A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

Reading Soulemama's blog I was inspired by her {this moment}. She says,

"A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

In the busy hustle, bustle of life, this notion of a photo capturing a moment to pause and savor really appeals to me.

A Moment To Remember

Busy Times

The last few weeks have gone by in a blur of running into the city for doctor appointments and errands, racing against the clock to get a little garden in that we'd hoped to do earlier but had no time for, and N's high school graduation!

I can't believe he's done school! Not sure actually how it happened so fast, but it did. What seems such a short time ago he was terrified of going to kindergarten and would make a run in the opposite direction the minute I got him out of the car at the school. Or if he got to the doors without incident the teacher would have to pry his little hands off of the death grip he had on me. His homemade Telletubby Poe hid in his little red backpack every day for the first few months (you know, because Poe might have been lonely if he'd stayed home by himself).

Growing up. It happens so fast!

In amongst all the running about and excitement I did manage to get some serious craftiness in! In knitting news, I finished a pair of socks. They're just a quick, simple pair of ankle socks, using some yarn I've had in my stash for several years now. The thing I like the best about them, however, is the fact that they are my very own, very first ever pattern. I'm working on getting the pattern ready with the help of a good friend, but in the meantime I'd like to show them off to you!

My "Follow The Leader" socks!

I also got a few gifts completely finished! The Confection Shrug for a friend's baby girl due soon and the Victorian Lace Shrug for a "birthday swap" I'm in right now. I made an Itty Bitty Baby Dress and a pair of matching bloomers to go with the Confection Shrug. For The larger shrug I made a simple pillowcase dress using the tutorial on Prudent Baby's site.

I've been sewing like a crazy lady too lately! A couple necessities for the boys...

Some new pajamas!

Some new shorts!

A couple new swim diapers (the first using the Aquarius Swim Diaper pattern and the second, which I like much better, my own design) and pocket diapers for Baby Boy!

And a surprise "4th of July" diaper for a friend's little fellow! (the little guy's three year old brother has dubbed it the "Captain America" diaper)!

I had some fun making a felt "lunch" and a cotton lined lunch bag to put it in for my little birthday swapee that I made the shrug and pillowcase dress for.

I also did some sewing for me!! Suddenly it occurred to me I had nothing to wear to N's grad dinner. I really hate shopping for clothes for me and I had a good length of a beautiful linen print a friend had sent in a swap last winter sitting in my stash. Using A Simplicity pattern I already had I made a new dress. I love it! It felt sophisticated enough for a banquet, but comfortable enough that I wasn't feeling awkward sitting through an eternity of long winded speeches and not great food.

My dress!

Feeling bold from my dress success I whipped out another pattern from my stash and set to work on a sun dress. Let's just say pride does go before a fall. The bodice was bikini worthy skimpy on top, suck in your gut fitted through the midriff and absolute-bloomin'-lutely perfect through the skirt. It's now a skirt. Full stop. I hate wasting fabric, not to mention the time wasted putting the whole thing together, but the dress would have hidden in the back corner of my closet, whereas the skirt was worn to N's convocation last night!

So, as you can see there's been lots going on here chez Prairie Girl! Busy times indeed! Next event up is Little Toddler Man's 3rd and my 41st birthday in a week's time. I love sharing a birthday with my little man! He's an amazing birthday present in himself and I'm guaranteed cake. What else could anyone ask for?

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

Reading Soulemama's blog I was inspired by her {this moment}. She says,

"A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

In the busy hustle, bustle of life, this notion of a photo capturing a moment to pause and savor really appeals to me.

A Moment To Remember

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

Reading Soulemama's blog I was inspired by her {this moment}. She says,

"A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

In the busy hustle, bustle of life, this notion of a photo capturing a moment to pause and savor really appeals to me.

A Moment To Remember

Mmmmmmmm... Donuts!

It all started this morning when I woke up at 5:30am, rolled over and thought, "mmmmmmmm. I could sure go for a Boston Cream Donut right now." Yeah. I know. I'm just odd that way.

The little voice in my head wouldn't let up with the donut business so at 7:30am I caved into the pressure. (I have a very insistent and persuasive inner voice apparently!). No. I didn't pack the boys into the truck and head into town to Tim Horton's if that's what you thought. I haven't gone quite that far over the edge yet. What I did do is pull out my bread machine (although you could do the dough by hand just the same as any other yeast dough). A few hours later the boys and I had a tasty treat for our late morning snack. Then Little Toddler Man helped himself to another tasty treat as an early afternoon snack, and tried yet again to snag a post super snack as well.

