Sewing Doll Clothes-Free Patterns

We bought our daughter an "Our Generation Doll" from Target for her birthday.  The other more expensive 18" doll is just not in our budget.  I found some free patterns for doll clothes online. They print out nicely and are easy to use if you read through the directions and visualize how the item should look.  There are six different sets of patterns with four garments plus accessories in each set. 

  

My daughter chose some fabric in her favorite color for her doll's new dress.  I had the lace and ribbon in my stash.  I love when I can sew something start to finish with supplies I have on hand!

  

And here is how it turned out.  I made some little shoes also.  They don't stay on the doll's bare feet very well but I think they will work o.k. when she has her tights on.

  

My daughter loves this doll.  The hair is a little difficult for her to take care of so we are going to keep it braided most of the time.  Her face is very pretty and her eyes close when you lay her down.

 

The dress took about three hours to sew.  Hopefully, I am a slow seamstress and you will be able to put it together faster if you make it.

52 Books Week 18

22. At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon.  I miss this book.  It is one of those that you wish you hadn't finished yet.  I needed to take a fiction break.  I don't usually read fiction unless it is a classic but I had this on my bookshelf so I tried it out and liked it.

23. A Different Drummer My Thirty Years With Ronald Reagan by Michael K. Deaver

Activity Drawer

I finally got around to making activity bags for my four year old this year.  I only used activities he could do on his own.  He really enjoys opening the activity drawer to choose something to do during school.  He has a junk mail bag, cut and glue, large playing cards, popsicle sticks, magnets, buttons with an egg carton, and a few sets of toys.  He is getting regular sized legos and a playdough set for his birthday so he will have a few new things to choose from.

 

I made him some more activities this week.  One is pieces of cardboard which he can punch with a push pin.

  

I drew simple designs on one side and he can make his own on the other.

 

We cut a big box open and drew a road for matchbox cars on it.  I am making him some balls from mismatched socks to throw into a box.  I wrote a few ideas down on 3x5 cards.  He can choose a card and then do the activity listed on it.  The ideas are: play with an egg beater, baster, measuring cups and spoons in a sink full of water, build a tent, get out the wooden train set, play legos, and use tongs to move small items from one bowl to another.  He looks forward to school time each day, is learning to play quietly on his own, and we get a lot more done with less interruptions.

Potager Progress

We had a strip of concrete down the middle of the garden.  I gave my boys the job of breaking it up and removing it.  I will dig a two foot wide path to almost the middle of the garden.  In the middle I am going to leave a circle about four feet wide.  It will be planted with a rose or something for a focal point with flowers and veggies around it.

 

My design so far is to have two paths running through the middle of the garden which will form a cross with a circle in it.  Then there should be two beds in each of the four corners.  

 

I have a bunch of re-bar left over from the concrete removal which I want to make into an arbor or two.  I thinks some sweet peas need to grow on one and climbing roses on the other.  I'm not sure where to place the arbors, yet.

Re-use Spice Racks

We had some spice racks on our cabinet doors that we weren't using.  They were in the way so I had one of my boys take them down.  I kept them because I knew I could re-use them somehow.  

  

I had seen book shelves made from rain gutters and liked the idea of each of the younger children each having their own bookshelf.  I realized the spice racks would make nice bookshelves.  So I hung one for each of the children on a bare hallway wall.

  

 

I had two extras and hung them by the dresser in the dining room.  Now I can display my picks of the month on the spice racks instead of on the dresser.

  

They look pretty cute as a bookshelf.  And the children like having a special spot for the books they are reading.

 

So if you have any little shelves laying around now you have an idea of how to use them.

Expecting

Guinea pig babies!  Now what were you thinking?  The guilty party peeking out of her favorite hiding place.

 

It is difficult to get a good picture of a guinea pig.  She gained 7 ounces last week.  We also felt her babies kicking through her tummy.  From what I have read she is due in 1-3 weeks.  

  

Here she is in her container after being weighed.  She has almost doubled her weight.  Poor little piggy.  She begs for fresh greens many times during the day.

 

We hope she has her babies before or after our next trip to Roswell, not while we are gone.  Nathan got a birthday gift that keeps on giving.

