Stockings for the Kiddos

I realize I could just run to the store and purchase a ready made stocking but what's the fun in that? My explanations are long-winded but these took me about 45 minutes to make, each.

Here goes...

What You'll Need: 

1 pattern for stocking {optional. I used a pattern from dear ol' Martha }

1/2 yard of fabric for body of stocking {I like the thickness of fleece}

1/4 yard of fabric for cuff

1/4 yard of fleece for the underside of cuff {again, to add thickness}

2 feet of trim for embellishing cuff

3" x 6" piece of fabric for loop to hang

What To Do: {click on any photos to enlarge}

I did this project two different ways. 

Miss Mak's way:

Fold your outter fabric so that the right sides are together and, using several pins, secure your two layers of fabric together. 

For the body of your stocking, freehand, or trace your pattern, onto your outter fabric. As I said, I used a Martha Stewart pattern, specifically, her Birds Stocking Template.
Sew 1/4" seam around the body of the stocking remembering to keep the top open.
For the cuff, place your outter, "pretty" fabric facing right-side-up on your work surface and lay your fleece right-side-down on top of it.
Pin together.
Trace and cut out two cuff pattern pieces.

If adding trim, unpin your outter fabric and fleece on both cuff pieces and lay out your trim on the bottom of your cuff. Sew into place.

{You may have noticed that I didn't pin the trim into place and that's because it was too thin. If you have wide enough trim, I recommend pinning it for sewing.}

Lay your fleece piece on top and pin into place so that, once again, right sides are together. Sew into place.

{This can be a little tricky since you're working so close to the edge. If you have a zipper foot, like the one I used above, I'd use that.}

You'll end up with this... 

Place one body piece right-side-down on your work surface. Place one cuff piece right-side down.  {Yes, it sounds backwards, but just trust me.}Stitch the cuff into place. Repeat this for the other body and cuff pieces.

Lay your two pieces together so that the body pieces are facing right-sides-together and stitch around the body of the stocking ONLY. Do not stitch the cuff. 

Once stitched, turn the stocking body right-side-out.

For the loop, use your 3" x 6" piece of fabric and fold it in half so that it's now 1.5" x 6". 

Open it up and bring the two edges in to the center line, like shown below. 

Press these two edges.

Keeping the two edges you just pressed folded, refold in half so you end up with a piece that is .75" x 6".

Sew down the 6" length.

Fold your loop fabric in half, to create the loop, and pin into place on the cuff. Make sure the actual loop is facing IN when you pin it into place. {That's hard to explain so just take a good look at the picture below. The open end of the loop piece is in and tilted down. Once you turn the cuff, the loop point upward.}

 

Stitch up the sides of the cuff. 

I recommend back-stitching over the loop a few times for extra stability.

Fold the cuff down and you're done!

The Mr. CeeJ way:

Cut your two body pieces out of the outter fabric {in this case, red plaid} and two out of a thick fabric {in this case, off-white fleece}. 

Layer the body pieces on your work surface as follows: first, fleece right-side-down. second, outter {plaid} fabric right-side-up. third, outter fabric right-side-down. fourth, fleece, right-side-up. 

Pin and stitch a 1/4" seam around the outside, leaving the top open.

Cut two pieces for the cuff from a piece of fleece and cut two pieces from a lining fabric, in this case plain black, at least an inch larger than the pattern piece on all sides. 

Lay  the bottom edge of your cuff {the edge you would put embellishment on} flush with one end of your lining fabric.

Turn so the seam is in. 

Pull the fleece up to reveal a small portion of your lining fabric to create a border on the bottom edge of the cuff. 

Cut off the excess lining fabric around the fleece. 

Create your loop, as described above in Miss Mak's way.

Place your two cuff pieces fleece-sides-together. Place your loop piece into place as shown.

Sew up two short sides. I recommend back-stitching over the loop for added strength.

Leaving the stocking body inside-out, line the cuff with the open end of the stocking and pin into place. 

Sew around the opening and be careful to keep the loop out of the way of your stitching.

