So Long, February!

Ah, February is finally over!  For the shortest month in the year, it always seems to take forever.  But now we are about to enter March and spring is right around the corner!!  I can even smell it in the air. 

Along with being ready to get rid of the snow, I'm ready to get rid of snot noses, sickness, and eczema.  Ingrid has been snot nosed all weekend, chapped cheeks are blazing, and she has a huge spot on her elbow.  Brendan woke up with a sore throat and headache.  Does it ever end??  We've spent a large amount of the weekend laying around on the couch...

Today we went to get a bathing suit so we can go back to the indoor pool.  But the store was closed and just down the road from Joann Fabric.  Guess where we ended up? 

I made these shoes:

And while "helping" me with my scrap box, Ingrid found a pixie hat I'd made a long time ago.  It fits her now, so there, we've got a spring hat ready to go!  And look at all that drool...

My Singing Sensation

Ingrid is quite the singer. Here she is a couple weeks ago singing Happy Birthday to me, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I love how loud she is! So funny...


And yay to me, I got to 150 fans of Applesauce Crafts on Facebook overnight! I really appreciate all the support. I got an order for a custom felt book last night, so I will be busy all weekend getting that ready.

To those who are waiting on a pay it forward package from me, I am slowly but surely working on them and will ~hopefully~ be sending them out on Monday.

I'm also working on a quilt (because why only have one project going at one time, right??) that I'm pretty excited about. I had a basic idea and am kind of freehanding it, so we'll see how it turns out. One great thing is it used up a ton of my little scrappy pieces in my scrap box, the ones I'd been saving for just this occasion!

And on the potty front--yesterday had a couple misses and I ended up putting a diaper on Ingrid while we ran errands because she's not so good at going on public toilets quite yet. She will if no one else is around, but if someone is in the next stall, she is too curious!! But other than that, she's doing really well! I'm so happy it's going so easily. I suppose after all the sleep issues we've had with her, I deserve to have something go smoothly.

Vote Now!

As I mentioned before, I joined Etsy Kids and they have a design challenge every month.  I've entered my Li'l Astronaut Gift Set, so go vote for it now!!  I'd really appreciate your support!  Thanks!  Just look over yonder to the right and you should see a big huge poll.  Click the button next to my gift set and help a sister out!  Thanks so much.

Such a Big Girl!

Ingrid has taken it upon herself to potty train.  Seriously, two days ago she said mama, potty!  She ran to the bathroom, put the potty seat on the toilet, and tried to climb up there.  And then she went.  So we went diaper free and had one miss and a bunch of catches!  Yesterday she did not have one single miss.  She used one diaper for naptime and one at bedtime.

Today we went to get some training pants.  They were out of girly print 2Ts so Ingrid is the proud new owner of three pairs of train and car themed underpants! 

It is so amazing to me that she is just 21 months old today and is going on the potty.  I had hoped for this, for sure!  Switching to cloth and having potty seats around since she was walking were all a part of the plan!  But you just never know.  She took forever to crawl, to walk, and to sleep through the night.  So I wasn't planning on full on potty training quite yet.  But, hey, follow her lead, see where it goes, right?  She seems ready, so we're going with it.  And so far, no misses in two days!

In other non-urine related news :)  We started with a sweet smelling hyacinth, and then added some red tulips, and then for my birthday we got some bright yellow Gerbera daisies, and now we have a little garden on our kitchen table.  I love it.  It, along with the sun that has been shining for two days, makes me smile.  Spring is quite possibly near.

And one last thing, I just made the sweetest little baby shoes ever.  I got some tiny buttons and I wanted to see how they'd look on the shoes.  Adorable, that's how they look.

Happy Birthday to ME!

Yep, it's my birthday.  I'm 33, and not ashamed to admit it.  We celebrated today with a playdate, and our wonderful friends brought over flowers, food, and cupcakes!  I put up some leftover streamers which Ingrid thought was pretty cool.  We cleared the floor for maximum play space, and then we all sat over in the corner anyway...Why is that?  I swear it happens all the time, we end up standing in the kitchen or sitting all scrunched up together by the table. 

