Crayon Buckets

Lil Hoot is just starting to enjoy crayons for their intended purpose (instead of eating them). She also loves taking out and putting away the crayons but it's a bit tricky for her to get them in and out of the box on her own. (Of course she must do it on her own.) She's not ready for a crayon roll or a portfolio so I headed to my supply closet though and found a better idea - a Crayon Bucket.

In my closet I found old (clean) infant cereal containers, complete with lids. (I tend to save anything that I think could become a good craft project.) I know I could just have her stick the crayons in the bucket as-is but what fun is that? I can't cover it with paper or tape because my child has the amazing ability to peel both off no matter how it is secured. Perfect solution - the fabric covered crayon bucket, which also allows for a nifty carrying handle.


Lil Hoot is already enjoying hers. She takes the crayons out, puts them back in, takes the lid off, puts it back on, carries it around the room - even shows it off to her grandparents.


Get a crayon bucket for your little one from my Etsy Shop or stay tuned tomorrow for a Tutorial and a Giveaway!

'I Got the Bird'

Big Hoot, Lil Hoot and I all have different nutrition needs which means that sometimes I make different things for all of us but within the same meal. We have cut down to red meat only once a week - Big Hoot had his portion on Saturday as a cheeseburger, but Lil Hoot and I did not. By Monday I was feeling rather fatigued. I am prone to anemia, despite a daily multi-vitman and red meat usually helps, so for dinner I made a steak for Lil Hoot and I while Big Hoot had chicken.

Apparently he was telling a co-worker about this meal the next day, as sort of a sob story. His co-worker told him that it sounded like a good country song. That's when my dear husband wrote and sent me this little chorus:

Last night I ate chicken and she ate steak

I don't know what I did to deserve this heartache

She told me she don't love me no more, without a single word

Last night she got the cow, and I got the bird
©2010 Hootman

The way he sings it, it rhymes. And don't worry - it's just a song, he knows he's still loved...and why he got the chicken.

Custom Order Bags, Totes and Purses

My best friend's daughter started dance classes recently and was in need of tote for her clothes, shoes, hair ties, etc. We recently spotted some awesome fabric - Aqua Plain Jane - over at Sew Materialistic and she just knew it would make the perfect bag for her daughter. She gave me a few guidelines - a zipper closure, two pockets for shoes and one small pocket for the hair ties. Oh, and of course, that it be sized appropriately for her daughter.

I designed a tote-size bag - 12"H x 10.5"W x 5.5"D - with 10" straps and a zipper closure.



The small pocket for her hair ties has a velcro closure and her name embroidered on the flap.


The oval shaped bottom allows for two dividers on the sides to hold her shoes so her clothes can easily fit in the middle.

I will be listing several styles of custom order bags in the shop over the next few weeks, but in the meantime, if you have a need or an idea - contact me and we can design a bag just for you!

Freebie Friday

One thing I forgot to mention in Monday's post - Friday will also be about Give-Aways. These days it seems like someone is always giving away something - why not let it be to you? So if I see a fun, interesting or lovely give away, I'll be sharing it with you. And, of course, I will be hosting a few of my own pretty soon - so click that "Follow" button to be sure you know when! In fact, at the end of the month, I will have a big announcement for a fun event involving a $100 give-away.

For today:

Dana MADE It is one of my favorite blogs. She always has something fresh and new to feature. She has an Ongoing Giveaway, which actually started last week, but feel free to join in and catch round #2 of:

Paint Lucy's Room

As part of the EtsyMom Team I'm meeting tons of great new ladies and have tons of great new things to share with you. Right now at the EtsyMom Blog you have tons of options for a giveaway from Simply Breathless - maker of fine bath and body products:

Summer Fun Giveaway #2

Head on over to Lavender Avenue for a chance at a darling little doll:

I Made This For You

Good luck and happy browsing! PS - If you win something, come back and let me know!

Cholesterol

Big Hoot had his first annual physical in quite some time this week and it was no shock to us that his cholesterol and triglyceride numbers were awful. With his genetics and dietary habits, we knew it was only a matter of time before he would have to face this issue and make some changes. I believe his statement to me was something like "If I don't make some major life style changes then I'll probably be dead of a heart attack at 36." (We both turn 30 this summer.)

Lil Hoot and I eat pretty well - loads of fruits and veggies at every meal so it's not requiring too many major changes for us, but Big Hoot is much pickier so he rarely eats the same thing we eat. The doctor has impressed on him it's time for an overhaul though so I think we may all finally eat healthier as a family. (Don't get me wrong, I love red meat too and have a terrible weakness for sugar (particularly chocolate), so I need to make changes as well.)

We are detoxing the house of any fried foods, refined grains and processed sugars. I was pleasantly surprised to find only a few - Tostito's chips, Totino's pizza rolls, bagels, Lucky Charms and Mtn. Dew. The sudden cut-off of Big Hoot's daily Mtn. Dew habit is probably the biggest shock to his system, but it may also be one of the single best things he has done.

I am scouring the internet for recommendations and recipes. Big Hoot is doing his best to try more veggies and fruits. I have also searched our local library for good resources but haven't found much yet.

Has anyone else had to fight the high cholesterol battle from a relatively early age? Any suggestions? Recipes? Books? Websites?