A New Blanket for a New Baby

When I was pregnant with Moo, I quit my job and spent endless hours daydreaming about the joys of motherhood. I'd sit on the couch, watch sappy movies on the Hallmark channel and knit little gifts for my bun in the oven. I made the cutest little hat with a big flower on the side, little booties that look like UGGS, a soft little security blanket made out of cotton chenille, well you get the picture. I continue to make new little gifts for Moo, but now the question arrises about the new baby...

What to do? I love the little items I made for Moo, but should I reuse those items for baby #2? Should I make baby #2 her own baby hat or use the one I made for Moo? I kind of think it would be nice to use the same hat, since it was SO cute, but I also think it would be nice for each to have their own "special" things. Someday when they have their own kids they can pull out the box and see their own little hats and booties and know how special they are and how loved they were even before they were born. Trouble is that I'm a *little* lacking in time these days. With Moo and the house AND the yard AND my Farmgirls AND and and...it seems I don't have time for much of anything these days. So I figured that I could still make something special for baby #2 but not knit it, since that is very time consuming...at least on a large scale. And thus, a blanket was born.

Super easy to make and I think it came out pretty cute. Since baby #2 will be born in the fall, I chose to make a nice warm, soft blanket to get her through the winter. Since she will be bunking with Mom & Dad, I picked a darling aqua & white almost animal cracker patterned fabric since that will look nice in our bedroom and the family room...I know, a bit selfish, but at the time I also didn't know the sex of the baby and wanted something that would work for a boy or a girl. So I purchased a yard each of the aqua patterned flannel, white flannel and enough satin blanket binding to cover the edges. Sewing was a cinch since the binding covered the edges - all I had to do was sew wrong sides together slap on the binding and I was done. The project took about an hour and now I have a cute, warm blanket for baby #2 with that satin binding all kids love to rub in colors that I won't hate to see hanging around on the couch for the next few years. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself!

Children's Hospital Gifts

I am the "Mother Hen" of a group of Farmgirls who meet once a month to do all sorts of crafty things - without the kids. It's like an excuse to meet other Moms to chit-chat and hang out without someone always having to change a diaper or yell "stop hitting your sister" across the playground. And since all of us like to do crafty type things (or at least attempt them) it's a great way for us to do both without "little" interruptions. At the beginning of the year we chose a charity to support for the year, a thing we have vowed to do every year. This year we joined the million pillowcase challenge and will be donating pillowcases to the kids at our local Children's Hospital. Since we all have young kids, we thought this was a great idea. So at our last meeting I hosted a sew-in and we all brought fabric and started making our pillowcases which we will donate around Christmas time. I know, we're early, but I've got Number 2 coming in the fall, then Thanksgiving and Christmas (for which I make most of my gifts) and I just didn't know when we'd have time to make them toward the end of the year. We had a fun night but only got 2 pillowcases done. Not very productive, although we all got our fabric cut and measured for the cases...but it sure was a fun night. So today I sat down with the old sewing machine and finished up. Seven pillowcases in all for me, should have been 4 but I cut one piece a little too small and ended up making that one into 4 all on it's own. Don't ask, I was preoccupied with Moo and somehow ended up with two small pieces instead of one big one. I was able to go to the fabric store and get some extra fabric, though, so all was not lost. And the Hospital will end up with some extra pillowcases, so they win big time!

The blue edging bands were supposed to be one blue pillowcase, but now compliment 4 pillowcases. I think they came out really cute, if I do say so myself. My favorite is the blue fabric with the mugs of cocoa paired with a light green striped fabric. I love it and hope some cute little girl does too!

Embroideries

When the temps are in the hundreds outside and your little ones get tired of the same old thing day in and day out, try something new. Not too long ago I bought some plastic canvas and a big blunt needle for Moo. I knotted a piece of scrap yarn, stuck it through one of the holes and showed her how to weave it in and out of the little holes. She was fascinated! She calls it her "embroideries" and she will sit for quite a while with it. She'll weave until there is no yarn left, then bring it to me to unravel. Then she starts again. She gets really excited when she accidentally makes a shape and LOVES to show off her work to whomever stops by. So for about $0.50 you can get hours and hours of entertainment, that actually will teach your kids a lot. Moo is learning the VERY basics of sewing, persistence, patience and the excitement and pride that comes with making something with your own two hands. She is not usually one to sit still for very long, so just getting her to stay in one spot for more than 2 minutes is a major milestone!

Not too shabby...yet

Well, as if I didn't have enough on my plate right now with the serious ant invasion that is currently taking place in my kitchen sink (gross, by the way), the baby on the way, the front yard in desperate need of a good weeding, the backyard in need of a miracle and Moo, who seems to have decided that since Mommy is so big right now and can't move around all that well it's the perfect time to act up. Even with all that going on, I still like to stop by my local thrift stores every few weeks to see what they have. You would think a super populated area like Southern California would have giant wherehouse-like thrift stores, well think again. The Goodwill here is smaller than the one I used to shop at when we lived in a tiny town in Washington. However we do have a Goodwill and a Salvation Army, so I guess it works out to the same square footage between the two stores.

