Order for Girls!

Placing an order for girls who...

Love and believe in the Lord,

Have a desire to win the lost,
Have a ready smile and a cheerful heart,
Are respectful,
Have a joyful spirit,
Know how to stand tall and work hard,
Are diligent and productive,
Are trained in how to run a house and raise kids,
Know how to cook good, healthy, homemade food (and lots of it!),
Are interested in having a family, maybe even a big one,
Just might be looking for some tall, handsome, godly young man to walk through life with.

My boys with be in the market for lovely ladies beginning in about 10 years and I figure it is as good a time as ever to let young ladies know what type of woman they may be looking for when that time comes!

I know this may seem silly and may have made you laugh a bit, which is the main goal :-),  but, honestly, I was thinking about it a couple days ago as we were eating dinner and realized once again how very important it is to be praying for my children’s spouses! It is not something to take lightly or leave to chance. We often talk with our boys and our daughter about the type of person they may look for as a potential spouse and these are some of the things we recommend our boys keep in mind. So, for any of my friends who are raising little ladies, these are some good points to hit!!!

Date Night for Two!

If you had been wandering through Safeway last night, you might have turned an inquisitive eye towards us as others were doing. Nate and I were enjoying our “date night” in the grocery store (not doing a stitch of “grocery shopping”) with Jonathan in tow! We felt like first time parents with our super cute little guy as were laughing our way through the store taking time to stop and laugh at cards we had no intention of buying, joking with each other about what we thought was “needed”, wondering, rather loudly, at the rotisserie chicken discarded in the middle of the cooking gadgets and raiding the clearance section. It was a wonderful evening!

What made it so great? I think it is because my guy has set that night aside to spend time with me, listen to me, do silly things like have a date in Safeway with me and I love it! He is such a hard worker, coming home from work most days and going to work on the house. It has been a challenge for me to give up that time and let him work without constantly badgering him to come and talk with me but I know it is necessary so I continue to try and do it cheerfully even though I don’t always succeed. The payoff is our wonderful night out when he listens and I talk... and talk... and talk... and talk... I am not saying I do my part of supporting his work excellently or that he is an angel but that in each of us giving we have found a wonderful time to refresh that seems to make up for all the evenings of work!

So early in out date night routine, we ran into a problem. We found out pretty fast that the only thing we really thought was good date material was going to a movie, having a treat and or going to Walmart. Now Walmart for a date is truly sad in my opinion. It certainly doesn’t rank very high on my list of favorite places but it did fill a need when it was Christmas shopping time so we spent some time there. We also tried out Baskin Robbins which left us feeling ill and not so great the next morning. Movies didn’t work out as there were usually no good ones or none we really wanted to see and how much chattering can a girl do in front of a large movie screen? Not much! Lately we have racked our brains in search of more enjoyable dates that don’t break the bank, leave us feeling ill, or bypass the point of it all. Here is a list of our ideas.

We took a walk on the beach about a month ago which turned out to be a great idea! The tide was high so we didn’t have much beach to walk on and the horseshoe crabs were there in great quantities making us wonder why they are protected. Overall, it was a wonderful time chattering and enjoying the fresh ocean breeze. Total cost: A wee bit of gas. Success at original purpose of date night: Great!

Another evening we decided to drive out to the shore, park in the rain and listen to an audio book on Romans together. This doesn’t sound too awfully romantic especially if you add in the fussy little one who was working on cutting teeth but it was important to both of us and a wonderful time to talk about God. As a woman I believe Nate is my spiritual head and so to have an opportunity to listen to his opinions and learn with him was very valuable! Total cost: A wee bit of gas. Success at original purpose of date night: Great!

Now, I can’t remember where this last idea for date night came from but it was a big hit around our house! I think it was the kids who first came up with the idea to turn our living room into a restaurant for the night. They busied themselves around the house making menus and printing them out, setting up the front desk where we would wait to be seated, setting a table complete with a restaurant style white table cloth, planning uniforms for the wait staff, and preparing all the dishes, appetizers and desserts. I called Nate in the afternoon and told him I had made reservations for 6:00 at a local restaurant I heard had really good, healthy food. He was quite happy and came home expecting to change and take me out. Instead, I ran out and hopped in his truck before he could pull into the garage and directed him on a five minute loop around the neighborhood. When we returned he had a pretty good idea what was up and we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner served by our giggling wait staff in their sharp uniforms. What fun! Cost: Nothing! Success at original purpose of date night: Great!

So, if you happen upon us in Safeway laughing our heads off at silly things with a baby in tow just smile and take your husband or wife out for a night to look silly and laugh too! It is worth it and so much fun!

