Making It Work

For Christmas I got an MP3 player from Darling Hubby.  It’s something that I’ve wanted for a while now and I’m really loving it.  It will help me get through the boring chores like folding laundry, dishes, sweeping/mopping, etc.  I don’t have a radio in every room and I usually do my cleaning while Fidget naps, so I tend to try to stay quiet.

So I have this tiny little MP3 player, cute purple and blue earbuds and Outlander the Musical to rock out to while I’m cleaning.  For those of you who enjoy Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, Outlander the Musical is a musical adaptation written to go along with the first book.   I love it, except for the woman they chose to do Jaimie’s sister Jenny’s voice…she sounds like an elderly Chinese woman, but I digress.  I can sing and dance around while cleaning and no one is the wiser. 

Another perk of having a little MP3 player is that I can use it in my car.  The only down side is that it won’t work in my car…For some reason when I plug it into my USB port in my car I get nothing…I called the dealership and brought it in to be looked at.  They deterimed that the UBS/AUX port wasn’t sending signals to the stereo, so they ordered the part to replace it.  I had the new part installed yesterday and when I went out into the parking lot and tried it before I left, it still didn’t work, even though they assured me it did.  The tech ended up coming out and taking a look with me.  They only tried it with an auxilliary cable and his smart phone and not a USB cable.  I know my USB cable isn’t faulty since it works with my computer to both charge the player and transfer data.  After a few tries of him running back into the shop a couple times (which I felt bad about since it was like 20 degrees out and windy) for a couple USB cables he determined that it just wasn’t working.

He ended up taking it back into the shop and looking at it again in the warmth and decided that it’s possibly the radio not receiving the signals from the port.  He did tell me that this was an updated port since the original model that came with the car had a tendency to malfunction…Great!  Our next step is to order and install a whole new radio…Which means another trip and time spent waiting for that to be installed  (at least I was able to get 4 rows knitted on my Bella Sweater and read a little of A Breath of Snow and Ashes this time around.)  I’m hoping that this is the last time…It’s starting to seem silly to go through all the trouble just so I can have a little extra music, but it would be nice to be able to switch between all my music without having a ton of cd’s clogging up my glove box…

The car is 16 months old, so it should have worked from the get go, but I had no way of knowing since I never had reason to use it.  The only good thing is that it’s all still under warranty, so I don’t have to pay anything out of pocket…or you can believe that I’d just say forget it.  Hopefully this time we can make it work…fingers crossed for me.

Food for Friday! 11/21-12/4

Monday – Steak, carrots, rice
Tuesday – Craft Night – Rose’s turn to cook (probably Hamburger Helper for home)
Wednesday – Bacon and French Toast
Thursday – Chili with tortilla chips
Friday – Friendly’s for dinner followed by Lights in the Park
Saturday – Tacos
Sunday – Christmas Dinner – Rotisserie Chicken, Rosemary Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes & gravy, Crescent Rolls and homemade cranberry sauce

Monday – Chicken Soup
Tuesday – Craft Night – my turn to cook – Barber’s Chicken Cordon Bleu, Fries and veggies
Wednesday – Mini Calzones
Thursday – Game Night – Chicken Alfredo
Friday – Sausage, biscuits and gravy
Saturday – Fend for yourself/leftovers
Sunday – Fend for yourself/leftovers

Hats Off!

At the beginning of the month one of my Craft Night friends and her sister-in-law planned a trip to a LYS called Common Thread Saratoga.  Carole (the sis-in-law) found this yarn shop in Saratoga, NY and thought it was different and knowing my friends yarn crafting habits, thought bringing her up there to buy her birthday and Christmas presents would be fun.  I tagged along in the hopes of finding some yummy yarn.  I can count the time I’ve used the really expensive and awesome yarns on well one finger!…pretty much all of the yarn in my stash is acrylic or wool/acrylic combined.  Not that there’s anything wrong with acrylic.  It’s great for items that need frequent washing  or things that are difficult to wash like baby blankets, large blankets and sweaters.  It’s just not yummy yarn!

