DIY Changing Pad Tutorial

A couple years back I made a bunch of items for a girlfriends baby shower. I blogged about all the things I did and you can read about it here and you can see the photos from her shower here. I realized after linking to Pinterest that I never went back and did tutorials for the changing pad or diaper and wipes totes. So here I am updating you all! This is SUPER simple and quick. A perfect handmade addition to any baby shower gift.

What You Need:
1/2 yd fabric for changing pad (I used 2 different fabrics for mine)
1/2 yard vinyl (you can use a mattress pad. Frugal Hint: They sell them at the dollar store!)
Lightweight batting or fleece
1/2 yard for bias binding and closure tab
1" of 5/8" velcro tape
Wonder Under or any type of iron on material (Optional)

Cutting Requirements:
Cut (2) fabric pieces 14" x 23" (I cut one out of each the front and the back fabrics
Cut (1) vinyl piece 14" x 23"
Cut 2" bias binding strips to measure 75"
Cut (2) closure tabs 4" x 5"
Cut (1) batting piece 14" x 23" and (1) 2" x 5"
Applique designs (Optional)

Directions:
1. Note: This is an optional step. Follow package directions to attach your wonder under to your applique designs and trim. Place your applique piece in your desired areas on your front and/or back fabric pieces, keeping in mind you will be trimming your corners and adding binding to the edge. Follow the package directions of the Wonder Under to attach applique pieces to your fabric. Machine stitch your applique pieces, around the edges, to the fabric using contrasting fabric.

2. Trace a rounded corner to each corner of the changing pad, you can use a round plate to create a template. Pin together the changing pad fabric, right sides out with the batting and vinyl in the middle, and cut out the rounded corners.

3. Pin your bias binding, pressed in half wrong sides together, to the edge of your changing pad and machine stitch your binding down using the machine binding technique.

4. Fold the closure tab in half, right sides together along the 4" side. Pin the batting strip to the back and stitch the edge opposite the fold and across one end. Clip corners, turn and press. top stitch 1/4" around the tabs 3 edges. Center the loop side of the Velcro tape 1/4" from the end of the closure tab, sew around the Velcro to secure.

5. Fold the changing pad in half lengthwise (like a hotdog, with the back on the inside) and then fold it again into thirds. Center the closure tab with the raw edge 1-1/2" from the bound ends of the folded pad, making sure the velcro side is up. Pin, unfold the pad and stitch across the open edge of the tab through all layers. Flip the tab over to conceal the raw edge, press and top stitch across the flap to secure.

6. Refold the changing pad (hotdog then in thirds) and mark where the other half of the velcro needs to be placed along the back side of the changing pad to hold it closed. Pin the velcro to the changing pad, unfold and zig zag stitch around the edges of the velcro to secure.

Admire your work!

Front of the pad

Back of the pad

Folded and ready to go

Family and Birthday Shenanigans (Weekend Update)

I am blushing over here! I realized that it has been a whole week and a half since I posted! *Slaps wrist!* I have had so much going on that my time and brain has just gone poof! I have several tutorials to write and even a big post with tutorials for quick and easy baby shower gifts so stay tuned for those. Also I have the recap of our Catalina Trip, it was such a blast! All this and more will be coming soon! I promise.

Until then, I thought I would update you on my weekend shenanigans. I (me myself and I) drove up to Fresno/Coarsgold this weekend for a birthday bash celebrating our God-daughter who turned 2 in January and our niece's 1st birthday on the 23rd. D had to work so unfortunately could not make the journey with me. (Which would have been nice to have him there when I got stuck in 25 minutes worth of stopped traffic on the Grapevine, but I digress.) Once I arrived safely I was welcomed with open arms by my cousin's and little Charlotte. We conversed for a couple of hours then it was bedtime. I went to set up the air mattress (a new one that I borrowed from my mom) and Charlotte came bounding in the room and on top of it. She started jumping on it like it was a bounce house and it was thoroughly entertaining.

We love Rugrats

Oh Yea!!! Bounce House!

