Happy Halloween!

Reusable snack bags are one of the most popular items I make.  Not only are they practical, but they come in such fun prints.  Such is the case with these adorable Halloween snack bags.

Snack bags are great for so much more than food!

Here's a few suggestions:
:: cosmetics or toiletries
:: purse organization
:: plastic utensils
:: pacifiers, bottle nipples or breast pads
:: change purse
:: feminine products
:: coupons
:: medications
:: minature wallet

Enter to win this set of ten snack bags at Rachel's Giveaways.  This giveaway ends soon, so don't delay in clicking here to enter.

The Bapron

Last week I had two baby showers to attend or send a gift to, and I was ecstatic to find this online tutorial and free pattern for the Bapron (AKA Baby Apron).

This is a full-coverage bib for infants and toddlers, providing arm holes and coverage over the shoulder.  It is very difficult for the feisty child to remove.  :)  My daughter (pictured above) is a small 2 1/2 year old (about 25 lbs), but I imagine this would fit children from about 6 months to 25 - 30 lbs.  Oh, how I wish I had learned of these about four years ago!

Not only is it a wonderful bib, it's fairly easy to make.  I was able to make one in about 25 minutes after I made the first one (since it always takes longer the first time you do something!).

It's fairly frugal, too.  Here's the price breakdown that I developed:

1 package of bias tape: $2 (or less with coupon)
1 hand towel (you will be able to make two bibs from one towel):  $1/towel, or $0.50 per bib
Flannel:  free from your scrap stash, or less than $1 if bought new
Thread and sewing machine
Total:  $3.50 or less per bib

I made quite a variety of bibs last week since I was making for one baby and one baby girl.  The dinosaur print is Dino Dudes from Michael Miller.

I chose to back mine with a tericloth towel, but you could use a second piece of flannel, denim, corduroy, or anything you wanted, really.

You could also choose to make your own bias tape.  I have done this before, but used packaged for the sake of convenience in this case.  Excellent instructions on how to make your own bias tape are here.

If you choose to put another flannel or cotton print on the back, the bibs are actually reversible.  I would recommend adding a layer of batting in between to increase absorbency for the messy meals.

I just can't say enough about how much I loved these bibs!  I am certain I will be making more for baby gifts in the future!

Florida Gator Patio

When we bought our home just outside of Orlando, we fell in love with the patio and pool area. It is unheard of to find a pool/patio AND a yard in Florida, so we knew this home was rare. My husband, being a University of Florida graduate, has collected many Gator items over the years. And, while I love him dearly (and have grown to love the Florida Gators through his coercing), I didn't want all this Gator stuff in my house. So, the Gator Patio was born. With just a little money, some time, and even more creativity, I present to you the most Orange and Blue Patio you'll ever see!

This is the "Gator Roundtable". The chairs are from Wal-Mart and were $19 each. They were part of Mallory's birthday present. The orange vinyl is from Fabric.com (my new favorite website for fabric- I'm so over shopping for fabric with a toddler and a preschooler!) and was about $6/yard (I ordered 1.5 yards of each color). The blue chip and dip tray was 50% off at Dollar General- making it $1.

The table in the background (with the blue cover) is our second talbe, which provides additional seating at parties and such. I also got the blue vinyl from Fabric.com and the orange serving trays from Dollar General- $2.

I made the quilted table runner and showcased it here.

Mallory (my husband) really wanted to paint this "50-yard line". So with some spray paint and tape, he contributed this white line and the center "F" to the already green outdoor carpet (which "just happens" to look like a football field, he said!).

This TV was Mallory's housewarming gift to himself. He has dreamed of a TV like this for years, and after pulling all the strings he did to get us into this home, he deserved it. It's a great addition to this patio. We are researching ways to cover the TV and protect it from extreme weather (mainly heat, in Florida). I also would like to make a fabric cover for this black shelving unit. We'll see how that evolves...

The view when you walk out from the house.

This is our "Florida Tree". It was a gift to my husband from his parents about two Christmases ago. It was purchased at Wal-Mart and we have collected orange and blue ornaments over the years. I made the tree skirt from fleece. The blue "F" was put on the wall with painters tape.

