DIY Crib Rail Protectors

I have to say I'm kind of disappointed.

Before starting to write this blog I looked up "crib rail protectors" to make sure I had the correct terminology, thinking that I would find those plastic tube-looking things.  Oh how wrong I was.  I found fabric tie-ons similar to what I thought I had ingeniously (more or less) thought up all by myself.  So just to clarify, my tie on crib protectors I thought up all of my own.  This is my virtual pat on the back.

So moving on.  With the babe's teeth coming through, she's already found them useful for perfecting her woodchuck impersonation on the crib.  I wondered what the brown specks on her shirt the other day were...  Lovely.  So I scrounged around and found everything I needed around the house.

Materials I used:
- 1 yard of fabric
- Extra fabric for padding (optional) - I used two layers of flannel-type material
- Ribbon (I would suggest one with a little texture as opposed to the silky stuff I used)
- Non-slip shelf liner "NSSL" as I'll refer to it from now on (found with the contact paper, it's kind of foamy/squishy)

There aren't any "in progress" pictures.  It was late.  And I was preoccupied watching episodes of The OC.  Please don't hate.

Some random facts:

For the front piece, I sewed two pieces together since my crib is longer than a yard.

I could probably have spent a bit more time and sewn the ties on inside the two layers of fabric, but the way my crib is made, you can't even see where the ties are sewn on, so I just sewed them on the underneath side.

The silky ribbon probably won't stay tied as well as a textured one would.  But with my few layers of NSSL, it hasn't moved yet.

the two side pieces

 I thought one piece (the long skinny one) of NSSL would be enough, but after a couple
times of babe standing up in the crib and messing with them, the non-slip stuff wasn't
doing its job.  I suggest a couple of layers, at least one cut nearly as thick as your bumper)
so it wraps over and around the side.

Finished! And, if I do say so, cuter than what I could have bought :)

Any projects on your radar at the moment?

Inspired Vignette

I'm sad to say that the past few years I have hardly been garage sale-ing / antiquing.  I'm sure I've passed up countless deals and cute stuff because I've had a "it's all just stuff that'll collect dust" attitude. Shame on me, I know.  And my house poor shows it.  Looking around the other day, I realized that  - aside from a few clusters here and there - my house doesn't feel as homey as I'd like it to {my Mom disagreed with me and said it does feels homey}.  But I think I can step it up a few notches for a few dollars.   In fact, I stopped at a garage sale today and came home with a couple of treasures.  I'm excited to find them a perfect place!  I'm thinking about spray painting the basket a dull black... I'm not digging the green.  What do you think?

I've been perusing Google Images for spring decorating ideas {no joke, I could be on GI for days and not get bored}.  Now my virtual "Design Ideas" folder is busting at its poor gigabyte seams.

My goal for the next couple of weeks is going to be the mantle.  It's been pretty "wah-wah" with black frames and a few tea lights.  But we're taking baby steps here until I can come up with enough fun stuff to fill it.  Enter, the bathroom and it's new vignette:

What do you think of my paper doily wrapped soap pump?  At least for a few days until it starts getting splashed.  But hey, a package of 40 was at the dollar store. No complaints when it does get wet and ruined.  I think some lace ribbon to tie on the top of my lotion dispenser would add a nice touch too.  Bonus: see that little empty space between the broach and hair pins?  A place to put my ring at night!  

What are your favorite places to go antiquing/"junking"? 

Coming Soon - My "Inspiration Board" for Emmalyn's first birthday! :)

I Hate the Circle of Life...

... Especially when it happens in my backyard.

I went to let the dogs in tonight, and Chelsea had a baby rabbit on the back porch... After finally getting her to leave it alone and go in the house, I hollered for Chris to come get it thinking it was dead.  But worse yet, it wasn't.  It's back end was dragging.  I start crying.  Wonderful husband "took care" of it (I definitely couldn't have done it). I have to tell myself it was best/only thing for the poor thing. Still sad :(  Stupid dogs.

Reminds me of a very vivid memory I have of when I was little.  A baby bird had fallen out of the nest.  I wanted so bad to take it to the vet.  I just knew that they could help it.  But my Mom assured me there was nothing they could do for it.  I remember sitting on her lap crying.  And hearing her heartbeat.  It was so comforting.  She told me that not even a bird dies without God knowing about it.

I've always been sensitive when it comes to animals, especially baby animals.  And I'm pretty sure being a mom now makes it about ten times worse.

I'll leave you with a funny story of the same subject.  When I was younger, we went through our fair share of hamsters.  When one in particular died, I remember burying it in an old check box in the backyard.  I put food in the box, just in case it wasn't really dead.  Hahaha.  That's the extent of what I remember.  But apparently I dug it up a couple times... Well, every time the story gets told, my brother adds more times that I dug it up.  It was not seven times, or eight.  Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I dug it up to put food in the box, then maybe one more time to make sure it hadn't "woken up" and started eating the food.  Ahh, kids.

Happy Easter!!

