etsy monday in the mommyhood

But the place which you have selected for your camp, though never so rough and grim, begins at once to have its attractions, and becomes a very centre of civilization to you: "Home is home, be it never so homely." ~Henry David Thoreau

camping season is almost here! we've got camping on our minds as we get excited and ready for a few trips this summer. i thought it would be fun to take a peek at what etsy had in store for camping. to my surprise there were tons of goodies and my camping fever is burning strong. so cozy up by your campfire candle, and snuggle into your vw t-shirt, hang your trailer tea towels, and take a peek at all the goodies for this week.

1. camp tea towel series: leannegraeff
2. campfire in a can soy candle: mountainmamaskitchen
3. alfresco mountain moonscape: alloverart
4. volkswagon camper letterpress print: oldschoolstationers
5. road trip - magnets made from vintage books: papermenagerie
6. camping out mousepad: mirrorgirl
7. women's campers tshirt teepees vs buses: samonberry
8. night tent: JPGreenwood

view from the mommyhood - the prettiest peacock on the block

i will probably bombard you with miscellaneous pictures over the next few days of our visit to the local petting zoo, so I apologize in advance, but really, is this not the most beautiful peacock you have ever seen? i must have taken about 15 pics of the one bird - stunning. maybe i have been living under a rock, but i have never seen a white peacock before.

it had the cutest, fluffiest little bum i have ever seen. this picture is for my sister camille, who loved this guy's fluffy little tailfeathers.

this peacock made us happy :)

we hope you are all having a restful, relaxing, happy and wonderful long weekend. see you on monday.

view from the mommyhood - yum!

can you tell how much she is loving her bananas and yogurt? i think i still eat like that when i finally get to indulge in something i loooovvvee to eat.

wishing you all a wonderful easter weekend!

free mimi kirchner felt doll pattern

aren't these dolls stunning? want to make one for yourself? the purl bee has a free tutorial up for a FREE pattern to make your very own mimi kirchner doll! oh my, oh my. if my friend erica is reading this, seriously, you have to make one of these. i don't know if i have the time or the patience to attempt one at the moment with my sewing skills, but i am dying to see someone else do it.

here's the link and please, oh, please, if any of you make one, send me a pic. they are too gorgeous to miss out on. if you would love to see more by mimi kirchner check out her blog "doll".

(images the purl bee)

fit friday in the mommyhood - mommy calorie countdown

i have been trying to make exercise a regular part of my routine lately. it's been a struggle. i know i am not alone out there, when the housework, mothering, work, and any other nagging thing you need to get done takes priority over your fitness.

instead of berating myself for having a bad week, i was laying in bed the other night and thought about what i could do to make myself feel better for all the good things i did do this week. were there other ways to burn those nasty calories instead of normal exercise? is lifting my daughter considered weightlifting? is dancing around the house with her cardio? is vacuuming? is the 45 minutes i just spent ironing? i decided to look into this.

what i found was shocking! not only was i still doing cardio, i didn't know i was! wowee! i am excited about this finding. the best part for me about what i found was that i was actually burning calories while crafting - yes, that's right, you read it, burn calories while crafting. sewing, knitting, drawing, reading, you name it. i am burning calories while typing this right now! here's some of what i found from the following two sites - caloriesperhour & healthstatus.
(please be advised these are based on my weight, and there is no way in hell i am disclosing it in this post)

brushing teeth: 5 minutes = 15 calories
cooking: 30 minutes = 96 calories
housework: 30 minutes = 105 calories
ironing: 45 minutes = 122 calories
mopping: 15 minutes = 81 calories
playing the guitar: 15 minutes = 57 calories
reading: 60 minutes = 76 calories
rearranging furniture: 45 minutes = 360 calories
showering: 15 minutes = 76 calories
writing: 60 minutes = 76 calories
sleeping: 360 minutes = 403 calories
playing with kids: 180 minutes = 864 calories!!!!
standing: 120 minutes = 172 calories
knitting / sewing: 60 minutes = 109 calories

this post may just be the extra incentive i need to do the chores more often. can you imagine? and fold, one, two, three, and vacuum, one, two, three, and scrub, one, two, three....c'mon ladies. let's get our groove on! sparkling, clean houses and toned, tight muscles. if only life was that easy :)

what's your favorite household exercise? mine would be sleeping if i ever got to do more of it.

refashion a skirt into a maternity skirt

(image courtesy of pink picket fence)

there is so much stuff i love on the super talented chris's blog "pink picket fence" i can hardly stand it. i thought this tutorial on turning a thrift store skirt into a maternity skirt would come in handy. i could have used this when i was preggers with mack. i could never find skirts that fit me right.

