Saving Money - Great Breakfasts

There's no better feeling than coming off a habit of constantly buying your breakfast. I love Tim Horton's sausage breakfast sandwich and their tea. The tea is steeped. How it should be. But when it costs $4.98 each morning you have to reevaluate your spending. And really, its just plain lazy of me. I used to be so good at packing lunches and eating at home before I left for work. I don't make time for breakfast at home now so the least I can do is prep it at home and bring it to work. A friend of mine, who is my frugal guru (in a very good way) mentioned this breakfast to me awhile ago. I forgot about it, like I am known to do, until I came upon it on Pinterest. Its prepped at night and ready to eat in the morning. I hit a bulk food store for the old fashioned oats and chia seeds and the rest is straight from your local grocery store.

This is the Banana Cocoa Oatmeal and it was deelish. Oh and its made to go in a mason jar. How awesome.

 I've been doing so great bringing breakfast and lunch in. Do I even need to tell you how happy I am to be saving all that money each week now? Let's just say ModCloth.com is happy. Oh wait. NO! That wasn't the purpose of saving money! And the funny thing? My job is managing budgets on TV production. Which I'm much better at than managing my personal accounts. Ridiculous eh?

So I make three of these each night. One for my kids to share (they're still very young) and one for each myself and my husband.

Anyway go check out this website The Yummy Life and her Oatmeal Yogurt breakfasts!

Stereo Cabinet Facelift

I'm so happy! I actually finished a project on target this long weekend. This is huge folks. Especially since we have had amazing weather and taken to the outdoors quite a bit. But there's always nap time. Thank goodness for that. My three and a half year old still takes a good afternoon nap on some occasions and this weekend it was needed. The two kids can't shake this cold they've got.

But this allows me time to do my stuff and this weekend I'm on a laundry and cleaning strike. Gross, yes, but much needed cause otherwise it can take over your life and its all I ever do. Am I right?

So here, the reveal. Cabinet re-dressed.

It was all pretty straight forward. Unscrew the panels, speakers and handles; remove old fabric that had been stapled on and affix new fabric with double sided tape and hot glue at the corners. Again I hit a project where I remember I don't have a staple gun. Who doesn't own a staple gun, for the love of...
I really need to get me one.

But really, I managed without and am so happy with the new cheery look. (So is my son actually)

And I love how much the handles show up now.

And I've got a bit of the fabric left. About 10". Not too much, but enough. I'll put it away in my fabric stash and rediscover it later.

Fabric Love

For the past 3 weekends my fabric shopping has been put on hold for various reasons but yesterday I booked time and went out. I have a place not too far that is pretty huge that I usually hit but wouldn't you know, when I street parked a block away from it I found myself in front of a place called 'the workroom'. A folding street sign is all I saw. I've never noticed the place before. Its been there 4 years! How could this be? (Because I don't go out for strolls outside my own direct hood since I had my first baby in 2008). Sad sad.

But now, I have a new fave fabric place. Its so beautifully organized and simple. AND if I should want for a workshop sewing course, voila, a great space to go.

If I'd thought to pull out my phone to take photos I could show you their wall of super colour organized cotton prints. Instead I'll insert a screen shot from their website to give you an idea.

This is how I need a fabric shop laid out.

I found all four fabric project prints here. For the record, I did pop out to the originally planned place of business but their layout and crowds and prices turned me away. After finding this quiet little place I think this is now my go-to shop.

So what did I buy?

Alexandre Henry: In The Kitchen: Red Tea ABC Cookery for a sling shelf for the kid's room. Had to be unisex and in a colourway that would somewhat match the room. And I love this.

Lily Ashbury: Tradewinds: Malabar Green Ornament. Bean Bag Chair fabric. The kids should have some fun seats in our living room. And washable.

