Kangadu Children

Working In The Garden

2010-04-07T14:11:00.000-07:00

Finally we are able to get out into the garden and really work. Kevin, Teya, and I went out and dug up and prepped a row for the peas. We plan to do two 8 foot rows but, we are taking it slow. We'll work on the second row tomorrow.

Our tomatoes that we started from seed are doing great!! We will have Italian Roma, San Marzano Redorta, and Black Cherry if all goes as planned and they don't all die.

Pretty much all the cucumbers died when we planted them in bigger pots. We have 2 left...yup, that's right 2 little cucumber plants survived our transplanting disaster. I guess we'll just have to make due with those for now.

Hopefully we can get to rototilling the tomato and cucumber area this weekend.

Seed Starts

2010-03-07T11:49:00.000-08:00

So, Kevin's little seed starts are taking off! We have 42 pickling cucumber plants, and about 30 Roma paste tomato plants. We started them 2 weeks ago. They are sitting on our kitchen counter, growing like mad, waiting to be planted. I think we'll let them get a little bigger before they go out into the garden.

Today we will be planting some more tomatoes (Black Cherry and San Marzano Redorta). We may even plant some bell peppers but, that is up to Kevin. :D

Kevin got fish a little while back and he is absolutely loving them. He started with 3 and now he has 7 (Happy, Hungry, Zebra, Snowman, Mazy, Elephant, and Swimmer).

We are going to sell off some of the seed starts to fund a bigger fish tank since he is doing so well with it. So, if any of you, our local friends, are interested let us know. We were thinking the plants would sell for about $1/each.

Kangadu Grand Opening Today @ 3pm EST

2010-02-14T09:21:00.000-08:00

The day has finally arrived. I am ready to open up shop. Wool soakers and longies will be available @ 3pm EST. So, if you love wool, come on by and see what I have stocked @ Kangadu Children

Kangadu Grand Opening Delay

2010-02-13T08:37:00.000-08:00

So initially I was planning on doing the grand opening yesterday but, life got in the way. In a good way. :)

We have almost finished moving our junk from downstairs. We will soon be ready to rent the lower level of our house. Thanks are in order, my father-in-law, my hubby, and a couple of other guys worked really hard. Teya also took a 3.5 hour nap, (yeah, that's what i said 3 and a half hours!!). So I was able to help move and rearange the junk in our sheds.

Anyways, back to the store. The grand opening will be taking place on Sunday February 14th at 12 noon (PST). Be sure to check it out then @ Kangadu.com

Until then, here is a preview of some of the items that will be available.

Coming Soon....

2010-02-07T19:58:00.000-08:00

I have been working on getting my online store ready for the world to see. I will soon be stocking my store with wool soakers and longies made from recycled sweaters.

So far preparations for this endeavour have been extremely exciting. I have spent the last two Wednesdays, with my Mom, running around town in search of wool sweaters. I'm not a pro yet but, I have gotten pretty good at spotting wool from a few feet away. I have 40 wool sweaters to prove it!!

On Friday I got all the materials for making my tags. When I got home I went strait to work cutting, stamping, and ironing. They are not perfect but, I made 100 tags. In case you are interested, this is what they look like.

Tonight Greg helped me get together a tracking system. When I get ready to cut up a sweater, I cut out the tag, put it in a binder, and give it an id number. He created a spreadsheet that keeps track of the items I make with each sweater. It's a really neat system and I am glad that he is helping me keep this stuff orgainized.

Well, if I'm gonna get this shop up anytime soon, I better get back to sewing....

So I Have Been Thinking......

2010-02-02T15:09:00.000-08:00

This last weekend we were all sick so, we didn't do much of anything. Just lazed around, watched movies, and slept a lot.

During this time I got to thinking about a children's story I had written two years ago. I would really love to get it published but, am debating on weather I should send it to a publisher or try to publish it all by myself.

With everything I have going on right now that I don't think it would be smart to try to self publish. There is just too much work involved and as much as I would love to have full creative control over my story, I don't think I really have enough time to do it properly.

