HEALTH || GREEN SMOOTHIES - HOW TO MAKE THEM & RECIPE ROUND UP

the other week i mentioned to you all about my new addiction to green smoothies. i've been having a green smoothie almost everyday for about 6 weeks now.  i usually have it for either breakfast or lunch but lunchtime is my favorite time for having one.  it's the perfect afternoon pick me up and helps keep me energized and falling prey to the 2-3pm slump. you know the one when you are grumpy and will do anything for a 2nd strong cup of coffee? i hate the slump. so bye bye slump - hello green smoothie!

TECH || HOW TO MIGRATE YOUR GOOGLE READER FEED

tgif! phew am i happy it's friday today!  this week has been a long one and a big project i've been working on in the background has definitely been kicking my behind (don't worry, i'll fill you all in soon). i'm so ready for the weekend.  i wanted to pop in today and chat with you all about the demise of google reader and how you can all still follow luvinthemommyhood (& all your other fave blogs) easily.  so don't fret - there's lots of information out there to make this an easy transition for all of you using a service like google reader to read your blogs.

you may have noticed i spruced up the sidebar and added a few changes here and there to the blog. i hope you like them! there are new post dividers, handy links in the sidebar, the latest instagrams and latest pins as well! i also wanted to make it easy for you all to follow luvinthemommyhood in all formats. i want to make sure you're able to get our feed and still keep on reading. one thing to remember when reading this post is that both feedly and bloglovin' will easily move your google reader subscriptions over to their service. it really is simple and fast! you won't lose a thing!  but you have to act soon - google reader will be gone in under 3 weeks.

here's how you can follow luvinthemommyhood....

first up on the sidebar is our brand new free luvinthemommyhood newsletter! it's fun!  it also only comes once a month and is a handy recap of what went on the blog during that month.  i've been enjoying putting it together so if you'd like to sign up you can do so here at the link below:

luvinthemommyhood free newsletter

second is one of the readers i've been using - bloglovin'.  it's been around for a long time and is easy and fun to use.  you can follow your friends and other blogs, get daily updates of the blogs you follow sent to you via email, see who's following you and follow them back, like things and read the full post right from bloglovin'.  it's easy, free and you can find our blog to follow on bloglovin' below:

luvinthemommyhood on bloglovin'

next up is feedly.  i've really been enjoying feedly.  i like all the different functions, layouts and streamlined look of it.  i also like that i can just see "today's post" in a lovely and inspiring magazine style layout with social media icons built right in so i can share, like etc right from feedly. so handy! you can even pin!  i've been using feedly just a bit more than bloglovin' simply for the ease of the layout for me. i follow A TON of blogs and feedly makes it feel less overwhelming and definitely more fun to read vs the old google reader.  you can follow luvinthemommyhood's feed on feedly here:

luvinthemommyhood on feedly

last but not least there is always email.  you can subscribe to get our weekly posts via email through this link:

luvinthemommyhood email subscription

i hope that you'll find this post helpful and that you won't miss out on a thing.  here are some other helpful posts on moving your google readers subscriptions:

- how can i migrate from google reader to feedly?
- tips for google readers migrating to feedly
- how to move your google reader rss feed to bloglovin
- bloglovin' tutorial

which service have you been using?  do you prefer one over the other? why?  i'd love to hear your thoughts!

in the meantime have a wonderful and lovely weekend!  i hope it's filled with laughter, coffee, good friends, family and creative time - you deserve it! see you on monday! xoxo

SPRING TOPS, TANKS & TEES KNIT ALONG - THE WINNERS!!!

Crafty Characters Embroidery Patterns from Wild Olive

TODAY IS THE DAY! were you the winner of the fabulous and exciting prizes from our tops, tanks & tees knit along? i'm still drooling over them all! some serious prizes up for grabs people! don't our sponsors rock! and guess what - so do you!!! all of your projects were just amazing! so proud of all of you! it's making me even more excited for the summer sweater knit along coming up!  so don't get sad and miss all of us too much, the SSKAL is just around the corner. i'm hoping for mid july. so start planning now :) it's gonna be HUGE fun!

you ready to hear who the winners are? cross your fingers.......

