Tutorial: Hooded Towels (for toddlers)

Did you buy towels at Walmart on Black Friday?  Don't lie.

Well, if you did (or didn't *wink wink*) and ended up going a little crazy and got more than you needed (what am I saying, nobody does that on Black Friday...) then this is the tutorial for you!  I actually got my towels a couple of weeks before for a couple dollars more with the intent to make some Christmas presents for the boys and my nephews.  They're SOOO much better than the thin baby ones they sell and are much bigger and cuter because you can use whatever fabric you want for an accent strip on the hood.  I must have googled for three days for hooded towel tutorials, but could never find one that I felt I could follow through completely without changing anything.  A lot of them called for cutting the hand towel (which is used to make the hood) in half.  Mmmm, yeah, not gonna work.  I went to The Children's Place a few weeks back when they had a fleece sale and had to get Landon a size 8-12 because the 4T cut off circulation to his brain.  The kid's got a big head.  When I made my hooded towel, I opted to use the entire towel (minus a few inches) so he had some room.  It's a bit big on Carson, but we're able to find him under all the fluffy goodness so it's all okay.

What you need to make your own toddler-sized hooded towel:

1 bath towel
1 hand towel
A bit of scrap fabric (~15" x 4")

First I took the hand towel:

and cut off the decorative side and the strip on the other end (it would've added bulk), like so:

then I folded the towel in half (so the fold is on the right), like this:

and turned it so the fold is on top, and cut off the strip on the right, as well

as rounding the top, like so:

then I unfolded the towel, and folded the bottom edge (which is the front of the hood) 

up about three inches:

I also cut off that edge strip once I folded it to where I wanted, but I forgot to take a picture.  You don't see it once you add your fabric trim, but I could feel the bulkiness under the fabric and it bugged me, so I snipped it.

Lay out your fabric trim, making sure that the edge if the hand towel (that is folded over) falls in the middle underneath the trim.  Fold over the fabric edges by 1/4"-1/2" (your preference) and top stitch.  Cut any remaining excess that hangs off the side of the towel, if necessary:

Fold your towel back into the original hood shape we cut out:

I chose to do french seams on this project because I wanted them to look as nice as possible.  If you don't  know what a french seam is, it's where the fabric is first sewn wrong sides together, THEN right sides together to hide the raw seams.  It definitely gives a more professional look.  So, wrong sides together, then sew.  (Zig zag on a sewing machine, or serge):

Flip the hood inside out so that right sides are facing, and sew with a 3/8"-1/2" seam allowance so that your original zig zag or serged seam is incased.  If you're new to french seams, 1/2" will give you a little wiggle room (plus, the hood is large enough to where an extra 1/8" won't make a difference):

Now turn your hood right side out:

I don't have a picture for this step but I did draw a diagram.  Most solid towels don't have a right or a wrong side so fold your towel in half and mark the fold (I did this by pressing the fold to create a crease), then unfold the towel.  Laying the hood with the outside (the fabric side) facing you, match up the center seam with the middle of the bath towel.  Pin the hood along the bath towel on both sides of the seam, then zig zag or serge the edges:

which will end up looking like this:

Once that's done, flip the hood in the other direction (so that the side with the strip of fabric is facing the towel) and topstitch 3/8"-1/2" to encase the original seam:

which will result in this:

See how much better it looks on the inside with those french seams??  Much nicer than looking at raw edges.  The extra time is worth it.  I think I was able to knock this out in about 30 minutes, and this was my first one.  There's no real measuring or ironing involved, and the the towel is very forgiving - the only real issue I had was bulk, but I assume since most of you out there reading this have two hands, you won't have any issues with helping to feed the towel through your machine.

And, uh, since Landon is pure model material, I was able to get a few pictures of the towel in action:

Why is it that the hardest part of any project is getting your kids to show it off for you so you can snap a couple pics?  I mean, I only took maybe thirty pictures before I got the "that's enough, Mom."  Sheesh.  You carry them for nine months, feed them, shelter them...is a few pictures too much to ask??  I think not.

In any case, I hope you found the tutorial easy to follow to allow extra room for your big-headed kiddos.  There are quite a few tutorials out there so even if mine doesn't entirely cut it (no pun intended), I hope that you can do what I did and take bits and pieces from it and find something that works for you.  If you've got any questions, please ask!

12 points for Poinsettia!

