Baby Legs

Disclaimer: I am NOT a sewing whiz (or even a sewing mini-whiz). I took Home Ec. in Middle School and earned a solid B. But ever since having our daughter I've got this crazy sewing-crochet-crafty itch.

So my husband & children got me this awesome sewing machine for Valentine's Day and I'm practicing away. Said daughter is now crawling around the house and her little knees are taking a beating (don't ask me why this didn't bother me with the boys!). These Baby Legs are everywhere and cost a LOT of money, so I did a little research and decided to make some of my own.

Now. There are many ways to make these. A lot of sites I viewed just cut off the foot part and sewed a simple hem either by hand or on their machine. Yeah. Didn't work for me! These socks roll up after you cut them! So I found this tutorial here...and like the idea of making cuffs. Either way...the Baby Legs turn out cute as can be and for a fraction of the cost when you make them yourself!

To start with you need a sewing machine (or thread & needle), scissors, woman's knee socks (the ones I used were on sale at Target), an adorable baby or toddler & some Johnny Cash on itunes (optional, but soothing & fun).

Here are the socks in their original state.

1) Cut the socks directly above and below the heels and above the toes.

2) Discard the heels & toes and you are left with two pieces like this:

3) Take the smaller piece (that would be around your foot) and fold it in on itself. Make sure that the nice part of the sock is on the outside of the fold. This will be the cuff.

4) Stretch out your newly folded cuff and insert the cut line of the other piece inside the cuff. You'll end up with three raw edges together. Note the crazy rolling! I pinned the three layers together in four spots.

5) I stretched the entire thing around the arm of my sewing machine to stitch. Use whatever method is easiest for you, but make sure you are only stitching three layers and not all six or you won't be able to pull these on your babies cute chubby legs!

6) Stitch all the way around the sock. I did one with a tight zig zag stitch and one with a straight stitch just to see the difference. I ended up liking the straight stitch a lot better. I'm not sure, but I think that with the material of the sock and my complete lack of knowledge on sewing matters, the zig zag got all bunchy for me!

7) Finally...fold your newly sewn cuff down and you have achieved Baby Legs! The top one is the zig zagged one and the bottom one is the straight stitched one.

Grab your Super-Speedy crawler and put on her new Baby Legs! The smile says it all! These make great knee protectors, leg warmers, they make diaper changing easier than tights do, a nice lightweight sock would be great for sun protection.

But mostly they make chubby Fred Flinstone feet HaPpY!

Last week was just one of those weeks that make you crazy. We had somewhere to be every single night! By Sat. afternoon we were down to no clean plates, one clean fork rattling around in the drawer and we were out of underwear! But it was SO incredibly beautiful here and we have SO much yard work to get done...we headed outside!

The first project was to remove the remaining clothes line pole from our back yard. My marvelous hubby (who isn't a natural Handyman...but he's learning!) removed the first one two years ago. After digging a hole to the center of the Earth, busting up a TON of concrete and finally sawing through the metal pole. This time we were prepared for a long drawn out ordeal. James popped it out after just a few hours of elbow grease! But he DID have two Super-Helpers this time around. Here are some shots of J. & Louie in the hole.

Our next project involved the iron railing along the front patio of our house. It has been slowly chipping and rusting away. Last year James spent an insane amount of time sanding, priming and spray painting (with that special No Rust paint) the goofy thing. This year...it was back to chipping and rusting full time. Solution...cut the thing down! Here are the before and after shots.

We've got lots more to do, but we're off to a good start. We dug up a bed to transplant our Iris bulbs and we got some annuals potted. Next is setting up a small (I'm wary since I tend to kill plants) vegetable garden and clear out some brush from the yard.

Time in a Shoe Box

The "official" Cub Scout year wrapped up last night with our final Pack Meeting. I'm a Den Mama who likes to live on the edge, though, and I'll be planning meetings over the summer. The boys can get together, see their friends, have some fun & work on a few achievements! To wrap up their first year in Scouting, however, at our last Den Meeting we put together a time capsule. It would be something anyone could do with any type of group...family, play-group, Daisies...

I printed out a "favorites" sheet with things like: Favorite Movie, Favorite Food, Favorite Holiday and so on. The boys each filled out a sheet. I also had a half blank sheet and on the bottom I typed, "My favorite thing we did this year in Scouts was". The boys finished the sentence and then drew a picture of themselves doing whatever activity they chose. Then we put their sheets in a big shoe box (funny note: when I picked up the box to show them, they all gasped "Sketchers" like those little aliens in Toy Story!) I threw in pictures I took at the outings, meetings and events from the past year. I brought a big sheet of butcher paper to the meeting and had all of the boys decorate it with drawings. Now I just have to wrap it up in their homemade wrapping paper. The plan is to open it when they are Second Year Webelos and ready to cross over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts!