I think I am definitely leaning towards sending it to a publisher. Wouldn't it be super awesome to see the name of a well known publishing company stamped inside my book? Yeah, that would be the ultimate in, "See, I did something successful!"

Truthfully, I am a little scared to send it off and it be rejected. But, what author isn't afraid of rejection, right? Seriously, if they like it, they like it. If they don't, they don't. End of story.

Road Trip!!

2010-01-24T19:23:00.001-08:00

So we are on our way back from a birthday party in Stockton. We're just driving back and I am bored so I thought I would post a blog. :)

We got to see a bunch of family from my dad's side. We didn't get to talk much but, you can't expect to much conversation when your voices are being drowned out by Chuck E. Cheese and a bunch of screaming children. Kevin had fun though.

I wanna make another trip down some other time for a quite visit. :D

Antique Singer 31k15

2010-01-22T22:59:00.000-08:00

I am so excited, I will soon be restoring my first antique sewing machine!!! It is a Singer 31k15 treadle/electric machine that was manufactured in 1947 in Scotland.

As soon as the weather clears up (it's snowing), I will have Greg bring it in from the shed so I can begin working on it. Until then, I will have to be content to just read all about it online.

Boy this is going to be a fun learning experience -- I can't wait. :)

Real Baked Potato's

2010-01-21T21:02:00.000-08:00

When my microwave bit the dust 3 months ago I had to find another way to enjoy one of my favorite foods. I thank God for my broken microwave because had it not been broken, I would have never actually baked a "baked" potato.

All these years, I never knew what I was missing. They taste so much better when cooked in the oven...I will never cook another potato in the microwave. Oven baked potatos are so worth the 45 minute wait. In fact, as I write this post, a delicious potato is baking.

I know that you are dying to know so, I'll tell ya how I make them.

I take a freshly scrubbed potato (or 4), poke a few holes in it with a knife, rub a little olive oil and salt on it, toss it in the oven (right on the rack with a pan below to catch the drippings), and bake for 45 minutes @ 350 degrees.

Give it a try. Believe me it is soooooooooo worth it!

Starting To Think About The Garden

2010-01-15T10:24:00.000-08:00

So yesterday we picked up the mail and guess what was in there. Yup, the catalog from Peacefully Valley Farm & Garden Supply. It got me thinking about the garden again.

The last two years we didn't have much success but, this year is going to be different! As always, I have a plan but this year it is much simpler. We are going to pick only three things to grow this year. We have definitely decided on growing a good "paste" tomato and are still undecided on the other two things. Kevin says he wants to grow broccoli but, he still refuses to eat it. So, I don't know about that option.

We are looking to grow things that will

Actually be eaten.
Do well being canned.
Grow easily/quickly (so we can see results)

We already have grapes, strawberries, and artichoke plants from the previous years).

Help us choose what to grow this year!

List Making - It Really Helps!

2010-01-13T16:45:00.000-08:00

I mentioned before that we were trying to get things in order by making task lists. It seems to be working!! My living room, kitchen, and sewing room have been clean for 3 days strait. If you've met my son, you know how much of an accomplishment this is. (He likes to build super awesome train tracks and eat Cheerios in the living room.)

I've been trying to start this slowly so I can keep with it. Yesterday I added the master bathroom to the list of rooms to clean, and actually cleaned it. Yay, me! Today I added the guest bathroom.

Trying to get organized is a lot of work but so far I am liking the results.

Emergency Sewing Project!

2010-01-11T19:22:00.000-08:00

We had a sewing emergency today!

Kevin was un-pinning something I had sewn. Aparently there wasn't enough room in my other pin cushion so, he informed me that we needed another. I had to stop everything to make him another one so he could finish taking the pins out of the other project we were working on. Boy was that fun! I love having such a good little helper. :)

We used fabric from our scrap box and stuffed it with human hair. Gregory's hair to be exact. Kevin said, "Is that Daddy's hair?". I think he thought I was weird for putting it in his new pincushion. I tried to explain to him that the hair helps keep the pins sharp but, I don't know if he understood. But, he likes "his" new pincushion and that is all that matters. :)

Now we need to make a few more!

