January 24, 2014 by Krista

DIY Toilet Fizzers

We have a swamp monster living in our toilet. Okay, not really. But there’s gotta be something in the water here, because I can clean our toilets twice a week and they still grow a nasty, slimy substance that resembles mold. I’ve never investigated it much to determine exactly what it is, because who wants to put their head in a toilet?

So, I just scrub it out when I notice it – most of the time I catch it fairly early, but occasionally we have a swamp-looking water surface in the toilet. Awesome, since my “monster” is the alligator. Not sure why, but it always has been – My mom once threw a toy plastic alligator in the bathtub when I was two or three and I literally climbed up the side of the shower. At least that’s the story they repeatedly tell me. And, based on my dislike of them now, I totally believe it.

Anyway, I’ve tried lots of things to stunt the growth of our swamp monsters and nothing has really worked. I tried the scrubbing bubbles disks you drop in the water and it turns the water blue. Nada. And it kinda freaked out one of my friends. They were over one night and she kinda grabbed me while I was doing some dishes in the kitchen and was like “uhhhh, so is the water in your toilet supposed to be blue?” And those suckers aren’t cheap! I’ve tried a couple other similiar products and they worked (or didn’t) about as well, with a little less of the freaking out our house guests part.

Then, I saw this recipe for DIY toilet fizzers on Maria’s Self. These cost pennies to make and I figured they couldn’t be any worse than the other things I’d tried, so I decided to give it a go.

DIY TOILET FIZZERS

Materials:
– Baking Soda
– Citric Acid (found in the canning section of the grocery store or Wal-Mart)
– Essential Oils (I used peppermint, lavender, and lemon)
– Small Spray Bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide 3% (this was the only thing I did differently than Maria, she used water. You can get hydrogen peroxide in the pharmacy or health department of the grocery store, Wal-Mart, Target and the like. I wanted a little more cleansing power for the swamp monster. Oh, and the spray bottle was one of those Travel Size Spray Bottles – affiliate link, FYI.)
– Something to cover your face (I kinda brushed this off when I read “medical mask” on Maria’s site – don’t. The powders are so fine, it’ll be irritating when you stir them together. I just tied a dish towel around my face, bandanna style. And then I called myself The Kitchen Bandit. Only joking… mostly.)
– Silicone molds

The process is pretty basic. Mix it all together, spritz until damp enough to stick together and then press into the molds and let them dry. It didn’t take terribly long – pressing the powder into the molds took the longest. But, I’d say I was finished with the whole thing in about 30 minutes.

This is what the powder should look like before you press it in to the molds. Kinda like powdered sugar…

Press the powder in well and level off the backs. Brush any extra powder into the other empty cavities.

Big J kept asking me if he could put a train in the toilet. I kept telling him, “no, we don’t put trains in the toilet”. “But you did,” he responded. It took me a few minutes to figure out he meant these…

I followed Maria’s directions, so I’ll send you over there to get them. Find all the details HERE. These have been working pretty well so far. And they smell pretty awesome. Definitely check them out!

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.

January 23, 2014 by Krista

{Girls Night} The Girl’s Night Club Kit and Nail Night

I am super lucky to live less than 10 miles from my mom, younger sisters and my sister-in-law. We often do family dinners or a movie night or BBQ. Family gatherings are a frequent occurrence. However, we never took advantage of the situation and did Girl’s Nights very often, if ever. With another testosterone-dominate baby about to take over our house, I decided that needed to change. My days may be filled with trains, trucks, Legos and racecars; but, I still have glitter and bows in my veins.

So, for Christmas, I gave my mom and sisters a Girl’s Night Club Kit. Here’s the quick basics on that: It was a handmade gift basket that explained we’d be having Girl’s Night once a month. I kept it pretty lax and we are planning our activities as the months come. I started out with this huge, grande gift idea of pre-planned activities and an elaborate gift basket, but I just kept paring it down as I ran out of time and Christmas got closer. I have the activity ideas planned and we manage the details as the event gets closer. The activities included things like movie night in (we have a projector we put on the wall and it makes for a movie theater at home), movie night out, fondue, spa night, craft night, mini golf, bowling, recipe swap, book swap, accessories swap, bonfire & s’mores, jewelry crafting and the like. Activities that are fairly inexpensive (or free) and something we all have the skill level to do – my youngest sister is 13.

