Our Favorite Products: Belly Band

Are you hoping for the day you've dropped enough weight so that you can zip up your favorite jeans that make your tush look amazing? Well the wait is over! I have found a product that lets you wear your favorite jeans without having to even zip them up (and no one will know)!!!

The amazing Belly Band!





The Belly Band I bought to help hold up jeans that I couldn't button when I was preggers. I have continued to use it three years later. I just put it on and pull it down far enough so that it covers the zipper area that's actually not zipped up.





It holds up my pants and you can't see it through my clothes. It just looks like I have an extra shirt or tank top on underneath my shirt. I get to wear my favorite jeans that I don't want to give up no matter my weight at the time ;). Love this product!!

Quiet Book Page #6 - Notebook & Pencil Pocket

Remember the Quite Book Overview I did a while back? I'm going through the book page by page and explaining in more detail how I did everything and linking to any patterns that I used. Be sure to check out the other quiet book pages and the Quiet Book FAQ!

Quiet Book Page #1 - Train Tracks
Quiet Book Page #2 - Shapes and Colors
Quiet Book Page #3 - Barn & Finger Puppets
Quiet Book Page #4 - Letters
Quiet Book Page #5 - Counting

I don't remember where the idea for this page came from. I think it might have been from Homemade by Jill - but I honestly don't remember. I made this book way before I started this blog, so yeah.

I didn't use a template or pattern though. I just cut out a rectangle of felt that would fit on my page. I think it's I 6.5"x5"? I also cut out a smaller rectangle for the top flap. I think mine is about 6.5" wide (make it the same as the width on the other rectangle) x 1.5-2" tall. I sewed around the two sides and the bottom of the big rectangle. Make sure to leave the top open so that the notebook and pen/penciI l have a place to slide in. I also sewed all the way up the rectangle about 1.5" inches in from the left side (you can do right or left) to make separate pockets for the pencil and notebook.

Attach the smaller rectangle about an inch or so above the larger rectangle (make them overlap, but don't put the top of the flap directly above where the pencil/notebook are. See how I left a space? This just makes it easier to get in and out of the pockets

The original pencil and notebook have been lost, but I just used a small pocket notebook in here. It was small enough to not be bulky but still big enough for Andyroo to easily handle.

AMAZING Cheesy Bread Sticks!

Ummm, so these things are pretty much to die for. Look at these babies...

Seriously. Dominoes, Pizza Hut, and Papa Johns have nothing on these sweet morsels from heaven.

I can't take all the credit though. The recipes actually come from Our Best Bites. If you haven't ever been over there, you definitely need to go now. Your tummy will thank you later! I can't say the same for your thighs though. I'm not responsible for anything that happens in that department.

Are you done drooling yet? Do you have a list of things to pick up at the store so you can make a few of those delish recipes? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Back to the Cheese Sticks. This combines two of their recipes - the Breadsticks and the Garlic Bread Seasoning. I have to say, the Garlic Bread Seasoning is really what makes this stuff so yummy. I also use it on my Chicken Bacon Alfredo Pizza (that Hubs BEGS for) or any kind of pizza or calzone I make. The breadstick recipe is also what I use as the crust for my pizzas and calzones now too. However, you could really use any breadstick/pizza dough recipe you prefer. It's the Seasoning that you don't want to mess around with.

Anyway, make your favorite dough and roll it out onto a large cookie sheet. When I make pizza, I split it so that 2/3 is pizza and 1/3 is cheese sticks.

The recipe I'm using says to let the dough rise for another half hour to 45 minutes. If it goes longer, no big deal. They'll just be nice and fluffy! But, the best way is to do what your recipe says. While they're rising, you want to get everything else ready. If you haven't already mixed up the Seasoning, then definitely do that now. Take about 1 1/2 TBSP of the seasoning to about 1/2 cup of butter or margarine. That's the measurement Our Best Bites give in their recipe. Though, I don't even measure it out anymore. Melt the seasoning and butter mixture in the microwave until it's nice and melty and spreadable.

This next part works best if you have some kind of brush - a pastry brush, or even an unused (only used for food) paint brush. You could spread it with a spoon or a knife, but they tend to catch the dough and then you wind up with wrinkles and tears. Spread  the mixture out onto the dough - don't be afraid to use it!

After you've put the butter mixture on, you need to spread a little Alfredo sauce on top. I personally prefer the Classico brand, but use whatever kind you like or have on hand. DON'T go crazy with the Alfredo sauce - otherwise you wind up with very saucy breadsticks. If you like sauce with your breadstick, then you can always dip your breadsticks in it later.  Just trust me, do NOT go crazy spreading Alfredo sauce onto the dough. When I split the dough and use it for pizza and breadsticks, I only use maybe 3-4 TBSP of Alfredo sauce for the cheese sticks.

