Mail Presents

Oh boy oh boy! I've won two giveaways at two different times, and both packages came in the mail today! The first was a Boogie Wipes giveaway. For those of you who don't know what Boogie Wipes are, you're missing out. When my second little one was born, he consistently had a stuffy nose and would get so upset that he was always crying. Wiping his nose with a tissue didn't get any dried boogies off, and his nose would get so red. My mother found Boogie Wipes while shopping one day and I LOVE them! They're like baby wipes, but they're just moistened with saline and lightly scented, or if your little one is sensitive to scents, they come unscented too! Gone were the days of little red noses and dried on boogies, and here are the days of little happy boys because mommy can wipe their noses without irritation! The prize box held two packages of Boogie Wipes, one the regular lightly scented, and the other is grape scented, mmm! Then there were a bunch of little single wipe packets in grape, lightly scented, and unscented. They arrived at such a great time too, with the weather constantly changing, I was almost out of Boogie Wipes!

The second giveaway is the second one I've won from Phat Fiber. One of my favorite shops, Desert Garden Farms, had sent in her Fruit Bat batts for a giveaway, and I won! I believe the fruit bat idea had come up when her and I were chatting when I bought one of each of her fruit batts, to try them out. We named it the fruit sampler and since bat and batt are just one 't' away in spelling, of course the fruit bat came up! I'm so excited to have won the fruit bat batt, I can't wait to spin it up and put it with my fruit yarns!

Phat Fiber Giveaway

Jessie, of Phat Fiber, is holding one of her many giveaways! Ann of Color Bug Yarns has given a skein of her green worsted weight yarn, and boy is it pretty! Check out the giveaway here: Color Bug Yarns Giveaway! Believe me, you'll love it!

Car Accident

My Sister-In_law was in a serious car accident late Tuesday afternoon. She was waiting at a red light behind a few other cars. There was space enough for another car between her car and the car behind her and some jerk decided to SPEED into the gap. Well he caused a 5 car accident and my sister-in-law was trapped in her car until help arrived. Her one ankle was dislocated, broken and right above her ankle, her tibia was fractured. Her other ankle is sprained and she has a few bumps and ugly looking bruises. I've been back and forth between home and the hospital along with other family members so she isn't alone and she's coming home tomorrow. We're all upset that this happened but we're thankful that she wasn't hurt worse.


Please share, what was one bad time in your life where you looked through and were able to find the good?

Sorry!

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days! I worked Saturday and then spent the day in NYC on Sunday! It was so much fun, I went with my brother and his fiance. We visit the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) to see their Tim Burton exhibit....AMAZING! I absolutely love all of Tim Burton's works, like Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Nightmare Before Christmas, Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street, etc. I have yet to see Alice in Wonderland, I'm afraid to be disappointed since I'm a lifetime fan of Lewis Carrol's book and loved the original Disney film when I was a child. I'm sure it is amazing work though.

I haven't done much crocheting over the weekend like I wanted to, I have to finish up a car seat blanket for my mother's friend. I did get some spinning done with my drop spindle. I'm in love with spinning! I spun two batts from my spoiler in the Merry Unbirthday swap I was in, and a batt from Desert Garden Farms.I love shopping from her store, she has gorgeous batts and gorgeous handspun yarn. Check it out!

For those of you who don't know, batts are folded and rolled up "sheets" of combed fiber. There's a way to pull these into a long strip of fiber that's ready to spin. I'll post pictures later when I get my camera hooked up.

Happy Friday Follow!

Welcome to any and all new followers! I'm Mandii and thanks for stopping by my blog!

