DIY Heat Pack

I have been wanting to make this project for a while now after seeing similar things on Pinterest (check out this cute one).  I have migraines that make my neck and shoulders really tense and having a nice hot pack to drape around my neck would be fantastic.  Unfortunately, the only time I would think about making it was when I actually had a migraine, and that just isn't happening.  But, finally, this weekend, I pulled out the materials and set to work.  Here is what you need:

Materials:

• 1 standard size pillow case (makes six packs)
• Long grain rice and/or deer corn (each pack holds approx. 4 cups)
• Essential oil (I used a sinus blend containing eucalyptus, peppermint, and lavender) 
• thread

Tools:

• scissors (or rotary cutter and mat)
• sewing machine
• measuring cup with pour spout

I started by washing, drying, and ironing the pillow case, then cut it into the three strips.  I sewed up the open sides, but not the top (just turn inside out and sew a straight seam), giving me three long pouches.  I had originally planned to make just three packs this size, but realized they were excessively long.  So I cut them in half and sewed up open bottom seams.

I filled three of the bags with rice.  It is a bit tricky getting the rice into the opening, but using a measuring cup with a spout and going slowly helps.  After pouring in about half of the rice, I added 2-3 drops of the essential oil and shook it a bit to disperse.  Be careful not to over-fill the pouch: otherwise it won't drape nicely.

For the other three bags I used shelled corn (also called deer corn).  In theory, the corn holds the heat longer than the rice, but I think both work just fine.  I found the corn at Tractor Supply Company.  I added essential oil to these as well.

Once the pouches were full, I turned the open edges inward about half an inch (almost like make a reverse cuff).  I ironed a crease in, and then sewed a straight line across.  I know I could have made a prettier finish on these, but it was quick and functional.

I ended up with six of these, and we tried out a rice pack and a corn pack, putting them in the microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds with half a cup of water for safety.  They felt fantastic and smelled amazing.  While I am not looking forward to my next migraine, at least now I will have something soothing to put on my neck.  I think these would also work great for lower back, knees, or anything really.  And, they would make a great gift!

Thinking Pink: A Few Things for the Niece

My sister is expecting a baby girl in the middle of March.  We had a shower for her last weekend, which was lovely and sweet and all kinds of pink.  I completed the booties and bonnet just in time.  The patterns were actually easy and quick--knitting for babies is so rewarding.  The bonnet is an old-fashioned pattern using the feather and fan stitch that makes that pretty ripple, and the booties were made using this pattern, which features the ringlet stitch.  I think that next time I will use a smaller needle on the booties.  I also have pictures of the afghan I made, which I will be posting soon.

Can't wait to see little Sara Joan wearing her new things!

Homemade Beauty: Dry Skin Scrub and Mask

Winter is famously rough on dry skin.  Mine is fairly parched most of the year, but becomes painfully dry during the winter--rough, flaky, red, and blotchy.  Dry skin is often also sensitive, and many products (even ones formulated for "sensitive skin") can irritate it further.  So, I've been hanging out in the kitchen.  The scrub recipe comes from my mom (also a dry-skin-sufferer).  It is quite simple--just mix a bit of plain sugar and enough olive oil to make a paste.  I take this into the shower with me and very carefully exfoliate my face.  Pressure is key here--very gentle circular strokes.  The idea is to polish away the dead skin, not sand off your epidermis.

I follow the scrub with a homemade mask.  I did a bit of research, looking at ingredients found in products formulated for dry skin, and I found that oatmeal, honey, and chamomile were mentioned frequently.  So, here is what I put together:

1 tbs brewed chamomile tea

1 tbs oatmeal

1 tsp honey

Mix the three ingredients together in a small cup and microwave 10-15 seconds.  Stir and let sit until it looks like the kind of oatmeal you would eat.  Apply to face and wait 30 minutes before removing.

I didn't want to be brewing chamomile tea every few days, especially if I only needed a tablespoon of it.  So I brewed two cups in a mason jar that I keep in the refrigerator.  When I want a mask, I just splash out a bit into a tea cup, add in the oatmeal and honey, and microwave.

The mask can be a bit tricky to apply--if the mixture is too runny, it will slide off your face; to thick and it won't spread.  While wearing it, you will look a bit leprous, but the results are worth it.  My face is smoother and less red.  I follow up with a good moisturizer (currently the Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturizer).