If you're playing Words with Friends, that is.  Scrabble if you're old school.  Unless you're counting the point on each petal, then it's 15.  Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you cheated.

I got my sewing machine back (which, if you didn't know, is how Stella really got her groove back, if you ask me) and I am back in business. Except I'm not selling anything.

I did however, make this poinsettia pillow that I found on Pinterest - originally from Pottery Barn - which is no longer available apparently.  The original is a mere 12 inches, but I like 'em big (tmi? Ha! They're pillows people, get your mind out of the gutter!...MOM) so this baby is a gargantuan 20 inches.

I have a confession to make.  I chose the word gargantuan because I wanted to see if I could spell it right on a whim.  I totally can.  I then looked it up because then I thought my spell checker didn't catch it because maybe it thought I was typing gibberish and just completely gave up on me.  Needless to say, we're still friends.

This poinsettia pillow is being gifted to my grandma-in-law, who LOVES poinsettias more than her own children.  Seriously.  Just kidding.  Confused yet?  My mother- and grandma-in law (who live in the same house as one another) love decorating for the holidays.  And when I say holidays, I mean every. single. one.  I'm sure there's a box somewhere with all their shower curtains they buy.  Not that there's anything wrong with being festive I say, so I figured a poinsettia pillow would help feed their addiction and get one Christmas gift out of the way.

I won't be around for the rest of the week, I'll be enjoying the feast tomorrow and hanging with family for the rest of the weekend.  I'm sure you'll all be doing the same, so Happy Thanksgiving!  Eat lots of food and get fat and happy!

Recipe: Garlic Mazithra

I've been a bit of a bum this week.  I'm still getting over being sick, my sewing machine is gone (hence not being able to complete many projects to show you) and I think I got food poisoning a couple days ago.  It was awful.  I'm fine now, so I can stomach looking at food to post this recipe.

This pasta dish is to. die. for.  It is a popular dish at The Old Spaghetti Factory, and is divine.  The last time I ordered it, mushrooms and I weren't entirely on speaking terms so I had them removed, but this most recent trip I took just confirmed the error of my ways where mushrooms are involved.  

What you need to recreate this dish is...are you ready?  Pasta.  Butter.  Bacon.  Myzithra Cheese.  Mushrooms.  Garlic. 

*THUD*

I've fallen and I can't get up.

Be still, my beating heart.

I totally forgot the pasta...in fact Nick was out at the store getting it while I took the pic. 

Anyway, I'd like to apologize for the lack of pictures, but this dish works up pretty fast, Nick was occupying the kids, and I didn't want to burn my butter.  Here's the recipe, quick and dirty.

12oz of spaghetti (about 3/4 of a box)

8 oz mushrooms

5 slices of bacon

1/2 cup of butter

2-6 cloves of garlic (depends on how much you like it)

Myzithra Cheese (just enough to grate on top)

First and foremost, I cheated a little with the bacon (cover your ears, bacon purists.)  We use already cooked bacon that you just heat up in the microwave.  It's a lot less messy than cooking raw bacon and since this girl can't keep from getting grease/oil stains on her clothing because she can't remember to wear her apron while cooking, it just ensures that I won't be walking around naked because I don't have any clean clothes to wear.  So I'm really doing you a favor.   However you cook your bacon, do it, then chop it up into slightly-smaller-than-bite-size pieces.

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.  

Meanwhile, brown your butter.  Basically you just melt butter in a pan on low-medium heat until it has a nutty aroma and is a golden amber color.  Pour butter into another dish trying to leave the sediment that will gather on the bottom as it cools, or use cheesecloth to strain.

Sautee mushrooms (I like using Baby Bellas, also known as Cremini) with lots of garlic (I used 5 cloves, you can use as much as you want) until mushrooms are browned - about 7-8 minutes on med-high heat.    This is why there are no pictures. This all goes really fast and you don't want to screw it up.   I used this source when first learning how to brown butter - it was very helpful.

When everything is done cooking, throw it all together, and finely grate some of the Myzithra over it.  Use more than you would Parmesan, but not too much, you want to be able to taste everything in the dish.  

I would seriously consider investing in a Life Alert system prior to cooking this dish, you know, just in case you fall off your chair or something.  Enjoy!

Out for a Drive

Figuratively speaking, of course, with a dash of literal thrown in.

