Yet Another Pixie Fluff Giveaway!

I am doing a referral giveaway on Pixie Fluff's page on Facebook. It will run until September 8. The prize is a Pixie Fluff nursing cover.

This is how it will work: go to my Pixie Fluff page (click the Pixie to the left). "Like" it. Then suggest me to your friends (I think a post in your status like "@Pixie Fluff is having a giveaway, tell them I sent you!" would be the way to go.) The person who sends me the most people will win a free nursing cover (also shipped free). The winner will need to tell me if the baby who will be hiding under there is a boy or a girl so I can pick an appropriate color.

Good luck!

Working Wednesday: August 25

I didn't quite get all I wanted to done this past week. But I did get most of it finished! Here is some of what I made:

I made one tie-dye nursing cover, three diapers, one of which is in the laundry right now (but unfortunately no inserts, and some blue and white washcloths (there are more but this represents what they all look like). All of these things have already been claimed by new owners!

Next week I hope to make some more diapers, lots of inserts, and at least two nursing covers!

Tasty Tuesday: Homemade Bread

I have spent years trying to find the perfect bread recipe. As far as I am concerned, I just found it! I got a recipe for Delicious Whole Wheat Bread from Recipes for the future and tweaked it a little. I love it! So here it is:

Combine (in a 1 cup measuring cup):
1/4 c lukewarm water
1/4 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp instant yeast
Stir it and let it rest while you combine:
1 c potato water (make this ahead: boil 2-4 potatoes and save the water)
1/2 c lukewarm milk
2 Tbsp melted butter
3 Tbsp honey
1/4 c nonfat dry milk
When the yeast mixture has foamed up to about 3/4 to 1 cup in the measuring cup, combine the two in a large bowl and add:
3/4 c all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
Mix well. Then add, gradually:
3 c whole wheat flour.
Knead for 5-10 minutes, adding extra whole wheat flour as needed (probably about 1/4 c more), to keep the dough from sticking to whatever surface you are kneading on (and your hands).
Oil a large bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise 60 minutes or until doubled.
Grease a bread pan. Form the bread into a loaf and place seam side down in the pan. Cover with the same plastic wrap, loosely. Let rise 40-60 minutes or until the dough has risen to 3/4 to 1" above the top of the pan (in the middle of the loaf). Place in a cold oven, set the oven to 350 degrees and set the timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, carefully put aluminum foil over the bread and bake for an additional 45 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when you take it out of the pan and tap the bottom.
Enjoy!

No Judging!

"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgement on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgement do the same things." --Romans 2:1 NIV

I hope not to judge anyone else. I don't want to be judged myself, except by God, in the end. And I hope that He is merciful. I know I am far from perfect. But that is the beauty of God. He loves us for who we are, even if we sadden Him with our actions. We should not worry so much about what other people think of us; only to try to be a good example. In my life, if people look at me and see Jesus sticking out all over, I have done well. Please, Lord, give me the strength to not judge, and to do my best to show You off to those who are watching me.

Working Wednesday- What I Have Planned this Week

This week I plan to make at least two nursing covers, finish one sleeve diaper, make a pocket diaper, make 3 inserts, and some washcloths/wipes. Hopefully I can get even more diapers done than that, but it's hard to do when you've got a lot of little "helpers" trying to cut things and put on snaps! I will try to post some pictures of my work!

Tasty Tuesday: Banana Oat Muffins

This is a recipe I came up with myself. It's really moist and delicious. I don't know the calorie content, but it is made with a lot of healthy ingredients.

Banana Oat Muffins
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees (F)

Mash:
2 bananas

Mix into the bananas:
1/2 cup vegetable spread like Country Crock (melted)
1/4 cup strawberry banana yogurt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup honey

Then add, a little at a time, without over mixing but until combined:
1 cup whole wheat (or white wheat) flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick oats
2 Tbsp wheat germ
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt


Put into greased or lined cupcake pan (makes 12 muffins)
Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and raw or other coarse sugar.

Bake for about 19 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Bargaining Chips

My four year old daughter did not go to preschool today. I went to her room at 6:00 to wake her up so she could catch the bus at 6:40. She would not get dressed or even budge from her bed. Well, not until she heard the bus blow its horn as it went by! I told her this was the first and the last day she was going to do that. Later on I had a light bulb moment. I decided to tell her, since she loves the library so much, that we will go to the library once a week, IF she goes to school EVERY day. (We don't go to the library all that much lately because it is hard with a 2 year old and a baby, and also because we have loads of books at home already.) She said OK, just like that. I wish I had thought of that at six this morning. But I don't think that clearly so early. Getting up this early is new to both of us... I haven't done that in years myself.

The other day I had to look at fabric at the store. In the meantime, my four year old and two year old wanted to play hide and seek in the aisles near me. I am uncomfortable with that, as I am sure most mothers are. So instead, I instigated a search and find game instead, asking them to find snowflakes, butterflies, horses, and so on, on the fabrics next to us. To my utter amazement, it worked!

Thankfulness

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him, tell of all his wonderful acts."     -- 1 Chronicles 16:8-9 NIV

We should really than God more for the good things He does for us.

Maybe you're having trouble making ends meet and can't go out to eat, but there is still food on your table. Maybe you don't have food on your table, but there are places you can go to eat.

Maybe you are sick, but at least you're not dying. Or maybe you're dying even, but you have loved ones to lean on. Maybe you're dying, but if you trust in the Lord you will still have everlasting life in a new, healthy self in Heaven.

A lot of people have tough times, but try to remember what blessings God has given you- sing praise to Him- and you will have a lighter heart.

Trying to Lose the Baby Weight

Well I am at it again. I don't like to diet. Food is my friend! Especially chocolate. But chocolate and dieting don't go hand -in-hand very often. I lost the baby weight last year about this time with the Self Challenge. This year I'm starting with Baby Fit. I can't seem to produce a baby without gaining at least 45 pounds. This time it was over 50! I've lost about 25 pounds of that without much effort, but my baby is now just over four months old, and while I'm not extremely impatient yet, I want my body back! So here goes! Maybe Fridays should be Fitness Fridays! It might keep me motivated.

Themes

Thursdays will be Thinking Thursday. Sunday: Spiritual Sunday. Tuesday: Tasty Tuesday. Wednesday: Working Wednesday. If you can think of things for Monday, Friday and Saturday, let me know!
So the thought for the day is this... I'm puzzled. Why, if my daughter is the last person to get on the school bus in the morning, and we live 25 minutes from her school, which starts at 8:00, does she have to get on the bus at 6:40? Does it really take the bus that much longer to get to school than it does my car? It's a good thing she wakes up easily!

Giveaway

When my Facebook fan page reaches 500 fans I will be giving a nursing cover away to one lucky winner!

My First Post!

Hello and welcome to Pixie Fluff! I am a stay at home mom of 3.167 kids; two boys and two girls. This is an exciting day for me because today my odest daughter started pre-k. She had a great day! I'm so proud of her! Needless to say, I haven't gotten a lot of things done lately as far as making diapers and nursing covers... I've been focusing on getting her ready to start school. But once we're in the swing of things I think I will be quite productive. Until next time!