tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1651406167374310082024-03-13T02:15:59.097-05:00Jenni's just trying to "make" itEver see something and say to yourself, I could totally make that myself. And WAY cheaper! Welcome to the mother ship. A journal of projects and my personal journey: sewing, crafting, home, baby, cooking, gardening, parenting, life in general... some complete, some unfinished, some just in my head, but all potentially useful. Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-15731454031070629102019-02-28T09:38:00.000-06:002019-02-28T09:48:49.747-06:00Lay down your lifeJohn 15:13 King James Version "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."I love this bible verse. So much so that I asked a friend to cross stitch it for me and it hangs in my kitchen. On the surface this verse looks really straightforward - it's asking us to die for the people we love. We could probably extend that to the causes we believe in, like Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-24404254050704958392019-02-13T09:18:00.005-06:002019-02-13T09:21:23.818-06:00Listen to people who don't agree with youA few years back, when this blog was more active, I read a book called Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and I began writing this post. The world has changed profoundly since I began writing this, and I think the message here is more important than ever.
Back to Rich Dad, Poor Dad: Simply put, it is inflammatory. The first half of the book was so infuriating, I wasn't sure reading it was good for my health. Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-11550223053032703712019-02-06T12:25:00.001-06:002019-02-06T12:25:29.085-06:00On Being Brave, Not PerfectI listen to public radio. Like, a LOT. Yesterday as I was running errands for my mother in law, I caught part of an episode of On Point. The guest was Reshma Saujani, the woman who started Girls Who Code - a program that encourages girls to explore technology with the hopes of bridging the gender gap in the industry. But she wasn't talking about coding... She was talking about sociology.
Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-7396025032364261632015-03-17T13:20:00.000-05:002015-03-17T13:20:12.659-05:00Never Pay Full Price and Making your own dealsPart of making money is saving money, right? Everyone knows that a penny saved is a penny earned, and I don't know anyone who blatantly wants to overpay for things. However, looking for good deals can be confusing. How do you know you are getting a good deal? How do you know when is a good time to buy? Where do you go to find amazing deals? Well, lets try to Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-76804526849876302772014-10-27T12:09:00.004-05:002014-10-27T12:10:28.156-05:00Be Bold - Changing your life.Many, many months ago, I began a "series" (don't know if I can call it that when I have posted precisely once this YEAR so far) about self improvement; A guide to changing your life. I gleaned a lot of this information from my own life, but much of it has come from tons and tons of self help/motivational books I have read recently. All the books had one thing in common - they taught Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-39086012399822598132014-03-30T22:36:00.001-05:002014-03-30T22:37:25.406-05:00Change: A How-to Guide of sortsThe past several years have been ones of great change for my husband and me. We moved in together and had to combine our personal finances. We got married. We had a child. We started looking at the future: things like life insurance, 401ks, and college savings plans became very important to us, but the more we looked at things the more alien they seemed. We learned Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-28658732061661848442014-03-23T22:29:00.000-05:002014-07-21T19:16:02.202-05:00Trello and Scrum and time managementI have been BUSY lately. The end of summer saw Renaissance Faire rush orders followed by Halloween, then a week off, and then starting in on the holidays, a vacation thrown in there and now some custom dresses and of course the handmade Christmas gifts. Blogging has obviously taken a back seat as my posting has been non existent.
With the new rapid rate of life, I have sought out a Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-52535004704492188362014-02-24T21:42:00.002-06:002014-02-24T21:47:15.932-06:00Reusable Nursing padsThis is a super old project that I never posted on because, well, let's just say I am busy... Hence the not posting for 7 months. Oops. Anywho, I loved these little lifesavers and they saved me a bundle since I didn't have to buy nursing pads for the year and couple months that I breastfed.
My breast feeding experience included a lot of leaking. My milk supply is shall we Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-85798219167329484052013-07-20T21:17:00.000-05:002013-07-20T21:17:36.949-05:00Renaissance Fair time againYep. Its that time of the year again. I LOVE me some grown-up dress-up. So what if I never outgrew being 5 and pretending I was a princess?
Years past I have posted random stuff really. This year is no different. I am making a peasant/middle class outfit for a friend's girlfriend (she is a friend too so I am not sure why I said it that way, but whatever. My Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-20361759517591640222013-07-06T11:06:00.001-05:002013-07-06T11:06:41.828-05:00Bleach pen shirt for the cotton anniversaryThis is another t shirt craft that I made with a ruined shirt. Somehow it managed to get some bleach speckles on it - nothing huge mind you, but ugly nonetheless. Hubs wears these as undershirts anyway, so it stayed in rotation for a good long time, but I finally got tired of seeing him wear it NOT as an undershirt and cringing at the orangey-brown bleach marks. So I on-purpose Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-44163785898895932612013-06-13T09:41:00.000-05:002013-06-13T09:41:05.731-05:00Bigger box is not always better
Costco is great, right? Everything anyone could possibly need all under one enormous roof. Food, clothing, electronics, jewelry, even a gas station and auto repair center! Who doesn't like a one stop shop?
Also, you have this cool membership card that allows you access to all these great deals on bulk items! Who doesn't like being part of an exclusive club that saves Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-82846767656122876092013-06-11T14:23:00.002-05:002013-06-11T14:23:56.959-05:00Things they don't tell new momsSeveral of my friends are expecting and due very soon or just had babies. And lots and lots of us have small children and are going through that insanity all together. I decided I would dedicate a blog post to non-traditional advice. Here are some of the most useful things I was told, or I seriously wish someone had told me so I didnt feel like an idiot or like a horrible mom. &Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-62811171535196672752013-05-15T09:53:00.001-05:002013-05-15T09:54:58.528-05:00Orange cranberry rice recipeHey everyone! I am super excited to share a tasty recipe I MADE ALL BY MYSELF. That's right. I rule.
