Upcoming Reviews & Giveaways

Alright, I think it's high time that I got myself in gear and ran some reviews and giveaways of the fantastic products I've been testing for you in the last few months. I'm pleased to announce that...

The Green Cleaning event will finally be beginning sometime next week (12/6-12)! You'll be learning about (and hopefully winning some things) from Activeion, Seventh Generation, Skoy Cloths, and Mrs. Meyers!

Following that, during the week of the 13th-19th, expect to see some great Christmas ideas like a gorgeous Sound of Music pop up book and music CD from Sony Music, the Pop-A-Tot portable child holder, Bummas cloth wipes, Dadoo Kids clothing, Organic Beginnings clothing, and a Rich Frog hat! In fact, there may even be a few extra goodies along the way for us Mama's, too. ;-)

Oh, boy, do I ever have my work cut out for me...Let's be honest, some of that second grouping of stuff (officially entitled "1st Birthday Bash," but nicely fitting in with Christmas as well) may actually appear the week of Christmas. :-)

Think I'll be out of stuff come the New Year? Think again! Look forward to learning about the natural and non-toxic paint from the Milk Paint company, safe eating tools and ideas for babies and kids, and then some interesting and innovative products related to healthy eating (including low-fat, homemade frozen donuts!).

Yup, I must love my readers. Start spreading the word about any of these contests now, and earn yourself an extra entry into the contest you talked about (rules: you can only write about one of these items at a time, and that item is the one for which you'll get the extra entry into. You can write on your blog, through an email (CC "lifemoresimply at yahoo.com"), or on your social networking page. Just comment back here with your info! Be sure to include some info about the company/prize you're hoping to win (Google.com works great) and a link back to my site).

How to Make A Ring Sling

Interested in sewing your own Ring Sling? Retailing for anywhere between $30-$130, making your own can be a great way to save money and make sure you get what you want! I initially began making ring slings as a way to save money for myself, and fell so much in love that this is now a popular baby shower gift that I give. Follow these free photo and written instructions to make your own! Comments and suggestions are welcome. :-)

Photo Instructions for Making a Ring Sling

Measure the baby-wearer from the right shoulder to the left hip. Triple this measurement and add 8 inches to find how much fabric you'll need. Buy two complimentary fabrics in this length. So if I'm 22"...

22 x 3 = 66

66 + 8 = 74" of fabric needed

Wash, dry, and iron your fabric.

Trim the width of both pieces to 33" (or 22" for a preemie sling)

Sew the fabrics wrong right sides together on both long sides and also one of the short ends.





Turn fabric right side out (it should make a big sleeping bag).



Iron the fabric around the edges so that it lays flat, then sew 1/2" along both long ends and the short end that you already sewed together. This will keep the fabric from rolling into itself.







Now comes the tricky part. Be sure to take your time with this part or you'll be in trouble!



Fold the unhemmed short edge of the fabric down 1/2" and iron. I like to fold down the "outside" fabric, as shown below.

Fold the same part of the fabric you're already working with down 5" and press.

Open the 5" fold and place both rings with the left hand corner of the fabric inside.

Fold the corner through the rings so that the 1/2" pressed line meets the 5" pressed line.

Ever so carefully, stitch a few inches at a time of the 1/2" pressed edge to the 5" edge.

Note: I reinforced both ends of my stitching with a backstitch to add more security.

Keep matching the pressed edges and sewing.

The finished product should look like this:

You're finished! Check the length of your sling, fold up and stitch into place any excess. This can either form a pocket or just add a nice thicker tail that's great for wiping up any messes. I also like the contrast it creates to have the opposite fabric against the front fabric.

A note about materials used in making a Ring Sling:
I suggest only using fabrics that are 100% of a particular material. Mixed fibers tend to stretch more (do NOT buy a stretchy fabric as it will not be safe!), and are also less fire resistant.
The rings that I use to make my slings are purchased from www.slingrings.com. They have undergone rigorous safety testing and come in a variety of beautiful colors. One can use aluminum or nylon rings, but I will only use the metal kind as I have more faith in them and like to use as little plastic as possible anyway. The great thing about Sling Rings is that the colors won't wear off, and they're safe for babies to chew on, too! Don't purchase rings from craft stores--you won't know how safe they are or are not.
When choosing the appropriate sized ring to make your sling, I recommend using the "medium" size from Sling Rings. I've used both the small size for a single fabric sling, and the medium ones for a double fabric sling such as what these instructions are for. The medium size is more comfortable, provides security, and allows for easy adjusting.
A big thanks to www.slingmemommy.com ! They are where I first found directions to make my ring sling. The directions in this tutorial are based off of theirs which can be located for free on their website.

Weary

I'm jealous today. Jealous of stay-at-home-moms. Jealous of my husband who is at home with our daughter. Jealous of my daughter because she gets to take a nap after keeping us both up night after night. Jealous of people with interesting and active jobs.

I'm tired. Very, very tired. I'm bored. I'm sick of sitting.

In case anyone noticed my recent leave of absence, my family has been sick lately. Like almost 4 out of 4 weeks-long sick. This last week, I didn't attend work at all--instead, my week was spent visiting the ER and laying on my couch. Severe dehydration due to a stomach virus. Not fun, but it was the first 7-day stretch I've had with my beautiful little girl since she was 5 weeks old. I wouldn't trade it even for my health! She's thirteen-months old as of yesterday. *sigh* Why must it go so fast?

I am just feeling so worn out and down trodden. Why so weary, oh my soul? It's not for lack of faith in God. It's not due to hormones. I am just sick of struggling, trying to take care of my family, know my baby, and work. I'm sick of seeing my husband struggle because he wants to be the one providing for our family, but can't get the job which will allow for that.

Sometimes, you can try and do everything the "right" way but without receiving any reward for your diligence, faithfulness, or labor.