Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Freezie cozies!

Now that Freezie season, er, I mean summer is here, cold treats are often on our afternoon agenda. I generally make healthy, homemade popsicles (Greek yogurt, pureed fruit & pureed spinach) for the boys, but sometimes, a good old sugar-laden Freezie hits the spot. Unfortunately, my boys often complain about getting cold hands. Scrap bin to the rescue once again! Yep, Freezie cozies  (=

I grabbed a few remnants of fleece from my overflowing scrap bin, cut them roughly into rectangles and sewed them along three sides. I snipped off the excess with pinking shears and turned them right side out. And that's it. Definitely not a big-skills kind of project, but lemme tell you, my kids are excited! I made both jumbo and regular Freezie sizes to cover all our snacking bases.

Linked to:

Beneath the Rowan Treesew many ways

I Heart Naptime Sunday Scoop Party

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

And the winner is...

Thanks to everyone who entered my Summer Daze giveaway for a $30 credit to my Etsy shop, BluePea. There were only 20 entries, you all had great odds! So, without further ado, the winner is:


That would be At Home With Michelle! Please send me an email and we'll work out the details.



Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Best sprinkler ever!

I've seen a few of these ridiculously fun DIY misting sprinklers for kids around blogland and had to try one myself. I dunno who gets credit for the original idea, but you're awesome.


All it took was a couple pieces of 10 foot long PVC pipe (3/4 in diametre), two T-joints, two elbow joints, a 'female' hose connector piece, three male adapters, three end caps, and four half-circle mister jets (check the irrigation section of the hardware store). I know virtually nothing about plumbing, but all the parts were labelled and fairly easy to find. The only thing that tripped me up was that I couldn't find end caps without threading, so I had to make a separate trip to the store to buy adapters to go between the pipe and the end cap.

Hubby was a brave man and let me borrow his drill and a saw (neither of which I've used before!), as well as a measuring tape.

So, you want to make one, too? I'd love to say I have a picture-filled tutorial, but I don't: with learning how to work a drill and saw (hacksaw, I think?), and trying to keep my two little helpers in check, there was no camera time. Luckily, this project is super easy and goes together in 10 minutes flat.

1. Cut the first PVC pipe in half. These five-foot sections will be the risers.

2. Cut the second PVC pipe into one 4-foot length, and four 18-inch lengths. You don't have to be super precise in the measurements. Yay! These will become the top and 'feet'.

3. Drill four approximately equally spaced holes in the top pipe piece. I put mine in a straight line, but you could probably space them out and have water going everywhere.

4. Screw the mister jets into the pipe. The jets are threaded and go in pretty easily with fingers. The holes I drilled were too small, and I had to use a larger bit to fit the jets. Better to start too small than too big.

5. Add a elbow joint to each side of the top pipe. Press it on really good. Glue it (and the rest of the connections) if you like. I didn't.

6. Push a riser pipe into the other end of each elbow joint.

7. Put a T-joint on the bottom of each riser.

8. Put a 'foot' piece in each of the lower T-joint openings.

9. Add your end caps (or adapter/end caps) to three of the foot ends.

10. Add the female connector to the remaining foot end.

Attach your hose to the female connector, turn on the water, and watch your kids go crazy!

The only downer to this project for me was that the price for all the parts was generally quoted at $14-$20. Filter that through over-priced Canadian stores and it came out to about $43 for me. Steeper than I'd like, but I know it's going to pay for itself in hours of enjoyment. My boys LOVE it.

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Saturday, June 11, 2011

Super cute ruffled backpack

I love it when my boys are invited to birthday parties for little girls. It gives me a chance to make a girly gift. Tomorrow morning, my little guy will be presenting this ruffled backpack to a 3-year-old princess. I hope she loves it. It was fun and easy to make thanks to a great tutorial at Not Very Domestic. The only changes I made were to add an appliqued monogram and to sew on the cords instead of using grommets at the bottom of the bag. The grommets are an awesome idea, but I didn't have any. Must fix that for next time.



