Christmas countdown with Christmas themed activities for each day

Our son LOVED our thanksgiving g countdown. It was one of his favorite parts of the day. The day after thanksgiving he asked for another countdown.... I was empty handed!

This was an emergency. Luckily he has a crafty momma.

I wanted to make it special and exciting like the thanksgiving one so I knew I had to incorporate Christmas themed activities.

I sat down at Pinterest and with my husbands brain in ear shot and came up with 25 activities! 

Some activities are at home and some are out and about. Some require me to help, some require my sweet kiddo to do something on his own. Itś perfect and helps me keep off my tushie and get into the Christmas spirit with him! 

What you need:

This printable

8.5 by 11 scrapbook paper, holiday themed

Scissors

Tape

What to do:

Print out tasks on white side of scrap book paper

Cut it out. They won't all be the same size... I thought it looked more fun this way

Put the activities in the order you want them

Bend a task into a circle... Decorative side out.. And tape.

Do this (looping them through) until you're finished!

Hang and have fun!!

Extremely simple pajama pants for kids

Since our daughter was born we have been spending a lot of days in our pajamas. This makes my son extremely happy. He loves pajamas... he doesn't care that he looks adorable in the wool vest, button up shirt and jeans. He would spend forever in pajamas if I let him. That being said, we have worn through some pajamas lately. We have wood floors and my son likes to slide, roll, run, wiggle and sit on them. The wood floors are REALLY old so they have some spots that are pretty rough. This has lead to holes in some of his favorite jams. 

Q: How do you convince a child to throw away his old Pjs and embrace the new ones?

A: You take them to the fabric store and let him pick any fabric he wants and then let him help you make some new pajamas!

I have pretty limited time for sewing these days. Our daughter has officially left the sleepy baby stage and entered the alert and nap fighting stage, so I needed something that would be comfortable for him and fast for me to make. 

That is where I discovered the site fleece fun. It is fantastic and has tons of free patterns for kids, babies, accessories and adults. This is where I found the pajama pattern for these pants!

What you need:

This pattern-- choose your size!

1/2- 1 yard fabric depending on your kiddos size

size 1 inch elastic.. enough to go around your kids waist, plus 1/2 inch

matching thread

one safety pin

What you do:

Cut out your pattern and then your fabric (x2)

Fold your leg sides together with right sides together and sew just the leg shaft (stop sewing at the curve). Used 1/4 seam allowance-- do this for both legs

Now, Turn one of your legs right side out and insert it into the other leg (still wrong side out). Make sure you have the front of one leg matched with the front of the other. You can pin it together, but I find it easier (and faster) to skip out on the pins since fleece is pretty easy to work with.

Sew the legs together. Do a few extra stitches in the crotch area for re-enforcement.

Pull the other leg out so that the whole pant is inside out. Roll up the waist band about an inch and a half then call your kiddo over. Ask them to stand tall and then put the pants up to their waist and see how much you will need to roll up on the pant cuffs. My son (who is tall for his age) needed the 4t/5t pattern rolled up a little over an inch. Sew both pant cuffs. You don't have to worry about it fraying if you are using fleece so don't bother turning it under to cover the rough edge. If you are using cotton or some other fraying fabric, turn it under again-- making sure to keep it the right length for your kiddo!

Now you need to sew up the waistband. You need to leave about an inch or inch and a half open to insert your elastic. 

Put a safety pin on your elastic and thread it through your waistband.

overlap your waistband 1/4" and sew it with a zig zag stick in two spots (where the raw ends are on each side)

Sew up your opening and Tah-dah! you have your PJ pants and a happy kid!

Balsamic delicate squash and quinoa

So honestly... I hardly ever cook. It isn't because I don't know how or what I cook is bad but because my husband is an amazing cook.

That being said, he works nights so when he has to go in earlier for some reason, I cook.

I love it because I get to expirament. I get to try new things and cook things he hates (like quinoa).

This is where this beautiful, delicious meal comes into play!

My husband used to work at an organic farm and I still follow their instagram. They kept posting pictures of a squash I had never had before so I decided to try it! 

I read that the squash was sweet so I decided to pair it with something acidic... Balsamic vinegar.

It is a very simple recipe. 

What you need:

Delicate squash

Balsamic vinegar (3tbsp total)

Olive oil (2tbsp)

Garlic powder (or olive oil infused with garlic would work too)

Quinoa (one cup)

What to do:

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees

Cut up your squash in 1/2 inch sections

Cut them in half and de-seed them

Pour 2tbsp of vinegar and olive oil into a bowl with a sprinkle (to taste) of garlic powder.

Add the squash and coat it completely with the mixture.

Put the squash on a baking sheet or stone

Bake for 25-30 min

A after you put that in, cook your quinoa. I cook it in a rice cooker. I use 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water and press the on button! 

After the quinoa is finished, add the last tablespoon of balsamic vinagar to the quinoa.

Mix in the squash and enjoy!

Toddler approved.