Turn your stocking body right-side-out, fold the cuff down and you're done!

{If any of this still confusing, message me and I'll figure out a better way to explain or show how this all comes together. It truly is simple, just hard to explain.}

25 Things To Get Done Before Christmas

 Time is passing at an insane pace, in our lives. The kids are growing faster than I can handle. Baby number three is going to be here in no time. Christmas is 6ish weeks away. Don't even get me started about 2011! It's absolutely ridiculous! Of course, this year is also the year that I am highly motivated to get the house Christmas ready. So, here's my list... 

1. winter hats for kids

2. stockings for kids

3. tree skirt to replace the sheet we keep using

4. pjs for the kids to wear on Christmas Eve

5. apron for CJ

6. long sleeved bib for Miss Mak

7. smock for my niece

8. pillowcases for CJ

9. ruffle scarf

10. upcycled scarflette

11. dot garland for CJ's room

12. yarn/star/light garland for Mak's room

13. doll for Mak {blonde haired/blue eyed}

14. family photo and Christmas cards

15. lima bean wreath

16. couch pillows

17. update pictures in frames

18. Christmas card holder

19. finish painting mudroom

20. indoor tree

21. build nativity scene {hubby's idea}

22. outdoor tree on the deck

23. put elves out {Monticue tradition}

24. rag wreath

25. drink as many peppermint mochas as possible {a constant chore}

Better get crackin'

{Shrimp Scampi}

I've tried several Shrimp Scampi recipes and this one has been my only tried and true. 

Bon appetit!

 What To Do:  
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp
salt
1/3 c dry white wine
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp butter

What To Do: 
Put olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat and cook slowly to infuse the oil with the garlic, but do not burn garlic. Add red pepper flakes. Raise the heat to medium high. Add shrimp and season with a little salt. Cook until shrimp is almost done. Add wine, cook until alcohol is burned off, about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and butter to finish. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Pardon the Malfunctions

For the past three days I have had issues with the timing of my postings. To those who keep seeing posts pop up and disappear, I apologize. Hopefully I can get this figured out soon but, in the meantime, please enjoy the confusion :) 

Custom Magnets

You may have heard the saying "the devil is in the details" and though I agree I also think the beauty is in the details. This project is simple but can make a big impact...

clear glass stones from a craft store {you may find some at your local dollar store}: Mod Podge : scrapbook paper : magnets {I got a large pack for about $5 at wally-world}

OnE: lay your stones onto the scrapbook paper and trace around the edge
TwO: cut your paper inside the line you just drew, i.e. a bit smaller than your stone

THrEe: using a foam brush {I used my finger} put a thing layer of Mod Podge onto the back of your glass stone.lay your paper face down onto the back of the stone and put more Mod Podge on the back of the paper, being sure to coat the edges of your paper so they stick to the stone.

FoUr: let dry.

FiVe: using craft glue, super-glue, tacky glue, what-have-you, glue one magnet to the back of your stone and let dry.

SiX: hang things to your heart's content!

Baby Girl Has a Cold

 " Without treatment, a common cold usually lasts about seven days; with treatment it will last about a week". - Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, author of How to Raise a Healthy Child... In Spite of Your Doctor

Sweet little Mak has been a fountain of boogies for a few days now and has a slight cough. Nothing major. I feel a bit of guilt since we stopped giving her all the immunizing goodies, through nursing, a couple weeks ago {my supply went way down with "Pete"}. Sadly, as many of you may have experienced, there isn't much you can give a munchkin under 12 months. Decongestants are out. Cough suppressants are out. Even honey is out. Thankfully, we've found a few remedies and Miss Mak is blissfully unaware of her condition.

Most of Miss Mak's issues involve clear mucus and a stuffy/runny nose. Before naptimes and bedtimes we've using a salt water mix {approx 1/2 c warm water with a pinch of salt} to loosen up her boogies. We use a syringe to drop a few drops and let them sit for 30-60 seconds then use that same syringe to GENTLY suck the mucus out. {How glorified is a mom's job?!} We then rub a small amount of coconut oil under her nose and on her chest and rub a couple of drops of eucalyptus oil on top of that.


