Fitted Crib/Toddler bed sheets

Fitted Crib/Toddler Bed sheets

Have you ever noticed how expensive crib sheets are? Depending on where you purchase them they are quite pricey! Then if someone makes you a beautiful baby quilt or toddler bed quilt, you have to try and match a store bought crib sheet to the quilt, & usually end up with a huge variety of choices, white, pink, or blue!  So now you'll be able to make crib sheets from fabric you can purchase, to match any blanket or quilt. So lets get started y'all!

Items Needed:

70x45 inches of fabric (two yards, cut off a standard 45 inch bolt

4 feet of thin elastic, 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch

Thread

Pins

Scissors

Rotary Tool

Cutting Mat

Measuring tape

Strait Ruller

Sorry these two pictures are upside down. My blog sometimes uploads them funky and I can't turn them once they are in there. 

First measure out your elastic and cut it to four, twelve inch pieces. 

now this next step you can cut each corner one at a time or you can fold the fabric corners up and cut all four corners at one time, which ever works better for you! So now you need to cut a nine inch square off of each corner of the fabric, 

This is how each corner will look when you've cut the nine inch square. Now that you have cut your square off of each corner, essentially each corner has no corner, each has now two corners, so match up those two corners and this is where we'll sew. 

Okay now you've got your two corners lined up where you cut out your nine inch square, sew this together. 

Okay y'all this is what your corner looks like sewn together. 

Fold your first piece of elastic in half and find the center. Place the center of the elastic on the seam of the corner of what you have sewn. 

Now you'll pin the middle of the elastic on the seam you have just sewn. Then measure twelve inches away from that and pin the edge of the elastic, you'll do this on the other side as well. So you'll have a bunch of fabric between your two pins. 

Now when you go to sew your elastic, use a zig zag stitch and you will have to stretch the elastic out so it lines up with the material, if you don't then you won't have a stretchy corner to go over the edge of the mattress.  

When you let the slack back in the corner you'll see how it will pull back together, now that the elastic is sewn to the fabric.

Now you can be done at that point or you can give your sheet a more finished look, this is what I chose to do, because I give my sheets as gifts with baby quilts. In order to do that you'll need to edge the sheet. All the way around you'll need to fold over a quarter or half inch of the sheet and sew it together. When you get to the corners you'll need someone to hold the elastic parts open so you can fold over the fabric and pin the edging. Which is what the picture shows you below. When you sew it again to give it the edge you'll need to again stretch out the elastic. When you've sewn all the way around the sheet, remove your pins and you're done! 

This is one of my sheets on my cousins baby crib, I also made the skirting and the quilt. I don' have a picture of the camo sheet because I don't actually own a crib sorry! It's a baby gift. 

I hope this tutorial makes sense, and you make some super cute crib/toddler bed sheets!!!!

Dirty lenses? Clean them up!

Hey y'all! So if you're anything like me then you have never had a new vehicle, new to you sure, but never spanking new, slap your mama, off the lot vehicle.  So what I've come to realize over the years is no matter how many times I ask Mr. Amazing to change the bulbs in my headlights, they always do not give off enough light at night to make me happy. I feel like I'm driving in the dark, okay so I am driving in the dark, but you know the dark dark, I want brighter headlights, without having to purchase new headlight covers! Or heaven forbid depending on your vehicle the entire headlight!  So I have discovered via a friend an awesome way to clear up your head lights!!!!  

What you'll need:

1 medium sized tube of Tooth Paste
2 old wash rags
(I say old because no matter how many times I've washed my washrag it still smells a bit like Crest)

Note when you get to the bottom, you'll notice the headlights look better, not perfect but a heck of a lot better, and we tested our theory last night and drove over to Niagara Falls, and the sight is much better, the lights are much brighter. If you're lenses are very bad like mine are you're not going to be able to get all of the scratches to clear up, but it makes a significant improvement.

So this is my headlight cover on the front of my pickup right now. Isn't it beautiful!

So put a small amount of toothpaste on your rag.  

I have found that it does a better job when going in a circular motion, instead of a back and forth scrubbing motion. Just think wax on wax off wax on wax off.

See it's looking better already! Now that you've completed the whole lens and it's covered in dried on tooth paste, get another rag and wet it down and wipe the whole lens cover down.  

So like I said it't not perfect, but a vast improvement if I do say so myself! I hope you get even better results!

Since we are up here in New York for work we meet all sorts of people from all over the world. Currently there was a lovely couple from Corpus Christi Texas, about 400 miles from where we live in Texas. This couple was super sweet as they walked their four tiny yappy dogs all over the RV park.  They stopped to chat when they noticed our Texas plates on the pick up.  The man was super interested in what I was doing sitting in front of my pick up in my lime green lawn chair scrubbing my headlights. But he was super impressed to see the difference it had made and gave me a little advice of his own. A man he met back in Canada told him to put RainX on his headlights every once in a while, especially when you're vehicle is new so that it will never get to this point. He said that it will repel everything coming at it in the future. He also said that he's never had to replace a headlight lens since he started using it. So I think now that I'm done here, I'll go get a little RainX!

