Oh my goodness!

Yet again, it has been WAYYYYYY too long since I posted.
I have been following and reading, and cooking and crafting...... just not posting about it.
So here's what's going on:

Back in November my "may as well be a" sister, Melissa found out she is pregnant. (We were three when we met, and she has been in the family longer than my 'baby' sister) AND due at the end of March. Seriously! How am I supposed to craft everything in a mere four months, and get my Christmas stuff done? AHHHHH! (High pitched Nanny-like scream here) I didn't. I started when Christmas was over.
So here's what's on with that...... Melissa is a little edgy, and so NOT a traditional pear/heel girl.... she is more skulls with glitter than apron :) So regular baby yarn in gooey-cotton candy baby colors wasn't going to work. I found some Red Heart Super Soft in "Icy Pond", which matches the aqua of the baby's room perfectly! Like I took a paint swatch to Joann with me! She LOVED it! Brown, cream and aqua. Found a pattern for a ripple blanket in my crochet pattern stash, one of those "free on the rack at the craft store" patterns. I will have to add pictures later, as I haven't taken them let alone uploaded them yet.

I'm helping plan the shower, too! I'm doing games, namely a "pea in the pod" game (Etsy), the "identify the babyfood jar contents" (Earths Best only! I want her to be able to feed it to him later on) and we are doing a "Ferror Rocher" game. Adding a sticker to the bottom of the candy, with one having something to identify it as the "Winner". The winners will receive mini spa kits in brown craft gift bags. So far I have bath salts, unscented solid lotion bars, and candles with a small glass candle holder. I may have to get some chocolate for the bags, too. I mean, what's a pamper session without chocolate?!? I could so keep going.... maybe a mini bottle of sparkling wine? I WOULD like to add some sort of awesome soap, too and have been combing Etsy on the hunt.

Her theme is "Owls". Not like pictures of real barn owls or anything.... more like the cute amigurimi owls we crocheters love. Roman Sock (http://littlegreen.typepad.com/romansock/) has an adorable, simple round little fat baby Owlet pattern I just printed. I have a thick, fuzzy taupe, cream, brown super soft acrylic that I'll use to whip up a couple to add to her "basket" as well. I bought the cutest Owl Printable from Linda Nee on Etsy... printed on full sticker paper, punched with a shiny new (Yes, it is ALL I purchased at Joann yesterday) Fiskars one inch paper punch. I made labels for the favor boxes, which her mom will be assembling. Aqua "wedding" favor boxes from Michaels Crafts, brown ribbon wrapped around one way only and held on with the labels. Sticker on the front of the box to pull it together...... WAY cute, and no tying millions of little blue bows.


As for cooking...... I've been using some recipes from Fly Lady (go now, this website is changing my cluttered busy life 15 minutes at a time), Pioneer Woman (love lovelove LOVE reading her! Her cookbook is at the TOP of my must-buy list. Yes, I've checked it out at the library. Yes much of it is on her amazing blog. and YES I'm buying it next payday.) and "Saving Dinner". (That one is by Leanne Ely. Yes, it's more nutritious than PW, and yes, still tasty). I have planned out my menu for the month. Sound constricting? It's really not. It's freeing. I can change a night if I want or need to. I can modify for sale items, seasonal produce, etc.... BUT on any given night, you can check the calendar and know what I'm making. Most of the time. I've been cooking up the weeks meats on Sunday evening, too. Skipping today because I'm confined to the couch with a nasty chest and head cold.... BUT will resume next week. This week will mostly be freezer and crock pot meals. I'm too achy to cook. And will probably be to exhausted during the week. So there it is.

I know I have the most boring blog on the planet. No tutorials (I get them all from you ladies anyway), no recipes I have created on my own, and few pictures. Not even regular posts. I will be better now. I'll start carrying my camera, and put blogging on my calendar as an appointment instead of in the back of my head as a "Maybe I'll...."

One more thing. Have you seen "One for the money" yet? That was supposed to my date night movie with DH, but this head cold means DVD's on the couch instead. Maybe NEXT weekend? I want to be Grandma Mauzer when I'm old. ;)

What can you say.......?

I just learned that a very dear friend lost her baby girl, an amazing phenomenal 21 year old young lady. What can I say? There is not a single thing in the world I can do to ease her pain. Not a thing. Flowers are pointless, they die too. A card seems just inadequate. She lives an hour away, so it's not like I can pop in with a hot casserole..... Saying "She's in a better place" is true, but NOT what is going to make this amazing, grieving mom feel any less grief.

So what can I do? I pray. I have been. From the minute I heard what happened. I learned it was not instant. I learned that she fought hard, but God called her home. How do I comfort her mother? The woman who saw her first breath, calmed her when she cried, watched every moment of her life. How do I, who have never held my own child, comfort a friend who is loosing her heart and her mind and maybe even her soul? Is it possible to even do anything but let her know I'm here for her if she needs me?

