Babies Babies Everywhere . . .

Sunday I had a double baby shower to attend. It was for the pastors wife of the church we go to and another new mom whom I've know for many years now. I've actually known both of these young mommas since before they were married. Before they really ever thought they'd be mommas. So it is really fun for me to see them now, pregnant bellies, newborn babes and all.
Of course I had to make some handmade gifts for them. All was going well until I procrastinated and waited until the day before the shower to do my sewing. And then my sewing machine died. I mean ka-poot! Hunky Hubby couldn't even fix it. Crisis! Fortunately a friend who lives close by let me borrow hers even though she was out of town. Yay! Crisis averted.
 I like to make burp cloths out of cloth diapers and I also like to make hooded towels. I like to give the towels big enough hoods for the kids to still be able to use them when they are older. My boys still love to use their hooded towels.

These were for the pastors wife, she knows she's expecting a boy. I actually made 4 burp cloths but I didn't get a picture with all of them. You can see a peek of the towel underneath. I always like to add some ribbon to the edge of the hood for a little pizzaz.

These are the burp cloths I made for the other young momma. She gave birth to a beautiful little girl a little bit ago. I think this fabric could go either way, boy or girl. I don't look for fabric that reflects the baby's gender as much as I just want something cute for the momma to haul around. I mean really, baby doesn't care what she/he upchucks onto. All the cuteness is for the mom.

Wyat agreed to be my model when I was making this towel. Seth refused. Wouldn't let the pink towel touch him. Wyat's secure enough in his masculinity though. :) I love these towels! I was given one when I had Seth and they are much nicer than the ones marketed for babies, in my opinion. They last for years and are nice and thick. Some of those other baby towels are so thin that they get soaked through immediately. That was my experience at least.

I also had to bring some food to the shower, so I thought I'd add a picture of the trifle we made, it turned out so beautifully. I couldn't have done it without Hunky Hubby and Megan's help. It was a three man effort, but oh so good. Nothing tastes better than strawberries, chocolate and cool whip together, mmmmm. And don't think I put all the effort into prettying up the top like that. No siree, that was all Hunky Hubby's doing. Isn't he grand? I think so.

I also made an oriental salad. No pictures though. I had some requests for the recipe so I'm going to add it here for those who were interested (Mary).

Oriental Coleslaw Salad
1 pkg shredded coleslaw mix (16 oz)
2 pkgs oriental Ramen Noodles - crushed
1/2 C. - slivered almonds
1/2 C. salted sunflower seeds
lightly toast the nuts and seeds
 Dressing:
1/2 C.- olive oil   -    1/3 C. - apple cider vinegar
1/2 C. - sugar        2 seasoning packets from Ramen noodles

Mix dressing, set aside until right before you serve the salad
Add all ingredients together immediately before serving to preserve the crunch.

Well, that's all I've got for today. What is your favorite gift to give at a baby shower? Or what did you receive that you found you couldn't have lived without? These were two items I loved and used regularly with my babies. Their burp cloths weren't as cute, although I did dye them green, but they were just as functional.