Do: 
- give baby lots of clear liquids to loosen mucus
- run the shower very hot for a few minutes in a closed bathroom to create steam and play in the room with baby for 10-15 minutes to loosen congestion
- get vitamin C into their systems {watered down orange juice, broccoli, many tropical fruits, over-the-counter Tri-Vi-Sol, etc.}
- for kiddos over 12 months, offer a small spoonful of honey to soothe a cough {coughing isn't bad. it's the body's means of clearing out the mucus so I don't recommend this if there is mucus present in your child's lungs/throat}
- maintain a high level of humidity around you child


Avoid: 
- milk or anything creamy, it can create more mucus
- over-the-counter medications that will often just mask the symptoms{if specific symptoms are becoming severe, consider a medication that treats only that symptom you are concerned about}
- Vicks VapoRub. We found some scary potential side affects of using this stuff for little ones under two years and that goes for Baby Vicks too. In addition to it's strong affects that are unfriendly to little ones, this product is petroleum based as is petroleum jelly/Vaseline jelly.

**I am NOT a doctor. I'm just sharing what works for us. Do your own research and come to your own conclusions but I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Mendelsohn's book as a starting point.

{Roasted Pork Shoulder}

This beauty, courtesy o' Tyler Florence, filled our house with the smell of garlic and seasoning from the moment I made the rub until after it was served the following day. Four cloves isn't a lot but if you like garlic, this recipe is most definitely for you! 

Roasted Pork Shoulder (Pernil Al Horno)

Photo Credit

What You'll Need: 

1 bonesless pork shoulder (about four pounds), skin on

4 garlic cloves, smashed

1 handful fresh oregano

4 tbsp kosher salt {I used 4 tsp}

1 tbsp black pepper

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp white wine vinegar {I use 1 tbsp white vinegar and 1 tbsp white wine}

What To Do: 

Place the pork, fat-side up, in a roasting pan fitted with a rack insert {I don't have a roasting rack so I used a jelly roll pan lined with foil and placed a cooling rack inside)

Using a sharp knife, score the surfact of the meat with small slits. {You'll notice I went a bit crazy with my slits but it still turned out delicious!}Mash the garlic, oregano, salt and pepper into a paste on a cutting board with the flat side of a knife; place the garlic mix in a bowl and stir in the oil and vinegar.

Rub the garlic paste all over the pork, being sure to get into the incisions so the salt can penetrate the meal and pull out the moisture - this will help form a crust on the outside when cooked. Cover the pork with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours or up to overnight. {We did ours overnight and the flavor was amazing!}

Allow the meat to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking/while preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Roast the pork for 3 hours, uncovered, until the skin is crispy-brown. Let the meat rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing.

Just Make It Through Today: Cleaning Tips

 Photo Credit

 Numbers Game
I'm sure we've all had it... that moment where you walk into a room of your home, or heck!, you're whole house and though, THIS is ri.dic.u.lous! The mess and clutter may have fallen under the radar for several days but not anymore! And the best part is, as a busy mom or working lady you've realized that not only does this disaster belong to you but you don't have time to do much about it. Rough!
After many moments like this, I decided that a little was better than nothing and created my own little number game. When I open my bedroom door and see the bed unmade, clothes in piles, mismatched socks strewn about, I randomly pick a number and commit to pick up that many items, or do that many tasks to get the place picked up. This has done one of two wonderful things for me. OnE: It puts a small dent in an otherwise untouched debacle or TwO: Finally motivates me to keep going and get the mess put away for good.

Biggest Impact with Smallest Effort
{Bedroom}I will never forget advice one of my 8th grade teachers wisely passed on to our class. "Make your bed!" Out of context that sounds silly but she was talking to us about how to make our rooms look instantly cleaner and avoid our parents telling us "don't come out till it's clean!". And you know what? It works! If you're short on time and your bedroom needs some serious help, make the bed. Take the bumps out of the comforter, karate chop a crease into your pillows, and lay your throw neatly at the foot of the bed. It makes a difference, I promise.

