To-do List // Free Printable!

The days really seem to get away from me sometimes and I don't seem to be accomplishing as much as I want. I created this to do list to help me stay focused and as a visual to remind to get things done! Enjoy!

(Right click on the photo to save or print. For personal use only.)

- Elizabeth -

How To: Yarn Bombed Antler Wreath

So I know we've all seen yarn bombing...it's a great way to add some color and whimsy to just about anything. If you have it, you can probably yarn bomb it! I decided to add some drama to some antlers I had just laying around and use them for a summer wreath. 

Materials:

- antlers

- grapevine wreath (not pictured, sorry!)

- yarn (preferably several colors)

1. Pull about a yard of each piece of yarn and tie a knot at one end to hold them all together

2. If your antlers have holes in them like mine then slip your yarn through the holes.

If they don't you will need to start under the first antler point. This point will hold the yarn in place. Wrap the yarn around the antler under the first point and tie it on.

First antler point

3. Continue wrapping the yarn around the antler, moving on to the points as you come to them or continuing on with base of the antler.

4. When you reach the end of your yarn, pull up a strand a few wraps back and use it to tie off. Wrap and tie off yarn on the other antler.

  

5. To make the tassels, cut 6 strands of each color of yarn that are twice as long as you want your tassel to be. Also cut a single strand the same length (any color) plus a strand about 2' long.

6. Fold the strands in half over the long single strand. Use the short single strand the tie it off. 

7. Make 2 more tassels like these, each with the long hanging strand a different color.

8. Cut another set of strands (1 of each color) about 2' long and wrap it around the antlers to hold them together. Use these strands to attach the antlers to the wreath. Slip them around a piece of the wreath and knot.

9. Tie the tassels at different lengths and in different places on the antlers. 

10. Hang your wreath! You can even wedge the tips of the antlers in the wreath to hold them in place. You could also just hang these yarn bombed beauties on the wall! Enjoy! 

- Elizabeth -

Black Bean Soup

When our friends Stephen and Amy invited us over for dinner a few months ago, we knew to expect a great meal but man...this soup is one of the best things I've ever eaten! Stephen is a great cook and he took a recipe from Bobby Flay, tweaked it and made it his own. I've made it several times since then and it continues to be a favorite of ours.

Yields 6 hearty servings:

Ingredients: 

- 3 tbsp. olive oil

- 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

- 1 medium yellow onion

- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

- 4 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

- 1 jalapeño, roasted, seeded and chopped

- 1 c red wine

- 4 c water or chicken broth 

- 2 limes

- salt, pepper to taste

- cayenne pepper to taste

1. Prepare you carrot, onion and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large pot on high (we will add all other ingredients to this pot so it needs to be big enough for the entire dish). Add the carrot, onion and garlic to the olive oil and cook for about 5 minutes, until onions are translucent.

2. Roast the jalapeño and reduce the wine by half while the vegetables cook. 

3. Add the beans to the vegetables and reduce heat to medium. Add the reduced wine then the jalapeños. Add the water or broth. Simmer for 30 minutes. (I start with 3 cups then add more as needed)

4. Add seasonings. Use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. Bring to a simmer and add the juice of 1-2 limes (to taste, I prefer 2).

We love this soup paired with cheese quesadillas, guacamole and chips or even as an appetizer for enchiladas or tacos. Enjoy!

- Elizabeth -

Stay at home moms: What's the big deal?

When I was still working outside the home I thought that stay at home moms really had it easy. After all, I managed to do all the same things they did like laundry and keeping the house clean (or at least relatively so) AND work 40 hours a week. It seemed like a pretty sweet deal...stay home all day in your pj's, play with the kids, watch tons of Netflix and cook a fabulous dinner every night. The house would always be clean so the weekends would be free for having fun as a family and I wouldn't have the stress of lesson plans and grading tests. Dream job, right? I didn't go back to work after my son was born and my dream came true! Or so I thought...

My oldest is now 2.5 and my second is 8 months and I can honestly say it's been the hardest 8 months of my life. I finally get what all the SAHM fuss is all about. I was confused in thinking it had anything whatsoever to do with laundry. The stress of staying home with your kids does not come from the number of tasks you get checked off the to-do list and neither does the satisfaction. It's the emotional side that doesn't usually get talked about. It's being there 100% for every need your children have. It's trying to nurse the baby while the 2 year old is climbing on your shoulders. It's watching A Bug's Life 6 times a day (forget trying to watch Grey's Anatomy unless you want to hear screaming). It's using the bathroom with the baby screaming from his swing while the 2 year old stands, yes I said stands, in your lap. These are the things that make being a SAHM so incredibly draining. And all that nonsense about having a clean house and healthy dinners on the table every night? I've yet to get there...and I'm not sure I ever will.