52 Books Week 17

18. Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution by Richard K. Bernstein

I don't have diabetes but I have wanted to read this book for awhile. I have read a lot of low carb and health books but there was some info I had not read elsewhere in this book.  Interesting.


19. Marley and Me by John Grogan

This book was fun to read.  It made me laugh and cry.  The movie is a little different than the book, but not too much. 

20. The Ornamental Vegetable Garden by Diana Anthony

Very inspiring.  I think we can always do something to make our veggie gardens look nicer.  I am redoing my vegetable garden as a potager thanks to this book.  I loved all of the photos of beautiful vegetable and herb gardens. 


21. Growing and Using Herbs Successfully by Betty E.M. Jacobs.

All about growing herbs and how to market them.

And A Few More Pictures of My Guys

We got to pick them up at 1pm on Sunday.  I peeked into their rooms, very messy!

We took them for a burger before they had to be back at 5pm.  Their last meal.  They said the food at school isn't so great.

 

My hubby took a few picks of them in front of their barracks.  We are serious young men in uniforms.

  

Whoops, made you laugh. 

  

Me being goofy.  I hate having my picture taken.  

  

This reminded me of our USMC days when we would be walking to the px and the world stopped.  They were little babies back then and didn't know how to salute or why their father just stood there.  

 

Ah, life, it goes so quickly!

We Got To Visit Our Boys!

They finished their first 28 days with a confidence course and a run through the fitness factory course.  We didn't get there in time to see the confidence course but we did watch them go through the fitness factory.  Here are a few pictures.

We scanned the cadets looking for our guys.  Here is Caleb in the front row(tallest).

 

 Jacob is in the last row and closest to the camera.  We had a hard time keeping track of both of them as they went through the course.

 

Caleb carrying another cadet.

 

Caleb

Jacob

 

Jacob being stepped on by a female cadet.  He held the rope for his group.

 

Caleb climbing.  We lost him after this.  His group was too far ahead of Jacob's.

 

They ended the course by swimming a few laps and jumping off the high dive.  

After the course they went back to their barracks to get cleaned up and we headed back to the family reception to wait.  We didn't get to talk to them until later.

The baby spotted my camera and wanted his picture taken.

They are somewhere in the second section of the middle group.

The corps of cadets.  This was the first time they got to wear the uniform and join the corps.  

Finally!  We got to give them hugs and talk to them.

All of my children and my husband.  You can see how much the little ones missed their big brothers.

When we were done chatting we took them out to lunch.  We got to keep them 'till 8pm.

 And then we had to take them back to their home away from home.  I am so proud of them!  They are having a great time and learning a lot.  I cried a little as we left that night.  It was the first time since we had dropped them off.  Seeing them there, how happy they are, made me realize that this change is permanent. 

Cold Killer Recipe

This recipe is for a vinegar which you can take when you feel a cold coming on.  I usually take two tablespoons a day in water and it keeps me from getting sick or I get a very mild version of the cold.  I am the only one in my family that will use this remedy so its success is based solely on my experience.

Ingredients:
Equal parts
Horseradish
Garlic
Ginger
Onion
Hot peppers
Apple Cider Vinegar(the cheap stuff is fine) to cover.

 

Put ingredients through food processor and pack into jars.

 

Cover with vinegar.

 

Put lids on jars.

 

Label and date each lid.  Put in a cool dark place for 4+ weeks.  Then strain and bottle the vinegar.  Use as needed.  You can even take it daily with meals to keep your immune system tuned up.  Vinegar is good for the digestion also.  It isn't as bad as you would think!

New Pig In The House And Other News

Our third son has a birthday coming up.  So I asked him what he wanted.  A pet!  We decided he was responsible enough for a guinea pig.  She lives in a big cage(when no one is holding her) in the office so we can all keep an eye on her.

She talks a lot.  She squeaks when she wants something to eat or some attention. 

He named her Snowflake. 

Now on to the other news.  I want to post more often but I don't want to put any old thing up just to have a new post each day.  I don't want to bore you.  Let me know what you want me to write about, if anything.  Any questions I can answer for you?

I am redesigning my veggie garden into a potager.  I will try to keep you updated on it.  I also have some pics of my boys at school.  We finally got to visit them!  I was working on some other posts like an update on our puppy, kitten, etc. but I'm not sure anyone wants to know.  So give me your honest opinion, please.  Ta, ta, for now.