Tuesday 29 October 2013

Monday 28 October 2013

Knit, Sew, Crochet

At the moment it seems I have an endless list of ideas and projects on the go but over the past few days I seem to have put the finishing touches on a few things I've been working on. There's nothing like freeing up some mental space for new ideas.

The most recent additions to Mio's wardrobe include a beautiful pale blue pinafore that will allow Mio to grow into it turning it from a pinafore into a lovely top. I designed it so she will hopefully have several months of wear out of it which is always a bonus.

After working on a prototype and sourcing materials for an idea that popped into my head while I lay half asleep one night, I completed some gorgeous baby knickers for our adventures with elimination communication.



Mio's new top has a stretchy garter stitch section at the top which gives plenty of room for her chest to grow. I really love the delicate dot stitch for the body, it gives the pinafore a pretty, feminine touch. Garter stitch also makes for great edging on the sleeves and around the bottom of the top.



As you can see it passes the baby taste test. It's made with a soy/ cotton blend so it's super soft on baby's skin.



I made a nice wide opening at the back so it's easy to get on and off, and I fastened it with a shell button. 



Dot stitch and garter detail.



Neckline detail.



I'm a fan of wide sleeves, they go so well with this pinafore... And look, she's sitting already at 4 months, my how fast they grow! 



... And here are the baby knickers.



I'm really happy with how these knickers turned out, it was exactly what I had in my head, I even managed to find the fabric I imagined.



I lined the knickers with waterproof bamboo fleece so it's extra soft for her little bottom.



I blanket stitched the top of the knickers and then crochet a band with a draw string to hold them up.



Because the knickers are made from woven fabric I made sure they would be a bit roomy so they would be easy to get on and off.



no bulky nappy means she has easy access to her feet- her favorite play thing. 



I like the wide band at the top, it's made from recycled denim yarn.




These knickers are great for elimination communication, I'll be making some more of these for now and as she grows.














Wednesday 23 October 2013

Mumma Tea

I've recently discovered a winning combination for a herbal tea blend. This blend can help with your quantity and quality of milk for your baby so it's great even if you haven't had any supply issues.



I mixed 2 table spoons each of fennel seed, caraway seed and fenugreek with  3-4 tablespoons of lemon verbena. Combine ingredients in an airtight container. Place a teaspoon in a cup with boiling water and brew for 5-10 minutes. Tastes great warm or cold.



Tuesday 22 October 2013

Monday 14 October 2013

Yoga and Baby Wearing

Often when I'm wearing my baby and in between doing things or about go out I really feel like doing a bit of yoga. Today I found myself carrying a sleeping baby and was about to head to the train station but really felt like I needed to stretch and breathe. Here's a few pictures to show you that it's still possible to practice yoga in your spare moments with your baby.











365 Handstands- Week 13



Day 85- Handstands with my baby are so much fun!




Day 86- It's important to love your kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of the house and it should feel like a space where you can be nourished. I love that my kitchen has space for a quick handstand and a rug for my baby to lie on while I cook dinner.




Day 87- I love having my feet in the air!




Day 88




Day 89- Handstands in our courtyard ad a day of gardening and enjoying the Spring sunshine.




Day 90




Day 91









Crochet

I was recently given a whole lot of yarn from my mum who because of an injury can no longer knit or crochet. I find yarn incredibly inspiring so I was excited to get started on creating a few new things.

I decided to try my hand at making a doily without a pattern. It was a great little project for the train ride to and from school and when I had a few spare moments at home. When it was finished (it worked up pretty quickly) I sewed it onto a shirt I found in an op-shop for $2. It's a great way to add feminine touch to some clothing.




Now that the weather is warmer and the washing doesn't take two days to dry inside I've decided to start elimination communication with Mio. I've noticed for a while her cues when she needs to wee or poo but being a Winter baby she needed layers of clothing to survive our cold house- not the ideal thing when you are learning your baby's toilet cues. So now that it's warmer and we can forgo the many layers of wool (well most of the time anyway, Melbourne can be a bit moody) we need a whole lot of little baby knickers. Of course I am keen to make whatever I can rather than buying it so I quickly thought up a few ideas and set to work. Here's one I crocheted quickly in one evening, my design still needs tweaking but I'm pretty happy with it. It could probably function as a nappy cover for a new born as well so the design potentially has long term use. I used painted and engraved coconut shell beads and some left over cotton I had from making India's doll.






Making daily trips to and from school means that I have a few short periods where I can sit and enjoy my baby or if she's sleeping and I feel like I need to be doing something I can do some work on a small knitting or crochet project. This bonnet crocheted up pretty quickly and is great for a bit of extra warmth on cold Spring mornings or for protection from the warm sun in the middle of the day. I made it from some gorgeous organic cotton yarn which was so beautiful to work with.








Thursday 10 October 2013

Healing With Whole Foods

For a few years now I have had problems with stomach aches and a variety of food intolerances. Partly due to doctors not listening to me I've avoided looking into it fully, instead choosing to avoid the foods I have trouble with and eat a healthy diet filled with a variety of whole foods.

After having Mio it seems that my body has had enough and everything I eat makes me feel terrible (except for carrot juice!). I decided that now is the time to look into this further because it is beginning to really worry me. I've begun what will probably will be a long series of tests to get to the bottom of this, I found a doctor that acknowledges alternative therapies as a legitimate process in healing and I'm ready for the journey.

Whatever the diagnosis I know that nutrition and whole foods are going to be an important part in the process of healing. At the moment I'm reading a fantastic book called Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford, it's a fantastic book full of amazing information. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in nutrition and healing, it is full of information but is still easy to read for the lay person- I learn something new on every page!


Wednesday 9 October 2013

Olive Leaf Extract

I've known about the wonders of olive leaf extract for quite some time now but I was just reminded again how amazing it really is.

We had been out of olive leaf extract for some time and my 6-year-old had a snotty nose that wouldn't clear up for about three weeks. She had also developed for the first time in her life a little spot of eczema near her mouth, it didn't seem to bother her and I was reluctant to get any chemicals from the pharmacy so I just made sure she kept it clean and hoped it would clear up. Finally, frustrated with telling her to blow her nose all the time I went to get some olive leaf extract again, and she started taking it once or twice a day. By the 3rd day I noticed that I hadn't really asked her to blow her nose at all and the spot of eczema near her mouth had completely healed. It seems that for whatever reason her immune system needed a boost and lots of fruit and veg and whole foods just wasn't doing the trick. Her body just needed something extra, something with amazing healing capabilities.

I've always believed that eczema is a symptom of something larger and this proved to me the importance of nutrition and boosting the immune system in order to overcome any health problems.

Tuesday 8 October 2013

Breakfast Smoothies

I like to eat with the seasons and now that Spring has really kicked in I'm enjoying breakfast smoothies every morning. Smoothies are quick and tasty and you can put them in a jar to drink on the train to work (or in my case- school drop off). I like to alternate between a green smoothie and a red smoothie to keep it exciting.

I make my smoothies in a pint glass with a stick blender. Today I threw together some banana, watermelon and blueberries as the fruit base.



I then added acai, chia seeds and a touch of raw honey and then topped with water and blended it all up.




Drink it straight away or put it in a jar to take with you. I prefer to drink it straight away but if I'm in a rush it's good to take it with me so that I don't rush it down before I rush out the door.



My smoothies are different everyday but some of the key ingredients I use are banana, spirulina, chlorella, acai berry, and chia seeds. I also love blood oranges when I can get them and fresh or frozen berries.