Ten Things

Ten things about me:

• I hate heights and falling, but I love roller coasters. The higher and faster they go, the better!
• I get excited over every new episode of The Wonderpets. When you've seen them all multiple times, you'll be praying for new ones!
• I had my older son two months before my 18th birthday, four months before I graduated high school and I fought hard to keep going to school!
• I absolutely love my father's beef stew and my grandmother's goulash, there is no comparison!
• I highly support the handmade movement, indie businesses are sometimes the best.
• I would love to go organic, but I have a hard time convincing my fiance (who earns all the money).
• Never let asthma stop you from doing what you love, I didn't.
• Irish dancing was my favorite way to get in shape, I used to have some sexy legs before I had to stop.
• I love my daily walk to the post office, even if I don't get anything.
• I'm addicted to browsing on Etsy, so many awesome things!

If you do Ten Things, post the link in the comments section!

Bohemia Fibers

For my birthday (April 11) my brother outright asked me what I wanted, figuring I would like a gift card to either AC Moore or Michaels. Well, I've recently joined the handmade movement, and I'd rather buy my craft supplies online if I can help it. I showed him THIS Etsy shop (I've been shopping a lot on Etsy lately) and told him I wanted a drop spindle. I've been itching to try and spin my own yarn after I heard about the therapeutic effects of doing it, just like knitting and crocheting.

My loving brother not only got me a drop spindle, he got me THIS drop spindle, which comes not only with an ounce of undyed top to practice with, it has two beautiful ounces of batts in their Ring of Kerry colorway. Quoted directly from the listing:

"Ring Of Kerry is a fluffy, soft as a cloud batt made from hand carded mixed wools, and dyed in a colorway inspired by the beautiful Ring Of Kerry in Ireland.

We've used ranges of brilliant greens, kerry blues, deep turquoise and seafoam, and sprinkled the batt with peacock glitz. We add in firestar at the very end dyed in a blue colorway to really get this batt sparkly!

This batt is gorgeous and should spin into a myriad of turquoises and greens."

I absolutely love the colors! They do offer a disclaimer with the listing too, for those who expect things to look exactly like the pictures posted:

"Each of our batts are unique, and although we use the same dyes in this particular color way for our wools, all batt color formations will vary when they are carded due to the fact that they're handmade. But they are all gorgeous!

All of our batts start with wools dyed with professional acid based dyes for fade resistant deep intense colors.
Please note that the dyes are set with natural white vinegar as a mordant to the dye and you may notice a slight scent from the dye process. This will wash out of your finished product."

Once you order, it's a couple of days before this is shipping, since they make the spindle after it's been ordered. Once I received it, I was as giddy as a schoolgirl opening the package. After reading the instructions (and watching a video on YouTube since I'm more of a visual learner) I began spinning. Like all beginners my yarn was lumpy and bumpy but I thoroughly enjoyed myself! The spindle is gorgeous in real life and handles so easily, like it knew what to do already!




Doesn't it look lovely? It's so smooth and the grain is lovely. If you're planning to learn to spin, know someone who wants to spin, or are just looking for another bottom whorl drop spindle, just go to Bohemia Fibers. I wasn't disappointed and neither will you be!

Friday Follow

Welcome to my Friday Follow! Please, stick around, I'll have some nice posts this month!

Sarah Brown Design

I recently made an order from Sarah Brown Designs on Etsy, for a skein of her Bloodlust series yarn in the colorway Foreplay. The yarn is gorgeous and I only wish I could keep the skein! It is being sent to my swap recipient on Ravelry. In the meantime, let me tell you about the skein.

It is 420 yards of hand-dyed 3-ply superwash merino fingering weight yarn, perfect for socks or a lace project. The colors look gorgeous, in red, a sort of dark rose, and a lovely shade of pink, with bits of a creamy pink showing through as well. I can't stop myself from petting the skein every chance I get, it's so soft.

Miss Brown also includes a free set of 5 stitchmarkers with every skein of yarn purchased, and they aren't of poor quality either. The set of stitchmarkers she sent matched the skein of yarn, the beads a dark rosy color. The wire is clipped so it won't catch on your projects and they're so gorgeous to look at that I wouldn't want to take them off a project!

I must say, I really do love this yarn and will hopefully be purchasing some from Sarah Brown Designs in the future to knit for myself. Go check out her Etsy shop, you won't be disappointed!

