Around the house « Chocolate Mints In a Jar

Friday's : Origami Microwave Popcorn

Where is the five? They are coming right after this.

My daughter asked for popcorn this morning.

We had a bag of microwave popcorn.

Only problem was that no one else wanted pop corn and like every smart mom I don’t like wasting good popcorn.

Fortunately we had regular pop corn.

How do you pop pop corn without a bag and without using a pan/pot or whatever.

Yes I am that lazy, I don’t like washing pots or pans.

I know how to use paper bags to make popcorn in the microwave but didn’t have any.

Then I had this incredibly awesome idea of making my own bag using origami.

I learned making this bag when I was 9.

Which means it took more than a decade to find a use for this otherwise useless piece of knowledge in my head.

You will need wax paper, parchment paper, oven proof paper or whatever kind of paper you feel would be safe in the microwave. I had wax paper and it said on the box that it was microwave safe.

Cut out a square peice of paper.

Fold it in half.

Then in half again to get a square.

Fold diagonally.

Unfold the diagonal fold.

You should have a square with 4 layers of paper.

Put your finger in between the top layer and the bottom 3 layers and pull it out creating triangle.

Flip it over keeping the closed edge at the top and put your finger between the bottom two layers and pull the top one creating a second triangle.

* Fold the bottom corners of the triangles into the middle center corner. You should now have a square on top of a triangle

Fold the outer corners of the square into the center and then insert the free corners into the smallish center triangle you just created.* (last picture in the second row)

Turn it over and add your popcorn

The kernels should be able to lay flat in one layer. If you add more the bag will burst open.

Repeat the steps between the * … *

Your origami ball is ready to go into the microwave.

Set the microwave to 2 minutes on high. And blast those kernels into popcorn.

Enjoy

You can click on the image for a larger version.

Oh about those five:

Everything you learn in life will someday, somehow become useful even if you don’t believe it right now.
You should not waste food if you can. Always make food in portions you know you can consume. If you are still hungry you can always make more.
When you learn something, share it. If everyone kept their knowledge to themselves we would still be in the dark ages.
It is always fun to experiment.
Popcorn is a healthy low calorie snack.

My favorite Mug

I have lots of favorite mugs. I buy them because I love collecting them. I love the fact that they get chipped or broken so I can move on and have a new favorite. I bought this one back in January 2008, it lives at my mom’s house. I bought it for my husband because he’s a leo and I was very pregnant and waiting for little Lulu to arrive and waiting for him to come from Kuwait and attend the birth. I was so happy to see it was still safe and sound and I drink coffee in it every morning ever since I got here.

I have a favorite mug at home. It is a small pale blue one. I need to mugs of coffee in the morning to get going and because it is a little on the smallish side, it is the perfect size. I miss it. Just like I miss my home and most of all my husband.

I used to think that my mom’s home is still my home but for the first time I feel like a guest. I think it is a good thing. I have a home that I can call my own. It might not be a castle (yet) but it is mine. So as much as I am enjoying this long awaited vacation I am secretly happy knowing that I am eventually going back to the home I call my own.

Monkey Business

Mr Monkey was reason number 3 for wanting to learn crochet. I am glad I waited till I felt confident enough to make him, I didn’t want to have to take him apart a hundred times until I got him right. Mr Monkey was sitting quietly when he found a banana, ate it and then went crazy doing headstands. The only question now, who is naughtier; Mr Monkey or Lulu?

Monkeying Around

I am a show off today

Summer Sling Tote in Denim

It’s my blog and I’ll show off if I want to. Two of my latest and favorite crochet peices are a tote and flag ball.

The flag ball was sort of inspired by seeing lots of Kuwaiti flags in preparation for February’s Hala February. I got into this patriotic mood and decided to make my own flag. At first I thought a felt flag might be an idea but was at loss for ideas on how to hang it in the car and then I came across this pattern for ornament balls. It took about an hour to make. The only problem with is that Lulu sits at the back and keeps asking for it to play with. I think I might make another bigger one without the hanging chain so she can have it.

