You know all those annoying little pieces of soap?  Well they will no longer annoy you with this handy little soap pocket!  From a full bar of soap to small leftover pieces, you can soap up with this 100% cotton, environmentally friendly  soap pocket.  Use it to wash yourself clean in the shower or bath and wash and dry as needed by hand or on the delicate cycle!

Fill it with a  bar of soap, add a label and it makes a really nice gift!  Free printable label below :-)

Supplies Needed

• Lily Sugar'n Cream 100% Cotton 4 ply yarn - any color
• Crochet Hook Size 7
• Scissors
• Yarn Needle

Directions
​(P.S.  I am not very good at writing  directions for crocheting so please feel free to contact me with any questions!)

• Chain 8.
• Row 1: Single crochet into second stitch from hook.  Single crochet in each stitch to end of chain.  At the end of the chain single crochet 2 more times into the last single crochet (so three single crochets in the last chain). This is the turn to create an oval on the bottom.  Continue around to the other side of the chain and single crochet in the same, but opposite side, of each chain stitch down to the beginning.  In the last stitch, single crochet only 2 times for the turn.  Connect to first single crochet with a slip stitch. Total single crochet stitches for row one is 16.
• Row 2: Chain 1.  Do two single crochet stitches into the first stitch next to the hook and then one single crochet into each of the next 6 stitches around the side.  Do 2 single crochets into the 7th stitch, one single crochet into the 8th, and 2 single crochets into the 9th.  Then crochet one single crochet into each of the next 6 stitches, then 2 single crochets into the 7th and 1 into the 8th.  You should be back to where you started. Connect with slip stitch. Total stitches around should be 20. This is the oval bottom of the pocket.  If you want to make the pocket larger to accommodate large bars of soap, you can add another row around the oval at this time.  
• Rows 3 - 12: Single crochet in the front loop of each stitch once all the way around for a total of 20 stitches.  Slip stitch to connect and turn inside out.  Repeat the single crochet into the front loop of each stitch around for a total of 20 stitches.  Repeat until you have 10 rows of this same pattern.
• Row 13: Chain 3, double crochet into second stitch from hook (skip one stitch).  Chain 1, skip a stitch and double crochet into second stitch, continue pattern all the way around.  Slip stitch to connect and end off.   You should have a total of 10 double crochet stitches with one chain stitch space in between.
• Use the yarn hook to weave all hanging yarn ends.
• ​Make the Cord:  chain 35, do not end off.  Cut the chain free from the skein of yarn leaving a long end.  Weave the chain in and out through the double crochets at the top of the pocket.  Use a slip stitch to connect the last chain to the first chain to create a permanent loop string through the pocket.  Use a yarn needle to weave in loose ends.

A simple and sweet  gift for an expecting mom or a young child beginning to lose their teeth! There's a little pocket on the back to put the tooth in and so the tooth fairy can leave some money! This will look adorable hanging on the wall until it's needed :-)

This was so simple to make.  The hardest part for me was threading the needle until my husband brought me his Helping Hands Hands-Free Magnifying Glass (affiliate link)!  Each one took about an hour to make and they are absolutely adorable!

Please note that this creation is a combination of two different pockets I saw on Pinterest.  One was from http://manouscrap.over-blog.fr and the other was from Rikapanda Crafts.  

FREE PDF TOOTH TEMPLATE DOWNLOAD BELOW!

Finished tooth is approximately 3.75" x 3.25 inches at the longest and widest points!

Supplies Needed:

• One sheet of white felt Size A4 (I bought the Jumbo Multicolor Pack for $8.99 - affiliate link)
• Template of Tooth to Trace (FREE DOWNLOAD BELOW!)
• Black thread for eyes
• Colored thread for edges
• A piece of ribbon approximately 12" long and 1/4" maximum width
• Sewing needle
• Scissors
• Stuffing (you could use cotton balls)
• Red and/or Pink permanent marker (for cheek coloring)

​Procedure:

Want to be friendly to the Earth and contribute LESS to landfills?  Then start buying products that can be used over and over again!  And guess what....they can save money too!

