Repairing elastic in Smartipants

We all know that I use cloth diapers, and I love them.  But after so many washings and tons of abuse elastic can begin to wear out, just like any article of clothing.  I searched the web for a tutorial for repairing Smartipants (my favorite brand and the majority of my stash) elastic but couldn't find one, so I'm making one!

Now before you proceed...  following these steps WILL DESTROY YOUR WARRENTY! So if you still have your warranty contact Smartipants FIRST!  If, like me, it was already shot due to using baking soda or something in the wash, then continue.  Or, if you don't care about destroying your warranty and just want it fixed today. 

Cleaning Recipies

I have gathered TONS and I do mean TONS of cleaning recipies from alllllllllll over the web.  From tons of websites... I feel bad that I didn't include links.. but this is intended to be printed so links wouldn't help much.. 
You are welcome to share this with whomever, I didn't create most of these and I got them for free so who am I to charge or say who gets them?
So make sure you have a LOT of paper in your printer and print away.  If you know of any recipies to add, let me know & I'll add it for everyone :)
Hint: Set your printer on front and back print if you can..
Click me for Recipes

Chicken & Rice

My family has their own cookbook.  Over half of the thing is desserts because.. well, we're bakers.
One of our recipes is Chicken and Rice, a family staple.  I tend to make it when I don't feel like putting much effort into cooking or is someone isn't feeling well.  It's kinna a cousin to chicken soup.

DIY diaper wipes and solution

So we have LONG established that I'm a gung-ho cloth diapering mom who loves to DIY everything I can.. so is it any suprise that I make my own wipes and solution?  Nah.. didn't think so.
Well here is how I do it.

You will need: a box to hold your wipes. (I find that the Kroger brand wipes box works best for this, their wipes suck but the box is fantastic!),  Bottle to mix in (squirt bottles work great, we got that one for free at a Dollar general grand opening), baby oil, aloe vera gel, your favorite baby shampoo, and wipes.  To make our wipes we took 4 flannel receiving blankets (we use the rest at Flat diapers when we need them) and cut them into squares the size of the wipes that came in the box, about 6"x6"  I surged the edges but you don't have too.  You can also use the CHEAP baby wash cloths.  The expensive ones have to much grip and won't "pop-up" well.

DIY Camera softie

No I did not create the original tutorial.  I found it here at Pink stitches which I found at Craft Gossip... If you don't know about Craft Gossip, you should!  And yes... you may just hate me for showing you.

I made this little orange camera for my niece's 3rd birthday gift.  My sister (her mother) is a professional photographer.  Her response on seeing the camera?  "It says Canon on it because it is well made!"  :P    Can you tell what brand all her cameras are?  :P

DIY vannilla :)

If you have been reading my blog for long you know that I love DIY... I have another one for you!   DIY Vanilla "Extract"!

What you will need....
3-4 vanilla beans
1 small bottle of vodka
1 Med-large bottle of vodka

Take the vanilla beans and splice them down the middle.  Drop them in the small vodka bottle and shake.
Make sure the vodka completely covers the beans.  Store the bottle in the dark for a few weeks,  until the vodka turns dark brown.  Use it as you would any other vanilla extract.  Use the larger bottle of vodka to re-fill the small bottle after each use, make sure that the beans are never sit exposed to air so that they do not mold.  I have been using my vanilla for years and have a friend that has been using hers closer to a decade.
Now... if for some reason you don't want to use liquor.... you can replace the vodka with vinegar. :D

More DIY:
Dish Detergent
Window cleaner
both of the above also have more links for many many more cleaners as well :D Check 'em out if you haven't before!

Make sure you check out the comments on the Dish Detergent, there is a FANTASTIC link for laundry detergent by one of my commenters!  :D

I got my beans from Rainbow Grocery but if you need a link... You can go here to get your beans!

