Best Ever Hot/Cold Packs!!

Supplies:
tube socks (pre-washed) 
filler (dry corn or beans PLUS dried herbs like lavender) 

Directions: 

Cut off the tube portion of the sock, which is what you'll be using for the hot/cold pack. Turn the sock inside out and sew the raw (just cut) end closed. Then turn the sock right side out and fill it to the desired level with your filler and sew up the other end. 

Some people use rice for the filler, but it doesn't heat as nicely and starts to smell funny over time, which is why I opt for the corn or beans. To buy cheap, dried corn, just go to a feed store for small amounts or a tractor supply store for large quantities. 

Universal Shopping Cart Cover & High Chair Cover (Sewing Tutorial)

Since babies like to gnaw on icky things like shopping carts and restaurant high chairs, here's a handy cover to keep stashed in the car. It makes a nice baby shower gift too! 

We received two different covers as gifts but both were so elaborate with straps and velcro and extras that they were a major pain to use. I gotta say that simple is better!!! Here's what I came up with for a cover that fits shopping carts and even can be used for high chairs. It has no ties or velcro... it just stretches on. No need to buy a store pattern, just follow my tutorial. I wish I had this with our first son!!! 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR DOWNLOAD TUTORIAL!

Home Made Playdough Recipes

Play-Dough-Making Tips:

• Try using baby oil in place of cooking oil in play dough recipes- it smells better, won't mold, and remains soft for a long time. (Unless your kids tend to eat the play dough... then you'd better stick w/ cooking oil!) 
• Another way to make your play dough smell better is to use some vanilla or orange extract.
• To make play dough last longer, use cream of tartar and/or store it in the fridge. 
• For colored playdough: add food coloring, Kool-Aid or Gelatin mix to the water. To make several colors out of one batch, divide the finished dough into balls, then drip liquid coloring in a well down the middle (you can use a straw for this) and knead it in. 
• For brown colored playdough: add Crystal Light Original Iced tea or cocoa with the water.
• For sparkly play dough, add in glitter during the hand-mixing/kneading.
• Store all play-dough in an air-tight container or Ziploc bag.
• *All recipes on this page are non-edible! (You can google for an edible play-dough recipe, but I'd rather use cookie dough if we're going to eat it!)

Hoppy Halloween! (Frog & Tadpole Costume Tutorials)

Here are the costumes I whipped up for my boys this year: