The Homesteady

Keepsake Baby Christmas Ornaments

Growing up, my brother, sister and I each had our own special Christmas ornaments. They're tiny silver cradles engraved with our name and birth date, hanging from a red satin ribbon. Every year we were diligent about each hanging our own cradle on the tree – even today, my parents set them aside while decorating so that we can be the one to add it to a bough whenever we finally arrive at their house to celebrate. 

We have a few ornaments for Miles that celebrate his first Christmas (2017) or feature his name, gifted by sweet friends. I love them (I love him!). Since Logan arrived this year, I'm sure we'll add a few for him as well. I'd also like to get the boys keepsake ornaments from us that they can hang on the tree themselves each year as they get older – and I think it will be the wire baby carriage one! It's so darling!

Wooden block | Custom (!) footprints
Rocking horse | Embroidered star
Teddy (name & year can be added on the back) | Wire carriage

*These are all affiliate links.

Christmas Projects From the Archives

This is my favorite time of year! (I've said that before here, haven't I?) A lot of the projects I'm working on now are ones that I can't share yet, since they're destined for people's stockings or under the tree. So here are some of my favorite Christmas projects from the past few years...

(But first, that beautiful doll above is one I bought for Miles's advent calendar last year from Craftydoll. Christie will be at this weekend's Makers Market at the Parlor Room in Northampton!)

A simple DIY advent calendar

How to sew dala horse Christmas ornaments

Peppermint hot chocolate French macarons recipe

DIY photobooth Christmas ornament

Free knitting pattern for a baby Santa hat

DIY wood photo transfer Christmas ornaments

Three-ingredient candy cane chocolate bark recipe

How to make an ornament filled with tiny gifts

DIY Scandinavian-inspired tree skirt (with a no-sew option)

Indie holiday songs playlist (I'm listening to this right now!)

4 DIY Projects for Baby

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.)

My Sister's Getting Married! Engagement Party Dresses Roundup

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!)

Favorite Kids' Books for Halloween/Fall

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)

DIY Pull-Out Step Stool (& Our New Bathroom)

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 bought a piece of 3/4" plywood and had it cut to fit on top of the existing drawer
• I nailed it in place
• I patched the nails and sanded it
• I painted it with a coat of clear polyurethane

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

Introducing...

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!

Review: Step-In Sneakers For Pregnancy (& Beyond!)

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). 

Sewing: A Summer Tank Top for Miles

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! 

A Fabric Thrift Store (Where Everything is $4/Yard)

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 :)