bee recycled

I said DIY pins make me feel inadequate but I actually meant that they make me pine for the time I used to have.
I used to have time to refinish furniture, bake intricate cookies, run a company, practice martial arts, sew clothes, etc.
Now my time is vastly consumed by a sweet gooey irresistible baby.
I get it, it's a good trade and it's temporary.
Still I would like to find a way to make recycle animal sculptures with Cookie without Squeak wailing on the sidelines.
Now that I've photographed our bee I can finally toss it -I mean recycle it.

baby swing DIT

    This is a post about a baby swing, but not exactly. One of my pet peeves is people using DIY in their captions on Pinterest. People who have the time to document their homemade mushroom growing, take fabulous photos and also dip their thrift shop milk stools in gold paint, and write all about it bug me. I am also irritated, when someone labels something as a 'tutorial' when all it is a pair of buttons on an earring wire or pancakes shaped like an ‘M’.

While I am on the topic, I am not sure what these folks (who post tutorials and DIY lessons) get out of it. Nowadays you are never want for a creative use for your toilet paper rolls, or your telephone book. If I saw the person on the street that showed me how to make pompoms with my fingers on YouTube would I recognize them? –No. If I did, would I say “Hey thanks! Great job on the pom pom video.”

I would however like to thank all those industrious YouTubers, and crafty bloggers though for making me feel so dang inadequate that two weeks ago I decided to start a Do-It-Together project with my husband for my baby girl, Squeak.

We made this swing for her. I did not take pictures of the process, I did not take notes, it took us two weeks to make despite its simplicity. It uses canvas, dowels, polyfill for the pillows, rope and something to hang it with. The only thing we had to buy for it was the rope and the eyehooks.

She loves it.

If you want to buy one you can find one similar here at AmeliesBootieShop, or you can try to copy mine.

boy or girl?

Alright, that's it, I'm going to have to stand up for her femininity and say something about this!
She IS a girl!
Until my girl Cookie was 12 months old she was often mistaken for being a boy. This irritated me to my mommy bones, and I was quick to correct people. Alas, she had no hair and I think especially older people become color blind to children decked out in head to toe pink.
Now, with girl number two, Squeak, I was finding myself not irritated at all, who cares after all if they don't notice the scallops on her navy blue shirt, or the hot pink polka dot socks, or the fact that I'd say 'she' when referring to her. Her car seat is red, and she also has no hair, and that is apparently what it takes to look like a boy at first glance. I didn't feel inclined to abruptly correct people and make them feel like an idiot all in the name of gender identification.
My nonchalance has come to an end.
Yesterday, the doctor walks into the exam room right before I am about to put the diaper back on.
"Should I go ahead and put her diaper back on?" I ask.
"Yes, go ahead." he says.
The exam proceeds quickly without event, then the doctor leaves and the nurses come in and administer the dreaded shots. I remember I forgot to ask about sunscreen, and the nurse says, "I'll get the doctor to come back in."
He must have heard our conversation in the hall, because he pops back in and answers my question but the entire time referring to her as a him, a he - a boy!
Oy! If anyone is going to get her gender right it should definitely be her doctor.
Does this happen to other baby girls? Are there baby boys out there who hear "she's adorable?"

nutella gold

I just read this news article about some thieves absconding five tons of Nutella in Germany, and students stealing it from the dining hall at Columbia in New York City. I wonder could they possibly be reselling it rather than just eating it all alone in their closets with a spoon and a bowl of berries?
I didn't know that Nutella had obtained status on par with gold, or opium. I am a little surprised that in Europe it would be so prized, why they would not see it as we do peanut butter?
A roommate from Germany introduced me to Nutella many years ago, and I became quite obsessed with finding it after a Nutella powdered sugar crepe crossed my lips. Now, it is easy to find and I don't have to stock pile it.
My daughter is in love as well. She doesn't like peanut butter and will not even tolerate peanut butter & jelly analogies, it is Nutella & banana all the way.
Considering the news development we may have to get ourselves a lorrie and load up before it is all gone.