I can not imagine her pain, her suffering. I can not fathom what it would be like to have a child die. So how can I possibly offer her comfort? I feel like such a horrible friend because I haven't even called her. I think I'll wait a day or two, I'm sure today will be such a blur to her.

I'm going to add her to my Church's prayer list. I think only God can give her comfort at this point. I'll pray that he gives me tools to help her get through this in any way I can.

Bless you, Brenda. And may God keep Beth secure in his arms forever, RIP sweet girl.

TMI..... period discussion/vent

I won't take it personally (mostly because I'll never know) if you clicked out of here as fast as you could! For those sticking around, here's one more warning: I'm posting about menstrual pads now. Feel free to run if you are not ok with that. I don't mind.

So I have to say, this came up because I started. I don't mind so much, but even with birth control pills, my cramps were hell for this round. But my topic is cloth pads, not periods.

I use, and highly recommend, cloth pads. I know, I know..... you are thinking "the mess", "EWWWW" or "Gross", right? I did too when I first heard about it. I thought about it years ago, pre-husband..... then saw how expensive they were to purchase from Glad Rags and the other few companies out there at the time.

Well, about a year and a half ago I had a horrible eczema break out *there* in the middle of my period. Talk about painful, and inconvenient, and literally a pain in the.... well, you know! I was miserable! Called the dermatologist, but there are very few eczema creams you can use on your labia. So, I went online. It tuns out there's bleach and fragrance and other non-skin-friendly ingredients in maxi pads. (I'm not and have never been a dedicated tampon user. Rare and occasional...) Ingredients I am allergic too! Well, hello! I had NO IDEA! Bleach? Really? I banned that from my house years ago! (Except in Comet, which is only used by DH if I have a serious mold problem- and I have since found out that vinegar and alcohol work for mold!)

Reading online, I found out that there are quite a few women who advocate cloth pads. But the cost!?!?! So I kept reading. Well, guess what? I own a sewing machine! Yep. There are instructions and patterns out there for cloth pads! There are SO MANY different kinds! I used my Always (my maxi of choice back then) as a template at first, but read the instructions on the blog of The Hillbilly Housewife (AWESOME site! Go now, I'll wait!) among others. Once I figured out what to start with (flannel, cotton batting, old ratty washrags...all stuff I had here already) I was gung ho!
I have to admit DH was a *little worried*. He has sisters, he knows about girl stuff, and was even good about an emergency run to the drugstore for supplies if I wrote out *exactly* what I needed. (Brand, size, etc) But, make my own pads? He thought I was completely bonkers! Until I showed him the math. When he realized that I'd save money making my own over the life of my menstrual cycles, AND he'd never get sent on an emergency run again...... well, let's just say I wasn't *quite* as bonkers!

I have several thicknesses, and a couple of different styles. All are flannel (one upcycled sheet, and some leftovers from other projects mostly. But, I did have to go get a yard of pretty flannel once they "turned out") topped, and bottomed. The thicker ones have a layer of flannel, then cotton batting then terrycloth then cotton batting then flannel. Most are just flannel with a couple of layers of batting. All have snapping "wings" to hold them in place. All are at least 8" long. I'm a big girl, I need coverage here! My favorites are not actually the curved (harder to sew, longer to make, "cuter") pads. My favorite are squares, folded in thirds, with wings and snaps placed on the middle third, with the other two thirds folding under. A couple have extra batting in the middle. Those are for those rare times I have to take progestrone before starting a new pill because my period stopped completely. Again. They are great for overnight, too. My second favorites are just rectangles with wings. The curved ones? Yeah, they are more conventional looking. But really, my body "shapes" the rectangles, they aren't all that wide (maybe two and a half inches across not including the wings), so they are comfortable. So I have more of those. They were WAY easier to stitch.

So, go out there and read up. The statistics on how much waste is created by disposable pads and tampons are out there. I don't feel the need to cite it all here. Patterns are out there. Other women's reasons are out there. If you don't want to make some to try them, both Ebay and Etsy have SAHM's and other women who make and sell them. Glad Rags are still out there, hey, even your local natural food store probably has them. (BTW, I *DO* have a "Party In My Pants" pad, I just had to get one because their name made me giggle. Plus, they have whys and statistics on their webpage. Google them. I double dare you!)

