Confession #27: Training pants are easier to make than you'd think

My daughter has recently been peeing in the potty. What a big girl! But she doesn't always make it. We use cloth diapers so I knew I wasn't about to go out and buy pull-ups. So I decided to get those training panties that are think. They wanted $8 for 5 of them. Yeah right, I thought. So I bought the regular ones instead. At 6 for $4, it was much more reasonable. I picked up a yard of cotton batting and decided to line the undies by myself. It took for about 30 minutes to cut the cotton and sew all six of them. Didn't I say it was super easy? Cause it was

All you do, it make a templet. I used a paper bag. Then cut out three layers of cotton for each panties.

Then sew the three layers onto each pair of panties. It's really that simple.

They work great. My daughter peed and it didn't even leak.

 And they hold up well in the washer and dryer.

Yet another activity that will save you tons of money (pull-ups are super expensive, or so I've heard). No shoes were worn in the making of these panties.

Confession #26: Felt Puzzles are Fantastic (and simple)

Shape puzzle with bag

Shape puzzles

I signed up for another busy bag exchange group that's theme was felt. So I decided on making felt puzzles after looking at Master Class's website. I am not sure what language this site is in, my guess Russian or some kind of Slavic language. Anyway, the awesome thing is that they posted wonderful photos, so there is no need to rush out and learn Russian. I was able to follow what they did through the photos.

A ball, car and duck

A whole puzzle only takes a few hours. I started the pirate the morning of the party and finished in plenty of time. I think it took me a total of 2 hours, which included me reading a few books to my daughter and making her a snack. Felt is such an amazing thing for us craftaholics. I highly recommend stalking up whenever you see it on sale. 

You wont be sorry. 

The pirate with bag

And of course, no shoes required! На здоровье!

All cut and ready to be sewn

Almost done

All finished with the space puzzles

Liana enjoying the space puzzle
(don't mind her wet shirt, she just eat some watermelon!)

Confession #25: Just a typical day....

"fishing" with Liana (she dressed herself)

So you know when you finally get your kids to bed and all you want to do is pass out on the couch and not move for the next two hours? Well, this isn't that story. My mom told me, whenever I said I was bored, that boredom is a choice and I needed to find something to do. So, I spent a lot of time playing outside, building forts, riding bikes and climbing trees. I didn't really ever rest. I guess I took that lifestyle with me to adulthood. My idea of rest is cleaning, cooking, or sewing. You will hardly ever find me sitting on the couch vegging out to the "boob-tube." So I guess that's how I get so much stuff done in a day. Here is a look into a typical productive day in my little house.

June 21, 2012

645 Wake up, finish knitting a orange cat puppet for Liana
740 Liana wakes up, family breakfast (oatmeal with strawberries)
800 Read about a hundred books with Liana

Finished the cat this morning

830 Go outside and "fish" with Liana
900 Walk to the pool to teach swim lessons
1120 Arrive back home, make lunch (bean, cheese, and rice burritos)
1140 Play dress up with Liana, dance session, music time
1320 Liana's down for a nap
1321 Fix three dress straps


Felt Puzzles for busy bag exchange

1340 Clean the house, make more all purpose cleaner
1440 Finish sewing my busy bag exchange items
1520 Liana wakes up, fix her a snack (homemade yogurt)
1530 Read 100 more books
1550 Make a batch of homemade crackers (Liana "helps")
1620 Make a batch of homemade pasta (Liana eats almost half of it)
1700 put the crackers and pasta in the dehydrator


1710 Start dinner (chicken sausage, homemade pasta, and home canned curry apple chutney)
1800 Family dinner time
1830 Family dance session
1840 Start Lianas bedtime routine (brush teeth, read more books, pray, etc)
1900 Kiss Liana goodnight
1901 Start load of laundry
1910 Make homemade pie with home canned green tomato filling


1940 Eat mini pie a la mode

Homemade "Ritz" crackers

1950 Take pasta out of dehydrator and cool
1955 Put Laundry in the dryer
2000 Make infused grapeseed oil (lemon, pepper, and herb)
2025 Do the dishes
2040 Put laundry away
2100 Shower
2110 Get ready for bed
2140 Blog :)

Homemade pasta with home canned sauce

2200 In bed, lights off.

I just want to say that I don't drink coffee, and I talked on the phone (while cleaning and cooking) for about an hour today.
Well, I have to go it I want to make that 2200 bedtime! Sleep tight.