Momma's DIY Buckwheat Cold Pack Tutorial

Although they hated them for a long time, my kids love ice packs, especially Momma's DIY Buckwheat Cold Packs. If Mommy's kiss isn't quite enough to soothe their owie, Momma's cold pack almost always does the trick.

These were borne out of necessity; before our DIY cold packs it was almost impossible to get ice packs back from my children, which was bad on a number of levels.  First my kids were literally numbing their little hands, second, we could never find ice packs when the hubs and I needed them and  worse, lost or warm ice packs were not sufficient for little boy boo boo's.

I decided to make my own and partially because I had it on hand and partially because I thought the larger grain might not hold the cold as well, I used buckwheat as filler. Flax is also a good option I've used before (which can be heated in the microwave as well) but it has a lot more surface area and I think would stay cold for longer.

The buckwheat is perfect, it warms back to room temperature in 5-10 minutes depending on the size, at which point my kids tend to abandon it somewhere for me to rescue.

They are a super easy DIY that could be completed during naptime if you have a sewing machine. You can make these any size, or shape, you want and whatever scrap fabric you have available. I usually use quilting cotton and this tutorial uses a cute Batman flannel. It's the first time I've used flannel and my boys haven't complained it warms up faster, but its something you may want to consider in your fabric choice.

These are super quick and super easy, I'm sure you can do it.

DIY Buckwheat Cold Pack for Kids

1. Fold your scrap fabric, right sides together and cut out a square or rectangle. Then, keeping your fabric folded, pin around the three open sides.

2. Starting at the fold, sew up the side and turn the corner. Stop sewing and leave a 2 inch gap before you continue sewing around the corner down to the fold. Make sure you backstitch everytime you start and stop. Clip your corners and turn your cold pack right ways out. Use a chopstick to ensure your corners are pointed before you iron your cold pack flat.

3. Starting next to the gap, topstitch all the way around the edge, stopping at the other side of the space.

4. Use a spoon to fill your coldpack no more than 2/3 full with the buckwheat groats. Push the buckwheat to the bottom and place pins horizontally to keep it from shifting while you are sewing. 

5. Topstitch the gap shut, making sure you backstitch at both ends. Then throw it in the freezer and wait until its needed. Maybe next time Mommy's kisses don't work, Momma's DIY Cold Pack will.

Angry Bird Costume and a Peanut-Free Halloween

This is the first year the boy understands what Halloween and trick or treating really means. In fact, at three and a half, its probably the first year that he's even understood the word 'candy'. That means that this year is going to be way more fun, involve way more sugar and probably involve just as many, if not more, catastrophic meltdowns.

Without asking for his opinion, inspired by Pinterest (of course), I decided to make the boy an Angry Birds costume, based on a sweatshirt that I've made it him before. The idea being that it would have a similar feel and fit in the hopes that he would be eager to wear it. I just finished it today and now that its stuffed, its doesn't exactly resemble his other sweatshirt, but I did get him to put it on, for at least a moment.

Getting him to wear his costume however, is the least of my worries.  Much higher on my priority list is watching out for peanuts and potential peanut contamination. I have this fear that the boy is going to grab a candy out of his bag, somehow get it open and eat something delicious and equally deadly like a peanut butter cup before an adult can stop him.

Fortunately, the good folks at Nestle sent me one of their Red Peanut Free boxes of Halloween sized candy that I can allow my boy to eat without worrying. I've already purchased a second box that I'll be using for 'tradsies' with the boy when we sort through his candy; although not dairy free, the red box includes Aero bars, which are a safe treat for those of us living the gluten-free life.

Thanks to Yummy Mummy Club Founder Erica Ehm, Vancouver mom's everywhere will be making Halloween safe for allergic kids. If you're purchasing peanut-free treats, place the box in your window and let Mom's like me know that your treats are safe for their special little person!

Craft Fair

I have so many fond memories of sitting on the floor of my mom`s sewing room, listening to oldies on the radio and making all sort of crafts; sewing, gluing, ironing, you name it we did it.  Of course I was usually making random crafts, while my mom was making crafts for selling, but regardless we spent many hours in that room together.

