The Girl's Room

So we're going room by room, trying to get ourselves situated, so that we feel like we're actually accomplishing something. E's room isn't finished - her wall art is somewhere in the box abyss, but we're slowly making headway.

Here's what we have for now. The "Before Shot" - no carpet, and yes, they did paint the window green. Gotta love it.

And a couple "in process/maybe after depending how ambitious we get" pics:

Blueberry Fun

Yesterday was busy, but my dad and I fit a couple hours of blueberry picking in the afternoon. It was fun and relaxing, though I was hot and hungry after we were done. We were able to grab 13 quarts before we left, so it was a good feeling to know we have some local berries for the winter. I thought about taking the kiddo with me, but after our strawberry picking adventure, I knew that she wouldn't have the patience to be there long enough to pick the desired about of blueberries. Maybe we'll take her again before the season is finished.

So, obviously we've been doing a lot of freezing today. We've already filled one gallon bag of blueberries, and MANY more to go. We've also frozen green beans and peas (thanks, Dad!), too. It's been a busy food day, but it's fun watching our freezer fill with lots of goodies, knowing our tummies will thank us later. :)

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

I am constantly running out of Swiffer pad refills, and it drives me crazy how expensive they are to buy all of the time. For a while I was just using old rags and a bucket to wash the floors, but this got tiring really fast (E did love to help, but she slipped too many times for my comfort).

Today I realized that we were out of them (again), and since it was too much of a hassle to run to the store, I read where some make reusable pads. It worked well enough for me to say bye bye to the $5 or whatever it is to buy the refills. I just used some microfiber towels, folded them in half and sewed it. Voila - pads. Less trash and more money. Yay.

In equally exciting news, I feel like I'm getting ready to go back to school with the list of materials I need to buy for work. Pens. A planner (old one donated to L). A lunch box and a water bottle. And oddly enough, I'm pretty excited about looking for these items, but I used to love the fall of the year and getting my backpack ready for the first day of class. Strange, silly me.

Anyway, back to the daily grind of chores and figuring out dinner, before it's too late to thaw anything. Note to self: pull meat out the night before you need it.

Berry Good

Early this morning we went berry picking. E was tired, and wanted to nap, but my mind was made up to find some strawberries and pick as many as possible. Who could resist this glorious goodness above? I'm hoping to freeze most of them, and possibly make some jam, if I'm feeling ambitious. We'll see.

E did well for the most part, but she melted down at times. This would be a great little outing for kids a little older. What a great way for children to see where their food comes from, and a great way to keep them involved. I'm noticing E loves to help out, and feel like a "big girl". :)
Here sits the 10 pounds of strawberries that we picked. I have no idea to know if this is enough or not, but it'll do for now. Yummy deliciousness is what this is. :)

Cloth Wipes

Other than some, most people don't know we use cloth diapers for E, and have since her birth. She seems to have a sensitive bottom, so the cloth is gentler on her skin. We do use disposables when we're out and about - it's easier (in my opinion), and more socially acceptable. I generally don't talk about my cloth diapering experience, unless someone asks. And really, not many people ask. :)

I have noticed, though, that when she does get a rash, the baby wipes I use irritate her skin. I've used all sorts of different brands, but end up using just a washcloth with water. Of course, this means we're out of washcloths by bath time, so something needed to be done. After months of dealing with missing wash cloths off and on, I've just decided to switch over to cloth wipes completely.

So the photo above is one of the wipes I made. After I organize my system a little bit, I may show my set up. I might also adjust the photo for betting lighting, but probably not, so sorry for how dark it is. :)

Yellow is Purty....

Over Mother's Day weekend, I decided to tackle a painting job that I'd been wanting to do for a while. It turned into a larger task than it needed to be, but all in all, we like the color that we finally found.

Here is the before shot (sorry for the poor picture):

And the after:

I think the yellow just makes it a little more cheerful, and not as bland. Generally we don't like yellow, but it might be growing on me. Room #1 done... now onto the bedroom...

D's quilt

This quilt is for my new niece, D, who was born on Monday. It's kind of been a tradition for me to make a quilt for the babies born in my family. Unfortunately, I didn't learn how to quilt until my first nephew, J, was toddling around. :(

I'm really starting to love how these fabrics are coming together. I had another pattern in mind initially, but let's just say I didn't start the quilt until the day she was born. Thus, it didn't leave me much time to get it finished (my goal is to get it done the day we meet her - this weekend!). I was nervous to see how much E would let me get done, but she's been great this week! Thank you, my love!!

My sister-in-law, K, requested pink and green fabrics. I loved all of the fabrics separately, but wasn't sure how they would fit together, but it's all coming together, thankfully. I will post the finished product soon. :)