Showing posts with label mommies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mommies. Show all posts

Monday, July 16, 2012

1 Week of Pinterest

One of my online mommy groups is doing a '1 Week of Pinterest' challenge. I'll be blogging about my projects. The requirements are simple:


In that time you must do (one a day in any order)...

1 new recipe
1 project for your home
1 craft type project
1 project for your toddler
2 of your choice
1 free day/do nothing

Day 1:
1 project for your toddler.

Here's my inspiration. Sorry, my pin is only linked to an image, so no blog credit available. Luckily, this one is pretty self explanatory!



So, all you need is:

  • blank canvas (or paper if you want to keep it simple)
  • paint color(s) of choice
  • painter's tape
  • brush (optional)
  • drop cloth (optional)
Here's how the process went for us...

Gather your materials

We worked in the garage, but I still decided to put down a 'drop cloth' (cut up garbage bag). First, using the painter's tape, tape off your child's name or nickname. Curvy letters can be difficult!

My lil' Pumpkin decided to use just her favorite color, purple.

Give them a brush (or let them use their fingers) and let them go to town!

Encourage them to cover the whole canvas, as it will make the letters stand out more once you remove the painter's tape.

I let it dry just a little bit, and then carefully remove the painter's tape. You're left with your final masterpiece:

There ya go! Custom artwork for your little one's room =)




Saturday, May 12, 2012

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

I pin, literally, hundreds of recipes on Pinterest. Obviously, I don't have them time to make them all, but I do feel accomplished when I get the time to try one! Tonight for dinner we had Parmesan Crusted Chicken. My favorite part about this one? EASY!!! Only four ingredients and so quick. I pinned the recipe from The Enchanted Cook and I highly recommend this one for a quick go-to flavorful dish.


Photo credit: The Enchanted Cook

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Spring Break Productivity Pt. 3

Continuation. Read Pt. 1 here and Pt. 2 here.


Teething Necklace.
My little Junebug has some seriously swollen gums right now. Poor guy is drooling everywhere, putting everything in his mouth and losing sleep. And, well, we all know when baby loses sleep, so does Mama! We've been working on nighttime, but during the day I'm constantly grabbing big sister Pumpkin's toys out of his mouth. Oh, and if you pick him up, be warned you'll be covered in slobber later!


So, when I saw this on Pinterest, I thought, "oh yay! cute AND functional." So, I got right to it! Rebekah already has written out a very simple tutorial on A Bit of Sunshine, so head over check that out. Here's the one she made:






And mine that I'm loving!



Saturday, March 24, 2012

T-Shirt Skirt Tutorial

If you're like me then you're constantly on Pinterest! I'm always seeing things I want to try but as a working mom with 2 little ones it's hard to get around do trying them all.... unless you're invited to a pinterest party and then you go crazy, hahaha! Our playgroup had a MNO (Moms' Night Out) tonight and we were all invited to bring something from  Pinterest . Sooooo... I brought a drink, a snack AND a sewing project! The project I made was a T-shirt skirt. It seemed like the perfect thing for any busy mom to throw together. And considering the 85' degree temps we've been having here in Illinois, despite it being mid-march, it's an easy wardrobe refresher!

I was inspired by this graphic:

Which I then tracked to this tutorial. So I snuck a peek in hubby's closet, but felt bad about stealing a t-shirt he still wears and I didn't want to try this on a t-shirt that I wouldn't ACTUALLY wear as a skirt, so I swung by Old Navy and picked up a clearance top! It went basically the same, but I had to make some small adjustments since I used a boat-necked top. Full disclosure: I spent more than 30 seconds on this. Haha! But definitely no longer than 30 minutes!

Here's what I started with:

Since it was a sort of boat neck neckline with extra wide shoulders, I had to make a few adjustments. The first thing I tweaked was closing some of the shoulder opening. I knew I needed to do this because I had slipped the shirt on to my waist to get a feel for how it would look and lay. So from the shoulder down a few inches I closed it- but careful, you're not going all the way or you'll lose your pockets!


Here's what it looks like with my new seams:

Then you'll need to stitch your sleeves shut to create pockets. My top had 3/4 length sleeves so I didn't sew at the cuff, rather a bit higher. Here you can see them sewn:


Then you can go ahead and cut your excess sleeves below your seam:

The rest pretty much follows the the graphic at the beginning of this post. So step 1) Cut from the neck to your shoulder- in my case I cut up to the point where I'd sewn at my shoulder:
(in this picture I'd only cut half way to the new seam, but it needed to be cut all the way)

Here you can see it cut on both shoulders and folded down:


I then folded it all the way around and pressed it to have a nice waistline:

My original intention was to have it be drawstring, so I sewed a casing all the way, leaving an opening in the front in order to be able to tie it:

I didn't really like how it felt/held up though so I'm going to add elastic to it and sew the casing completely shut. 

Overall, I love it. So easy, super cute and a one of a kind skirt!


