Simple Stitches MOVED!

Hi!  I am officially moved over.  You can now find me over at:

www.simplestitchesbyshannon.com

I'd love to have you follow along on Facebook as well:

www.facebook.com/SimpleStitchesShannon

I hope to see you over there!  You'll get details on my sewing projects and find some that will be for you to buy and love on for years to come!

Updating!

I have been MIA on here for a little bit.  I have been busy sewing some REALLY cute things and now I am currently working on updating this blog to suit what I want to be doing a little better. (more on that later)  I am hoping to have it all finished and beautiful in the next couple weeks.  A new web address and all.  

I will keep you in the loop when it gets finished so you know where to find me!  :)  

Meal Plan Printable

One of the things I like the least that I have to do weekly is meal planning.  It takes me FOREVER.  

As part of being more organized this year, I decided I would make a weekly menu and make it cute!  That will make meal planning more fun, right? 

It helps me to have specific types of meals to plan for each day.   I also put a spot for breakfast and lunch because I base my grocery list off of the menu.  

Mine looks like this:

Mondays are crockpot meals.  (This is one of my busiest days so the crockpot makes it so I don't have to think about dinner prep!)  
Tuesdays are Soup/BBQ.  (Soup if it's cold-BBQ for warm days)
Wednesdays are brinner.  (Breakfast for dinner)
Thursday is Pinterest recipes (new or favorites-I usually try to pick a new one)
Friday is vegetarian meal. (makes the weekly grocery bill a little less expensive)
Saturdays are Pizza. (Usually homemade but not always)
Sunday we like to have a large super yummy dinner.  Almost holiday style, but not quite.  Just a time to gather around a super delicious meal and enjoy one another.

I have an extra box for extra things to make throughout the week.  Bread and chicken stock are typically here.  As well as special treats like cookies and what not.  :)

Here are some plain printables in lots of colors if you want them!  They don't have categories or anything so you can fill it out to your needs.  Enjoy!

Gray: Print it here.

Mint: Print it here.

Yellow: Print it here.

Do you have great meal planning tips??  Please share them with me!

Tracking Eggs! FREE Printable

I've been quiet on the ol blog for a little bit.  I've been busy sewing and keeping up with the kids.  But I can't wait to share my sewing project!  It's ADORABLE!  And a birthday pressie for Lil Bit.  Can't believe she is nearly THREE!  :(

In the meantime, the ladies (aka my chickens) have picked up on their egg laying.  FINALLY.  It's been pretty pathetic to get one or two eggs a week.  Then February came along and BAM!  Roughly two eggs a day.  So that's better.  Spring can't come quick enough and I'll be getting at least 4 a day!!  Hurry up Spring!!

I'm always curious how many eggs we get a month and I want to be able to see at the end of the year, what we provided ourselves with!  I made myself a chart of sorts.  I just keep it on the computer and it adds it all up for me.  (Thanks Hubs!) But if you like it and want to use it for your eggs, have at it!

Grab yours here.

I plan on making one shortly for our gardening things too.  What was planted and when and how much yield it produced.  

Looking forward to weather in the 60's this weekend!

Oil Washing (with Essential Oil)

I know we are quickly already into February.  I had one last use for lemon that I wanted to share before we moved on to a new oil.  :)

I have been washing my face using coconut oil for a month now.  I liked it alright.  It cleaned it well but I could never quite get rid of the loose dry skin that Colorado leaves you with in winter.  NO fun!

So looking up different natural ways to wash my face I came upon using lemon!  It was stated that lemon was really good at getting rid of those flakeys!  Well sign me up!  It's also really beneficial in other ways too.

I was hooked the first time I tried it.  SO refreshing and it really did take off the grossness. As I continued to look into this, I asked my friend who has an unbelievable amount of knowledge of essential oils, WHY is lemon so good for your skin?

Lemon Oil can:
open clogged pores (yep-totally does)

aids in cellular oxygenation and detoxification, therefore rejuvenation.  It does this both internally and externally.  

It aids in cellular regrowth. 

Topically, it breaks down oils and improves micro-circulation, thus enhancing healing and has a major constituent of limonene, "extensively studied in over 50 clinical studies for its ability to combat tumor growth" -Essential Oils Desk Reference book.

Basically, it is making your skin glow and super healthy!  Gotta love that!

Coconut oil happens to be a fantastic carrier oil for essential oils. Curious to know why?  I was too.  :)

It easily penetrates or absorbs into the skin, allowing the oils to seep in and be absorbed.  

