The Homesteady

Handmade winter gift ideas for your neighbors

We've been living in our new house for almost two years! And we're lucky – the neighbors are so lovely. Everyone is kind and friendly. There's even a crew of little boys with whom Miles and Logan have merrily joined up, ranging in ages from (nearly) 8 months to 6 years. The kids are wonderful, and so are their parents. Again: such luck! 

I put together a few jars of stovetop potpourri – or "simmer pot" – ingredients to sneak into mailboxes this week. Their construction was imprecise but lovely. I sliced and dried a bag of oranges (200 degrees F for about 6 hours, followed by 300 degrees for maybe 30 minutes) and added cinnamon sticks, star anise (my recommendation is: just one!), whole allspice, whole cloves, and a sprig of a coniferous tree for greenery. I think pine would smell good, but we don't have any nearby. I had a few jars in the basement which found new life in this project, and picked up more through our local Buy Nothing group on Facebook. (And a tip: I found star anise and allspice not in the baking section of the grocery store, but in the international foods aisle.)

Here are a few more things I thought could make simple, charming, useful gifts for those who live close by.

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Stovetop potpourri jar

A hot chocolate kit

Homemade jam, jelly, or salsa

A loaf of bread

Rosemary salt

Homemade caramels

Compound butter

Infused olive oil

Homemade marshmallows

Pocket hand warmers

Homemade vanilla extract

Calendula salve

Cookie cutter candles

Tiny embroidered felt dinosaurs

I like to make my children one of their birthday gifts each year. Last year I knitted Frog & Toad for Miles's 4th! I truly don't know how that one'll ever be topped. But this time around he's in the middle of a dinosaur phase – I knew I'd saved this pattern [affiliate link] for a reason.

I used scrap felt and embroidery thread from my stash, and cut out the pieces using my Cricut Maker (my own birthday gift this year; affiliate link). I've made little felt toys before (including a tiny bunny, a unicorn-themed quiet book, a little Mae Jemison doll and accompanying rocketship). Let me tell you, I was enjoying the Cricut prior to using it in this project, but once I did – wow! This was a game-changer. I used to spend so much time snipping out fiddly little felt pieces, my hands cramping from the tiny curves and cuts. This as a change was quite frankly amazing. The machine did the work for me, and I finished the whole project in record time (for me) and with so much more joy! Highly recommend. (If you have a Cricut and want to try cutting felt too, I used the rotary blade, the felt setting, and the purple mat.)

Side note: Oh, how can we have a five-year-old? Wasn't it just yesterday we were holding our first baby in our arms, worrying and wondering over him? I love being Miles's mother. Every day I get to laugh, snuggle, argue, learn, wrestle, and play with one of the most special people I'll ever know. He has a fierce, sensitive, funny spirit and I love him endlessly.

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).