Buy Handmade

It was a good day. I made some pants for the kids. Reversible flannel ones with penguins on one side and owls on the other. They are a big hit, and after every diaper change, the kids demand that they are put back on immediately. In fact, they must hold the pants during the diaper change, presumably so they don't get away.  After finishing the pants, we all went to COSI and finally got a membership. I've been meaning to for a while, but our friends kept inviting us as guests so we didn't need to. We can have a guest on our membership too, so I'll be able to do the same for someone else now. At COSI, we went to the Sesame Street Presents: The Body exhibit and the kids had a blast running around pushing buttons and exploring. They particularly liked the little grocery store setup. I was pretty impressed with their food selections. 

Almost everything that the kids are wearing is WAHM-made. Their new penguin pants are somewhat visable in the photos, then they have on long-sleeved onesies dyed by Janessa of Maple Leaf Designs who is a local dyer and good friend. On top of that they are wearing advocacy saying shirts made by SaySumthing. One of the shirts says Tree Hugger, and the other says Think Green. Both shirts were also dyed by Janessa. We are waiting for a couple more SaySumthing shirts to arrive in the next week or so and I'm excited to be able to have the kids wear them. They say Buy Handmade, and I think I'm going to try to make that our theme for the coming year, regardless of the proposed CPSIA regs. 

Chocolate disappointment

I just made myself a cup of hot chocolate (with a tiny bit of mint) to help get into a festive holiday mood. I have so much sewing left to do for the holiday sale, and need to build up momentum. Chocolate usually does the trick. Anyway, as I was mixing my organic free trade cocoa, cane sugar and unsweetened soy milk, I remembered the very first time that chocloate made me sad.

I was about 7 and needed some chocolate milk. I had made myself nestle Quick plenty of times, and loved the little sweet floaters of chocolate dust that would collect on the surface. Well, we were out of Quick, so I got the Hershey's powder out of the cabinet instead. (I'm sure that it's obvious where this is going). I did know that it wasn't presweetened, so I added some sugar and stired it up. There were more floaters than with the Quick, and I was thrilled. Until I tasted it. I felt so betrayed. I did everything I could think of to save it. I heated it, I stirred with a wisk, I may have even put it into a tupperware and shaken it. Nothing worked to make it drinkable. 

Now I know how to make a proper cup of chocolate milk (or soy, or whatever). But, almost every time I do, I'm brought back to that sad day in the kitchen trying to wash the horrible bitterness of unsweetened cocoa out of my mouth. I wonder if this is one of those universal experiences that many children have, or if I was just a strange one. 

Busy all the time, yet still a to-do list a mile and a half long?

I haven't updated in over a month!! How did that happen? 

I feel like I'm working all the time, and getting so little done. My days are all toddler, evenings are dinner, bath, and night-night. That just leaves the night for all things Bootie. And I try to fit some sleep in there too. I think that I was expecting to be able to get a little more done during the day as the kids get older. My expectations are changing constantly as reality trumps my guesses. But, when I stop to really think about it, I am helping two really amazing kids learn and grow, and I'm pretty sure that doesn't count as slacking.

I've been trying to work a bit each night on things for the upcoming (Dec. 6th)  Holiday Craft Fair at Sprout Soup. I'm planning on having a nice selection of green/reusable holiday items and some cute gifty things in all price ranges.  It's a little bit of a departure from my usual products, but I'm feeling the need to help reduce the amount of disposables in my community and offer a more sustainable alternative.

I've also been working on some really fun custom orders, for some of my favorite customers. Which I should get back to. 

Blast Off!!

Blast off at K&F today at noon!

Today's stocking theme is space and you'll find stars, planets, rockets and more. I've teamed up with Bonnie of Holden's Landing on a super cute rocket ship collab. Check it out! 

Also, be sure not to miss the HC$ auction for a Huggable Planet at K&F's Showcase on Hyena Cart! 

I've been tagged!

It's been so long since my last post, but I've been super busy and have some really cute pictures to prove it.  Those will have to wait for another post though, because I've Been Tagged!
Awww, my first tag! I was tagged by Bonnie with the 7 things meme...
The rules:
1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Write 7 random things about yourself.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post.
4. Pass on the tag.

