Here is what we are eating this week:
Monday - Lawnmower tacos, guacamole and chips
Tuesday - Out to dinner
Wednesday - Meatloaf, roasted potatoes, and glazed carrots
Thursday - Baked Mahi-Mahi, quinoa, and green beans
Friday - Pizza bagels
Saturday - Harvest festival at church
Sunday - Chicken rice soup and honey-wheat rolls
Monday, October 15, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Menu Plan Monday - October 8
It is finally starting to feel like fall here in PA! The days are crisp and cool, which always makes me want to bake and drink hot tea : ) So I'll probably be making some bread, muffins, cookies, etc., in addition to the meals I have planned for this week ; )
Here is the plan for the week:
Monday - Mongolian Beef, brown rice, and green beans
Tuesday - Chicken quesadillas and corn
Wednesday - Pork fried rice
Thursday - Shrimp Fettucine (with penne instead of fettucine) and peas
Friday - Leftovers/on your own
Here is the plan for the week:
Monday - Mongolian Beef, brown rice, and green beans
Tuesday - Chicken quesadillas and corn
Wednesday - Pork fried rice
Thursday - Shrimp Fettucine (with penne instead of fettucine) and peas
Friday - Leftovers/on your own
Friday, October 5, 2012
Toddler Slipper Tutorial
I've finally perfected my toddler slipper pattern (based on my favorite baby slipper pattern). And I am so excited about it that I want to share it with everyone! They are super easy to make and are customizable to any size feet. I am going to give instructions on how to draft your own pattern and sew up these slippers for the little person in your life : )
Here are the things you will need:
- Polar Fleece (about 1/4 yd should be enough)
- 1 foot of 1/8" wide elastic
- Grippy fabric ( I found mine in the utility fabrics section at Joann Fabrics)
- Sewing machine
- Coordinating thread
- Scissors
- Pins
- Lightweight cardboard (a cereal box is good for this)
Creating a slipper pattern:
Have your intended slipper recipient stand on a piece of cardboard, and trace around his or her foot. You can make right and left slippers if you want to, but for simplicity's sake, I rounded out the top of the slipper and straightened out the inside curve, so the right and left slipper would be identical and could be used interchangeably. Add 1/2" around the shape you traced, on all sides, and cut out the new, slightly larger foot shape. This piece will be the sole of your slipper.
Then make a semi-circle shaped piece that is half as tall as the sole (my sole was 7" long so this piece was 3.5" tall), and it should be the width of the sole piece plus about 2" at the widest part (my sole was 3" wide, so this piece was 5" wide). I'll call this piece the toe of the slipper.
Then, place the toe piece on top of the sole piece, lining up the top edges, and measure the circumference of the part of the sole that sticks out, as seen below. (I got 9" when I measured this part).
Take that measurement and add 1". This will be the length of the heel piece, and the width should be about 3". (So my heel piece was 10" X 3"). Cut out a rectangle of these dimensions to use as a pattern for the heel.
Making the slippers:
Trace around the pattern pieces you made. To make a pair of slippers you'll need:
- 4 fleece toe pieces
- 2 fleece heel pieces
- 2 fleece sole pieces
- 2 grippy fabric sole pieces
Using a zig-zag stitch around the edge, sew the fleece sole piece to the grippy fabric sole piece, this is the sole of your slipper
Fold the long edge of the heel piece over 3/4" and sew close to the edge of the folded over fabric to make a casing for the elastic
Use a small safety pin to thread the elastic through the casing, and sew to secure the elastic in each end of the casing
It should look like this when you are finished
Pin the heel piece on top of one of the toe pieces, as shown in the picture below
And pin the other toe piece on top of the heel piece, sandwiching the heel piece between the toe pieces
Sew along the edge of the toe-heel sandwich, 1/4" from the edge
Then bring the 2 toe pieces together so the seam is hidden inside of them. It should look like this.
Sew the toe pieces together, 1/8" from the edge. The top of the slipper is now finished.
Pin the sole piece onto the top piece, right sides together. VERY IMPORTANT: the grippy fabric should be facing the INSIDE of the slipper right now, so it will be on the outside after the slipper is turned right side out. Don't be like me and sew the pieces together the wrong way twice! Picking out those seams was a major pain. If you have pinned it correctly, your slipper should look like this on the bottom:
And like this on the top:
Sew a seam all the way around the slipper, 1/4" from the edge. Note that the grippy fabric is inside the slipper, because it is still inside out.
Turn your slipper right side out. All the raw edges should be on the inside, and the grippy fabric should be on the bottom of the slipper, to prevent slipping : )
Now repeat all the steps for the other slipper and you will have a cute and comfy pair of custom-made toddler slippers!