(image courtesy of pink picket fence)

my belly just never fit right or the skirt made a weird line across my belly while i was sitting and i sat a lot at my job at the time. i always felt like i had three giant boobs instead of two...that's how big my boobs were. you can find the link for the refashion here.

(image courtesy pink picket fence)

while you are over at the pink picket fence do check out her pink tulle skirt - oh my gosh! how friggin sweet is that! i adore it. dana from "made" whipped one out, (how talented is this girl?!) in a bright, summery orange as well. i gotta get some serious skirt/dress making happening. my fingers are just dying to sew. i figure i need about 15 more hours in my day to keep up.

(image courtesy of made)

any of you planning on making one of these?

excited to see her nana & opa!

this was mackenzie's face when i told her my mom/dad are going to be here to visit in 1 day. we are so excited, we are both bouncing off the walls. i am very close with my folks and haven't seen them since last summer. needless to say, we are super happy they are coming to visit.

my posts may be a bit sporadic due to the fact that i am preparing to attach myself to my parents and not let go until they leave in 2 weeks. hopefully you will all stick with me, as i will still be posting, things may just be up at different times. with jer working so much overtime, my folks are that life preserver that i have been needing to make it through these last few rough weeks of tax season.

are any of you out there in a relationship with an accountant? i would love to hear from you. i think there should be a support group for us accountant wives, don't you agree?

how to make a tea canister cuff bracelet

i am a huge fan of jessica over on "zakka life" - this is one crafty lady. i saw her latest post on turning a tea canister into a cuff bracelet and said to myself "that is friggin cool". i had to resist the urge to race to the local thrift store to look for canisters to convert into my newest arm candy. i am a huge cuff lover and it's basically the only style of bracelet i ever wear. i still can't believe she managed to turn this into a bracelet.

i will definitely be trying this one out - i have to find the canisters still though....that is unless my hubby finds some sparklies for my wrist first - hint, hint. here's the link.

what do you all think of this project? would you wear it?

(images by zakka life)

how to turn that old tshirt into a bolero

check this out - kayo over on cut out & keep, posted the how to's on turning your hubby's old t-shirt into a the most adorable summer bolero. wow - this looks great. at this rate, i am not going to need the fabric store anytime soon. between all of jer's old dress shirts and t-shirts i gotta a hellavu lot of sewing projects to keep me occupied. wouldn't this look sweet with a clasp, or better yet a BUTTON to close the neck together? i so would button this baby up. buttons on the sleeve and the front. gotta have a button. here's the link.

free heather ross sunddress pattern

just in time for the sunny weather that i hope will be sticking around - i found a free heather ross dress pattern! yippee! it's from last year, but who the heck cares, it's adorable and free. i haven't been brave enough to make myself something to wear yet, but this dress is definitely luring me in that direction. it's so summery and body flattering. i'm wondering if you could alter the tie strap to a wider strap so us busty girls can wear a bra, cause you know i just hate a strapless bra, nevermind a strapless bra in the summer - nope, no way, not happening.

you can find the free download here along with instructions for printing out the pattern at home. check out heather's line of fabrics "mendocino", can we just say i want all of it? i think i would make my dress in the pattern above.

which one would you choose?

shirt dress addiction - free tutorial!

i am so glad the lovely ladies - dana from "made" and traci from "amazing mae" got me hooked on these men's shirt dresses. i cannot explain how fun these are to make, you just have to whip one up yourself. if you were a bit nervous to wing it, like i did, you don't have to anymore - dana finally has a tutorial! yippee! the dress is super cute and i am now on the hunt through jer's closet for my next victim.

head on over to both blogs for lots of inspiration and here's the link for dana's shirt dress tutorial.


if you guys decide to make one, let me know - i would love to see pics!