Here is Ingrid with Olivia.  This just made me want a baby SO BAD!!  Ingrid was really cute with her, although I think she just wanted Olivia's toy giraffe...










The kids had fun running around, eating food, playing with the play dough we made yesterday.  Thank you very much MaryAnne for the tip of putting the coloring into the water!  When my mom would make it we'd knead the coloring in and end up with stained hands.  So much easier putting it in the water!

So now the party is done, Ingrid's in bed, and I'm on my way.  Thank you so much to my ladies for coming and celebrating with me!

And, to all you Gabba fans, I just got this email from the PR person for the show.  NEW EPISODES are coming!!  I'm so glad, I am SO SO SO sick of the ones they show now.  Ingrid loves the show and will watch the same one 200 times.  I need new episodes dearly!  Here's the rundown of the new shows:

Monday, March 8 – “Circus” – Weird Al Yankovic plays the circus ringmaster; Sarah Silverman teaches the “Time to Mime” dancey dance and Black Kids sing the original Yo Gabba Gabba! song, “We Love Clowns.” The episode also features Jack McBrayer and Paul Scheer telling a “Knock Knock” joke and Mark Mothersbaugh in his “Marks’ Magic Pictures” segment.
Tuesday, March 9 – “Bugs” – Weezer performs an original Yo Gabba Gabba! song, “My Friends Are All Insects” and Mark Mothersbaugh is featured in his “Mark’s Magic Pictures” segment. The episode also features a special remix segment arranged by Travis Barker.
Wednesday, March 10 – “Doctor” – Anthony Bourdain plays the doctor when Toodee gets sick. Of Montreal performs an original Yo Gabba Gabba! song “Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast!” and Biz Markie is featured in the “Biz’s Beat of the Day” segment.
Thursday, March 11 – “Superhero”– Mos Def plays a superhero; Devo performs their song “Watch Us Work It;” Biz Markie is featured in the “Biz’s Beat of the Day” segment and The Aquabats perform a “Numbers” segment.
Friday, March 12 – Encore of “Circus”

Can't wait! 

Etsy Kids

I just joined a group called Etsy Kids, which is a group of people on Etsy that makes stuff for kids. Duh. They have a design challenge every month and this month's theme is space. How great! I love space things--I did an Etsy treasury last week that was all space themed kid stuff.

So, this month I added my Li'l Astronaut Gift Set to the mix. You can go vote for it here on February 21st. It's open for a week!

A Message to Grandma and Grandpa

We are going to Milwaukee in a couple weeks but are not bringing Ingrid.  Yea for us, but boo for Grandma and Grandpa.  So...with the magic of videos, here's a message to them from their little one, who they haven't seen since Thanksgiving.

Great Family Weekend

I got a hyacinth plant a couple days ago after seeing people talk about spring coming to their parts of the world.  I want spring!  But we have snow and ice, so I had to buy my piece of spring.  It smells so good!

Saturday we woke up and decided to get breakfast.  While we were there we remembered the Kiwanis sale was going on, so we checked it out.  It was packed again, and with Ingrid there with us it was kind of crazy.  We found some really good things this week!  We got a Charlie and Lola pop up book that I'm not letting Ingrid touch for a long time.  She ripped something off right away and I got mad.  How stupid is that--what else is a kid going to do with a pop up book??  But this is so cute, I want it to last!

I also got some great vintage fabric.  I sewed some things up tonight with it:

Brendan got an original Trivial Pursuit game, which we realized has the most ridiculous questions...Luckily we have a box of questions from a different version, with questions we could actually answer.  So, game night was on!  We should do that more often.

For Valentine's Day we got Ingrid a balloon at the grocery store.  I was going to pick out a pink or red one, but she demanded a yellow one.  

Then today we ran some errands, painted pictures, and played with Play Dough.  We just spent lots of time together and it felt good.  I like my family.

Out of the House!