It doesn't go rancid or let oils spoil because of its own properties. 

It does not alter the properties of essential oils.

And it's super healthy for you to begin with.  You can find SO MUCH health info on coconut oil, so I won't go way into it.

I was excited to put the lemon in my coconut oil to wash my face!

Let's do this!

Supplies:

Coconut Oil (we use this, but get it from Costco because it's a great deal there!)

Lemon Essential Oil (therapeutic grade)

That's all-I can read and KNOW what every ingredient is that I am putting on my face.

Put a good amount of coconut oil in a jar.  I probably put in about 3 or 4 tablespoons.  Cover jar and heat up in warm water so it melts. Coconut oil starts to liquify at about 75 degrees, so it doesn't take long to do this.  Add in your lemon oil.  I did about 8 drops.  Nothing super mathematical about it.  You don't need it super strong but enough to do its job.

*that white blob is just unmelted coconut oil*

Give it a good shake and it's all set.

To use it, I again, warm up the mixture so it's more liquid like.  Dip my fingers in and then just rub it on my face. Get a washcloth wet with nice and warm water and apply it your face.  I like to do it like a semi spa treatment and let it sit on my face for a minute or two.  Then gently rub so your face feels moisturized instead of oily.  If you're wearing make up, it should come off onto your washcloth.  It even takes off water proof mascara!  

I tell ya, my face has never felt so refreshed and clean!  I love it!  And I really like that I don't need a moisturizer after washing.  Coconut oil is a natural moisturizer!  

And that wraps up our month of Lemon Essential Oil!  

Here are 40 MORE uses for lemon oil:

1. Acidosis
2. Acne
3. Alkalosis
4. Anemia
5. Aneursm
6. Angina
7. Anorexia
8. Antibiotic reactions
9. Bladder infection
10. Blood clots
11. Blood platelets (low)
12. Confusion
13. Cushings disease (adrenal gland imbalance)
14. Depression
15. Diarrhea
16. Dysentery
17. Age related macular degeneration
18. Fatigue
19. Gallbladder infection
20. Gastritis
21. Gout
22. Hair and scalp problems
23. Dandruff
24. Halitosis ( bad breath)
25. Heartburn
26. Hematoma
27. Kidney disorders
28. Kidney stones
29. Liver disorders
30. Malaria
31. Mucus (excess)
32. Nails, finger/toe (brittle or weak)
33. Narcolepsy
34. Morning sickness
35. Dry nose
36. Postpartum depression
37. Poison oak and poison ivy
38. Snake bites
39. Throat infections (cough)(dry cough)(laryngitis)(sore throat)
40. Toxemia

Have you gotten your Lemon Oil yet? 

*You can order your therapeutic grade lemon oil from Young Living directly, or email me and I can get some shipped to you! (paterson.shannon@gmail.com)*

Valentine's Day Inspiration

Valentine's Day is Kelsey's FAVORITE holiday.  :)  The girl is all about the love.  

I thought this year we'd have some fun decorating for it.  Especially since Allie's birthday party will be Valentine themed.

Here are some of my favorite things I've printed out so far and decorations I plan on doing within the week!

This one I actually made myself.  :)  Easy, cute and quick.  Download and print it here. 

How cute is this one?  All the colors!  You can get it here.  She has it available in lots of color options!

I love the LOVE letters on the old window.  I have the perfect window for this!

*image from http://www.styledomaine.com/2013/01/valentine-decor/*

I love the hearts in the frame and the burlap bunting of this next one.  The sign is really cute too.  I don't think I will have time to make that though, but one could always try!

*image found here http://www.pinterest.com/pin/205617539209203473/*

This heart garland would be really easy to make as well.

*image from http://www.pinterest.com/pin/205617539208850526/*

What's on your list for Valentine's Day?

Kids Clothes Week!

*image from blog.kidsclothesweek.com*

Sheesh, this week of sewing has gone by fast!  My day three project continued into day four and is being posted for day five.  It took me longer to complete this because I made up the pattern as I went.  It's not complicated AT ALL. Seriously, ANYBODY could do it.  But I'm not so good at making it up as I go.  

I made a circle skirt apron.  I LOVE how it turned out.  Especially for my first go at it.  I took notes to change for future aprons, because there WILL be future aprons of this.  It came out so cute!

It has that 50's vibe that makes my heart melt!!  Oh love it!  

I got the lemon fabric at JoAnns FOREVER ago specifically for making an apron but never got around to it.  