CREATING || WHATCHA MAKING?

custom leather bracelet by c. johanesen studio (stay tuned to see more about my new bracelet this month & find out what the full quote is!)

sooooo...whatcha making this week? clothes? quilts? a baby (j/k!!!)? what are you creating? sewing? knitting? crocheting? cooking? embroidering? spill the beans! we want to know!

i know we do this almost weekly on our facebook page and it's always so fun for me to see what projects you are all working on so i thought why not try it over here in our hood too? i mean who wants to make something and then NOT hear anyone say how awesome it is!? right! it feeeeellllssss good to hear how awesome your mad skills are! you just made something with your own two hands! you rock!

i also find it so inspiring to feel the creative energy and the buzz when we all get chatting about we're making or planning on making.  i also think this is a great way for all of us to find the time each week to spend being creative for ourselves. to take that time to nurture ourselves and our creative sides. to help remind ourselves to make that part of our lives a priority.

you with me? head on down to the comments and fill us in. don't be shy. spill the beans & share your pics. tell us what you're working on this week and tell us the details. what fabric? which yarn? what pattern? did you blog about it? show us! link up your blog post in the comments below and let's get cheering each other on! stuck and need help with your project? ask us your questions & share your opinions. i'd love to get the convo going.

not in the mood to post about your project? so excited with it you can't wait to fb or blog your new lovely? share it with us on instagram! i heart instagram! use the hashtag #whatcha so we can see your pics!!! fun, fun fun!!! you can find me on instagram under "luvinthemommyhood".

so c'mon...join in with me - you so know you wanna..hehe. ready, set, go - whatcha making?

CRUSHES || MASON JARS & LIDS

i'm crushing big time this month on mason jars. this isn't a new crush to me, i'm always loving mason jars, but this month i got some new beauties. ohhhhh....i'm so excited to show you them. some people will get my love and some will wonder what all the fuss is about but that's ok :)  us mason jar junkies get it. we love the love.

i mean how could one resist the lure of the infamous blue jars? how stunning is the color on these beauties? fo'realsies. gorgeous. i don't even want to drink out of them yet they are so gosh darn pretty. and the lids? i know you wanna know about the lids on the other jars too. last year sometime i got a cuppow.  i love it.  just in case you haven't seen or heard of it a cuppow is an awesome sippy cup sort of lid you can put on mason jars so you can drink out of them. i use it for my coffee, my water, my everything when i'm home and when i'm out and about. it's awesome.

but recently my friends and i got in on an order to get our newest crush - the wide mouth tumbler size mason jar. the PERFECT size for green smoothies (hehe), frappucinos, and other yummy concoctions. it's also great for water with cucumbers/lemons and other detox wonders.  i just got mine (i got 2) and have already used them on numerous occasions. love it.  i picked up a fun reCAP mason jar lid as well to use for the wide mouth tumbler. perfection! newest water bottle! so fun!

SPRING TOPS, TANKS & TEES KNIT ALONG || GIVEAWAY TIME!

balloon bench by satoshi itasaki via yatzer.com

are you all ready for some lovely prizes for our spring tops, tanks & tees knit along? some awesome new yarn, books, patterns, & more! i'm so freakin' excited about these prizes! whoever wins these are some lucky knitters!  i really enjoy showing you all the wonderful businesses behind our knit alongs that help make it all possible! they are all wonderful so please go show your support and love to these hardworking peeps! having their generosity and support is so great! happy shopping :)

*Please note: the knit along has already ended. This giveaway is for those who have already participated in the Spring Tops, Tanks & Tees Knit Along that ended last week.*

you ready to drool? here are the awesome businesses that supported our spring tops, tanks & tees knit along & their generous prizes! 

A LITTLE BARING OF THE SOUL IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE...RIGHT?

it's all good: delicious, easy recipes that will make you look good & feel great by gwyneth paltrow & julia turshen

so you may have guessed by the image of gwyneth paltrow above that this post is not about sewing. it's not about knitting either. but it is about me and also about something very important to me.  getting healthy - finally.  since this was the year i made a pact to do some selfish sewing, selfish knitting & take some time to shift my priorities for work/home etc i figured i should also take some time to actually find the elusive time to take better care of myself and finally make it a priority.  something that i haven't done since my first daughter was born.  you all know the story...when you become a mother everything changes. there is a shifting in your soul, in the core of your being and suddenly everything "you" becomes the last thing on your list.

i spent last year trying to find the balance that would allow me time to nurture my creative self.  i discovered that to be a happier person i need a certain amount of time each day to mentally be creative and allow myself that and be ok with indulging in that need.  but what i seem to have forgotten was that in order to be able to have the energy, desire and sense of self to do this, work more hours than i care to admit, be a damn good mother and wife and then have some left over to physically care for myself has seem to gotten me lost.  i think part of my puzzle has been the caring for my "physical self" alongside my "mental self".  they go hand in hand. duh shannon...lol.  i was so focused on my creative self and exploring it and writing about it that i have not had one drop left to focus on my physical self.

