etsy monday in the mommyhood

citrus juicer in bright red

1. juicer w/strainer 2. blue juicer 3. green juicer

citrus juicer in spring green

"if life gives you lemons, make some kind of fruity juice."
~ conan o'brien

happy monday everyone! i posted last week about the glass reamer i found and when i was digging around for some more information on it i thought i would pop over to etsy and see if i could spot some more of them. the nice man who sold me the reamer even informed me that there is a national association of reamers and there are many different kinds of reamers.

reamer [ˈriːmə] n. - a utensil with a conical projection used for extracting juice from citrus fruits; lemon squeezer

he had a giant book listing all the reamers and their worth. don't ask me why but i was fascinated! you should have seen all of these reamers - i had no idea! all i knew was i loved the look of them and when they were all set up on his table they were gorgeous. what a lovely collection these would make for someone. i wish i had brought my camera to take a pic. in fact i believe martha herself is a fan of reamers as i saw on the national association of reamers page that a member of theirs collection was in the june 2010 issue of martha stewart living. i can't wait to try mine out but in the meantime i just keep picking it up and staring at it's loveliness. it makes me smile and that makes it worth every penny i paid for it.

do any of you collect reamers (juicers)? any fave type of collection? have some pics you want to share of yours? leave a comment and let us know...then we can all smile together.

etsy monday in the mommyhood - teacup lovelies

1. crockery 2. morningtime 3. skunkcup 4. his and hers

"you can never get a cup of tea or a book long enough to suit me".

~ c.s. lewis

teacup month is almost over....i'm sad. it's been a blast. i hope you guys have enjoyed it too. for the last etsy monday during teacup month i thought i would take a look for some images that captured that love for teacups that we all have. here's some of the faves that i found..and yep, there is a heckuva lot more than 4 again, but i couldn't resist. there were too many lovely pics to post.

1. tempest in a teacup

1. teacups 2. teacup series no.3
3. an uninvited guest 4. stack of teacups

1. shabby tea time 2. waiting 3. tea. not quite coffee

1. teacup fine art 2. tea please 3. green teacups 4. tea time

do you have a favorite image, photograph or piece of artwork that's a teacup? i'd love to see it! link up :) hope you all had a great weekend!

etsy monday in the mommyhood - teacup jewelry edition

1. bobbypin with teacup and lace doily by le chou chou
2. necklace with teacup and lace doily by le chou chou
3. bracelet with tea cup and lace doily by le chou chou
4. vintage style ring with teacup and lace doily by le chou chou


1. alice tea cup hairpin by tasty
2. alice teacup necklace by tasty
3. alice teacup earrings with blue detail by tasty
4. alice teacu earrings with green detail by tasty
5. alice teacup ring white with blue by tasty
6. alice teacup earrings by tasty

"Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage." ~Catherine Douzel

oh my gosh, this post was seriously so hard to put together. i could not stop drooling. i actually feared for the life of my laptop. that and the fact the baby almost barfed all over it as well caused me some undue stress. can you believe this stuff!!!! seriously. seriuosly. how gorgeous is it all? i had a whim to see if anyone had made some jewelry with teacups on etsy and holy cow! i sure didn't expect what i found! i could not in any way shape or form choose only 4. so instead i showcased 2 shops and my fave goodies from each one. gorgeous, lovely goodies. so now we can wear our love for tea, drink it, decorate with it and adorn our mugs and pots with it. life is so fun and we have another giveaway to add for you all tomorrow as well!

do you have any teacup jewelry? i'd love to see a pic if you do! c'mon, join in the tea cup month, click here for past posts and don't forget to snag our button off the sidebar if you like. you're invited, your cup is waiting and i just pulled some fresh muffins out of the oven - there's tea and coffee for everyone!


p.s. off topic, i had a very strong urge all week to go to our local value village (the hubs thought i was nuts) and dragged the whole famdamily down on saturday and what did i find....you ready for this....it's crazy....you sure you are ready? i found the dish from my weekend wish post!! yes the pyrex with the lovely blue flakes on it. can you believe it!!!!! i almost fainted. i was shaking with excitement. i coddled that dish like my baby and brought that sucker home. amy...i'm sorry, there was only one, but if i change my mind she's all yours. your gorgeous kitchen would be a nice home for it. i'm jealous by the way....frothing at the mouth over your mixer, heck the whole pic.

