Etsy Shop

I would like to take the time to promote my Etsy shop. Please support small/local businesses and crafts-people! Rather than buy a product at a large international box-store, why not buy the same item from a mom & pop shop where you will get better service, personalized items, and know that you are supporting a family's livelihood rather than slave-labour in a third-world country. Yes, it will cost more, but not much, and it's worth the price. The more you buy, the more milk I can buy my toddler. If you buy from a large box-store, you only line the pockets of the CEO. So click on an item to see more pictures and the price. Thanks for browsing!

Sew a Baggie

After 3 solid days of searching for an easy zipper-pouch to sew, I've found it:

http://threebears.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/little-boxy-pouch-tutorial/

This is a wonderful tutorial. I managed (on my first try!) to whip one up in 20 minutes. It's only one layer of fabric so no need to fuss with several layers, like other pouches. Here is a picture of mine:

Within the next couple months I will be advertising all my items for sale. They will include my baby sunhats, my zipper pouches and larger diaper bags, and pajamas. I will be posting the items for sale in the Strathclair & District Review as well as my Etsy shop and other social media. Keep an eye out!

Baby Sunhats

I just posted a pattern on the "Make Your Own" page illustrating how to make your own baby/toddler sunhats. I love this pattern! Most patterns you'll find on the internet only use 6 pieces but this one uses 8. It makes for more versatility with "patchwork" hats and colour combinations.
These little hats are very easy to whip up and are adorable on. Add some elastic or ribbon if your little one likes to take their hat off. I'm also going to try to experiment with some bucket hat patterns for adult-sized heads. Keep an eye here for the results!

Also some sad news on the "homesteading" front... I had planned on tapping my maple trees this spring, however.... I have lost my single tap. I don't get into the city often enough to go buy some more before the melting starts so I'm putting that project off until next spring. I've got a lot on my plate as it is, offering daycare during the week! I'm sure some of these wee ones will benefit from my hat patterns!

Cooking in Advance

It's hard to calculate how much money I'm saving with my new habit, but it's more than I thought! I think in meat we've saved over $100/month simply due to good meal-planning.

Today's advice is this: plan your whole month's meals in advance and calculate how many portions of meat you will need to make them. For example, every Monday I'm making Creamy Chicken. The recipe calls for 3 chicken breasts. Husband will eat one, and baby & I will split one, leaving one for his brown-bag lunch the next day. When I cook with chicken-legs, I use 5 pieces per recipe (he eats 2, I eat 1, baby eats 1, and he takes 1 to work the next day). Therefore I can calculate exactly how much meat we'll go through for the month. Meat is the most expensive item on our menu, and being married to a carnivore means we are obligated to spend that money.

Planning your month's meals in advance and then spending one solid day cooking-and-freezing will save you money AND time. I spread my cooking out over three days since I have a toddler underfoot and because I usually have three different items that require 8 hours in the slow-cooker.

To save even more money, talk to a small local grocer and ask if they'll give you a discount on bulk-ordering. I talked to my local grocer (a Korean couple who I've befriended) and they basically gave me two cases of chicken breasts for zero profit.

Homeschool Section

The "Free Stuff" page had virtually zero local interest so it has been replaced with "Homeschool", where I will attempt to find all the free Canadian homeschool resources for you. You don't need to be a full-time homeschooler to put these resources to use - use them in the summer to keep your kids from being bored, or supplement their schooling in the afternoons.

Updates

I recently updated five of the sub-pages on my blog, please take a look and submit any feedback! Thanks!

New Year, New Skills

Let 2013 be the year you learn something new! Half of my New Year's Resolutions include some aspect of learning a homesteading or survival skill including:
- Learn how to tap Maple trees
      - Learn how to make maple syrup
- aim to eliminate at least one month's grocery bill by 80% through gardening
- learn how to can with rubber rings

I have at least one knitting/crochet project planned for each month as well, but due to my wrist surgery at the end of this month, I'm forced to start those projects a bit later. All gung-ho and nowhere to go :)

Have a wonderful year everyone!