Getting My Home In Order

2010-01-11T07:35:00.000-08:00

We have so many things that we need to do to get things in order. So, I have been making task lists and checking things off as I get them done. I am amazed at how much more I can get done just by taking a few minutes and writing down what I would like to accomplish that day. I'm sure most people probably think I'm just a lazy slacker. But, seriously I really want to get things done...I just forget things really easily. Apparently writing lists helps me remember and keep me focused. Now I just need to remember to make my lists. :)

I have tried a few online list making software's and have not found anything that I think is really great. I'm looking for something that makes a daily list based on recurrent tasks and other random tasks. I want to be able to organize the tasks under larger projects. I also want to know what percentage of my daily list is completed and I want due dates for tasks. Oh and last but not least I want to be able to sync my list to Windows Mobile Pro device. This certainly can't be too much to ask, can it? Someone please tell me that this exists out there somewhere!

More Diaper Making Fun

2010-01-09T01:09:00.000-08:00

I've been working on cutting out my diapers and getting them ready to sew together. It's taking forever but, I like to do things assembly line style. I have the outers cut for the rest of my woven diapers (3NB, 12SM, 12MED, 12LG). I have some knit fabric cut too but, I'm not sure how many of those I have.

I also have 8 cotton knit diapers sitting by the machine cut and ready to sew. Knit fabric is pretty hard for me to work with so they will probably sit there for a while...LOL. :P

I can't wait to finish these diapers so I have more pictures to show off. :D

Netflix + Playstation = LAZY

2010-01-05T08:06:00.000-08:00

We don't get TV signal up here in the boonies so, TV Lazies have never been a problem for us. On occasion, we would rent a movie on the weekends. Sometimes we would rent 5 movies for 5 days for 5 dollars but, we never watched them all the same day. At most we would watch two movies at a time.

Access to all these movies and TV series are turning us into zombies.

Since Christmas, we have watched the entire Legend of The Seeker series and are anxiously waiting for the release of the next episode on the 9th of this month. We are now working on finishing season 3 of Heroes - we are on episode 6. We tried to watch some other series too but, we didn't like them. We may try Farscape next.

Really, I don't need sleep and I certainly don't want to clean my house (need to yes, want to no...LOL). So, if you want to fuel the addiction and you know of any good TV series that are available on Netflix, leave a note for me.

Almost a month has passed....

2010-01-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

And I haven't written anything. What a lazy bum I am. I mean really, it's not like I don't have anything to write about. In fact, I have so much to write about I just don't know where to start.....

Teya will be 6 weeks on Friday. She is fun and Kevin loves his "baby siser". Last night he wanted to carry her around the grocery store. Of course he's too little so that couldn't happen so, we put him in the back of the shopping cart and he got to hold her while sitting there and shopping. Well, that is until two minutes later she started crying. It was very cute...I should have taken a picture but, I had no camera with me.

Christmas was wild and crazy. I don't even have time to write much about that. We got some cool presents and spent time with family.

We got sick right after Christmas and where pretty much out of commission for a week.

Cloth diapering is going well. I got some neat fabric for Christmas and just cut out my smalls and mediums. Can't wait to start making them.

Overall, this last month has been insanely crazy. Our sleep has been screwy. But that is to be expected with a newborn.

I guess that is enough for now. I'll write more later. :)

What a Storm!

2009-12-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

I told ya'll we were snowed in. Here is a picture to prove it.

Oh and this morning we woke up to frozen water pipes. The joys of living among the pines. But seriously, I would never trade any of this to be woken up by the garbage truck or cars skidding out in my front yard. I much prefer the annoying wake up call of the woodpeckers on my roof!

Life Is Crazy!

2009-12-08T18:45:00.000-08:00

Ok so this last few weeks have been really wild.