Car Seat Blanket

I started a car seat blanket the other day for my mom to bring to a baby shower in less than two weeks. I figured out the foundationless half-double crochet! It took me a few tries but I must say, even though it does take a little longer and a little more concentration to use it, I prefer it to making a chain. I'll get better at in eventually.


I'm in a Merry Unbirthday swap over on Ravelry, and my swap partner really likes hand-dyed yarns. I'd love to get her a bunch but unfortunately I have to stay close to the minimum amount for the swap. I did get her a skein of really pretty yarn (which I want to keep for myself) and the seller sent a pack of knitting stitchmarkers with it. I also got her this really pretty tea wallet which I will put some packs of Peppermint Tea in, since it's really good for stomachaches. I'm also handsewing her a pretty little bag to keep a sock or armwarmer project in.

Tag Jr-Review of my own accord

This blog was originally started to post about what I've been doing fiber-wise. However, back in February for his second birthday, we bought my older son a Tag Junior so he could take an interest in reading. I didn't open it until recently, I kept forgetting to buy batteries for it but finally I did.

Let me tell you, the Tag Junior has helped immensely with the older one. He has lately been bringing books for me to read to him while I've been busy with the baby. Tag Junior now lets him listen to the books we buy for it without me having to read it to him.

The Tag Junior (for ages 2-4) hooks up to your computer by a USB cable so you can download up to 5 different books onto the reader, and you can change which books the reader holds. We currently have 4 different books for the reader which includes the book it came with. On your computer, you can personalize the reader to say your child's name, and if Leapfrog doesn't have your child's name on file, it gives you a list of nicknames you can choose from, like Baby, Buddy or Princess. You can also see what 5 books are on your reader and what books are in your library.

Each book that Leapfrog has for the Tag Junior focuses on different skills. The book the reader comes with, If I Were..., focuses on colors, animals and rhyming. Other books focus on vocabulary, sounds, rhythm and others.

My older son loves the fact that his TAG reader greets him when he turns it on, and is always using it! I definitely recommend getting this for the toddlers in your life!


The writer of this blog was not compensated in any way by LeapFrog, nor was she asked to write a positive review. The writer wrote this of her own accord so others could see how helpful the TAG Junior reader is.

Disclosure Policy

This policy is valid from 06 April 2010


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Phat Fiber Giveaway-Serendipity

In order to try and win some of the lovely yarn by Miss Emily of Serendipity, I thought I'd post about this giveaway here. Phat Fiber Sampler Box is giving away some of her yummy gorgeous yarn! Go here: Phat Fiber Giveaway and maybe try to win yourself some! Emily's yarn is so soft and she has awesome colorways!

Emmett's Blanket

I finished the baby blanket that I was working on. I finished it not long after my last post on Thursday but forgot to post again about it. Here I am, with a picture or two to show you!

Note: In the one picture I have my foot next to the blanket to give you an idea of how big it is. My foot is a standard size US womens 9.






I forgot to rotate the picture with my foot in it, but you get the idea how big it is. Emmett will be nice and warm in it and I'm happy it's finally finished, I can continue working on other things, like the next baby blanket I need to finish.

Sick

Okay, so everyone in my household, save for my fiance has been sick. I was sick Monday into Tuesday, and now both boys are sick. Luckily, its a beautiful day outside, so I've opened all the windows to get the "sick air" out and to bring the beautiful fresh air indoors. I have been working on a baby blanket for a friend, which will definitely need washing before I give it to her, so she doesn't get the sickly germs that are here. I just need to finish up the corner and put an edging around it. Will definitely post when it's finished.

Giveaway!

Thanks, Mail Carrier is always hosting giveaways but this one by far is one of her best! The Out of the Box Sampler is so cool, and if it weren't currently sold out, I'd buy one along with entering her giveaway so go check it out! All the details are right here in her post: Out of the Box Sampler Giveaway!