Cute, right? I can see it being used as a snack bag for trips to the park, or a carrying bag for small dolls or books. This project reminded me that I want to sew up some fun boy-patterned drawstring bags for my sons' Hot Wheels, puzzles, blocks, etc. Possibly wishful thinking, but maybe we can do a better job of keeping all the pieces together that way.  (=

Speaking of boy chaos, this is what happened when I tried to get my oldest to model the bag for me:

Blurry? Check! Plumber butt? Check! Shows off toys all over the floor? Check!
Back to the ruffles. Aside from the cording, which was probably less than $2 (purchased a while ago), this project was made entirely out of scraps from my leftover bin, so very budget friendly. Sometimes I worry that people think I'm being a cheapskate by giving homemade gifts instead of whatever is popular in stores, and while it's true that I usually spend less by going handmade, my primary goal is to give something from the heart. What do you think? Can handmade compete with store-bought items?

PS...I found the backpack tutorial while browsing Pinterest. Look it up if you don't know what it is...think the web bookmarking system of my dreams combined with social networking. I'm kind of hooked.

PPS...if you're looking for my Summer Daze Giveaway, it's here.

Linked to:



sew many wayscraft Keeping It SimpleBeneath the Rowan Treehomework

Friday, June 10, 2011

Win a $30 credit for my Etsy shop!

Yes, it's the final day of Summer Daze Giveaways, hosted by While He Was Napping, which means it's my turn to give something away! I've been lucky enough to win a few awesome blog giveaways, so in that spirit, I'm offering one lucky follower a chance to win a $30 credit to my Etsy shop, BluePea.

That's enough to get you one of my favourite baby/toddler accessories: a shopping cart cover. If you’ve ever watched in horror as your precious little one moved toward that cart handle, mouth agape and tongue just itching to taste that germ-ridden surface, you know that this would be a life-saver. These plush covers are comfy, full washable, and really cut down on the ick factor of transporting your child in a shopping cart.

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Oops, this one is sold, but you can see how nicely it fits on the cart.

If you're not in the toddler-shuttling stage of life, I also sell shopping cart handle covers, knitted mittens,  tutus and whatever else strikes my creative fancy.

This giveaway is open to all public followers of Sew Many Dreams. I'd love it if you'd take a minute to check out my Etsy shop, but I'm not going to make you jump through any hoops: just leave a comment on this post if you'd like your name thrown into the hat. A random winner will be chosen on June 14th and posted the next day.

Now for today's other two giveaways. Check out these lovelies:

Jayna @ Rock N Regalia has another great hair accessory for this summer.  This one is perfection with a nautical theme.  Who wouldn’t want to wear this adorable statement piece?  image

Melissa @ Kensington Cottage has a whole heap of burlap goodness up for grabs.  What a gorgeous memo board!  And that wreath would be perfect all year long!  The flowers can be worn as hair clips or as a pin.  AND… check out that $15 gift card to Target!
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These giveaways will also close on Tuesday, June 14, so head over to these blogs and get your entries in for all of these fantastic prizes.   And if you missed out on some of the earlier giveaways, you can find the complete list of links here. Thanks for participating! I'll be back with a new sewing project a little later.

Summer Dazes Giveaway -- Day 5

FRIDAY’S GIVEAWAYS:
Stephanie @ Luxe Boulevard has some more pretties for your sun-bleached tresses.  These great fabric rosettes are perfect with their array of colors, lending to a fun and fancy-free look.  The perfect look for a warm summer day.
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Emily @ Insanity Rules isn’t just celebrating summer!  With her year-round, seasonal word frames you can add some decor that will be perfect, no matter what the weather may be. 
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Rebecca @ My Girlish Whims will help you get the perfect piece of stylish jewelry for the season.  With a $20 gift certificate to Your Girlish Whims, her Etsy shop, you’ll have the perfect excuse to indulge in the some pearls.  It is June, after all.
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These giveaways will close on Tuesday, June 13, so head over to these blogs and get your entries in for all of these fantastic prizes.  And come back for tomorrow’s giveaways!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Grama's freezer chocolates

Hope you all are enjoying the Summer Daze Giveaway Week! My giveaway for a $30 credit to my Etsy shop is coming up on Saturday so watch for that. In the meantime, I thought it might be a good time for a little break.