{Bathroom} First... shut the shower curtain and hide your clutter. If you have a fuzzy hubs like I do, wipe off your sink counter-top, faucet and sink handles with a piece of toilet paper. How handy? We often have hubby-stubble on our faucet or toothpaste spots in the bowl  so it's the quickest means of cleaning up for us.

{Kitchen} Empty OR fill your sink. In our house we constantly fight the battle of having a cluttered looking countertop because the dishwasher is always full and nobody I have no interest in emptying it. I've shamefully saved it for Sweet Hubs when he comes home from work int he past. I know. Terrible! This works both ways though... often times, for us, the only real clutter around is the dirty dishes on the counter. The solution, empty that dang dishwasher, woman, and refill it! The quicker solution, take the dishes from all over the kitchen and neatly pile them into the sink, clearing off your counter-tops, until you're ready to dig in and get them clean.

{Living Room} Toys? Books? Clothes? Put all the alike clutter in one spot. Toys in the toy bin. Blankets in a pile. Clothes in a laundry basket. That way when you have time to get to it, you've done yourself a little favor ahead of time.

Now I didn't claim this would all be brilliant stuff but it works for us and gets me through so I don't lose my mind or strangle a passer-by.

Happy half-baked-cleaning!

How We Live Clean: Cleaning 'Round the House

My ideal cleaning routine is just that, ideal. This doesn't happen all the time but I do my best to stick with it so that everything gets done eventually. 

Monday : dust and vacuum kids' rooms : wash sheets

Tuesday : bathroom -wipe down sink, toilet and sweep

Wednesday : dust and vacuum living room and our bedroom

Thursday : kitchen : wash towels

Friday : whatever is needed

Main Cleaning Ingredients:   
Baking Soda - a gentle scrubber/abrasive, odor eliminator
Distilled Vinegar - anti-fungal, disinfectant and deodorizer
Hydrogen Peroxide - chlorine bleach alternative
Essential Oils - oils that add natural fragrance, some have natural antiseptic properties such as tea tree, lemon, peppermint, grapefruit seed, and lavender

{There are MANY others but this is what we use at the moment}

Dishes: 

Automatic Dishwasher: Through tons of research and talking with others I've come to understand that very few, if no, automatic dishwasher detergents clean like commerical brands. Not one single homemade recipe that I've heard of has left the plates as clean as store bought products. The constantcomplaint is that homemade versions leave a film on all the dishes. Because of this, I have defaulted to using an eco-friendly detergent figuring that if it's better for the encvironment, it's better for my family. This is definitely a gray area that I'll research more thoroughly when I have time {i.e. what ingredients to eliminate, what to include, etc.}.

Rinse-Agent: I'm sure you'll discover, over time, that I have a serious love of vinegar. It does everything, include keep the spots off my dishes out of the dishwasher. I use it in the rinse agent dispenser as I would a commercial brand. 

Hand-Washing: As mentioned above, I haven't had much luck finding a good dish soap so I've settled for an eco-friendly version. I place this into an emptied foaming dish-soap dispenser and dilute it 1 part soap to 2 parts water.

General Cleaner:

Scrubbing Agent - baking soda is a very gentle abrasive. I use it on my glass top stove and our ceramic tub by wetting the surface with a damp cloth or running water over it and sprinkling it on thinly then rubbing it with a soft cloth. 

Carpet Deodorizer - sprinkle baking soda thinly over your carpet and vacuum. I generally leave it on my carpets for 15-20 minutes before cleaning it up. 

Wood Floor Cleaner - For our floors I run the vacuum over the whole house and use our steam cleaner with a water and vinegar solution. If you do not have a steam cleaner, simply mixing 1/2 cup of vinegar with 1 gallon of water will work with a mop or cloth. This mixture can be used on vinyl, linolium and tile floors as well. {I've heard that a mixture of 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1/4 cup of vinegar work as a wood floor polisher.}

Dusting - Once again, my wonderful stand-by, vinegar, does the job here. I use the same mixture that I use for my windows and mirrors. 

