Sewing project

I FINALLY am feeling like I have some time to do some sewing again. As I was reading a friends blog the other day, I came across this pattern for some dresses. DRESSES! How perfect. I have been itching to make the girls some matching dresses. They were super easy to make and took less than 15 mins for just one. I swear and I am not a seamstress by any means. Thanks Sophie for the pattern.

I am looking forward to making some Christmas ones for the girls and some presents for some little girl friends!

We totally ROCKED AZ

We are back from a successful trip to AZ. The time change wasn't as bad as expected and the kids did well all sleeping in one room. The first night was interesting to say the least but after that, they did FANTASTIC.

The wedding was beautiful...lets give a shout out of Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Riedl. Being in AZ, you can totally have an outdoor wedding and not have to worry about rain or snow. The kids did okay. Cooper was totally whooped by the time the wedding came around so Zach and I carried him down the isle together. He was even half asleep before the ceremony was over. Kylie loved being a little bride and made a great little bride friend. Addy did great with Grandma and pretty much slept after the ceremony.


Kylie with Lisa
Mr. Cooper man
Daddy and Cooper

Zach and I with sleepy Cooper

The happy couple
Lisa and I (and Addy)
Yes I know you love my ergo!!

We also made a great trip to the train park but that will have to be a later post due to a crying baby...

yummy yum

Addy got her first taste of rice yesterday. She has been ready for a while but I have been waiting as long as possible! She LOVED it and I couldn't get it in fast enough. Cannot believe my baby is big enough for the "good stuff".

Make your own laundry detergent

Don't you love the smell of clean clothes. I am so weird, I know. I even smell each and every fluffy item that comes out of the dryer (or off the line in the summer) just to make sure it smells extra yummy. That being said, it can cost a lot to make your clothes smell good. And if you are cloth diapering, you know that those diapers can get rather stinky and then those good smelling detergents just smell like pee and flowers. Yuck! Anyways, in order to save money, I finally decided to make my own laundry detergent. I have been using it now for 4 months and I love it. Before making it, I searched and search for the right "recipe". The two things it had to do were, 1) smell good and 2)clean my clothes well. It does both of these, in fact I would say my clothes are cleaner now. We are saving mega money on laundry detergent now because you make so much at once and the products you put in it are super cheap. So I thought I would share it all with you...

Homemade Laundry Soap

1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap such as Ivory

½ cup washing soda

½ cup borax powder

1/2 oz essential oil (optional)

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. If you want to add and essential oil, put a 1/2 oz in. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. I store mine in old detergent bottles and juice bottles. You use ½ cup per load.

It doesn't look pretty, it's clumpy but works and smells great. It is safe to use with your cloth diapers and is great for those with sensitive skin. This can be used in he washers as well because it is a low sudsing soap.

Enjoy...

my new haircut

I finally got my hair permanently straightened and a new haircut. What do you think?

Pumpkin cookies

So I have this 2 year old

Yes, Cooper.

I am looking for some feedback as to what is really going on with this little man.

Lets just say he has challenged us much more than Kylie ever did. Yes, Kylie. Cooper has invented a whole new level of stubbornness. Now don't get me wrong, he is a great little boy. He is a mama's boy and loves to snuggle and kiss us. BUT, since Addy arrived he has really struggled. Here is what I am talking about...

• He is CONSTANTLY hurting Addy. I cannot leave the room for a second without him attempting to poke her eyes out. He always says sorry and really loves her but also LOVES to hit her.
  
• He bites, punches, hits
  
• His food ends up everywhere but his mouth. He doesn't enjoy eating and likes to play with his food. I have started giving him nutritional supplements to make up for the lack of food he is eating.
  
• He is ALWAYS complaining of a stomach ache
• His eczema gets so bad that he will scratch his skin off at times
• We aren't even going to talk about the poop thing...lets just say, it is really gross
• He doesn't sleep much and wakes up extremely hyper
• Rough is his middle name

Now here is what we have done to try and correct his behaviors...

• a 2 to 5 minute time out with a spanking for hurting others
• taken his trains away (he loves his trains)
• talked with the Doc about it and looking into a wheat allergy.
• spend one on one time with him and let him know we love him lots.
• talked about how to "love" Addy and Kylie the right way
• Put him on a "whole foods" diet. I know all the ingredients in everything he eats.
• Limited his gluten intake
• NO SUGAR ALLOWED

I am prety sure he has a food allergy of some sort and this is what is causing it but I also need to address his behaviors NOW. What shall I do fellow blogger friends?? Looking for some feedback....

three little pumpkins...

Kylie had her first preschool trip to the pumpkin farm this morning. Thankfully it was the first day of no rain in a loooonnnnggg time. That being said, it was a little muddy but they loved it. Cooper thought he was a big kid too and followed Kylie everywhere! I didn't bring the camera but took a good one of them in their Halloween outfits beforehand.

Fall cooking special part II

We tried out white chili this evening! It was DELICIOUS! It's an easy recipe and great for these cool blustery days.


White chili with chicken.

3 T olive oil
1 onion
2 t chili powder
1 1/2 t cumin
1 t oregano
2 garlic cloves
2 cans white kidney or navy beans, drained and rinsed
3 to 4 cups cooked chicken
1 cup corn
5 green chilies diced
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 t salt
2 T flour
3 to 4 T half and half
Grated cheese

Warm oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute it. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic, and saute for another minute. Stir in the white beans, chicken, corn, chilies, chicken broth, and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, blend the butter and flour. Add the mixture to the chili and stir until it thickens, about a minute. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Add half and half to thicken it. Serve with cheese on top!

*recipe was originally published in FamilyFun's October issue.