Thursday, February 16, 2012

By Request: Tooth Fairy Pillow

So I've been seeing about 3,139,723,186 different projects on Pinterest that I want to try. But of course every time I go to my board to pick a project I get overwhelmed and quit, haha. Then a good friend asked if I had any plans to start making tooth fairy pillows. Well, indeed it was a project on my infinitely long to do list! So it seemed like as good of a place to start as any other.

So, this afternoon I got the little Junebug down for a nap after a hearty lunch (first time having a quesadilla, his little tummy is full!) I decided to see what I could whip up! After browsing Pinterest some more and sketching out exactly what I wanted, I got to work!

Using fabric scraps made this project both quick but economical as well ;) I'm looking forward to being able to knock these out a few at a time and have them as a regular listing in my shop!

Friday, August 12, 2011

Etsy

I've been working on quite a bit of merchandise for my Etsy shop which I hope to launch this weekend. I'm crazy excited about it but also sad because I'm not able to devote a whole lot of time at the moment, with school starting soon. I'm excited to get back to my kids (my big kids), but also sad to be leaving my babies home. *sniff*

Thursday, July 7, 2011

The latest thing I've made....

...is SO cute! Have a look:


hee hee... my lil' Junebug was born 6/2/11 at 5.24am weighing 6lbs 6oz and measuring 19 in long. he's been keeping me busy the last month, but I've still gotten some projects in and I've even taken on the task of opening at Etsy shop! Delight! I'll be sewing all this month to build a "stock" and then open August 1st! =)

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Taggie blankie


I made this last night.... soooo easy! I even knocked out another one today. These just might be my new "go to" gift for friends with new bebes! I skimmed a tutorial in one of my sewing books before knocking it out freestyle on the fly. It's really pretty simple. I'll type up a tutorial shortly =)

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Rocka Buy Gear

Gotta love the bargain sites!!!

About:
"RockaBuyGear.com is a venue where moms everywhere can buy and sell their used baby gear. Why bother with collecting and storing all of your unneeded baby gear for a seasonal garage sale that takes up an entire weekend and involves a lot of hard work, when you can easily post any baby-related items, such as clothes, toys, books, DVDs, furniture, strollers and more, at ANY time of the year, day or night, and it's all for FREE! 

RockaBuyGear.com is different from other websites where you can list items for sale: It has an easy four-step posting process that is specifically designed for moms who don't have time to deal with complicated websites due to their busy schedules. Items are posted with a fixed price so you won't have to deal with any time-wasting auctions. All you have to do is post your baby-gear item on our site - and wait! Once your item sells, RockaBuyGear.com will email and text you to let you know. The money will be deposited directly into your personal Paypal account
 "

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Cutest Baby Booties Ever!

Somebody posted a link to this tutorial in the Pregnancy group on Cafemom, and OMG aren't they SO STINKIN' CUTE! I suddenly wish I was having another girl, lol. I've got to find someone to gift these to, they're just too cute not to make!


You can find the tutorial from I Design here.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Picky Sticky

I saw these today on Baby Steals [www.babysteals.com]. What a NEAT idea! If you're a mom like me, you LOVE to take pictures. I take a picture of my daughter EVERY month on the 21st to document her growth. Picky Sticky sells these awesome circular stickers that you just slap on baby's onesie and you'll never forget which month you photographed!

They have every month from 1-24 months, and even year and half year stickers for after that. They even sell belly stickers for the preggo mamas! Such an awesome product and not expensive at all! I =heart= this product!

Friday, April 30, 2010

CPSC Recalls

I am so grateful for the CPSC notification list. I found out yesterday, the day of the news release, that my daughter's crib was recalled. No having to wait to hear by word of mouth or *maybe* from the corporation (or maybe not since the company is not in business anymore). I found out immediately and right away took her out of her crib.

We're returning it ASAP and getting her a new one! I am so happy to be signed up for these notifications and I encourage all parents to do so:

https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 29, 2010
Release #10-211 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908


Simplicity Cribs Recalled by Retailers; Mattress-Support Collapse Can Cause Suffocation and Strangulation
One Infant Death Reported
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is announcing the recall of all Simplicity full-size cribs with tubular metal mattress-support frames. This recall includes fixed-side and drop-side cribs. These cribs pose a risk of serious injury or death due to entrapment, strangulation, suffocation and fall hazards to infants and toddlers.

The crib's tubular metal mattress-support frame can bend or detach and cause part of the mattress to collapse, creating a space into which an infant or toddler can roll and become wedged, entrapped or fall out of the crib.

CPSC has received a report of a one-year-old child from North Attleboro, Mass. who suffocated when he became entrapped between the crib mattress and the crib frame in April 2008. CPSC is aware of 13 additional incidents involving the recalled cribs collapsing due to the metal mattress- support frame bending or detaching, including one child entrapment that did not result in injury, and one child who suffered minor cuts to his head when his mattress collapsed and he fell out of the crib.

CPSC staff urges parents and caregivers to stop using these cribs immediately and find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Do not attempt to fix these cribs.