Natural Bleach - combine 1 tbsp cream of tartar with enough peroxide to make a paste. Cover the stained area with the past and leave for a few hours. scrub and rinse. 

Windows: 

For a streak-free shine I use a vinegar blend that I keep in an plain ol' spray bottle I picked up at the hardware store. {1.2 cup vinegar to 3.5 cups of water}

Anti Bacterial and Disinfecting: 

Vinegar {"kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs (viruses)." Click here for more}- put into a spray bottle or pour on directly. Anywhere a disinfectant is needed, this will work.

Borax - 1/2 c borax mixed with 1 gallon of water works as a disinfectant. {This is a controversial product since this is known to be an irritant. Use sparingly and with gloves. }

How We Live Clean: Laundry

 

Photo Credit

At the moment, our laundry regime hasn't changed too much since we started switching over our cleaning supplies to more healthy/eco friendly options. I know, shame on me! My reason: I found too many good deals before the switch and am still trying to use them up. Darn that Costco! However...  we are finally starting to see the bottom of the barrel and have a few recipes lined up to use/try. 

The one thing that HAS changed is that we no longer use dryer sheets. I grew up using them but never loved the cost of them and noticed that they sometimes left waxy residue on my clothes. I have always loved the smell that they have too. So fresh! But the reality is, the scents in dryer sheets are natural, they're manufactured which means chemicals, which means that stuff is touching my kids' skin all day {from clothes to towels to sheets and blankets}! 

Our solution? White distilled vinegar. I put 1/2-3/4 cup into the fabric softener cup in my top-loading washer with each load and that is all. Our clothes are never crunchy, the underarms of Hub's t-shirts no longer yellow or get hard {the shirts that were hard and crunchy from his antipersperant softened from their rock-like state}, we don't deal with static in our loads AND if I take too long to get back to my laundry, the vinegar fights off the mildew so I don't have to rewash the whole load. I really love this stuff. 

Now, lots of people ask me about the smell and yes, the washer does smell like vinegar when I switch the load to the dryer, but once dry, the smell is gone completely. And no, I've been out in the rain, have gotten very wet, and have NOT noticed a vinegar smell. 

Moving on. 

Laundry detergent is next. A friend told me about this recipe. I have all the ingredients and as soon as my huge tubs-o-detergent are used up from Costco I will be moving on to this. I've heard great things from lots of people. I will soon know the name of all the ingredients in my wash AND it costs pennies per load. {The recipe below is for liquid detergent. There is also a powder version on their link.}

Photo Credit

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- front or top load machine

Duggar Family Recipe

4  Cups - hot tap water
1  Fels-Naptha soap bar {or any pure soap bar}
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

 *Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online  Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent 

Want More Direction?

YouTube has a video straight from the Duggar's home on how they make it but you can find several different videos by searching "homemade laundry soap".

This is another video I've looked at a few times with much more specific instructions.

How We Live Clean: Bath & Body

I have been asked, quite a bit lately, how my "no-pooing" is going. That question, alone, got me thinking about all the other things I've changed since I started "not" washing my hair so I figured, why not share it all in one shot.

1. No Poo: To answer the question... no-pooing is going very well. I'm at a point of mostly no-pooing and some washing but only with sulfate free shampoo. {I basically use sulfate free shampoo and condition once a week and no-poo anytime needed in between.} While on vacation, recently, I had no choice but to use regular cleanser and the moment I started to massage the shampoo onto my scalp I felt how stripping it was. In other words, I don't miss regular shampoos and conditioners and I won't be going back.