And then there's the dad element to it all. It's an entirely new family dynamic that takes some getting used to and expectations need to be discussed. If dad is expecting a home cooked meal on the table every night promptly at 6:00 then he will be disappointed for sure. If you expect to hand the kids over to dad as he walks in the door and spend the rest of the night soaking in the tub because it's "his turn" then you will create a resentful husband. Don't forget he needs a break too. There's a balance that will make everyone feel appreciated and allow for some "me" time for you both. Give it time and communicate about how it's going and what needs to change. It may be even more important now to spend time together alone, even if it's just a 10 minute conversation before bed. And if hubby ever asks what you do all day, let him keep the kids for a few hours and he'll be singing a different tune!

I feel incredibly blessed to be home with my children everyday and I know a lot of moms who wish they were in my place and I'm definitely not asking for pity. It's more about understanding why people say that the SAHM has the hardest job of all. Children are hard. Period. 

- Elizabeth -

Pattern Review: The Staple Dress

I had been looking at this pattern by April Rhodes for a while wanting to try it but I honestly just didn't want to pay the $15.00 price tag for a pattern I'd have to print myself. So when I saw that it was included in the current Pattern Parcel I immediately purchased it! If you don't know about Pattern Parcel, you should! Every 2 weeks they put together 5 patterns that you can purchase for one price. There are several price points to choose from (yes! You pick your price!) and the higher price points include a 6th bonus pattern. The money raised goes to a charity that helps schools or something...can't remember the specifics. Anyway, follow them on IG @patternparcel to keep up with the current parcels and to see pictures of completed projects! 

Before I get into the review, a few things to keep in mind:

- I am not an expert, awesome, perfect seamstress. I do my best and call my mom when I need help! I almost didn't do this review because of that but I figure there's a lot of not so perfect seamstresses out there that can relate to my experiences!

- If you've never used a PDF pattern before you should give it a try. They're usually cheaper than the "real" pattern and it's instant, which is nice for me because I usually decide to sew something at midnight and I want it right then! Just be prepared to put it together because it will take some time. My suggestion would be to print, put together and cut out the pattern ahead of time.

Ok so here we go! I took my measurements and I fell in between 2 sizes so to be safe I decided to round up. I usually have issues in the bust area so that's the measurement I'm the most concerned with. I got it cut out and had the shoulder and side seams done (French seams, she gives you step by step instructions for them) and held it up to me and it was HUGE. I spent about 45 minutes playing around with the idea of cutting it down before deciding to go with it as is. Since it has a shirred waist I thought it would be ok, plus in the instructions it mentions how it looks like a hospital gown before you put in the waist.

So I moved on to the neck and arm hole facings. I used a tutorial from Grain Line Studio on how to get flat facings and the only step the original instructions didn't include was the under stitching which I really thinks helps it lay flat. I put it away for the night and took it to my mom's house the next day to finish.  I tried it on again, this time with a belt to get the effect of the shirring, and it was just HUGE. I was completely bummed! So my mom helped me measure to see exactly how much needed to be cut off and we decided on a total of 8"!!!! Yes...I cut off 8" from the original finished width. My bust measurement was 45" so I went with the size that corresponded to a 46" (since my fabric didn't have any stretch) which was the XXL. I wound up having to resew the side seams and arm hole facings so I was quite frustrated at this point. Ok, moving on!

So after hemming it I went on to the shirred waist. I had never used elastic thread before but I was excited to give it a try. I did everything I was supposed to do and the bobbin just wouldn't move. After hours of watching tutorials and messing with the bobbin tension, I finally got it to load! I did a row of shirring and it was too tight...I took it all out and worked on the tension again and I just couldn't get it right. I was having to take the entire bobbin case apart every time to adjust the tension and I was beyond frustrated. I just decided to skip the waist shirring and wear it with a belt which I was planning on anyway! 

It turned out super cute despite the issues I had with measurements and that darn elastic thread. I will definitely make this again (already have the fabric!) but I'll be using a much smaller size. I'm also planning on making a casing and just using a flat elastic for the waist (I've seen some other people doing that and it looks great!). Of course my shirring issues had nothing whatsoever to do with the pattern. Apparently Brother machines are notoriously bad at shirring! And as far as my sizing issues go, it was frustrating but I've had the same issues with Vogue and McCall patterns. If you have someone to help you, I suggest pinning the patterns pieces on you to see if the size you cut out will fit. That's what I did with my current Vogue project and I wound up sizing down 2 sizes from what the measurements suggested. 

So HURRY over to Pattern Parcel and get this awesome pack of patterns (the other ones are great too!) while it's still available! Today is the last day!