I apologize for the pictures from my pickup y'all, that sucker needs a bath! That's 1500 miles from Texas to New York bugs sitting right there. GROSS! 

Cajun Chex Mix!

Hey y'all, lets make a spicy cajun treat! 

Ingredients

2 tbl of Butter or Margarine

2.5 tbl of Worcestershire Sauce

1 tbl of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning

1/4 tbl of Onion Powder

1/4 tbl of Garlic Powder

Chex cereal or Crispix cereal, in any flavor of your choice, feel free to mix & match

(you can also add pretzels and nuts if you'd like, my family prefers just the cereal so that's all I made tonight)

either way you go you'll need eight cups, weather it's eight cups of just cereal or a combination of cereal, pretzels, & nuts, you need eight cups worth. 

First set your oven to 300 degrees

Then pour your cereal OR your cereal, pretzel, nut combo into a 9X13 baking dish.
Sorry about Mr. Amazing, he was digging in before it was cooked.

Then add your butter to a microwavable safe container and heat for about 45 seconds, add your spices and your Worcestershire Sauce, mix thoroughly and pour slowly all over the cereal mixture. Then turn repeatedly until evenly coated. Pop in the oven for twenty minutes, pull out and mix again, then pop back in for twenty more minutes, take out to cool, DONE!  

Once your mix is done and completely cooled scoop it into a gallon ziplock back and close up OR put into individual baggies for take along snacks. Remember it's spicy, not so great for little ones.  This recipe makes about half a one gallon ziplock bag.  Enjoy!

Creamy Bacon Chicken & Rice

Hey y'all!  I hope you're ready for another delicious dinner, super quick prep, then put it in the crock pot for five hours and bam! dinner is done!  I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does. 

Ingredients

1 Package of Thin Sliced Bacon
1 Package of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (about a pound)
1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup (roasted garlic kind)
1 Can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 8oz Container of Sour Cream
1/2 Cup of All-Purpose Flour
1 Small Onion Chopped
Salt & Pepper to Taste
1 Small can of Mushrooms
Rice or Pasta of your choice

(keep in mind if you are not a fan of Mushrooms & Onions you can leave them out, or substitute them with other veggies of your choice.)

Lets get cooking!!!

 First mix in a separate bowl the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, the flour, & the sour cream, salt & pepper to taste. The sauce will be really thick, you might think you need a mixer but a good sturdy whisk will do the job!  Next fold in the onions and mushrooms to the sauce mixture.  Set the bowl of the sauce aside and we'll now work on the chicken & bacon.  (I personally do not salt anything when using and Campbell's Soups, because I find them to be really salty already)

First cut your chicken into thin strips, cut them as long as the breast is long wise, then about one half to one inch wide. The thickness is entirely up to you, this just happens to be how I cut it. 

Next we're going to wrap each strip of chicken with a piece of bacon.

After you've wrapped each piece of chicken with a slice of bacon place them neatly in the bottom of your crock pot. All of mine fit in the bottom without having to double any layers.

Next you'll pour your sauce mixture over the top of your chicken bacon wraps. After you've got it all poured over the chicken, get out a rubber scrapper and push the chicken away from the sides a little so you can get some of the sauce all around the chicken.

Place your lid on  your crock pot and set it to high for one hour, then turn the crock pot down to low for three hours, check your chicken temperature at that time. Your chicken's internal temperature should be between 160 and 170 degrees. Now if you have an older crock pot you may have to cook your chicken for five hours or more.

Honey said he thinks he'd like the bacon precooked, so you can try it that way also, it was wonderful!

Lastly you'll want to make up your rice or pasta at this time. I think this chicken goes great over Jasmine rice or Egg Noodles. Eat up and Enjoy!!!

Crawfish Etouffee

Hey y'all! I know it's been a while since my last entry, so I thought I'd share with you a family favorite of mine we made for dinner tonight.  

Never fear, Jess is here with an easy Etoufee!  Crawfish Etouffee can be made many different ways, this way is super simple I promise, give it a try you won't be sorry!!!  So follow me to a 30 minute Cajun getaway of deliciousness! 

Ingredients

2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter cubed

1 Medium Vidalia Onion diced (you can use any onion, I prefer this one with my Etouffee)

1 Green Bell Pepper diced

1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic (OR) 1/4 Tablespoon garlic powder

1 Package of Frozen Crawfish Tails (available in Wal-Mart freezer section by the shrimp, even in Iowa!)

3 (10.75oz) Cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup (full fat version) 

1 (10oz) Can of Ro-Tel diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies 

8oz of Water

1 Tablespoon dried Parsley flakes

Tony  Chachere's Famous Creole Seasoning to taste 

Ground Black Pepper to taste

Jasmine Rice

Lets get cooking!