While we were in the shop I fell in love with this Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Chunky (100% baby alpaca) yarn.  Oh. My. God!  This yarn is so soft and squishy and, like the clerk said, it’s like knitting with a cloud!  I didn’t have a particular pattern in mind when I set foot in the shop, but one of their display hats caught my eye and I was in love.  It was a bulky snowboarder earflap hat with braids.  It was exactly what I was looking for!  I ended up purchasing the pattern (at around $5.50) and 2 skeins of the alpaca yarn (at $22 a skein!) in a variegated green called Midsummer’s Night (CP25) that matches the bright green of my winter coat.  I’ve never bought yarn that cost that much…much less 2 skeins of it!  Thank goodness for credit cards! lol

I had to wait about a week before I could start on the hat for myself…I had to finish the project on my circulars before I could start anything new.  I have a set of Boye interchangeable circulars and I was using the smallest length for a scarf that is a Christmas presents for one of Bug’s teachers.  I also had to pick up a set of size 15 dpns and I ended up going up to the other LYS called Trumpet Hill because Joann’s (despite me having a 50% off coupon) just doesn’t carry needles that big.

I finished the scarf on Thursday the 8th (I’ll post about those Christmas presents later) and started the Snowboarder Hat (for Everyone) on Friday.  I was worried that I wasn’t going to have enough yarn since the pattern calls for 130 yards of super bulky yarn and together the 2 skeins of Misit Alpaca were only 110 yards and only bulky, so I would have to hold them together to get gauge.   I figured worse case scenario I’d go back up to Trumpet Hill to get a contrasting color in the baby alpaca they carry for the border and braids.  Turns out I had nothing to worry about.  The hat is such a quick knit and the alpaca was like knitting with a warm fuzzy cloud.  The only downside is that it shed quite a bit, but I didn’t mind!   I ended up making the braids holding the yarn single stranded rather than doubled and I’m sure that saved me a bit of yardage at the end.  I actually love how it came out!  I wish I had more of the yarn leftover so I could make a matching scarf or some mittens.  It’s the most expensive (and luxurious) hat I’ve ever owned.  Seriously, I’d never buy a hat that cost nearly $44 bucks in a store!  It cost as much as (if not more than) the 2 new pairs of jeans I bought last month!  I’m looking forward to wearing it every chance I get this winter!

I seriously loved the pattern so much that before I was done making mine, I bought yarn to make more and I’ve made it twice since!  Once for Bug and again for Fidget.  I picked up some Lion Brand Home Town USA yarn in Cinncinati Red and Oakland Black at Wal*Mart for less than $3 a skein when I had to buy a replacement Christmas tree stand for out 8 year old one that cracked.  Two Skeins of Red and one black was enough for me to make 2 hats and have enough left over to probably make one more child size one.  Bug’s hat is red with a black edging and red and black braids (that’s the one that’s pictured).  Fidget’s took some modification to make it sized down for an 18 month old, but I did it (the mods are written on my Rav project page) and it’s also red with black edging and has black braids (mostly so I can quickly tell which hat is which.)  Now if I can just get Fidget to keep it on his head when we go outside!  lol

Since pretty much everyone in my family has new hats, (except Darling Hubby who has a perfectly good earflap hat (not made by me!  GASP!)) I think it’s time to go through all the hats in storage and wash and donate the ones we really don’t need.  I know I have at least 2-3 hats and a couple scarves that I haven’t worn in forever…Guess it’s in with the new and out with the old.

I’m Thankful For…

This week was spent mostly with my little family of 4.  Darling Hubby had the week off from work and Bug had Wednesday through Friday off from school.  Darling Hubby, Fidget and I did a little Christmas and clothes shopping on Tuesday and on Wednesday I went to Bug’s Parent Teacher Conference.  I’m thankful for my sweet, sensitive, and super smart six year old.

