*#%* my two year old says...

If you have ever met my son, Andrew, you will agree that he is one funny kid. The things that he comes out with have Rob and I laughing everyday. Since Andrew's month to month isn't quite a noteworthy as Henry's, I have decided that his monthly post will be used to share a few of his priceless comments. Enjoy!

• While listening to Garth Brooks (Andrew's favourite, aside from The Wiggles) Andrew asked me the name of the song that was playing. I told him "We Shall Be Free". He thought for a moment and then corrected me, "No, no Mama... We Shall be two!"

• While driving to my parents place for the weekend, we spotted a cat in some one's backseat. I asked Andrew what that cat was in a car, he quickly replied "He's going to his Nana and Papa's house!"

Here is Andrew's latest trick!

A homemade car seat cover...

Hello Pinners! I have been so happy with the traffic that this post continues to receive because of readers like you! I have an updated, step-by-step "how to" for this car seat cover that I'd love for you to check out!

How to Sew a Car Seat Cover

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After learning the sewing basics this summer I was determined to attempt a larger, more useful project (one can only use so many pin cushions and burp pads!!). I have admired a variety DIY car seat covers on the Internet that seemed to be quite approachable for a newbie, like myself. I selected a tutorial that I found on Pinterest, altered the plan for my specific car seat (with the help of a patient friend) and went to work!

It is basically just a blanket with straps.

The cover can be lifted easily from the front or the back to allow air flow or just take a peek!

I added "peel and stick" Velcro to the straps for easy removal.

I have found the cover to be quite useful. It protects Henry from the sun, wind, and most importantly... the dirty hands of strangers at the grocery store!!

Thanks for all your help Sara!!

Henry is one month today!!!

One of the reasons I was interested in starting a blog was to chronicle the memorable moments in my family's life. I find it amazing how many "little moments" get forgotten with time and I hope that this will help me to keep track of them. I have decided to try and make a monthly post about my boys to record the little details and happy moments.  My goal is to do this on their monthly birthday (30th for Andrew and 17th for Henry) but we will see if I can keep up!

Henry's First Month

It is hard to believe that one month has already come and gone! Henry has had a fabulous start. He is gaining weight like a champ and sleeping as much as can be expected. His first few weeks were spent visiting with family and friends and he is very happy to snuggle up to anyone who needs some love! He prefers to sleep high up on your shoulder, keeping his little legs pulled in close and burying his face in your neck. It is this position that has landed him his first nickname, "Cuddle Bug".  Henry tolerates his swing, but doesn't seem to like it the way his big brother did (we will work on that) but does seem to have more of an interest in a soother (yay!). I'm sure I have witnessed his first and second real smile, but I know most would say "it was just gas"! Henry has started taking much more notice of the world around him and is especially interested in the silly faces his brother likes to make! I can't wait to see how my boys will interact with each other, and I know it will be these moments that dominate my monthly Leeper boy updates!

Let's hope the second month goes as smooth as the first!

A trip to the park...

This past week has been absolutely beautiful! The humidity is gone and the air is crisp. This is the perfect time of year for after dinner excursions. One night this week I took my camera to the park, hoping to get some nice outdoor shots of the boys. However, Henry was too sleepy... so we played and I managed to get some good pics of the "big boys"!

A painted vase...

I recently came across a great idea for a quick DIY project on one of my favourite blogs, Honey We're Home. I thought it would be a great way to spice up some of the plain glass vases I have stored in my cupboard!  I decided this would make a great birthday gift, along with some fresh flowers, for my good friend Jenn, who loves and appreciates a fun new craft!

I chose some basic acrylic paints, in the colours of her bedroom.

After cleaning and thoroughly drying the vase, I simply dumped some of each paint colour into the bottom of the vase. Next time, I would be more careful to not drip the paint down the side of the vase!

Then, I simply swirled and tipped the vase until it was completely covered and left it upside down for a few hours to dry.

The paint swirls together nicely to create a marble effect. I had to add more paint as I went, which altered the look, blending the colours almost too closely. I think I would choose colours that were less similar next time, in order to create more contrast. Overall, I was happy with the finished product! Happy Birthday Jenn!

A family antique...

Earlier this summer I made the decision to learn how to sew! Inspired by many adorable DIY projects on Pinterest I started perusing the beautiful fabrics on Tonic Living, a wonderful website with beautiful coordinating fabrics. I also enlisted the help of my best friend, who is a self taught seamstress extraordinaire! I don't own a sewing machine, but remembered that my mother in law had mentioned that she had an old one stored in the basement. When I asked about it, she gladly pulled it out for me to play around with. When she took it out of the carrying case I was blown away! It is absolutely beautiful!

This sewing machine was given to my Mother in Law by her grandfather for her birthday, sometime in the '60s. It is in wonderful condition, and after a quick tune up is running just as well! This is a "featherweight" model, only 11 lbs, which makes it ideal for moving to and from different work areas. It has, however, found a rather permanent location on the desk in our living room (it is just too pretty to hide away!).

It also has a fold up work surface, which means it fits perfectly on the upper shelf of our small desk, leaving plenty of room for work space.



I've learned the basics, started a few projects and had a lot of fun with my new hobby! Stay tuned for posts about the finished products!



The first day back...

After reading and hearing about my friends and colleagues' first day back at school I am left feeling a little sad that I won't be experiencing the thrill of the first week of school. I absolutely love the energy that students and teachers bring back to start their new year. Preparing and planning for those first days is always so full of ambition and creativity! I know I will have a fabulous year at home with my boys, and I look forward to watching them learn and grow... Too bad I can't go back for just the first few days!

Good luck everyone!!