DIY Burlap Rudolf Wreath

So I saw the rudolf wreath on pinterest and fell in love! I thought it was shabby chic,  elegant but also kid friendly. Unfortunately, it cost WAY more money than I was willing to spend. I had a friend who posted an adorable burlap wreath on Instagram. I told her I wanted one but she told me it was super easy to make!

This is where my eyes light up and my husband cringes. Haha. Craft time!

I knew I wanted to make rudolf so I used the picture, some advice from a friend and my own intellect to make him! I am so happy with the result!!!

What you need:

40ft burlap 

A wire floral wreath

One sparkly ornament

Sparkly things that can resemble antlers (mine were smaller than I wanted but it was all the craft store  around me had)

Floral wire or a pipe cleaners

What to do:

Take your wire or pipe cleaner and weave it through your burlap.

Secure your burlap to the wreath so that it won't slide.

Unravel your entire roll of burlap and weave it through going under, over, under, over.

You then need to pull your burlap up and fluff it. Make sure to fluff in 3 spots: the top, middle and bottom.... You don't want it wrapped tightly at any turn. I'm stressing this because I didn't know this until I figured it out on accident half way through. 

I do 4 rows of weaving in every section on the wreath. This is what it looks like if you were to have if snug.

The long tail of burlap can be a pain to deal with it just try. Ot to snag it while you are up,long it through. It also makes a typical burlap mess. My OCD husband wasn't a fan but it's really not bad... Just warning you! If you're allergic to burlap I suggest doing it outside or using the plastic wreath stuff they have out these days... No idea what it is called but it's at most craft stores. 

Secure the end of it like you did the beginning (weave the wire through then secure it).

Now secure your ornament on with wire also! Weave your antlers through the metal wreath... This should hold well but you could do extra securing if you want!

Hang and Enjoy!

DIY *Hard water friendly* liquid laundry detergent (also borax free!)

Hey all!

So a few weeks ago I posted our laundry detergent recipe. It is a fantastic recipe and it really gets our clothes clean.... but... I have come to encounter our mean, gross, and frankly just RUDE friend hard water.

Ugh.

I really don't like hard water. But it is everywhere... so I guess I will just learn to work with it.

So after making the last batch of the laundry detergent, I noticed that we were starting to get some white hard water deposits (I call them calcium stains) on our cloth diapers. I also noticed our towels were getting a little grainy feeling. These are two large issues in our house. Calcium stains on cloth diapers= pee and poop everywhere. The deposits prevent the absorbent inserts for absorbing as much as they usually do... and need to. As a family of heavy wetters (yay......) we are kind of used to having to change diapers often and are used to keeping an extra outfit handy, but it was starting to get out of control. Also, the towels are a HUGE issue. We have our 4 year old who is ridiculously picky about textures... He was NOT a fan of the towels getting even a little stiff. The 2 month old wasn't a fan either. I don't buy "baby towels" I think its pointless because they grow out of them so fast and then you just have an over sized rag. So, it is SO important we DON'T have scratchy towels. Luckily, she isn't THAT picky about it... but I'd rather her not be uncomfortable.

Anyways, my point it that it was exceedingly important to fix this issue.

Since I had just made a new batch of laundry detergent, I had to use it before I made a new and improved formula. While I was doing this, I combated the calcium stains by adding about a half of a tablespoon of citric acid to every load. I should note, we use hot then cold water for our laundry since we are washing diapers. This COMPLETELY removed the issue after one wash. No more deposits... diapers working again, soft towels. Jackpot.

Now my next step was to make my life easier. I am not a fan of having to do an extra thing with one hand (and a crying baby in my ear... she hates laundry time for some reason).

This is my solution:

I used the same formula from my other post (which is below) but added 5 tbsp of citric acid. 

Since I was doing this with the famous one hand parent dance (I hadn't finished my baby carrier yet)... I didn't take new pictures. Maybe next time I will, but for now, I will use the old ones and add explanation for the addition. 

Ingredients:

Super washing soda

Liquid Castile soap ( I usually use Dr. Bonners baby mild, but any will work)

Water

the option of essential oil (I use lavender)
Citric acid (I buy mine in bulk on amazon)

And, of course, something to put it in (1 gallon size)-- I used an old laundry detergent jug.

What to do:

Put 3/4 cup of super washing soda into 1 cup of VERY  hot water. 

Stir water and washing soda until it dissolves... this is kind of a pain since it likes to sit at the bottom when it gets hot. Pour it into the container. (careful not to burn yourself! use a funnel if it helps!)

**** THEN*** (this is the new part!) 

Dissolve 5 Tbsp of citric acid in 1 cup of hot water... stir it until it is COMPLETELY dissolved. 

Pour this into your container SLOWLY!! It is going to fix and if you do it too fast, it will make a huge mess! 

I don't suggest adding more citric acid. You want to keep it at about a 1:4 ratio (citric acid:cleaning agent) to make sure your clothing is still getting cleaned!

Add 6 tablespoons of Castile soap, mix well.

Slowly fill up the remainder if the space in your container with cool water. The key is to do it slowly so you don't make a ton of suds. 