The gift baskets held the following items: homemade salt scrub, lotion and chapstick for spa night, fun socks for bowling night, a chalkboard countdown board for craft night, faux movie tickets for movie night in, baggie of microwave popcorn and a box of movie theater candy for movie night out, chocolate dipped marshmallows for fondue night, recipe cards for recipe swap night, handmade knit ear warmer for accessory swap night, and a graham cracker with chocolate squares and marshmallow for bonfire night. Simple and pretty inexpensive. Unfortunately, I didn’t get photos before they were gifted. Whoops.

Ok, so that was the basic background info. We had our first Girl’s Night the middle of January. We did a mani/pedi night. Everyone brought their collection of nail goodies and we painted nails. Yep, just like a bunch of 14 year-olds at a sleepover. It was awesome. We got to chat over Subway sandwiches for dinner (thanks, Momma!) and then we pulled out all the fun nail colors and accessories.

Yup, we even have a FB Group – since everyone has Facebook and it’s easy to stay updated on there.

One of my sisters has been getting into the DIY gel nail polish (I’ve never had a real manicure at a salon or anything before) and she gave me a mani with them (the perks to being pregnant… no one really says no when you ask them to do things for you… just sayin’). I think I’m sold on the idea – the cost of it might take more time to convince me though. Traditional nail polish on my fingernails typically chips in a day or two. I had this on for over a week and it still looked brand-new. Awesome. But the best thing was the time we got to spend time together, being girls!

Simple, fun and super great for building those relationships… besides, who couldn’t use a little pampering?

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.

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January 20, 2014 by Krista

Fleece Sleeping Bags

Okay, so I’ll be straight up and totally up front here. This tutorial isn’t amazing, partially because I don’t really have a lot of process photos; which really are quite vital to a sewing tutorial, in my opinion. This was a project that I had planned for a year or more and just never got to it. It wasn’t difficult, I just never did it. However, two days before Christmas, Mr. Napping gave me the push I needed and I jumped right into it. Yeah, two days.

Despite the lack of photos (I was trying to get them done so fast I didn’t take the time to photograph the process), these turned out so dang cute that I had to share them! I tried to include a few graphics to help you get the idea, but if you have questions, please feel free to ask!

These DIY Fleece Sleeping Bags are pretty easy – two straight (straight-ish, in my case) seams on one bag and four on the other. If you can muster up the courage to take on that zipper, it’s a walk in the park (really, zippers aren’t that hard, promise!). Each DIY Fleece Sleeping Bag took me about 2-3 hours to complete, but sewing is not something I am super skilled at, and the majority of the time was spent pinning things on the floor. And I was six months pregnant and didn’t move very fast to begin with. Hehe.

DIY FLEECE SLEEPING BAGS

Materials:
* Of course, you can adjust the fabric length for a larger or smaller sleeping bag. I used a no-sew fleece blanket kit from Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores. (I am not being compensated for this project, the link, any other purchases made from this site or this post. The link is to help you get a clear picture of the materials I used. You could also buy fleece off the bolt.) If you use a 50% off coupon (or snag one while they are on sale now for 50% off!) you can make these for less than $20.
– No-Sew Fleece blanket kit (Mine were the smaller 48″x60″ kits and included both the patterned fabric and the coordinating solid color). If you buy off the bolt you’ll need two pieces of fabric, both in the same measurements (check that your fabric is the same width).
– Coordinating 36-inch plastic “Sport” separating Zipper (you can go longer, but that was the longest I was willing to pay for… long zippers get pricey quickly!)
– Sewing Machine, thread and scissors
– Straight pins

Directions:
* I actually used two different methods for these. The first bag I sewed together and then put in the zipper. The second bag, I sewed the zipper right into the bag. The first one was a little easier, because it was a one-step-at-a-time process. The second one combined sewing the fabric together with inserting the zipper, and I actually put the zipper in backward and had to clip the ends, re-thread the zipper and then secure the ends so the zipper didn’t come off. Take a look at the finished photos below and decide which method you prefer.
– Lay the first fabric piece on the floor, right side up and then position the second piece over the top of the first, right side down. If you can’t tell the right and wrong sides apart, just pick one. It’s not going to change the outcome much.