Successful Creativity

Oh my!  It has been a long time since I posted anything!  I knew it had been a while but didn't realize how long.  Oh well, I guess that means life has been full and busy!

Now, on to the topic at hand. For years I have been using cloth diapers for my little guys.  I tried a variety of different diapers, covers, and all-in-ones before settling with fantastic prefolds and wool diaper covers.  Over the years I have knitted and crocheted various diaper covers, all the while deciding which patters and pattern features I like and dislike. I have run across some great patterns that make fantastic covers but there still seemed to be a void in the market.

If you head out to any department store and wander through the baby section in search of a shirt without snaps at the bottom (onesie style), you will quickly find that they are few and far between.  I would guess that about 90% of baby tops are made to snap over the diaper and by so doing keep the shirt from coming up and leaving the little one's cute belly exposed.  I like shirts with snaps as I like my little ones to look at least somewhat put together. :-)  However, I have not been able to use most of these shirts as they do not work well with wool diaper covers.  I can't put the cotton shirt snaps up against the wet diaper or the whole shirt will eventually get wet and if I put the snaps over the wool diaper cover (which I have done lots!), it looks like his underwear is showing.

Necessity is the mother of invention, right?  Well, I decided it was time to create my own wool diaper cover pattern - one that would both cover the diaper and also allow him to wear shirts with snaps.  I thought about it while I laid in bed, I thought about while I tried to finish the other knitting projects in progress, I thought about it as I diapered him, I definitely thought about it as I looked at all the cute snapping shirts I have sitting on his shelf.

It took quite some time and pages of notes but I finally finished his first Sneaky Soaker!  It works wonderfully!  I am so very excited to now have wool pants that allow him to wear snapping shirts! I hope to add different sizes and styles to the pattern but for now I am super happy with the finished product!  Yay!

Circus!!!

Yesterday we went to a circus!  It was a first for the kids and fun for Nate and I too!

There were camel and pony rides beforehand and feats of strength and skill for the show. Here are some of the pictures of our family enjoying the show.  We all seemed to have fun except for little Jonathan who displayed his cute pout for the camera.  I had to take the pictures while holding him but I was able to capture the pout for all time. Yay!

Little lady riding a pony

Young man and little lady on ponies

Go camel, go!

Two boys riding the camel

Not too sure about the big top...

Oh yeah, we are pouting!  Trying to be brave but this is a weird place!

Having fun waiting for the show to start

This side is super excited!

.... and the circus clown

Best Memories

This picture is one that my dad just posted on Facebook.  His boat, the Millennium, is in the center with the gear hanging from the boom.  This picture brought back so many memories!  I have been mulling over my fishing memories for the last few days and thinking of writing them down so this picture was exactly the encouragement that I needed!

So here follows some of my memories from my five years commercial fishing on this boat with my dad. I can't believe it has been 17+ years since these memories were made yet they are so fresh and fun. Enjoy!

I remember the few times that my sisters and I got out a deeply hidden stash of make-up we had stowed away, sat on top of the top house and did our hair and make-up.  We sure felt like the belle's of the ball out there in that manly world with out hair all pretty (by boat standards) and our faces all dolled up.

I remember crawling into my tight little bunk and resting my head on my pillow to enjoy the scent of home that still lingered there as I fell asleep.  Funny thing is that same pillow smelled rather much like fish grime when I pulled it out of my bag at home a couple months later!

My "Go West Young Man" sister ( L) and me (R)

I remember sitting in the top house with my sister as we ran the boat and listened to "Go West Young Man" by Michael W. Smith.  The sun was bright and the skies were clear as we rocked on the large rolling waves and sang our little hearts out.  I love this one!

I remember running the boat one day when something mysterious happened with auto pilot (funny thing is I am not sure if I did it or not) and the boat went into a turn so tight that it was hard to walk on the deck.  Round and round we went until some kind crewman came and fixed the problem.

I remember laying in bed at night after the engines were off and only the lone generator droned a tune with the gently lapping water just inches away on the other side of the hull.

I remember beach combing and finding many a treasure that I held so dear for a few days until I couldn't find anywhere to store it.

A good day in Bristol Bay

I remember hiking the seemingly vertical hills just off the beach.  I would pump my legs and do my very best to catch up with the rest of the crew only to gain sight of them and get so very close to enjoying their break with them when up they would get and on we would hike.  It always seemed that just as we crested one hill we would realized there was another one that had been hiding just behind it.

I remember walking on the hilltops and either singing or talking to God.  There was no one around save our crew, no villages for miles and miles, no roads, no cars... Bliss!

