More

Spring is here.

More eco friendly cleaning.
More room for food.


More flowers.

More things to eat.

More growing.

Getting the hang of it?

So, the hat I was knitting for Jack is finally done. Let me just say that I hate double pointed needles. I kept that hat on circular needles as long as possible and I was getting a lot done. When I switched to double pointed needles I completely stalled out. I could only do a few rows before getting frustrated and taking a break. But I stuck with it.
I had a picture of him with it on but now that he refuses to sit still it was blurry.

While taking breaks from the hat I decided to work on pattern. See, the hat was the same thing throughout. When it comes to pattern, I get lost. So I made something functional with a slight pattern, a washcloth. The pattern is simple and subtle but I needed that to keep from quitting.I forgot to take a picture before I used it so here it is drying in my sink. I'm loving the Sugar 'n Cream yarn. Good colors and it can handle actually being used to wash dishes. Many more washcloths in my future. Next on the needles is a gift for baby Feierbach, it won't be anywhere near done by the time he gets here but he'll get it before he turns one I swear.

If you're wondering how I get things done it's one of two ways. First, when he's sleeping.

Or I do it outside while he's in his walker discovering everything on the porch. He's such a tactile kid. He wants to feel everything if there is a pattern he runs his fingers over it repeatedly.
What else have I made? Well, I ripped mt ring sling pulling it out of my car, it caught on something under the seat and tore. Boo. I just bought the thing a few weeks ago and loving it. For those who didn't see it, it was simple black cotton with padded rails. Anyway, I took the rings off the sling and used fabric that I already had to make a new sling.
Look at that 70's print! I love it! I'm keeping the tail long so I can cover his head when he's sleeping and when I have the next kid I can breastfeed without offending people. It's two layers of the same fabric hemmed, then top stitched and I sewed the heck out of the area around the ring. If you plan on making a ring sling yourself please keep in mind that you need high quality rings. The rings at a craft store are NOT suitable for hauling around a child. Those rings can break. You can purchase rings specifically made for slings on the internet or you can go to a hardware store for steel rings. I don't know how hard they are to find but I'll be looking for some next week Lowe's.

Thank you to Goodwill for having tons of cheap sheets, pillowcases and fabric so I can make stuff. I got that sheet, 12 vintage pillowcases and an apron for less than $20. I've already got plans for it all.

An idea for Heather & a project for CJ

Did you know Jack is now crawling? He's all over the place now. Since I don't believe in playpens (unless it's to keep him safe) or those kid corral things he's what I call a "free range" baby. I baby poof, he goes where he pleases to explore and learn like a baby is supposed to. I don't understand how a baby can move/explore/learn the world around them if they are regulated to a baby cage or a piece of carpet. I only put Jack in the playpen to sleep or to keep him safe somewhere that's not baby proofed.
Where am I going with this? Well, because Jack's crawl is half army crawl, half actual crawl he slides all over the floor. His clothes are filthy when he's done. I hate mopping and it is clearly evident on his clothes. Two cats and one dog all of which go inside and out means lots of dirt and animal hair. I needed a way to sweep and mop easily.

We have a Swiffer but I hate buying refills. So, I asked my friend Google if it was possible to make homemade Swiffer pads. It is, and lots of people are doing it. I gleaned a little bit from a bunch of blogs and this was the first incarnation of my Swiffer.
It's a Gerber brand prefold diaper (we'll have the cloth diaper conversation eventually). I like these because it's lint free, absorbant and $6 for a dozen at the Tulare Wal-Mart. Yes, I held it on with clothespins. I am from Porterville afterall. I used my all purpose cleaner (vineger, water and a tiny bit of soap) in a spray bottle. I spray a little on the floor and go. Did it work?Awwwww, yeah. Success. I told you my floors are dirty. My carpets are way better because I actually enjoy using my Dyson. Don't call CPS on me.