– Pin the fabric together. I’m usually pretty stingy with pinning, but I would suggest being more liberal with this project. The fleece is slippery and tends to move around a lot when you’re sewing it together. If you’re going to put the zipper in now, pin the fabric together, fold in half lengthwise, then separate and pin the zipper between the two layers at the same height on each side. The zipper will be completely inside the blanket, between the two layers.

– Sew the two pieces of fleece together, but leave 6-12 inches open so you can turn the sleeping bag. The fleece is slippery and had a tendency to slide around. Use extra straight pins if you need more help holding it all in place.
– Turn the sleeping bag through the hole and then tuck the edges in and sew the hole closed.
– If you’ve already sewn the zipper in, line up the zipper pieces and zip it back together. If you haven’t attached the zipper: fold the bag in half, line up the edges and pin the zipper in place with one half of the zipper on each side the bag. Sew the zipper to the bag. Zip the zipper back together.

– With the zipper zipped up, flip the bag inside out (so the solid fleece is on the outside, most likely). Sew up the bottom and side of the sleeping bag. I sewed up high enough to cover the sharp, rough edge of the bottom of the zipper. That should keep my boys from getting scratches and hopefully keep some of the cold air out too.

– Flip the bag right side out and press all the corners out. That’s it. When we’re storing them, I just use a piece of string to hold them closed. You could attach some ribbon to the bottom of the bag so you always have ties when you need them. I will probably do this… eventually, some day…

These are, by no means, cold weather sleeping bags. But they were perfect for when my niece got married two days after Christmas and we had a house full of people. The boys ended up having a “sleep over” on Mom and Dad’s bedroom floor. Total charm. Neither kid got cold and Big J said “Mom, that’s a perfect bed for when I sleep on the floor.” My boys love to lay on them for movie nights too. These DIY Fleece Sleeping Bags are a total hit here… which means I’ll have to make more if we have more kids… What have I got myself into?!

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.

January 16, 2014 by Krista

Miracle Baby Bum Cream

The links in this post are affiliate links, which means, if you make a purchase through these links, I will receive a small commission. I appreciate the support and, for legal reasons, I have to include this little disclaimer, however: I mostly wanted to give you a visual of the products so you would know what to look for if you make this cream.

I can’t imagine that wearing diapers is all that much of a walk in the park, but let’s add to that severe diaper rash. Yeah, I think that walk in the park just turned into something more like being chased by zombies through the park in the dark with a broken leg…. or something.

Big J never really had any problems with diaper rash. The strongest thing we ever used on him was baby powder and a bit of Desitin. I know Desitin is pure evil in cream form, according to some. If that’s your stance, you might as well know now that this post is not for you. I’m not affiliated with any of these companies and I use these products when I feel it’s needed. Stick with what you’re comfortable with and please don’t jump down my throat for whatever reason. I’m just trying to share something that has worked for us.

Anyway, Little J has had a worse time with his diaper-wearing. Particularly right after he was born and anytime he has been on antibiotics. This kid’s poor little bum gets so sore and raw that he just whimpers and cries. It’s heartbreaking. So, we tried ointments and salves and powders and a combination of all of those. Finally, FINALLY, we found a concoction that works!

This stuff usually takes a few applications to clear up a rash, it’s not instant magic. But, once it’s applied (the application part is usually a rough for my little guy), he stops whimpering and will go play. Just make sure the skin is dry when you apply it. Little J also prefers to have powder over the top to help keep the diaper from sticking to his skin.

SUPER DUPER BABY BUM CREAM

Ingredients:

– Two 1.5 oz tubes (or one 4oz tube – I couldn’t find the big tubes, so I made do with the little ones) of A & D Ointment (or store brand equivalent works fine)

– 2 Tbsp Maloxx or Mylanta Maximum Strength (I used the Wal-Mart knock off)

– 1/2 big tube or all of a small tube of Boudreaux’s Butt Paste Maximum Strength

– 1 oz tube Bacitracin First Aid Ointment

– One 0.5oz tube Clotrimazole Anti-Fungal Cream USP 1% (Anti-Fungal Cream – Athlete’s Foot Cream)

– One 4.8oz tube of Desitin Creamy (the one with 40% Zinc Oxide)

– One 0.5oz tube of Triple Antibiotic Ointment (Optional)

Directions:

– Mix all the ingredients thoroughly in a small to medium bowl. I suggest styrofoam or plastic so you can just throw it away when you’re finished. I used one of our plastic kitchen bowls and it’s still got stuff in the textured outside of the bowl that I can’t seem to get off like a year later.