On my last trip there, I found this cute little table for $12.00. I don't know what it was supposed to be used for, it almost looks like a child's desk but the space under it is too small for even a child's chair. As you can see it's got a lot of wear, there are quite a few scratches, nicks and even what appears to be an acetone stain (where spilled acetone ate through the finish) on one of the shelves. But for $12.00 I thought I could turn it into something fabulous for Moo and #2's room. Stay tuned and I'll show you what it looks like when it's all done...only a little sanding, priming, painting and we'll see!

The Brown Butter Cookie Company

Let me just start by saying that I have found a new love in baked treats and it's name is Brown Butter! While visiting my parents in the beautiful Central Coast of California, we took a little drive out to Cayucos to wander through the local Peddler's Faire. None of us had ever been to Cayucos before, so we enjoyed poking around the downtown area after getting our fil of the Faire. Not too far along our journey we came to the cutest little bakery ever - The Brown Butter Cookie Company - and it jogged some memory for me. While my hubby was deployed a few years back, Moo and I stayed with my parents for a few months to stave off loneliness. We signed up for some Mommy and Me classes and quite often the Mommys would rave about these cookies. Any time one of them drove to the coast for some reason, they would try to stop by to pick up a batch, or two, or three of these amazing cookies. I thought that was kind of silly, I mean how good could they really be for me to want to drive all the way out there for a box? So I never tried the famous cookies, but now that we were right in front of the store, I informed my parents that this was some type of local institution and we must try it. So in we went to buy a convenient sample pack, one of each of their cookies neatly packaged to look like a christmas tree of deliciousness. I wanted to take the little bundle back to the car to get a snap shot of it before we devoured it, but that didn't happen. So I snagged this pic from their website of a box you can order on-line and get in the mail! Yes, if you live too far to drive to Cayucos, you can order a box, or ten, to be delivered to you - which I may end up doing if we don't go to my parents house enough to keep me stocked up. Here is their information:

Brown Butter Cookie Company

250 N. Ocean Avenue

Cayucos, CA 93430

805-995-2076

www.brownbuttercookies.com

To say their cookies are to die for is the understatement of the century. The cookie they are named for is a delicious and surprising brown butter sea salt cookie. If you are a fan of the salty/sweet combo, say chocolate covered pretzles, then these mght be just up your alley. The chocolate chip are great, oatmeal, honey, peanut butter - all good. But my favorite (Moo's too) was one that tasted like a luscious nutty brownie in cookie form. I have no idea what this one was called, but it was chocolaty, chewy and SO good! Next time we go, we will be getting at least 100 of those...that should last us the drive back home. Maybe we'll get some for Daddy too. So go check them out, if you're in town or want to order them on-line. It's a sweet little company with the nicest people you'll ever meet. And those are my favorite kind of businesses to promote.

What's with this weather?

Strange weather here today in Southern California. Muggy and overcast in the morning, around 80 degrees. After lunch, took Moo down to the fabric store and on the way it started raining...oh and did I mention the thermometer made it to 90? Raining and 90 degrees! What is going on here? When we got home, I set Moo up with a movie in the family room and I headed out front for a little weeding. Been putting it off too long with the big baby bump as the excuse. Now it's to the point where, baby bump or no, I am terribly embarrassed by my front yard. So an hour outside did the yard a lot of good and me a lot of hurtin'. But one more hour out there in the next few days should be the end of it for a little while. At least until next month, I hope. I was also able to plant two agapanthas, not the one in the photo above, but I thought I'd include it because they are so pretty. So the yard is looking better, Moo got to watch a movie and I've got batting for the family room throw I'm working on. Not too bad for such a strange day.

Chalk Fun

Another fun thing about summer is sidewalk chalk. Moo loves going to Grammy's because of the huge driveways and the presence of an ever-willing artist who will accompany Moo in her hours and hours of coloring.

Moo makes an excellent job foreman and will tell Grammy exactly what to draw and where to draw it. Then she will come over, inspect it and add any finishing touches that may be needed. In this case, Ursula's eyebrows were not angry enough. Yes, this time around, she had Grammy draw an entire scene from the Little Mermaid...Ariel, Ursula, Ursula's cave, Flounder and Prince Eric, with the exception that Prince Eric be turned into a mermaid like Ariel. Grammy is such a good sport and drew it all while Moo just watched and edited.

Later, we tried to teach Moo how to do hopscotch. She was actually pretty good at it, although she got bored rather quickly. Then Grammy tried to teach her a chalk grid hopping game that she remembered from when she was little. She didn't remember the name of it, but it involved a large grid with numbered squares in which one had to jump from square to square in numerical order without falling over or missing a number in the sequence. Moo found that much more fun than hopscotch and spent a good deal of time trying to get in Grammy's way to prevent her from hopping on the right squares. Good times were had by all...except perhaps by Mommy, who is still having to listen to the Yellow Submarine song that Grampy thought would be cute to teach Moo while Grammy was busy chalking up a storm. Thanks for that Grampy.

