Sewing Tutorial Review: The MADE Beach Towel Robe

So I mentioned a while back on Facebook that I was trying this Beach Towel Robe from MADE, and that I'd let you know how it went. You basically take a large bath or beach towel and turn it into a little robe for swimming or the bath. I made one for my youngest daughter for her birthday, and it turned out sooo cute! My other kids were so enamored with the one I made for her that of course I had to make a few more!

The pattern is $8, and you get a 30-page PDF file with lots of full-color pictures and detailed instructions. Since I've only been sewing since January, this was super helpful for me, and I found the robes pretty easy to make.

The only change I would make to the pattern is that I think the ties are a little long in the large size. Maybe that's just my personal preference, but if you make the biggest size, you may want to keep an eye on that. In my pictures below, I've shortened the ties about 6 inches. Also, she says you can make any of the sizes out of "pretty much any towel," but getting the largest size robe out of your average sized beach towel was a TIGHT SQUEEZE for me (literally just a few inches of leftover fabric), and I had to lay it out differently from the way she shows in her pictures. Look for towels that don't have any decoration or detail on the edges, because you will need your WHOLE towel.

Other than that, I thought the pattern was perfect! Easy to follow, lots of ways to tweak it and personalize it, and sooooo cute!

Here is the one I made first. This is just a plain bath towel from Target (the really soft ones) and I added a hood liner of some cute cupcake fabric.

Here's the second one I made for my older daughter. She picked out the beach towel, and I wasn't crazy about it, but I think it turned out cute!

Now I'm finishing up the one I'm making for my son. It's soul-splitting bright green. So lovely. But I wanted to take a picture of the ties. While I was busy trying to talk my daughter into a cute retro heart patterned towel, my husband managed to talk my son into this bright green towel. Fine, except that it had some turquoise stripes on the ends, and I couldn't afford to waste that much of the towel (I told you it was a close fit!). So I ended up using that part for the ties, and just serged the sides rather than doing the bias tape. I think it'll work out okay.

 So... if you're looking for an easy project, check this one out! The terrycloth is pretty forgiving, and hides mistakes in stitching, so it was a good practice project for me and I learned some new things!

Herb-Crusted Pork Loin

So it's pretty rare around here to go with a recipe exactly how it's printed. We almost always tweak it a little bit (starting with doubling the garlic in any and everything). But on Father's Day, since I was attempting to do it all on my own without help from The Chef, I picked a recipe that looked simple and delicious. Oh, my. I had no idea. My kitchen smelled amazing, and the finished product was so tasty! I wish I'd taken a picture of it coming out of the oven, all crisp and herb-ified on top. Yum. So next time you need an EASY but delicious recipe for company or Sunday dinner, try this one out!

Herb Crusted Pork Loin (courtesy of Paula Deen)

Ingredients

1   (4-pound) boneless pork loin, with fat left on
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
4   cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil or 2 teaspoons fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

Directions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
Place the pork loin on a rack in a roasting pan. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. With your fingers, massage the mixture onto the pork loin, covering all of the meat and fat.
Roast the pork for 30 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 425 degrees F and roast for an additional hour. Test for doneness using an instant-read thermometer. When the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F, remove the roast from the oven. Allow it to sit for about 20 minutes before carving. It will continue to cook while it rests.

*The only change The Chef recommended was to pull the pork out at 145 degrees rather than 155.

This pork made some kickin' sandwiches the next day, too!

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 c. water
2/3 c. white vinegar
1/2 c. brown sugar
3 squirts ketchup
1 8-oz. can pineapple tidbits (including juice)
3 T. cornstarch

In a saucepan over medium heat, mix together all ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

You can add any type of bell peppers to this sauce, making it even more delicious! We love to throw it in the crockpot with chicken breasts or meatballs and let it cook for a few hours, then serve with rice.

Tools for the Toolbox: Social Scripts

I'm always hesitant to post parenting stuff because I don't want it to seem like I think I'm World's Best Mom. I have issues with my kids, we all do. And I definitely have moments where I feel like I've failed as a parent. However, after working as a preschool teacher of a couple hundred 3-and-4-year olds, and now having my own as well, there are definitely some helpful tips I've learned along the way.

First off, teaching your kids "social scripts." We've all heard this exchange.... "Mom, I want that Polly Pocket and she won't give it to me!" What do we do? Option A, head in and figure out the nitty-gritty details of exactly whose turn it is with the odd miniature plastic doll, or Option B, tell the kids to solve their own problems.