Toddler logic gets me every time! The early afternoon snack occurred while I was otherwise occupied for about 45 seconds. I heard some rumblings around the kitchen and next thing I heard was a sweet little voice ever so generously offering me a donut (it was a donut hole to be precise - from the bowl, up on the second shelf of the cupboard. GAH!!!!)

I accepted the offered morsel and enquired of my Little Man, "Did you have one?". "Yes, Mommy!" came the happy reply. Then I discovered the now empty bowl. This was the conversation.

Me: Did you eat all the little donuts?
LTM (looking as innocent as a newborn babe): No, Mommy. I saved you one!
Me: Yes, I know and thank you, but did you eat all the ones that were left?"
LTM: No, Mommy. You ate one of them.

Yep. All I could do was laugh. Toddler logic. You'll never win in a battle of wits with an almost three year old.

Anyways. In case you'd like to make some tasty treats for yourself, here's my recipe!

Donuts

1/2 cup milk, warmed up (you don't want to give your yeast hypothermia after all!)
1/4 cup warm water
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp bread machine yeast

If using a bread machine add ingredients to the machine in order given and set on dough setting. If doing by hand, combine liquid, with 1 TBSP of the sugar, stir in yeast (If you're using regular yeast 2 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast = 1 TBSP or 1 pkg regular yeast, so you'll want to adjust accordingly). Set yeast aside. Mix remaining sugar, salt and shortening together, and once yeast has foamed up, stir it into the sugar mixture. Stir in flour, knead until smooth, then let it rise until doubled.

Once dough has risen or machine is done turn onto a lightly floured board and let rest for ten minutes. Roll dough to 1/2" thickness and cut out donuts using a donut cutter or, a round cookie cutter if making filled donuts. Let rise about an hour until doubled, then fry. Mine took about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes per side, but every fryer might be different so just turn them when they're golden brown. When done, set on paper towel lined pans to drain and cool. We tossed our donut holes in icing sugar when they were cooling, but the donuts and filled donuts got chocolate glaze.

Chocolate Glaze

1/3 cup butter
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup hot water

Cream butter, then combine all ingredients together until a smooth consistency.

Boston Cream Filling

1 pkg of instant vanilla pudding (4 serving size)
1 3/4 cups of milk

Prepare pudding as directed on pkg using the reduced amount of milk and chill till set. Make a slit into the donuts almost all the way through to the other side, then using a pastry bag fill with pudding.

I hope you enjoy these as much as the little boys and I did!


PS: that would be a picture of LTM trying to sneak another donut...
Me: What are you doing?
LTM: Nothing! My face isn't dirty!

A Collection of Craftiness

I haven't posted much about my knitting or sewing adventures lately. I have been working on a few things here and there over the last few weeks (ahem, I guess I should really say months). I've had some successes, some mediocre results, but thankfully no downright failures in craftiness.

I've started knitting what I call a "distraction" project every month. A smallish item that I can finish in one month. It's motivated me to get projects finished and it keeps my mind busy so as not too dwell on things that are out of my control.

So far I finished my Abalone cardigan, a pair of monkey socks and this month I'm working on a pair of socks of my own design

The Abalone was a bit of a disappointment. I made it a bit too long and didn't do quite enough increases along the edging so it curls a bit. I haven't decided whether or not I'll keep it. I never managed to get a decent picture of it, but I'll share my sort of bad, taken in the mirror self portrait. (taken before blocking)

I love my monkey socks. This is the second time I've knit this pattern. It's so easy and intuitive. They'll have to keep till fall though. It's been far to warm for wool socks!

I'll show you my latest project another day, when there's actually something to show. In between I've also knit a couple of baby shrugs for some of my girlfriends little one - but haven't taken pics yet - and a special blanket square for a communal blanket project I'm part of right now.

The weather has been warming up beautifully so it's that time of year where new pjs are in order for the little menfolk of the house. Both tops are from Fishsticks Designs. Little Toddler Man's is the Charlie Tee and Baby Boy's is the Lap Tee. Little Toddler Man is crazy about anything related to building or construction so he was the happy recipient of a new pair with dumpers and cement mixers on them!