Due to the fact that Simplicity and its successor, SFCA Inc., are no longer in business, CPSC has limited information about the number of cribs sold. All Simplicity drop-side cribs have previously been recalled for a hazard involving the drop side. Simplicity drop-side cribs could still be in use by parents or caregivers who are unaware of the recalls or by those who received a repair kit to immobilize the drop side from Simplicity when the firm was still in business. This recall involves ALL Simplicity cribs with tubular metal mattress-support frames regardless of model number.

Crib Name Model Number
All Simplicity Cribs with tubular metal mattress-support frames regardless of model number Model numbers unknown
Some of the known model numbers include:
Aspen 4-in-1 8755
Chelsea Deluxe 4-in-1 Convertible Sleep System 8324
Graco 4-in-1 Ultra Sleep System 4600
Graco Aspen 3-in-1 8740
Simplicity Crib and Changer Combo 8994
Simplicity Ellis Deluxe 4-in-1 Convertible Sleep System 8676
Simplicity Nursery-in-a-Box Convertible Crib 8910

Some model numbers are followed by letters, indicating the color or finish of the crib. The name "Simplicity Inc." or "Simplicity for Children" appears on a label on the crib's mattress-support frame and/or the crib's end panels. The cribs were manufactured in China.

The recalled cribs were sold at Walmart, Target, Babies R Us and other stores nationwide for between $150 and $300. Consumers should contact the store where the crib was purchased to receive a refund, replacement crib or store credit.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Caring Bridge

This post is a somber one. I wanted to let everyone know about this website, though. Also, to encourage anyone looking for a charity/website to donate to this holiday season to think of Caring Bridge. http://www.caringbridge.org/ is "a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free websites that connect family and friends during a serious health event, care and recovery. A CaringBridge website is personal, private and available 24/7. It helps ease the burden of keeping family and friends informed. The websites are easy to create and use. Authors add health updates and photos to share their story while visitors leave messages of love and support in the guestbook."


Unforunately, I've had a number of former students who were cancer patients or had life threatening illnesses. Most recently, one of the mommies from my October baby group on Cafemom, had her 3 year old daughter diagnosed with Leukemia. Such a tragedy for a family that had already experienced a lot of loss in just last week. The good news is her daughter has ALL, which has a very high recovery rate, so we're all hoping for the best!


In times like these it's nice to have a way to update everyone, without having to make a ton of calls or emails. Caringbridge.com allows people to post updates, pictures, etc. from anywhere at anytime. It's a great site and free to everyone. I hope that you might consider a small donation.


http://www.caringbridge.org/donate


Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Mother's Day 2009

So as I sit here creating this blog, the clock has passed midnight, so it is now officially my first Mother's Day. So Happy Mother's Day to me and all the other mommies out there! May you have a wonderful day with your babies.

Personally, my own mother already brought me a flower and poem. Aww! My husband's not so great at surprises, so he bought me a card a target about 4 hours ago as I stood right next to him picking out a card for HIS mom. Yeah. =)

I'm not sure how I want to organize this blog just yet, but why not start with a couple recommendations for the week? A book I recently read that I think other mommies might enjoy is Things I Want My Daughters To Know. From Publishers Weekly:

Noble (The Reading Group) hits her stride in her tearjerker fourth novel. Before Barbara Forbes, a mother of four, succumbs to terminal cancer, she leaves words of wisdom for her four daughters in the form of letters to each of them. In the year following Barbara's death, her daughters draw strength from her words and from each other as they move forward with their lives. Lisa, the eldest, is advised to "let someone look after [her]" for a change. Jennifer, "fragile and hard to reach," struggles with an unraveling marriage. Free-spirited Amanda is thrown for a loop by a family secret, and teenaged Hannah, experiencing her first taste of rebellion, is reminded that she still has a lot of growing up to do. Though Barbara's life-is-short aphorisms are nothing new, her sharp wit and distinctive voice is a nice complement to the four nuanced stories of coping with death. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

I really enjoyed this book, and actually I didn't know until I posted this review that it was her fourth novel. I'm going to have to check out her others and add them to my reading list!

My mommy product recommendation for this week will be the Peanut Shell. I'm a huge fan of baby wearing, and I absolutely love my Peanut Shell! The only downside is that I wish I could still use the cradle carry, because Isa loved it so much! She's gotten a bit big for that carry anymore though, but we can still use the other holds!

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Welcome to Mommy's Favorite Things!

As a new mommy I'm constantly finding new products and resources that I love and want to share. This blog will be where I record all my favorite things, hence the name ;).

A little about me: I'm a 24 year old married mommy of one. I work full time as a teacher. With summer break approaching I'll be working full-time in retail. I go to school online full time, getting my Master's. I enjoy organizing, photography, cooking, reading, blogging, graphic designing, shopping, sewing/crafting and more! My parenting style is less-extreme attachment parenting, I breastfeed and make all my own baby food. We vaccinate and co-sleep.

And I have opinions on everything!