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Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Home Made Trick-or-Treat Bag: Tutorial

Back in 2010, I made Anthony and Molly their own pillow case style trick-or-treat bags. I used a pillow case to collect candy when I was a kid, so I wanted to keep with that style...just a bit prettier and with a cinch rope so the bag could be closed. 


With Timothy being old enough to do the trick-or-treat thing now, I thought it time to make a third bag so each kiddo would have one!  

Alright, I'm not the best with tutorials, but I'll give it a shot. It's super easy, I promise. I'm not extremely handy with a sewing machine and I was able to do it without a problem. The hardest part was keeping my stitching straight....which totally didn't happen because I can't seem to sew in a straight line....like ever. But, you know, who cares. :) 


You will need:

Sewing machine
Pins
Scissors
1 yard fabric of choice
Heavy duty string/rope 


1. Lay your fabric out flat. Fold in half. Fold in half again. 


 2. Sew up side 1 and side 2.  


3. Cut your rope, I cut mine to 72" (you can trim shorter later if you like) to give me plenty of length to work with. Lay your rope about 1 inch or so from bottom of side 3. Flip fabric over to cover rope. Do this all around your bag, making sure the ends of your robe come out at the side 2 seam. Pin this flap so your rope does not slip out when you sew. 


4. Turn your bag so it has the side 2 seam face up (like in photo above). On the OUTSIDE of side 3 , on either side of the seam, cut two holes on the OUTER fabric only. Do not cut hole in the fabric you have flipped over. Sew around your cuts to prevent future fraying. Pull each end of rope through a hole. If you wish, you could also just make one larger cut on the seam (or either side of the seam if you want...doesn't matter which side), and sew around it to prevent fraying and pull both ends of rope through that one larger hole. I chose to do the two hole method. 


5. Sew side 3, being sure to sew under your pins and sewn holes.  


 6. Turn right side out, cut rope to your desired length, and tie rope ends together in knot. 


Voila! You're done! Isn't it awesome? Ready to fill up with candy so Mama the kiddos can have some sweet treats! 

My little helper....excited to get his own trick-or-treat bag! 



With love,
Mama Hauck

Friday, September 26, 2014

Autumn Nature Walk

Autumn is my favorite season, I just love the beauty of the leaves and the crispness in the air! I pretty much love everything about Autumn!

This morning I decided that my little sweetie pie and I would get out and enjoy the fall time scenery by going on a nature drive and then a nature walk after getting the two older kiddos on the bus. It was still early, just a little past 7am, so we were able to watch the sun creep up and drench the area with it's warm rays.

Ohhh what fun we had! Timothy enjoyed pointing out rocks and pine cones, saying hello to the horse, and telling me stories. I enjoyed spending that special time with Timothy and taking photos. 

We will definitely be going on more nature walks! So fun and relaxing. 


With love,
Mama Hauck

Thursday, September 25, 2014

What's Being Canned: Applesauce

There is no better time to make applesauce than Fall time, and there is no easier way to make applesauce than in the crock pot! And it's even better when it's not an exact science, so you're free to play with amounts based on how you like your applesauce! 

We were fortunate enough to buy two huge boxes of apples for a very great price from one of the vendors at our local farmers market. I LOVE the farmers market!! 


Ingredients:

10-20 apples, depending on apple size. (I always use a few different types of apples and I never really count how many apples I use, I just fill the crock pot up.)
1 strip lemon peel 
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 3inch cinnamon stick (or 1/2 - 1 teaspoon cinnamon, depending on how much you love cinnamon.)
5 teaspoons light brown sugar 


1. Peel, core, and chop the apples.
2. Add the lemon peel, lemon juice, cinnamon stick (or powder), and brown sugar. 
3. Set crock pot on low and cook for about 6 hours. Stir apples occasionally, apples will slowly soften. 
4. Remove cinnamon stick and lemon peel. Using a whisk or a masher, blend and smash applesauce to your chunk liking. I like my apple sauce on the chunkier side, so I tend to not smash my apples too much. 
5. Applesauce will keep in fridge for up to 3 weeks, or if you wish, can your applesauce. 