Given the recent rekindling of my relationship with sewing, I`ve been working with my mom to make some baby related items to sell at a few local craft fairs that we are going to attend with my gramma. We`ve also started up an Etsy Shop, Mom Love- to sell all of our goods, I hope to have some items listed very soon.

Here are a few photos of items that we will have for sale both at the Craft Fairs and in our Etsy Shop.

My personal favourites are the lovee security blankets.  These little blankets measure approximately 16"x14" and are made from shaggy minky fleece and patterned satin.  We have lovees in a variety of colours, in addition to the white there is brown, pink and blue minky fleece and we have satin in cherry, owls and a few geometric patterns.  These lovee blankets and are the perfect size for little hands and provide great tactile variety; my little man can't get enough of his whether he's in the car seat, Ergo carrier, playing on the floor or in his crib.

Our pacifier clips come in a number of fun fabrics, including a number of Christmas styles.  What makes our clips unique is that they are all finished with either a teddy bear or heart shaped clips.  These pacifier clips are a perfect compliment to a holiday outfit or for everyday wear.

Our reversible drool bandannas are made with three layers for the ultimate drool protection. An absorbent (and cute) flannel top layer, a water resistant core and an ultra soft minky fleece layer next to your little ones' skin.  Not only are they functional they are so much cuter than a traditional bib.

We also have a number of handmade quilts, including this lovely nautical themed blanket.

Last but not least, if traditional bibs are more your style, we have reversible bibs with a cotton upper and either a flannel or minky fleece bottom.

We will have a number of other items for sale including burp cloths, and cloth bags to name a few.

This Saturday we will be at a craft fair in Ladner BC at the McKee Christmas House Craft Fair , if you happen to be in the area, drop by and say hello.  Here are the details:

McKee Seniors' Recreation Centre

Christmas Craft Fair
Saturday November 19

10am - 3pm
5155 - 47th Avenue Delta, BC V4K 1R4

Next Saturday, we`ll be at the Steveston Christmas Craft Fair - a much busier and bigger event.

Sewing For Boys | Review & Giveaway

You may have noticed that I've been writing and tweeting about sewing with increasing frequency these days.  Newsflash, I forgot I loved it.  I love creating something unique from simple materials just as much as I love creating something delicious from simple ingredients.  It's just a part of who I am.

Before the baby was born I found myself making cute little dresses, in case my little green baby was a girl, then after he was born I only made dresses for presents and eventually I found a great pattern to make an uber cute hoody for the boy.  Unfortunately, since then I've had trouble finding boy patterns that are cute enough to be worth the effort to sew.

Granted its easy enough to make piles of little boy pants, but I need to be inspired or I might as well hem the pile of pants my husband has sitting on his dresser.  I want something with excitement and cuteness if I'm going to spend my spare moments sewing.

Sewing For Boys by Shelly Figueroa and Karen LePage of Patterns by Figgy provide '24 Projects to Create a Handmade Wardrobe', just for little boys.  It takes into account both the rough and tumble and the sweet and adorable sides of our little men.
The book is gorgeous; hard cover with a spiral binding and an envelope to safely store the precious patterns.  The photography captures the whimsical nature of little boys and definitely inspires.  I made a pair of the 'mr.two face pants' and although I was skeptical of the two toned nature of them, it turns out that once completed, I just love them.  The 6-12 month size fit  my chubby little man perfectly, even over his bulky cloth diapers.  The only fabric I had on hand was thin broadcloth so I lined the pants with some spare flannel and used french seams to keep things clean and they turned out beautifully, in fact I have another pair cut out in my sewing box.

I also have some fabric cut out to make the 'easy linen shirt' for the boy, not only does it look adorable, I've reviewed the instructions in detail and its a very straightforward pattern.  In fact, overall the instructions in Sewing For Boys manage to provide enough information to inspire confidence without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary information.

Finally, I'm planning to make the 'Just-like-dad flannel robe' for the boy; although I'm not a huge fan of licensed fabrics, I got some Buzz Lightyear flannel on sale for $3.98 a metre that will be absolutley perfect, he's going to love it.

