2 new shirts for Lou

In FL, everybody has about 2 weeks worth of winter clothes. At least in our area (former area anyway) in Clearwater, winter is a series of brief cold fronts (60 degrees) during January and February. Many days are still warm enough for short (80+). We were still swimming in December and were back in the pool by early March. So, we have been doing some winter clothes shopping for everyone, especially the kids. The kids have been growing so much that little from last year was wearable. Lou did have these two plain shirts that needed a little freshening up.


For the giraffe, I found an image online that I liked, printed it out, traced in on that iron-on interfacing with a paper backing. Then I ironed it on the fabric, cut and placed it on the shirt. After another quick iron and a trip through the sewing machine, we were ready to go.

The dinosaur shirt was made similarly, expect the fabric had the dinosaur print already and we just ironed on the paper, and cut. I left both shirts on the floor in Lou's room when I finished them (he was sleeping). When he got up in the morning, he brought them both out and was very excited to wear them both that day. I convinced him to save the giraffe shirt for the zoo field trip this week.

Halloween snack... it's a healty one too

These silly little pumpkins were a snack I made last year for Halloween. They are hallowed out oranges filled with orange jello. I also threw in some mandarin oranges to add a little substance. I decorated the faces with sharpie marker, but the orange oil in the skin make it a little tricky. I saw some oranges on the cover of a book at the library yesterday that had carved faces. I didn't stop to see how that did that. Tiny elf like carving tools?

pumpkin search game

Here is a current favorite at our house, a pumpkin search. Last year at co-op preschool I made this set of pumpkins; it's just puffy paint on foam paper. I hid them around the room and then the kids found them. Simple. I thought it would be a short lived, one time activity. I was wrong. We played over and over and over. Then we played with them all of November too. By December, I realized we were on to something. We had a Christmas themed set, some Valentines hearts for February, shamrocks in March, and eggs in April.

We have been playing them at the house a lot. Bee is a good hider, not to hard, not to easy. Lou..... he needs some assistance. Here's what happens when he hides them:

a few halloween crafts

When we unpacked the Halloween decorations last weekend, we found some fun crafts we had made last year, tucked away for us to discover and enjoy again.

Here is our front window, which Lou has said is spooky! The real cob webs were left there for effect... yeah... for effect!



This footprint ghost can be traced on white paper or painted (by foot stamping) white on black paper. The little eyes and mouth are added with marker. We covered ours with clear contact paper and strung up.

Here is a black handprint bat mounted on a toilet paper roll. I just cut out paper pieces for the face and body. Bee decorated and glued it all together. Ours is strung up and hanging from a light fixture.

I just love these mummys. They are paper towel roles cut to different sizes. Then, they were painted white and a layer of cut up gauze pads were glued on with elmers glue. Eyes are added when its all dry.

The kids got a good laugh out of these spiders. They were made two years ago. They are Styrofoam balls painted black, with black pipe cleaners poked in (and hot glued to secure). A picture of a face mounted on black cardstock is glued on for the spider's face. We attached some fuzzy fat white yarn for the web and hung him up. Lou makes a nice spider.

I just love Halloween. I have a fun Halloween game coming tomorrow and a snack after that!

new for us- maid rite

When we were in Springfield, IL we searched down a few letterboxes. One of them took us to a little restaurant called Maid -Rite. The website describes it as a 'Retro Americana Classic Diner Restaurant.' This was the original one so it had a total retro feel. They are known for their sandwich called the maid-rite, homemade root beer, and hand wrapped gum drops.

This one is a historical site and boasts the first drive up window. It really was just that, a wooden window that you drive up to.

We found the letterbox, drank root beer, talked with Sam- the owner since 1970. We enjoyed a maid-rite on the house. It was SO delicious. Unfortunately, we had just eaten a nice lunch at my Grandma's so no one had room for more.