Here is what you need to know:
It's not as "gross" as you think.
I have a soaker bucket. It's just a cheap dollar store container with a lid. I just could not bring myself to use my Tupperware to soak menstrual pads. Mine is clear-ish, and DH just ignores it. Now, I have read that some women pour the water out onto their plants. But, I add castile soap with tea tree oil and don't know that my plants would be ok with that. So I don't. I put cold water, a little castille soap and a little borax in my container. I change my pad a few times a day, just like I used to with disposables. I put the used pad in the water and screw the lid on. When my period is over (usually just three or four days), I dump it all in the washing machine with a little laundry soap and colored clothes. ( I refuse to wash a teeny tiny load of laundry like a dozen pads. That's wasting water) I dry mine on medium in the dryer. Where I live, I can not have a laundry line, and I don't have room to hang them inside anywhere. Notice there was NO fabric softener. If you end up with lots of static in your normal laundry, use vinegar in the rinse water for your pads.
And that "period" smell? Gone. I don't smell my menses at all anymore. Even when I'm "heavy", it doesn't smell. I've leaked through twice, but they were both because I forgot I was wearing a pad at all. I don't use a waterproof barier. My pads are as comfortable as just wearing panties.

Ok that's my stance. I make and wear my own menstrual pads. I keep a couple in my emergency kit in the car. I am going to make the sisters a few for their emergency kits.
Even if you don't switch completely, you might consider having a few in your emergency response kit. Just in case.
Granted, I didn't start this to do my part to save the environment. But using them has made me more aware of what else I throw away. I no longer use paper plates, disposable forks, etc.... I've had the same roll of paper towels for about a year. (Microfiber cloths really do work better) In my home, we use things that can be used more than once. I hardly use zipper bags (raw meat only), cling wrap, or foil.

What started as an eczema breakout from hell has really made me more aware. I'm more aware of my cycles now. I'm more aware of what I use in my home, and for my body. What a lesson!

Pictures

Here are Melissa's Bag (girlie skulls), which is a shortened Lazy Girl Designs Towne Purse. Also, the matching Wonder Wallet. (also LGD)

And, Sommer's ensemble. Diaper bag (seen previously), wonder wallet, diaper clutch (holds 1-2 diapers plus small travel wipes-perfect for sending "In" with Dad!), burp rags, passi-clip, a "tagged" blanket (green minky on the back, ribbons down the sides), 24 single layer flannel washcloths (bought from Etsy, as I don't own a surger and hadn't borrowed one yet), brown/grey/cream crochet slippers/house shoes (look like lil' "man" shoes") and a crochet button pouch. (wallet/mini-first aid size). PLUS, my favorite biodegradable dirty diaper "anti-stink" bags, and "Links" for holding toys, lovies, passies, etc.... to the stroller. Also great for attaching toys to playmats and shopping carts!
Whew! That was a lot of work! BUT, so worth it!

So, that was April's sewing fest. Jamie is next. She likes an Alexander Henry fabric, and a Simplicity (regular) pattern....... I'll buy the fabric payday and get going again!

Photos

Did you know there's a button right over the text box that you can hit to enter photos? Ok, I'll admit it, I'm rather slow on the uptake! I have been looking for that little button *for.ever*!

So today's' post is really just pictures of my most recent completed projects. Let's see if I can get those in here now.

This is Sommer's diaper bag. Cute, huh? I think so. I'm pretty proud of this. It is a Lazy Girl Designs City Bag. I added the ring and clip on the strap for a little interest, and as a place to hang the passi clip I made. I have a picture of the entire ensamble I gave her, and will post those next. Thay are still living on my camera. I'll post Melissa's purse, too.

I'm so happy I figured out how to post photos!!!! Woo Hoo!

Did you say Spring Fling?????

Go now. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.00.
Run over to Tip Junkie on Blog Frog. There is going to be a huge, massive, GINORMOUS Spring Fling.
I can't wait! I adore the work of Vintage Pearl! So beautiful! And yet casual enough for even me to wear;-).
And did you see the Creative Card Homeschool?????? Awesome!

I really wish I had something Fling-Worthy to give away...... hmmmmmmmm, maybe at some point I'll be caught up on family gifts, and I'll make a custom LGD bag for a giveaway.
I guess you'll just have to keep coming back to see me now, huh? ;-)

Seriously?!?

I just realized that it's been two months since I posted! Wow! Time sure flies!
I've been working long hours, every weekend is packed, and my "down" time has been spent with my Kindle.
Now, however, I'm cramming several weeks of sewing into one week. A purse for Melissa, bibs and more burp rags for Sommer- but I think Melissa will be first. I have a bunch of stuff for Sommer's Grayson, and it will do.
Never did find a LGD pattern for Melissa, so I'll be "winging it" and modify a different pattern with the insides of a LGD. That's ok. I can do it.
So tomorrow after church I'll be glued to the table with my sewing machine. DH will start on our taxes, and I'll have to go in and add all of my deductions. So, this weekend is a wash. Today, laundry and scrub my bathroom, then birthday party for lil' guy and Second Saturday with the family.

I still don't know how to post pictures. I'll find out. Really, I will!