7Things:
1. I am mama to boy and girl twins who can say "elbow" and "bubble" and "water" and "Heidi".
2. I really don't like snakes, they freak me out a little bit.
3. Potatoes are my favorite food, I think they are perfect. I love them mashed, baked, boiled, fried, and just about any other way they can be prepared. Except for when they are in stew. I'm not a fan of stew.
4. My kids are 19 months old and I just purchased a real nursing bra two weeks ago. Strangely enough, I love it.
5. I'd love to have some chickens and goats some day. But not until the kids are old enough to help take care of them. The thought of changing diapers all day and then having to clean up sheep poo isn't my idea of a good time.
6. I get the most done between 9 and 11:30 pm. The kids are in bed, and I'm still awake enough to not sew through my finger.
7.  There are lots of books and movies that I love, but I've never been able to pin down a favorite. Favorite color, I can do (even though it changes all the time. It's currently orange.) But there are no books that hold such a special place in my heart that none other can compare.
Now, Tag... You're it!
Ez at Emerald Isla Yarns, Jen at Dahara Dreaming, Linda at Little Flower Designs, Xan at Adventures of Davy, Abby at Sundays with Stretchy Pants, and Amy at How the Hell Did I Get Here? I know I'm supposed to have 7, but 6 was hard enough. I'll see if I can find a 7th tomorrow :)
Goodnight!

Yay for Flowergirls!

The current custom order that I'm working on is another flowergirl dress, made with Amy Butler fabrics. It's got a super spinny skirt, matching bloomers, and loads of ruffles. I'm really excited to finish it and I'll definately post some pictures. 
Tomorrow at K&F (at noon) is the 50's stocking. I made a set of mom & me aprons that look like they stepped out of the pages of Life. I love the cherry fabric, I've been letting it age in my stash waiting for the perfect time to use it. The mama apron converts from a full apron to a half apron and has a detachable towel to wipe your hands on.  The little one is a circle skirt done in the same fabric. I figured that would be easier for a little one to put on, rather than having to worry about tying apron strings.

From Dusk till Dawn

You can now find Pirate Bootie Baby at K&F Shops!
My first stocking with them is Friday 8/8/08 at 8pm, and then again at 8am on Saturday 8/9/08. 
I'm so thrilled to be a member of K&F, and excited for all the themed stockings that we have planned for this year. Come check it out!

Stardust Play Skirt...


Starry Night Dress...


Butterfly Bloomeralls...

Potty time! and COOKIE!

There has been no interest in the potty what so ever, until last night. Before the kids got their bath, the girl asked to have her diaper taken off so that she could sit on the potty. Up until now, neither kid wanted anything to do with it, and would hop right off if I sat them on it. So, she sat, and we talked about the bath and she looked at the little book that she found in the bedroom. Then after a little bit, she hopped off and pointed to the tub. I just figured that she was ready for her bath, and she was, but there was also pee in the potty! How exciting! She loved waving bye bye to the pee as we flushed it.
This has been a big week of firsts. Both babies are signing like crazy and signing things I had no idea they knew. We are also hearing a bunch of new words. They have been talking for a while, but it takes a trained ear to have any idea what they're talking about. And even then it's not always that coherant. Two nights ago I was working in the other room and the papa gave the kids each a cookie. I was snapped out of my train of thought by a little voice that very distinctly and loudly said "coo-kie". I walked into the living room to see the boy proudly holding up his cookie with a huge grin on his face. I then was treated to another round of "coo-KIE", and the corresponding sign.
Today's word of the day is "OK", but it sounds more like "aah-KAY!" I'll have to try to get it on video.

It's been so long!