the physical self that has horrid back issues that make it hard for me to exercise, the self that suffers from very bad endometriosis, has had many surgeries, that is anemic, and that deals daily with many other ailments that i won't bore you with but that are very much a part of my life that i don't share on here because...well it's mostly a happy place and who the heck wants to hear me moan and groan everyday right? not me..lol.  i'd rather chat with you all about fun stuff :)  it makes my day.

KNITTING || MY FIRST PAIR OF SOCKS!

>>> pattern: gusset heel basic socks pattern by wendy d. johnson yarn: sweet fiber lolli socks mcn in colorway pink lemonade <<<

welcome to my newest addiction. see those fun, bright colored socks? fully hooked. i have to admit that even though i have been knitting since a young girl i have never made a pair of socks nor even attempted to make socks.  i detest wearing socks so the thought of wool on my feet sort of wigged me out over the years. then i got this yarn.  it put me over the edge. suddenly i NEEDED wool socks.  so i jumped right in with both feet (no pun intended).  i got myself some needles, yarn, a book, asked questions of my sock knitting friends, and started making them.

i became addicted right off the bat.  i decided after purchasing "socks from the toe up: essential techniques and patterns from wendy knits" that i was going to do the gusset heel basic sock pattern.  i found myself so in love with the turkish cast on and the toe up method that i couldn't stop working on these.  i was loving it!  only issue i had was that i went in braver than i intended. i refused to use anything but my sweet fiber lollisocks mcn yarn in colorway pink lemonade to make my first pair of socks (read more about this yarn here).  so the nice thing about socks from the toe up is that you can use wendy's vanilla formula to make a pair of socks with any yarn/needle.  only thing i didn't know is that being a sock ahem...virgin...was that this was way trickier than i first thought. a lot of pondering and researching had to be done to get the right formula for turning my heel, which by the way was a lot of fun and not scary at all like i first thought.

the only other problem i ran into was with my bind off.  i decided after researching different bind offs for socks to go with the sewn bind off.  the first sock was fine, although it could have been a smidgen looser.  so when i went to do the 2nd sock's bind off i remember and tried my best to do it looser.  i was an over achiever. the thing was loosey goosey!! it was so bad i had to take it out and let me tell you - that is a not a fast process! damn thing took me forever to take out!  i redid it and it's still a bit ruffly (meaning too loose) but i left it.  i resigned myself to the love of handmade and realized that i was just happy i had even made socks that really looked and fit like socks!  it was such a great feeling when you turn that heel and they actually look like socks!  it's part of the reason i love it so much!  i get bored really easily with certain styles of projects and i thought socks would bore me but nope - way too much fun! plus the new addi turbo sock rocket needles from sure helped! if you are a sock knitting addict get some of these! they are amazing! i am a pretty fast knitter and i felt like i was on fire!  so awesome!

all in all i really enjoyed the whole process, love that they fit my foot perfectly and that i can now dress up my feet with knitterly lovelies as well as the rest of my body.  i also wear them! shocker right? i normally hate wearing socks but when you put cashmere & merino up next to my toes i guess they are happy :) those suckers have expensive taste..lol.

||  PATTERN  ||
- gusset heel basic socks from Socks from the Toe Up: Essential Techniques and Patterns from Wendy Knits

||  YARN  ||
- sweet fiber lollisocks mcn in colorway pink lemonade

||  NOTES  ||
- i used size US 2 / 2.75mm needles and about 3/4 (i'm guessing, i haven't weight it yet) of the skein of yarn.
- i adjusted the pattern to suit my yarn and gauge.
- i used addi turbo sock rockets and looooooved them.

are you a sock knitter?  addicted too?  what is your fave sock pattern? yarn? advice for new sock knitters? c'mon, pull up a seat, coffees one and i'd love to chat!  wishing you all a sunny, fun, creative, family & friend filled kinda weekend.