Saturday we woke and had to get 8 people ready for the party before noon. Not an easy feat considering 4 of the 8 were children under the age of 6. We managed, picked up the cake and made our way to my aunt and uncles for the joint party. It was Winnie the Pooh themed, with honey flavored snacks. I forgot how good Honeycomb cereal was and gladly munched on that all afternoon, even after my lunch of lasagna, garlic bread and salad.....we are Italian...we eat carbs! Yummo! Maggie slept away most of her party and mom finally woke her up to have cake. She was quite unsure about her hunny pot cupcake, but finally figured it out and dove face first into it! The parents opened gifts and I held Miss Maggie just playing with her until she needed another cat nap.

Charlotte ready to party

The cake

Maggie face first into the cupcake!

Full of cake and ready to play, or suck my thumb!

After all the party guests left. My cousins and I decided to play some cards. My grandfather taught a friend of A.J.'s how to play cribbage and I played gin with my other cousin Matt while talking to his girlfriend, and eating Honeycomb of course! We left around 11pm, dropped off his friend and had a great evening of laughter watching Dane Cook on Netflix. I forgot how funny he was and we were all rolling around on the ground holding our stomachs with barely any sound coming out.

Sunday we awoke and just enjoyed the morning and early afternoon together. I packed up around 2:30 and said my goodbyes. It's always sad to leave family, but we made plans to try and get together more often and definitely in July to go to Mammoth. New lake trip to plan! Yay! It was nice to come home to D and the little miss. I did miss him a lot, even though it was only 48 hours!

Hope all of you in blogger land had a wonderful weekend!

A Love Letter

To the love of my life; my honey and Babie.

This is our 10th Valentines Day together. We met almost eleven years ago and jeez it seems like only yesterday. We were young and so in love and I can admit that I am still so very much in love with you, although not so young anymore. As each year passes, we may change a little but you still mean the world to me! You always know how to make me smile and are always there to support me and even push me to my limits and try new things! This past weekend was an example of that! Not a day goes by that I don't appreciate you and love having you in my life. I could probably show it more and I will work on that! Every call you make to me and leave me wonderful voicemails; and your warm and loving embrace at the end if each day just makes me feel all the more special. I can truly say that I married the man of my dreams! Thank you for being you and loving me with all of your heart as I do for you.

Today isn't about candy, dinners, or flowers. It's about appreciating you. All I can say is I love you!! Thanks for a great and romantic weekend and I look forward to many more years of loving you!

Your Babie

On vacation and on Island time!

So we are here in Catalina island and have already walked around and seen a lot. It's a little chilly and overcast but we can handle it! We booked our zip line adventure for tomorrow too!! *insert scared face here!* We plan on just relaxing and going with island flow! See you later mainland!

Michael Kors Watch Giveaway!

Shanna at Because Shanna Said So and a bunch of her blogging friends are teaming up to give away one of the below Michael Kors watches! Even though I am not a part of this giveaway, who am I not to share this great opportunity!!!!! Seriously, look at the white and rhinestone one at the bottom! Drooling!!!!

Pop on over to her blog to enter and check her and all the other lovely ladies out!

Oregano Chicken on a bed of veggies

Ok, so it's the start of a new year means healthy eating....well at least for the next couple of weeks right? Well in our house we eat a lot of chicken. After a while your chicken recipes become a little boring. So I thought I would spruce up our traditional chicken meal for a Friday night feast with a couple of friends.

Oregano Chicken on a Veggie Bed!

What you need: 
4 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Small/Medium potatoes
1/2 pound fresh green beans
2-3 garlic cloves
1 Can chicken stock
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Dried Oregano
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Table Salt

Skillet
Oven Safe pan

Directions:
1. Slice your potato's. Cut the raw ends off of your green beans and cut in half. Place the potato's in the bottom of your oven safe pan, then place the green beans on top. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over all the veggies. Throw in some garlic cloves as well. Set aside.

2. Take your chicken breasts and lightly coat both sides with olive oil. Then sprinkle pepper, garlic salt and dried oregano on both sides. Not a ton, just enough for some flavor. Place in a skillet over medium heat and cook until chicken is no longer pink in the middle and the juices run clean. Tip: keeping the chicken covered will make sure that the moisture stays inside the meat.