etsy monday in the mommyhood - teapot cozy style

"Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cozy, doesn't try it on." ~Billy Connolly

1. teapot cozy by kalla
2. knitted tea cosy - light blue & white by handylittleme
3. apple green wool felt tea cosy by argyle st
4. hummingbirds cottage tea pot cozy by pig & company

5. owl tea cozy by shazzas knits

6. teapot cozy allison by modern homewares

we had a little taste test of tea pot cozies last week for our link luv roundup and it was so fun to put together that i couldn't resist taking a peek on etsy to see what there was for cozy goodness! let me just say - wow!!! there was cozies galore! in fact i upped the usual number from 4 to 6 to just fit a few extras in.

i'm keeping this write up short and sweet today because we are going through a heat wave and let me tell you.....my poor breastfeeding self is seriously going to melt into a puddle, laptop included! oh my gosh! the babies thermostat in her room says 31 degrees!!! and before you ask, yes, that's with a fan! yikes! hot, hot, hot! i can't stop sweating. anyone else sweltering? good thing tea and coffee tastes good cold or hot :)

last week was our first week of "tea cup month" and i've been having a great time! thanks for all your posts, pictures and comments. how about this week we break out those tea pot cozies? c'mon now ladies, what's your favorite tea pot cozy? let's see it! don't got one? which tea pot cozy do you have your eye on? tweet it, comment on it, post about it, or facebook it and then let me know about it - come join the tea party. i've got a nice, cold, refreshing pitcher of iced tea sitting right here for you!


p.s. if you're having fun during tea cup month why not sport our button? you can find it on our sidebar :) we've got lots of goodies to come all month so stay tuned!

etsy monday in the mommyhood - tea cup month

image source

happy monday everyone, it's time for etsy monday in the mommyhood. it's been a while hasn't it? a few months i think. i missed it. you guys know how much i love checking out all the goodies on etsy and what better way to share them all with you than on mondays when we are all tired, sad the weekend is over and needing a quick pick me up. so instead of our normal etsy in the mommyhood i decided to have a theme for the rest of august - "tea cup month"!!!

image source

now some of you may remember this picture from last week right? i cannot get it out of my mind. a few people asked me where to find these gorgeous tea cups and guess what....i did. you can find them at esther coombs. she sells on etsy here and her website is here. the only sad thing is i can't find the exact mugs in the photo, not sure if she sells them anymore, but i found some other lovelies, and boy are they gorgeous. in fact, they are so pretty it inspired me to dig around on etsy to see what other tea cup goodies i could find. needless to say i found enough to last for the whole month!!!!

"Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company." ~Author Unknown

1. birdcage coffee or tea mug by thimbly things
2. the man mustache mug by the peacock shop
3. mr. darcy proposal mug by brookish handmade goods
4. pool blue cakes tea cup and saucer by esther coombs

do you want to join the "tea party"?

that's right, this tea party isn't just for me, it's for all of us ladies. what's a tea party if i'm all by myself? don't worry coffee drinkers are invited to. now i know there are more of you out there that are dependent on their morning cup of jo or tea. i, myself, am a die hard. my brain doesn't function, i can't think and don't even dare talk to me before i have my coffee - it just ain't pretty.

so today's tea party is all about our favorite cup of tea. what's your favorite mug? the tea flavour you can't live without? the brand of coffee you'd take to a deserted island? c'mon it's gonna be fun....and it just may help to make the next few monday's go by just that much faster.

you've got a few ways to join the party:

1) leave a comment below telling me your thoughts to the above paragraph.
2) post about your thoughts on your own blog and leave me a link in the comments below.
3) tweet your thoughts (follow me on twitter @inthemommyhood).
4) go to our facebook page and share there too.
5) feeling inspired - take a picture of your favorite tea cup or find one online you are lusting after and share the link in the comments.

feel free to grab a button off of our sidebar as well and make sure to invite your friends :)

i can't wait. i feel more awake already. so come on in....pull up a chair. it's cozy here, the kids/babies are quiet, and the kitchen table is big enough for all of us........ahhh......good morning.