I tend to lean naturally toward Option B. I feel that allowing your kids the opportunity to solve their own problems gives them the skills to interact with others, share, compromise, and experience unfairness. However, I think that oftentimes as moms, we don't teach them how we want them to solve a problem.

In my experience, you have to lay the groundwork. Teach them how you want them to solve problems, and exactly what to say. In our house, it might go something like this:
Audrey: "Mom, Jessica has the Mermaid Barbie and won't give me a turn!"
Mom: "Okay. It looks like you both want to play with the Mermaid Barbie. Audrey, first ask Jessica how many more minutes she wants to play with it."
Audrey: "Jessica, how many more minutes do you want to play with it?"
Jessica: "All day!"
Mom: "Jessica, you need to share, and you need to pick a number that's less than 10 minutes. Tell Audrey how many more minutes you want to play with the Mermaid Barbie."
Jessica: "Three."
Mom: "Okay, Audrey. In three minutes, Jessica is going to give you a turn with Mermaid Barbie."

The expectation for sharing in our house is that if you want a toy someone else has, you first tell them you'd like to play with it. Then, you ask them when they'll be done. The other child has to pick a number that's under 10 minutes. In some cases, we actually get out the timer. Most of the time, this interaction solves the problem and the kids just share after a while.

We also need to teach them to say things like, "I don't like it when you talk to me in that voice. It hurts my feelings." And, "I feel like you're bragging about having more Barbies than me. It makes me feel bad."

At first this takes a lot of coaching. But after a while, your help lessens, and you can just use promptings and reminders.

By teaching your kids the "social scripts" that you expect them to use, you will help them interact with their peers, and lessen the amount of time you have to spend refereeing fights around the house. Just don't be surprised when your daughter asks you how many more minutes you need the computer before she can have a turn at Playhouse Disney.

Easy Tomato Soup

Last night my mom and I were hanging out and suddenly realized it was 6:00 and we hadn't even started thinking about dinner. She had a great idea for tomato soup, I found a recipe online, tweaked a few things, and voila! Dinner on the table in no time!

Ingredients:
1 T. vegetable oil
1 c. chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced (this is a lot of garlic, because we enjoy it, but feel free to cut back here)
2 28-oz. cans diced or crushed tomatoes
4 c. chicken broth
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. salt
1/2 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. black pepper
3-4 drops hot sauce

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large pot, saute onion and garlic until onion is tender.
2. Add remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for 10-20 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Use immersion blender to blend to desired consistency (optional).

What's for Dinner?

I keep a list on Excel on my computer of the dinners my family eats regularly. When we're planning our weekly menu, we open the spreadsheet and glance through it to get ideas! Ultimately I want to put the ingredients into a spreadsheet with Produce, Pantry Staples, Dairy, and Protein, so that I could cut and paste to easily make a weekly grocery list. However, I haven't done that. :)

Here's what's on our list. What would you add? What are your menu staples?

Baked Potato Soup

Beef Stew

Beef Stroganoff

Beef with Broccoli

Breakfast for Dinner

Bruschetta Chicken

Burritos

Calzones

Carnitas

Cheesy Ham Soup

Chicken and Biscuits

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Chicken Crescents

Chicken Nuggets, homemade

Chicken Pesto

Chicken Strips

Chicken Washington

Chili

Chimichangas

Corndogs, homemade

Empanadas

Enchiladas

Enchilasagna

French Dip Sandwiches

Jambalaya

Macaroni and Cheese

Meatball Sandwiches

Meatloaf

Meatloaf Burgers

Navajo Tacos

Pasta Primavera

Pasta Salad

Pigs in Blankets

Pizza

Pizza Rolls

Porcupine Meatballs

Pork w/salsa verde

Potstickers (Lemon Ginger)

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ribs

Roast Chicken

Shepherd's Pie

Sloppy Joes

Spaghetti

Spicy Honey Chicken

Steak Salad

Stirfry

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

Taco Salad

Taco Soup

Tacos

Teriyaki Chicken

Tomato Soup

Tortellini

Tortilla Soup

Veggie Chowder

Fun Planting Activity!

We saw this activity in Family Fun magazine. Both the girls and the boys in our family loved it!

You take some seeds and plant them in baseball card sheet holders. Then attach them to your windows or sliding doors with little suction cups.

Water daily and watch them grow! The kids loved being able to see the seeds grow roots and spout!

Now we have these sunflowers and peas in the garden!