Little baby "N" (yes she has a name now- nope we aren't sharing yet) is due to make her debut in a little under two weeks- if not before then. Her room has been fun and challenging at the same time. I wanted something neutral and welcoming- nothing over the top- something that fit right into our home. And since its officially complete she is welcome to quit kicking my ribs and come anytime- anytime little one. 

By far my favorite thing about this room is this white wall- designed to look like an old wood farmhouse wall i couldn't be more thrilled with how it turned out! 

In case you were wondering we will fill those frames with pictures of her once she arrives- but until then we are content with the photos we took to share the news of her arrival with our families. And the frame in the middle- thats my baby blanket- her name is pinky. It once was bright pink with sheep and now its grey and see-through. It makes me so happy to see it hanging on her wall. 

 the room is complete with one big brother whose patiently awaiting her arrival! (we secretly are praying he likes her- poor guy has no idea how badly his world is about to get turned upside down)! 

Truth be told i'm having a hard time with baby clothes. I like things neutral and basic (like her nursery- pictures coming soon). And baby girl clothes are anything but neutral and basic- they have stuff all over them!! I'm really struggling with all the pink flowers, animals, and disney characters etc. So lately I've been on the search for baby girl clothes that are simple. So in attempt to be creative I dyed some white onesies. They were super easy and I really like how they turned out.

What you need:

White cotton onesies (3 pack for $8.99 at target) 

Fabric Dye (Rit powder was $2.29 at the fabric store) 

Instructions: 

Fill your washing machine with HOT water- take the onesies of your choice (i choose one of each style and size to dye in each color) and get them wet with hot water. This is important to make sure the color spreads evenly. Before you put the onesies into the water mix the packet of dye into the hot water. Then drop (well carefully set so you don't get a huge splash) the onesies into the colored water. I let my sit in the water for 10 minutes before starting a normal wash cycle. Looking back I should have waited more like 30 minutes for the color to darken. After the wash cycle is done, run them through another cycle with cold water. I then ran them through one more cold water cycle with a tiny bit of laundry soap so that next time they are washed the colors won't bleed. And then they can ether be hung dry or put in the dryer. Simple enough. Now don't panic that your washing machine is a lovely shade of purple/green/blue. After your done dyeing the onesies just run an empty load on hot with a cup or so of bleach. And it will be sparkling new! 

Well i never figured i'd be the type of girl to make my own homemade laundry soap but hey here i am. This recipe is super easy and saves you money- big money. I'm talking around the total cost is around $6 for 550 loads. When we make this recipe/batch it usually lasts us (myself and the drover) around 2 months. Here's what you need;

1 bar of soap (any kind will do but i use dove free- i'm allergic to any kind of scents- yeah that includes lotion, perfumes, body wash, candles etc) 

1 cup borax

1 cup washing soda 

a big pot (that holds more than 2 gallons)

a grater 

a funnel 

a long spoon

2 empty containers 

optional: a few drops essential oil for smell 

Step 1- Place 1 gallon water into your pot- 

 

Step 2- grate your bar of soap and add it to your pot- heat the water and soap until the soap fully dissolves. 

Step 3- add 1 cup washing soda and 1 cup borax to pot- stir until it comes to a boil

*watch your pot carefully- it boils over it your not careful* 

Step 4- once it boils add 1 galloon cold water- turn off heat and allow it to cool. As it cools it will start to coagulate (gets thicker) usually within 24 hours. Using a funnel pour soap into containers. 

I use about 1/2 cup per load. On a side note this soap doesn't make suds like regular laundry soap but cleans wonderfully. I haven't had any problems with unclean clothes or colors fading. Happy washing.  

We're blessed to have 7 (soon to be 9) little ones in our life. And since we love these little people just about more than anything- we always try to find them memorable christmas presents. This year i came across the idea for fort building kits and i knew thats what we had to do! (seriously growing up we were always building forts- once we made one that covered the entire basement) So I thought i'd share our DYI version of a build your own fort kit! 

Rope (used to tie things- possibly blankets or possibly your siblings )

Lantern (great for reading AND those midnight bathroom breaks) 

S'mores (oh yeah- and so far this little jar of stickiness is getting rave reviews) 

I used chalkboard spray paint for the tops of the mason jars just to make them a little more personal!  

Flat sheet(s) (i sewed heavy ribbon on all the corners and midlines so it could easily be tied to bedposts and dressers- you know the important things)  

Clothes Pins (for added support)   

And we must not forget the most important part of fort building- getting to do it with all the little ones we love!   

If you interested in my tags just leave me a comment with your email and i'd be happy to send them right along! 

Thought i'd share this tasty granola recipe! It makes a wonderful holiday treat/neighbor/co-worker gift! And as an added bonus it makes your house smell so yummy! 

Apple Cinnamon Granola 

 3 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup ground flax seed
½ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

pinch of ground ginger

½ cup honey

1 cup maple syrup (the real stuff) 

1 cup almonds

½ cup walnuts

1 tablespoon melted coconut oil

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until well coated! 

Pour mixture on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 300 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes. Turn granola over every 15 minutes to prevent burnt edges! 

Cool and enjoy! Its especially yummy with some dried fruit and vanilla yogurt! 

So i saw a burlap wreath last week on pinterest. And lets just say i fell in love with it! (remember how i love all things old) However the esty shop wanted anywhere between $39-59. And since that is more than i wanted to spend on a single wreath i figured i'd try my hand at DYI my own burlap wreath- and i love how it turned out so i thought i'd share it with you! Its so simple and easy! 

All you need are three things

1- Scissors 

2-  Burlap- I bought 2 yards for $3.99/yard at Joanns plus my 40% off coupon so my burlap total came to $4.79

3- Wire wreath- $3.49 at Michaels plus a 40% off coupon came out to $2.10

Step 1: Cut burlap into strips roughly 1 to 2 inches wide and 4 to 5 inches long. I'm not patient enough to measure the burlap so i just cut strips and they turned out a little uneven but overall i think it added a nice look to the wreath. 

Disclaimer: Cut your burlap outside- it makes a gigantic mess!  

Step 2: Tie! Start at one end and start knotting your burlap strips around each wire layer. (just one knot was sufficient) It's important to cover all four wires all the way around so the wreath looks nice and thick! 

The total project was made for less than $7 and took maybe 45 minutes to complete- I love how the burlap looks on our front door for Thanksgiving and then i might dress it up with a little red if I want to enjoy it through Christmas! Happy crafting! 

When i saw these books in a catalog a few weeks ago it was defiantly love at first sight. As the drover so kindly put it "you just love that is halfway falling apart and old". True. But i figured i could do the DYI version of the books for much cheaper. Also True. So we searched the local thrift store for some old cheap tattered looking books. And we found some for less than $1 each. Then i did what every child dreams of doing and ripped all the covers and binding off each of the books then tied the groups together with twine. And now a lovely old half falling apart decoration for the old hutch.