Find Me on Etsy!

Guess what?!  I make homemade baby ring slings and you can find me on Etsy!

Click Here to Visit the Smiling Seamstress on Etsy

Here are three examples of slings I have made:

You will find a sling to be extremely useful! I put mine on each time I take the baby to the grocery store. It's quick and easy and I don't have to carry in her infant seat. It's also great in public; strangers are less likely to want to touch your baby because she is snuggled up to you. Finally, it creates less bulk. You won't always need your stroller because you can just put your baby in the sling. It folds nicely to fit in the diaper bag so it's always handy. I even use mine around the house when my baby is fussy and just wants to be close!

Look me up on Etsy and ask me about custom orders!  I would be happy to sew one for you in your favorite colors.

Homemade Baby Wipes

I don't think I have blogged about this before so I thought I would let you in on a secret.  Store bought baby wipes are for the birds!  :)  There is a cheaper and HEALTHIER way.

Here goes:
Use a quality paper towel like Brawny (I have also found that Walmart's Great Value brand is fantastic).  Cut the roll in half so you have 2 short rolls.
You will need a container with a lid that one of the rolls will fit into.
Simply put 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol in the bottom of the container.  Now, place one of the cut rolls in the container.  Let it soak for 30 mins then pull the cardboard out of the center.  Remove the wipes starting from the center of the roll. 

Why so much trouble?  Why not just buy baby wipes?

Here are the ingredients of a certain name brand wipes:
water
Paraffinum Liquidum
Propylene Glycol
Oleyl Erucata
Phenoxyethanol
Glyceryl Oleate
PEG-40
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Cetearth-20
Methylparaben
PEG-75 Lanolin
Cetylpyridinium Chloride
Butylparaben
Perfume

Do you know what all that is?  I didn't think so.  I'll break it down for you according to my research.
Paraffinum Liquidum- mineral oil
Propylene Glycol- Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient.php?ingred06=705315#
Oleyl Erucata
Phenoxyethanol- According to a warning by the FDA of 2008 "Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that is primarily used in cosmetics and medications. It also can depress the central nervous system and may cause vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration in infants". 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenoxyethanol
Glyceryl Oleate
PEG-40- http://www.thesmartmama.com/understanding-labels-peg-40-hydrogenated-castor-oil-greenwashing/
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Cetearth-20- Ceteareth-20 is the polyethylene glycol ether of cetearyl alcohol; may contain potentially toxic impurities such as 1,4-dioxane. Violation of industry recommendations - Restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Not safe for use on injured or damaged skin
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient.php?ingred06=701225
Methylparaben- Methylparaben is in the paraben family of preservatives used by the food, pharmaceutical, and personal care product industries. Parabens mimic estrogen and can act as potential hormone (endocrine) system disruptors
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient.php?ingred06=703937#
PEG-75 Lanolin- This ingredient is a chemically-modified form of lanolin, a fat-like sebaceous secretion of sheep. (Limited information available)
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/721898/PEG-75_LANOLIN/
Cetylpyridinium Chloride- It is an antiseptic that kills bacteria and other microorganisms.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetylpyridinium_chloride
Butylparaben- Butylparaben is in the paraben family of preservatives used by the food, pharmaceutical, and personal care product industries. Parabens mimic estrogen and can act as potential hormone (endocrine) system disruptors.

Human endocrine disruptor - strong evidence

Human skin toxicant - strong evidence

One or more animal studies show effects at very low doses

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient.php?ingred06=700868#
Perfume


Long story short....homemade baby wipes are cheaper AND healthier!  It's not hard.  So, get a roll of paper towels and a knife and get started!

Using the Sun instead of Bleach

As you can imagine, cloth diapers get stained really fast.  Mr. Right saw my basket of clean cloth diapers one day and thought they looked terrible because they were so stained.  They were clean, they just didn't look like it.  He told me I should bleach them....well, I had bleached them.  Then I remembered being told (and reading) that the sun would bleach them and disinfect as well.  So that day, I hung a load of cloth diapers out to dry.  Within hours, they were dry and bright white!  It was like magic!

I couldn't believe it.  I never thought the sun would do such a good job.  From now on, if I need to whiten my whites I will hang them outside.  Plus, as a bonus, anything hung outside gets that nice outdoor smell! 

Keep this in mind...the more bleach you use in your washing, the more bleach that gets put in our water system.  The sun is free and non toxic so take advantage!

Baby Due Soon!

I'm 39 weeks pregnant!  When is baby Georgiana going to get here?!  We are sooo excited.  Good thing we already got the garden planted because she's due right in the middle of planting season.  :)

I have been working hard around here to get things ready.  I've been washing baby clothes, organizing the cloth diapers (and trying to figure out how to fold them), etc.  I have our hospital bag packed already and the snacks are in the car!

I think I can hear my belly ticking....  :)

Will this guy be jealous of his new baby sister???

35 Weeks

Unbelievable.  I am now 35 weeks pregnant.  That means we'll be meeting our little girl soon!  We are so excited.  I can't believe my due date is just around the corner.  Here's something I've learned...it sure is harder to rake dirt into rows in the garden when you have a big belly!  :)

Soon, this picture frame I made....

will have a photo of her sweet face instead of an ultrasound photo. 

P.S. Pay no attention to the candy cane table cloth.  It's not Christmas...I just thought it was too cute to put away so soon!

It's a Girl!

We found out several days ago that we’re having a girl!!!  We are sooo excited.  Her name is Georgiana.  That’s pronounced Georgi-on-uh….not Georgi-anna.  There’s a difference.  Georgiana is an old English name that Mr. Right and I started liking well over a year ago.  We actually have a list of names we plan on using as we have/ adopt children and we’re excited to start with Georgiana!  