She was pretty excited to have this apron made special just for her. :)

Not too bad for a first go of it!  I think now that I have it all figured out I could whip one out in less than an hour.

I think I will try to get one last thing finished before the end of the weekend!  Last day of Kids Clothes Week is Sunday!  Have you popped over there to see all the super cute things people are making? 

Go check out Day Five! And all the others while you're there.  

Kids Clothes Week!

*image from blog.kidsclothesweek.com*

For day two of KCW, I whipped up a shirt for Kels.  The Flashback Skinny Tee from Made By Rae.  Every pattern I have purchased from Rae has been fantastic.  Simple, easy to follow, and great results! You can buy the big kids size (6-14!) or the smaller sizes (12 months -5T).  Kelsey measured out perfect for the 5T.

The fabric is a really light weight, SOFT knit from Girl Charlee. I was nervous to work with it because I haven't been real successful sewing with knits yet.  I went REALLY slow, pinned the heck out of it, and used the stretch stitch on my machine.  And all was well in the world.

I was really happy with the length of the sleeves.  Store bought shirts seem to be the TINIEST bit short on her arms.  This pattern length worked really well for her arms.  

The length on the waist turned out well too.  She can reach up without her tummy showing.  :)  

Now onto pattern drafting for my day three project!  

Wish me luck!

Kids Clothes Week!

*image from kidsclothesweek.com*

I was hoping and wishing that I would have time to participate in Kids Clothes Week this year.  I usually sit back and watch all the beautiful things everyone is posting.  This year, I decided, I'm all in!  And I am so pleased that I have been squeezing it into our fairly busy schedule.  It just happens to be the week that we have  no parties or anything!  :) SCORE!

Really, the goal is to sew for kids (yours or someone else's) for an hour each day this week.  Whether that means you only get something cut out and started or you finish multiple items. 

So my day one project actually got completed ALMOST in day one.  I really wanted to take my time and not rush through it to see how much I could accomplish this week.  I want the things I am making to be special and really show time and effort.  Because that's what makes sewing worth it, I think. 

I chose to make The Sweetheart Dress from Very Shannon.  I have had this in my "want to sew" pile for quite some time now.  Then, the perfect situation arose.  Not only is it Kids Clothes Week, but we are celebrating Allie's birthday on February 15th.  Her party will be Valentine theme.  Ummm, couldn't get better.  So I went to JoAnn's and found fabric to go along.  I love it.  Red and grey but not hearts or too Valentine like.

It is similar to the Geranium dress except this has a fun surprise on the back.

A heart cut out!  How cute is that??  And perfect for a Valentine's party!  

I mean seriously!  So cute!!  I just need to put the button on it where that needle is.  I am going to attempt a fabric covered button in the grey lining fabric.  I will also add a flower embellishment on the front waist as well.  But I'm saving those little details for the weekend.  

The skirt is enclosed in the lining so there are no itchy seams, one of my favorite features.  If a pattern has this feature I am almost certain to buy it!  

I am so excited to take her 3 year old pictures in it!  

Day Two for Kids Clothes Week was also successful!  I'll post about that tomorrow!  :)  

Are you joining in the sewing festivities?  What are you making?

Amazing Carpet Cleaner

I am amazed at everything lemon oil can do!  I love how much I'm learning about it.  

This week was a serious shocker! I really wasn't expecting this to work.  But work it did!!

Are you ready for it?

I know, I know…really, Shannon?  This really isn't that amazing.  You can find recipes similar to this ALL OVER Pinterest.

But you would be wrong, because they are missing the most important ingredient and don't work NEARLY as well!  I've tried MANY natural, DIY carpet cleaners and they just don't compare to this.  From just baking soda and vinegar, to adding in some dish soap, to ironing it after spraying it.  None of them worked.

I LOVE my puppy.  Adore her.  I am so happy to have her.  She is my baby.  But, she made a few stains on the girls' carpet that I could not get out.  I got so annoyed every time I would see them.  Those little puppy pee spots, mocking me!

I don't know why I hadn't thought of this before.  But I am so glad I finally did.  The mocking is gone!  I won this battle!!  :)

So here is what you will need:
Lemon essential oil (therapeutic grade)
Baking soda
Vinegar
Water
Spray bottle
dish for mixing
hand towel

Process:
Put some baking soda into your little mixing dish.  Couple teaspoons maybe. Add in some drops of lemon oil - I added 7 or 8 drops.  Mix it around so the baking soda absorbs the oil. It will start to look and feel like cornstarch.

