Knitted Kitty

 I am proud to show you a little knitted project that I made at my son's toddler class (yes, parents are asked to create little projects such as this while the kids play on their own).

Knitting (and crocheting) isn't exactly my best skill, as I might have mentioned a couple of months ago. But at last, I have been able to knit something more than a long strand!

Learning how knit could be quite a challenge for a leftie such as moi. It is because of this that I decided to show a tutorial of some of what I have learned in my next posts for the other frustrated leftie knitters out there (surely, I'm not the only one).
Stay tuned!

Alonzo's Button Collection

Over the past couple of weeks our little toddler has showed some particular interest in collecting buttons. It started with just a couple of pieces. I think the huge, red one was what got him interested. Now, he has over 200 pieces!

I am amazed at how these could keep him entertained for hours (no exaggeration!). He could spend the entire afternoon just tinkering with each piece. He sorts them by color, counts them (he can count up to 10, and sometimes a little over), pours them on to different bowls, lines them all up and even tried to stack them.

He seems partial to the stripped beige and black one. He also knows which ones are our favorite pieces. For his dad it would be the oversized, red one while mine would be the paisley printed one (he chose it for me!).

Believe me, too, when I say that the little guy takes pride in his collection. He is mindful of where to keep them and is even particular as to who he will allow to help him pack them away!
How adorable is he? 

DIY Ways to Frame Photos

Here are two craft projects that I made and wrote for Yahoo She. Both are about framing or displaying photos. 

The first project, a slide folder frame, is a slight modification of the frames hubby (then boyfriend) and I made to display old photos of our parents' and grandparents' on their wedding day at our wedding. Unfortunately, I do not have photos of those to show but I know that we took a picture of one of the frames displayed on one of the easels we also made for the wedding 

(will show those some other time). 

The second article is about alternative ways to display photos. The materials that you'll need for all projects can be used out of recycled material and are stuff that you most probably already have around. 

Make your own jewelry out of recycled stuff

Months ago I was contemplating on what to do with the plastic straws literally delivered to our doorstep by a neighbor.

Imagine the surprised look in my face when I woke up to a plastic bag full of used (but clean, I assumed) plastic straws. Apparently, the neighbor learned that I am into crafting and "salvaging stuff from trash". I admit, I was a initially floored and slightly embarrassed. Nonetheless, I thanked the neighbor and slowly realized that she actually was giving me a compliment.

To thank her further for the thoughtful gesture I gave her a cuff bracelet crafted out of plstic straws (not the ones she gave though).

I was also browsing thruogh pinterest a couple of days a go and stumbled upon a bracelet made out of popsicle sticks. Its really a simple craft and it turns out to be one of the most pinned crafts from the site. I tried making a few pieces and became so inspired that I thought of making them into a chain necklace.

DIY Glass Staining

Transform ordinary jars and glass bottles by creating a stained glass effect.  All you'll have to do is paint them over with food color mixed with glue. Yup, it's all there is to it.

It's that easy!

Experiment with different colors and patterns. Group the jars together and use them as vases or votives.

Take note that the glue washes off easily with water.

I wouldn't, therefore, advice you to use it over fabric (as in a table cloth, for example) as it may result in staining.

I also used the same method to paint over glass windows.

My dad has a pair of glass windows salvaged from an old house and wanted to replace the glass with colored ones, as he wanted them to look like cathedral windows -- or a little something like that.

I thought this staining technique would be an inexpensive albeit temporary alternative.

Here's how the windows looked before

During

 After

Because the colors are not water proff I painted over the back side of the glass. The windows are also nailed to a wall over which an awning it attached. What can I say? This easy, little project gets my dad's 2 thumb up approval!
I'm just hoping the windows get protected from the rain! 

Potty Training

Our first attempt at potty training or potty learning (as Montessori suggests) was when Alonzo turned 24 months. 

For that, I collected a couple of potty books, took his potties out in advance (to make him more familliar with it) and purchased several pairs of "big boy underpants".

All of these are book sale finds!



My favorite potty book!



Alonzo will be turning 29 months this month and still refuses to use the potty. At the moment, Alonzo doesn't show readiness to let go of his nappy.

 He has 3 potties but only uses them as chairs for his toys. Believe me, we tried everything to convince him. We take him with us to the toilet to show him how its done. All he wants to do is flush the toilet for us!

I also resorted to borrowing his cousin's Baby Alive doll.  Not even his Lego has escaped the opportunity to show him how to use the toilet. What can I say? The little guy stands firm and is not the slightest bit persuaded.

Lego man using the toilet and bidet

What else have we haven't tried? Hypnotism???
Any other suggestions?

Squash Soup

I was recently reminded to make a pot of squash soup when this was served at my son's playhouse last week. This isn't the recipe that I nomally make. My original recipe would also call for a can of tomato soup, cream and thyme and parsley. This time I partially followed the recipe used at playhouse, where the recipe calls for fewer ingredients and the procedure is more simple. This recipe is good for approximately 3-4 persons.

Ingredients:
Squash (chop a couple of segments)
Onion, 1 medium
Butter, about 1 tsp
Rice milk (I used regular evaporated milk)
Water (approximately 500 ml)
Kinchay (we didn't have any so I used a pinch of nutmeg instead. The flavors between the 2 are totally different but I thought it would also go well with squash)

Procedure:
Boil squash and onion together.
Purify with a handheld mixer or pour on to a blender until you achieve the desired consistency.
Add butter and milk.
Let it boil and thicken.
Season with salt and pepper
Add kinchay (or nutmeg or whatever spice or herb you prefer)

Serve with crusty bread or top with croutons. Enjoy.