I didn't realize how long it had been since my last post. So much has been happening and I've been so busy that the days are ticking by so quickly.
Almost all of my sewing time recently has been spent working on a wonderful set of outfits for a summer wedding. I've been making two flowergirl dresses with matching bloomers, a pair of bloomeralls, three sun hats, and three bridesmaid sashes. All in cream silk with chocolate brown and gold/green accents. I think I may have sewn about a mile of silk into the three layered ruffles that edge the dresses and bloomers, but it was so worth it. They are beautiful and I'm really excited to see pictures of the whole wedding party. 
I am also so excited to have been asked to join K&F Shops as a permanent member! K&F is on hiatus for the summer, but will be having a super re-opening stocking on 8/8/08 at 8pm. 

Much better now

I'm feeling so much more positive than I was the last time I posted. We're still stuck in the house with the latest round of sick, and everyone is getting a bit stir-crazy. But the kids seem to be on the mend and I'm starting to see the light. Or at least the tunnel. I'm making so many plans for next week that we'll probably only be home for dinner and bedtime. We'll be going to the park (and maybe trying a new one), the zoo, and a huge multi-family yard sale. Then there is a cloth-diaper sidewalk sale that I'd love to check out. Grandma is also coming for a visit on Sunday. I love having a full calender, it keeps the kids happy and I get some adult conversation.

Sick of Spring

I've always been a very healthy person, rarely sick. Even if I did get sick, I'd get over it quickly and be on my way in no time. This spring is a totally different story. It seems like we're getting every little cold or stomach bug that comes around. It couldn't possibly have anything to do with lack of sleep and the inability of the weather to decide if it's summer or winter. Pollen is insanely high this year, too. I'm ready for the pestilent season to be over. Bring on summer! Of course, then it will be too hot and humid :)

Spring Cleaning!

I've been clearing out the clothing that I have in stock at Pirate Bootie Baby to make room for the new summer things that I've been working on. All weekend and today I've been offering a special deal where Hyena Cart shoppers can use up to 50% HyenaCart dollars to purchase any in stock clothing item. Then, this evening from 7-7:30pm, as an extra special day after Mother's Day gift, shoppers can use up to 100% HC$!!

WAHM Spotlight- Tush Cloth Diapers

I've been searching for a new nighttime cloth diaper for the twins (they keep growing!), and one of the ones that I keep coming back to look at is Tush's Nocturne. They are beautifully made, and I love the dyeing, but they are also a real workhorse diaper. They are one of those diapers that are talked about with high regard and recommendations, and are seriously stalked on HyenaCart both at Tush Cloth Diapers and Venus Vanguard. Robin also has a blog.
Hopefully she'll be stocking again soon!

Win an Ergo baby carrier!!

Just click here to enter!! They even have organic ones, and if you win, you get your choice of carriers.

Whales in wool

Here's a pic of the surprise custom that I talked about a few posts back. I love the way it turned out. It also doesn't hurt to have such a cutie wearing it.
I'm hoping to do more customs with wool appliqué. I love the way it looks, and it's a fun technique. It's almost like sketching with wool.
I also made a pair of shorts that match this underwool, as well as the other one with the sun appliqué. They have waves along the bottom hem, and a splashy pocket.

WAHM Spotlight -The Elemental Muse

I have to say, Michelle is pretty incredible. She has at least 5 different WAHM-related sites, and they are all packed with helpful information for anyone who wants to get started on HyenaCart or start a small business. Hyena Cart info is a great starting place for those wanting to open up shop on Hyena Cart, or learn how to make their shop better with many tips and tricks. WAHspirations is so encouraging. It's a great place to read about other parents who work at home and packed with little bits of inspiration. At Elemental Muse, you will find a one-stop shop for all your website needs. She offers graphic design services, web hosting, domain registration, and more. The Muses Guide is where you will find her business guides and how-to packages. Finally, There's the Small Business Muse, a free email subscription which offers "weekly tips and ideas to help you effectively balance, manage, and market your small business."
This very busy mama is such a valuable resource to the WAHP community and she holds a very valued place in my bookmark file.

Looking for comfort?