Buying reusable products is a real bonus in our home.  It minimizes what I need to buy each week at the grocery store while saving money at the same time.  It minimizes the garbage that we are left with each week since we are not throwing disposable items out.  That of course also minimizes how much recycling and repurposing we need to do each week as well.  And of course the best part is knowing that we are doing our part for the Earth by not needlessly contributing to landfills that can take hundreds to millions of years to decompose.  Even longer in sanitary landfills!  And remember, even paper doesn't decompose in a sanitary landfill...

Thanksgiving is coming soon and that means leftovers!  There are so many different ways to cook the yummy turkey, gravy, and vegetable leftovers, but this Chicken Pot Pie recipe leads the list in my family!

How sad would it be to only make this once a year though?  And what about the fact that the recipe is called Chicken Pot Pie instead of Turkey Pot Pie?  Well that's because in our house this recipe is made about once or twice a month all fall and winter long!  

Sometimes we make it with all brand new food by just cooking up some fresh chicken, using a can or package of gravy, and buying a bag of frozen mixed vegetables.  But my favorite way takes a few weeks to prepare for because it uses leftovers of course!  Every time we have some vegetables or chicken left over from dinner that is not quite enough to use for anything else, instead of throwing it away I put the small amount into a snack baggie which then goes into a larger freezer bag to be saved until I have enough ingredients to make this awesome pot pie!  Believe it or not I even freeze leftover gravy!  Nothing gets wasted in this household!

This is such a simple recipe it can be prepared in literally under 20 minutes!  Hope you enjoy it :-)

Copying the Recipes:
You can click on the recipe cards below or use the button under them to download the pdf file. It will print on one sheet of  8 1/2 x 11 paper, preferably cardstock paper.  Cut out each of the 4 x 6 inch recipe cards and put them in your recipe book!  They always come two recipes per sheet in an effort to not waste paper! 

Visit my Recipes Page to print out previous recipes (pdf files) or to download a FREE 4 x 6 Recipe Card Template (.dox file) to type your own recipes into! 

Check out my RECIPE BLOG POSTS Page to read about all the previous recipes I have posted!

Don't want to print them?  No worries, just copy them down and enjoy!

We started pulling our carrots this past weekend and I have to say that it is a really great feeling to know that you can grow your own food.  Carrots are probably my second favorite vegetable to grow because they are so easy.  Other than preparing the soil by making sure it is loose to about a foot or more down, we literally just plant seeds and forget about them until the fall.  How simple is that?

This past weekend we pulled about 3.5 pounds of carrots out.  After washing and chopping them up we were left with about 3 pounds to blanch and store in the freezer.  Next weekend we will pull more, and probably the weekend after that as well.  Boy do I love having my own garden, even if it is small :-)

Here's our very simple method to freezing them for the winter:

Look at what can be made with a Five in One Wood Burning Tool from Harbor Freight, three wooden spoons, two oven mitts, some ribbon and a FREE printable label below! There are also FREE printable silhouettes to trace!

It's called pyrography and it's not as hard as you might think:-)

Thanks to 365 Days of Crafts for the original gift idea!
​Heres what I did:

Fall is the time to plant your garlic.  We just ran to the local organic store and purchased hardneck Rocambole and Purple Striped garlic grown upstate NY for $11.99 lb.  Living in New York with fairly harsh winters, the hardneck is the easiest and hardiest to grow.  However, keep in mind that the hardnecks have a stiff stem that cannot be braided.  Yes, it is expensive garlic, but it is worth it because each single clove will yield a full bulb!

Here's how my daughter and I planted our garlic:

Be sure to keep the area weeded.  In the spring you should see shoots coming up.  There is controversy over whether or not to cut off the flowers and curly greens (called scapes), however I like to keep it simple and leave them alone the way nature intended.  You can however cut them off if you plan on using them for cooking or eating.

Harvest the garlic in the late spring or early summer (time frame can vary depending upon the climate) when the lower leaves have all turned brown.  The top leaves should still be a little yellow-green.  Be very careful when removing the bulbs so as not to bruise them in any way.  Dry loose soil is best for removal.  Just dig around them a little bit and scoop them out from underneath.