In a large stock pot, add butter, garlic, diced onions, & diced bell peppers, cook on medium heat until onions are clear. The veggies will look like they're in a butter soup. Don't turn the burner up to high, you'll burn the veggies and cook all the butter down to nothing.  

Next rinse your Crawfish in a colander and then put them into the veggie/butter combo.  Heat still on medium for another five minutes.

Next add in Cream of Mushroom & Ro-Tel & 8oz of Water.  Bring this to a boil stirring the whole time to keep it from sticking to the bottom of your pot, then turn down to a simmer for thirty minutes.  After 10 minutes time of simmering add the parsley, black pepper, & Tony's seasoning.

Meanwhile cook up your rice, don't ask me how to do that! I put it in the cooker, add water, press start! :)

When both Rice and Etouffee are done, spoon the Crawfish Etouffee over the rice, serve, & enjoy!!! 

No Sew Tutu

Supplies Needed

Scissors

Tape Measure

Ribbon

6-8 yards of Tulle in your choice of colors

(I used baby pink, hot pink, & purple)

                           

First measure the child’s waist.  Then pull out your ribbon, from the end measure eight to ten inches and tie a knot.  Then from the knot measure the distance of the child’s waist, the child I made this for has an 18 inch waist.  So far my length is 26 inches, then at the end of the child’s waist measurement tie another knot, then from the second knot measure another eight to ten inches and cut the ribbon. Should look like so…

       ---------knot-----------18------------knot--------

Sorry didn’t think about taking a picture of that. I hope that makes sense. If not let me know and I’ll find some more ribbon.

Then you want to determine how long you want your tulle pieces to be. Mine were 45 inches long and 4 inches wide. Four inches wide seemed to work the best, so go ahead and cut all of your tulle. Now I know 45 inches sounds really long, but you are going to fold each pieces in half so in all actuality you are only having lengths of 22.5.  So you have to figure that in with the child’s height. On this particular tutu I made it WAY to long, so I’m going to have to trim it, it will look more like a dress on the child I made it for!  

The white ribbon photos are strictly to show you how to tie the tulle onto the ribbon. You take your first length of tulle and fold it in half, then open the half behind the ribbon.  Then you take the ends of your tulle and poke them through the hole together as if one piece, then pull through gently. After you have the tulle through and are tightening it, you’ll have to nudge it and pull it in different directions to get it tight along the ribbon. Keep in mind you can rip the tulle, it’s not very strong. 

One you have a piece tied on you then slide it all the way over the knot, you can alternate colors of tulle or you can use all the same colors, you can even cut the same length of ribbon as your tulle and add ribbons to your tutu as well. I did hot pink, baby pink, purple, then a ribbon.  You’ll add the tulle all along the ribbon between the knots.

Once you are done you are ready to tie it onto the child using the two 8-10 inches pieces hanging off the ends. You’ll have a dancing fairy princess all over hour house in no time.

Also this isn’t exactly easy to do by yourself, so you can find a way to tie the two ends of the ribbon to something to hold it taunt, your can enlist your own Mr. Honey Amazing to hold your ribbon for you, as I did.  

Tiny Fairy Clipits

Supplies Needed

Scissors

Artificial Flowers

Hot Glue Sticks & Gun

Craft Felt

Alligator Barrette Clips

not pictured above, Center Pieces (flat back marbles or gems)

Start off by removing all your flowers from the stems, then use your scissors to

cut the end of the stems off.

When you’ve cut off the ends of the stems your flowers should start coming apart in pieces, pull all of the pieces apart and set aside in order as they were together as a flower, this is the order you’re going to hot glue them back together.

Now you’re going to glue them back together piece by piece.  Use your hot glue and make a circle of glue around the hole in the center, then press the next flower piece into the glue.  You can use something like the end of your scissor handles to do this because the GLUE IS HOT!  And it will burn you. I know from experience. 

Once you have your flowers all back together you’re going to glue your center  piece in, you can use flat back marbles, or little jewels you find in the craft section. So put the glue directly on the back of your center piece, I discovered if you put it in the flower you will squish glue all out of the sides of your center piece, you can see this when you look at the finished green flower. Bummer that  one was my favorite! 

Now on to the back.  You cut a small rectangle of  felt out, about three times the size of your alligator barrette clip.  Then run a line of hot glue on your felt and open up your alligator barrette clip and clip it onto the glue line.  

                                                                            

Then on the side of the clip that is in the glue, put more hot glue all over the back side and press onto the flower and hold tightly for a few seconds.  

Voila!

Then you have your very own cute Tiny Fairy Flower Clipit! These are super cute on babies, and with the right flower look elegant on women!