Water balloons!

What is more fun on a hot summer day than a water balloon fight? How about your very first water balloon fight? While visiting Grammy and Grampy, Moo got to experience the joys of water balloons for the very first time. And if you couldn't tell from the one she lobbed right at me while I was trying to document this momentous occasion, she loved it. The only problem was that she was too short and not really strong enough, so the balloons were hitting the ground gently and at enough of an angle so that they skidded along the cement until they hit a rock. It wasn't until about a half hour into it that she was able to throw them straight down at the ground with enough force to pop them...right at her own feet. Throwing them at anything further away than that was a real challenge. But she had a great time and can't wait to get back up to "Grampy's balloon fighting".

Grammy's Bounty

Our trips to Grammy and Grampy's house are always fun and exciting. This time, we got to check out Grammy's edible garden - yum! She has done tomatoes and pole beans in the past, but this year she planted tiny cherry tomatoes and two little blueberry bushes. Moo is an old pro at finding the little red tomatoes hiding on the bush...

How tiny that tomato looks in the hands of a 4 year old! Needless to say that though we found quite a few tomatoes, they were all barely bit sized. But perfect for a pre-schooler!

We were excited to be around for Grammy's first haul of blueberries. You're looking at them! A whopping six, though I had to inform her that the rather reddish ones would be sour - she picked them a little too early in her excitement. So we really only got two perfect berries. Not enough for a pie, but enough for a taste. We let Grammy and Grampy each have one, since it's their garden! Moo and I will wait for the pie...maybe next visit. Seeing Grammy's little garden and how much fun Moo has exploring for edibles made me want to try it myself. The only thing stopping me is the ant metropolis in our backyard. We really have to call someone out to get rid of the things...I've tried everything and they just laugh at me. They don't seem to be going after my one edible though, my lemon tree is doing ok...no lemons yet though. Fingers crossed!

Central Coast Bounty

Wish me luck for I am off to the Central Coast for the weekend! Moo and I are headed off for a weekend of sun and fun at Grammy's house, a nice little vacation from the everyday routine. The added bonus? The Cambria Craft Fair and the Cayucos Peddlers Faire. Can't wait to see all the odds and ends on display. An ocean backdrop, antiques and vintage items galore and a happy 4 year old with a babysitter equals one happy Mama! I'll post a few pics when we get back, but until then have a wonderful weekend and a Happy Independence Day!

Put all that paper to good use...

When Moo was born, I decided that I was a scrapbooker. I have albums, literally albums plural, from the first year of her life. Then she got older and it got harder and harder for me to keep up with it. Now that we zip around from Gymnastics class, to Pre-school, to Dance class, I seem to have no time for fussing with decorating the page I stick the photos to. I'm happy I'm even remembering to take photos! And now that #2 is on the way, I'm sure that I won't have the time to keep up with this hobby that was fun, but a bit pricey anyway. I'm not too sad about having to give it up to spend more time with my soon to be girls, but giving up this hobby leads me to a problem. What am I going to do with all the supplies that I have hoarded over the years? I have enough scrapbooking supplies to last through documenting a nuclear winter and still have some leftover for a good sized wedding or two.

In a seemingly unrelated matter, I have very little wall space in my kitchen. And with one of those side-by-side refrigerators with the drawer at the bottom freezer, my fridge's useable space (which isn't a lot) is taken up by the Hubby's work schedule, a calender and Moo's artwork. I have always had a shopping list problem. I have no space to put one anywhere in the kitchen. There is only one place in my lovely large kitchen with flat wall space and it's only a foot wide and holds the light switches for the room. I finally saw an cute photo in a magazine that gave me an idea and I had to rush home and try it.

I wish I knew what magazine it was, but I was sitting in a Borders on one of my few kid-free afternoons, flipping through every magazine they carry when I saw the cutest picture of a home office. It was one of those things where I saw it, but didn't really see how I could use it until a few magazines later while my mind was wandering. The picture featured these cute little clipboards hung in a line on the wall above a desk. They were plastic and came in these really cute graphic designs that went with the theme of the room. I thought it was a cute idea, but didn't really think I would find something like that for my house. Then it dawned on me that I have all this fabulous scrapbook paper lying around waiting to be used! I went to the office supply store and bought two mini clipboards (since my wall is so small) and went to work. All I did was cut some paper from my stash to fit the clipboards, cut out some flowers from another piece of paper and a strip of polka dots from another and decopaged them all together! A few more coats of decopage to seal the deal and they are ready to organize my shopping lists! I purchased two of the clipboards and hung one over the other on my little wall. One holds the grocery list, the other holds the miscellaneous list for the hardware store or the craft store, wherever I'm planning a trip for that doesn't involve groceries. Pretty and handy, wouldn't you say?