Now, the countdown continues to April when we can hold her….  Until then, I’ll continue to snack on my celery and carrots with homemade ranch dip.  Yum-o

Georgiana

25 Weeks Pregnant

What?!  Already?!  I can't believe 25 weeks have gone by already.  I can tell the baby gets bigger all the time because the movements get more intense!

Just six more days until we find out whether it's a boy or a girl!  That will be an exciting day.  Until then, feel free to make donations to the blog so we can buy cloth diapers.  Just kidding.  Sort of.  :)

With the baby in mind, I have been more and more diligent about what I eat.  I want to make sure the baby is getting all the good vitamins and nutrients it needs.  However, whether you're pregnant or not, you need to be thinking about your own body this way.  What do you fuel yourself with?  Consider this deeply.  Your health depends on it.  Sure, you feel fine today but what about when you're elderly?  Will you have wished you made better choices?

Check out some of the good posts on this blog to get you started.

You'll find these Crispy Potatoes under the "Cooking" Section

Cloth Diapers

You might have guessed it....  When the baby gets here, we'll be cloth diapering.  I just can't stand the thought of buying all those disposables then filling the land fill with them.  eh.

Cottonbabies.com

 Cloth diapers aren't what they used to be.  Now, they are very absorbent, easy to use diapers.  We registered for ours at cottonbabies.com.  There are so many kinds and colors to choose from!  I got so excited registering for them.  Now, just a few (ok, a bunch) more weeks till we have a sweet baby to put in them.

I feel good knowing we'll be saving money and plastic!  Plus, in case the world ever runs out of plastic....we'll still have diapers.  ;)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!!!

2011 was a great year for us.  We finally finished "remodeling" our house, we bought chickens, fell even more in love (if that's possible), went on a couple cruises, planted a garden that didn't produce much (guess that happens sometimes), started a family....so much to name.  

I'm looking forward to 2012!  I am so grateful for another year with my husband...words can't describe.  Plus, our baby will be born this year!  

I hope you have an amazing 2012 also.

Love, the happy homesteaders

Pregnancy- Week 21

I can't believe it!  I'm already 21 weeks pregnant!  Time flies...sort of.  I can't believe I'm already this far along but then again April seems like a long time from now.  I'm really enjoying it though.  It's fun to feel the baby move.  The baby moves all the time so if it's moving while I'm eating I tell Mr. Right it's because the baby likes carrots, steak, or whatever I'm eating.  I know that's not true but it's fun anyway.

I've been careful about food for two years now but I think about it even more now that I'm pregnant.  It's different when I know the baby is growing off of what I eat.  So, even though homemade cinnamon rolls are beyond yummy, sometimes even good things can be bad!  It's time for less cinnamon rolls and more veggies with ranch dip.  Have I told you how to make that yet!?

From Mr. Right's dad- just waiting for baby!

We'll find out the gender in about a month and I can't wait!  Until then, I'll continue to call the baby "baby" and enjoy the movements!

Time for carrots and ranch.  yum....!

What do you do all day?

Being a homemaker, I've been asked this several times..."What do you do all day?"  Especially since we don't have children yet (well, other than the one kicking in my belly).  That question bothered me at one time.  Now, I see it as a chance to enlighten others on the role of a homemaker.  Now, some who ask are homemakers also (or were raised by one) so they know what it's like for them...they just want to know what it's like for me.  Fine with me.  :)

When Mr. Right and I first married, I just kept up with the house how I saw fit.  Then, I realized a schedule would be better.  That way, certain things are always done and you never get behind.  My first schedule divided my day into time zones.  Well, that didn't always work out.  Someone might stop by, Mr. Right would go to work at a different time, something else desperately needed to be done first...you get the idea.  So, I've ended up with this...a list.  I have a list of things I do each day and they aren't constrained my time.

Here it is:
get dressed (yes, I stay home but I feel it's important to get dressed -including shoes- and be presentable)
pick up bedroom -meaning, make bed, gather laundry, put things away
light clean bathroom and shower
pick up den
put in a load of clothes to wash
clean kitchen- dishes, wipe table, sweep, clean off bar
put in load of clothes to dry
*daily chore
rest- ahhhh, yes.  Not a long rest but a needed one
sew, paint, read, scrapbook
*daily chore
iron
*daily chore

My daily chores are divided up by days of the week, like this:
Monday: write cards, dust & clean foyer, clean laundry room
Tuesday: clean floors, scrub kitchen, organize & vacuum closet
Wednesday: pay bills/ balance checkbook, organize office, clean garage
Thursday: clean out frig, detail clean bathrooms, wash windows and sills
Friday: pack if we're leaving, clean floors

I'm faaaaar from perfect.  Most weeks, I don't make it completely through this list for one reason or another.  However, it's a fantastic plan for me.  If you stick to it, then your daily work is easy.  The house stays clean!

The great part about it being flexible is it allows time for me to plan meals and cook.  Since we eat the way we do, it takes longer sometimes for me to make a meal so I don't need a schedule that doesn't allow much time for me to be in the kitchen.  Plus, I really like being in the kitchen. :)

Happy Homemaking!

Mr. Right Felt the Baby Move!

I've been feeling the baby move for about 2 weeks now.  Well, my handsome Hubby got to feel it also!  For the first time, two nights ago, Hubby got to feel that little thump on his hand.  It was amazing.

Not too much longer (ha!) and that crib will have a sweet little baby in it.  Yes, the room is blue and we don't know the gender yet.  There is a reason....my favorite color is blue so if it's a girl, she will learn to like it too.

I'm thankful we know what we do about food and health.  We are already giving our child a good start due to what I eat and we can continue to do that as he/she grows.  I'm eager to teach our children the importance of good food and health...among other things.

Look out Daddy, your little one is kicking me right now.  Feels like we're going to have an active one!