There are so many other great patterns in 'Sewing For Boys', these are only the first few that I plan to make throughout my boys' childhood.  Since the patterns range from newborn through 7 years old, I plan on getting plenty of use out of this book.  If you have little boys to sew for, regardless whether they are sons, nephews, grandchildren or otherwise, trust me, you WANT this book.  We are giving away a copy of 'Sewing for Boys' to one lucky Momma Stuff Blog, to enter, check out the Rafflecopter after the jump.

Moments for Momma

Anyone whose a parent can tell you that in the hustle and bustle of daily life no longer do we get hours and days of personal time, instead we must learn to embrace the little moments of peace that our lifestyle allows.  Be it a hot shower with the door closed (one of my personal favourites) a second to read the newspaper, an opportunity to bake cookies or even a little bit of time to blog; as a parent, particularly of young children we must take advantage of any moment that can truly be classified as 'me time'.

You may have noticed that over the last couple weeks, my blog posting has waned a little bit.  Although I have had a plethora of ideas and thoughts running through my head, many of which I can't wait to share, the honest truth is that my 'moments for momma' have been fleeting and I have been rediscovering an old passion.

As a child, my Mom and her friend used to make and sell crafts, which meant that there was an entire bedroom in my house filled with fabric, ribbons, beads, buttons, rick, rack, mod podge, glues and paint and most of it was available at my disposal.  Granted I used the scraps and extras, but I spent hours in that room and I learned to use both a sewing machine and a serger at a very young age.

When the boy was about 6 months old, I started making drool bandanas and even managed to sell a few, then when I was pregnant with baby boy, I whipped out my sewing machine again.  Girls clothes are so much cuter, so I ended up making a bunch of dresses, but now that its clear I'm a momma to boys, I've given most of them away and am hoping to sell the few that remain.

But I digress, in the last few weeks rather than blogging, I have once again pulled out my sewing machine.  Using internet tutorials, I made a super cute Summer Frock and adorable purse for a birthday party we recently attended, I even made a matching headband to complete the outfit.

What I'm even more proud of however, is this adorable jersey hoody that I made for the boy using old t-shirts and a little bit of camouflage jersey fabric I had on.  I made this hoody using the Heidi & Finn Unisex Hoody pattern.  Seriously easy and so cute!  There's something about the physical creation of a garment from mere fabric that gives me great satisfaction and these days I'm inclined to think that a little bit of pride that's unrelated to my children is a good thing.

What do you do to unwind in your 'moments for mommy?'

Preparing for Baby | Happy Nappy Diaper Service

With baby number two due to arrive in only a few weeks, I'm proud to say that for the most part I've resisted the urge to purchase oodles of new baby-related gear, since I have rubbermaid bins full of stuff from the boy. That being said, I have done some (non-gender neutral, bad momma) sewing, though I am currently sewing a pair of adorable little overalls, purchased a new miracle blanket (an amazing swaddle blanket) and some super cute AGOO clothing at 70% off (this amazing sale is still on).

I can also say with confidence that I have NOT been perusing flyers, purchasing diapers and filling up my closets with disposable diapers, a common practice before the birth of a child.  Instead I made a simple call to Happy  Nappy, my diaper service provider and a week before my due date my first delivery of itty bitty, super soft, fleecy diapers will arrive on my doorstop.

For those of you that are new to the Momma Stuff Blog, it's no secret that I am passionate about cloth diapering and that I believe Diaper Service is a great option, particularly if your family is divided on the cloth vs disposable debate.  I have written previously about the Environmental Benefits of Cloth Diapering and Our experience with Happy Nappy and have also guest posted about Why we chose Cloth Dipaer Service.

Since my previous post, Happy Nappy diaper service is now available to families in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan (new franchise location) and Ontario.  More details about specific locations and pricing is available on the Happy Nappy Website.

Because I have written about Happy Nappy Diaper Service before and I don't want to repeat myself, I want to respond to a couple comments I frequently hear about diaper service.

1. Does the diaper pail REALLY keeps the smell "locked in" for an entire week?
   In short, yes.  Newborn poops barely smell, so in the beginning the smell is not even worth worrying about.  As your child begins to eat solids, diaper odours will definitely become more evident but that's just the natural process of things, and at that point disposables are going to start stinking up your garbage too.  In order to keep your diaper pail from getting uber stinky there are a few things you can do and the more diligent you are, the less likely you are to notice any odours.   
   