Baby Boy is crazy about monkeys. Could be because my nickname since birth for him has always been "Monkey-Roo" or maybe because he is a little monkey! So he got a pair of stripey sock monkey jammies. ('scuze the peanut butter on the pjs! That's what happens when you photograph something after a toddler who refuses to wears bib has eaten breakfast!)

The warm weather also had this momma wanting a new handbag for the season, so I whipped one up using some fabric in my stash. I love this bag! I even did a zippered welt pocket in the lining! I used the Pleated Bag tutorial from Deliberately Domestic.

I've been really annoyed with my ironing board lately. It's my own fault really. I somehow manage to have minor little disasters like the day I accidentally ironed some fusible web onto the cover. My cover was a mess. Scorched in spots, sticky, and falling apart. So I made a new cover. Isn't it pretty?

One of my favourite projects lately was another gift for a friend. I can't tell you how much I really love using Fishsticks Design's Austen Lee Romper pattern. I think this is the fourth or fifth time I've made it! This time I did a Superman theme for a super little fellow. Took me a few practice attempts, but I was really pleased with how the freezer paper stencil I did for the appliqué patch turned out in the end!

Baby Boy also got a new pair of training pants. He's showing an interest in potty training so I thought I'd better get going on making a set. So far I've made one to add to the two I'd made previously as my failed overnight reusable "pull up" prototypes. They work great as a daytime trainer even if they're a disaster for overnight use! (Told you. The kid is monkey obsessed!)

But what I've really loved sewing lately the most is diapers! First up was a Birdifull Stitches' Fattycakes pocket diaper. I made this one quite early in the spring, but I don't think I ever showed it to you. It's ok, it works, but not my favorite, although Baby Boy appreciates the pirate monkey PUL (my dislike stems probably more from my own sewing issues than pattern issues mind you.)

My latest three I LOVE LOVE LOVE! I started out by using the Whittey Bums pattern as a starting off point, then added some features I like from other diapers, a covered back welt pocket opening like the Bum Genius, leg gussets like Monster Pants (I used a great little tutorial from the Sleeping Baby site for those) and narrower wings to accommodate Baby Boy's rather pudgy thighs.

Did I mention I love these diapers? I'm a bit addicted to what I've morphed the pattern into!

So, that's what I've been up to crafty wise! How about you? Any projects on the go?

Now, you'll have to excuse me. I've been multitasking by cooking while typing this and breakfast is ready to be served! Mmmm mmmm good as Baby Boy would say!

A Summertime Recipe

Summer came early to the prairies this year. A mild winter was followed by an incredible spring. Which means we've been cooking on the BBQ a whole lot. One of my favourite side dishes is potato salad. Not your run of the mill potato salad that everyone grew up eating. Oh no. This is different. It is a concoction I threw together one night that has truly become our favourite potato salad. I might venture to say possibly the best potato salad going! Because I'm busily tooting my own culinary horn, I thought I might as well share my recipe. I hope you like it as much as we do!

POTATO SALAD (Note: measurements given are approximate. I rarely measure. For the dressing start with a little of the seasonings, (maybe 1/4 tsp?) you can always add more, and any fresh veg you like should be just as tasty! Increase or decrease how many potatoes you use to make more or less. Make more dressing if you want it creamier. As written, the recipe serves 4)

Ahead of time bake 4 potatoes and cook 1/2 lb of bacon. Chill completely.

Salad: mix all together in a bowl
Cubed baked potatoes
Chopped green onion
Diced cucumber
Diced red pepper
Crumbled bacon
Finely shredded cheddar cheese

Dressing: mix together in small bowl, pour over salad and gently toss to coat (here's those approximate measurements!)

1/2 c mayo
1/4 c sour cream
1 1/2 - 2 TBSP parmesan cheese
1 1/2 - 2 TBSP grainy Dijon mustard
1 TBSP chives (I used dehydrated, but fresh would be so much tastier!)
Onion powder
Garlic salt
Dill weed
Pepper

Enjoy a fresh taste of summer!

Nom. Nom. I was going to take a photo before supper, but forgot. Sorry. I know most bloggers would have a delightfully photographed setting for you, but well, it's late, and how artful could I get with leftovers and my cel phone's camera anyways?