After harvesting do not wash them.  Just gently brush off the big chunks of dirt and put in a dry warm location until the outer skin becomes papery.  When they are done drying out, which takes about two weeks,  cut off the tops and store them anywhere that is dry and at a comfortable temperature (between 55°F and 65°F).  

Since this garlic cannot be braided, it is usually stored in a basket or paper bag.  However, I actually read a very interesting post about storing onions using old pantyhose (with a knot in between each one).  I think it may work for garlic as well so I want to try that this year.  I plan to just hang it in my cellar!

Check out how to store onions in pantyhose from "Mavis Butterfield at 100 Dollars a Month."

For more information on growing and harvesting garlic check out Cornell  Gardening at http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene568b.html

No more nasty plastic bath poufs!  Spoil your body with this 100% cotton pouf to use in the shower or bath and wash it as needed!  Simple to make and worth every penny because not only is it good for you, but it's environmentally friendly too!

This pattern was changed out of the desire to use only one skein of 2.5 oz. Lily Sugar'n Cream yarn per pouf.  The original pattern is from Daisy Cottage Designs.

The pouf can be washed and dried on the delicate cycle.

Supplies:

• 1 skein (2.5 oz) 4 ply 100% cotton Sugar'n Cream Yarn (uses just about the entire skein)
• Size 7 hook
• scissors
• yarn needle

Directions:

• Chain 5, slip stitch to connect at first chain to make loop.
• Chain 35 and slip stitch to connect back at loop (this will be the handle)
• Row 1: Single crochet into circle  20 times around and connect to top of first single crochet with slip stitch
• Row 2: Chain 2 and double crochet three stitches into each single crochet around (so 60 stitches total).  Connect to top of first double crochet.
• Row 3: Chain 2 and double crochet three stitches into each double crochet around (180 total).  Connect to top of first double crochet.
• Row 4: Chain 2 and double crochet three stitches into each double crochet around (540 total).  Connect to top of first double crochet and end off.

Finishing:
Use the yarn needle to weave all loose ends.

Want an interesting decorating idea for Halloween night this year?  Then save your large plastic milk jugs, remove the labels and make Boo! faces to line the walk to your door!

I saw this great idea on Pinterest called Ghost Faces, so it's not my original idea.  They used Christmas lights inside the jugs to light them up, and you can do that.  However, if you saw my post about giving something other than candy this Halloween, you would know that I purchased hundreds of glow sticks to make the DIY Trick-or Treat Glow Sticks you see below.

Whether you draw the faces by hand, or print, cut and paste them on, they look awesome!

Issues:
I don't like being able to see the glow sticks so next time I will try stringing some metal nuts on them and  using the connectors to make them into bracelets!  Hopefully these can be squeezed in through the top and will lay on the bottom of the jug. 

After Halloween is Over:
Either recycle them as usual or save them for next year.  Imagine how many you could have by then!

The Water:
Don't waste all that water!  Use it for your plants :-)

The Glow Sticks:
I purchased 300 8" Lumistick Brand Glow Light Stick Bracelets WHOLESALE PACK on Amazon (affiliate link) to make both the Trick-or-Treats and the Boo! jugs.


Check out DIY Halloween Ideas on Pinterest for more great ideas!
​

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Save and reuse your plastic grocery bags in an organized and neat way with this quick and easy crochet project! 

FREE directions and printable label included!

Supplies needed to make the two color Plastic Bag Holder:

• 2 different color skeins 2.5 oz. 100% cotton 4 ply.  I used Lily Sugar'n Cream.
• Size 7, 4.5 mm crochet hook
• scissors
• yarn needle
• 4" strip of elastic (I used 1/2 inch braided since I already had it, but thinner would be better)
• needle and thread
• 2 safety pins

Presentation:
If you want to give these as gifts you can print out the free printable label below.  A handmade gift is really from the heart :-)  

The picture above shows the plastic bag holder folded up nicely and paired with a set of reusable/washable crochet dishcloths.  Find the pattern and free dishcloth printable for the Dishcloths Here!

Print the label by clicking on either the picture or the button below.  It's a pdf file designed for 8.5" x 11" paper.   I printed mine on KRAFT Brown Bag Paper from Amazon (affiliate link).  Print the labels out (5 to a sheet) and cut between the dotted lines!