This post is linked to: Sew Cute Tuesday and Making the World Cuter Monday
Here are the things you will need:
- Polar Fleece (about 1/4 yd should be enough)
- 1 foot of 1/8" wide elastic
- Grippy fabric ( I found mine in the utility fabrics section at Joann Fabrics)
- Sewing machine
- Coordinating thread
- Scissors
- Pins
- Lightweight cardboard (a cereal box is good for this)
Creating a slipper pattern:
Have your intended slipper recipient stand on a piece of cardboard, and trace around his or her foot. You can make right and left slippers if you want to, but for simplicity's sake, I rounded out the top of the slipper and straightened out the inside curve, so the right and left slipper would be identical and could be used interchangeably. Add 1/2" around the shape you traced, on all sides, and cut out the new, slightly larger foot shape. This piece will be the sole of your slipper.
Then make a semi-circle shaped piece that is half as tall as the sole (my sole was 7" long so this piece was 3.5" tall), and it should be the width of the sole piece plus about 2" at the widest part (my sole was 3" wide, so this piece was 5" wide). I'll call this piece the toe of the slipper.
Then, place the toe piece on top of the sole piece, lining up the top edges, and measure the circumference of the part of the sole that sticks out, as seen below. (I got 9" when I measured this part).
Take that measurement and add 1". This will be the length of the heel piece, and the width should be about 3". (So my heel piece was 10" X 3"). Cut out a rectangle of these dimensions to use as a pattern for the heel.
Making the slippers:
Trace around the pattern pieces you made. To make a pair of slippers you'll need:
- 4 fleece toe pieces
- 2 fleece heel pieces
- 2 fleece sole pieces
- 2 grippy fabric sole pieces
Using a zig-zag stitch around the edge, sew the fleece sole piece to the grippy fabric sole piece, this is the sole of your slipper
Fold the long edge of the heel piece over 3/4" and sew close to the edge of the folded over fabric to make a casing for the elastic
Use a small safety pin to thread the elastic through the casing, and sew to secure the elastic in each end of the casing
It should look like this when you are finished
Pin the heel piece on top of one of the toe pieces, as shown in the picture below
And pin the other toe piece on top of the heel piece, sandwiching the heel piece between the toe pieces
Sew along the edge of the toe-heel sandwich, 1/4" from the edge
Then bring the 2 toe pieces together so the seam is hidden inside of them. It should look like this.
Sew the toe pieces together, 1/8" from the edge. The top of the slipper is now finished.
Pin the sole piece onto the top piece, right sides together. VERY IMPORTANT: the grippy fabric should be facing the INSIDE of the slipper right now, so it will be on the outside after the slipper is turned right side out. Don't be like me and sew the pieces together the wrong way twice! Picking out those seams was a major pain. If you have pinned it correctly, your slipper should look like this on the bottom:
And like this on the top:
Sew a seam all the way around the slipper, 1/4" from the edge. Note that the grippy fabric is inside the slipper, because it is still inside out.
Turn your slipper right side out. All the raw edges should be on the inside, and the grippy fabric should be on the bottom of the slipper, to prevent slipping : )
This post is linked to: Sew Cute Tuesday and Making the World Cuter Monday
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Our newly expanded family
Sorry about the unintended 2 month long vacation from blogging. I gave birth to another little boy, then things just became busy, and writing in this blog wasn't a priority. I'm hoping to be able to set aside some time to blog. My main hurdle is remembering to take pictures and upload them to my computer (I think I need to hire a photographer ; )
Here are the important details : )
Caleb Daniel
Born August 22, 2012, at 10:47pm
Weighed 5 lb 1 oz and was 18 in long
The top picture was taken when Caleb was 2 days old. He is now 6 weeks old, and he had gained 2 lbs and grown 3 inches at his 1 month check-up! Life is a little busier with 2, but still very manageable : ) Titus loves his new brother, and Caleb is happy to just look around and take it all in (most of the time).
God gives such good gifts!
Friday, August 3, 2012
More birthday fun!
Here are some pictures from Titus' birthday:
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| Titus and his birthday balloon - hours of entertainment! |
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| Titus' special tent that Grammy made for him! |
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| Daddy and Titus playing with the tent : ) |
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| Relaxing on the beanbag inside the tent |
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| Titus' birthday gift from Sarah, James, and Andrew - a camo jacket! |
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| Blowing out candles! |
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| Looks yummy : ) |
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| Titus pretty much just ate the frosting and left the cupcake - but it is his birthday, he can do that if he wants to ; ) |
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Titus' 2nd Birthday!
Yesterday was the day we celebrated Titus being with us for 2 whole years! He has been such a joy and a blessing, and our lives are fuller and richer because of him : ) I, unfortunately, forgot to take any pictures, so there is no visual documentation to accompany this post. However, my wonderful mother-in-law came to spend the day with us, and she got some pictures of Titus opening presents and playing with them. So I may share those at a later date. This is just a recap of how we celebrated Titus turning 2.
