hats

My enthusiasm for homemade gifts is waning. I'm a month behind now. I thought I found the perfect gift my very cute and crafty sister-in-law. This sun-hat.

I did a practice version for Eli, who hates having the sun in his eyes. It didn't turn out as well as I had hoped but I figured out the changes I needed to make for the final product.

Sadly, the final product went terribly wrong. It wouldn't fit on my head, or any adult's head for that matter. It will be tucked away in a dress-up tote in case someday we have a girl. I was bitterly disappointed by my failure. Sorry Brit, but I do have something else in mind!

Eli doesn't seem to mind his hat's imperfections. It is reversible afterall.

Homemade Broth

At WinCo I often buy chicken in the largest quantity possible because it is usually cheaper. When I bring it home I cook all or most of it at once. Then I divide it up and chop or shred it and put it in the freezer to use for meals later like enchiladas, hawaiian haystacks, you name it.

My mom taught me that if you season the water that you boil the chicken in it gives the chicken good flavor and the remaining "water" that the chicken was cooked in can be used as broth. I use the broth to cook with (as broth) and I also love to cook rice with the broth instead of plain water. I just freeze it in old yogurt tubs.

This picture doesn't look very appetizing, so you'll just have to take my word for it. All I use to season the water is salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.

utility room rug

We had leftover carpet after we got our new carpet installed. I decided the shaggy nature of the carpet would make for a great rug in the laundry room, which is the gateway from the garage into the house. I'm tired of door rugs that do nothing to remove actual dirt/mud substance from shoes. So I just cut a piece of carpet the size I wanted. Then I ordered the Instabind online for
$1 per foot. I'm really happy with it.

Finished Product: And it is so much nicer to stand on while doing laundry.