Recently I blogged about the Blog Party, and mentioned that one of the prizes that I was interested in was an underwear set from Karen Neuburger. I didn't win, but a few days later was contacted by Daisy, one of their PR reps who asked if I was interested in trying and reviewing the set. I was, so she sent a couple of sets out to me (I wasn't sure which size I would need). It's the KN Cool daywear cami and hipster panty. I gave one set to a friend, and have been wearing mine for the past two weeks (not in a row, that would be gross). The fabric is incredibly soft and light. The cami has enough stretch to it that it doesn't loose shape by the end of the day, but still is comfortable and non-restrictive. It's also stretchy enough to nurse in! It's a great underlayer since it wicks and helps regulate body temperature, I also love to wear it to sleep.
Daisy also sent me a few other things to try from their sportswear collection. I was surprised how much I like the embroidered cropped pants. Not my usual style, but the are super comfortable and easy to wear. They are great to wear when playing with the kids, but still look put together enough to run out to the library or the grocery. The only complaint that I had with these, is that the pockets seemed to be a bit bulky to me, but I'm not used to wearing non-woven pants so it may just be me. She also sent the matching 3/4 sleeve zip front jacket which I've only worn for a few minutes since it's been getting so warm here. The short time that I had it on was uneventful but cosy. It will see more use in the fall. Last to talk about are some super sweet and soft baby socks that Daisy sent for the twins. They are as soft as the softest thing you've ever touched, and maybe even a little softer. Like little kitten feet. They are perfect for bedtime, and the kids like to pet them. They are really into socks lately, so anything sock-related makes them happy. When they are happy, so am I.
Thanks, Daisy and Karen Neuburger!

From now until May 31st, take 15% off your total online purchase at www.karenneuburger.com using discount code MOM2008

Clothes for Cute Babies

I've been enjoying spending some more time enjoying by family and the beautiful weather now that the Open Market is over. I'll be starting preparations earlier the next time I have a fair or show to do. It's not that I waited until the last minute, I just wanted to make sure that I had enough variety and selection that I could give everyone exactly what they wanted. I think I have a better idea now what types of things to bring with me and I think that will streamline the preparation process a bit.
I recently finished a couple of custom shorts for a friend's son. She told me yesterday that she's going to need a couple more pairs because every morning her son brings them to her to put on him. I love having tiny fans :). These are the shorts that I made for him...













I Dyed the wool to look like denim and Carhartt jeans. I love the color of the Carhartt ones, it's a really good match. Next I'm going to make him a forest green pair, I dyed the wool this evening.
I've also been working on another custom for a mama on HyenaCart. I made a set for her a few weeks ago which was my favorite until now. I can't show pictures yet, because she wants it to be a surprise, but I am so completely in love with this new one. The last custom that I made for her was also a surprise, but now that she has it, I can show it off. It was really fun to watch it evolve from sketch to finished piece. Wool sometimes has a mind of it's own and appliquéing with it is really fun. It's also great to have a customer just give me a few ideas/themes and free reign to run and play and create. I've had such a great time making things for this mama and I hope she'll let me work with her again.

Back to normal

Open Market was a blast! I met many people who I've only know online, and had a great day talking about the clothing that I make and the other products that I had available. My best seller by far were the cloth pads. So many mamas commented to me that they had been thinking about making the switch from disposables to cloth, but didn't know where to get them. One of my customers hadn't even considered cloth pads before, but loved the idea and bought a couple to try. I'm always happy to help keep a little more paper out of the landfill.
This evening has been really relaxing and I'm so happy to have a break from the craziness of getting ready for market. The kids went to sleep easily and I got to spend some time just hanging out on the couch knitting. Tomorrow I'll start updating my website and start getting it ready to stock again. The next sunny day we get, I'll take photos of all the new things that I'm stocking for warmer weather and get those online too.

Excuses, excuses

I just wanted to pop in and say that I'm sorry for the lack of posting and updates. I'm working like mad for the upcoming Open Market, and will resume my normal life after it's over. I'll have many photos to share and some exciting news.