3. Take your cooked chicken and place it on top of your veggie bed. Pour in about 1/4 of the can of chicken stock for added moisture and drizzle the juices from the pan over everything. Sprinkle a little more pepper if desired. Cover your pan with tin foil and place in a pre-heated 430 degree oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove tin foil and bake for another 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Headboards, Catalina, Weddings and a Pigskin Party

Ok so it's been mostly crafty posts around here lately. Honestly because so much has been going on at work and in my personal life that the time to write an actual blog post seemed to get put on the back burner. I have been out of the office at least 4 days out of the week for the last 3 weeks and it's not slowing down. I usually write my posts either on my lunch break or on the weekends. So here's whats gone on the last two weeks.

I finished the chalkboard and posted a couple of recipes to boot! All of which has gotten great interest on Pinterest which makes me so happy! I need to figure out some more things to keep the content of this blog and momentum going! I do have a couple of other baby crafts to post, but one needs to be finished before I post. Maybe this weekend, while doing laundry and getting ready to go to CATALINA! Whoop! We are so excited to get away for a couple of days and have an adventure.

Last week I got a hit with a double whammy. A bout of food poisoning with a UTI to boot. I was not a happy camper at all. While waiting two hours in urgent care and getting my meds, all I wanted to do is lie in bed and sleep. Instead of actually sleeping, I just watched Grey's Anatomy on Netflix and read blogs on my phone. I got to one of my favorites, Sawdust and Embryos as she was announcing the winner of the contest she was holding for a DIY headboard. I just entered cause I LOVED the fabrics, but never thought that I would win. Well wouldn't you know, I did! I had a great little email conversation with Beth and she told me that all my supplies shipped this weekend! EEK! Stay tuned for that to be featured in the future and pop over to her blog to read about her crafty life with her hubby and two adorable girls! They do awesome furniture redo's! Trust me you wont regret visiting!

We went to a comedy show last weekend, to root on a friend who's trying to get into the business and got to see Andy Dick in person! He was funny, but mostly just sang funny songs instead of doing actual stand-up, so that was a bummer. Also I met up with a dear friends sister, the future Mrs. G to discuss helping her as a day of coordinator for her wedding in August. Her details look perfect and I can't wait to help her out with the biggest day of her life! Gotta get the timeline together and make a site visit to Santa Paula to get an idea of how everything can be set up. She's got all the decor details figured out, just gotta work out some of the kinks with regards to the ceremony and set up and just be there to help with everything she needs on the big day! I'm really excited to do this for her!

You might have been aware of the game that happened this past weekend. I dunno, it's some big thing here in the states that most people get all riled up over, the Super Bowl. I am not a big fan of football, but like to make it interesting by making little wagers with D. Not only did I predict that the Raven's were gonna win, but I won our little side bet! HaHA! Too bad I didn't come up with my own wager beforehand, but it's more interesting for me to have something to look forward too. We went to a friends house to watch the game, with 3 other couples. 2 of them had the most adorable little boys, and Dylan (pictured above) loved our friends little bridge that he has in his yard. We tend to always make fun of it, but it was the perfect size for a toddler. He loved walking back and forth on that thing! He was so cute! For the most part the "Super Bowl" party turned into a sit outside and eat yummy food while playing baggo party. It was so fun and relaxing. Poor D was the only one who wanted to watch the game. We did end up watching most of the second half, as it was far more entertaining. Super Bowl at Casa P's will forever be known as Non-Super Bowl party.

Since there were babies a foot, the topic came up over the course of the day with many questions with regards to our luck. So, here's a little update on that. December marked our official go-time to try again. Unfortunately we haven't had luck yet, but are having fun with the process....because honestly it's not supposed to be a chore. We are still very positive and are waiting patiently for our time. Seriously though, there is WAY too much cute stuff out there! I am looking forward to visiting our god-daughter and niece at the end of the month to get more of a baby fix as well.

So that's what has gone on in our neck of the woods! Can't wait to share our island vacation with you all as well! Maybe I will bring up the courage to zip-line! o.O