Oooh a fun new meme that allows me to gift others with something I have made!? How can I resist!? I am totally crafty like that. Ellen, at Ellen Quilts, has continued the pay it forward trend, and now, so am I.

The Rules:
1. I will make and send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment to this post on my blog requesting to join this Pay It Forward exchange. (I will email you for addresses.) Note: You have to express interest in joining the exchange, i.e. “Oooh Pick me!!”.
Because I am not into stressing myself out, there will be a two month window before the gift deadline arrives. That way, I won’t begin to despise the lovely people I lured into playing the game!

2. Then You will post the same offer on your blog, passing on three homemade goodies to the first three to respond with interest.

What kind of goodies? Whatever you want to try a hand at making. I am a multicrafter, though crochet is my weapon of choice, so my offerings are likely to be in the crocheted hat/handbag/scarf/basket spectrum. However, you never know what craft inspiration will strike while I leaf through old Craft Zine’s and ponder your gift.

So come on! Join in the fun! Let’s send something handmade out into the world!

Also, check out Crunchy Domestic Goddess for a great green clean giveaway!!

Otter really likes to feed people, he gets great joy out of pulling a half masticated, drool covered piece of food out of his mouth and shoving into yours. He grins like mad, and afterwards, will clap happily, proud of his ability to feed you.

His family members, myself included, have gotten very good at avoiding the sodden offerings. This makes Otter sad, as he loves to share.

Yesterday, he found one family member who didn’t mind at all.

Bella loves Otter’s special breakfast offerings, and will gobble them up with glee, making baby a happy little man.

Thank you for taking one for the team Bella, our more discerning palates really appreciate it.

In other news… Mandy at Not Another Mom Blog is hosting an online Primary Party today! Stop on over, bring some virtual snacks and join in!

Monkey has strep. We took her to the doctor on Friday, and they hopped her up on anti-biotics but the antibiotics don’t seem to be helping her feel much better. She still has a really sore throat, a cough, and a runny nose. In addition, she is delusional.
Yes, I said Delusional.
She spent all day yesterday staring at her father and me and telling us our heads were too small. She would then rub her eyes, shake her head a little, and then stare at us for a minute before again pronouncing our heads tiny.
After a bewildered call to her pediatrician, I learned that delusions are a side effect that occurs in some small number of children who take antibiotics for strep.
Oh.
Yay for us! We are rare! I was advised to “not ask her repeatedly if my head is still small, as it would only make her focus on the issue and become a way of getting attention.”
Right.
Well, there go my plans for the day. I had fully intended on quizzing my daughter as to the size of my head all morning long!
Hopefully the delusions will fade soon, but until they do, I am trying not to be totally creeped out.
Onto more cheerful things.

Yesterday I posted this image in my weekly winners:

Many of you responded with requests for how to make Vanilla Extract.
Here is a link to the Instructables website we used to get the recipe. Note, this is not a two step process, it will take you a day to make it. However the steps are easy to follow, and pretty self explanatory.
As for why to make it, well, you can guarantee that your extract does not have HFC added to it, and uses only natural flavors, like Vanilla bean and Vodka. Additionally, you can make it double strength, which takes twice as long, but guarantees a fantastic cooking aid.
Further, we have discovered a lovely use for the remaining beans. We split them, harvest the caviar (bean innards) and then toss them into a can of sugar. What comes out a few days later is vanilla sugar. I have been able to halve the amount of sugar I use in recipes if I replace it with vanilla sugar.
It’s nice over cereal too (and in coffee I am told).

Well, this shrunken headed mom is off for some coffee. Enjoy!