We started the day with pancakes that had sprinkles added to them to make them special birthday pancakes ; ) While Titus was waiting for the pancakes to be ready, George and I gave him our birthday present, his own toy mailbox! Titus loves getting the mail from the real mailbox, and he was thrilled to have a mailbox all his own : )
After breakfast, Titus and I picked up his friend Claire and her mom Adrienne and we went to go see a $1 movie at the Regal Movie Theater. We wanted to see the movie Rio, but the movie theater hadn't gotten it in for some reason, so they were showing a different movie that Adrienne and I didn't think our kids would be able to sit through. So, after a quick change of plans, we headed to Monkey Joe's, which is a play place filled with different moon bounces and bouncy castles. Titus had a great time jumping on the bounces and going down the slides! Then we went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch, because I had a coupon for a free meal for Titus on his birthday. We ate some chicken nuggets and waffle fries, and Titus and Claire played on the play place. : )
After I took Claire and Adrienne home, I put Titus down for a nap. George's mom was waiting at the house for us, so I spent some time talking with her while Titus was sleeping. I had to run an errand, and while I was out I decided to get a Mylar balloon for Titus from the dollar store. When I got home he was awake from his nap and was so happy with his balloon! It was a great source of entertainment for only a dollar.
Then it was time for Titus to open his gifts from Grammy (George's mom), and Aunt Sarah, Uncle James, and Andrew (George's sister, her husband, and their son). Grammy gave Titus an awesome flashlight and a canopy that could be draped over a folding table to create his own little tent. He played with them for the rest of the afternoon! Sarah, James, and Andrew gave Titus a fleece camouflage jacket, which is so fun because George hunts, so now Titus has camo just like daddy!
After Titus played with his new gifts for several hours, we had barbeque beef sandwiches for dinner and vanilla cupcakes with sprinkles for dessert. Titus loves to blow out candles, so that was a highlight of his day, blowing out the 2 candles in his cupcake : )
After dinner, we went to our church's VBS and the kids sang "Happy Birthday" to Titus! It was a great ending to a wonderful day.
I am so glad George's mom, Adrienne, and Claire were able to celebrate Titus' birthday with us. I think Titus had a really great day, I know I did! Titus is learning so many new things and is such a happy, energetic two-year-old. He loves strawberries, tomatoes, animals, and music, among other things. He knows to pray before eating and will sometimes randomly interject "Praise God!" I have really enjoyed seeing his personality develop, and am so excited to see what the years to come will hold for our family. I am praying that he will love his new brother or sister and be a great older brother.
Happy Birthday Titus! You are a wonderful gift to us from God!
We started the day with pancakes that had sprinkles added to them to make them special birthday pancakes ; ) While Titus was waiting for the pancakes to be ready, George and I gave him our birthday present, his own toy mailbox! Titus loves getting the mail from the real mailbox, and he was thrilled to have a mailbox all his own : )
After breakfast, Titus and I picked up his friend Claire and her mom Adrienne and we went to go see a $1 movie at the Regal Movie Theater. We wanted to see the movie Rio, but the movie theater hadn't gotten it in for some reason, so they were showing a different movie that Adrienne and I didn't think our kids would be able to sit through. So, after a quick change of plans, we headed to Monkey Joe's, which is a play place filled with different moon bounces and bouncy castles. Titus had a great time jumping on the bounces and going down the slides! Then we went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch, because I had a coupon for a free meal for Titus on his birthday. We ate some chicken nuggets and waffle fries, and Titus and Claire played on the play place. : )
After I took Claire and Adrienne home, I put Titus down for a nap. George's mom was waiting at the house for us, so I spent some time talking with her while Titus was sleeping. I had to run an errand, and while I was out I decided to get a Mylar balloon for Titus from the dollar store. When I got home he was awake from his nap and was so happy with his balloon! It was a great source of entertainment for only a dollar.
Then it was time for Titus to open his gifts from Grammy (George's mom), and Aunt Sarah, Uncle James, and Andrew (George's sister, her husband, and their son). Grammy gave Titus an awesome flashlight and a canopy that could be draped over a folding table to create his own little tent. He played with them for the rest of the afternoon! Sarah, James, and Andrew gave Titus a fleece camouflage jacket, which is so fun because George hunts, so now Titus has camo just like daddy!
After Titus played with his new gifts for several hours, we had barbeque beef sandwiches for dinner and vanilla cupcakes with sprinkles for dessert. Titus loves to blow out candles, so that was a highlight of his day, blowing out the 2 candles in his cupcake : )
After dinner, we went to our church's VBS and the kids sang "Happy Birthday" to Titus! It was a great ending to a wonderful day.
I am so glad George's mom, Adrienne, and Claire were able to celebrate Titus' birthday with us. I think Titus had a really great day, I know I did! Titus is learning so many new things and is such a happy, energetic two-year-old. He loves strawberries, tomatoes, animals, and music, among other things. He knows to pray before eating and will sometimes randomly interject "Praise God!" I have really enjoyed seeing his personality develop, and am so excited to see what the years to come will hold for our family. I am praying that he will love his new brother or sister and be a great older brother.
Happy Birthday Titus! You are a wonderful gift to us from God!
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