This morning we actually left our house!  It was the first time Ingrid's been in the car all week and it felt SO GOOD to get out and see people.  We went to a friend's house for a Valentines themed party.  She made us heart shaped blueberry pancakes, sausages, strawberries, and chocolate milk.  Ingrid sat and wolfed down all of hers, some of whoever was sitting next to her, and then came up and ate half of my bagel.  Then about a half hour later she asked for more.  That kid can pack it in!!  The funny thing about that is that her friend who is thee pickiest eater is the biggest of the group...I do not understand kids and their growth patterns.

Other people's toys are always fun, and Ingrid made herself right at home.  They had a toy car she scooted around in, and a stuffed lion she rode like a cowgirl:

Ben had fun, too.  I love that his mom isn't freaked out about a boy wearing a tiara.  He loved that thing!

Here is our adorable little host, Maya, with a bagel moustache.  She was so funny, she knew she had it on her face and giggled and showed everyone.  I love this age when they are just getting a little sense of humor and everything is very silly.

We made it home in time to take a nice little nap, and now Ingrid is reading books.  We have to go out soon to pick up Brendan from work and I think we may stop at the thrift store beforehand.  And then it's the weekend!!  I foresee some baby shoes being made, many many episodes of Lost season 2 being watched (I just got addicted and watched all 24 episodes in the first season in one week...) and perhaps a jaunt or two out in the snow.  Sounds good to me!

Snow Day!

Yesterday it started to snow, and it snowed all night long, and when we woke up this morning it was a winter wonderland!  These are the only days I really like snow--when it's new and white and fresh and clean.  Ingrid and I got our boots on and let Cody out to run in the snow right away this morning. 

We came in to do some coloring, of course, and I got some sewing done.  I made these little slippers for the shop. 

I think I'm getting better at them but sometimes they still come out so wonky--like a recent pair I made were made from the same pattern and yet one ended up an inch shorter than the other.  A whole inch, how does that happen?!  (Don't worry, I don't sell those!  I make sure they are the same size and shape before I post them.)

And now we're making dinner and listening to the Yo Gabba Gabba cd.  Ingrid knows most of the words to it, it totally makes me laugh to hear her sing along. 

Numbers and Colors

It's snowing like crazy here today. Brendan wanted me to drive him to work so he wouldn't have to but I declined like the selfish wife I am! I don't want to get in the car with Ingrid today at all. Especially after I heard from my friend who was stuck on the highway for two hours trying to get to my house for a playdate. Apparently there was a bad accident and the highway was closed...People drive like maniacs around here and then can't handle it when they have to go slow for bad weather. Thus, they don't go slow and there are lots of accidents. And I don't drive on bad weather days. Instead we were supposed to have a playdate, but one friend was sick and the other, as mentioned, never made it here. So we baked banana bread, played with blocks, the train set, and crayons. Then I got the paint out. Ingrid was in heaven--she painted lots of pictures and got herself covered in paint. Green in her hair, yellow on her forehead, blue in her ear. It was messy. But fun.


And this sweet video is from yesterday. Yes, Ingrid is wearing a skirt, and no, we did not go out in the snow in a skirt! She changes bottoms about three times a day and this is what she found in her closet. She is constantly amazing Brendan and I by picking up things like numbers. She can count to ten, and the other day I was doing eleven twelve and thirteen. When I said thirteen she said "fourteen?" How on earth did she know that came next??


And that's about it. Brendan's sent out some resumes so hopefully we'll know more about our future soon. Until then, it's the same old same old. Which isn't bad.

Our Weekend

This weekend was so much fun.  I actually got some kid-free friend time on Saturday!  I picked up a couple friends and we met another friend at this Kiwanis sale in Ann Arbor.  It's a huge three floor space that is filled with the best stuff!  It's cramped and only open for three hours on Saturday mornings.  I think it will be my new favorite place to be. 

I found some good stuff, and would've gotten more if I'd not been so hungry.  I got two library copies of Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park.  And I got these:

We had so much fun digging through piles of stuff.  Brendan says he wants to go next week--that should be interesting with Ingrid!  After thrifting, and hand sanitizing, the ladies and I went across the street to a dive diner for cheap breakfast.  And after that I had to go get my hair cut, so by the time I got home it was almost 2 and I'd been gone all day.  I felt so refreshed and happy to have had time alone.