Later, my Grandma helped me track down a recipe for a maid-rite. The first meal I made after arriving home was this. They were good. Very good in fact. I think I'll need to have another one at the shop to compare... maybe two! Here's the recipe my grandma's friend gave us:

(no one will probably notice, but the recipe calls for dill sandwich slices and spears are in the picture. There was some initial confusion on my part... I made a pickle relish for ours, but then hubby reminded me that they had slices instead. oh well)

Maid-Rite

1 pound ground beef

1 packet dry onion soup mix

white buns

sandwich dill pickles

yellow mustard

paper towel

Steam the ground beef. I think this means that you cook it covered in a skillet with a little water. Also, you break it up a lot to make it as fine as possible. After it's mostly cooked, add the packet of soup mix. On the buns, place a pickle or two and a squirt of mustard. Then add the loose meat to the top. Place the top bun on. Place in the paper towel and smash. Then, warm in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.

Those apple slices are not fresh, they were cut the day before. That's another thing I learned last week; another way to keep apple slices looking fresh, other than lemon juice. Dip apple slices in saltwater and then place in whatever storage container. When I tried this at home I just cut the apples up and put them in a glass container. Then I filled the dish with water and poured in some salt. I shook it all, then drained out the water. It worked. It gives the apples the slightest salty taste, but we have all agreed at our house that it's pretty yummy. When I was eating the apple slices last week before I knew about the salt, I didn't taste it. They were served at the funeral dinner with brei topped with brown sugar. It was fantastic. I am now looking for an occasion for brei. Do you really need a special occasion for brei though?

felt project preview- dinosaur island

I'm workin on a new felt project for Lou for Christmas. Felt handwork is such a nice project for the car and traveling. The numerous hours needed for detail work just don't matter when you're stuck in the passenger seat anyway. Last Thanksgiving I made this mail set. I made this felt dessert set last winter.

I was going to call this new project 'Dinosaur Island' but Lou might play with his Diego animals on it too, so I think we'll just call it volcano island. I don't want him to feel limited as it's supposed to be an open play activity. I am not done, but here are some sneak peek photos. Boy, it was hard to photograph the felt in the poorly lit bedroom I was hiding in to take pictures.

stuff I'm going to steal... I mean ask for

When we were at Hubby's parents place last time I spied some things in the garage, and barn that I am going to steal, I mean ask for... They have been in there for a super long time and I think they'll be ours for the taking. Look at these gems.


An old coal bucket:




This table was from my mom's old garage and then we used it as a kitchen table when hubby and I were first married. It's been in storage in the garage for some time.

This frame is shouting for some paint and a new job. That tennis racket might be fun too...

This old wooden tool box up in the rafters might be the best find (not the best picture though). Father in law said he got it in a trade from a guy who had him do some work and then couldn't pay him the full amount. It was once full of precision instruments.

Here's one of the drawers and the only instruments left.

homemade noodles

I've been watching for a noodle maker at garage sales for some time. A few weeks ago, I finally found one. It was practically new and still in the box. This and huge also new looking crock pot for $12 total, not bad (this is after I originally offered $6 each and she countered $7 for the noodle maker and $5 for the crock pot.... hmmm)! Then it sat in the box for a few weeks before I got up the nerve to try it out.

I found most online recipes to be so similar. I also found a few you-tube videos that explained the process, but it's pretty simple. I used 2 eggs only because that's all we had left and 1 1/2 c flour. I think I also added a shake of salt.

You make a little well out of the flour and then break the eggs in the middle. With a fork you just start mixing and slowly mix in the flour.

I'm not sure if this is how it's supposed to look, but this is what I ended up with after a bunch of trips through the press. This particular recipe did not need to dry, which is what I remember about my mom making noodles. After boiling for just a minute or so, they are done and ready to eat.

I think we all enjoyed them. The kids could have eaten thirds and fourths. I didn't have any sauce prepared for them and the kids were pretty confused. Next time they will be a main dish with some kind of sauce or vegetables cooked with them. I am also thinking about different purees that could be mixed in, or maybe cheeses?