As a recap, there are several sources that explain exactly how to "no-poo". The method I started with Nature Moms method. After some experimenting, I now use two hair dye applicator bottles purchased at a beauty supply store and use a ration of 1 part baking soda to 9 parts water for my shampoo. For my conditioner, I use something more like 1 part apple cider vinegar to 3 parts water. {These ratios totally depend on your hair. Mine is fine and prone to waviness though definitely not curly.}

2. Castile Soap: I spent some time, about 9 months ago, looking at the back of the bottles of soaps, lotions and detergents around our house and discovered that EVERYTHING has SLS in it. {If you're unsure of what SLS - sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate is, search it and you'll be given many MANY links about its drawbacks.The things that make me most uncomfortable with these ingredients are that it is used in strong detergents, degreasers, car washing, etc. and that it cleans by corrosion. I just can't justify putting that on my skin but more importantly on my kids.} After all my research, I ended up using Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap. It's a vegetable oil based soap that has no synthetic foaming agents, thickeners or preservatives and, best of all, I can buy it at most major stores. {I got mine at Target.} Oh! By the way, it lasts a LONG time! I bought one bottle for $13 over six months ago and am just below the half mark.

I dilute it into a pump-style bottle {approximately one cup of soap and fill the rest of the bottle up with water}. I also add 30 drops of grapefruit essential oil, just for the refreshing scent. Not necessary. 

I use it as I would a bar soap on myself and as face wash at night. On the kids, it is the only soap I use on them. I use the same mixture as a shampoo and only wash their hair once a week. {If you wash your little one's hair every day or even every other day, I recommend stopping and seeing how long you can go without washing before it's needed. You may be surprised how long they'll make it. Our kids could go well over a week.}

I have also come to use it as hand wash by all my sinks. Once again, I dilute it, add some essential oil and put it into an old soap dispenser. It works great in emptied foaming soap dispensers. 

Castile soap can be used in many MANY other ways. Check out their website or read one of their bottles for some ideas.

3. Coconut Oil: I have been mocked, mercilessly, by my family members for loving this stuff as much as I do. But how can I help it?! It's amazing! It does everything!

Okay, okay, maybe it won't watch the kids, empty the dishwasher or fold laundry but it's still wonderful stuff! 

All you have to do is search "coconut oil" and you'll have way more information that I can offer here but I'll give you my favorite reasons and uses just for fun. 

Coconut oil has anti microbial properties that help your body deal with fungi, bacteria, parasites, etc. and it is a fantastic moisturizer. {It's greasy going on but dries quickly and has never caused me any skin irritation.} Best of all... it smells fantastic!

In our house, we use it for LOTS of things. 

{Using it out of the jar doesn't work so well so I stopped by the dollar store and bought an inexpensive shallow jar with lotion in it, took out the lotion, rinsed it well, warmed the oil so it was in liquid form, and filled the lotion container. I keep one in each bedroom.}

1. diaper rash cream

2. moisturizer in place of lotion 

3. face moisturizer {I've heard it's anti-aging too!}

4. cooking {in place of butter or oils in sauteing or baking}

5. anti bacterial for cuts and scrapes

6. lip moisturizer 

7. hair conditioner/frizz tamer {a little goes a LONG way!}

To Do List...

I've been too busy to create. I'm not okay with this. I've spent the last month living through other people's projects and I'm itching to do something. Anything! 

too cute from crafterhours

Also from crafterhours

How About Orange is awefully crafty and uses lots of recycled stuff

Dana MADE these - thrift store find!

Rae rocks!

If only I had visited Make It And Love It sooner!! SOOOO cute!

Thinking about joining in on this contest with Prudent Baby

House of Smith's found a great use for vinyl

I've been meaning to make one of these for a long time now. So handy!

Christmas gifts? Yes, I think I will. Thank you.

I feel like I could use this somewhere in my house... hmm...

My all-time-favorite Tatertots and Jello shares a great project that not only looks adorable but reminds your family what true thanks giving is all about. Very sweet.

I love LoVe LOVE this! I Am Momma - Hear Me Roar, fo sho!

Okay... that should hold me over for a little longer until I find time and energy again. 

First trimester almost over? Check!