Update! You can't take a really mouth watering appetizing picture of potato salad. I've tried. Several times. I'll share the best one so far, but I promise it tastes a billion times better than it looks in the picture!

It's delicious! I promise!

In other areas of my creative side, I've finished a few projects, have a few in the works and approximately enough on my "hope to do list" to fill up the rest of time. I think I'll tell you about them another day. As I said, it's kind of late.

Taming Toddlers

Looking at that picture one would think the boys live a peaceful, quiet little existence...

Buahahahahahahahahaha!

They're 18 months and 33 months old. Peaceful and quiet happens when they're asleep. They are busy (and I do mean busy!) boys. Little Toddler Man has been on the go since before he was born. I once ended up in the ER when I was pregnant with him because after a slip on the ice when I was 24 weeks, he didn't move. For an hour!!!!!. I was overcome with fear. From the first fluttering I felt with him, he never went that long without moving! He was fine, obviously, but it just goes to demonstrate his state of perpetual movement. Baby Boy wasn't such a mover before he was born, and when he actually sleeps he's pretty still (I used to hold a finger under his nose sometimes to feel if he was still breathing he could be that still.) But when he's awake... B-U-S-Y!!!

So taming the busy toddler beast takes all sorts of forms here! Play dough, baking, drawing, reading, building towers, or the best one outside playtime are just a few of the activities in my bag of tricks. Sometimes, though, we can't get outside and then woe is me. I spend the day retrieving toddlers who are busily scaling baby gates, or like one day noticing out of the corner of my eye, as I was separating the kitten and one of the dogs, a 2 1/2 year old happily skipping past the window in the pouring rain). Left to their own devices mayhem often ensues.

In light of the madness that is two small active tots, I jumped on the chance to sign up for a "busy bag" swap with my October Mommies Group on Rav. I can hardly wait to get our twelve different activities in the post! I have lofty dreams of being able to go to the loo without disaster.

For my part, I decided to do Cupcake Decorating from Mommy Saving Mom. It's such a cute little template and I thought it would work for little ones like Baby Boy who can just have fun decorating and for older ones like LTM who can do shapes, colours, counting etc.

A few evenings watching tv and my cutting was done and most of it used supplies I had on hand already. Win! I'm pretty happy with the results! Hopefully the kids like them too.

Since I was already thinking about busy bags, the other day when I was going on the third day of a migraine, and Baby Boy was napping, Little Toddler Man was bored and looking for something to do. Born of a desperate need on behalf of my aching head for five minutes of trouble free toddler, LTM and I set to work. He helped me by picking out colours of felt and mixing paint. Then he "helped" by matching the parts together as I finished sewing. We managed to whip up a set of "Popsicles" for the Popsicle match game from Babblin Brooke. Between the making of them and the five minutes immediately following peace and quiet happened, so again. Win!

Today has been a cool dreary day so the boys and I made another matching type game using paint chips and clothes pins. Good fun was had by all as the boys chose colours, LTM practiced cutting on the scraps and Baby Boy investigated the engineering of clothes pins by systematically trying to take apart each and every one of them. Oh and trying to glue everything in site. Oodles of fun!! I figure there's all sorts of things can be done. Matching, grouping, counting. I'm sure there's more.

So, now we've got a few more things in our arsenal of keeping the boys busy and out of mischief and we'll be looking forward to even more when the swap packages arrives next month!

I feel like I've painted a rather bad picture of the boys. Like they're little maniacs hell bent on trouble with a capital T. Some days they are, like any self respecting toddler should be, but don't get me wrong. They do have moments that they are content to do a quiet little activity or play happily together. Besides, I've always said, and I really do mean it, that I'd rather have my busy, inquisitive, eager to discover the world around them children, then couch potatoes that just want to sit in front of the tv all day! They keep life interesting and are light in our lives.

And they're cute. Which is a good thing some days!

Now. If only I could come up with a busy activity for our Pyrenese Newf cross, Bella. But aside from getting a flock of sheep for her to herd, I'm not sure what that would be!

We're off to go have our outdoor play time now, so I'll leave you with these few ideas for "taming the toddler". What are your favourite activities with your little one?

Baby You've Come A Long Way (or Wow! Cloth Diapering Has Changed!!)