etsy monday in the mommyhood

"A woman's mind is as complex as the contents of her handbag; even when you get to the bottom of it, there is ALWAYS something there to surprise you!"
~billy connelly

1) pink polka dot brown baby bag by mabel's bags
2) lydia in green by christy studio
3) lilly bag in purple by tida mcintyre
4) ripple strip medium messenger by hot mama handbags

i've had diaper bags on my mind lately. i'm in the process of making a new handbag for my mom for her bday/mother's day gift and started thinking about the one i made recently for me. i hope it holds out with all the loot i'm going to have to carry around for 2 children!!! eeek! is my sewing that good? not so sure...haha.

so, yep, you guessed it, i popped over to etsy and took a fun look see through all the diaper bags. i had to stop myself there because then it would have been purses, clutches, shoes...etc...and this post would have been a mess and i would have missed dinner because i was on the computer so long. so here is a few of my fave diaper bags that i've spotted - so lovely! happy baby shopping!

what's your fave diaper bag? have you bought one off etsy you recommend? a pattern you have used? share, ladies, share :)

etsy monday in the mommyhood & makin' it in the mommyhood

"Float like a Cadillac, sting like a Beemer". ~ Lightning McQueen

1) small cars - set of 6 by small town toys
2) soft plush cars and trucks by by nanas hands
3) 'my first cars' set of two by birdy boots
4) natural race cars - set of 3 by happy squash toys


it's one of mackenzie's friends bday today and he is a huge fan of cars. little cars, big cars and of course the movie cars. his favorite color is red. whenever we see him he has cars with him so i thought what better gift to give than a car caddy!


i based this one on "homemade by jill's" tutorial. i also adore the one lindsay made from "the cottage home". i did make a few changes though. here's what i altered:

- different measurements. mine was shorter in length and height and only has 5 pockets. i didn't have jeans that had a wide enough leg to give me the measurements jill used.

- no piping used. i simply sewed the edges right sides together and then left an opening to pull the carrier through. i then attached my ties to the top right hand corner instead of the side and hand stitched the opening shut. i'm sure i could have top stitched for extra strength where the ties are but i didn't think i would like the look and couldn't decide on the color of thread to use so i left it. i made the ties from felt and figured he has a bit of pull leeway before they would fall out anyways. i also decided to let him knot it instead of using velcro.

-i added his name in felt onto the top half of the caddy above where the car is stitched on for cuteness factor.

this was a fun project to do especially since i am used to making girly girl things. i was happy to do the hand stitching and not have to be at the machine. it's proving harder and harder to make it for very long at my sewing machine...boo hoo.

have you made a car caddy? what tutorial did you use or did you make your own? i'd love to see them!

etsy monday in the mommyhood

"The innocent seldom find an uncomfortable pillow."
~ William Cowper

1) girl / boy head pillow by vintage jane
2) flora nova lil hoot by manic muffin totes
3) owl pillow by nora jane
4) mother duck ducklings hand appliqued pillows by room to romp

i've had baby decor on my mind as the creative nesting sets in around our household. i have had little energy to craft but seem to manage to find it somewhere to get a few new projects on the go. i'll hopefully have a few things to share in the next few weeks, but in the meantime i thought it would be fun to look up some cute baby room pillows on etsy. it was hard to pick just 4! i found tons, and i mean tons of great stuff on there for this kind of thing. definitely a must take a peek if you are looking for handmade goods for your nursery. the nice thing i noticed was that there was a lot of customizable pillows available. so pop over and get ready to drool. sorry wallets...haha.

what's your fave thing to buy for a nursery? fave thing to make for that new baby?

etsy monday in the mommyhood academy awards edition - best dressed, tears with sandra bullock and a lap dance with hugh jackman

"no one wants to do it alone"

~ neil patrick harris (surprise opening of the 2010 oscars)

1) silk rose gown by red doll
2) old hollywood earrings red carpet ready by lkfarnsworth studio
3) double flower love ring by kathi roussel
4) gorgeous origami dress by red doll

i love the oscars. i love to plop down on the couch making what i call my "nest" and plan to not move for a good 3-4 hours (except for food/pee breaks of course) and drool over the clothes, jewelry and the hair. i thought it would be fun, not for the pocketbook, but for the eye to take a peek at etsy for gowns and jewels. i won't lie, it was fun, and there was a puddle of drool on my keyboard over some of the lovely goodies i found on there.