(images courtesy of made)

notes from the mommyhood - post traumatic shi* disorder

ok, this is a gross post, but funny, and disgusting and i couldn't help but share it. i need to know that i am not alone. we are starting to potty train, or what i am slowly learning should be called - hell. just when you think life may start to get a bit more normal, your child is talking, sleeping (a bit), has teeth and is eating normally, a slight euphoria hits you, i can handle this, it's gonna be ok, and then wham - enter the POTTY. i hate the potty. we have hardly started the potty training and i already hate the potty. i especially hate that stupid, unintelligent, ridiculously overplayed and over advertised "potty dance" commercial. what the fu*& is that? i'm sorry to go off on a tangent, but that dance is dumb. ok, i said it. moving on.
we started potty training, things have been going good, until the other day. we decided to go the route of letting mackenzie set her own pace. we didn't want to really force her too much, as she isn't even 2 yet. i wanted it to be a relaxing experience for her and she seems keen to learn. we do the training pants during the day and diapers when we go out and at night. i usually ask her in the morning if she would prefer diapers or training pants and she usually wants the training pants. well the other day, it was the diaper she wanted. i should have known.

so we put that diaper on. i was sick and having a very, very rough day and had been counting down the hours/minutes till my husband got home from work, which was late. i was laying on the couch in misery, when i spotted my angel daughter (ya right) out of the corner of my eye crouching in the corner. i then heard that rrrriiippping sound of the velcro coming off. just as i turned to stop her, flop, off came the diaper and out rolled a huge poop. now, not to be too graphic, some fell out of the diaper, and what did my angel baby do, picked it up. she looked at me and in slow motion i yelled "nooooooooo", she then decided it was gross, and stunk and wanted it off her hands. she started flicking that poo all over my light beige carpet. now, i had already thrown up everything in my tummy, thank goodness, or i would have barfed right then and there and the sight of her little legs and bum covered in poop, hands brown with it and my poor, rental carpet covered in it.

my question to you is, what the heck do you do in a situation like this? cry? barf? get drunk? i called my hubby and told him how much he owes me and asked him to bring me home a cookie. i think i was crazed. a cookie? don't ask me why, but in that situation the only thing that would make my disgust disappear was to eat something i hardly ever eat. and you know what, this situation happened a few days ago, and what did i bake today - cookies. i am still recovering. i think i have post traumatic shi* disorder.


any of you out there suffering? let's share our stories - i need to know i am not alone out here.

spruce up some pots with socks

so we covered using men's old dress shirts and t-shirts, but how about their socks? well, look no further, rachel ray has served up a great way to brighten up a flower pot (or just about any canister of this size) from orla kiely. now don't get me started on orla kiely, i can't stand that we don't have target here in canada and the fact that they have dwell bedding now too, just makes me want to cry. my sis and i are in the works on trying to convince the hubbies to let us have a run of the border target shopping spree....oh, the thought of it just makes me drool. it's too much for me to handle.

if you want to spruce up some pots with socks, here's the how to.

view from the mommyhood - sunshine!

i love this pic even though she's straight and the horizon is very slanted.

yummy, loving the apple

it has been amazingly gorgeous out! the weather is hot! i don't mean like 7 degrees, but more like 18-20! i was roasting in a pair of capris and a long sleeved tee. i can't even begin to explain how good it felt to soak up some sunshine. mackenzie and i headed outdoors for most of the day for some walks, and a long picnic in the park and it sure felt good to not be cramped up inside. much to our surprise, it's supposed to be even warmer today, so i probably won't be blogging until later tonight. i can't resist the sun, it's calling to me, and who knows how long it will last?

any of you been out in the sunshine?

how to turn fabric scraps into a necklace

(image courtesy cakies)

in our house there is never a shortage of fabric scraps or old clothes to turn into fabric scraps, so when i spot a craft project that i can actually use to rid myself of these little piles, i am one happy momma. i adore a lovely white summer top and think that these great fabric necklaces just add that pretty pop of color we are all looking for during this season.

i have seen some of these around in the last few months but hadn't spotted a tutorial until now. you can find the tutorial here at cakies. these seem so easy and fun to make. i like it when a craft can be the more the merrier. why stop at one, when you can make five? or three? or 10? knock yourself out, make a bunch, give em' to friends. heck, adorn yourself in them.

is it just me or does that first pic make you want to sit on the beach in mexico, in your flip flops, all tanned and content, sipping a cool, refreshing corona?

what do you guys think? have any of you made these before? would you make these?