I had been thinking a lot about cloth diapering in the last few months. I cloth diapered the oldest three, but when I was expecting Little Toddler Man I had no interest in the extra laundry or rinsing dirty diapers, so he used disposables. I started thinking about cloth diapering Baby Boy, but I felt I was a little busy to add any other household chores into my life. But, I kept thinking about it, and then the cost of diapers started going up, and Baby Boy can only use one type of diapers or he suffers terrible diaper rashes.

One day I mentioned to my Mama's group that the next baby will be cloth diapered (oh, hang on. No that wasn't an announcement. We're still waiting and hoping for that next one). Someone mentioned why wait? And then I thought about it. Why wait indeed! Baby Boy is going to be in diapers a while yet. So I made some tentative steps forward to making the switch.

Wow! Things have really changed. People were tossing around terms like AIO, AI2, PUL. Cloth diapering my oldest three meant about three dozen squares of white flannel, about a half dozen plastic pants and a couple sets of diaper pins. A diaper pail with water and vinegar to soak the diapers in between washing. Not much to think about, no choices to decide on.

Oh how diapers have changed! My friend, Melissa over at Monster Pants was super encouraging, as were my other mama friends. They educated me on what the scoop was, gave me awesome links to patterns and tutorials, explained the washing of these new style diapers.

I made two diapers. What a learning curve! The first one I made I used the Little Comet Tail's Tighty Whitey Hipsters. I made them as AIO using the monkey PUL from the Babyville Boutique line. I also used Velcro. I didn't like the fit on Baby Boy, but have since switched it to snaps and now for some reason it fits great! The second one I made was from Ottobre. I used the owls from Babyville Boutique and modified the pattern to make it an AIO as well. For whatever reason the Velcro is fine on this one.

A friend sent me a dozen and a half Bum Genius Diapers she no longer needed, so we've made the switch! I'm still putting him in disposables at night - I just can't seem to get a stay dry solution down pat yet, and he still uses them when we go on day trips to the city, but for the most part he's a cloth diapered tot now. And he likes it. If given an option he always picks cloth. Best part, so far no diaper rashes! (and rinsing isn't so bad and if I'd remember to ever use that roll of disposable liners I keep forgetting about it might be even easier!)

Time Flies

I was thinking it had been awhile since I posted last. What I didn't realize was how long that while had been. Time has a bad habit of slipping away so quickly!

I seem to recall the last time I posted, I alluded to a super, secret quilt project. So I'll start there! I have given it to the recipient so I can finally show it off! It was meant to be G's high school graduation gift. A remembrance of her Grade 12 exchange trip to France. Except life has a tendency to get away on me, I'm a queen of procrastination so she got it this winter. During her second year of university. Better late then never I suppose. I'm glad I finally finished it, and I'm glad she liked it!

"MEMORIES OF PARIS"

Next up was a couple of Marsan Watchcaps. I'm making (BF)G, Little Toddler Man and Baby Boy identical matching ones. It's a great pattern, easy, mindless and about six thousand miles of twisted rib (or so it feels by the time you're on the third one!)

Here's LTM modeling one of them.

I also knit a quick pair of socks! Actually I think I was working on them last time I posted. They're Tiny Tulips by Cherry Flip. It's a sweet little pattern that screams spring with the little tulip design. And because they're ankle socks with an easy to remember stitch pattern they are pretty much instant gratification knitting!

"Hurry up Spring Socks"

And last but not least in knitting is my very, very favourite project!!! I've been wanting to knit these mittens forever, so when my Mama friends from my Due in October 2010 group on Ravelry sent me a very generous gift card to my LYS I decided I was going to use some of it for yarn to make my Lilac Mittens.

"Comfort Mittens"

I've had some machine time too! I've been mostly just doing small easy to finish projects!

Sewing kit and tea wallet for a swap

Mug Rug for (BF)G

New undies for LTM (from Fishsticks Designs)

My Jane With A Pop top that I started absolutely forever ago

So that's a round up of my craftiness as of late. I've so many projects I want to do but so little time to do them in! The little boys keep me busy and are full of adventure (not to mention fearless) so crafting time is very limited when they're up and by the time they're tucked into bed I often find myself knitting a few rows then dozing off in front of the TV. But as we all knows time flies, and little ones don't stay little for long. I know full well how fast a little toddler suddenly becomes an adult, all grown up and making a life of their own. It happens in a blink of an eye. It really does, so it's ok if the crafting has to wait sometimes.