Yeah, a chocolate kind of break. I posted this recipe for my Grama's Freezer Chocolates at A Glimpse Inside last month, but in case you missed it, here it is for all blog eternity! These little bon bons are so delicious and they're easy to make.

Grama’s Freezer Chocolates
2 tbsp butter, room temp

1 1/2 tbsp corn syrup

6 cups (1 1/2 lbs) icing sugar

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp flavouring extract (vanilla, orange, and maple are all favourites)

Approximately 1 1/2 cups chocolate coating (I have used milk or dark chocolate bars or chocolate chips mixed with just a dab of shortening, as well as chocolate moulding wafers – it all works fine)




Mix all ingredients except chocolate and extract in a large bowl. Get in there with your hands and mix everything together until the filling forms into a ball with the consistency of Playdoh, adding just a tsp more condensed milk if necessary. If you want to make more than one flavour, divide the filling into two or three balls, and add about a tsp of extract to each ball. Mix again, until extract is incorporated. Truth be told, I never measure my extract; tasting a little gob of filling is so much more satisfying.

Next up is the chocolate. I like to use melted chocolate bars with a smidge of shortening added to them (Grama used food-grade wax). Moulding wafers are even easier, and melt well in the microwave. Sorry, Grama! I recommend melting your chocolate in a large Pyrex cup, starting with 1 min at 60% power in the microwave. The chocolate may not look like it has melted, but give it a good stir before microwaving for another 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn it!

At this point, Grama would chill her filling, roll into into little balls, and then use a toothpick to hand dip each one in chocolate. I usually bust out some candy moulds ($2-$3 at Bulk Barn) and spoon a bit of chocolate in each cavity, using the back of my spoon to make sure the bottom and sides of the mould are covered.



Pop the mould in the fridge for a couple minutes while you roll a little blob of filling for each chilled mould, and then spoon more warm chocolate on top. Let set 20 minutes in the freezer and remove the chocolates from the mould. Ta da – you need never be without chocolate again!


If plain chocolates aren’t your thing, you can dip balls of filling into chocolate and then roll them in crushed nuts, cocoa, sparkles, etc. This little container was an Easter surprise for a family friend, and my oldest son decided it would be fun to ‘paint’ (with more chocolate!) some texture onto the hardened dinosaur and egg candies, but you can see how smooth and pretty the unembellished versions are. Whether you let your imagination go wild, or stick to plain balls, these are a delicious treat to keep in your fridge (short term) or freezer (longer term). Enjoy!



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sew many ways

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Summer Daze giveaways -- Day 4

Summer Daze Giveaway week continues at While He Was Napping!  Today's giveaways are courtesy of:

Natalie @ Nat Mac's Knick Knacks has an incredible summer tote bag that would be perfect for a trip to the beach, the zoo, or even the park.  The flower embellishment gives the perfect whimsical finishing touch to an already pleasant afternoon in the summer sun.
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Suze @ Time Well Spent is giving away a personalized name plaque and hair bow holder.  Perfect for all those cute, summery hair accessories!
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Brenda @ A Creative Nest has a darling custom made, hand crocheted dress that encompasses all that is summer.  With a flower embellishment giving it a sweet, girly touch.
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These giveaways will close on Monday, June 12, so head over to these blogs and get your entries in for all of these fantastic prizes.  And come back for tomorrow’s giveaways!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Summer Daze giveaways -- Day 2

Welcome to day two of the Summer Daze Giveaways, hosted by While He Was Napping!  Today's giveaways are courtesy of:

Ashley @ Ashley Creations has this adorable little hair clip up for grabs.  The colors are amazing and perfect for summer!  It’s like lime sorbet, raspberries and lemonade.  What little princess wouldn’t want this?
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Kelly @ Make It Sparkly Mama has a whimsical, single strand bracelet that you can personalize. Customizable with birthstones or crystals of your choice.  This bracelet features oval alphabet beads. It is personalized with 6 Swarovski birthstone crystals on each strand.image