Thursday we made the 2.5 hour drive to visit with our parents and Darling Hubby’s Grandpa and various Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins.  It was actually a relatively quiet (compared to past meals with 30+ people) and was enjoyable.  I even tried a new food – orange jello with carrots and pineapple.  It was interesting and good.  Fidget was eating it by the handful!  There was some drama brewing, things not meant for the public, but everyone managed to get through the day without saying something they’d regret.  Despite all the ups and downs and the drama, I’m thankful for my family.

Grandma M, Bug and Fidget

Great Grandpa, Bug and Fidget

We also visited my parents.  By the end of the day Fidget was tired and cranky from not having a decent nap, so he was pretty cranky.  I tried to get pictures of him with his brother and grandma, but he wouldn’t cooperate.  I did snap this picture of Bug with my mom.

We came home late Thursday night.  Fidget was exhausted despite sleeping for at least an hour in the car.  He went right to sleep.  Bug insisted on a chapter from Harry Potter and ended up not going to bed til 9.  I was thankful for some quiet time with Darling Hubby.

We stayed home Friday and Darling Hubby and Bug hung the Christmas lights up outside.  Darling Hubby followed Bug’s orders for light placement and it actually came out looking pretty good.   Saturday, we decided, was going to be our own Thanksgiving.    Early afternoon we ran out to get some more outdoor Christmas lights and the fixin’s for dessert.  Around 3, Darling Hubby and I cooked a 13lb turkey (using Alton Brown’s recipe – you must do this with your next turkey!  It’s so darn good!), stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, crescent rolls, cranberry sauce and french cut green beans.  I also made a peanut butter cup pie for dessert.

Sunday we decorated inside for Christmas with a Christmas candle burning and some Christmas music playing on the tv.  The tree is up, the stockings are hung, the wreath is up and the garland is on the stairs…the only thing I need to get out is my winter Eeyore collection to go on the stairs.

Fidget Helping Decorate

My only task between now and Christmas is to keep an 18 month old Fidget from destroying or breaking any ornaments!  At least I don’t have to contend with the cat in the tree…she prefers to sleep under it or on the radiator behind it.  And yes, we did decorate while still wearing out PJ’s!  I just wish I could put some presents under the tree…we just know they’ve never survive til Christmas.

Bug putting the Santa on the tree

The Two Best Presents!

Finding The Time

Finding the time to either blog, read or craft always seems to be the problem.  There are never enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to be done and do all the things I want to do.  Like knit or read (I’m currently on book 6 of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.  If you don’t know about this series you should go check it out.  Seriously!  It’s about a hot Scotsman and there’s some time travel, too!  Picture Chris Hemsworth (Thor) with red hair and a kilt!  Meow!  What’s not to love!?)

I was sick Tuesday and yesterday with a weird stomach bug, so things have started to pile up and I have no motivation to take care of any of it now, despite the fact that Darling Hubby’s game group (I don’t play anymore) is coming over tonight.  (ETA – I did manage to get everything accomplished before everyone arrived and I fed everyone dinner, too.)

There’s still a ton of things around the house that should be done like sweeping and mopping, dusting, folding the clean clothes…but if I spend all my time cleaning I’ll never have time for me or my family.  Sometimes I just want or need to sit on the couch and play on the computer or knit.

I did find the time to knit a little this past weekend.  On Friday I started a ScWiNoNa scarf for one of Bug’s 1st grade teachers for Christmas.  I was looking for something that was kinda mindless and easy and would work with the yarn I have. All of the patterns I tried wouldn’t work either because I didn’t have enough yarn or because the pattern was too complex for my liking.  The ScWiNoNa actually matches the slanted raised rows in the Divine Hat that I crocheted a couple weeks ago (I’m making a hat/scarf set for both of his teachers.)

I’m hoping to get this first scarf done within the next couple weeks so I can start on the 2nd one.  I’ve got to get them done before Bug gets out of school for Christmas break.  I’ve decided that I’m not making crochet or knit Christmas presents this year.  They aren’t always appreciated (which breaks my heart) and I just don’t have time this year.  I did make a couple necklaces as gifts, but aside from that everything will be store bought this year.