A Baby for My Baby

I've been wanting to make a doll for the girl for a while now. I've been sneaking a few stitches in here and there over the past few days so that she wouldn't see it until it was finished, and finally it's done! We gave it to her after dinner tonight and she got a huge grin on her face as she walked over to me and gave me and the doll an enormous hug. She sat on my lap and gave her doll so many kisses that the face was damp. :)
She carried it around a bit, but mostly wanted to sit on my lap and play with her (and kisses, lots of kisses). It took about an hour longer than usual to get her to sleep tonight because she kept stopping nursing to kiss the doll again. It was really cute. The doll even has a tiny diaper that the girl hasn't seen yet. The outfit is made of minkee so it's super soft, and the diaper is hemp fleece and flannel. I have a feeling that she'll be living with us for a really long time.

Win a BPA-free bottle set!

Momsational is giving away 5 BPA-free baby bottle sampler sets and all you have to do to win is leave a comment on their website! I love that there are so many options popping up for BPA-free baby stuff and hope the trend continues as more parents and companies become aware of the safer plastics that are available.
Check out The Soft Landing for more info and to see more safe baby feeding gear.

Blog Party, anyone?

Hi there fellow Blog Partiers!
I'm Karma, a Work-at-Home mama of 1 year old boy/girl twins. Whenever I'm not playing with babies or sleeping, I can usually be found at my sewing machine or on the couch knitting. I love making and designing kid's clothing, but even better is seeing my designs in action. I have a gallery of my work (including some action shots) over at my website, Pirate Bootie Baby.
The next 2 months is a really exciting time for me and Pirate Bootie. I'm doing a Pirate-themed guest stocking at Necessitae on March 15th (so excited!!). Then, in April, is the Columbus Attachment Parenting Village's Open Market, a cooperative event organized by local parents supporting and encouraging mama-owned/operated businesses. If you are anywhere within 100 miles of Columbus, Ohio, mark your calenders and come. It's going to be great!


There are great prizes to be had at the Ultimate Blog Party, and some new Blogs to be found.
I'll be poking around over the next couple of days, how about you?
My favorite prizes are;
137 — Go BPA Free Sippy Sampler Kit
Provided by: The Soft Landing

19 — Klean Kanteen Sippy Cup
Provided by: Non Toxic Tots

141 — I make milk. What’s your superpower? t-shirt
Provided by: Crunchy Domestic Goddess

Other Favorites are the $20 Lush GC from After a Cup of Coffee , or two,#114
A pink box of Legos from Lego, #103
A webcam from This Full House, #72
A sweet tutu from LiveLoveDance, #34
Underwear from Karen Neuburger, #109
GC to Uncommonly Cute, #28

There are tons of other really great prizes too, you can see them on the Prize Page.

Awww, baby!

When we took the kids to MegaBabyStore to get their photos done, I showed the girl a little doll that was on a display near the photo studio. I was just hoping to engage her attention for a moment while her brother was having his jacket put on. She immediately took the doll from me and hugged it, then patted it's hair and said "awww, baby". The doll then got a kiss and another hug. By then the boy was jacketed, but I could tell that we wouldn't be leaving right away. The girl was now cheek to cheek with the doll, still cooing at it and saying "baby". We eventually convinced her to say bye-bye to the doll, and were able to leave. There were some sad noises, and a short round of tears, but it was over quickly and she was distracted by the cold wind outside.
Now I really know why so many kids have such a huge array of toys and stuffed animals. It was so hard for me to leave that doll behind when the girl clearly loved it so much. But, very soon she will have an even better doll to love and hug. A few months ago, I purchased the materials to make both kids their own dolls, intending to have them finished for their birthday. I ended up deciding to wait a bit longer, as they hadn't shown any interest in dolls or stuffed toys. Wouldn't you know that the day before their birthday is when the girl decides to discover dolls. Now I know what my next project will be.

happy birthday babies!

Happy Birthday Babies!!

Open Market!!

Cleaning, birthday, parents

I know I haven't been updating much. I've been so busy with the kid's birthday coming up, and molar teething insanity. The birthday itself isn't what's eating my time, it's the self-imposed cleaning goal with the deadline of the birthday party. Which is tomorrow!
We're having it early because my parents were able to come for an extra day this weekend due to the holiday. So far, the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom are clean. I still need to do the dining room and the kid's room. My sewing area is in the dining room, so I've left that for last. When my folks get here, I'll hand the kids over to them and then tackle the remaining areas. My sewing stuff will just be shifted to another area during the party and then brought back the next day. Then I won't have to worry about kids getting into things.

