I’m learning something new-Crochet April 27, 2007

My mom is always crocheting something.  She takes it with her when she has to wait somewhere for a while.  She takes in on trips.  She does it while she watching TV.  She’s done it as long as I can remember.

Her godmother taught her this art when she was 13 and now she is teaching me.  I only know how to chain stitch and add rows to that but I can’t do the turns very well.  What I have done so far (just practicing the stitch I know) resembles a canoe because I don’t know how to turn.  I’m hoping she can show me more, Sunday after supper.

I think it will be something I find addicting.  I already have a small list of projects that I want to try.  A granny square blanket is one of them.

Do you crochet?  Have any pictures on blog?  Leave me a message if you do.  I’d like to be inspired! 

My friend, Amy has taken up knitting and I have to say that she is running with it!  She’s got some pictures of a couple of her knits and a few sewing projects as well.  Even if you don’t care for the projects the pictures of her girls are worth peeking at…they’re adorable!  Visit her at Amy’s Knits. 

101 in 1001 April 25, 2007

My son and I have both made “101 in 1001″ lists.  If you’d like to look at them, look to the left or the top under “pages”.  You’ll find them there.  Let me know if you do one or already have one on your blog.  I’d like to read it!

Works for Me Wednesday – alternative dishwasher use April 25, 2007

    I know this will not be a popular idea but just in case there’s someone out there who actually likes hand-washing dishes or has a dishwasher on the fritz, this may be something you haven’t thought about.

When I am hand-washing dishes I use my dishwasher as a drying rack.  There are a couple of reasons why this works for me.  I’ll list them below:

1 – It huge!  It will fit all the dishes, pots and pans.

2 – It keeps my counter tops clear.  I used to have a counter top full of drying dishes.  We don’t usually dry by hand and put away.  We air dry them.

3 - I can close it up.  The dishes are out of sight!  I do leave the door cracked a bit for air to circulate.

4 – When you go to unload the dishwasher in a couple of hours there will be nothing with water pooled on it.  This is a huge plus if you have your kids put the dishes away.  Somehow that water ends up on my floor!

For more Works For Me tips visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer. 

Found: MIA blogger April 23, 2007

So, I’ve been MIA for quite a while.  I don’t think I have any readers so I doubt anyone noticed and it seems the world continued on without my idle blog chatter.  Shocker.  Really. 

Well, I see that my last post was about Abel eating his first few bites of cereal.  He has really gotten the hang of eating now.  We’re up to about 4 jars a day! 

With my last 2 children I made their food myself.  I started Abel with the jars though.  This morning I was feeling all Urban Homemakerish (I don’t even know if she makes baby food but that’s who I think of when I’m doing something healthy, food-wise) and cut up and smashed an Avacodo.  No one in our house eats Avacodo’s.  Aaron did when he was a baby but he must have forgotten because he took a bite this morning and said “That’s eeewww, Mommy.”  I’ll spare you the visual of what my 10 year described it as but I will tell you that my husband agreed with him.  I reminded them that it’s a very healthly first baby food that most babies enjoy.

Well, guess who didn’t.  Abel took his first bite, promptly pushed it out and made a cute (although objectionable) face.  We did this a few more times.  I thought I would mix it with some pears.  That should do the trick, right?  Wrong.  After all was said and done – he wouldn’t even eat the pears alone.  I think I may have ruined his appetite for the morning.  *SIGH*  I’m sure my kids and my husband feel a slight sense of victory over me today.  They were right and I was wrong.  I just hope that I haven’t gotten him used to the jar food and now he won’t like anything fresh.  Surely not. 

If you are interested in making your own baby food – I know I just gave a great promotion for it! – there are several good books on it.  It’s very easy and usually cheaper.  My favorite is Super Baby Foods.  If you want to feed your baby meats you’ll need another book because SBF doesn’t agree with feeding them meats.  The idea of pureed meats gives me the heebie-jeebies anyway, so I just want until they can eat it shredded.

 Well, I know my little man is hungry so I’m off to try again!