These three baskets hang from the ceiling and are attached to each other with fishing line and twine. They are great for things like sunscreen, fan remotes, etc. They were also found at Dollar General's summer clearance sale for $1 each.

So, that's our patio. To all my family in Alabama, I apologize in advance for you having to view all this orange and blue. In light of last Saturday's game, we needed to have a little "Gator pick-me-up" here.

The orange and blue patio isn't completely finished, but I don't know that it will ever be. It's one of those "works in progress" that is continually updated, added to, and remodeled.

Go Gators!

Baby Bath Apron

My friend Mandi asked me to make a Baby Bath Apron for her.  I had no idea what this was, but after doing some research and finding basic photos and instructions here, I realized this was a really simple project and a very frugal and practical gift for a new mom.

The Baby Bath Apron serves to keep mom dry during bath time, and then allows mom (or dad!) to retrieve the baby or toddler from the tub without having to hold a towel as well.  It eliminates the awkwardness of holding a towel under your chin and handling a slippery child at the same time.

I made this Apron from a beach towel.  I had already used part of the towel when I made a shirred beach towel dress for a little girl's birthday last April.  So, this apron was about 3/4 of a towel, but really, you can customize it to any size you need based on the size of your child and the size of the parent.

Using grosgrain ribbon, I added a neck strap which will just slip over the head.  I also added waist ties from the same grosgrain ribbon.  The waist ties form a bow in the back, and can be easily untied when it's time to wrap up your little one.

It was so easy, I'm surprised I didn't do this sooner!  It makes a great baby gift and I hope Mandi loves it!

Halloween Leg Warmers

I stumbled upon some adorable Halloween knee socks at Jo-Ann's, and had to make these precious leg warmers prior to next Monday.  Click on any of the photos to see the item listed in my Etsy Shop.

I kept a few pairs out for my daughter, who seems to be the most perfect size between 18 months and 2T.  Her 2T pants fall off the waist, and her 18 months pants are now capris.  So, I've resorted to a wardrobe of skirts and leg warmers for her.

These prints are so full of cuteness and could compliment a costume or just help your child look festive!

Leg warmers have so many great features, such as -

* Don't have to remove baby's pants to change a diaper, or to go potty with a toddler.
* Easy to change if soiled.
* Machine wash and dry.
* Can wear with or without shoes.
* The perfect pair with a onesie, dress, overalls or romper. 
* Great for cooler mornings- easy to remove as the day gets warmer.

Most of the knee socks are designed to fit toddlers and preschoolers, but there is one pair for newborns.

As always, these leg warmers are available in my etsy shop.  If you live in Orlando, use coupon code PICKUPORLANDO to waive all shipping costs.  (We can arrange pick up near my home or workplace.)

Freeze Pop Coozies

I know this post is terribly off season, but my friend Stephanie asked me to make these Freeze Pop Coozies for her.  However, I personally think that freezer pops never go out of season, especially in Florida.  In fact, today was the first day my son wore long pants to school.

I was amazed at how simple they were!  It took me less than five minutes per coozie, and I was able to use the scraps I had in my sewing room.

The tutorial is here, and it includes a free printable.  It's a great way to use flannel scraps, a great gift idea, or a great short naptime project.

Checking the coozies for size was a great excuse for baby girl to have an afternoon snack.  :)

Patriots Baby Gift

This week I made a baby gift for a friend who already had all of my "usual" gifts.  My friend Nicole gave me about two yards of Patriots fabric and simply said, "Make whatever you want."  I started brainstorming and my wheels started spinning.... I got all excited to try some new things!

She is soon to have her second boy, and I was excited to branch out of my usual repertoire of nursing covers, car seat canopies and slings.  While I love making these things, it's always nice to try new skills and break out of the norm.  Many families in our church are expecting little ones this year, so I've been doing quite bit of sewing for baby.

So what did I make?

Matching Patriots Tie Onesie and Tee

Soft ball to toss around during games (for the older brother, of course).  I used the fabric ball pattern found at Grand Revival Design.

Bibs and Burp Cloths.  I use this free pattern for newborn bibs, and I made my own pattern for burp cloths, and obviously forgot to get a photo of them!  Oops.

