cm circular needles
Row 1-4 (1-5, 1-6) : Knit 2 Purl 2 ribbing (join to knit in the round before row 1)
Row 5 (6, 7): Eyelet row, Knit 2, YO, purl 2tog
Row 6-9 (7-11, 8-13): Knit 2 Purl 2 ribbing
Row 10-12 (12-14, 14-16): Switch to 4.5mm 40cm circular needles, work in ss.
Row 13 (15,17): Knit 42 (45, 49), place marker, knit 16 (22, 22) place marker, finish row.
Row 14 (16, 18) (1st short row): Knit, placing first short row between markers with wrapped short row method. May remove markers once complete.
Row 15 (17, 19): Knit 25 (28, 30), place marker, knit 50 (56, 60), place marker, finish row.
Row 16 (18, 20) to desired rise: SS placing 5 (7, 7) more short rows between markers at these locations: row 20, 26, 32, 38 and 44 (M - 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 71 L - 26, 34, 42, 50, 58, 66, 73). You may wish to move the markers in toward one another after each short row by one or two stitches. Once short rows are complete, remove markers.
-Once desired rise has been reached, *knit 49 (55, 59) stitches, place marker, knit 1, place marker*. Repeat ** once.
-Then *Knit to marker, slip marker, M1R, knit to marker, M1L, slip marker, knit to next marker. Slip marker, M1R, knit to marker, MIL, slip marker. Knit one row plain.* Repeat ** until 7 (13, 15) stitches are between the two sets of markers.-Knit to first marker, then knit next 7 (13, 15) stitches onto size 4.5mm DPN.
-Continue knitting to next marker, placing stitches onto additional set of 4.5mm DPNs or smaller length circular.
-Place next 7 (13, 15) stitches onto size 4.5mm DPN, break yarn leaving a 15 inch tail.
- Using the two DPNs, each with 7 (13, 15) stitches, graft the two of them together, right side out, using kitchener stitch, weave in end once complete.
- You’ve now created the gusset and on either side you have the beginnings of the cuffs or legs.
- Divide the stitches from one leg evenly onto 3, 4.5mm DPNs. Pick up approximately 4 stitches from the side of the gusset, and restart your yarn at the inside of the leg.
- You may work the cuff or leg in whatever method you like, listed below are a leg for longies and a ruffled cuff for a skirtie soaker. Any holes remaining beside gusset can be sewed together using tail from beginning of leg.

Longies/Shorties:
Work each leg separately in SS until the desired length is achieved. Finish with a seed stitch cuff of at least 2.5cm. Seed stitch is achieved by K1P1 and on the next row you do the opposite so that the knits and purls are staggered. Bind off and weave in all ends.

Ruffled Cuff:
Knit 2 rows. *Knit in front and back of every stitch for one row. Knit one row plain*. Repeat ** once.
Bind off and weave in all ends.

I-Cord:
Make an I-cord drawstring with 2 double point needles. CO 3 or 4 stitches, *knit all stitches, slide to opposite end of needle*. Repeat ** until cord is desired length. To end, break yard and thread through stitches with needle, pulling tight and weaving in both ends. Weave I-cord into eyelet row of waitband, and voila! You have an adorable diaper cover.

About this Pattern:
Please make these for personal use, donation or gifts (and send me pictures to r-ripley@hotmail.com!). You can even sell them if you want, just link back to here whenever possible. :)

A day in the life of my son's behind.

2009-01-08T21:16:00.001-04:00

I took a picture of every diaper my son wore today, with a couple of extras. It was fun. ;)http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=202831&l=faa3a&id=847300480

No reason video

2009-01-07T08:39:00.003-04:00

Just because I think he's cute when he plays with his toys...

Calorimetry for a Doula

2009-01-07T08:28:00.002-04:00

A quick fun knit. I hope it fits her and she likes it! I added the flower and feel like it's very "pin up girl in the winter". ;)

Here's a link to the pattern I used for those that are interested. I made one for myself a little bit ago and they really are comfy, cute and warm.

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/PATTcalorimetry.html

And here's the flower I added..

http://www.headhuggers.org/patterns/flower02k.htm

And... done!

2009-01-06T09:26:00.003-04:00

My third pair of longies are done, and as promised... an action shot. My next project is a gift for my wonderful doula that attended the birth of my son. I know he's 3 months old already and I'm late for a gift but combined with my busy-ness and my tendancy to procrastinate... 3 months late is likely pretty good for me.

While on the topic of my doula, here's her website... http://www.familywaydoula.com/ She was an amazing addition to my birthing team. My son was an all natural vbac and this success was curtainly in part due to Stef. Drop me a note with your e-mail if you're interested in reading the birth story.