my fave gowns of the night had to be firstly rachel mcadams - swoon, followed by the simplistically stunning maggie gyllenhaal and then, i'm sure there is to be a love/hate war with people over this one, vera farmiga's marchesa gown. i loved it. i love ruffles. i love pretty gowns and could only imagine the time that went into making that gown.

i honor sandra bullock with a pretty runner up but mostly just because i love her and her speech was the best one of the night, yes, i had the kleenex out and the little bean and i had a good belly jiggling cry over the mom/child speech....insert a tear in my eye.

what was your favorite gown of the night? what oscar ensemble did you deem droolworthy and no....george clooney doesn't count..haha...

p.s. did anyone see the barbara walters special? was it just me or did hugh jackman giving her a lap dance really freak you out?

etsy monday in the mommyhood

go, canada go!!!!!!!!!

1) i love vancouver zipper pouch by kukubee
2) olympic alpine beast by woolde beast
3) olympics 14k gold filled necklace by made by sam
4) olympic leather wristbands by leather made nice

go, canada go! you'll have to excuse my olympic cheer today! i've managed to keep it off the site thus far but couldn't resist having a little fun and a whole lotta pride over the fact that canada kicked some butt at the olympics! i'm all hyped up after team canada's mens hockey team scored the winning goal in a nail biter of a game in overtime yesterday! i swear i almost went into early labor over the anxiety! nice to see both the women and the mens hockey teams grab the gold!

i took a little peek to see if some of that canadian olympic pride was popping up over on etsy and you bet it was! i found some cute little gems over there to help you show off your olympic pride! and don't worry, there was more than just canadian goodies, but ya know, being canadian, a girl's got to support her country, eh!

sad to see the olympics are over, but after living in vancouver for so long (i'm in victoria now) i'm sure the city is ready to get back to normal again.

what have you enjoyed about the olympics? pros/cons? your fave sport to watch? mine was the ice dance (figure skating) and the snowboarding - fabulous!!!!

etsy monday in the mommyhood

"Knitting is a boon for those of us who are easily bored. I take my knitting everywhere to take the edge off of moments that would otherwise drive me stark raving mad." ~Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much

1) crochet hook organizer by sprout
2) large knitting needle clutch by the bag studio
3) knitting needle case organizer by atelier de soyun
4) tuck and roll crochet hook/knitting needle/dpn organizer by coyote craft

in the quest for doing some early spring cleaning and attempting to get my wool stash and supplies in order i have been on the lookout for some new needle organizers. mine are a disaster!!! a mess, total chaos. i have an old handmade one from someone, not sure who, that is a pain in the ass to use and literally makes more of a mess every time i open it. i would love to have the time/pattern to make my own, but in the meantime with baby #2 on the way soon the above cases would fit the bill perfectly!

what do you use to organize your needles? what about circulars? do you have a tutorial you recommend for making your own organizer? i'd love to hear about it!

ps. we made it to the top 5!! yippee! this is the last week for voting and i need your guys help. please click on the box below and comment/tweet your vote if you love "luvinthemommyhood"! thanks for all your support you guys - you rock!

etsy monday in the mommyhood

"The only place where housework comes before needlework is in the dictionary." ~Mary Kurtz

1) my grandmother's blanket by turtle murtle
2) colorful afghan pillow by atelier afra
3) florida everglades by popsicle stick
4) crocheted dot bag green & turqoise by artistik1979

i've been hooked by the granny square. she came and caught me this week. i've been going through my huge wool stash and trying to get some projects on the go for the baby when swoosh, i was sucked in by the granny square. how? by watching tv at 4:00am that's how. damn those late night/early morning craft shows. have any of you seen these? they lure me in every darn time.

heading into the third trimester has me up quite a bit at night, which usually ends with me being sucked into a knitting or quilting show on some learning channel. it's not a good thing. it usually takes me eons to go back to sleep because my mind starts spinning and filling with possible projects and i start to feel that familiar tingle in my fingers to work with my hands.