This is where you would add your essential oil. I usually add about 20 drops or so. Just until I like the smell. :)

Now, mix it with a long spoon handle or something like it. Don't shake it, you want to avoid making suds! 

Voila, just like that, you have some liquid laundry detergent.

use 1-3 tbsp per load

Also, If you are still having problems with hard water after this (which I HIGHLY doubt since we have some of the hardest water in the US, and we don't have any issues wit this formula) you can add a citric acid to your rinse cycle... Maybe a 1/2 tablespoon. Use your best judgment!

Also, see the original post for more information!

The sweetpod... A DIY ergo

Hello friends.

I am resurfacing from baby land and some quality time with my sewing machine.

I have just completed the second most wonderful thing in my life. The first is my children, second is this beautiful baby carrier.

Okay so maybe I'm being a little dramatic, but I'm seriously so proud of it. It took a lot of time and effort and it was worth it! 

I bought this pattern and followed her directions to the T and it worked out wonderfully. 

I meant to document it but as soon as I started it I got all wrapped up (no pun intended,ha) and forgot. It took me a week or so to finish it, mostly because I have a 2 month old who needs to eat and be loved and a 4 year old who needs his mommy jungle gym. I think in real time it would have taken me a good party of 2 days to complete. Maybe less? I really have no idea.

There were two "hard" parts to making this carrier. 

One: Ordering all of the buckles and materials. I was lucky enough to have all of the fabric and padding I needed on hand but there is a lot more to this project. You will need (or it will make it easier) to have a concealed zipper foot on a good sewing machine with a new needle (and a few back ups, just in case). You'll also need to order the buckles. I strongly recommend following her advice and going with Seattle fabrics for the buckles and other materials. The shipping seems high but they are really good quality buckles and I feel confident they will last with my little one. It took about a week to get everything in-- which seems like a lifetime when you are waiting to get started. for all of the buckle, cording and shipping I paid about 20$. I thought this was pretty awesome since the pattern is only 14$ and I had all the other materials making this really nice ergo only cost me 32$. If you don't have the fabric, buttons and padding on hand, the whole project would probably cost closer to 60$, is my guess. That is half of the price of a Ergo carrier and still less than you can but a used one. I also prefer the one I made because I got to use fabric I like and I made the lining out of old sheets that I LOVED because they were so soft so I know my baby girl is comfortable.

Two: Sewing on the zipper. I just don't like sewing on zippers. I had to redo my zipper twice because I just really don't know how to do it, I guess. I would suggest using youtube as a resource if you don't know how to do it. Mine looks really good somehow though, haha. I couldn't tell you how I did it but it looks professional and works perfectly. Also, you could probably omit the pocket all together, if you didn't want to do the zipper. I like it though because it gets the hood out of the wind (we live on a very windy lake) so it doesn't hit me or my little one while we are out walking.

Everything else was relatively easy. There are some parts where I had to go pretty slow to avoid breaking my needle. I feel like my sweet pea is really safe in it and I know the construction is good. I would feel comfortable putting my massive 4 year old in it too, if I didn't think I would break my back. I also like the inner panel because it curves, making it easy for me to take her out and nurse.

She loves it, too!

Next I will be making the bag that goes along with it!
I think I might make some teething pads for it too! Ill keep you posted!!

Other notes:

If you have a baby that is younger than 6 months, you might want to have a newborn insert as well! You can make one... I like this tutorial, although I haven't made one and don't plan on it either... but that will save you a ton of money and you can make it out of the same material as your lining and it would be beautiful!

Although I strongly recommend this pattern and instructions, I found this free pattern for a similar, yet slightly simpler carrier. I haven't made it (or really even looked at the instructions), but it looks nice! Maybe I'll let my hubby choose some fabric and make one for him!

DIY easy cloth diaper wipes

We LOVE using cloth diapers. It makes life a lot easier for us. Not to mention, like I've said before in my wipe solution and diaper cream posts, baby girl has seriosly sensitive skin and store bought diapers and wipes needed to go.

I decided to make these extremely inexpensive and easy wipes after my husband complained about me throwing store bought wipes into the washer with the diapers--oops! 

These will save us an amazing amount of money. Apparently I use too many wipes per diaper change (according to the husby), so this was a necessity. I usually only use one wipe per chance where I used to use 3-4 disposable wipes. It also has the added bonus of being able to dry my sweet ones tush after its clean-- also a bonus for the anti- diaper rash movement. 

I used old baby blankets (and I mean OLD... They were mine as a child), but you could just get a yard of cotton flannel or cotton jersey (more or less depending on how many you want to make!)

Cut fabric in 6" squares.

Put 2 squares together. Make sure you have WRONG sides together.

Zig zag stich all the way around the square. If you have a serger, serge it, but a zig zag will do the trick.

If you want to make it a mock serge stitch, make sure your needle goes just to the right of the fabric so one stitch is on the fabric and the other is off. I didn't do this.. I just stitched 1/8- 1/4 inch in from the edge... Mostly because it is a lot easier and I was trying to do this fast! 

Fold them in half

You can put it in an old disposable wipe tub to store

That's it! Use with some DIY wipe spray!