To can: 

1. Fill mason jars to 1/2 inch from top. 
2. Remove air bubbles, wipe rim, center lid on jar and screw on ring. 
3. Place jars in canner, ensuring jars are covered with 1/2 inch of water. Bring to boil for 20 minutes. 

We made two crock pots of applesauce and filled 8 pint jars. Of course, we ate a jar right away, so we're missing one in the photo! Nothing better than warm applesauce! 


After we made our first double batch of applesauce, I wanted MORE. lol, So we made another double batch of applesauce using 4oz jars this time. These will be perfect in the kids' lunch pails for school. Just remember to open them first so you break the seal, then put lid and ring back on. Otherwise the little ones wont be able to get them open at lunch time!

Our double batch of apple sauce filled two packages of 4 oz jars and left enough for everyone to have some for dessert that night. 


With love,
Mama Hauck

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Our Quick and Fun Island Trip!

This past weekend, we took a spur of the moment, surprise trip to Whidbey Island (where Sammy and I use to live)! I'm usually not the very spontaneous, but I suppose every once in a while you just have to throw planning out the window.

My Brother and Sister in Law are currently on an Alaskan cruise for their honeymoon! How fun! Their cruise was to leave out of Vancouver B. C., so Saturday they flew from VT to Vancouver. After landing, they had Sunday free before their cruise sailed Monday morning, so they took a day trip to Whidbey Island to visit family we have living there.

I didn't know about their planned trip to the Island, but heck if I was going to be left out! My Grandmother called on Thursday and informed me of their plans, and after talking with Sam, we decided we would make the 6 hour drive on Saturday to surprise them on Sunday.

Our last Farmers Market day was Saturday (we decided our profits that day would go towards our much needed gas money for this trip), so after the market, we cleaned up, loaded up, and got on the road. We got to my Aunt Amy's place on the Island at 9 at night.

Sunday morning when we woke up, my Aunt made us a wonderful breakfast and the kids spent some time playing and visiting. Thank you, Aunt Amy!


We then spent an hour and a half visiting my Great Aunt and Uncle (where I forgot to take out the camera...so no photos...) before continuing on to visit some long time friends, the Goodenough's.

We visited with them at their home for a bit before we all headed over to the kite festival that was being held at Camp Casey. The kids had a good time running around, playing. It wasn't as windy as we're use to on that part of the Island, so the kite Jamie and the kids brought with to fly didn't do so great, but we were able to get it up in the air for a few seconds before it fell. :) It was a heavy kite that needed more wind, but it was fun regardless.


After two hours with our friends, it was time to head over to my Grandma and Grandpa's place to await the arrival of Matt and Erica. The kids ate a quick lunch and then got all excited when we heard their car pull up. We rushed into the living room and they all yelled "SURPRISE!" when they walked in. It was so fun! The kids were very excited to surprise them with our presence. :) We ate, we chatted, we played cards, we took photos....it was a very fun visit! Short, but fun! 


Matt and Erica had to head out at 5 to make it back to their hotel in Vancouver. We left my Grandparent's house at about 6 and headed back to my Aunt's place where we spent the remainder of the evening relaxing. We were all sooooooo pooped out. We watched The Croods, which was a pretty cute movie, and then hit the hay at 9. 


Monday morning we called the kids out of school, got on the road at 9, and started our long trek home....stopping at Costco, our favorite antique shop, the mall, and Spirit Halloween where we picked the kids up their Halloween costumes. 

What a super fun, spontaneous trip! It was a short trip for sure....not nearly long enough to see and visit with everyone we'd like to, but the 6 hour drive was definitely worth it regardless. It was fun to surprise my Brother and Sister in Law and I hope they enjoyed it too! 

Love you all! 

With love,
Mama Hauck