A Frog for Little P

So, I was being a bit lazy today, and just browsing sewing ideas online. Little P came over, as he often does, and climbed into my lap. The very next click I made brought me to this super cute frog pattern on The Purl Bee. (http://www.purlbee.com/purl-frog/) Little P got all excited and started shouting "Frog! Frog! Frog!" at the computer screen. I think he may have even tried to kiss it. Don't ask me why? Anyway...I asked him if he wanted a frog, and he nodded yes. So I printed out the pattern, dug out some fabric, and 30 minutes later, he had a frog. I used green fleece for the body, filled him with dried black beans (what I had on hand), and stitched 2 pink buttons on for eyes. Oh, and I altered the pattern slightly to include stitching (done before the beans were added) on his little feet and hands to look like webbing.

Max Bunny

Little P just loves Max & Ruby. For those who aren't parents of an under 5 year old, Max & Ruby is a cute show about bunnies on Noggin and Nick Jr. Little P gets very excited when he hears the theme music, and starts shouting "Max!" as he dances around the room. So for this past Christmas, I wanted to give him a Max bunny to play with. I did some research, and discovered that there were not very many choices out there, and the Max bunnies that were available were all just out of our price range. So I put my crafting/sewing skills to use. And I made a Max for Little P. The body's a bit out of proportion, but to a 2 year old, he's perfect. I printed a picture of Max's face, and then traced the shape on some white cotton t-shirt fabric. I cut two out and stitched them together. Then I stuffed his head with pillow fluff, and then embroidered his features on. For his body, I sewed together leftover stripe fabric (from my bedroom curtain project), blue fabric that I recycled from an old t-shirt, and some more of the white fabric that I used for his head. I cobbled all the pieces together on my sewing machine, and then stuffed them. Then I hand stitched the head to the body and voila! I had a Max!

For Christmas, I put Max in the top of Little P's stocking, hanging out like he needed hugged. Little P woke up and ran out first thing in the morning, but didn't notice the stocking right away. He ran around for a bit. Then, he passed the stocking and did a double take. It was so cute! He looked at it like he couldn't believe his eyes, and quietly said "Max? Max?" So we lifted Max out, and began emptying his stocking. And since, Max has spent a life of leisure sleeping in Little P's bed. Occasionally, Max gets to enjoy a ride in the dump truck or on the tricycle. Even a doctor checkup once. But all the trouble it took to make him was worth it when I saw the look in Little P's eyes on Christmas morning.

Soap Savings

In case you don't know, I love, love, LOVE, foaming soap. The soap companies came up with this scheme which lets them sell less soap for more money. If you read the label on foaming soaps, the first ingredient is almost always water! "What?!" You heard me, water. So they are charging you for watered down soap. These companies are counting on our ignorance and our laziness. Read your labels!

But, we can get the best of them! You can make your own foaming soap! Really! I use a concentration of 4 parts water to 1 part soap. I measure out the soap, then add hot water and stir until blended. Then I pour it right into my foaming soap dispenser! I save money by using regular soap and watering it down. So my soap lasts much much longer! And the best part is that you can do it to just about any soap! I purchased several inexpensive foaming hand soaps at Walmart. I use two for my hand soaps (bathroom and kitchen), and I cleaned one out to use for my shampoo. I also use one for my 2 year old's baby wash. And I have one for my dish soap. It's great! I now can make my bottle of shampoo, which used to last about a month, last for around 5 months! Talk about savings! More money in my pocket and less waste in the landfill. Awesome!

Rock Collector

I'll tell you what...I just love my little boy!! What a sweetheart he is! He's a little past 2 1/2 now, and just as cute as can be. Little P has two big brown eyes and eyelashes so thick and long they make every woman jealous. Sometimes I can't even look at him when he's in trouble, because he bats those eyes and flashes a smile that makes me want to just laugh and hug him to pieces.

Beyond this, though, he is very much a little boy. Rough and tumble all day long. He loves just about anything with wheels, from trucks to trains to tractors to cars. If it rolls, it makes him happy. And along with this wheel fascination, he also loves rocks. He collects them everywhere. Parking lots, side walks, our gravel path (much to his father's chagrin). This fascination also slows down our walks tremendously. He seems to think he should bring home every rock he sees. In fact, we'd be overflowing with rocks if we didn't throw some aside when he isn't paying attention. As it is, he already has a plastic peanut butter jar 2/3 full of them. Luckily, he hasn't caught onto the fact that if he puts them in the jar, they aren't coming out. "Put your rocks in the jar sweetheart." "Ok, Mama." Later: "Open Mama, Rocks." "Oh, I'm sorry sweetie, the lid is stuck." Oh, the little white lies necessary to keep rocks from spreading throughout the house...

Super Tote and Bottle Carrier

First off...I LOVE purses, tote bags, etc, etc. What girl doesn't? Unfortunately, it is not in my budget to continually purchase these items. Recently, I decided I really needed a purse that was more organizational. I was tired of having to dig for my keys beneath a crumpled (clean) diaper, a wipes case, my wallet, and whatever else ended up in the black hole of my purse. The only problem was, that the current organizing purses I own are either too small/too big, or the straps are too short. With a 2 1/2 year old, I really need to have my hands free, and require an over the shoulder bag. I don't necessarily need a full blown diaper bag either. So I did some research and found a design that fit my needs. The BHG six pocket bag (http://www.bhg.com/crafts/sewing/accessories/six-pocket-bag/ ) was almost perfect. I altered the design slightly to include inside pockets, and lengthened the straps for over the shoulder wear. And voila!

So, I couldn't just leave it at that could I? Of course not! I had to make a matching bottle carrier for my water bottle!

I also fully intend to make matching zip pouches, and possibly a matching wallet. But, don't hold your breath!