the other night i was up watching tv in bed and remembered this gorgeous pattern i had seen on sarah london's site. i sat straight up and said "i have to make this". it's now near the top of my list and will hopefully be a great big stash buster. in the meantime though, i thought it would be fun to help aide my new longing to make granny squares by seeing what all the ladies have been up to on etsy. i love all the above items! aren't they cheerful and perfect for spring?

if you're looking to learn how to do some serious granny square making, check out "meet me at mike's", scroll down the page and check out the left side bar for the links to her crochet school with the latest series of how-to's on granny squares.

what's your favorite crochet project? are you hooked on granny squares?

etsy monday in the mommyhood

"Sewing fills my days, not to mention the living room, bedroom, and closets." ~ Author Unknown

1) tessa diy kit in cleo (3-4T) - you sew sassy

2) pillowcase dress diy kit with free matching hairbow (4 - 10yrs) - mellon monkeys

3) tessa diy kit in autumn (3-4T) - you sew sassy

4) pilowcase dress diy with free matching hairbow (birth to 3yrs) - mellon monkeys

i found these adorable, diy sewing kits for girl's dresses last week and couldn't resist doing an etsy monday in the mommyhood on them. i think this is a fab idea for sewer's. i can never find good material in the city i live in and order it mostly online anyways. these kits just save me the time and energy hunting all over for the right combos to put together and the pattern comes with to boot!

so next time you're in the mood to make your little angel a new dress why not try a kit instead?

have any of you tried these before? or do you sell them?

etsy monday in the mommyhood

"It took me years and years of trial efforts to work out that there is absolutely no knitting triumph I can achieve that my husband will think is worth being woken up for." ~Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much

1) kit knit fingerless mitts (swirling gauntlets) from fiber optica
2) archways sock knitting kit from fiber wild
3) spring bloom hat kit from lille barn
4) make your own organic unisex neck warmer kit from sweet memories quilts

i've been seeing a lot of kits floating around etsy lately and thought it would be fun to see what kind of knitting kits are out there. i have been knitting up a storm lately so it's been on my mind. whether you are a beginner, someone looking to learn or an experienced knitter there are lots of fun kits to choose from.

so don't be shy all you newbie knitters.....if you don't feel like wandering into a store filled with knitting notions and overwhelming yourself, why not try a kit instead? there are a lot of great videos online to show you steps and techniques as well as some of the kits do include great photos of the how to's. i still go online to refresh my memory of stitches i haven't used in a while. i am constantly looking up cast on techniques and double pointed needle tips. so stop procrastinating and give it a try - you won't regret it! it's time to take that first step - stop talking about learning to knit and actually do it.

in other news please go check out the craft hope for haiti etsy shop filled with fabulous handmade items all for charity in haiti or the craft hope website to learn how you can donate your crafted goods for purchase in the shop all to help raise funds for the doctors without borders.

etsy monday in the mommyhood

"marge, you being a cop makes you the man! which makes me the woman - and i have no interest in that, besides occasionally wearing the underwear, which as we discussed, is strictly a comfort thing". ~ dan castellaneta

1) ruffle panties from isabumz
2) pink ruffle bloomers from mabellabel
3) lucy's potty pants, retro baby glamour w/zebra ruffles from vintage lucy's
4) flower and vine diaper covers from earthgroovz

what girl doesn't love a cute pantie? we've been potty training in our house lately trying to get mack all trained up before the baby comes to cut down on the diapers. she's doing great and we realized part of what is so fun for her is picking out her panties.

i decided to pop over to etsy and see just what kind of neat panties i could find for toddlers and maybe a few ideas to try my hand at making a few for her on my own. i did this post on making your own undies months ago and still haven't had the time to give it a go. have any of you made any for your wee ones or yourself? i think it looks like fun!

etsy monday in the mommyhood

"i love to put on lotion. sometimes I'll watch TV and go into a lotion trance for an hour. i try to find brands that don't taste bad in case anyone wants to taste me." ~ angelina jolie

1. moisturizing mint & vanilla snow day body cream by dress green
2. women's extra moisturizing face lotion by red leaf
3. multifruit body polish scrub by marmalade hills
4. gingerbread body butter creme by wicked soaps

just as i was starting to get over my pregger barfing blues on came a bout of a cough/flu and no, i don't think it was h1n1 that lead me to no posts for a week. i'm doing my best to get things back on track here on the site, but it seems like life just keeps throwing something my way. hopefully by the time xmas is over this site will be up at 100% capacity again. thanks for all of you sticking by us during this time - luv you guys!