I really like the little jars that once held diced pimentos for containing the scrub.  What are diced pimentos for?  Glad you asked: check out the Pimento Cheese Recipe here.  Interested in other homemade beauty recipes?  Check these out.

Morning Run Afghan

I finally completed an afghan I have been working on for nearly a year.  This is a gift for a friend--my running buddy I have been missing since the move.  We met twice a week for two (three?) years to run, early mornings in the summer and late afternoon in the winter.  The colors in the afghan remind me of the sky on those runs--streaks of colors against a gray sky.

Season's Greetings

We are enjoying a very nice Christmas break.  We traveled back to our hometown to spend some time with our families--there was much eating, talking, laughing, and general laying about.  Also a bit of hiking, some reading, crocheting, and movie watching.  The weather was gray--ferocious winds on Friday night knocked down several trees in the area, and Jordan spent Saturday helping his dad saw up one that fell in the yard.  We got in our hike on Sunday while it was still fairly dry, though cloudy.  We meant to hike down into Linville Gorge, but started down the wrong trail and found ourselves in the Linville Falls park that we know so well.  We found the correct trail later, but it was already getting dark, so that will have to wait for another time.  The fog settled in on Christmas Eve, leading to many Rudolph references.

Jordan and I read some Grimm fairy tales on the way back home--2012 marks the bicentennial of the publication of their tales, and we recently heard a great NPR interview with Maria Tatar.  One of my favorite tales, one that I remember reading when I was little, was "The Six Swans"--sewing as a heroic act!

I have lots of plans for the New Year.  I get as excited about January 1 as any other holiday.  I have a new journal on order from Amazon, and new challenges I want to pursue. I completed my 2012 running goal in mid-December--366 miles in a year.  I still haven't decided for sure what I want to do for 2013, but I have just a few more days to figure it out!

Mini Pecan Pies

 

I think pecan pie must be my daddy's favorite.  Any kind of pecan pie.  When my sister and I were little, he would buy us the little packaged pecan pies--were they Little Debbies?--that came in tiny tin pie pans.  Part of the charm there was the idea of eating a pie all by yourself.

 

 

These were actually quite easy to make.  I can't remember where the recipe for the pie filling came from, but it is fairly standard.  It is, however, delightfully sweet and nutty, with no corn syrup.  And the mini shape means you get one (or two!) all to yourself.

Mini Pecan Pies

1 box (2 crusts) refrigerated pie crusts (I used Pillsbury)

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tbs. all purpose flour

1 tbs. milk

1 tbs. vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  

2. Roll out pie crusts until they are thin, but still workable.  Cut out circles using 3.5 inch round cookie-cutter.  Grease two 12 cup muffin tins with cooking spray and press a crust circle into each cup.

3.  In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy and stir in melted butter.  Stir in brown sugar, white sugar, and flour; mix well.  Last add the milk, vanilla, and nuts.

4.  Spoon one tablespoon of filling into each cup.  Bake 20 minutes (or until down), rotating halfway through baking time. Cool for five minutes in tin. 

 I am looking forward to seeing how Daddy likes this version--perhaps it'll be an improvement even on the Little Debbies!

Our New Home

 Although it has been a few months since we moved in, I still don't feel like our house is "done."  There is, in fact, one whole room that is just stacked with boxes.  But, if I waited until everything was perfect, I would never get this post up, so here we go anyway.

 One of the things we liked most about the house was how open everything was.  The kitchen, dining room, and living room are all open and connected.  We knew that we wanted to be able to put a desk in the living room.  When we lived in our apartment, we originally planned for the office to be a separate room, but we always ended up carrying the laptop into the living room or working at the dining room table.  We don't like being separated, so it works best for us if everything is basically one big space.

 The guest room is still a bit bare.  The furniture belonged to Jordan's grandmother, and it is beautiful.  I really love the old, vintage feeling.  The duvet cover is one I made in college out of a set of sheets!  I am going to use the pillow cases that came with the set to make shams, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

 We really love our home.  We feel blessed to have found one so quickly and just where we needed it.  The move-in process was a real learning experience.  We were very lucky to have both Jordan's parents and my parents come at various stages to help--with unloading, cleaning, painting, and pulling off wallpaper border (nightmarish!)  At some point, I may post some before-and-after photos--the difference some paint makes is really astonishing.

There are still a few things we would like to do--the bathrooms need painting and there is a lot of work to be done in the yard--but I kind of like the fact that it is an ongoing process.  We are growing into our house, slowly making it ours.  It's definitely a nice feeling.