Next comes the cheese. You can use any kind of cheese you want. I prefer some mozzarella and a touch of cheddar. I love the way the Mozzarella melts how it gets all gooey when you pull it apart. Don't go overboard with the cheese either. A little bit goes a long way. When I make pizza and cheese sticks together, I only use about an 8oz pkg of mozzarella cheese on both items.

Stick those puppies in the oven at 350 for about 10-15 minutes. The cheese should be nice and bubbly on top and crust should just be golden brown.

Cut with a pizza cutter and serve while they're warm. You can serve with a little Alfredo sauce for dipping. Or, my favorite way, is to dip them in a little bit of the melted butter/seasoning mixture. SOOOOOOO good!!!

Though they don't even have to be warm for people to enjoy. I doubled this batch - making about 3 cookie sheets full of cheese sticks - for a family reunion. They finished cooking around 11 and sat uneaten until 2 and every last one of these babies were eaten. People were raving about them and asking me for the recipe. My Stepdad also claims that these are better than the Olive Garden's breadsticks. And he loves the breadsticks from the OG. That's a success in my book.

Quiet Book Page #5 - Counting

Remember the Quite Book Overview I did a while back? I'm going through the book page by page and explaining in more detail how I did everything and linking to any patterns that I used. Be sure to check out the other quiet book pages and the Quiet Book FAQ!

Quiet Book Page #1 - Train Tracks
Quiet Book Page #2 - Shapes and Colors
Quiet Book Page #3 - Barn & Finger Puppets
Quiet Book Page #4 - Letters

To help Andyroo's counting skills, I made this counting page for his quiet book.

You could do more or less than 10, but I stuck with 10. You'll need to cut 20 squares from felt - I think mine were around 2 or 2.5" squares.

You'll also need to decide on what you want to be under the flaps.

I had a bunch of buttons leftover from Andyroo's I-Spy Bag, so I used those for numbers 1-5. They were on the bigger side, so 5 was the max that I could fit onto these squares. For 6-10, I used some decorative brads. I just poked a small hole into the felt and stuck the brad through. It might be obvious, but I don't want anyone to be confused. So just to be sure, you need to have as many things under the flap as the number says on the top. So for the picture above, there are 5 moving things and the number on the flap says 5. For the picture below, there are 9 stars so the number 9 is on the top flap.

So once you've decided what you want to put under the flaps, You need to put them onto one of the squares. This square will become the botton flap that is sewn down to the page. After the items are attached to the squares, sew the bottom square to the page. After it's sewn down, then match up the top square and sew it to the bottom square and to the page. You only want to sew along the top this time so that the flap can lift up.

After the top flaps are sewn on, go ahead and put your number on. I used some glitter fabric paint leftover from putting the names on our stockings. However, if you were going to applique a number or do something fancier than fabric paint, you'll probably want to put that on before you attach the top flap to the book.

Andyroo's favorite flap is number 5 because it has a train (and other transportation-themed items).

Baby Shower Gift Basket - For a Baby Boy!

Recently, I made another liner for a basket with the intent of using it as a new baby gift. And today I'm going to show you what I did for the gift basket. It's a lot like the Baby Girl Gift Basket I did a couple weeks ago, just more boyish.

This gift basket included:

• Soft wipes refill pack (buried on the bottom)
• Customized wipes container (to match the basket liner)
• Package of baby toys
• 3 customized onesies
• Felt Bitty Booties
• Rolled up diapers (about 16)

Here is a close up of the onesies - made with heat transfer material cut with my Silhouette machine.

Also a shot of the customized wipes container (since it's kind of buried in the gift basket). It was made to match the gift basket. Be sure to check out the tutorial!

The Bitty Booties were made with the pattern found at Heather Baily Designs. I think that making these things might be my newest obsession. Just a word of caution to all my preggo friends (and those with new babies). If you find a pile of these on your doorstep, don't look at me!

Baby blue felt with a darker blue cotton lining and white grosgrain ribbon accent.
Whip stitched around the edges for decoration.

So cute, right!?

So there you have it. What kind of things do you like to give new mommies and babies?

Moms of Boys Blog Hop

Thanks for stopping by from the First Annual Boy Mom Blog Hop! Don't know what the blog hop is all about? Then click on over and check it out.

This Blog Hop is perfect for Heather and I here at Life in the Motherhood because...well...we only have boys! Heather has 2 little boys ages 3 and 5 and I have a little boy who is almost 3. You can find out more about us by looking at our About Us Page

If you're stopping by from the blog hop, be sure to check out our first giveaway here on Life in the Motherhood! The Etsy shop Dupree Designs is offering a Handmade Baby Boy or Girl Gift Set to one lucky reader. Be sure to head over and enter!

