A little roundup of four projects I made for Logan before he was born! A crib blanket, a punch needle pillow, a stuffed whale, and a pair of booties. Although the whale has since been "adopted" by Miles.
(All the patterns I used are free; the rainbow pillow was my own design.)
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My younger sister Phoebe is engaged! She and her partner Alec are getting married in 2024, and I couldn't be more excited to officially welcome him to our family (although truly, he's been a beloved part of our crew for years!).
Phoebe and Alec are celebrating their engagement with a soirée in New York City this fall, and I rented a pretty dress for the do. Here are the four I considered...
Top: Black Lace Retro Sleeve Sheath by Jill Jill Stuart and Syrah Stripe Seam Dress by HALSTON
Bottom: Side Drape Dress by Hutch and Gold Garland Party Dress by Slate & Willow
I chose the Hutch! It's just so fun. (This isn't a sponsored post, but one of my favorite things about renting a dress instead of buying is that I can try something a little different without committing to a purchase – plus it's better for the environment!)
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It's spooky season! (Well, almost.) Fall is my favorite season, so we always get started a little early with decorating – and reading! I've rounded up a few of our favorite children's books celebrating fall and Halloween. (Watch the reel!)
I'm sharing affiliate links to Amazon below, but if it makes sense for your family, please check with your local bookstore first, or place an order through BookShop to benefit your local children's bookstore.
Ghost Afraid of the Dark
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
Goodnight Goon
You're My Little Pumpkin Pie
Little Acorn
The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin
Big Pumpkin
The Biggest Pumpkin Ever
PS – My skull mug is from Target! (Affiliate link)
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This project has been on my list since the day we closed on our house – and was easy enough to do while on maternity leave!
The vanity in our bathroom had this great wide pull-out drawer. I fantasized for the longest time about turning the drawer into a step stool that the kids could use to wash their hands or brush their teeth – and then it would disappear back into the vanity.
Now that Logan's four months old and tolerating car rides a little bit better, I knew it was time for him and I to make a trip out to Lowe's so I could finally cross this project off my list.
When I tell you it was easy, honestly it was almost disappointing how quickly it was done! (When a window of creative hyperfocus opens for me, I love to spend it all hard at work on something cool.)
Here's what I did...
I also made an Instagram reel showing the process if you want to watch a short video!
Note: The sliders on this drawer were already super sturdy. If you try this, make sure you feel confident putting weight on your existing sliders. If not, you can buy sturdier ones and switch them out pretty easily.
Scroll for a "before" photo!
And the only process photo, because it really is that simple.
Miles loves it. Anything he can do without our help is a big deal. And I can just imagine Logan up there with him in no time!
I also wanted to share a little bit of what our bathroom looked like right after we moved in...
...versus how it looks now! Another successful nesting project my mom and I finished before Logan was born. (Sources are listed at the bottom. I don't have the paint name handy but I think I could dig it up if anyone's interested.)
SOURCES
These are all affiliate links.
Shower curtain / Target
Hand towel / Target
Bath towels / Target
Small faux plant / Target
White face planter / Target
Bath mat / Target
Bonjour print / Etsy (just $4.50!)
Toilet paper holder / Urban Outfitters (no longer available online)
Towel rack / Urban Outfitters
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Sweet baby Logan Eugene arrived in the early morning hours of April 16 at 8 pounds 15 ounces.
We’re all healthy, very happy, and more than a little bit in love — especially Miles, who is an amazing big brother already. So glad this little guy is here to complete our family!
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What I heard from a lot of other people who've been pregnant more than once turned out to be true for me too – that your body really remembers what to do pretty early on! When I was around six months pregnant with baby #2, putting on shoes got really annoying...and then impossible. I was also supposed to walk every day, so 24/7 slippers weren't cutting it.
I started getting Instagram ads for Kizik shoes, which claimed to be really easy to just step into, hands-free. Kristie, who was taking on the brunt of tying my shoes, encouraged me to order a pair. I signed up for their newsletter and texts to get 15% off, and happened to order on Valentine's Day, so they sent a free pair of socks, too. I ended up spending around $84 for my shoes.
I picked the Women's Prague shoe in "Bone," and got my regular size – 6.5. They're true to size for me, comfortable, and they really are that easy to step into! They've been my go-to shoe for the last three months of this pregnancy, and I don't see that changing once the baby is born. They're just...easy. (Actually, I'll probably order another pair too!)
I will say it took a little while to break them in – probably a day or two of stiffness before I got used to them, but never any blisters. (I also made an Instagram reel showing how they work.) After sitting criss-cross-applesauce on a playground for awhile one day I got some black scuffs on the shoes, but they came out in the washing machine. (I ran them through on "delicate" and let them sit on a rack to dry before realizing that that's not quite recommended – but they came through fine!)
And I'm glad they're picking up in popularity, because they're a good example of a product that can be used comfortably by a lot of people regardless of factors like age or disability (look up "universal design"). Accessibility is so important! There's no reason products like shoes can't be designed to be used by the largest number of people.
Anyway, this post isn't sponsored at all. I just wanted to share a new product that has been making life a little easier :) If you want, you can use this referral link to get $20 off your next Kizik order (and I will too).
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This sweet cotton gingham fabric was a remnant I snagged at Joann Fabrics last time I was there – I cannot resist that section! It ended up being just a little more than I needed to sew a new summer top for Miles.
I used this pattern from Etsy [affiliate link] and was not a huge fan of the shoulder snaps at first, but they're growing on me, I have to admit :) This is a similar snap fastener kit to what I used [affiliate link].