Egyptian Flag Ball

I found the tote on Ravelry for the Summer Sling Tote and fell in love with it. Yes I fall in love with tote patterns. I am crazy like that. I could almost touch it in my head. I went out and got this beautiful denim blue cotton and started at it 3 days ago. All the time while I was working on it, I was imagining myself taking it out and enjoying it. I did shorten the handle from the original pattern because when the handle is too long I am a little bit uncomfortable. I had some pretty IKEA upholstery fabric and decided to use it as a lining. Lining the bag was definitely the hardest part, my fingers are still sore. I don’t have a sewing machine so it was all hand stitched and the fabric is really tough. Instead of using a whip stitch to join the bag and the lining I used a blanket stitch. The bag was awesome but it was too open, I then found 3 wooden buttons in my sewing kit and added them too and now I can’t wait to go out so I can enjoy my new tote.

Now excuse me while I go enjoy playing with my new tote before I go out with it.

Crochet Crazy: My new tote

Armed with my new crochet hooks and dark blue chunky yarn I set out to make a tote/purse/handbag and started looking for patterns I could actually follow. I am a beginner and I wanted something easy. After a bit of digging and googling I came accross futuregirl’s starling tote and fell in love with it. You can even check out the awesome gallery on Flickr if you are interested. I love how everyone came up with a totally different look for it.Which is why it was perfect, exactly what I had in mind and easy. The pattern includes 3 sizes and is basically an empty canvas for your creativity. And boy was I on a creativity kick. This isn’t my first time making handbags, a couple of years back I used to make macrame bags and they were awesome. My sister and I spent a summer making and selling them. Macramé is much easier than crochet. First macrame is basically just knotting so you don’t have a fear of unraveling your piece by mistake (happened to me twice while making this) and macramé ropes are thicker and chunkier so the bag is done faster and is sturdier. I should ask my sister to send me a picture because the very original prototype is still at my mom’s house.

I lined it with white fabric with red leaves and decided to add a red felt leaf outside. Smart idea, bad execution. My stitching needs to go visit a stitch doctor but who cares, I have a wonderful new bag that for a prototype is just great.

Crochet is so relaxing, really it is meditative. Well, most of the time it is, there are other times like when I can’t get the instructions or when Lulu decides she wants to run away with my yarn (yes she has done that more than once). After a while my fingers just start crocheting on their own and my mind wanders. I sit doing row after row after my daughter has gone to sleep and just think about everything and nothing. If I crochet enough I will have the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything else. An answer which is not 42.

Now excuse me, I have to go make something else.

Amigurumi, my new obssession

I have a new crafting obsession.

Mr Bear and Mr Hippo

Hehehe there’s something wrong with them, their heads should be round, and I just can’t seem to get them round enough. Not that it really matters, because I got my hooks, yarn and a total addiction to crocheting little amigurumi creatures.

Confessions of an Environmentally (not so) Friendly Mom

I care about the environment, I really do. I try to minimize my consumption of the earth’s recources. I don’t by products that have CFC in them, turn off the lights when I go out of a room and I remember to use the least amount of water when I brush my teeth. It all started when I decided to become more environmentally consious and use cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers so I would be setting the right example for my daughter. Mind you, this decision was one of those I took when I was very pregnant. I thought that it was a good idea at the time, bought the diapers and did the research. Baby Lulu was born and I did use them but it was so much work and extra laundry that I have up on them a couple of months later. I took the easy way out and got those evil disposable diapers. I looked for biodegradable ones, couldn’t find them and gave up on the idea (well I did try). Now that I am potty training, I keep telling myself I am doing this for the environment too.

Time flies and I find myself the mother of a toddler, a toddler that won’t take a nap easily. So I schedule my morning outings a couple of hours before she should be napping so she falls asleep in the car. When that fails I drive around aimlessly until she does. Sometimes I actually drive around more than I actually drive going to and from the places I actually should be going to. I think I could cut my fossil fuel consumption in half if she would just sleep on her own. I tried explaining why she should care about our petrol use, but she doesn’t really seem to care. She should, she needs the earth more than I do.