A hard week, but fun to come

Again with the sickies. This winter has been harsh and the kids are getting over sniffles again. It seems like a lot of the families we know are getting over another round of yuck. Not sure what that's about. They are also still teething and wanting to nurse a lot. Made it really hard to work on customs. I finished 3 of them today though. I'll start the last one tomorrow, and then I'll start working on stuff for the Open Market. The Open Market is a WAHM business event that a friend of mine put together last year. It was so successful that it's going to be an annual thing. I wasn't able to participate last time, but I'm really excited to be a part of it this year. There are so many talented people who will be selling their wares there. There are a few others who are fiber-related, but there will also be handmade bodycare items, jewelry, paintings, wooden toys, baby carriers, and others that I'm not remembering. It was fun to see what my community had to offer last year, but I know that it will be even more fun to be on the other side of the table this year.
The countdown begins; 3 weeks until the twins are a year old!!

I want to be a winner!

I found this contest to win a Bisphenol-a, Phthalate and PVC Free baby feeding set. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on their blog or blog about the contest yourself. The Soft Landing blog is a good one to have in your bookmarks anyway, it's full of great info about safe products. They also have a store where you can purchase all sorts of non-toxic baby feeding products.
Robeez are coming out with a new soft baby shoe with a sole for outdoor walking. It will be available on Feb. 4th. They are also having a contest and the grand prize is 6 pairs of Robeez Tredz!
5 Minutes for Mom is giving away a '65 Mustang petal car! The twin moms that write 5 Minutes for Mom also have an online store that sells pedal cars and retro collectibles, and you can see their whole inventory of pedal cars here!
Entering contests is a little bit housewife-y feeling, but it is really fun to win cute baby stuff.

WAHM Spotlight- The Felted Sheep

Kelsey at The Felted Sheep does such amazing things with wool and dye. She dyes, spins, knits and felts all sorts of beautiful things that can be seen in her Etsy store and in her Hyena Cart.
She started out as an Architectural Drafter, but became a work at home mom in order to stay at home with her son. Her cute and durable bags are knitted and then felted and feature a snap-in lining. All that, and she lives in Alaska, too!
She also has a blog, also called The Felted Sheep.

One of Us, One of Us

I finally joined one of the online twin parenting forums. I've been meaning to for a while, but between starting the business and breaking my ankle, the local mama's group was all I could handle. But, not that the babes are getting really mobile (and so am I), I think it will be nice to be able to have somewhere to turn for twin-specific advice and commiseration.
I prepared a bunch of wool to sew today. I'm hoping to get the custom orders finished by the weekend so that I can spend a little time working on 1st birthday things for the twins. I'd like to make them some special outfits, a set of playsilks, and a Waldorf doll for each of them. I have a month, so in theory it should be doable. I so rarely take time to sew for the family, that my own kids only have a single outfit each that I've made. I imagine that it won't be all that long until they won't want to wear mama-made clothes, so I should take advantage of their "willingness" now.

Oh, and there are only 10 more days to vote for Cafe and Play! Go vote, and give Central Ohio a super-cool, family-friendly, healthy and fun place to eat and play! Go team Aderouch!!
Click here to vote!

Valentine's Day treat

I'm so in love (hee hee) with the Valentine Underwool that I just finished. I had a lot of fun making a themed Underwool and I think I'll try to keep it up for the other holidays. I'm usually not a fan of holiday themed clothing, but that will just be a personal challenge. I'm happy with the way this turned out. Cute, but not cutesy of cheesy. We'll see what the Hyenas think tonight at 8pm, when Pirate Bootie Baby restocks customs and adds a few new instock items.
This week has been really busy, but I'm finished the pile of customs that I've been working on. I'm going to be doing a childcare swap/ playgroup with a couple of local moms that I'm friends with. We'll pack up our kids and go to one of the houses and let the mom who's house it is get some work done while the rest of us watch the kids. I'll use the time to work on Pirate Bootie stuff, or catch up on some cleaning. It will be a great way for the kids to get out and play and for the moms to get some much-needed time.