The next major holiday

2009-01-01T21:45:00.002-04:00

Happens to be my birthday! On the 10th I'll be 26 and officially closer to 30 than to my teens.

Here's the very generous and awesome prezzie I'm getting for my birthday. A sewing machine. It's a Kenmore 17 stitch limited edition (it's pink!). Not a whole lot of bells and whistles, but good for a beginner like me. So with a local "fabricville" going out of business with 50% off sales, I should have a lot of projects to share... :)

Happy New Year All!

Fun with colour

2008-12-29T23:24:00.002-04:00

In the past I've picked up new hobbies and crafts and I do them like crazy for a few weeks and then I lose interest. It hasn't happened yet with knitting and I think it's because there are so many fun things to make and ways to alter the same pattern. I'm making my third set of longies for the little man and this time I'm adding his name and striping the legs. So far it's been a lot of fun and I love learning new stiches and new ways to improve my work.

However, I wrestled with the idea of putting his name on the front. Hours and hours go into one piece of work, and by adding his name they can't really be transfered to another baby. But... in the end I think it will be a great keepsake. ;) I'll add an action shot once they're done.

2008-12-28T08:50:00.003-04:00

My next pair of longies will have stripes on the legs. The problem I'm having with stripes is that they will naturally have an uneven line when knit regularly in the round and there are a hundred different ways to fix/hide this (apparently).This way seems popular, but it doesn't really look "invisible" to me. The first method described here is also mentioned all over the place, but I can't find a picture to decide if I like the finished result. Can anyone help me?

I would have loved this as a child...

2008-12-27T18:10:00.004-04:00

... but apparently my strong-willed daughter does not. I was almost giddy as I sat down to make this tutu for my girl. I lovingly selected the coloured tulle and matching ribbon, I carefully cut the tulle and tied it to the waistband for almost two hours. I was so pleased with myself as I held it up and she put it on declaring herself "Princess Dora!"... but then the tulle was too scratchy on her naked potty training behind and she promptly yelled "Owie!", pulled it off and ran for it.

Coincidentally, it perfectly matches the leggings I knit for her that she also refuses to wear.

Sigh... toddlers...

Snowed in and Knitting.

2008-12-24T10:44:00.002-04:00

While visiting my inlaws we got a huge snow storm so I finished my second set of longies for baby boy.

I made a diaper

2008-12-16T16:24:00.003-04:00

So it's a little rough looking, but it caught the pee just as well as my other diapers. It was a lot of fun to make! I'm not looking forward to when I go back to work and I have no time for my new hobbies... :(

Anyone have ideas about how my family can live without my income? ;)

Poo Cleaners!

2008-12-15T19:32:00.002-04:00

Oh the things that make me excited these days... I borrowed a sewing machine from my aunt and made some wipes today. I haven't used a sewing machine since highschool so they're a little rough, but it was fun! They're flannel/velour and they do a pretty darn good job of mopping up some poo. ;)

Extended breastfeeding

2008-12-14T09:48:00.003-04:00

The nursing relationship with my 2 year old may be drawing to a close. We've been very busy the last couple of days and she hasn't nursed. In fact, Friday was the first day since she was born that she didn't have some "booboo".

I'm a little sad about this. Breastfeeding is such a personal and amazing experience/bond with your child, and while some people feel she should have weaned long ago... I don't regret it for even a second.

Her usual time to nurse these days is right before her nap. Since we're home today and she'll have her regular routine... we'll see what happens.

Knitting

2008-12-13T23:05:00.004-04:00

Knitting is my new found love. I love the look of wool diaper covers, but they are so expensive to buy! About a month ago I bought my first skein of wool and sat down with my borrowed needles and knittinghelp.com (great way to learn!) and I taught myself how to knit. My first project was an improvised pair of longies that turned out to be a great fit on my little man. I will eventually type out my pattern for them... but I'm still learning the ins and outs of reading/writing a pattern!

I added a matching hat and mittens too!

ETA: An action shot. ;)

It's official.

2008-12-13T10:49:00.000-04:00

I'm a blogger. ;)

The title: the birth of my daughter was anything but natural. A series of medical interventions led to a c-section. A traumatic event for me and a less-than-peaceful welcome for my baby. Ridden with guilt, I vowed to make the rest of our world more "natural". I'm an extended breastfeeding, babyfood making, sling wearing, natural birthing, cloth diaperer... and I'm certainly a work-in-progress.

So my wish for this blog is that it becomes a diary chronically my attempt to simplify my life and the life of my family. I would like to share my knitting projects, my future in sewing (I'm hoping for a machine for my birthday!), babyfood recipes... and various other tidbits. :)

Thanks for reading!