Now mix equal parts water and vinegar into a spray bottle.

Go find that spot and ignore it's mocking.

There it is…..kinda blending in and definitely mocking all at once. Ignore it!

Go ahead and put your baking soda mixture on it.

Rub it in really well.  You want it to get into the fibers pretty well so it lifts the stain out.
And this stain has been here a good amount of time…..

Remember where the spot is.  It's hard to see it once your baking soda is all rubbed in.  Then give it a good spray with your vinegar and water.  Let it bubble and do it's thing.  Once the bubbles seemed to have calmed down, rub it out with a hand towel!

And there you have it!  Stain is gone!! Oh happy, HAPPY day!

If you don't have a stain to remove but want to freshen your carpet up a little bit;  sprinkle the baking powder and lemon mixture onto your carpet.  Let it sit for a few minutes to absorb all the stinky smells and then vacuum it up.

Easy everyday use for a fresh carpet!

*You can order your therapeutic grade lemon oil from Young Living directly, or email me and I can get some shipped to you! (paterson.shannon@gmail.com)*

The Gardening Season Begins

FINALLY!!  It is time to start seeds!  

Well, actually, I started them last week. 

I'm so excited about them.  The only ones that I have done so far are the slow to germinate herbs along with a few that will do good in the spring frosts.  

Here's what I've started:
    Cilantro (which I'm pretty sure the cat destroyed)
    Sweet Marjoram (no idea how to cook with/eat it, but chickens benefit from it)
    Basil
    Parsley
    Mint
    Spearmint
    Sage
    Chives
    Lavender
    Oregano
    Celery
    Onions (started now for large transplants later!)
    Kale
    Broccoli

I've never grown this many herbs before.  Last year, the chickens had a hay day with a lot of things that got planted.  As well as the massive amount of rain and hail last summer.  It was not so great.  So we will see how this year's garden comes along.  I'm hoping to keep the chickens distracted with other things I will grow specifically for them.

Want to start some seeds??

Grab your seed starting medium.  I'm hoping to make some next year once I have a little more experience under my belt.  This year, I just grabbed a couple bags at the local nursery.  This was what they said they use and love.  Not certified organic, but the ingredients don't scare me.  I know it's called Ferti-Lome, but there is no fertilizer in it.  It's just fertile starter!  

You don't want to plant your seeds straight in this right out of the bag.  It needs a little bit of prep work. You are going to want to get it moist, but NOT wet.  Does that make sense?  It should feel damp.  The easiest way I have found to do this is to dump a good amount into a large bowl with some water.  Then use a spoon or your hands to mix the water into it.  The water takes a little bit to soak in.  Give it a few minutes before you add more water to it.

Nice and fluffy and moist.  That's all the prep that is needed.  It's all set to put into your containers and plant your seeds!  I started these seeds in some flats. I filled the flat about 3/4 full with the seed starting medium and flattened it so it was all even.  Next, I put the seeds out in rows and labeled with little wood markers. Cover with more seed starting medium and press down lightly.  Take a spray bottle of water and give it a good spritz all over.  Then cover your flat with a lid or some kind of clear plastic. (maybe even ceran wrap!)

Put it in a spot that gets lots of sun!  This is giving it a little greenhouse effect.  Warm and humid.  You don't need to water it while it is like this.  Once you see sprouts, take the lid off and water as needed.  (With your spray bottle, no need to drown em)  This year for Christmas, the hubs bought me a heating mat!  I'm really happy with the results so far.  Last year, my plants got really leggy.  Reaching and stretching for the heat from the sun.  They weren't strong at all.  This heats them from the bottom so they don't need to reach and stretch.  

Here are my little seedlings after just a week!

Happy little seedlings.

Crayon Remover!! - Lemon Oil

Our featured oil this month is LEMON!  If you missed the first feature of lemon and the best all purpose cleaner around, you can read it here.

A real EVERY day use I have found is to use it as a hand sanitizer.  Let me tell you!  With all the diapers I change and chickens and a puppy running around.  I use it EVERY day.  Lemon is a natural antibacterial.  I just put a drop on my hands, and the kids' hands, and rub em together.  It's good to keep a bottle in my purse for on the go situations.  :)  

Another "everyday" use for lemon oil is removing crayon from furniture! 

And it's, of course, so easy to do.  Drop one to two drops of lemon onto your rag, and rub onto the crayon mark.  It disappears!  Like magic!