Eva's Natural Birth at the Hospital Story

Hello, my name is Eva. I used to live in a belly. A terrible thing happened to my mommy last year. She lost a baby -not in the "I know I left my keys somewhere" lost; but in the "take a serrated spoon and scrape out a chunk of your heart" lost.
My mommy had mentally destined herself to being a mommy of only one beautiful, bewitching, and baffling daughter. Before she could close the door for good I slid in under the fence and staked my claim and got cozy for 40 weeks. I knew my mommy was terrified that my birth might go the way my sister's did. So I adopted a slow and steady strategy at 36 weeks doling out a contraction or two each day and sinking lower and lower and lower. This caused frustration pretty quickly because my mom started feeding me jalapenos. She started walking, dancing and in general jostling me around. The nice toasty baths were interrupted by deafening jets that scared the bejeebies out of me.
I heard a lot of talk about Christmas and from what I could tell that birth date is already taken by someone pretty important. So I waited a little bit longer. -Until I got my eviction notice for Dec 29th.
On the 27th I decided to step it up a notch; but I didn't want to give my mommy more than she could handle, she still had things to do. I carried on making contractions more frequent, but nothing too harsh.
On the morning of the 28th my mommy go a call from the hospital; they said they wanted to know if she wanted to move my eviction time up to -NOW. I felt the panic rise in my mommy. She did not want an induction, she wanted to labor at home, she did not want to go to the hospital.
However, after consideration it was decided that she would have a nice lunch and then go to the hospital.
My mom was so worried that going to the hospital would make everything come to a screeching halt. So once we got to the hospital and settled into our room with the purple bouncy ball, and the beachy hospital gown my mom brought for herself, turned on Pandora, I started to gather up my things and get serious about leaving my 40 week home.
The doctor was scheduled to arrive some time after five, so before that could happen I took my fist and gave a solid left jab to my balloon house and broke it open. There was no turning back after that.
I tried to take it slow, but again I felt the fear rise up in my mommy. She thought she couldn't do it, she thought she wasn't strong enough, she was tired and she wasn't trying to be a hero, and thought this would last for many many many more hours. My daddy said, "Yes you can." My grandma said, "You are doing it." Our doula said, "You're doing just fine, let your body melt." Just when my mom stood off the purple ball and tried to make a move to push the button to ask for the nurses I was ready to go. My mom froze in pain and screamed and the nurses came rushing in.
Onto the bed they all lifted her. At first she tried to force it and forgot to breath. The nurses put an oxygen mask on her and the doula helped her breath so I would have the energy to come bursting into this world. I told my mom to relax, go to lalaland, and let me and her body do all the work.
That's what she did and lickety split I was an air breather and I finally got to see my mother face to face.

Pom Pom wreath & Stocking Advent

Some crafty Holiday projects I've been working on...
A pom pom wreath. Lil' Cookie helped with this project. She is a pom pom making machine -until she looses interest after 5 minutes. This wreath is probably around 30" and has maybe 60 or so pom poms using about 6-8 skeins of yarn.
We started making the pom poms using this finger method found on You tube: 5 Minute DIY: Yarn Pom Poms. If you want your pom poms to have a less muppet hair-do look you have do a lot of trimming afterwards. This wastes a lot of yarn, so we bought one of these gadgets.

I also just finished our Christmas Stocking advent calendar. This is a total knock off of the one Restoration Hardware is selling right now.
My mom embroidered all the numbers on ivory felt and I sewed the socks and hung them on a raggedy piece of linen with curtain hooks.
Still looking for ideas on what to put in these besides tiny toys and candy; philanthropy and kindness activities for a 4 year old and a 9 month pregnant lady anyone?

cloth diaper help

image: Dallasmomsblog.org

Four years ago I cloth diapered. I think I did it because it seemed like the fastest route out of the entire diaper stage. (But I can't be sure because motherhood has robbed my memory.)
Four years ago there were not that many choices, and I didn't know anyone who cloth diapered so I did get some funny looks (or was it my child getting the funny looks?) now and again.
We had a system, we used all BumGenius with some chlorine free disposables thrown in here and there; it wasn't too bad and it was over around 17 months.