For now I’ve got a few minutes of downtime before I have to get the kids to bed…now to decide if I want to knit or read…

Once Again

After watching Julie & Julie yesterday, I decided that I really wanted to get back into blogging.  My only trouble is that I never have a good topic to blog about.  Being a stay at home mom, my days generally revolve around tons of laundry and housework and my children.  Really, who wants to hear about me hand washing my underthings and about my baby’s diapers?  I save those things to post on Facebook!  lol

After talking with some of my friends, I’ve decided that I’m going to give blogging another serious try.  I’m over a week too late to join this month’s NaBloPoMo like I did a few years back, but I’m going to try to post at least once a week.  I’m planning to write about my knitting and crocheting, offering helpful tips when I can, as well as writing about food. I’d like to still post about my family things as I’ve really enjoyed re-reading the little things I’ve done (even if it was Fidget’s pregnancy updates or me complaining about being sick), as well as the big things like birthday parties for Bug and trips we’ve taken.

As for the food thing, the past few months I’ve gotten out of the habit of staying on the menu that I’ve written…mostly because I’ve failed to write the menu on my calendar in my kitchen.  When I was blogging my Food for Friday posts, I was more likely to stay on track, plus, I was able to easily find the recipes that I planned to use.  I can also see what I’ve been making repeatedly and hopefully that will help me get out of my food rut.

As for the crafting thing, I have several projects that I’ve completed since the last craft update I did, including a Tubey sweater and a “Super” shirt I knit for Bug.  I need to track down the pictures so I can share them here.  I’ve been knitting some cage mats for my Library Knitting groups donation project for the Humane Society.  I’ve also crocheted 2 hats, one each for Bug’s first grade teachers.  I’ve also got to make scarves to match since Bug wants me to make them a nice warm hat/scarf set for Christmas.  My plan is to keep all his teachers nice and warm!  I’ve also got a pattern for a sweater I want to make for Fidget.  I just need to get yarn and start on that…

Until then, I need to close this post since Fidget is up from his nap and is going to want some lunch soon.  He’s currently in his crib howling…Hopefully it won’t be months again til my next post!  Fingers crossed!

Where Has All the Time Gone?

Seriously?  What happened to this year?  I swear it was just May and Baby Fidget joined our family.  He’s now 7 months old and I feel like I’ve missed so much.

Bug is doing fantastically in school.  He’s learned to tie his shoes (though, like many of his fellow Kindergartners, they don’t stay tied for long.)  He’s reading above the Kindergarten level and his writing has improved 10 fold over last year.  He’s writing in sentences now and even has a weekly homework packet, which he enjoys doing.  I’m sure that won’t last long, right?   He loves gym class and going to play on the playground.  He loves it when his baby brother and I come into the class to help with crafts and things.  Just this past Friday, we came in to help with the creation of “gingerbread” houses.  The kids had such a great time and it’s so cute to see them in their element.

Fidget is 7 months old and is doing so much.  He’s such a happy baby and pretty much always has a smile for you, even complete strangers.  He’s eating solid foods now and definitely prefers fruits over veggies.  Banana’s are definitely a favorite.  He’s on the verge of crawling forward, but has pretty much mastered the ability to get where he wants by pushing himself backwards or turning around in circles.   So far he doesn’t have any teeth, though he’s been teething for some time now.  I think I can feel the bottom 2 getting ready to push through.  Knock on wood that if he continues teething like he has been, it will be an easy teething ride.  He’s already experienced his very first Christmas this past Sunday when we visited with both sets of grandparents.  I think his favorite gift was the Fisher Price tool bench.  He loves hitting the little “nails” and spinning the paint roller.  Chewing on the little hammer is fun, too.

I haven’t been doing much in the way of Christmas crafting.  Pretty much the only Christmas gifts I made were the hats for Bug’s teachers and one for his best friend.  I have to say that I’m so happy that his one teacher LOVED the hat I made her.  She said that she loves the scarf (the hat matches) I made her last year and that her daughter was going to want to steal it.  It makes me so happy when someone appreciates a nice handmade gift and uses it, rather than hiding it away.  I did start to make my MIL a set of place mats for her new table, but since they were getting a Wii for Christmas, we decided to get them a 2nd controller and a game for her and their grandkids (they are always over at Grandma’s anyway).  We figured it was a safe bet that they would enjoy that rather than a handmade gift.

