DIY Gift Tutorials for the Beginner Sewist

If you're like me, then you've got a pile of gifts to make before Christmas and not much time to waste, so let's cut to the chase and get started already!

Here are some of my favorite tutorials for sewing projects for beginner sewers. You're going to love these! Just click on the name to find a great tutorial!

1. The Lined Zipper Pouch by Dana : My favorite project to make for gifts this year has been this zipper pouch! The video is a must watch. She does an EXCELLENT job explaining each step and they turn out great!! Use them for anything you'd like! Fill them with candy, small knick knacks, nail polish... you get the point.

2. Business Card Holder by the Crafty Cupboard : Though the zipper pouch can be gifted to anyone (let your fabric imagination run wild), I decided to go for some super duper easy business card holders for the guys! (I even made mine super simple by omitting the batting and button!)

3. Dish-Drying Mat by Sewplicity : Do you have any extra towels laying around? A dish-drying mat would be a wonderful gift!

4. Burp Cloth by Make it Cozee : If these all seem a little too complicated (and you have a new mama to gift to), try this super duper easy and cute burp cloth tutorial!

5. The One Hour Basket by Hearts and Bees : This is a really fun project to do! My first few times took a little over an hour, but it really is that quick once you get the hang of it! It is a great way to pack up a gift basket!

Now it's time to get back to sewing! 

What are YOUR favorite gifts to sew?? I would LOVE to see more great tutorials out there! Ready, set, SHARE!!

Hearty Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Soup

I just love a recipe that saves money and can be served to my whole family!

My picky toddler loves this meal!

Homemade chicken soup is one of my favorite comfort foods! It has become a favorite here and with a picky toddler in the house, I am thrilled that this meal gives us a wide variety of vitamins and protein, and there is almost always leftovers. We love that we can use last night's chicken bones to make a completely new meal!

Although pre-made chicken stock is so readily available and delicious (my favorite is Costco's organic chicken stock!), nothing beats true homemade chicken broth. Plus, there are so many health benefits! You may use any leftover carcass/bones to make the broth for this soup. I like to keep it simple, so no extra chicken bouillon or stock is required. 

Ingredients:

Leftover Chicken Carcass, plus extra meat 

4-6 Cups Water (enough to completely cover bones in the pot)

1/2 Medium Onion, chopped

1 Clove Garlic, smashed or chopped

1/4 - 1/2 Cup Carrot, chopped

3 Medium Potatoes, chopped

1/4 - 1/2 Cup Celery, chopped

1/2 Cup Barley 

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Strip chicken carcass of most of the meat and set aside.

2. Place chicken carcass in a medium pot and fill with water until carcass is covered. (Note: the size of the pot does matter; if the pot is too big, the broth will not come out as tasty!)

3. Simmer the chicken carcass on low for 1-3 hours. The longer it simmers, the more flavor the broth will have. (Note: you can even do this in a crockpot overnight or during the day! Use 2 carcasses if your crock pot is large. Cover with water and keep on low for 8-12 hours.)

4. In a large pan, stir-fry the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes.

5. Add in the potatoes and carrots along with salt and pepper to taste and stir-fry another 5-10 minutes. This helps give everything a jump-start so that all the veggies are completely cooked at the end.

6. While the veggies are cooking, use a strainer to separate the chicken carcass from the broth. Keep broth in pot and set carcass aside. 

7. Separate the remaining meat off the carcass and set aside.

8. Add the veggies to the broth and simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour on low (depending on how large your veggie chunks are!)

9. Add the celery, chicken, and barley to the pot and simmer for 1 hour on low.

10. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve, and enjoy!

My picky toddler really loves this served with a dollop of plain greek yogurt!

Do you have a favorite Chicken Soup recipe? What's your secret? Let me know in the comments!

On Fear and Parenting

As if fear didn't have a big enough grip on me before becoming a mama, I've surely known it now.

Now, I am not pretending here that I am the only one who struggles with fear and anxiety. But sometimes it feels that way because my dear hubby definitely does not (at least not in the way that I do).

"Is the door locked?"

"Yes, I already checked"

"Could you check again?"

Before having my son, most of my fears had to do with our safety: earthquakes, fires, car accidents. After having my son, these fears increased exponentially (in addition to some new ones) as I tried to take on the role of protector and savior of his life. I felt like I was in control and it was somehow my own doing that kept him alive and well.

I think God knew I needed to be reminded that I was NOT in control when we found out about our son's food allergy to peanuts. We were given an Epipen and told to stay away from nuts, but that is much easier said than done. I became obsessed with internet "researching" aka reading about experiences of anaphylactic shock and lists of brands and companies that were deemed "unsafe" because of the risk of cross contamination with nuts.

I was trying to fake my way into being in control, when really I felt less and less in control the more that I read. Can anyone relate?

A beautiful study in the Psalms this Fall pointed me back to the Person who actually is in control.

We read verses such as,

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1-2)

and

"In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety." (Psalm 4:8)

We were taught that our fears actually reveal something important about us. They show us who and what we value the most. As parents, it's pretty much impossible not to value our children and fear for their lives. In fact, it is a really good thing to value our children and other loved ones.

The problem arises when we begin to value people and things above God. Because the reality is, the people and things in our lives are not really ours. Yes, we have the responsibility and privilege to care for and enjoy our children. But we do not actually have the control.

We live in this beautiful tension where God allows us to protect, but not be the Protector; to help, but not be the Helper; to teach, but not be the Teacher.

I can rest in the fact that God cares infinitely more about the ones whom I love more than I do. No matter what happens here on earth, I can still trust God with everyone and everything. He proved that to me by giving to us his only Son, who lived and died and lived again that we might have abundant life with him. His Son died so that my son might live. My son can live even if he dies.

And then, if God is my greatest treasure, I will never have anything to fear. He and only He is the only one who can never be taken away from me. This is from where my joy and rest can come! This is abundant life!

Is God using any particular situation in our life to help you see that you are not in control? Leave me a comment, I'd love to hear!