And from the same collection this fabulous fabric to recover an old stereo console that needs a drastic pick-me up. Lily Ashbury: Tradewinds: South Pacific Jaipur

I got this old console years ago for a great deal through a friend who upcycles anything she can get her hands on. Unfortunately the stereo isn't functioning but one day I hope I can afford to have it looked at. The right hand door is the speaker and the left opens to show the radio and some shelves. I've been thinking about painting it but realized new fabric would be the better choice. I love this cabinet, the handles, the peg legs... and I can't wait to show off the upgrade as it will be my first project!

I also got a Kona Sold Cotton: Medium Grey to make myself a pleated skirt. My sister made it in the chevron and its fab. But I need a straight up none pattern in my wardrobe now that I'm back at work.

I hope to have updates soon! It IS the long weekend and all...

WIP Wednesday

I have two projects going on right now. Both in bamboo silk. I'm still not used to knitting with something so slippery!

My KAL is too big for me but I'll make sure it goes to a loving home. In the meantime it still needs a rework on the bottom and hopefully that happens before the weekend. But what I had to do first was frog the bottom because I bind off too tight and it barely made it over my hips.

It should hang loose but its slouched here because its tight.

But I didn't discover it was too tight until after binding off, blocking AND after weaving in the ends. Who waits to try it on after doing all of the above? Me. A person absolutely naive that it might not fit! *insert maniacal laugh here* cause its all I got folks.

The bulk around the bust should be filled... with bust. But its not.

Basically I used a yarn I was new to and it had much more weight and drape than I thought it would.



But again, I've learned a few things on this tank.

   1. Research before blocking. Assume nothing. Cause throwing this sucker in the sink of water, as you can imagine, made it grow 3 times its size. So into the dryer it went! I was supposed to lay it down dry and spritz it with water. "Ahhhh yes, that makes more sense," is about where my mind went.
   2. I am way too thorough when weaving in ends. Man, unweaving it last night was entirely too difficult. Especially after blocking.
   3. I did learn how to frog but I pre-loaded my stitches on a 'brake' needle so I wouldn't have to pick them up after. Woo-hoo to that!