As previously noted, we have a new baby in the house.
My computer is out of commission and has been for the last two weeks. I'm pretty sure I need a new video card. My Dad has one for me to try but we can't get down the hill because of snow!
I can't wait for my computer to be fixed -- I have a ton of pictures to post. :)
Because my computer is broken, I have been unable to check my email for the last two weeks!
We were hit with a pretty wild snow storm on Sunday night. We got about 2 feet of snow and are totally snowed in. Lost power for about 15 hours. Then a few hours after the power came back on, the phones/Internet stopped working. In spite of all this, Kev enjoyed going sledding.
Luckily, I have this blog setup so I can post from my cell phone via text message.

Daddy's Little Girl. :)

2009-11-27T02:10:00.001-08:00

My mom said the first picture I posted wasn't so great. Hopefully this one is a little better? The camera on my cell phone isn't the greatest and this mobile blogging thing is pretty new to me. So I can't really tell what it's gonna look like before I post it. Oh well, whatcha gonna do?

Teya Jenae is here!

2009-11-26T12:14:00.000-08:00

Born on Thanksgiving day at 6:31am, weighing in at a tiny (compared to brother) 7lbs 14.4 oz. and 19.5 inches long.

Sorry BBC girls, I didn't blog during labor as promised. But when I get home I will write up the details for ya'll. :)

DSL Modem Broken

2009-11-13T13:20:00.000-08:00

Okay so we're gonna be offline for a while. 5 weeks out of warranty and our DSL modem is busted. We're expecting the replacement to arrive on Tuesday. Hopefully we will survive until then!

(This update brought to you by a free WiFi hotspot!)

I Went Shopping!!

2009-11-08T15:44:00.001-08:00

Well, I went shopping at Joann's on Sunday. Boy did I get a lot of stuff! From my calculations, I got enough cotton knit to make approximately 30 diapers. Price to make each came out to less than $2/diaper not including snaps, adding snaps cost me another $0.60/each. So, for the cost of a Chinese or Indian prefold, I will have fitted diapers instead. How cool is that?

So here is the picture of the fabric I got:

Yeah, two of the prints are really boyish but, I got them for less than $3/yard so I couldn't pass them up -- plus who says the next kiddo won't be a boy. ;-)

In addition to the fabric shown, I was able to get just about 7 yards of cotton terry. I also got 2 yards of white flannel for my cotton woven diapers.

I walked away with 18 yards of fabric, one pooping reindeer. Overall I would say it was not a bad trip!

Cut & Ready to Sew...Almost

2009-11-06T17:40:00.000-08:00

I was super excited to get all the cotton knit layers cut for 16 more newborn diapers.

I thought I was just about done. So, I went into the sewing room to cut the soaker layers and I find that I don't have terry cloth left!

The sale at Joann's isn't till Sunday and in addition, I can't justify a 1 hour trip just to go pick up a few yards of fabric. So, these diapers will have to wait until next week to be finished. I am so sad. :(

If You Come To Visit. :)

2009-11-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

Ok so here is the rundown....

The kitchen sink broke again so I have dishes piled high and no way to wash them except the little bitty bathroom sinks. But, I'm not sure using those is such a grand idea. I certainly don't need more plumbing problems.

Also, the microwave is still out of commission; however, i think we've been doing pretty well without it. The oven has a warmer drawer and the food we've been eating lately has tasted a ton better. So, we've pretty much decided that it is not a necessity and we will not be replacing it.

My appointment with the perinatologist went well on Monday and I do not have to have a c-section. He gave me the all clear and I am no longer on any type of restrictions. Yippee!!!

So, if you come to visit in the next few weeks please remember:

I may not be home if you show up unannounced, please call first.
If you want to eat, bring your own disposable dishes.
If you can't live without a microwave, bring your own.
If I go into labor during your visit, please be prepared to drive me to the hospital and watch my son.
If you think my house is dirty don't just stare at it, clean it up.

Today Is The Day

2009-11-02T04:23:00.000-08:00

Yeah so today is the day that we find out if I have to have a c-section or not. Of course, we're hoping that the specialist say "not". But, I am fine either way. Natural or C-section both of them scare the crap out of me but, I'm up for whatever comes my way.