Pattern alterations: I decided to make only one pocket instead of two and move it up to the chest, and added a little embroidered sun peeking out. The pattern itself was clear, simple, and easy to follow.
Miles is a tall kid for his age so I made the 6Y size, and have no idea if it fits yet as naturally he refuses to try it on, ha!
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Kristie and I recently drove up to Turners Falls for the day to have lunch with Katy and do a little shopping. It's about 45 minutes away for each of us, and a fun little place to meet!
Two of my favorite shops in town: Loot and now, Swanson's Fabrics!
It's a thrift-style textile craft store that sells unused supplies that have been donated by other makers. That includes fabric, yarn, patterns, sewing and knitting notions, sewing machines, and more. And all the fabric is $4/yard, no matter what kind it is!! There's even a bin of fabric scraps that are free to anyone under 18.
The store's philosophy is really cool. And you can also shop online!
This was such a treat. Swanson's is doing incredible work and is a very fun place to shop and visit :)
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With baby #2 on the way, my wife Kristie and I wanted to do something special with Miles while we're still a family of three. Preschool was closed recently for a professional development day, so she and I both took the day off and got three day passes for the Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg, MA!
Like a lot of people I think, it feels like we really have not done much traveling over the past two years, aside from a day trip to Boston and a few visits to see family, so this felt extra special and indulgent. Especially the latter – visiting Great Wolf Lodge even just for the day was NOT cheap. We'd saved up a little bit, and our three tickets cost around $280 for a Friday during a week that I think was spring break for a lot of schools. (I think if we'd spent something like just $30 more, we could've booked an overnight stay in the hotel too – something we'll definitely look into next time!)
This place basically feels like a casino for kids. There's just so much to do and explore even besides the water parks (six restaurants, a Build-A-Bear, an arcade, a bowling alley), and special events happening all the time, especially for families who stay overnight. We decided to do just a day trip for now to see if we liked it, and maybe go back later in the summer for an overnight with just Miles!
We got there in the morning and spent the vast majority of our time splashing around in the two indoor water parks. They're amazing and so much fun! Miles had such a blast (and we did too, honestly).
While Miles and Kristie did the lazy river a couple of times (above!) I waited in a long line at Buckets Incredible Craveables to grab some basic lunch (pizza slices, fruit, and burgers), which we ate at our deck chairs in the water park area. Miles had a mini meltdown around then too (asking to go home, saying he was tired) and we listened and decided to leave after lunch. We let him watch an episode of something on his tablet with his headphones on while we ate, and afterwards he was feeling a lot better and ready to play some more. It was so understandable that he needed a little sensory break – it is an overwhelming place. I'm so glad we made it a couple hours longer!
We also spent a little time in the arcade, and Miles proudly created his first Build-A-Bear before leaving.
A note about Covid safety: There's no vaccine requirement for visitors at the resort, and we were literally the only people I saw choosing to wear masks when not in the water (including most of the staff). I'm not going to lie – it didn't feel great. But we did our best to maintain our distance from others, and to wear our masks most of the rest of the time.
This was a fun day trip, and I'm excited to maybe go back again in a few months for an overnight stay (while the new baby gets to have a sleepover with the grandparents!) – we just have to start saving now, ha! (I have heard that it's a good idea to look out for the Groupon, though.)
This trip was not sponsored by Great Wolf Lodge in any way.
PS – My swimsuit is from Target; I found it on the sale rack of the maternity section and can't find it online, but this one is similar – and maybe even cuter! [affiliate link]
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Since starting preschool more than a year ago (!), Miles had been bringing a vintage whole cloth quilt for his nap time blanket. (He doesn't take a daily nap anymore, but still has quiet activities, books, and blanket snuggles during rest time.) That blanket, while so beloved, just couldn't stand up to the weekly laundering and was starting to fray, so I decided to make a replacement.
I wasn't feeling up for piecing together another quilt like the playmat I'd just finished for the baby, so I decided to replicate the blanket Miles was already using and sew a simple whole cloth quilt with hand ties. It's reversible, and since everything he brings to school needs to be labeled with his name, I embroidered that in one corner before putting everything together.
Both flannels (and the batting) are from Joann Fabrics. The navy blue yarn for the ties was from my stash.
I can't remember exactly what size fabric I used. (Isn't that terrible?) And as it's Thursday when I'm writing this, the quilt is currently living at preschool. I'm guessing it's around 45" x 60".
I started by pre-washing everything except the batting (the label said there was no need). Then I used transfer paper and a transfer pencil [affiliate links] to trace Miles's name backwards, then ironed it onto the fabric and embroidered over it.
Next I laid one of the flannel fabric pieces over the batting, and used safety pins to mark where I wanted the hand ties to be. It's a bit hard to see, but they're in the picture below.
Then I used a large needle threaded with navy blue yarn to tie the batting to the fabric where indicated by the pins.
Afterwards, I trimmed the extra batting from around the flannel piece.
Next I laid the floral piece of flannel right side down on top of the checked one (so right sides together with the batting layer underneath), pinned it into place, and stitched almost all the way around, leaving a gap through which to turn the quilt right side out.
I clipped the corners, turned the quilt right side out, and carefully stitched the gap closed. Top-stitching is an option here too but the quilt is doing just fine without it.
I washed the quilt right away to remove the transfer pencil marks – and the yarn for the hand ties frayed immediately! It still remains securely knotted though, and I don't think Miles minds :) Next time I'll make sure to use superwash yarn.
This project was simple enough to do in an afternoon, and Miles was sooo excited to get a blanket of his own after watching me knitting one for baby for such a long time. I really love the colors, and the flannel makes it so cozy. Plus, so far it's standing up well to weekly washing!
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