– Pour into air-tight container and seal. I don’t know an exact shelf life on this, but we’re still using the last of the batch I made in May 2013 and it’s still going strong. All the expiration dates on each of the tubes were a year or two out, so I feel like it’s still good. We don’t use it with every diaper, just the ones where we have to use water instead of wipes for clean up and if Little J is starting to get very red. An application at bedtime and the redness is usually cleared up by morning.

– When I apply it I usually try to scoop out a decent size glob and just drop it on the skin. It hurts to rub it so I avoid contact a much as possible. When it’s where it needs to be, I apply a thick layer of powder to keep the diaper from sticking to the cream. Make sure the skin is completely dry when you apply or you’ll just be trapping moisture against the skin… which will only make the problem worse.

If you’re interested in the purpose of each ingredient, sit tight and I’ll tell you why I put it in our cream.

*A&D Ointment – This is to try and prevent future bowel movements from coming in contact with your little one’s sensitive skin by forming a barrier. Acid in the stool can cause extreme irritation and is usually what creates the burning sensation on your child’s tushie. Think like severe sunburn kind of pain. Ow…

*Maloxx or Mylanta – This is an antacid that will help neutralize the acid. I found this was kind of hard to get to mix and stay mixed with the cream. If that’s the case, a quick shake of your container before application will solve the issue.

* Boudreaux’s Butt Paste Maximum Strength – Zinc Oxide is another barrier and helps keep wetness away from the skin. If you’ve ever worn wet clothes for an extended period of time, you know they chaff and that hurts. Same thing happens when your baby sits in a wet diaper for a while – hey, some times it happens. The problem is compounded when there’s acidic stomach acid in with the mix too. This helps protect that sore skin.

*Creamy Desitin – This does the same thing as the Boudreaux’s Paste, and you can opt for one or the other if you have a preference. I tried several recipes before this and it seems to work the best for us with both. Note: this needs to be the creamy version that has 40% zinc oxide in it to really work well. Check the label at the store.

* Bacitracin First Aid Ointment – My little guy will sometimes get so raw that it actually breaks the skin and he may or may not bleed a little from these sores. The first aid ointment is to try and keep those little abrasions clean by forming a barrier to future bowel movements and help them heal.

* Triple Antibiotic Ointment – Same purpose as the Bacitracin and you can again play with the brands, kinds and amounts on these two. In my experiments, this is what has worked the best for us.

* Clotrimazole Cream USP 1% – This is an anti-fungal cream and helps fight off any yeast infection that may be present. It’s not going to hurt your child (per my pediatrician, check with yours if you’re concerned) if there isn’t a yeast infection. While it’s uncommon with boys, it can still happen. And with all the ick and gross going on down there when we need this cream, I’d rather just try to prevent any other issues.

No doubt, this was a little expensive (around $20-$25), but it made a ton, it’s lasted well and it’s been a lifesaver when my poor little dude gets sore and red. I will be making more in the next couple months so we have a stash on-hand when this baby gets here. I filled two containers (a 6 oz container and most of a 4 oz container) with these quantities. Adjust as you’d like, but some of the ingredients come cheaper in the larger tubes. So, consider that if the cost is a concern.

I have given this to a couple friends when their babies arrived, along with a recipe – so they know what’s in it or can make more if they want to – and it’s received great reviews to far. Having fought with my almost-two-year-old to get his diaper back on, I know how tough diaper rash can be. With my first baby, I didn’t have a lot of experience with it and thought it was just a minor inconvenience, but with Little J it can be a serious cause for discomfort. And no one likes to care for fussy babies, even when they have a valid reason.

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.

January 15, 2014 by Krista

L-O-V-E Garden

Today, I’m sharing a fun Valentine project at Over the Big Moon. Come get all the details on this fun, quick and easy Valentine craft. Easy enough to do during nap time or get the kiddos involved… and the options with this are numerous! Come check it out!

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.

DIY FLEECE SLEEPING BAGS

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