Photo Friday

This week a photo to make you giggle... or at least it makes me giggle, such a little girl at such a BIG desk!

We visited my sister's office recently, and as she is where ever she goes Delaney is the center of attention there, however when we arrive there she has just one request.... "Let's go to Aunties office" She wants to sit at the desk answer the phone and "work" on the computer. Of course in true Auntie style she lets her go ahead and do whatever she would like. 

Here she is hard at "work" at Aunties desk....

I think that Auntie is just so glad to get to see her during the week, not to mention break up the work day with a giggle and usually a serenade (of either ABC's or "The Little Einstein's" theme) that she would let her do anything she wanted...

Happy Friday! I hope you take one photo today or at least this week that makes you giggle!

Tell the Truth Thursday!

Have you ever had one of those moments when you thought to yourself... "self I love being a mom but if I could change one thing this would be it!" or maybe "self I really do love my child and I love being a mother but can I really do this again?"

I have been saying this every night for a few weeks.... Delaney is going through another phase, and this one isn't too fun. She gets in bed and about 10 mins later she is screaming and I mean SCREAMING, sometimes it's because she has to go potty, sometimes its because she can't find something in the dark, sometimes its because she wants her music turned back on, sometimes its because she wants to scream out to someone.... but it is guaranteed that after about 10 mins she will scream out for someone to come and see her "PLEASE...... PLEASE.... PLEASE...." but its not just once its not just twice its at least 3 to 5 times every night before she will finally fall asleep. 

There are few things that make me really stop and think what am I doing? Why am I doing this again.... why am I signing up for this all over again? I do love being a mommy and I know that it is one of the things I am MEANT to do and be in this life but this not going to bed thing (well its new to us we never had a problem with this before) makes me wonder if I can handle this again. I know its a bit late to think about that considering the next baby will be here faster than I can blink but I do think it sometimes... and I'm sure it will go away and I'm sure that I will probably not even think about this again for a long time but every now and then I think it...

Is there anything making you feel like huh maybe this is one of those things I would change or one of those things that makes you wonder if you want to do it all again? Let me know if I'm not alone...

Here fishy fishy fishy......

As you may know I have been making Christmas gifts pretty much since January, I know I'm a little crazy to get started this early, but I am making great progress! This week I wanted to make a stuffed animal for the baby, as I mentioned before I don't think that the baby boy will appreciate the mermaids I made earlier in the winter, but inspired by an under the sea theme I thought I would try my hand at a little fish, ok he's a bit on the big side when it comes to fish... And I thought I would share how I made him with you.

I was very much inspired by the ease and quick work the mermaids were (see them HERE) so I set out in much the same way...

 I free handed the pattern of the fish body and a fin on a sheet of regular piece of paper

 I pinned it to the fabric and cut out two of each, the body and fin as well I cut out two eyes

 I pinned the fin and eye on the body

 then Hand stitched them on, pinned the two pieces together right sides facing each other and sewed around the outside then turned it right sides out and stuffed it a little before hand sewing a smile on his little face... I finished stuffing him till he was full and I hand sewed up the end of the tail!

 

 And here he is.... I haven't figured out just what to call this creature and since I told Delaney that it was a gift for Baby she wont name him...

Please excuse my photography as I was in a rush to take a photo and did this one on the couch at 10:30 last night... I am was so happy with it and so I made another.... now I have two mermaids and two fish in my Christmas gift stash.

Do you have any fun stuffed friends that you've made for you little ones? I am always looking for new ideas so if you have a blog or if you were inspired by another tutorial let me know about it I'd love to see for myself!

Make it Monday!

In need of a simple supper? I know these days I am! I have never been one for menu planning, mainly because I am indecisive and I am one of those that makes what she wants when she wants it. 

For some reason when Pregnant I crave meat loaf.... I had never had it until I met Robyn and now its something we have regularly! I used to use a recipe that was given by his mother but it just wasn't hitting the spot for me anymore, so I started to look for another one. I found one on allrecipes.com called simply "easy meatloaf" but it was a bit too plain and the sauce was way too sweet... so I switched it up and thought that I would share it here!