-Elizabeth-

How to: Noodle Necklace

This is such a quick and easy project and it's perfect to whip up with your little one. Make one for yourself and for the little darling girl in your life!

Here's what you'll need: 

- straight tube noodles like rigatoni

- fabric (I chose a vintage fabric with spots all over it that I couldn't use for anything else) 

- scissors

Steps:

- cut a strip of fabric about 2" wide and twice as long as your desired finished length

- tie a knot about 6" from the end 

- put a noodle in the channel created by the knot and wrap the noodle until it's completely covered

- tie another knot at the end and just keep adding noodles and knots! 

- leave another 6" or so at the end so you can tie it to size.

These little necklaces make great gifts and they're an awesome way to use scraps of fabric (of which I have tons!). You could even use different pieces of fabric by knotting them together at the end of each noodle. Have fun creating yours!

- Elizabeth -

Instagram Shopping

As if we needed another way to shop, social media has become just another tool in swapping and selling (and buying of course!). There are tons of "swap and sell" Facebook groups out there (often specific to your area) but did you know there's a world of people selling stuff on Instagram? I've been involved in buying and selling clothes for my kids on Instagram for about a year and a half now and It's a great way to get some of your money back from the clothes your kids have outgrown as well as buying used clothing at a reasonable price. So much of what they have gets worn 2-3 times and we know people never buy clothes at garage sales so I was just letting it all pile up in the closets and giving some of it away. If you're interested in making some extra money from your kids' clothing (or your own), here's how it works:

- most people (including myself) have separate "shop" accounts that are used strictly for selling. They will post a picture of the item for sale and include all of the information such as size, brand, condition and price

- many times, shops will schedule a sale and post preview photos of the items they'll be selling. That way if you see things you're interested in you know when to log on and shop.

- if you find something you want to buy, you simply leave your PayPal email address (the one you use to sign in). The seller will send an invoice to your paypal account and they will ship the item to you once it's paid.

Here are a few things I've learned that I'll share with you:

1. Very rarely do you truly get scammed and if you do you can file a claim with PayPal to resolve the issue and get your money back. If there is a scammer out there, it doesn't take long for people to catch on and they will spread the news.

2. There are a few acronyms that you'll need to know: EUC (excellent used condition), GUC (good used condition), VGUC (very good used condition), NWT (new with tags), NWOT (new without tags), OBO (or best offer, sometimes used for hard to find or popular items)

3. There's a recent trend of gifting the money to sellers rather than being invoiced. When the seller sends an invoice they have to pay a fee to PayPal that's a percentage of the sale. If the money is sent as a gift to friends and family the seller won't owe any fees to PayPal. Sometimes sellers will offer a discount if the buyer gifts the money. I only gift money to sellers I'm completely comfortable with and who have a good track record. Just know that if you gift the money you will have no way of opening a case against the seller if they never ship your item.

4. If there's a popular item being posted, be ready to claim it fast! The best way to do this is to have your paypal email copied ahead of time so all you have to do is paste it and send.

5. Just remember that these shops are run by moms so they may not ship your item the day you pay. Things come up, kids get sick and life gets busy so just be patient. Most people ship once a week (that's my policy as well) so just know that going in.

My best suggestion for finding shops is to start by finding my shop @delta_littles then checking out the shops I follow. It may take some time to find shops that that have your style and the right age/gender for your kids but once you do you can rack up on quality items for your kids at great prices.

If you're interested in opening a shop of your own, here are a few tips:

- the most important thing you need is followers. A great way to get them is to post a few preview photos of your best items with a caption on it like "selling these great items and more when I reach 500 followers". Use an app like A Beautiful Mess or Rhonna to create the image. If you do open a shop please tag me and I will share your photo (that way my followers will see it and, hopefully, follow you)!

- the brands that sell the best are Zara, Gap, Old Navy, some target stuff and of course any "designer" brand like Bobo Choses, Mini Rodini, Nununu, etc. and for these brands it's a good idea to hashtag them with the brand name. Example #bobochoses. People who like this brand, myself included, will often search the hashtags for recently posted items).

- for shipping, I suggest ordering some poly mailers. They're cheap and make the process much faster. PayPal has a shipping service so once the invoice is sent and the item is paid you can print your label and ship it. In order to use this service, however, you have to know the weight of the item so you'll need to purchase a postal scale. I got mine at walmart for like $15. The first class shipping option is the cheapest but can only be used for packages weighing 13 ounces or less. If my package weighs more I use parcel post.

Ok I think that about covers it but is be more than happy to answer any questions you might have. Just leave your question in the comments and I'll get back to you ASAP. Happy shopping :)

- Elizabeth -