Now that I know that it worked I needed to use my new found knowledge to fine tune this. I know that fleece is used in place as the dry version of Swiffer. I gathered some scrap fleece, a couple of prefolds and made a rough pattern (and I do mean rough). To keep Jack occupied while I sew I do this:
Good stuff. He's happy. Don't call CPS.

Here is the finished product, the fleece version, in action.
Gross.

And here are the few I managed to sew before Jack got bored sitting in the chair. The fleece glides beautifully over the floor, the cotton is a little harder but worth the effort.
As for the CJ project? There is a knitted version of this.

Third times the charm?

Why I do what I do - Part 1

When we were kids we had a bunch of plastic toys and no one was concerned about what happened to them after we grew out of them. I had a African-American Barbie (don't ask, my dad is weird) Right now, that thing is probably the same color as Michael Jackson due to fading from the sun but still all in one piece. Now, think about all the plastic toys that you had that are sitting in a landfill right this minute.

Because of this I'm trying to have little to no plastic toys for Jack. I know having zero plastic toys is near impossible but I'm trying. I don't care about toxins "off gassing" from the toys. I care about the fact that the toys I had as a child will be here long after my children and grandchildren are gone. That's a whole bunch of red and yellow Tonka trucks laying around.

Goodwill

When I was younger we would go to the local Salvation Army to get stuff for our Halloween costumes. One year I actually had the option of three different costumes. I could be Loretta Lynn, a witch or Jackie O. In high school I took over my mom's old sewing machine and would make over anything and everything. I was hitting up the thrift store for shirts/pants/ect to tear apart and put back together. Sometimes it would actually be wearable. My mom is totally skeeved out by thrift stores. Anything I brought home had to be washed in hot, hot, hot water, detergent and Lysol. Not the yellow Lysol the stuff in the dark brown bottle that smelled like an old hospital. My clothes were practically sterile.

A friend of mine who was a pot smoking hippy living on practically nothing took me to the Goodwill in Visalia. Wow, it was soooo much nicer than the thirft stores in P'ville. Now that I live here and still cheap I go there on a regular basis. I have no shame in admitting that. I've scored tons of stuff for Jack. They are all new looking, clean and some even have the tags still on them. I even pick up stuff for myself. I still reconstruct the clothes.

My last trip I bagged the following.From left to right: Three toddler zip up hoodies, one pair of sweats size 18 month, one Nine and Co. dress, one random brand dress, two Old Navy t-shirts, one skirt(not pictured) and one super cool hat for Jack.

The two dresses will be turned into skirts, the kids clothes will be packed away for future use. Did I mention that the kids clothes were all from Target and still had tags on them? They were $3 each.

I should probably mention the clothes storage. I buy future sizes when I can find good, clean stuff at Goodwill. Jack has a bunch of clothes form 18 months to 5T stored away. To make sure I don't buy too much of one thing I keep a small notebook of sizes and a running tally of how much. I bring this book with me whenever I go so I don't go overboard and he has 15 pairs of jeans with two shirts.

I love the thrift store. It can tedious sometimes having to go through every.single.thing. on the rack but it's worth the time and effort. I would totally hit up yard sales but I work most weekends and Travis is grossed out by yard sale clothes (he doesn't mind thrift store clothes though, weird huh?).

Garden Update

It's almost spring. Here's what's going on in our garden.

Lettuce is growing strong and giving up tons of leaves.

The broccoli hasn't flowered.

Manny dug a hole where the spinach seeds are.

Nectarines are blooming.

And the flowers I picked out are kicking ass.

I love geriatrics

My stint as a CNA and LVN at a nursing home cemented my love of old people. Tiny old ladies? Love them. Old men who call me beautiful because they can't see very well? LOVE them. Anywho during my research of stockpiling food, the crappy economy, saving money and The Great Depression (more on that when Jack falls asleep tonight) I was lead to a YouTube page. Not only is this lady super cute, very sharp for a 93 year old but she shares recipes for quick, easy, cheap food. If you're not interested in the recipies at least enjoy her supreme cuteness.

Depression cooking with Clara