A flannel blanket.  Well, one side is flannel.  It's still warm here in Florida, so blankets are lightweight and airy.  I added a fun zig-zag stitch to the edges of this blanket.

I wrapped the gifts in solid red paper and added navy and white ribbons.  The smaller box contained the fabric ball for big brother, and the shirt box was for mommy.

Such a fun gift to make.... Go Patriots!  

Dino-FOUR Birthday Party - the Food

As I shared yesterday, today's post is about how I turned ordinary food into a dinosaur smorgasbord.  I did quite a bit of internet research for dinosaur birthday parties, and found very little.  There was a good amount of information and free downloads for a one year old party, but that was way to juvenile for my ferocious four-year-old.  I did pick and choose from various sites to assemble my food table, though.  Many of the websites are pinned on my Dinosaur Birthday Party Pinboard on Pinterest.

Let's start with the subs- the yummy, mouthwatering subs.  My father-in-law owns a restaurant here in Orlando called Gabriel's Sub Shop.  It's been around for 50+ years, and is still going strong.  We are a sub loving family, and have subs for almost every major event- including our wedding!  So there was no opposition when I proposed that we have a six foot sub for the main course at the Dino-Four party.

Bags of pretzel sticks from the Dollar Tree magically transformed into Dinosaur Bones.

Red and green grapes became Dinosaur Eggs.

To offset the large amount of meat for the carnivores, I offered a tray for the plant-eating guests.

And my favorite- Bugles turned into Dino Toenails!

Once again, I interspersed my son's large plastic dinosaur collection in between the food items.  All of the food signs were in the printable kit that I bought from SIMONEmadeit on Etsy.

For the drink table, I used the two 3 gallon beverage dispensers that I had from my daughter's party last May.  I set up the drinks outside on the patio, and labeled the lemonade as "Dino Juice" and the Sweet as "Sweetosaurus Tea".

I mentioned yesterday that the cake was from Costco, which was a great deal and tasted delicious!

For the party favors, I put a collection of Whoppers, Sugar Babies, and Milk Duds into cellophane bags and stapled one of Simone's wonderful labels to the top.  They were a huge hit!

What better way to end this post than with a sweet picture of the guest of honor- Mr. Dino-FOUR!

Dino-FOUR Birthday Party - The Decorations

Last weekend my baby boy turned four years old!  I know everyone says this about their child, but I really can't believe he's four.  Wow, how it just flies by.

He loves all things dinosaurs, so we would dream of nothing else but a life-like dinosaur party.  No cartoon dinos for this boy- only the real deal!  I found this amazing printable kit from SIMONEmadeit on Etsy and got to work.

We kept it semi-small...  family mainly, and a few close friends who were near his age.  Our back patio and pool make such a perfect party atmosphere.  The safety gate keeps the pool safe for the younger kiddos, and the large patio is spacious enough to spread out all the party goodies.  Just add a few balloons and it's a party!

We set up the bar area with a cake, birthday banner, balloons, and large dinosaur pictures.  We bought our cake at Costco, who offers a great deal on a large cake (only $18!) and it's delicious too.  The birthday banner was part of the printable kit, and I used my sewing machine to sew it together.

The large dinosaur photos were from my mother's teaching days- she had a bulletin board set of Prehistoric Animals and they were already laminated, so I knew I could make a great use of them for this party.

For the table centerpieces, I used a blue disposable plate, red paper filling, and plastic dinosaurs from my son's toy box.  I bought the plates at Dollar Tree- a pack of 8 or so for $1 - and the red crimped paper there as well.  My son has a stash of dinosaurs so I figured, "Why not decorate with them?!?!"  I did use a little tape to secure the dino's feet to the plate, and then sprinkled the red crinkly paper around.

For the napkin rings, I used the basic colors (red, blue, black and green) and added a dinosaur to each one. The dinos were from the Dollar Tree, once again -- $1 for a pack of 8.

The little dinos added a fun take-home item to each guest.

Of course, no dino-four party would be complete without a bowl of finger puppets and dino tatoos.

So what did we eat?

Check back on Tuesday when I'll share how I transformed basic foods into dinosaur yummies!