SPRING TOPS, TANKS & TEES KNIT ALONG || STARRING YOU

lady bat by mamatronic

it's time for STARRING YOU!!!!  i love, love, love this post!  it's so fun compiling pics and putting together a big ol' post starring all of your hard work!  you ladies were on fire for the tops, tanks & tees knit along! wowsa!  some of you made 3 projects! needles were setting off smoke alarms! there were so many stunning and gorgeous projects chosen i'm sure you'll agree that all of our faves/queues have grown by miles.  i know i'm going to have a very hard time next tttkal with all of these waiting to be made!

cap sleeve lattice top made by jaykayknits

the best part for me during these kal's is the conversation and the friendships made. i look forward to reading all the chit chat each day and keeping up with every one's projects and lives. it's so rewarding and each time more fab peeps join the more fun it gets!  so thank you all again for joining in and knittng with me and to helping make my dream of having such a fun community of knitters a reality!  i'm so proud of you all!!! giant hugs your way

now for the fun part.......here you are!  the spring tops, tanks & tees starring you post!!! wahoo!!!

sophia made by thinkliz

holla back tank made by sdurank

MOMENTS IN THE MOMMYHOOD || CATCHING UP

we've had a busy week my wee family and i.  we recently got back from a wee trip to vancouver for my hubbies convocation! so excited! he's finally done!  after many long years of his working full time/studying he has achieved such a huge accomplishment. it was such a joy and i was so proud to see him walk across that stage as a CA! congrats again hun! i love you so much and the girls and i are so proud of you!!!

now i think we need to find out about some winners! we have winners to announce for 2 different giveaways!!! first up is the ella's cottage fabric giveaway! the winner of a 16 fat quarter bundle of happy go lucky is.......

commenter #19 - johanna vandeweghe

next up is the winner of the sew pretty t-shirt dresses book giveaway.  the winner of a copy of "sew pretty t-shirt dresses" is......

commenter #62 - karen propes

congrats ladies! i'll be in touch with you sometime today!  thank you to all of you who entered. and just cause i think they are just so darn cute i couldn't resist posting some pics of my girlies. 

p.s. i'm in the middle of massive potty training drama for the wee one. any tips? it was easy with my oldest.  i have to have her trained by september to go to preschool. she just turned 3 so it's time. i can't wait to have the final diaper party :) would love any help you could give.  hope you all had a great weekend!

SEWING || PATRICIA COWL & SASCHA THE DRESS FORM

patricia cowl by luvinthemommyhood.com || fabrics used from bijoux by bari j for art gallery fabrics

i recently got my hands on some of the fabulous bari j's new line "bijoux" from art gallery fabrics.  this fabric line is gorgeous and so fun!  i love the bohemian vibe and the colors are just drool worthy!  you will definitely not get bored with this fabric line. i honestly couldn't choose my fave print. but i was able to decide what to make with it. i knew as soon as i saw bijoux that it had to be a patricia cowl (you can find my tutorial to make the patricia cowl here. it's fast, fun & a great sew!). it just screamed cowl to me and it also screamed a pressie for a certain friend of mine.  she's been waiting a long time for this so i'm so glad to finally get it blogged and hopefully mailed out to her next week.  hannah - merry christmas...lol. hugs! lol.  hope you love it and sorry it took me 5 months too long!

isn't it pretty? i just want to throw it on with a white tank, some cute jeans, a bangle and my flip flops. so lovely.  wait...what's that you ask..."who's that sassy grey gal wearing it"?  well...let me tell you.  she's new to our house.  she's funny, a tad shy, curvy, purdy and is my new friend.  her name is sascha singer. she says hi!  nice to meet you.  she's bff's with poppy the pfaff.  lmao. ok...ok...ok...in all seriousness you know how i love naming inanimate objects i adore in my home right? i know it's a tad weird but whatevs...it's fun!  anyhoo, her name is sascha singer but she was born singer 151, in the US, at Joanns.com.  she came to us a few weeks ago and we have loved her ever since.

VINTAGE MAY || THE SALLY DRESS

the vintage vibe is in the air! can you feel it? that's right everyone - it's vintage may! i was so excited to be asked to join in for this fun series hosted by my pals kristin of the awesome blog - skirt as top and the equally as amazing jess of craftiness is not optional. i knew as soon as i got invited i could not pass this one up.  a dress had to be made.  a vintage inspired one at that.  this is right up my alley! luckily i had recently gotten just the right fabric.  bright, a modern yet still vintage vibe and an oh so cheerful color for my little one. 