so while i was laying in bed moaning and feeling sorry for myself i started wishing i had a round of new and yummy organic body lotions just right for the xmas holiday season. i thought it would be a fun "etsy monday in the mommyhood" to go take a look at what they have to offer for body lotions and potions - and wow! i gotta say, these all look good enough to eat and are healthy enough that you could, but only if you really wanted to.....at least slather yourself in em' to make your spouse think you are....tee hee - delicious!

what's your fave scent for a body lotion? do you recommend a store on etsy for lotion?

etsy monday in the mommyhood

"you will alwasy be your child's favorite toy" ~ by vicki lansky

1) wanda the little weirdo by susarto

2) two peas in a pod #31 by green pea studio

3) custom handmade fox toy by bird and little bird

4) mini dachshun designer orla keily fabric by alice apple

i've had softies on the mind with the new baby on the way. i just can't seem to resist those little faces and soft smiles - these little creatures on etsy just stole my heart! i'm excited to make some softies for the new wee one and for the toddler running around the house as well, but in the meantime, these would do quite nicely!

etsy monday in the mommyhood

"feeling fat last nine months but the joy of becoming a mom lasts forever." ~ nikki dalton

1. autumn muse by lemuse
2. ladylike wool wrap coat by aftonriver
3. dalby jean jumper by makool
4. batwing shirt by duende
5. bubble sundress or tunic by anuchka

oh the joys of maternity shopping. if you are like me this can be a pleasant and horrible experience at the same time. finding things to fit my tummy, butt and giant boobs can be trying to say the least.

so with baby #2 on the way i decided that this time instead of hitting the mainstream stores i would take a peek around etsy to see what i could find in the way of maternity. i was pleasantly surprised by the wide array of clothing from regular clothes that can fit maternity to your normal size fitting maternity clothes.

so go on, be fearless - take a look around, a lot of the items can be made to custom fit your sizing which was a pleasant surprise to little (or should i say not so little anymore) ol' me.

what's your current maternity must have outfit?

etsy monday in the mommyhood

"and all your future lies beneath your hat" ~ john oldham

1) light yellow & black hand knit beanie hat - fashion idea
2) softspoken lux bubble beret - softspoken
3) 12-24mth daisy flapper beanie - pdx beanies
4) the brant cable beret - yarnovermovement
5) teal blue, green chunky hat - ileaiye
6) hand-knitted beanie hat - fashion idea
7) the katrina crocheted beanie - sparkleberry crafts
8) any color but cage earflap hat - irish hooks and yarn

i know i keep talking about summer ending and all that chilly weather sure to be heading our way so i thought why not continue from sweaters and move onto hats this week! i am a hat girl. i looooove a good hat. i knit em, crochet em, sew em, and most importantly wear em! being a mom, i rarely have time to do my hair (i'm sure you guys can relate) so i rely heavily on cute hats to doll me up a bit when i am and out and about during the day. i am all over the slouchy hats again this season. they are super cozy, easy to make, easy to wear and i couldn't resist adding a few to the mix with the above.

what's your fave style of hat to wear? are you a hat wearer?

(NUDGR8BCW963)

etsy monday in the mommyhood

"if your sister is in a tearing hurry to go out and cannot catch your eye, she's wearing your best sweater." ~ pam brown

1. grey & peach owl hooded cardigan - toast
2. long cardigan - hannahas
3. bamboo/cotton jersey ultimate wrap - chicffonintimate
4. organic merino wool jersey cardigan - sandmaiden
5. heidi cream hoodie - menageriehandmade
6. plumavera wrap - zelaya
7. slouchy comvertible cape jacket - JAlvo
8. sunday cardigan with obi belt - elysium design

this weeks etsy monday in the mommyhood is inspired by the chill i got camping this weekend. yes, it's the pre-fall sweater time! cardigans & wraps to be exact - heck, let's throw in a hoodie and have some fun! i wish i could buy each and every one of these and curl up with a great book fireside with a hot cup of tea - care to join me?

what will you be wearing this fall? fave cardigan?