Downside. It was a last minute weeknight meal discovery, and I have no photos. But I am sure you will do just fine.
Orange-cranberry rice with toasted almonds
1c almonds
1/2 c dried cranberries
2 c white jasmine rice (brown jasmine would work great too, but the Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-89922776377338474102013-05-08T11:55:00.000-05:002013-05-08T11:55:12.136-05:0030 second workoutOkay, okay, I admit. I sensationalized the title in hopes of getting some extra interest. But wait! Don't leave! You really can work out in 30 seconds!
Back story: I had a baby almost a year and a half ago. I've since lost my baby weight and I fit in my clothes, but I feel like my body is not the same. My abs look stretched out and I have really let myself getJenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-14685732024942616882013-04-04T10:59:00.000-05:002013-04-04T11:01:39.089-05:00Homemade Sugar Free ApplesauceI started making applesauce for my son because I didn't trust commercial applesauces to actually be healthy and sugar free, and those little jars of baby food are way overpriced for just applesauce. And then my husband tried it, you know, just licking off the spoon while feeding the baby. Or something. And now I am not ALLOWED to buy the store stuff haha. Admittedly, I Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-13533015366801944992013-03-21T10:10:00.000-05:002013-03-21T10:13:22.779-05:00Live Well NetworkI have been so stuck on TV lately. Its the end of winter, but its still cold, I am getting stir crazy, its grey and dark and not energizing... TV soothes me. I am a bad person, I know. Moving on.
I discovered a new network. Its probably only local, but its part of my channel 4 band - I don't know what to call those "dash" channels yet... Anyway, for me it is 4-3, Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-68215363102547294212013-02-28T12:36:00.002-06:002013-02-28T12:36:20.337-06:00Sheer clothing and etiquetteNow that sheer tops are all the rage (again) I feel that I need to send out a PSA. I know this is not in the vein of most of my posts, but fashion is actually really important to me. And since this is my blog I can do whatever I want.
I was at the bank last week and I saw an adorable teller wearing an equally adorable top. I had to restrain myself from calling it 80s for fear of offending Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-90052003812302331442013-02-22T21:21:00.000-06:002013-02-22T21:21:04.693-06:00Local Ethnic GroceriesI have been really uninspired lately hence the lack of blog posts and boring posts that I do post. Then today I did a crap ton-o-running around and it hit me - I have GOT to share my little secret with you!
I went to my favorite little secret spot. My local Indian grocery. The people there are very nice, its family owned, and it has amazing GEMS for sale. I get "weird"Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-67486917003420010392013-02-20T14:07:00.001-06:002013-02-20T14:08:03.389-06:00WazoodleI like great companies. I love small businesses. I feel good about buying US made. I like crafting supplies. I seek out good prices. I demand good customer service. I am impressed by sincerity.
Dear reader, this may not interest you in the least, but I felt obligated to tell you about the new and improved wazoodle. It's a website that sells cloth diapering and other supplies to the general Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-51260509507367983922013-02-09T20:06:00.002-06:002013-07-06T11:13:18.460-05:00Tee Shirt NightieIn honor of St. Valentines day, I am posting a totally frivolous project! On the plus side, it is super simple. On the down side, it is fussy, which is something I hate in projects. I like quick and clean and neat and exact... But making over something into something else usually comes with some fudging that you have to clean up later, so deal. Haha. But seriously.
I haveJenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-54144599414020688692013-02-05T10:55:00.001-06:002013-02-05T10:55:21.970-06:00slimming down my lifeI just finished reading a book that changed the way I look at the world and at life. 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, by Jen Hatmaker, is just that, an experiment. Written journal style, she goes through 7 months of reduction in 7 areas, one for each month. Things like stuff, stress, media, food, and more... things we all probably have too much of. It made me lookJenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-75062074326866921382013-01-30T21:28:00.000-06:002013-01-30T21:28:28.028-06:00Tamale Pie RecipeThis is a long time coming to a lot of my friends and family. I am terrible at remembering to give recipes to people. Its not intentional as if I didn't want to share my culinary secrets or something, I am just really bad at remembering, and often too lazy to write things out via pen and ink or email. Sue me. I am busy surfing the web for random craft supplies. Duh. Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-67550030864959618842013-01-26T11:15:00.000-06:002013-01-26T11:19:54.875-06:00These are a few of my favorite things... portable highchairsI probably have more experience with this one than any of my other posts thus far. I don't usually buy more than one of something and use them both a lot, but my family lives in California and we go visit about twice a year. I can hardly handle packing clothes much less pack carseats, strollers, high chairs, diaper pails, etc. and babies need so much gear! So I ended up buying cheapo versions of Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-43560133622668408912013-01-22T11:01:00.002-06:002013-01-22T11:01:17.144-06:00This is how I RollI haven't done a cooking post in a super ridiculous long time... So here we go.
I am REALLY tired of commercial bread. It has all these weird ingredients which totally goes against healthy eating. I am all about making my family as healthy as possible, but yeast scares the living crap out of me. Its SO much work to make the dang bread and most of the time what I get is less Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165140616737431008.post-24560484054441513062013-01-10T12:17:00.001-06:002013-01-12T10:11:23.299-06:00Green living: reduce, reuse, recycleI grew up in Southern California. Not sure if region matters, but as a kid growing up I remember fun little recycling PSAs popping up between cartoons. The little diddy went: "Recycle, reduce, reuse! And close the loop." And the little logo was around a dinosaur named recycle Rex. So. Freaking. Cool. And so damn catchy it's still in my head twenty some years later.
So as I grew up, that is Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18087239523362025178noreply@blogger.com0