Vote Cafe and Play!!

Ready, Set, Vote! Intuit Calls on Public to Select Small Business Winner

Winner to Receive $50,000 Grand Prize to ‘Just Start’ New Business

My friends, Lissi and Noah, have entered Intuit's contest with an amazing idea. They want to start a business that literally caters to children and parents. It's a cafe style restaurant featuring healthy and delicious kid-friendly food, accompanied by a safe and fun play area. No longer will parents have to choose between health and fun when getting lunch out with the kids.
For more information, visit http://www.votecafeandplay.com/
Or, just go to this website and vote for aderouch
http://jumpup.intuit.com/start/?p=finalistVideos
You can vote once per day, until January 31st. You can even sign up to get a daily email reminder to vote on the Cafe and Play blog.

New teeth, walking, sleeping

My baby girl seems to be working on her 1year molars. At 10 1/2 months! I shouldn't be surprised, the kids both got their first tooth at 4 months. It's making her a bit of a cranky pants, but only for little chunks of time. I'm glad to have found Hyland's Teething Tabs.
She's also taken some steps. It's cute, she'll take 2 or three robot steps and then collapse into my arms or squat down. She gets a big goofy grin and I know she's proud of herself. The boy hasn't taken steps yet, but he's having a blast getting there. He'll stand up, raise his arms up high, smile the biggest smile ever, and then belly-flop onto whoever is closest. It's accompanied by screams of laughter. He's having way too much fun to try walking yet.
We're attempting to get bedtime a bit more manageable with The No Cry Sleep Solution. It's worked so far to get the babies in bed earlier (8pm instead of anywhere from 10:30p,-2am), but we've still got a long way to go. I think that they are waking up a little bit less in the night than they had been, but the past two nights have been particularly brutal. I think the boy is having a growth spurt or something, because he wants to nurse all night long, almost every hour or hour and a half. Hopefully he calms down soon because it's a bit maddening.

WAHM Spotlight- The Enchanted Nursery

Teri, the mom behind The Enchanted Nursery, has a great variety of items in her Hyena Cart and also Yinia and Necessitae. She makes organic playdough in a huge rainbow of colors that I'd love to someday get for the kids to squash around, after they get past the "everything is food" phase that they are currently in. She also has developed a really interesting night diaper called a Night Owl. It's a wool cover and super-absorbent diaper in one trim package. There are 8 total layers of wool in this amazing diaper. If that's not enough absorbency, there is also a snap-in bamboo and cotton soaker. I'd love to try this diaper on my heavy-wetting kidlets. At The Enchanted Nursery you can also find cloth baby wipes, patterns to make your own cloth pads, children's clothing and herbal tea blends. It's a crunchy mama's one-stop shop.
Teri also has a blog, Wearing the Crown.

WAHM Spotlight- The Cloth Canoe

This Canadian mama makes the cutest fitted diapers! She uses all the hot printed fabrics, and also does great things with topstitching. I love this little organic bamboo velour side snapping fitted with little green bikes riding all around the edges. But, my favorite diaper has to be this one...How could I not be in love with it, I look at this fabric whenever I'm sewing or at the computer. I've been using this it to make bunches of herbal sachets for anti-moth wool storage and have a pile of it in front of me right now!
She also makes these adorable sets with a matching diaper, t-shirt, and wipes. She's got a great eye for color, and wonderful taste in fabric. You can see her gallery of past customs and purchase her products at The Cloth Canoe, and check out her Blog here.

Baby steps

Baby girl took first steps yesterday! Two of them. She's so proud of herself and so are we.
I'm stocking Pirate Bootie Baby again tomorrow, at 8pm EST. I made an adorable pair of corduroy pants, an embellished short-sleeved Underwool, and some wool saver sachets. I'll also be opening up some more custom slots.
I just finished another custom for a friend who loved my skull-n-bones shirt and wanted a bodysuit version for her son.