Lady Bugs Marching

Our Little Ladybug, Kat, will be turning one in a couple of months and her party will be a Ladybug Picnic. I know I've got Cub Scouts, Soccer, Louie's school stuff, J's pre-school screening, AND Louie's birthday that all come first, but I can't help but be a little excited and start on some Lady-Buggy Craftyness!

A few years ago my Grandmother, Rita, was taking painting lessons from a friend of hers. She started these super cute Ladybugs made from river rock. Since then, Rita's arthritis has gotten worse and she had to give up painting. These beauties were sitting in the basement gathering dust...and we just rescued them! I'm finishing them up and they will be centerpieces at Kat's party!

Ladybugs are SO easy. Rita purchased these stones, but you can find any smooth rock or stone. She painted them black all over. Then she painted the red sides. Next she did the black dots on the body and white dots for the eyes and antenna. This is where she left off...I've finished the eyes and antenna. We finished the white eyes with a black dot in the center. Next I'm going to seal them, so we can use them as garden decorations after Kat's party! Be looking for more Ladybuggy-ness in the near future!

You Know You've Been Married 10 Years...

This past December James and I celebrated our 10th Anniversary. It's starting to show! None of that 7-year-itch stuff...although I STILL haven't been able to train him into rinsing out a glass after he's used it to drink milk. No...it is starting to show in the fact that all of our stuff is wearing out!

Just this past week I had to buy a new coffee pot and a new can opener (Really. A can opener. My mom's still works from 1977!). Our hot glue gun just went kaputt. We're down to four glasses and 6 plates. BOTH of my crock pots went on the fritz in the past few months.

BUT...we still make each other laugh. I still can't wait for James to come home (even if it means that I tag him and shout "You're IT!", then run and hide in the bathroom). I still love to cuddle him with the lights turned off and a good movie on TV. As long as none of these things break, we're doing okay.

Crafts of a Close Encounter

This week Louie is on Spring Break from school. Monday we hand an errand running day. Tuesday we headed to the Children's Museum which is always a blast. We've had a couple of library runs. AND we made these awesome planets for the Boys room! I saw the idea a couple of years ago on a kids activity site and I'd give them credit here, but I can't remember where I saw them!

You start off with used CDs, styrofoam balls & some kids who like to paint! We cut the styrofoam balls in half. Then I opened up the paint and passed out the brushes!

Louie did a great job. J. proceeded to paint my finger, his sock and some of the table. Eventually he got the styrofoam done! Here's what we ended up with:

We waited a day to let the paint dry. Then I plugged in the hot glue gun. I shot the glue and Louie positioned and pressed the styrofoam in place. Just attach a ball half on each side of the CD and you have an ultra-cool planet that looks like this:

I'm just trying to figure out how to hang them from the ceiling! The boys loved the rainbow patterns the CD reflected onto the walls and ceiling when the light from outside hit them. Here is our collection of planets:

Christ is Risen!

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. John 3: 16-17

May you all have a Blessed & Happy Easter!

Easter Bunnies

***Edited to Add More Pictures!!!***

Yesterday we made these cute wash cloth bunnies...but I zonked out early and didn't get a chance to post last night! So here they are with some instruction on how to make them. I want thank my MIL, she taught me how to make them EONS ago when James & I were first married.

Here are the supplies I used. Cheap Wal-Mart wash cloths, ribbon, rubber bands, pink pompoms, googly eyes, cotton balls & plastic eggs. First, take a wash cloth and lay it flat. Pick two opposite corners and roll them tightly into the center.

Then fold your newly rolled wash cloth in half.

Fold the ends back about half way. I bring the tips back to the main fold. This creates the bunnies ears and face.

Side Shot

Shot of the Top

Then I grab around the folded up wash cloth...about in the middle. This is where you're going to put your rubber band.

Put your rubber band in place. This makes the bunnies head and it should look something like this.

Then you just need to glue your eyes, pink pompom & tail in place. Use a piece of colorful ribbon to tie around the bunnies neck to hide the rubber band.

Taa Daa!! Cute little bunnies that hold an Easter Egg. Louie gave these to his teachers this year and we filled the eggs with jelly beans.