Family Adventure

Sorry about Friday folks.   It was a crazy week...  On Thursday Lil'C had a checkup with his cousin Lil'E.  Yep.. two infants at a Dr appointment at one time, and both getting shots.  They both calmed down pretty quickly.  After that I started having a health issue and ended up in the ER.  Lil'C stayed home with my family while hubby, my mom and myself was at the hospital.   Mom left earliest and stayed with Lil'C until we got home sometime after midnight.  All in all.. I'm ok but have to take it easy for a bit.
Wait till I tell you about the booby traps I got because of all that!  It was hard not to laugh in the face of some "medical professionals"  but more on that later. 

Also this week is our church's VBS.  What kind of art teacher would I be if I didn't help with crafts? .... I'm not so good at taking it easy....     We're doing "Pandamania" it's ... interesting.  I came into it kinna last minute so they ended up getting mostly "pre-packaged" crafts...  and if you have ever done those you will know that they don't usually take long to do.   So I'm working on coming up with some ideas for filler crafts. 
Got any ideas?? 

DIY Extreme Wet Bag

Our old wetbag. Great single pouch wet bag.

As I have said before... we use cloth diapers.  When you use cloth then you become introduced to SOOO many other neat things..  One of which is the "Wet Bag", which is basically a carry all for wet/dirty things.   I suggest one to any parent, even the 'sposie using ones.    They can be used to carry dirty cloth diapers, wet swim suits, dirty outfits of a potty-training toddler, etc.  home to be washed.

Happy Father's Day!

I hope everyone had a good one!

Lil'C and his Great-Grandfather "Daddo" (Dah Do)

Lil'C and one of his Grandfathers (my dad)  "Poppy"

Lil'C and Daddy Big C

We had a DIY Father's day. I made Big C a tie and then used India Ink to stamp Lil'Cs foot print on the bottom. I used this pattern. Big C says it is a bit short.. but it is a good pattern. If you have a "thicker" guy, you may want to lengthen it a bit. I also made lil'C a matching bow tie using this pattern.

Poppy's Father's Day gift was a little more involved.  Actually everyone in the family helped in some way.  He has had a saw blade that he wanted turned into a clock for some time now...   Big C picked up the clock works, hands and spray painted the base coat (Rust-oleum),  My sister did the lettering (my hand-writing is BAD), I put it together and drew the stick-cousins.  The guys also took Poppy to the movies to get him out of the house so it could be finished.
The stick cousins are just drawn on with sharpie.

Lil'C is 6'oclock.  The other circles are for future cousins.  Which will be a WHILE!

Well to all the Dads out there... Happy Father's Day!

DIY baby food grinder case

Finished bag. Wait till you see all the features!

Lil'C has a Kidco Baby food grinder (edited to update link to new version by the same brand).  It works pretty good, but I dropped it the other day at church and snapped the latch on the case.  I decided I needed a working case, since we usually use it when out and about.   So, to the sewing room I went. 

I shall 'splan

It wasn't supposed to be a big deal...

I kinna feel like I need to explain myself...  After seeing all the other bloggy Moms doing the flats challenge I feel kinna left out...
or something like that...
The reason I decided NOT to do the handwashing part is actually pretty simple...  I've already done it.   I lived in Hattiesburg, MS in August of 2005.   I was living in a nice apartment complex off of I-59.  No one took the storm all that seriously...  We were all joking about how we would all get a day off from class... and that would be the extent of it.... boy were we wrong.
The eye of Katrina actually passed directly over my apartment.  I still vividly remember the feel of the walls of my neighbor's apartment shaking under my fingertips.  I remember watching the faux chimneys on the sides of the apartment buildings rip off and fly past the windows.
My neighbor had friends from the coast, with him who had run from the storm to the "safety" of Hattiesburg.
After the storm passed we were without power and water for about 2 weeks.  
Between the two apartments there were 8 people.  I fed everyone on a small 1/4" steel grill that didn't have any feet.  We burned the wood from the faux chimneys to cook and heat water. 

I had two of these.

Me and the only other girl between the two apartments (were we outnumbered or WHAT!) ended up washing clothes in my fabric stash buckets.
Yep.. I washed clothes for 8 people for 2 weeks in buckets.  See why I decided not to hand wash?  I've had enough hand washing for a life time.