We went for a drive, but now we're back.  This guy is having a hard day as a group of teeth got together and decided that all of them should make their appearance at the same time, leading to a very grumpy, clingy baby.

So instead of posting anything of great significance today, dear readers, or...Mom....here's a picture to give you a hint about what I'm doing today.  Hint:  there's lot's of cuddling and hugs going on.

Monday, Monday

Sometimes it just turns out that way.........

I've had my own personal musical going on in my head these last few days.  Everything I do reminds me of a song.  I guess that's what I get for listening to the Golden Oldies and the Wallflowers station on Pandora.  Believe it or not, I totally relate to more of what they're singing about vs. Lil Wayne and Eminem.  Don't get me wrong, they might have some catchy tunes - but you won't find me up in some club or out on a corner or burning stuff down anytime soon :D  Moving along...

Apparently I've got a cold that's like a turd that won't flush (10+ if you can name that movie).  Seriously though, I think a week and a half is long enough.  I never get sick, so go figure that it creeps up on me two days before my 5k is supposed to go down and is STILL hanging around.

In other news, I went to go make some slippers the other day for Carson out of some fleece I had laying around and I turned on my machine to find that the timing was off.  The top and bottom thread don't meet at the same time which, if you don't know, is kinda crucial to sewing.  That's what makes the difference between sewing and, well, two threads laying next to each other holding nothing together.  Fabulous, no?  I was a little sad as I dropped off my little Singer at the repair shop, and I can undoubtedly say - because I've got much experience on the subject - that I actually feel like a little part of me is missing.  As much as I yell and scream and swear at it when things aren't going well, it kind of bothers me a bit knowing that it's all on its own, scared and alone, unable to feel the safety and comfort of the only home it's ever known.

What? No I'm not crying.  I just got something in my eye.  

In any case, I feel really bad for my serger.  I haven't said anything to him, but I think he knows that his buddy is gone.

Luckily I was able to find a place that offered a reasonable rate and will clean and fix her up.  They do everything in the shop so they don't have to send her out like a few other places I called (which would mean an even longer wait to get her back) and guarantee their work for a year.

Before I go, and because you all read my randomness above (right?!?), I wanted to let you all know that I've got a couple things that I'm really excited about coming up in later posts this week.  One's a tasty recipe, and another is a free download/giveaway.  Fun stuff, so stay tuned!

To Cure What Ails You

I've been siiiiiiiiiiick.  I did manage to run a 5k in the midst of it, but I've been feeling pretty crummy, otherwise. I'm almost better, but not quite yet - maybe another day of laying around will fix that. If that doesn't work, I'm positive this will:

I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen's website and tried it out for myself.  It's delicious and hearty and gooey and YUM.  It's tomato soup the way it was meant to be made.  It's a little bit of prep work, but the results are worth it.  Now that it's chilly (or freezing, if you live anywhere other than here) it's the perfect meal for lunch or a light dinner.  

Well, I'm going to go lay around some more, I just wanted to drop in and let you know I'm alive (and I will fill you in on my 5k later this week, I had a BLAST!)

Finished the 5k!

Semi-Homemade: Spaghetti Sauce

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Another oldie but goodie - foolproof spaghetti sauce.
That's right... FOOL. Proof.
If you thought you couldn't, now you can.
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We love spaghetti around here more than The Situation loves himself. It's a quick, easy and wholesome meal to feed our family. There's nothing like made-from-scratch spaghetti sauce, but sometimes we just don't have the time, energy or resources to make that happen. If the thought of using sauce from a jar makes you shudder, then I present you - Spaghetti Sauce, semi-homemade style.

All you need are a few simple ingredients paired with a few spices - and some meat and veggies if you're feeling frisky! This recipe will feed a family of four with plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day. This sauce is great for freezing, so if you're ambitious (okay, not so much, it takes a few extra minutes to make a few extra batches) making dinner is made even easier. All you've got to do is thaw, heat and serve with pasta.


Ingredients:

28 oz Tomato Sauce*
28 oz Diced tomatoes*
2 Tbs Italian seasoning
1 Tbs Garlic Powder
1+1/2 tsp Onion powder
1/2 tsp Salt or seasoning salt

*I always make sure to have equal parts sauce and diced tomatoes. I find the consistency of the sauce is better when you stick to this ratio. If you want a less chunky sauce, then you could use all sauce instead of adding any diced tomatoes. As for the diced tomatoes, try getting different varieties of flavors (like the fire roasted in the pic above) to add depth of flavor to your sauce.