I was induced with Kevin so I really have no idea what to expect if I go natural. By natural, I don't mean drug free, I mean vaginal an un-induced. Heck if I need drugs, I'm gonna take them. I'm worried that my back won't be able to handle the labor...stupid car accident!!

If I have a c-section I'm worried about repeat c-sections in the future. I mean how many can you have before it is to risky? Other than that I'm not worried about it.

So today is going to be an interesting day. Ultrasound to check location of placenta, 37 week appointment, and hospital tour. It's going to be a long day....

More Yarn!!

2009-10-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

Look what I bought today! They are going to make the cutest newborn longies ever.

Yeah so I finally broke down and bought some already dyed wool. I had been eyeing the Midnight Sun Cascade 220 for a while now. We had to go into town today for an appointment so I asked Greg if we could stop at the yarn shop. Of course, he said sure.

So we ended up spending $15 and got the Midnight Sun (#9544), Chocolate Tweed (#9539), and a soccer ball button for Kevin. He wanted it badly and he was so good helping me find the yarn I was looking for so, I thought he deserved the little button. Now we just have to figure out what we are going to sew it on.

Early Day Tomorrow

2009-10-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

Well, let's hope I sleep better tonight than I have been. I have to be up at 4am. So, hopefully I can get to sleep before 4 am!!

Oh yeah, I have been working on an XL pair of wool longies for a tester. They seem to be taking forever to finish. Hopefully they will be done in the next couple of days. :)

Dyed My First Blue Yarn

2009-10-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I dyed my first blue yarn last night and this is what it came out looking like. I can't wait to crochet up a little pair of pants and see what pattern emerges. Oh boy!!!

Who Needs Sleep?

2009-10-22T05:44:00.000-07:00

Apparently I don't. Last night was horrible! The worst sleep I have ever had in my life. I was awake every 30 minutes because I was so uncomfortable. Finally at 4am I decided to just get up check my e-mail and BabyCenter to see what was "up" besides me. I think I'll go get something to eat and then try to go back to bed. Who knows, maybe I'll actually sleep for a bit longer this time around. Wish me luck!

Prototype Finally Finished!

2009-10-21T14:29:00.000-07:00

The other day I had a major dilemma. I wanted to make a skirty but also wanted to make a pair of longies out of the same yarn. Problem was I only had enough to make one or the other, or so I thought!

Someone mentioned doing a removable skirt in a solid color and then I could have both so, that is what I did.

As you can see from the pictures below the skirty is totally removable. It is great because you can switch the skirt between items for different seasons or, you can totally remove the skirt. This is great because you can still use it with future male children or on those days when you would rather your little princess not wear a skirt. :)

There are a few things that I will be modifying on the next skirt but overall I think it turned out pretty well. Now I just need to find out if there is a market for something like this and if so, how much should I charge for the skirt addition?

Kool-Aid Dyeing

2009-10-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

So I've been having a lot of fun dyeing my wool with kool-aid lately. Here are some pictures of my latest creations.

Left: Grape and Cherry, Right: Orange and Black Cherry (not the whole pack)

Some people have said that you need to use gloves to protect your hands from the dye. Well, I have successfully ignored that piece of advice each and every time and have still managed to come out with un-dyed hands. Wanna know how? The secret is Comet -- After I am all done I wash my hands with it. :)

Prototype In Progress

2009-10-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

So here is what I am working on today. :)

Yesterday I was stuck trying to figure out if I wanted to make this yarn into longies or a skirty. I had figured that longies would be best since the yarn was gender neutral but, I really wanted to make a skirty that wasn't all pink and frilly.

Thanks to some ideas thrown out by a few ladies on the cloth diaper board over at BabyCenter a decision has been made and a new type of wool cover will soon be born!

I am so excited to show off this new creations! Please check back, I should have pictures in the next few days.

First Wool Soaker

2009-10-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

Yeah so I was working on a pair of longies the other day and decided at the last minute I was going to make a soaker instead. I guess you can say that I got lazy. :)

The color is a little funky, it looks lopsided, the legs seem a little long. So, I'm not quite sure what I think of this new soaker just yet. I think maybe I'll modify my pattern a little and make the legs come up a little closer to the body of the soaker. Maybe then I'll like it a little better?