Sweet Baby E -
At 6 months you sit up on your own for the most part.  Sometimes you'll take a nose dive, but you don't care... You just end up on your tummy or roll to your back.  It seems like you're cutting teeth (massive amounts of drool, gnawing on everything) but I can't see of feel anything.  In the last months you've gained 2 pounds!  You really like eating solid foods.  There's nothing you don't like.  So far we've tried rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, sweet potato, avocado, banana, strawberries, green beans, peas, chicken (don't tell your doc ;), and other random mushy things that your parents let you suck off their fingers :)  You sleep 12 hours at night.  Sometimes you'll wake up at 5 or 6 in the morning, but after you eat, you go back to sleep for a few more hours.  Everywhere we go people always stop us and tell us how beautiful you are (seriously, this lady stopped me right in the middle of Dillon's parking lot the other day).  We know this, but it never gets old hearing other people that agree with us :)  You always have a smile for anyone that looks your way... I love that you don't just smile with your mouth, your whole face lights up when you smile... Giggling is a norm now too, but just because it's a norm, it's definitely the sweetest sound ever.  As much as we can't believe you are already a half of a year old (!), it's hard to remember a time when you weren't in our lives.   We are so so so grateful that God has given us 6 months with you!

Easter Preview :)

Easter greeting and 6 month stats coming this Sunday :)

A Beginner Couponer

I've decided to start couponing for a couple of different reasons.  First of all, since Chris is still unemployed, I can do better on the grocery budget.  We have cut back, but there is always room for improvement :)  Secondly is that since I'm staying home with Emmalyn, my "job" should be saving as much on groceries (and anywhere else in the budget) as I can.  All of it comes down to being wise with whatever money (as much or as little) we do have.


*Disclaimer - I won't be one of "those" couponers that has toilet paper stockpiled for 40 years. I won't buy things I don't need, even if they're free.  I may get creative with some things I get free, but I will use them! :)  For instance, my hair has an attitude and doesn't do well with generic/cheap shampoo and products, so there won't be much of a stockpile of those sorts unless my husband can use it.

I went to a "house party" where Deal Detecting Diva (DDD) gave us some great tips and showed us a few different coupon organizing methods... She's awesome! :)  I would highly recommend following her blog.  And if you have a few girlfriends that are interested in couponing, she can come to your house (for a super tiny "fee") and give you all kinds of info :)  DDD finds deals at Dillons, Target, Walgreen, Homeland (the only Homeland in KS is in Haysville, but they double $1 coupons to $2, so I'm thinking about making a trip every once in a while), and Apple Market, and posts them for all. Then I just go through and decide what deals I want to snag, copy and paste it into a Word document, clip my coupons, and I have my grocery list done! (DDD suggests carrying a copy of the store coupon policy with you).

My organization method is similar, but not exactly what DDD suggests.  I have a three-ring binder that I've hole punched my coupon books and put in source (RedPlum, SmartSource, and P&G) and date order.  I can easily flip through it to refresh my memory or to find a certain coupon.  So far I've been on two couponing trips.  Dillons and Target.  

This is my Dillons loot and breakdown (Dillons doubles coupons up to $1 every day):

3 Colgates - Free - on sale for $.98 each, three $.50 coupons doubled to $1.00.

2 Ragus - $2.58 - on sale for $1.79 each, coupon for "$.75 off 2", which went up to $1 off.

(I normally don't buy jar marinara sauce, but I use it for a certain recipe, so we're good :) 

Razor - Free - on sale for $5.99 - cut coupon for $2 off, loaded e-coupon onto Dillons card for $4 off.  [DDD never buys cartridge refills.  She always gets a better deal on the whole razor]

2 Jimmy Deans sausage chubs - $5.98 - on sale for $3.49 each, coupon for "$.50 off 2", doubled to $1 off.  The most expensive items, but when they are normally $4.99 each, I think this was a good deal.

--

TOTAL (before tax): $8.56

TOTAL SAVED: $16.00

Target loot and breakdown: Target takes 1 manufactures coupon + 1 Target coupon each item (also known as "stacking").  I'm only posting the things that I set out to buy. The husband came with me and we left with more things than were on the list. *dislike* ;)


2 Bertolli - $1.34 - on sale for $1.94 each. "$1.50 off 2" manf. coupon + "$1 off 2" Target coupon


Gain Fabric Sheets - $1.34 - coupon for $3 off


Mother's Milk Tea - $3.99 - not a great deal, but had a $1 off coupon, and it's a better price than Whole Foods.


Vaseline Men's Lotion - $.99 - $1 off manf. coupon + $1 off Target coupon.


Up&Up Formula - $10.89 - $1 off coupon.  Not a good deal, but I suppose a dollar is a dollar :)


TOTAL (before tax): $18.55
TOTAL SAVED: $9.50

Couponing used to intimidate me, but with every trip and dollar saved, it makes me more excited to keep doing it!

What are you doing these days to watch your dollars?

Giggles

This was a month ago or so, and she still isn't laughing at everything, but every once in a while, random things will make her laugh (like the aspirator :)