Directions:


My mom picked us up a million Zucchini at this dirt cheap farmers' market she went to so I thought I'd throw one of those in. If you're going to be adding any vegetables, now would be the time to cut them, you know, before you really get started. Other good veggies to try would be mushrooms, bell pepper, eggplant, whatever sounds good to you, really. If you're substituting the spices with their real-life counterpart (i.e. onions and garlic), cut those up now and sauté them with a bit of oil if you're going meatless or with the meat in the next step.


You can make this sauce Vegan, but since we're carnivores in this house, we like adding meat to our sauce. Here we used 93/7 ground beef, since that's what we had in the freezer, but we've also used ground turkey and chicken with tasty results. If you're using fattier meat (like 80/20 beef) I recommend draining off the grease before continuing to the next step. Remember: if you're also sautéing onions and garlic or crisp veggies (like bell pepper) you'll want to throw them in with the browning meat.


This is the part where you throw all the ingredients in. If you're going meatless with no veggies then technically this would be the first step.



Instead of sautéing the zucchini, I throw it in with all the other ingredients. Since it cooks fairly quickly, I didn't want it to get all mushy before the sauce finished cooking. Give it a good stir, then put a lid on and let it simmer away for 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. (I think I read somewhere that you're not supposed to use a lid when cooking sauces, but I like to break the rules. I think it makes the sauce taste better and keeps the kitchen clean from any rogue sauce leaping out of the pan and threatening to bake itself onto your stove top.)


This is where you get the hired help to empty the dishwasher for you so you'll have some clean dishes to eat off of at your disposal. And a gentle reminder to the toddler not to come in the kitchen because, "we don't want to burn our hand on the stove top again, do we?" Yeah. Talk about a Mommy-of-the-Year Award moment.


If you haven't already, get your pasta water boiling and throw in whatever suits your fancy.


Once everything is done, throw a little bit of pasta and sauce in a food processor for the baby. If you're childless or just past the baby stage, feel free to skip this step. ;D

Have your official taste-tester try the spaghetti to make sure it's good and ready...



IT'S GOOD!



Eat. Play. Enjoy. Whatever.

Bubble, Bubble, Toil and...

oh...wait, that's right - Halloween is over.  In any case, if you haven't seen this around Pinterest, or even visited Pinterest yet, here's a cool money saving trick for you - make your own foaming hand soap for a fraction of the price!

All you need is NON-foaming liquid handsoap of the see-through variety (I used Soft Soap), your empty foaming hand soap bottles and tap water.

Fill your bottles with about an inch of hand soap, then fill the rest of the way up with tap water.  Put the top on then slowly (so you're not creating a bunch of bubbles) swirl the bottle around until the water and soap are mixed together.

Here's a cost comparison, because who doesn't love those??:

As you can see, the first line is the where the level was at before I used any soap.

The second line is where the level is at now after pouring an inch-worth of soap into each bottle.

The third line is where the level would have been at had I bought the store's foaming hand soap refill, which is the same size (and price) as the liquid soap refill.

Each of my little bottles are 7.5 oz and this refill is 56 oz, which means I could fill each bottle up a little over two times with store bought foaming soap.  Based on the picture, that you could easily fill up the little bottles a little over 6 times each, before having to get a new refill bottle.  By making your own foaming hand soap, you will only spend ~$5.99 (plus tax) to fill three bottles up six times each, vs. ~$18 after buying the store's foaming soap refill a few times to get the same amount of homemade foaming soap.

It took me two more minutes than it normally does to fill up my soap dispensers doing it this way, but given that nobody in this household is planning on giving up hand washing (E. coli, anyone?), I'd say it's definitely worth the effort when you see how much you're saving.

There are several different sources that I've seen that have instructions on making your own foam soap, however I followed MY inspiring pin back to The Frugal Girls website.

I want to give credit where credit is due, so as well as posting a link to the original inspiration (or inspirator) that I found, I'm also going to be heading each Pinterest-inspired ("Pinspired") post with this banner:

and you'll be able to find all my Pinspired posts by clicking on the "Pinspiration" tab in the top menu.

Now go make some soap, because I'm sure there are going to be lots of sticky fingers about now that all the candy is collected and accounted for.

Now on to Thanksgiving!