   
   • First wash down your diaper pail weekly; at the least wipe down your pail with a couple of baby wipes on delivery day (I tend to do this most weeks, as I'm lazy), in the summer I often hose them down in the backyard and occasionally I use some good quality environmentally-friendly bathroom cleaner and give it a good scrub.  Obviously the latter works the best, you need to figure out what works for you and your family.
     
   
   • Happy Nappy Diaper pails come with two clamps to firmly hold the lid in place - use them.  A tight fitting lid keeps odours trapped inside.  End of story.
     
   • Finally, each Happy Nappy Diaper Pail comes with a replaceable charcoal filter; replace it often, they are cheap (~ $5/filter) and effective.  If you call Happy Nappy and order your filter couple days before your delivery, a new filter will arrive at your doorstep with your next diaper delivery.
   
   Keep in mind that with pungent toddler poops (which we now have at our house) the diaper pail will smell when you open up the lid, but if there was a way to avoid that altogether I think it would require either some serious nose plugs or a magic wand.
   
   
2. I wish I'd heard about that when my baby was born, maybe next time...
   I admit it, this is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, but I don't like pushy people and have no desire to be one, so I tend to be non-responsive when I hear this comment.
   
   The truth is, unless your child is on the verge of potty training, its NOT too late to try out diaper service.  The price is at least comparable to disposables and although there may be a small administrative fee to get your account setup and arrange for your first delivery, I figure that one time fee is probably pretty close to the amount of 'incidental' shopping that would occur on only one or two trips to the drugstore to buy diapers.  Because seriously, do you EVER just buy diapers?  I always walk out of the drugstore with way more than I intended.  Plus every disposable not in a landfill is a good thing in my books.

Anyways, long story short, at our house, we will be using Happy Nappy Diaper Service until the boy is potty trained and when our newest little bundle of joy arrives his/her little tushy will be covered in fleecy, environmentally-friendly goodness from there on in.

Let me know if you have more diaper service related questions and I'll do my best to answer them.

This post was not sponsored by Happy Nappy in any way, I am a loyal customer who frequently recommends their services to friends.  No compensation was received in any way and opinions are my own.

22.5 weeks | Crafty Momma

When I was pregnant with the boy, I took belly pictures every single week; its amazing to look back at them and see how the body grows and changes with pregnancy.  I'd like to say I've been as diligent with this pregnancy, but it would be a lie.  Although I love my DSLR, I just can't seem to get a good belly picture, regardless how hard I try.  So instead of regularly posting belly pics, the occasional ones that someone else snaps, are just going to have to do.

22.5 weeks pregnant
(please excuse the cheesy smile)

Now that I'm over half way through this pregnancy, its probably not all that surprising that my nesting instincts have begun to kick in.  Let me be clear however, I don't mean that I am cleaning fervrently, or even organizing baby clothes and furniture (although the hubs is doing these things).  I'm more of the creative type.  With the boy I made oodles of crocheted blankets and amigurimi animals, but given that I've yet to need ALL the blankets I made, nor has the boy particularly played with the stuffies, it was clear that this time around I needed to look for a new creative outlet.

After much perusing of the internet, I decided to pull out my sewing machine and give sewing baby clothes a whirl.  Given that I don't know the gender of my baby you might think I would have opted to stick to gender neutral items like pants and shirts, but they're so boring and little dresses are so cute and adorable.  Since I know three other people having babies in the months following my due date, I started off making some uber cute pillowcase dresses then moved onto a kimono top, which I also adapted to make into a dress.

I must admit however, that my mom is a far better sewer than me and sewing that itty bitty bias tape together to make the kimono ties was a little beyond my skill level, so she kindly fixed up the first kimono and stitched the trim altogether on the second kimono dress. (Thanks Mom)

There are tons of tutorials and patterns on the web, but here are the dress tutorial and kimono tutorial I used.  I think my next undertaking is going to be a nursing cover, I just bought some boning and I already have some fabric that I think will work beautifully.  That's one of the best things about these little DIY projects, they are so quick and easy to do and you can potentially upcycle materials you arelady have on hand.  The beige fabric is an old sheet and both the purple trim and the grey fabric are pillowcases I bought at Value Village.  Inexpensive fun?  I'm in!