>> vintage may on craftiness is not optional <<

>> vintage may on skirt as top <<

the print i decided to use definitely reminded me of my inspiration - sally draper of the tv show mad men. i looove mad men and i love the clothing from the show.  i thought it would be fun to use sally as my jumping off point.  can't you just see her in a scene wearing this cute frock? the fabric i used is floradots in saffron by erin mcmorris for free spirit.  i also have some in a blue/grey tone that i hope to use to sew my oldest a sally dress as well with some fun add ons. the bodice and pockets were then lined with hidden treasure gold from indie by pat bravo for art gallery fabrics. such a great print too!

when doing my original sketches i knew i wanted big pockets. but not just any pockets - pockets that show. easy ones to throw hidden treasures in - my little ponies, dolls, shells, rocks...you name it - my girls will carry it.  they are constantly storing goodies in their pockets so this time instead of me finding it hidden in the wash i figured i wouldn't miss them in these big ol' pockets. plus, well, pockets just plain rock!

i also knew when designing this dress that simplicity was my goal.  i wanted no closures - thus the square neckline.  and yes, that's right - there is no zipper or buttons.  you just pull it on. love it!  and so does she!  the bodice is fully lined as are the pockets.  the pockets also go right down into the hem for optimum toy storage! i also knew i wanted a higher waistline, gathered skirt and a shorter length than normal.  it's hard to tell from these pics but she could easily wear this as a tunic.  i might have even gone a bit shorter if she had stood still longer for me to pin more accurately.  darn 3 year olds...lol...don't they want mommy to make them stand on a stool wearing a piece of fabric with pins for 10 minutes while i measure over and over again? no way.  she's a trooper though.  she's getting there.

the best part of the whole process - that smile! she loves it and that sure does my heart good.  such a doll this one.  she just melts my heart.

what do you guys think of this dress?  i've got so many fun variations of the sally dress that i'd like to try. in fact i'm leaning to making this one a pattern available. any interest?  would you like to see a pattern for the sally dress?  sleeves? long or short?  i'd love to hear your thoughts!  it's a fun dress to make and you guys know my style - if it's fun/rewarding to make, allows you to customize and shows off my fave fabric crush it's a winner in my book.

a huge thank you to kristin and jess for having me along as part of vintage may.  please be sure to check out all the other bloggers involved in this fun series. there is a TON of amazing lovelies being made and it's not to be missed.  you can find all the vintage may goodness below:

>> vintage may on craftiness is not optional <<

>> vintage may on skirt as top <<

|| FABRICS USED ||
-  floradots in saffron by erin mcmorris for free spirit.
- bodice and pocket are lined with hidden treasures gold from indie by pat bravo for art gallery fabrics.
|| PATTERN USED ||
- self drafted.  may become a new pattern release in the near future if you dig it <3
|| VINTAGE MAY INSPIRATION ||
- sally draper of the tv show mad men.

SPRING TOPS, TANKS & TEES KNIT ALONG || EXTENSION ANNOUNCEMENT!

vintage alarm clock from things with soul

alrighty - you all voted! the winner of the timeline extension poll is...1 week!  wahoo!  you've all got an extra week ladies! it was sure close! remember - you don't have to finish your project to qualify for the fab giveaway.  we just want you knitting and having fun so don't stress - this should be fun!

the new deadline for the tops, tanks & tees kal is:

>> may 28th, 2013, midnight, pst <<

make sure to upload your finished pics into the finished project thread in our ravelry group so i can put together our starring you post!  some of you have already been showing your first and 2nd finished projects! you're on firrrreeee!  so jealous!  my knitting has come to an abrupt halt due to some other deadlines.  not sure if even i'm going to make it to the finish line this time round gals but i'm going to give it my best shot :)

FABRIC GIVEAWAY || ELLA'S COTTAGE

happy go lucky fabric fat quarter bundle - img src: ella's cottage

yum, yum, yum, yum! who's in the mood for some fabric fun? i am, i am!!! yahoo!  one of our newest sponsors - ella's cottage is offering up a lovely fabric giveaway today!  i love me a good fabric giveaway!

happy go lucky fat quarter fabric bundle - img src: ella's cottage

i have been a long time reader of the blog "simplicity" of camille roskelly and love her fabrics and quilt patterns.  i was excited when i saw the prize leigh anne of ella's cottage was giving away! this is a sweet one!  the happy go lucky line is the newest range of fabrics from bonnie and camille for moda.  it's bright, happy and oh so lovely!  perfect for that new quilt you've been dying to whip up! need some inspiration? you can find some of the patterns that camille has designed for this line of fabrics HERE. 

in the mood to win some?  click to find out how!