My Meatloaf...

1lb ground beef

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 to 2 cups of bread crumbs (I usually use 2 cups)

1/2 cup of cracker crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

1 onion

2 slices of bacon

1 clove of garlic

topping:

1/3 cup of ketchup or bbq sauce

2 tbsp mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fry bacon and then saute the onion and garlic in the bacon fat allow to cool for 10 to 15 mins, mix the meat, egg, milk, and bread crumbs and add the onion, bacon and garlic to the meat. Place on a sheet pan (I line mine with foil for easy clean up) and make it a loaf shape. Mix topping and pour over the meat loaf bake for 1 hour.

I usually serve this with Ranch Mashed Potatoes... Basically boil your potatoes as usual and mash them up when cooked add 1 to 2 tbsp of both butter and Ranch salad dressing, makes them so smooth and very yummy! 

Sorry there are no pictures in this post but this meat loaf doesn't last... as soon as it's out of the oven its gone I keep making it to freeze because it's so easy to just pull out, reheat and go, but we just keep gobbling it up time after time! (luckily its just as easy to make from scratch)

I hope you like it! I know I sure do, and I think Robyn is in love!

Do you have a simple supper go to recipe? Wanna Share? Leave it in the comments and I might just give it a try!

The Novice Knitter Strikes Again!

Well Ive been practicing my knitting again... but this time I actually worked on a real project! Not that my dish cloths aren't a real project cause they are, and they will make great gifts for Christmas it's just that there is no pattern to them its just a straight knit. 

This time I started with a pattern that 1) I could read (have you ever found that knitting patterns aren't written in English) I found this one over at "Make Your Own Zone"  and 2) I fell in love with it.... 

This is Bev's hat! Isn't it cute?!?!?! I love it and so I gave it a try, on my first try I didn't use worsted weight yarn so it came out TINY and I mean tiny! As in Delaney's doll now has a new hat.... lol but then I went ahead and used what was recommended and I did add a few stitches because I am expecting that the baby coming home to our house will have a head at least as big as Delaney and hers wasn't newborn size.... (Small tangent here....  I remember taking her to her first Dr. apt when she was 1 week old and taking off her little hat and there being a ring right around her head because the hat was far too small and as I recall that was a 0-3month hat... I felt like a horrible mom, how could I not have realized that the hat was too small... I now err on the side of caution) Back to the pattern here is what Bev called for... 

"Cast on 48 stitches

Work in Knit 1, Purl 1 ribbing for 1"  (about 6 rows)

Knit in Stockinette Stitch (knit 1 row, purl 1 row) for 3" inches. End with a purl row.  Piece will now measure 4" from the beginning.

Begin Decrease for top of hat:
Next Row:  Knit 2 together across row (24 stitches)
Next Row:  Purl across
Next Row:  Knit 2 together across row (12 stitches)
Next Row:  Purl across
Next Row:  Knit 2 together across row (6 stitches)

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail for sewing up seam.  Thread the tail of yarn through a large eye needle and then pull through the stitches to remove them from the needle.   Pull stitches tight to gather. Sew seam down side of hat with remaining yarn.  Make pom pom and fasten to top of hat."

So I cast on about 90 stitches just to be sure that it would fit our boy when he makes his appearance...  and here it is... the unveiling of my first real knitting project!

If its too big for him when he's born I'm sure it wont take him long to grow into it! 

I was so proud when I finished it that I sent pictures to my mom, my sister and anyone else who would look! I can't wait to make another one for the baby and I will certainly be making more to have on hand as I know of at least one more baby who is on his or her way... I certainly agree with Bev in saying that these will make a great gift for a shower or for a newborn! 

If you are looking for more things to make at home for yourself r for gifts in some cases you have to visit Bev over at The "Make Your Own Zone". She has great things happening over there!

Do you ave any great patterns that you keep going back to or that you have just discovered but are in love with? Share them in the comments!