Now you see it……

Now you don't…..

Since it was a little dirty anyway, I gave the whole thing a wipe down with my lemon all purpose cleaner and it was good to go!

I might just go room to room wiping off any spots on see on the walls.  :)  Great little "magic eraser" without all the gross chemicals!

As well as drinking it a glass of water a day, we are all lemony fresh!  

*You can order your therapeutic grade lemon oil from Young Living directly, or email me and I can get some shipped to you! (paterson.shannon@gmail.com)*

Party Season

It's that time of year!  Birthday parties like crazy with a few other things thrown in.

Nathan's party is first and coming up this weekend!  February is Allie's birthday.  Usually we throw a Superbowl party as well but not this year. A baby shower for a dear friend instead is WAY more fun!!  March is St Patrick's Day (which we have lots of fun celebrating-more on that in March) and Kelsey's birthday!

First things first - Nathan's party!

Last year was a really fun Super Mario Brothers theme.  It was REALLY fun planning the games and decorations for this one.   So here are some quick photos in case you know someone who needs ideas!

The cake - AKA the main event:

This is an OLD Wilton cake pan I found on Ebay.  I was so excited to find it and loved decorating it.  (Horrible lighting and an Instagram picture was all I got of it.)

My favorite decoration:

White balloons and the hubs drew the ghost faces for me.  They are taped to the ceiling with fishing line so they really looked like they were floating.  

Again with the not so great photo, and after everyone left.  But this was the favor table.  The Game Over sign also says "Thanks for playing!"  And I made the yellow question mark blocks and filled them with chocolate gold coins.  

Some games we played were:
Yoshi's Egg Smash!

I blew out the eggs and let them dry out.  Next they were colored and filled with confetti.  To close the confetti in, I glued a white paper circle over the hole.  

Then the kids smashed them. Throwing them at a target on the garage door.  It was SO FUN!

We also did a Goomba Stomp: Balloons made to look like Goombas and each they had to stomp on them!

Treats and fun were had by all. 

*chocolate Mario Mustache*

This year, Nathan wanted an AIRPLANE themed party.  It was a little more difficult for me so we'll see how it all pulls together!  But really, the most important part is that he enjoys his special day and feels celebrated.  I know he doesn't care so much about all the little details.  They're just fun for me!  :)

Our Quiet Corner and FREE Printables

I've been working on getting the house more organized and it is making me oh so happy!

I'm starting with the kids' rooms-and more specifically, the girls.  I've been having the hardest time trying to figure out how I want things sorted and organized.  I have anywhere from 3-5 kids (ages 6 and under) during the week.  I want things accessible but not always out.

My first project to tackle with this in mind was BOOKS.  We adore books in this house.  We have so many books.  Without a designated book spot, just a couple shelves in the bedroom, it was getting out of hand and the books were getting beat up.  :(  Poor sad books.

I bought some spice racks from IKEA to set up in the girls room as tiny bookshelves. They are perfect for night time.  A few books in the bedroom that can be swapped out weekly.  Love it, but it was not enough.

I decided to bring their toy shelf cubby thing from Target out to the living room.  The perfect spot was in the corner.  Between the back door and side window.  Lots of sunshine, which is one of my favorite things about reading-snuggling up in the warm sun with a good book.  And plenty of space.  It fit perfect! Not all of our books would fit but a decent amount, so I was happy.

Now to add little details.  I do have the books somewhat organized so it's easy for the kids to find what they are looking for.  Easy readers, Mom and Dad read aloud, bibles and bible stories, classics and board books.  The basket on the side holds our library books.  To encourage independent reading, I put out some of our favorite lovies to be read to.  I also put out some quiet activities to keep hands busy while listening to read alouds. Some puzzles and blocks.

Even with the cubby there, the wall was looking pretty bare.  My good friend gave me the cutest picture that says "Enjoy the Simple Things".  I know she gave it to me for our master bedroom but it went so perfect right there above books, puzzles, and blocks.  :)  Then I browsed Pinterest for some printables.

I fell in love with these two bible verse printables.  I love that our children will have God's word to read right there, breathing life into them.

  

You can print this one for yourself here.  A black and white version is available as well.

You can get this one here.

I printed them on nice card stock and stuck them in some big white frames we had. I love the color these bring to the wall.  They make the books stand out more too.  

Now I just need to find a cute child size rocking chair and it will be all finished. I can bring my focus back to the girls' room.

How are your resolutions/goals for 2014 coming along?  Have you started any?