Ugh

So I've been sick since I first woke up Monday morning. Not a good way to start off National Crochet Month at all. I'm feeling better today and it helped that both my boys gave me at least four straight hours of sleep, followed by being up for an hour cuddling with the baby, then another three. I feel more rested than yesterday but I still feel awful, and I'm behind on housework too, ugh! I greatly dislike housework, but it needs to be done.

On the bright side, being sick gives me extra time to crochet, and I'm making good progress on my Summer Garden Squares. I'll definitely post pictures when the weather isn't so gloomy, the lighting is awful and the flash makes everything look washed out.

Have a good day!

Birthday Boy!

Has it really been two years? Today was my older son's second birthday...well yesterday since it's after midnight now. I really can't believe he's two...where's the itty bitty baby I brought home from the hospital? Where did those night go where I would sit up with him all night because he had his nights and days mixed up? I miss the hours he and I would spend cuddling. I miss the baths in the little plastic tub, massaging his little arms and legs with baby lotion, the loving stares from those wide chocolate brown eyes.

Of course I now have Ben to do all that with, although he doesn't have his nights and days mixed up and has slept through the night since he was a week old...I still get up during the night with Stevie though. I still miss all that bonding with Stevie. Now he's a little closer to his Daddy than his Mommy, they play with his toy cars and trucks and do guy things (well, as much guy stuff as a two year old can do).

I know in two years I'll be crying about Ben being two and about Stevie getting even bigger. I just wish they could just stay tiny a little bit longer.

Friday Follow post 2

Well I figure I should post this up about the Friday Follow:

Welcome to the seventh Friday Follow celebration hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades! We invite you to join us every Friday to get more blog followers and to follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun.
Here’s how YOU can join the celebration:

* Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below – Only need to on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops.
* Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots
* Follow as many blogs as you’d like
* Comment on the blogs telling them you’re from Friday Follow
* Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow

The Blog Hop is the same at each of our three hosts blogs so you do not have to add your blog at each site. Just one – but you can follow each host blog. Follow a few or follow them all.

This list is new each week. The links do not carry over. Please link up each week for new participants to find your blogs. This list is only open to add your blog links on Fridays. It will be visible all week to visit the blogs listed.

As hostesses, we realize the time required to participate in Friday Follow. Due to the overwhelming number of entries each week, we understand everyone may not be able to follow every blog including ourselves. To keep it fun, follow what you can at your own pace. We appreciate your understanding and thank you for your continued participation!

This was posted up on the main blogs hosting this.

Friday Follow

Well I just joined up on the Friday Follow. I'm pretty sure it's to get some followers, but I could be wrong. I'd be nice to see someone reading my blog though, make me feel important, lol.

Summer Garden Granny Squares

I started a new project yesterday evening called Summer Garden Granny Squares by Lucy at Attic24. If you haven't read her blog yet, here's the link: Attic24 Anyway, I plan to make a nice sized throw out of the Vanna's Choice Baby yarn I bought on Monday combined with the colors I already had. I'm currently at my parents house, have been stuck here all week because of our awful weather (tons of snow), so I can't work with the colors that are still at my apartment. I'll get to them eventually though and the squares that require those colors will have to be set aside.

I plan to start with 100 squares, then see how big that will make the throw. I can always make more squares to make it bigger, then a couple of rounds of granny square border like Lucy has on her throw. I wish I had the colors she does, and the lovely yarn she uses, but it's out of my price range unfortunately, and I'd have to order it online anyway. I'll post pictures of my progress on the throw (I'm making all the centers first, then adding the second rows, and so on) in my next post so keep on the lookout!

Yarn!

I made a quick stop to AC Moore today only looking to get about 4 skeins of Vanna's Choice Baby yarn since it was on sale 2 for $4. I walked out of there with 6 skeins of that, plus two bags of mill end yarn that had four skeins in each bag, plus a semi-nice tote and smaller tote set that was more expensive than any single thing of yarn! I normally wouldn't have bought the totes because they were expensive for the material they were made of, and because of the paisley pattern, but I actually liked the colors on the pattern on these, so it was an impulse buy. Never again though.

