Christmas Dress for Me

I started this dress a while ago and finished it Christmas Eve.  I thought if my girls get to wear a new dress to church on Christmas, then I should finish up this dress so I can wear one, too.

I used McCalls 5893

but modified it to come up with this:



The only problem is that when I took my measurements to cut it out, I was a bit smaller, so I feel a bit cramped in the bust.  Oh well.  Maybe I can wear it after I'm done nursing if it's not too big.  Oh, and I forgot to show the picture with the sleeve!  The sleeve is a straight 3/4 sleeve, but I put kind of a bell-cuff on it that goes to my wrist bones.

Wood Floor Cleaner

I've heard you can make your own hardwood floor cleaner.  I hope it's true because I just made some and tried it.  I found that you can mix 1/2 C white vinegar with a gallon of water.  I broke that down to 1 T white vinegar with 2 C water.    I read somewhere else that you can mix 1/4 C vinegar to 30 oz water.  That breaks down to approximately 2 T vinegar with 2 C water.  I thought I'd try the lesser amount of vinegar, though, this time.  It seemed to work very well.  I just sprayed the cleaner on the floor and wiped it off with an old terry-cloth towel.

I also read somewhere that you can make your own hardwood floor polish from 1/2 C vegetable oil with 1/2 C white vinegar.  I want to research it just a little more, though, because I'm a little worried about putting that much vinegar on the floor!

 *** Apparently you're not supposed to use vinegar or oil soaps on Bruce hardwood flooring, which this is because it ruins the finish.  Oh well, guess I won't use it anymore.  I've probably already ruined the finish, though, by using my Murphy oil soap.  Guess it doesn't help having little kids either....

More Ornaments I Want to Make

http://chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-traditions-names-of-christ.html

Neighbor Gifts - Minty Hot Cocoa Mix

I love neighbor gifts.  I think they're fun.  I like to give them, and I like to get them.  I really enjoy nice, little things and feel a bit bad when people give really nice things.  I like the gifts mainly for the neighborly socialization -- to let people know you care and appreciate them.

This year, I thought I'd go really easy and just make some hot cocoa mixes.  I'm going with 2 recipes.  I adapted them from the one in the December 2011 Friend Magazine.

Minty Hot Cocoa
(just add water)

1 C powdered milk
1 C powdered sugar
1/4 C cocoa powder
1-2 drops peppermint oil

Add 8 oz. hot water to 1/2 C mix.

Minty Hot Cocoa
(just add milk)

1 C powdered sugar
1/4 C cocoa powder
1 T coffee creamer
1-2 drops peppermint oil

Add 6 oz. hot milk to 1/4 C mix.

Ornaments I'd like to make -- just not this year

http://crafterhours.blogspot.com/2011/12/fast-easy-inexpensive-cute-photo.html