But I did learn something from the flats challenge.  I learned LOTS. 
I learned that I like using flats, most of the time.  DH hates them and refuses to use anything other than Smartipants.. or some other form of easy change diaper.  Sometimes, if all else fails, he will change a Flip. 
I think they are great for at home use and for healing diaper rash.   Sure I have gotten wet a few times since I started using them, but that is because I never use a cover.  It isn't like I get soaked... just a bit damp.   We have also had a few poo leaks.  These past few weeks have been crazy with him being sick.   The antibiotics caused horrible diarrhea which caused horrible yeast diaper rash. The rash needed to breathe as well as meds.   Well.. I REALLY don't wanna use diaper ointment of any sort in my Smaris..  So.. I got rather good at the origami fold... and learned to make sure I fold it right to keep the diarrhea from leaking out..  ICK!!!

I'm still hopping to eventually get a Snappi though... I'll have to beg DH.. :P

What did you learn from the Flats Challenge?  Have you ever had to hand wash?  If so, Why?

DIY window cleaner

I feel that we have had enough chemical exposure to last a lifetime... so I try and avoid it.
One of the ways I do so is DIY cleaning products.   One of those products is Window cleaner... it is actually very easy to make!
Supplies:
Spray bottle
6 parts cooled VERY black tea (I use 3 cups)
1 part vinegar (I use 1/2 cup)
2 marbles
1 t-shirt cut into squares. (I used one of Big C's old ones, with his permission)

Poor tea and vinegar in spray bottle.  Drop the marbles in the bottle, they help keep thing mixed (think spray cans).

When using, spray the cleaner on the t-shirt squares and NOT the glass.   This keeps you from over using and having streaks. 
Plus when it comes to unframed mirrors, it keeps you from ruining the mirror.  The liquids will seep under the edges and eat away at your mirror.  
Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Here are some of my favorite DIY cleaning links!  It's enough to do your whole house!

Laundry Detergent
Giant List of 25
Green Cleaning
Cleaners from the Garden
Dishwasher Detergent

Furniture Polish
The MOTHERLOAD!!

Plus a little helpful motivation!



What are your favorite cleaning links?

I got my first blog award!! :D

Check it out!  I got my very first award!!  :D
Big 'ol' thanks to Melissa at Our Monkey Life.  I think we have a simmilar since of humor...  so if you like reading my blog, you will probably enjoy hers.  Check her out. ....   seriously... I'll wait......

(Jepordy music plays)

Flats Challenge

We only partally praticipated in the challenge.  Lil' C did get some flats in his rotation.. Well .. flannel blanket "flats".

Flats Challenge

Lot's of wiggling going on

Next week is the DDL Flats Hand-washing Challenge.   For me it could not have come at a better time.  Lil' C is cutting teeth.  How does cutting teeth and a hand-washing challenge have anything to do with one another?  More than you would expect.  Cutting teeth causes ALOT of drool... Which in turn causes diarrhea... which causes some BAD diaper rash..  (Seriously... the last time his bum looked like this was when he had to wear Pampers Ultra Dry in the hospital).

Cloth Diapers, would I do it again?

First time in Cloth,  still in the NICU.

When we were pregnant (and before the world changed)  I started researching ways to save money, and the most common thing to come up was to go with cloth diapers.  I realized how much money is wasted on disposables (or 'sposies in the cloth diapering world).  I have never really been a fan of disposable 1-use items.  If I use something disposable it usually is something that is used multiple times but if I forget it somewhere, then it's no biggie.  I always thought 1-use items were a major waste of money...  sposies are a HUGE HUGE waste of money.
Whenever the discussion comes up (usually by me first :P, and second only to breastfeeding!) I usually get the "look".. like "are you nuts woman?" 

