DIY Deodorant. Yes, you read that right.

Aargh! I have so many projects that I want to do. Gifts for others, post-maternity clothes for myself, home dec stuff, new food to make, organizing my recipes... the list goes on. But with a baby and a toddler, I'm doing good to get myself showered before noon. (How could I have forgotten how time-consuming nursing is?) Here's one small endeavor that I squeezed in between cleaning house and making dinner:

Home made deodorant. I'm getting closer and closer to becoming a dirty hippie.

I found the recipe here, and it was really simple to make. I already had all the ingredients, thanks to my gluten-free kitchen. I added some eucalyptus and lavender essential oils, just to increase the crunchiness factor. The texture reminds me of frosting. Which smells like the forest.


And speaking of smelling, after a week of using this there's still no funk, no odor, no nose-wrinkling, nothing! I'm amazed. In my opinion, this works better than regular deodorant, although since it is not an antiperspirant it feels odd to actually have my armpits sweat. I keep checking my pits though, and it could be that instead of turning into a dirty hippie, I'm turning into Mary Catherine Gallagher. "Sometimes, when I get really nervous, I put my hands under my armpits, and then I smell them like this..."

Nope, still smells good!

Can lunch be art?

Yes, if you're Japanese.

Seriously, everything the Japanese do is either more elegant or drop-dead adorable than the rest of the world. Lunch is no exception. Bento boxes are the Japanese lunch box, but of course that crafty culture has elevated it into both an art form and a philosophy. You can find some jaw-dropping examples like this lady on Flickr, or this Japanese site. I've been lurking at Lunch in a Box and Just Bento, but today I finally made my first official bento lunch.

It's not particularly artful, but it was fun to do. I had a doctor's appointment today and they always take forever. It was scheduled at 11, and I didn't even get taken back to the exam room until 11:45, which is lunch time for Violet. To avoid meltdowns, I brought lunch with us. My mom brought us this cute little bento box during one of her visits and it got used as it was intended for the first time today.


So this is what I brought for my toddler:

(leftover chickpea salad, chopped apples, and corn tortilla roll-ups with turkey and Swiss cheese)

And this is what I brought for me:

(apples slices and a Lara Bar)

Not as healthy, cute, or international, but that's part of being a mom!

Crafty office supplies

(While my blog is on maternity leave, I've scheduled some posts in advance. Enjoy, and I'll see you back here soon!)

I have a sweet friend who is a stay-at-home-mom but who I think still misses her former career, teaching. That might be where her love of office supplies comes from. What I do know is, she likes good pens, is super organized, and deserved a fun birthday present.

I was wide awake in the wee hours of the morning, thanks to some spectacular heartburn, so I decided to use the time to make some goodies for her.

Did you see the Bic pens with cute paper rolled up inside them? They were all over the blogosphere during Christmastime. It was a fun project, but actually harder than it looks. (But maybe that's because it was 3am when I was doing it.) (Sorry for the poor photography, but again, it was 3am.)


I glued matching paper on little notebooks, using my handy-dandy Martha Stewart hole puncher and old drafting supplies (from my own former career).


And then I decoupaged foam-backed magnets. This photo reflects how I felt about this project.


Happy birthday, Jenny!

Nursing apron

What is a nursing apron, you ask? Only a nursing mother's best tool ever!

Without it, I don't think I would have nursed in public, ever. I'm just too clumsy. Nursing is beautiful and a miracle and the perfect food and all that, but I also don't want to flash anyone but my husband. (Hi, honey!)

I shamelessly copied the one I was given (the tag says "Aloha Baby" but I can't find it online), and gave it to my friend Sunday night. The baby shower started at 5:30, and I finished sewing it at 5:27. Thus, no picture. But I do have a picture of the one my mom made for my sister-in-law, also copied from mine:

Really, these are awesome. Blankets aren't secure, nursing tops are expensive, and flashing family members is just awkward. There's boning across the top to let you see the baby, but nobody else can see anything. Pretty cool.

For the record, mine took longer than half an hour to make, but my mom has experience and I had a toddler on my lap when I was trying to sew. That's why it took several sessions and I finished it only minutes before the shower. Please don't tell Lisa.

Baby Sling

Here's another sewing project I somehow managed to finish last month, despite living in the perpetual cloud of fatigue that was this pregnancy.

Last month I made a baby sling, using this fabric and roughly following the directions from this lady. I tried it for the first time today, and it was perfectly suited for this wee one, my latest creation and precious gift.

Faith Susannah, 7 lb 1 oz, born on March 24. Welcome, little one! I love you.

Kid's art into a card

(While my blog is on maternity leave, I've scheduled some posts in advance. Enjoy, and I'll see you back here soon!)

During my tired, tired pregnancy, my desire to make stuff hasn't stopped. The scope of the projects, however, has gotten much smaller.

Violet was on my lap coloring the other day, and I loved the colors that she chose. Kids have such defined tastes and personalities, even when they don't yet have the words to express them. She only chose the bright, warm colors and since I didn't clean up right away, I still had it laying around to do this with it:


I made gift tags/cards for a couple packages. There are lots of babies being born around us right now, and I wrapped up our gifts in kraft paper with these cards, made out of Violet's scribblings. I recognize that the recipients might not see see the artistic genius in this brilliant girl like I do, but I'm hoping they at least think it looks cute!

Closet Organization

(While my blog is on maternity leave, I've scheduled some posts in advance. Enjoy, and I'll see you back here soon!)

This isn't really a craft. This is barely a project. But in my tired, pregnant, bloated, heartburned state of being right now, this was a major accomplishment. I cleaned out the coat closet!

Here's a "before" shot (embarrassing, I know):
Which often resulted in this:

And here's the "after":


Aahhh. So much better. This pregnancy has had some frustrating aspects to it, one of which is I have the desire to nest and clean and organize and prepare for the new little baby. But I have the NEED to sleep. Consequently, not much has been getting done around the house. So I'll take these small victories as they come!