Shawna @ A Very Dandoislion Life has some more cute hair clips!  How gorgeous are these babies?  And the colors are divine.  These would be so easy to dress up or dress down.  Perfect for that summer BBQ, cocktail party or wedding.
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These giveaways will close on Saturday, June 11.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Summer Daze giveaways -- Day 3

Welcome to the Summer Daze Giveaways, hosted by While He Was Napping!  You will need to visit the host blog to enter.  Today's giveaways are courtesy of:

Bethany @ Sweet Bee Buzzings has an awesome little goody package for your kiddos.  If you’ve got any road trips planned this summer, this is definitely the giveaway for you!  Prize is complete with a cute little color books and crayons!
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Kim @ Kim's Kandy Kreations has a sweet treat for you.  One dozen delicious, personalized whirly pops to be exact.  Head over and get your name in for these cute, sweet, handmade delights.
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Krista @ While He Was Napping has a set of two handcrafted, personalized luggage tags and a summer subway art tote bag.  Perfect for the best part of summer: Vacation!  These tags are one of a kind and easy to spot.  No more waiting and hoping that bag really is yours.  The tote is perfect for day trips and the distressed look lends a hand to a relaxed summer outing.
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These giveaways will close on Sunday, June 12, so head over to these blogs and get your entries in for both of these fantastic prizes.  And come back for tomorrow’s giveaways.

Summer Daze giveaways -- Day 1

Welcome to the Summer Daze Giveaways, hosted by While He Was Napping!  It'll be a fantastic week of amazing giveaways!  What better way to get all ready for summer than with a chance at some really cool, free stuff?!  Each day, from June 6-11, three new giveaways will open.  Giveaways will be open for four days, so make sure you get your entries in before they close.  You will need to visit the host blog to enter.  Entry requirements vary per host. 

Let's get this party started!  Today's giveaways are courtesy of:

Mindie @ Bacon Time With the Hungry, Hungry Hypo.  She has a wonderful fabric rosette bracelet and matching summer scarf up for grabs!  The bracelet has an adjustable stainless steel band with "follow your dreams" engraved on both sides.  A single pearl adorns the bracelet for a light, yet sophisticated feel.


And Delina @ Dew This has a super cool, year round countdown calendar kit. Choose your preferred holiday (Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving or Easter), spend a little quality time with your crafty self and get your countdown on.
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These giveaways will close on Friday, June 10, so head over to these blogs and get your entries in for both of these fantastic prizes.  And come back for tomorrow’s giveaways!

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Summer Daze giveaway week

I have once again been lucky enough to win a few giveaways from generous bloggers, including a SCAL program for my computer, some cute Hallowe’en themed fabric, and a lovely print that will be going in my boys’ (eventual) playroom in the basement. I think pay-it-forward is a wonderful concept, so I will be participating in the Summer Daze giveaway week at While He Was Napping.


I'll be offering up a $30 credit to my Etsy shop, BluePea. Watch for that next Saturday, and in the meantime, check out some of the other awesome offerings!

Monday, June 6
Delina @ Dew This
Mindie @ Bacon Time With the Hungry, Hungry Hypo

Tuesday, June 7
Ashley @ Ashley Creations
Kelly @ Make It Sparkly Mama
Shawna @ A Very Dandoislion Life

Wednesday, June 8
Bethany @ Sweet Bee Buzzings
Kim @ Kim's Kandy Kreations
Krista @ While He Was Napping

Thursday, June 9
Natalie @ Nat Mac's Knick Knacks


Friday, June 10
Stephanie @ Luxe Boulevard
Emily @ Insanity Rules
Rebecca @ My Girlish Whims

Saturday, June 11
Jayna @ Rock N Regalia
Melissa @ Kensington Cottage
Tanya @ Sew Many Dreams     (that's me!)