"I need a pattern!" tutorial :)

Have you ever had one of those moments were your like.. "oh that is so cute!  If I only had the pattern..."  Well... If your creative, you don't necessarily have to have one!  :)  Granted I do suggest having a good sewing How-to book (This is the one I suggest, It's what I use!) since you won't have pattern instructions, and you may want to have a good seam ripper... Cuz you'll use it...

Gather your supplies :)

T-Shirt Skirts!

Finally a tutorial right???

I caught a sale at hobby lobby on T-shirts and loaded up (I couldn't even buy the amount of fabric in the shirts for the price I got!! Somewhere around $1.. ) and I have been planing on making  a T-shrit dress and a skirt for me..  Well the T-shirt dress was a massive fail...  I tried to get creative with the top and used one of my current tops to size for it... the only problem is that the shirt I used is a little high in the bust.. and with the loose back of the T-shirt.. oh .. just so much fail... So the Dress ended up becoming 2 skirts.  :)  So, I ended up making 3 out of the deal.

Knit Headband & Scarf

So I have been trying to get this project & pattern up since Christmas...  Yeah it's been fun..

The scarf & headband were a gift for my Lil'Bro's GF.

Pattern!
Headband:
1 Lyon Brand Homespun Yarn- CandyApple
(it's Bulky 5 185yrds, 6oz if you wanna use a different yarn)

Size 7 needles

Pattern:
R1- P across, Turn
R2-K across, Turn
R3-P across, Turn

cast on 12
Pattern 4 times
Earmuffs:
*R1- P, M1, P10, M1, P1
R2- K, M1, K12, M1, K1
R3- P, M1, P14, M1, P1
Pattern 7 times
Decrease
R1- P1, P2Tog, P14, P2Tog, P1
R2- K1, K2Tog, K12, K2Tog, K1
R3- P1, P2Tog, P10, P2Tog, P2*

Pattern 17 7 (oops!) Times

Repeat **

Pattern 4 Times
finish off & sew ends together.

Short & sweet huh?
Close up of Earmuffs:

Scarf:  Cast on 24, Pattern till your happy with the length.  Wah La!

Baby Update:  It's a BOY!!  I'm getting bigger & he loves to move around.  I'm now 20 weeks and to the halfway point!   I hope ya'll enjoy the pattern! :)

Jedi Bath Robe

For Christmas I made my DH a Jedi Bath Robe. I found the pattern on instructables.com
although I did make a few adjustments.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Sewing_a_JEDI_or_Harry_Potter_Robe_or_Cloak/
I got 4 yards of fabric... well my DH is not a small man.. I should have gotten 5. Because of this I had to make the hood in 3 parts. Each side & the front band (6" wide for 16" folded in half) I used a 1/2" hem all around.

The fun part of the project was getting the measurements... like I said it was a Christmas gift... I used one of hubby's dress shirts to get most of the measurements. I used my younger brother's head for hood measurements.
The biggest problem was getting the "top of shoulder to floor" & "underarm to floor" I enlisted the help of my father for that one. He was gonna kinna stand by hubby & "eyeball" where those spots fell on him so I could measure him instead. But instead of that... Hubby ended up coming inside & hugging me... so I kinna snuggled up to him & measured it on me :P apparently his underarm is right at my top shoulder height & the top of his shoulder is right under my chin.
Then I had to lock him out of the room to be able to sew it. I had to use my poor brother again to hem the bottom. It was pretty funny.. Hubby is 5'10", Brother is 6'2". Hubby is built like a football player... brother is built like a basket ball player... it was SOOOOOO funny to see him in the robe. I had to squish the shoulders us so that the hem fell flat.

Something that I had found out a few weeks ago... my thigh is the same around as my hubbys upper arm! Guess how I measured the fit of the arm holes :P yep.. wore the thing like pants. :P

I also added loops for the belt (added along the hemline)

and after all this... he figured out what it was before he opened it... *sigh* oh well. He LOVES the thing. It's very warm. I made it out of "No Pill Fleece" which I got at 50% off from Joanns (WOOTTT!!!)

Now hubby wants me to make another one... for the baby. I think I may just make a hooded towel.. 17 weeks down 23 weeks to go..