I have been doing some crafting and this time it’s for me.  I’m always cold (we keep our heat turned down to save money) so I’m always bundled up in either a sweater or a blanket (probably both) and searched Ravelry and fell in love with the Twilight New Moon Eclipse Bella Green Hooded Cardigan (Rav link).  I’m not a Twi-Hard by any means, though I did enjoy the books and the movies (well, the last 2 thus far…the first was just ok…)  I fell in love with the look of this cardigan, rather than where it came from.   I had to buy more needles and was forced to learn how to knit with those scary dpn’s to make the sleeves, but I think in the end it will all be worth it.  So far I’ve finished one sleeve, got the other half way done and I’ve already cast on to make the actual cardigan part.  I’m a little scared about making the button holes, but I think if I was able to do the sleeves, I can do anything!  I also love how the designer wrote out the pattern, including a space to check off when you’ve completed a row.  That saves me from having to write down each row number and crossing them off.    If only all patterns were written like that!  I’m making it in the Pound of Love baby yarn in a nice Antique white color.  I’m really hoping it comes out well and that I can finish it shortly after the start of the new year.  I haven’t been getting together for Craft Night lately because it seems that everyone is sick or one person is out.  I’m hoping that with the start of 2011 I can do some more crafting…

Well, that’s pretty much what I’ve been up to.  Maybe with the start of the new year I can make another crafty resolution and keep it.  I’m proud that I did manage to learn to knit properly and that I was able to complete Darling Hubby’s sweater (and that he’s worn it more than once!).  I even learned those scary dpn’s!  That alone should make me proud!

20 Week Update

So I’m 20 weeks today.  Honestly, it’s seemed like the last 16 weeks or so have just dragged by in getting to the half way mark…I’m sure that I’ll be wishing for things to go by fast as well as slow over the next 20 or so weeks.

Week: 20 weeks

Weight gain total: 7lbs – I splurged a bit over the holiday with lots of turkey and stuffing and the occasional candy and pie for dessert.  I’m going to try to be really good over the next few months and try to keep my gain around 20-25lbs total.

Cravings/Aversions: In the last week I’ve had a big desire for fresh made lemonade (well, made with bottled lemon juice, filtered water and sugar…not the Kool-aid version.)  That lasted a couple days and went away…still no aversions, which is good.

Pregnancy symptoms: I still have to pee a ton.  On the drive home from Christmas with our families this weekend we had to stop twice in about 30 mins so I could go or I don’t think I would have made it home!  I think it was the combination of the bumpy highway we were on, the fact that I finished off the last of my can of soda before we left and where Fidget was sitting.

Clothing: I can’t wear my jeans anymore…they are just too tight and uncomfortable…I wore them for the last time this week to run to Walmart…Hopefully I won’t show up on that People of Walmart website!!  lol  My SIL did loan me a three pairs of her maternity pants and a couple shirts, so I should be able to leave my house in something other than pajama pants!  I can still wear my corduroy pants because they are stretchy, but probably not for much longer.

Baby: I’m feeling Fidget move pretty much all the time.  He moves quite a bit right before I fall asleep at night and his movements are strong enough to be felt externally.  Darling Hubby felt him move for the first time right around Christmas.

I Should Probably Live in a Bubble

There are days when I just wake up on the wrong side of the bed and you just should not mess with me.  Today was one of those days.  Darling Hubby just wanted to irritate me and he succeeded.  I just wanted to be left alone and on days when I’m in a bad mood Darling Hubby must enjoy goading me and pushing my buttons cause that’s all he does…all day long.  It’s days like these when I think I should probably live in a bubble so no one will pester me.