Today we got groceries together as a family and surprisingly spent $30 less than usual!  I was thinking with all the junk food we bought (using the Super Bowl as an excuse!) we would have spent more.  But it just goes to show you crap costs less than good healthy food...

The Puppy Bowl was on today.  Ingrid was absolutely glued to the tv watching it!  For those not in the know, the Animal Planet channel has this every year before the Super Bowl.  It's just puppies playing with each other for two hours, with a kitty half time show.  It sounds stupid but it's actually so much fun to watch.  Every time a commercial would come on Ingrid would ask "doggy bowl, Mama?  Doggy bowl?" 

And that's about it.  A good weekend, now I'm ready for a great week ahead.

Overalls and Pigtails

Ingrid looks pretty cute in overalls and pigtails.  I knew they wouldn't last long, that's why I took a picture :)

We went to our friends Marti and Libby's new house today in a suburb of Detroit.  It's a super cute neighborhood, a gorgeous house, and Ingrid had fun with new toys and books.  We ate lots of donut holes and both of us passed out as soon as we got home.  Then it was off to Target to buy dog food, pick up Brendan from work, and come home to make pancakes for dinner.  The day flew by, and now it's the weekend.  Yay!

This is what I'll be doing this weekend--making more of these cute little slippers.  It's become an obsession of sorts.  I've gotten much better at making them, and they use so little fabric that I can dig through my scrap box and use up some forgotten fabrics.  And they are SO CUTE.  It's killing me.  And my ovaries.

Shopping on Etsy

Man, there are so many cute things on etsy.  I can't wait to have a room for Ingrid when we move, one that I will put some thought into and actually decorate, rather than just tossing her toys and an old couch into the room and saying there, that's done...

Here is what I've found so far that I would love to put in her room:

An owl in a cactus from http://www.etsy.com/shop/beethings

And these two owl prints from http://www.etsy.com/shop/matteart

Pretty cute, no?  And then I'll get this fabric to make a duvet and curtains:

Ahh, a girl can daydream...Right now we seriously just throw things in her room if we have nowhere else to put them...but someday, honey!  Someday you'll have a real room!

Pay It Forward :)

Our blogger friends Heather and Pippi sent us this sweet little house and dollies yesterday.  Ingrid has had a lot of fun with it, although she swears it's a hat and can't understand why it won't fit on her head...I think this house is so cute!!  I would totally live in it.

This is part of a fun activity of paying it forward.  Heather got a package from a nice lady in New Zealand, I got one from her, and now I want to give one to you!  If you're interested in playing along, leave me a comment.  I'll get five crafty little packages sent out, and you can choose your own five blogger friends to pay it forward! 

A Messy Fun Day!

Today we changed our tunes!  It was a fun day, no crabiness and no yelling at all :)  So much better that way.  I had to clean up the kitchen and wanted to bake some stuff, so I gave Ingrid some stale cereal in a bowl, a wooden spoon, and a measuring cup.  She always has so much fun making a mess and eating it!

Then we made cookies.  I had to let the butter soften, so I scooped everything out ahead of time and it looked so neat and organized.  I pretended I was on a cooking show when we finally made the cookies.  They turned out amazing--whole wheat flour, oatmeal, craisins, raisins, and chocolate chips.  I had a little left of everything so we just threw it all in.  I put lots of cinnamon and cloves and they taste pretty darn good. 

We've been talking about getting a twin bed for Ingrid, getting her out of the crib.  Not sure if we're ready for that but we talked about it.  I took the side of the crib off today and Ingrid climbed up, brought all her stuffed animals, and sat talking and singing all morning.  Forever!  It was great.  She looked so cute having all the stuffed animals talk to each other and making the penguin waddle. 

We got some paintbrushes at Ikea yesterday.  Our friend Jami said her son did better with brushes than finger painting.  I think we can say Ingrid does better with them, too!  She went on for almost an hour painting by herself.  Fingerpainting had lasted ten minutes max.  Yay for cheap paintbrushes!