So I hope to gift this along and then make another for myself, downsized and with a more structured yarn.

~~~

The second project is this bandana scarf.

A LONG overdue present that got put aside for the above tank... I hope it blocks nicely. Now that I know how to properly block bamboo silk that is. *cough cough*
Can you tell I'm on a coral fixation?
And I hope I can part with it when I'm done... cause I'm falling in love with it.

Back at Work - Where's My Free Time Gone?

I've now been back at my office job for 3 weeks now. I'm way behind on knitting, reading my fave blogs and writing blogs!

But as I sit here and catch up I thought I'd share what that looks like.
In anticipation of back-to-work I asked for this lovely Aladdin container for Christmas from Modcloth. Love. It.
Its adorable. Obvious.
And microwavable if I'm stuck without a porcelain bowl to nuke in. I'd buy anything from Aladdin again.



It comes in red too.



Left over pasta and rhurbarb cobbler. Yum!

There is also a divider that fits inside one container like a half moon incase you don't want bits mixing.
And now... back to reading blogs!
Happy Hump Day!

3KCBWDAY4 - A Knitter or Crocheter For All Seasons?

A Knitter or Crocheter For All Seasons?

As spring is in the air in the northern hemisphere and those in the southern hemisphere start setting their sights for the arrival of winter, a lot of crocheters and knitters find that their crafting changes along with their wardrobe. Have a look through your finished projects and explain the seasonality of your craft to your readers. Do you make warm woollens the whole year through in preparation for the colder months, or do you live somewhere that never feels the chill and so invest your time in beautiful homewares and delicate lace items. How does your local seasonal weather affect your craft?

 I live in a four seasons kinda place. And when its the cold seasons... it seems brutally cold! Although some of my more northern family would laugh at me for saying that, but its all relative! I've been knitting for a little over 12 months now and didn't start off knitting for summer. I started by knitting baby blankets. Cause that's the beginner kind of thing to do. As fall came I realized I wanted to knit people Christmas presents. And cowls, snoods and neckwarmers were the next easiest thing to do.

Oh and dishcloths.
So I knit up a few cowls. Christmastime is Wintertime. And Wintertime lasts til... uhm, this week here apparently. So that's good use of winter knits. And I was thinking of putting down the needles for summer and sewing instead.

Say What??? What was I thinking? luvinthemommyhood started a Tops, Tanks & Tees KAL and heck yes, I could knit myself something to show off this summer? And when people asked, "Did you knit that yourself?" I could proudly say, "Yes!" (Cause for years the answer has been, "No, my lovely mother did." And I want to say, "Yes, I did!"

So I'm knitting Coachella and can't wait for it to come together.
I'm only a few rows past this photo where I stopped to try it on and find out that the neckline hangs really l o w on me.
Saucy!

So all that to say, I'm probably going to be a seasonal knitter.

3KCBWDAY3 - My Knitting Hero

3KCBWDAY3 - My Knitting Hero

Blog about someone in the fibre crafts who truly inspires you. There are not too many guidelines for this, it's really about introducing your readers to someone who they might not know who is an inspiration to you. It might be a family member or friend, a specific designer or writer, indie dyer or another blogger. If you are writing about a knitting designer and you have knitted some of their designs, don't forget to show them off. Remember to get permission from the owner if you wish to use another person's pictures.

Well, I wouldn't even have had a thought about knitting if it weren't for my mom! Knitting since she was about 14 (give or take, she can't exactly remember) she can whip up a garment while I visit. But now she's always too busy visiting with her grandchildren. LOL

But honestly, my mom has always been willing to knit anything I want and make modifications for me. Even the time I found a gorgeous men's wool leaf pattern sweater kit at a show. I was in high school and had my own cash to buy the kit. Any kit I wanted! The style was baggy sweater, pinned jeans. I'm tall but skinny. So this sweater needed to be modified from a men's small to a woman's small. She did it. Without a word. And this is one example of many.
"Mommmm! Can you knit this?"
"Do you think you could make my friend a baby sweater? They're due in June. Sex unknown."
"Mom, I bought this knit pattern book. Can you knit your grandson this sweater in it?"
"Can you knit this but make the sleeves shorter and the neck higher?"

Years of me asking her to knit things up. Never a complaint. Always with a smile. On top of that she was loves knitting stuff she picks out herself for the grand kids. Especially when my little guy came 9.5 weeks early. My mom knit the tiniest little cap and sweater for him!

And when my daughter was born early too, oh the tiny gorgeous girly sweaters. I remember when they were too big for her and now I can't believe that she was ever that tiny!

Then there's the help she is more than willing to give. Skype when I have a problem or even sending me packages of needles she no longer uses. Or random knit help books she finds that I might be able to use. Uhm... yes, please!

So now a gallery of knits of the knitting my mom has done for me and my kids. There's a lot. But I love them all too much to leave any out. Of course all the knits from my youth are buried.

Adorable - If I do say so myself. These really are some of my fave pics. I wish I had a better photo of the striped one. Its still my absolute favourite ever ever ever.






Sweaters for my son. Note the adorable Elephant buttons on the royal blue hooded one.



Baby girl is still wearing the purple top left sweater, but check out those tiny sweaters! I should have took 'scale' photos so you'd understand just how tiny. The sherbert kimono sweater is my fave!



My stuff! Fingerless gloves, Celtic cashmere lined mitts (love), big fluffy warm mitts and a scarf she knit me from a skein I fell in love with years ago. It was super expensive but I could afford it back then!

And now here are some current kid stuff from Nanny.



Snuggled in her sweater and blanket knit by Nanny! (I purchased the hat, it was too cute to pass up)

 

She's still not tall enough but soon soon...



Love the Northern Ontario feel of this one.

One that I had my mom knit up from a book I found.

So there you have it. My mom is My Knitting Hero.
I love you, mom! x0