Cloth diapering has gotten more complicated since then, with a plethora of options and acronyms, and a slew a fanatics who collect diapers because they are "cute".

Here is what I have learned (circa 2012) about the swirling realm of Cloth Diapers.

Types of Diapers

All In One

A diaper with an outer waterproof fabric with several layers of absorbent material sewn into the inside. As far as use it is most like a disposable because you simply grab the thing and put it on your baby. If this seems like a good place to stop when it comes to types of diapers...the problem is generally that it takes forever to get these puppies to dry with all those absorbent layers smashed together.

All In Two

Also called a Hybrid Diaper. Much like the All In One, but the difference is that the absorbent layers are not sewn in, they are removable. Some snap in , some just lay in the diaper, some have tabs or flaps that your absorbent inserts slide under. These tend to be less bulky than the All In Ones, and you have control over how much absorbency you need for certain times of the day, etc. They dry faster because the parts are separated. In rare low-pee instances you could take out the inserts, put in a dry one and get 2 wears out of the same 'cover' -maybe. These often have snaps to adjust the size to go from 7lbs to 40lbs.

Fitted

A diaper made out of absorbent material that fits all the way around. Supposedly good choice for newborns. You will have to put on some type of waterproof cover over these. From what I have seen these are not size adjustable, and you would need to continue to get bigger sizes at your baby grows.

Prefolds

This is most like the diaper you probably wore when you were a baby. You know, the rectangular piece of cloth with extra absorbency down the center. It is folded to fit your baby and then pinned on, last a plastic cover is put over that. The difference now in the 21st century is that the pins are now called snappis, and they don't poke you. Also the plastic cover is not crackly and stiff. This is the cheapest way to go when deciding to cloth diaper. If you're thinking that the term "prefold" means it is folded for you, you would be wrong. It means that you have to fold it before you put it on the baby.

Pockets

Outside this diaper you have a waterproof fabric, like PUL. Then you have a wicking type fabric sewn in as the liner. In between the two layers is a 'pocket' where you can put toy cars, afternoon graham crackers, and spare buttons, -just kidding. The pocket is for absorbent inserts-just about anything will do: cotton, bamboo, hemp, towels, maxi pads, terry, fleece...etc. As with the All in Twos you can stuff to your absorbency need. These dry pretty fast because you pull out the liners before you wash them, but for some all that pocket stuffing is a step worth skipping. These also often have a one size option letting you use the same diaper from 7lbs to 40ish lbs.

Other Terminology

Covers

Something that is waterproof that goes over a prefold, fitted, or inserts. Can be made from PUL (most likely) wool, fleece, or a laminated fabric.

Dyer Balls

Tennis ball sized wound up threads of felted wool that you can use instead of dryer sheets. You will need at least 2 balls to stop static, and at least 6 per load to shorten drying time in your dryer. It will make your dryer sound like it is beating someone up, but they will keep working for several years I am told. These are not just for diapers.

Inserts

The absorbent removable layers made from cotton, hemp or bamboo (or a mixture). Sometimes they are shaped like butterflies, rectangles, or lozenges. They are good for waxing cars, cleaning windows, and dusting later on.

Snappis

Plastic snap gadgets shaped like a 'Y' that hold the diaper together on the front of prefolds or fitteds taking the place of the old diaper pins.

Sprayer

Something that sprays the poop off the diaper and into the toilet. Can attach to the toilet. Many people, including me, have done just fine without one using the shake-it-out method. It is never too early to show your children that poop goes in the toilet instead of the garbage.

Woolies-Longies-Shorties

Wool pants or shorts that act as a cover for your fitted or prefold. Apparently wool will act as a barrier for day time use.

Acronymns

AIO: All In One diaper

APLIX: brand of hook and loop, like velcro

BG: BumGenius

CD: cloth diaper

CPF: chinese prefolds

EUC: excellent used condition

FB: Fuzzi bunz

GMD: Green Mountain Diaper

HH: happy Heiny's

IPF: indian prefold

JB: Joey Bunz

MM: Maldin Mills or microfleece

OC: organic cotton

OS: one size

PUL: Polyurethane Laminate

SC: suede cloth