While you're here, be sure to check out some of our awesome posts boys. Thinks like...

Thomas & Friends Framed Vinyl Piecing

R2-D2 Cake

Night Bowling


And we can't forget the moms out there too!!!

How to Get Beautiful, Wavy Curls

Ladybug Fingerail Polish Tutorial

Thanks for stopping by!!!

What would you do?

So I went to Wal-Mart (alone, wahoo!) on Friday night to pick up a few things. As I was walking into the store, I was stopped by a woman in the parking lot. She was holding a grocery sack and approached me while asking if she could ask me a question. I agreed and she proceeded to ask me if I would be willing to help her return a movie (Rango - the DVD/BR/Digital Copy version) to Wal-Mart. Her mother had gotten it for her in the Idaho Falls store, hadn't given her a receipt, but now she needed the money to buy food for her grandsons who were living with her. She looked to be in her late 40s, so she could very well have been a grandmother and her mother could very well still be alive. She explained that since she didn't have the receipt, they wouldn't let her return it without valid ID, which she didn't have. Her driver's license had expired and she couldn't renew it yet (not sure why).

At first I politely declined to help her. I did NOT want to be part of some scam. I didn't want to go down for returning a stolen movie. She started to get upset and started to beg. She told me again how she just needed to buy some groceries. I asked to see the movie. Everything was intact - the plastic hadn't been opened, it was in almost perfect condition (the sides of the cover were a little worn). There was no reason Wal-Mart wouldn't accept it as a return. I knew that I would be issued a store gift card, so her purchase would be limited to something in the store. And then I thought of my little Andyroo and all the grandmothers I know who are/were taking care of their grandchildren. Things are tight for us financially - I think they are for everyone. I couldn't bear the thought of my little one at home, needing food. I thought about how (assuming her story was true) embarrassing this must be for her and how desperate she must be to be asking perfect strangers for help. She stood there silently waiting for an answer.

And then I thought back to an experience I had at Wal-Mart a few years ago. For the last more than three years my mom and I have been doing our grocery shopping together. We were out with Andyroo for our weekly grocery shopping trip and Andyroo was being especially difficult. It was right around his first Christmas - so he was about 5 months old. He was not an easy baby by any stretch of the imagination (didn't sleep well, had some colic/reflux, always wanted to be bounced and moved around and held ALL the time). This particular shopping trip had been pretty difficult. Andyroo wanted to be bounced the WHOLE TIME through the store. My arms and legs were tired from bouncing him through the whole store, I was tired of the crying and was just mentally and physically exhausted. We were really, really struggling financially and as a couple. I had no idea what we were going to do for Christmas (this was just a few weeks before Christmas). I was ready to break down and cry at any moment. So we're in the checkout line. My mom was buying her groceries ahead of me and there was at least one (maybe two) people in line ahead of her. I was busy trying to keep Andrew calm and I wasn't paying attention to what was going on around me. As I got up to the register to pay, the cashier said to me, "Don't look in your bags until you get home." That was really weird and made me really curious. Apparently my mom had witnessed the whole thing, but luckily she showed me what it was when we got out to the car. Some very kind, generous woman had purchased a $20 gift card and asked the cashier to put it in my bag! I was completely in shock, to say the least. Since then, I've always thought that I would like to be able to "pay it forward" like she had. Do something kind and anonymous like that for someone else. We've never been in a position to do that, but one day I hope to be.

As I thought about that experience, I didn't feel threatened or taken advantage of by this ragged woman standing in front of me. Instead I felt compassion and a desire to help. I quietly agreed to help her. She genuinely thanked me and we proceeded to go into the store. I took the movie to customer service and waited together awkwardly in line. I'm not really an outgoing person, so we didn't talk much. I bent down to fix the velcro on my shoe and we briefly talked about how our shoes never stay done up and how they fit perfectly so you don't want to get rid of the old, worn out things. After what seemed like an hour, it was finally my turn and I was given a gift card for exactly $26.61. No questions asked (though I had thought up a story about how my son had gotten 2 copies for his birthday - just in case. I also over-think everything).After the transaction, a safe distance away from customer service, I handed her the gift card, told her to buy some food and get home to feed those grandbabies. She smiled, said she would, and we went our separate ways.

I have no idea what she actually bought with the gift card. This very could have been a scam - purchase (or steal) the movie from somewhere else and bring it to Wal-Mart because they'll take back anything. I can only hope that she really was in need and that she did, in fact, use the money to buy her grandbabies some food.