Stupid Microwave!

2009-10-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

So, it's official, my microwave has bit the dust.

I had just painted some wool and was getting ready to heat set the dye. Dumb microwave just would not work for more than a few seconds. So I was like, "oh crap I'm gonna ruin 5oz. of perfectly good wool!"

To my computer I run and do a quick google search for alternative ways to set the dye. Crock-pot, stove-top, or the sun seemed to be the ways people suggested. Ughhh...none of them sounded very easy or quick. To much clean up or to much waiting.

What did I do, I grabbed my 2 level veggie steamer popped the yarn into the top level. Set the timer for 30 minutes and walked away. I was afraid it would get to hot to fast and felt the yarn but, I figured I was gonna wreck it anyways so why not try?

Well, wouldn't ya know...the yarn came out perfectly heat set, clear water, and unfelted. I was so happy. In comparing my microwave dye jobs and the steamer dye jobs, I realize that in using the microwave I have slightly felted the yarn.

Looks like I will be using my veggie steamer more often. Now to find an excellent deal on Koolaid or Wilton dyes and I will be all set. :)

Expected Hugs

2009-10-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

Today I lit three candles
Each one representing a life
A faint glimmer, gone to soon

Before the world could welcome them
We had to say goodbye

To our hopes
To our dreams
To our dear sweet children

Forgotten by most
Remembered by so few

When the time came
To blow the candles out
I sat, I stared, I cried...

Expected hugs, broken dreams
I will never forget!

Candles lit for Anthony (My nephew full-term stillbirth), Ava (My baby M/C @ 7 weeks) , Spooch (Ariel's baby M/C @ 8 weeks)

Remembering our babies - www.october15th.com

We'll See What Happens....

2009-10-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

My hubby just mailed off my first tester pair of longies. Yippee! I can't wait to hear back from the momma who ordered them, and certainly can't wait to see pictures of them on her little one! :)

Crocheting Again...Oh My!!

2009-10-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

Ok so those of you that really know me know that I learned to crochet at a very young age. I believe I was all of 9 years old. My first project was a pair of slippers. I had intended to make them for myself but, they ended up fitting my younger sister. I remember they were red. I wish I had a picture but, back in the day I did not own a camera.

Well, to get to the point....

I have started to crochet wool diaper covers. I have completed two pairs of longies for the new baby and am planning on making at least three more pair. Who knew that something I learned to do 20 years ago would come in so handy in real life?

Wool is supposed to be the "ultimate" diaper cover. It's breathable, it's water resistant, it's natural. What more could you want. Let's just hope this kiddos not allergic!

Ok, now for the pictures. Aren't they cute? :)

My Newborn Stash So Far....

2009-10-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

Yeah so I mentioned that I have been sewing diapers like a maniac for the past few months. It's been fun and I can't wait to try them out. Ok, so here are some pictures. :)

These are 100% cotton woven fitted diapers. 12 in newborn size.

Two newborn 100% cotton fitteds made from an old tshirt.

And since the above are fitted diapers I needed to have covers. So I made some fleece and some wool. Can't wait to see how they perform. I have heard the wool is super awesome!!

First three pictures show the six newborn fleece soakers. Last picture is shows the two wool soakers I made out of an old cashmere sweater.

I have even more diapers cut out and ready to sew. I just need to find a little time to actually get them done.

How We Started Cloth

2009-10-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

So when my son was 2.5 we finally got tired of buying disposable diapers. So, we stopped buying them and invested in cloth diapers. Our stash consisted of 18 Chinese Prefolds, 4 Large Prowrap Covers, 1 Large Bummis Super Whisper Wrap, 3 Snappi's, 2 dozen homemade flannel/terry wipes, and 3 homemade All-In-One diapers. We spent less than $100 on this very modest diaper stash. But, it got us all the way to potty training 8 months later.

With a new little one on the way, I have already started making my newborn stash. My sewing room is covered in cute diaper fabric and I am having a blast!