Learning to Sew--Being Trendy, Thrifty, and Crafty all in one shot.

So being a stay at home mom while my other half goes to college full time and holds a part time job and pays for everything, I've learned many things this past year. Most of all, when money is tight, new clothes are almost a non-existent thing in this house. So, learning to use my sewing machine has become an essential to-do on my list. In my quest to learn, I've explored many options, but most places online or in person want you to spend a ton of cash on class tuition and supplies (and that is something I just cannot do right now). So I tried to look for free patterns online, and I found a bunch, but realized I lack the skills to complete the project. I decided I needed to go back to square one and learn to do the basics first. And that is when I found Professor Pincushion! It's an online blog with video tutorials. Now so far I've only watched a couple of the videos, and some of the information I already knew, but the tutorials are great. She is really detailed in her explanations and there are great projects to complete at each step of learning to practice your skills and get a great finished project. Now I get to learn to sew, on my own time, for free and complete cool projects along the way! This is one happy crafty momma!! Take a look at the website, sign up for the basics for free (or $5/month for the premium access) and get going! I'm definitely looking forward to creating new and creative projects to add to my recently open Etsy shop (more on that adventure coming soon!) Happy Crafting!

Crazy for Coconut!!

As promised, I am going to continue with the series on nutritious foods for breastfeeding mommas. After reading the book “The New Breastfeeding Diet Plan” by Dr. Robert Rountree and Melissa Block, I realized that there are a lot of good benefits to adding coconut to your diet, especially if you are nursing. For those of you who are not nursing, there are benefits for you too (I’ll get to that in a bit). Nursing Mothers Coconuts are a great source of Lauric and Capric Acids, a type of saturated fatty acid that protect against microbes that can cause infections in infants and adults. According to Rountree and Block, these fatty acids are made naturally in nursing mother’s milk ducts, but by adding coconut oil or unsweetened coconut to your diet, you can actually increase the amount of these fatty acids in your system, in turn promoting higher amounts in your baby’s system which will help them fight of infections a lot easier. Non-Nursing Mothers Adding coconut oil to your diet can help promote weight loss by helping to control thyroid function and blood sugar levels, it can also help to lower cholesterol “by promoting its conversion to pregnenolone, a molecule that is a precursor to many of the hormones our bodies need” (www.doctoroz.com). Studies done by Dr. Mary Enig have also shown that coconut oil can help treat diseases such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes (see further reading section). So, now you must be asking yourself, how do I get it, and how will I use it to incorporate it into my diet? Well, after some internet research, I found that you can purchase small amounts of coconut oil at most grocery stores (it’s usually pretty pricey) or you can order it online. Websites and stores like The Vitamin Shoppe also sell it, usually in multiple brands and sizes. I found a 16oz, 100% organic extra virgin coconut oil at The Vitamin Shoppe for $9.27 online (that was almost $7 off the in store price). As for how to use it, it really depends on what you are making. Coconut oil can be used to replace vegetable or canola oil in recipes for stir-fry’s, granola, or cooking meats. You can use Coconut milk in soups or stews or rice dishes. Both coconut oil and milk as well as coconut flakes can be used for baking or in smoothies. The possibilities are endless. There are tons of recipes at freecoconutrecipes.com that you can try! Continued reading: http://coconutoil.com/coconut-oil-research/ http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/surprising-health-benefits-coconut-oil?page=2#copy