(image courtesy cakies)

(via craftgossip)

free baby blanket gift set tutorial

do you have baby shower's popping up in the next few months or a new baby of your own? i caught this 2 part free tutorial for a baby blanket gift set and went ooohhhhhhhh, i wish i had a baby shower to go to, just so i could make this. what a great idea!

i love the idea of the blanket, bib, burp cloths and appliqued onesie. what new mom wouldn't appreciate this as a gift? you can find the tutorial here at the lovely and creative jessica's blog -
"juicy bits" and i am filing this one away for myself for when the baby showers do pop up, or if i ever get crazy enough to have another baby.

(images juicy bits)

how to turn a men's shirt into a toddler dress

i have tons of jer's old dress shirts kicking around our house that i repurpose for projects here and there, but never for a dress for mack. i was so inspired by last week's post by "made" that i had to try one for myself. now, i am not a good pattern follower so this dress was fun for me because i didn't have a pattern. i had the photo of "sunshine in a dress" and just winged it - it was fun!

i am sorry to say that i didn't trust my sewing skills, so i didn't take pictures along the way because i was seriously aware of the fact that this might not turn out. i will try to explain it a bit to you though. i took jer's shirt, took off the pocket - easy. cut off the collar and the sleeves - even easier. cut open the sides of the shirt - voila - a dress in the making. i know some people doing these dresses use the leftover sleeve to make a new sleeve, but i found that when i tried it on mackenzie, the shoulder seam placement on her was great and i could use that seam and the side to make a sleeve already.

here's my version before the sewing was complete

next up i cut out the a-line form of the dress in the shirt, pinned up the seams and hem and sewed that puppy up. for the sleeves and neck i used a tiny elastic, probably less than 1/4" so my casing was not big at all. i added a snap on the neck line to clean it up. the tricky part for me was the waist. i wasn't 100% sure i was going to do the elastic on the waist, so i made the dress first and thought i would deal with it if the dress actually turned out. after seeing that the dress wasn't a mess, at least in my opinion, i decided to add the elastic on the waist. i used another one of my favorite dollar store pillow case finds for the material. i sewed up the 3" band with a casing on the top and the bottom and then hand stitched the casing onto the dress (over top of it essentially).

i am not sure if sewing it on top is the right way to do it, but that's what happened :) i think it turned out and it allowed me to get the fit just perfect for mackenzie's body. the only thing i regret not doing was tidying up my seams. i was in such a rush to make it, that i just cut and sewed. i didn't do that nice, ol'flip over the hem and sew thingie that cleans it all up (pardon my sewing terminology, i am a new sewer).

here's the back - my favorite part is the pleat from the original shirt

mackenzie wore it to a birthday party yesterday over a cute pair of jeans because i had a feeling she was gonna get dirty and end up at the park, which is exactly what she did. dirt on her pants and ketchup on her new dress. ahhhhh, the life with kids - thank god for stain remover.

and again, our little model doing what is obviously, her favorite pose :)

have any of you tried to make one of these yet?

how to make your own magnetic matchbooks

i keep telling myself i am finally going to get around making some magnets. i love collecting fun ones so i figure making my own is the next step. apartment therapy posted this tutorial and i think it looks like fun. only thing is i would be worried the little ones might get the matches, so i think i would fill them with a little surprise inside - like a mini toy or mints instead of matches. you can find the directions to make your own magnets here.

what do you guys think? would you make these?


(images apartment therapy)

etsy monday in the mommyhood

Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

we are all about swimming in our house right now. swim lessons started up again the other week and mackenzie seems to count down the days until she can go to the pool and begs to go swim in the ocean, which, of course, she can't do right now. so this week's etsy monday in the mommyhood is inspired by swimming and all those lovely goodies we need when not swimming, um, buck naked :) hope you all had a great weekend and you can click here or on the pics for the links.

what are you loving this week?

view from the mommyhood

who's the next baseball star? jer's gearing her up for ball already.

yellow, yellow

this pic makes we want to curl up under this bush and have a nap

finally, some blue sky