Then when I got to my parents house, what was waiting for me but my order of 9 balls of Debbie Bliss Merino DK yarn in a lovely rusty orange color (I have things shipped to my parents house because I don't really trust one of the neighbors in my building). It was my biggest yarn haul ever to date! I'm so excited to crochet with all this yarn, and may even learn to knit to make the Debbie Bliss yarn last longer. It's the first time I have ever bought yarn that wasn't acrylic, so I'm excited to use the merino wool to make something for myself once I find the perfect project.

Charity Blitz

Every month at Crochetville (one of the sites I frequent almost daily) there is a Charity Blitz, which means for six days out of the month a bunch of members get together, chat on the thread and crochet our hearts out for charity. Now, a lot of us already crochet for charity, but for these six days we put aside any other projects we may have going and just dedicate all of our free time to whatever charity we've picked to crochet for.

My pick is a charity based in the village of Maybrook, where my parents live with my two younger brothers. It's called Tiny Hands in Need of Kindness. I first found out about this charity when I was first pregnant with Ben. My fiance, Stephen, had lost his job and at first, we weren't sure how we were going to manage a toddler and a new baby with no income. My mom handed me a small brochure about the charity, her Catholic Daughters group holds a "Madonna Shower" every year to get donations for this charity, more about what a Madonna Shower is later. However, Stephen soon got a letter from the county's emergency services center stating that he was being considered for an opening for a public safety dispatcher. We figured that if we could make it until he was hired there (we were positive he would get the job, he had one of the highest scores in the past five years on the dispatcher test, and he's worked previously as a dispatcher) then we would be okay. He found a summer job in a camp that paid pretty well and we did make it financially until he was hired there. Because of him getting a temporary job and then the permanent one, I decided not to contact the charity because I figured there were plenty of people worse off than us and I didn't want to take away from what the charity was able to provide to them. Since we were so close to needing such help for our children, I decided to crochet at least one blanket a month for this charity, and when my mother's Catholic Daughters group held their Madonna Shower, there would be at least 12 blankets a year for the charity. This year there will probably be only 3 or 4 since the shower is usually held in April, but there will be 12 the following year.

Now for the Madonna Shower explanation. The Catholic Daughters of the Church of the Assumption in Maybrook collect baby and childrens items all year round for Tiny Hands in Need of Kindness, but every year in April, they host a baby shower. Now, unlike regular baby showers held for expectant mothers, this baby shower is for the charity to help get a big donation together for them. Tiny Hands in Need of Kindness helps a lot of kids, especially pregnant teenagers and children of teenage parents. A lot of pregnant teenagers don't have what they need for a baby so this charity helps them get at least the basics.The Madonna Shower helps provide the basics to the charity so they can provide this service. Have I confused you yet? I'm not very good at explaining things sometimes.

Now off to work on this months blanket, the Charity Blitz only runs to the 23rd, so I want to get at least one blanket done in this timeframe, and maybe even start a second.

New Blog

I didn't like my old blog very much, so I decided to start this one to keep track of my crocheting projects, yarn purchases and everyday life in general. I do wish for an extra day in the week where I can just, as the title of my blog says, crochet my heart out. I would love to sit with my two bins of yarn and just crochet the day away, but alas, with two little boys, that's not an option.

I love my two little boys though, Benjamin (Ben) was just born on February 2nd, and looks just like his older brother Stephen Jr (Stevie) who will be turning 2 on the 28th of February. I can't believe my little boy is turning two next week, he's just getting too big. He was mad at me at first for bringing Ben home, but he warmed up quickly and now won't leave Ben alone. Stevie keeps trying to wake him up to play with him, or kiss him or hug him, but he doesn't understand that Ben is just a baby, he's too little to talk, or play with Stevie's toys, and that Stevie has to be gentle with him. He'll learn though and for now I have to keep a close eye on Stevie when Ben is in the same room.