It's here! It really is! Last week was perfect - 60/70 degree weather, kids in shorts, sunburned cheeks, farmer tans in the making - perfect! Today it snowed. I'm ok with it because last week it was 70 degrees. It's going to come back, right?
1. How else do I know spring is here? 300 mph winds. I remember being 8 months pregnant with Ella, sleeping on a blow-up mattress on the floor of our unfinished basement. The wind was blowing so hard we couldn't get any sleep. The basement was our solution -- not a good one, I must add. I also remember getting up in the morning to find the siding had been ripped off the side of our house. Yup, gusty winds = spring time in our neck of the woods. Luckily, we haven't had much damage over the last couple of years .... knock on wood (knock, knock).
Saturday, Eric and Heather showed up with some kites for the kids. We took advantage of the wind and had some fun. I haven't flown a kite in years! We had a ball!
2. Remember my Bella Mittens? They're officially on my needles. The color isn't quite what I had in mind but it's hard to tell what you're getting when you order online. Besides, it was on sale. These will make a good practice round. You all are going to be jealous come fall, I know it!
3. I bought an apron pattern right after Christmas and had forgotten all about it. A friend of mine posted about a cute apron pattern she found and luckily, the light bulb went off. I'm so glad she helped me remember! I made two darling aprons over the weekend and I love them! Very simple pattern and I was able to use fabric I already had stashed (takes only about 2 yards).
I made them out of these -
4. You know those people who get callings in church and have them for something like 10 years? I was convinced that was going to be me! I was coming to terms with being the Food Storage lady forever. It's been a great calling. I've learned a lot and I feel like I've done a good job. Surprisingly (and to my relief, to be honest), I got a new calling. I gave myself the "primary is good" pep talk and was shocked when it turned out to not be primary. So what is it? Can you guess? Young Women Laurel Advisor.
What? Is that what you're thinking? That was my reaction too. This is a big calling. This is a responsible calling. I could possibly damage young, moldable minds. What if someone tells them that after I got the calling I hopped in my car and went straight to Maverick for a Diet Dr. Pepper? You know, to calm my nerves and stuff. Is it possible to get fired before you start?
Regardless of my insecurites and the fact that I'm absolutely intimidated by 16 year old girls, I'm thrilled! I love Young Womens. I had a great experience growing up. I think the girls in my ward are darling and fun. I can't wait to figure this calling out!
p.s. Don't spill the beans about Maverick. I promised Gator I would be a good example from now on.
5. Speaking of darling girls who happen to be very stylish brings me to number 5. I've mentioned before, I'm not stylish. I would love to be stylish but I can't figure it out. However, I've figured something out that is going to save my unstylish life -- hemmed jeans! I have tweener legs. 32 inch pants are too long, 30 too short. And, depending on my shoes, 32 inches might be just right. Ahh, the dilemas.
During my perfect weather week, I disgraced myself and walked around with a cuff on the bottom of my pants that averaged probably 14 inches. There was no way I was wearing anything but my flip flops and I tossed my pride to the wind and let my tootsies out for some air. Oh, it was wonderful but I knew the cuffed jeans weren't working for me and something had to be done.
Have you ever tried to hem your jeans? You know that when you cut off the bottom of your pant legs, the hem will never look right, right? I found a great
tutorial showing how to hem your jeans and still save the stylish bottoms. I tried it today and it's fabulous! Two good things about it - 1. It took me 15 minutes, tops. 2. When cold weather rolls around and I've got to bind my feet again, I can let down the hem and have my long pants back. Amazing!
6. Homemade detergent. I can't believe the response I got from it! Let me say that a week after I posted about it, I'm still in love! Let me answer a couple of questions for those who have asked.
- Cost breakdown- You'll get about 6 batches out of the Washing Soda. 6+ batches out of the Borax. 1 batch for each bar of soap.
Washing Soda - $2.99
Borax - $4.29
*FYI - I was just at Walmart and Borax was half the cost.Fels Naptha - $1.29
*I picked this stuff up where ever I was. You could probably find it cheaper if you looked.
Each batch costs approximately - $2.70. The batches are small (about 2 cups) but you only use 2 TB of detergent for a full load. I'm not sure how many loads a batch will cover - I haven't been keeping track - but I'm still using the first batch that I made. Next time I'll keep track.
-Yes, you only use 2 Tablespoons. That was not a typo.
- When I use my blender or food processor, it does not gum anything up. Unless you add water. That will definately screw it up. Since it's powder, it will rinse off your blender very easily.
- It smells good, just like the bar of soap you use. Not strong. Perfectly light and fresh.
- If you don't want to try it, don't! Good grief! People have been acting like I'm going to rip their arm off if they continue with their regular soap. Go ahead and use what you want! It may be crap, but use it!
- It will not suds up like other laundry soap does. I read that additives are what actually causes the suds in your soap so I guess suds-free is a bonus.
7. What's my Jack been up to? He's potty training himself. Ok, I wish, but not really. He likes to pretend and it's hilarious. Someday.
Sometimes I get crazy ideas. Sometimes I do weird things. Like when I started grinding my own wheat and baking my bread. Or the time I started whipping up my own butter blend because I liked how it looked in the containers in my fridge. Or that strawberry freezer jam sitting in my freezer, even though strawberry jam isn't a favorite at our house, just because I like the idea of having homemade jam in my freezer. Or that time I wanted to use cloth diapers because they're more natural .... ok, ok, that's totally a lie. I've never wanted to use cloth diapers and actually think people who do are a little fruity ...probably super nice, but come on. Really?
Spring is here! It's 60 degrees, 300 mph winds, sunshine ... and it's supposed to snow this weekend. Yup, spring is definitely here! While this teasing makes me absolutely crazy, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel! Winter was a hard one for me this year. I won't be sorry to say goodbye!
I baked myself some brownies, had my last sugar-induced stomach ache and hopped on the "no sugar/healthy lifestyle" bandwagon. Sadly, by 11:00 am Monday morn, I had been tossed off and run over. My Sunday night, sugar-induced, stomach ache didn't include getting rid of the entire pan of brownies. So they sat on my stove calling to me .... singing, really ... and I couldn't resist. Ohh, the disappointment!
The Bachelor. Are you flipping kidding me? Whoever declares their love, proposes, dumps on national tv and then continues to make-out with the runner-up, who he happens to still be in love with, has to be one of the biggest weasels ever! Crazy thing is, I knew how it ended and it still didn't make it any less painful to watch! I might actually have to be done with The Bachelor ... unless Jillian is the next Bachelorette.