I don’t use plastic containers, it is my mother’s fault . Germs can live in plastic forever no matter how well you wash it, is what she always says. Which is why I throw away all of those pesky plastic containers. I should recycle, but I did a search for recycling plastic in Kuwait and didn’t find anything. We don’t get newspapers so we don’t really generate that much paper waste. I tried to make a list of things that I should be recycling and came up with aluminum cans, aluminum foil and plastic. Thankfully my housekeeper collects old milk jugs and I use lots of those, between myself and my daughter we drink lots of milk. Zip loc bags are probably another item which I abuse. They are so useful, I just pop Lulu’s snack in them and run along. I should use a reusable container but I sometimes just forget or find it easier to use them and throw them away when I am done. Maybe if I had a cute lunchbox or made a cute reusable oilcloth lunch bag I would be more inclined to remember to use them. Fortunately, Lulu would not touch any kind of artificial milk and was breastfed until recently when she decided to wean herself. Breastfeeding is very environmentally friendly. No packaging, extra energy or transportation is used up in the process. Governments should be promoting breastfeeding just for the impact on the environment.

You know what else is an amazing invention? Extra absorbent kitchen towels. Everything from spilled milk (which you should cry over if your carpet is cream colored and it is pink strawberry milk) to greasy little hands call for paper towels. I try to use soap and water or regular towels, but sometimes I just take the easy route. If you think about it, using towels and washing them is also bad for environment; detergent, water and electricity.

I guess I should try harder. Maybe I should make that my 2010 resolution, to be more conscious about my impact on the environment.

3 Reasons I want to learn to crochet

Click on the images for the tutorials

Yoonie at home: Laptop Sleve

Paperless Grocery Bag

Crochet Monkey by Chimuchimu

Changing The Duvet Cover

Binder Clips on the Duvet Cover

Some things in life are easier when done by two people, like changing the duvet covers. Unfortunately an extra person is not always available. Actually an extra small person is usually available but not very useful in things like this. The only thing she can do with a duvet cover is crawl into it an play hide and seek. I decided to change the duvet cover because I had this crazy urge to wash the other cover. I knew the drill.

Turn the duvet cover inside out, find the corners and then turn it right side out and pull it over the duvet. I realized it would be so much easier using the huge binder clips my husband has. I clipped three, one at each corner and one in the middle and then it became so much easier. All I had to do was pull the duvet cover over the duvet without fear that it would get all clumpy inside. Then you just need to spread it on the bed and straighten it out. A few spritz of fabric freshener too on the sheets, pillows and the duvet and the bed is ready. When I also have more time I usually give it a whizz with the steamer thingy. I also add like a couple of drops of fabric softener to the water so that things smell extra fresh and nice. It makes the sheets lovely. I love fitted sheets, they are the smartest invention before the internet. When I first got married I got regular flat sheets and I hated them, you have to pull them straight every 10 minutes if you want them to look good, fitted sheets are just perfect they stay where they are supposed to and look straight all the time. I had my mom have some custom made for Lulu’s crib mattress too because little Lulu used to pull out the sheets and throw them out of the crib. She also usually has a teddy in the bed with her and will throw him out as soon as I go get her when she’s awake in the morning signalling that since teddy is out of bed so should she.

Mini Flower Handbag [with pattern]

Baby Lulu loves handbags, purses and wallets. She loves getting into my closet and choosing her favorites and then drags it along to the door saying ‘bye bye’ signaling that it is time to go out, she’s ready and even has a bag to prove it. I decided that it was time she had her own bag instead of having to ‘borrow’ mine. She already has a backpack with a plush kitten on it but it is much too big and she loves hugging and kissing the kitten not carrying it. I had lots of felt left over from my last Felt Bunny craze and decided it was time to use the stuff. Felt is so easy to use and if you are a beginner like me, with no sewing machine it is so easy to hand stitch.

I just made the pattern up, added the flower. You cut two of the body, 1 handle, 1 flower and 1 circle for the heart of the flower.

First stitch the heart of the flower and then stitch the flower to one side of the body. Stitch the ends of the handle together so it forms a circle. Then stitch one side of the handle to the body using a blanket stitch. Then stitch the other side.

If you don’t know how to do a blanket stitch, FutureGirl has an awesome easy to follow tutorial with step by step pictures.

You can download the pattern here [BagPattern]. If you make one please share a picture, I’d love to see them.

Happy crafting.