Despite my bad mood, I did manage to finish Bug’s mittens that I started yesterday.  I used the Yin and Yang Mitten pattern on Ravelry.  (You have to be logged in to see it.)  The patterns says to make one mitten one way (i.e. red mitten with white thumb and cuff) and then make a second the reverse (white mitten with red thumb and cuff)  Bug decided he wanted 2 mittens the same, so there you have it.  I made a string so they can go in his coat and not get lost when we are out and about.  He’ll be warm this winter.  Here’s a picture of them.

I’ve also gotten everything on my Christmas Create list done!

• Red Knit scarf (Finished 11/19/08)
• Cream Knit scarf (started 11/19, finished 11/28)
• Crocheted hat – red (Started 11/19/08 – ran out of yarn – finished 11/20)
• Crocheted hat  – cream (Started 11/29, finished 11/30)
• Grandpa’s Blanket (finished 12/1 – omitted the fringe)
• Convertible Flap Mittens blue (started 12/1 – finished 12/4)
• Convertible Flap Mittens brown
• Peruvian Earflap Hat – blue
• Peruvian Earflap Hat – brown
• Blue Scarf - I crocheted this rather than knitting.  It took less time.
• Brown scarf – I finished this a while ago, but added it to the list so I knew what I have.
  
• Red Crocheted Mittens
• Cream Crocheted Mittens
• Darling Hubby’s sweater (I don’t necessarily have to finish this, but it would be nice)

The only thing I have left right now is Darling Hubby’s Gatsby sweater.  I’m just not in the mood to work on it since it seems to be taking FOREVER for me to get anywhere on it.  I just want a straight forward simple sweater pattern to work on first.  I think I might work on something else first before I pick up my hook and work on the sweater again.  Maybe a nice warm pair of slippers for me or maybe I’ll attempt to knit a hat or something a little more complex than a straight knit, knit, knit scarf…I’ll look around and see what I can find.  I do have some yarn stash that I should use up.

Oh, since I’m on the subject of handmade, I  posted a while ago that I won a prize for posting all 30 days in November.  Well, the prize I won was a set of 6 handmade Christmas cards.  They arrived last week from Tracy at Miller Manor Designs.  The cards, shown here, a beautiful, even more so when you hold them in your hands.  They are almost to beautiful to use, but I will.  I already had photo cards made up, printed and mailed, so I plan to attach the cards to the presents of 6 special people in my life.  If you are interested in checking out the other beautiful designs Tracy has, check out her Etsy shop, Miller Manor Designs.

Off to sate my desire to craft something else.

Christmas Present Progress

I’ve been pretty busy with making things lately.  Since I last posted about craft projects, I finished 2 hats (I love the new pattern and will probably make one for myself at some point and maybe a small one for Bug) and and a third and final pair of flap mittens.  I still have to put some velcro on 2 pairs of the flap mittens, still have another knit scarf to tackle (I’m debating on crocheting it since it will take me less time) and 2 more pairs of mittens to make, but those are regular mittens without the flap, and barring problems, I should have them done in a couple days.  Then, I think I will be done with making presents for the year.

• Red Knit scarf (Finished 11/19/08)
• Cream Knit scarf (started 11/19, finished 11/28)
• Crocheted hat – red (Started 11/19/08 – ran out of yarn – finished 11/20)
• Crocheted hat  – cream (Started 11/29, finished 11/30)
• Grandpa’s Blanket (finished 12/1 – omitted the fringe)
• Convertible Flap Mittens blue (started 12/1 – finished 12/4)
• Convertible Flap Mittens brown
• Peruvian Earflap Hat – blue
• Peruvian Earflap Hat – brown
• Blue Knit Scarf (have yet to start this – thinking of using size 10 needles rather than the 8′s I’d used on the others or just crocheting it)
• Red Crocheted Mittens
• Cream Crocheted Mittens
• Darling Hubby’s sweater (I don’t necessarily have to finish this, but it would be nice)

I still have to think of something to get for Darling Hubby.  I have a few ideas floating around in my brain.  I just have to do something about it.  I could attempt to finish his Gatsby Sweater, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to.

I have to think about getting some dinner and think about starting one more of the last projects.  I’m making progress and that’s all that matters.  Only 19 more days to go.