I remember waiting in line for our turn to set and baking cakes, pies, or any other delicious thing we could concoct from the various canned goods hidden in the seats.

I remember running my dad's power skiff one day when the waves go so high I couldn't see the boat any more and the line I was towing sliced right through the middle of the wave with the boat on the other side.

I remember many hours watching the coastline for deer or bear.

I remember early, early mornings.  I can't say that I remember getting woke up as I was told I didn't wake very well at 3:00 am but I do remember eventually dragging myself out of bed, braiding my hair, putting on a lovely, bright orange mustang suit and and heading out to the skiff which my dad was so nice to warm up for me.  Only thing is there was no cabin.  I guess the engine liked to be warm. :-)  Once I woke up I loved to watch the sun rise.

I remember the delight of going on a tender (crabbing boat) or on shore to take a rare shower.  What bliss even if I did have to put coins in so the water would keep coming.

I don't think I wanted my picture taken!

I remember closing the little window above the oil stove and making the whole cabin smell awful.  I hear that little stove has been replaced by something more modern.

I remember sitting at the table and watching the halibut line we put out many nights to see if we caught anything.

I remember an 8-foot salmon shark that we brought on board hanging by its tail from the rigging and coming mighty close to me with its open mouth as it swung back and forth.

I remember the thrill of rolling hundreds of salmon on deck.

I remember clicking away as I counted the fish being thrown into the tender's basket.

I remember grocery shopping on the tender... Me: "Do you have any lettuce today?"  Them: "No, but we do have a couple of potatoes. Do you want them?"  Me: "Sure. Do you have any tomatoes?"  Them: "Yep, we have one."  Me: "Do you have any fruit?" Them: "Um, (as he rummages through the fridge) nope."

I remember hot tubbing the belly of one of the tenders.  I think it was a salt water hot tub but it was fun!

My view on a beautiful, calm day

I remember my dad teaching me to run the power skiff since I was the smallest one on board and he needed the strongest on deck.  He made me tow full throttle while I was tied to a piling so I could see how close I could come to swamping without going over.  I was quite nervous but enjoyed it after a while.

I remember someone tossing me my sandwich while I drove past in the skiff on a very busy day but I wasn't quite fast enough to catch it so it fell on the floor.

I remember taking a night shift and running the boat across Shelikof Strait.  I was jolted out of my sleepiness by the sight of huge glass-calm circles in the otherwise choppy water.  I watched for some time as they kept cropping up on either side of the boat.  I finally realized it was a whale traveling with me leaving these mysterious circles everywhere he breached.

I remember Jaws, an underwater reef locally known for snagging seines (nets) and swallowing skiffs. They even made a t-shirt in its honor!  I never liked to be too close to it.

There are so many more memories but the last one I will leave you with is day dreaming of taking a shower and wearing a skirt which eventually led to me getting to go home before the end of the season and marked the end of my commercial fishing days. :-)

Oh the memories!  Thanks for taking a walk down memory lane with me!

Playing...

Some of my men... the two youngest
were napping

My husband and I were talking briefly about what we envisioned marriage being like years ago before we said "I do".  This topic was but a small portion of a much greater "marriage talk" we were having about recent difficulties I have been having and how we could better the situation.  His comment about what he thought marriage would be included playing.  He says he married me so he could touch and have me and go do things with me... like outside things... like playing... like playing bolo... like pulling kids on the buoy swing... and so on...

Now I am an inside person for many reasons.  I like to make tasty things to eat and even as we were having this conversation I was formulating a plan of making cookies to eat this afternoon... oops, that does not work very well with playing outside with my man now does it! I also have a tiny little man who needs to eat and that can create certain logistical problems in the great outdoors - at least for me.  I like to be clean and tidy.  I do love the outdoor air but love it as I sit in my window and watch the wind make the curtains dance. I think I have said enough on that. :-)

So, in an effort to play with my man I put the cookies out of my mind, gathered up the burp rags and the hungry dude and headed out onto the sunny, breezy porch to at least watch the fun.  We read and talked for a while amidst endless requests to play soccer, play bolo and pull kids on the buoy swing.  Finally, we had our fill of talking with each other and began play time.  Of course that is a bit of a lie seeing as I might never grow tired of talking with my guy but he didn't list talking in his list of things that envisioned in marriage so playing it was.  I ended up playing bolo with a little tyke from down the street as Nate pulled kids on the buoy swing.

It was fun to watch, fun to gather in all that fresh air, fun to smile and laugh, fun to see the wide open smiles on my kids faces as they nearly touched tree branches high up in the air.  I guess the cookies can happen on a rainy day for I have played with my guy today and even though the cookies sounded more fun at first, playing was fun too!

Levels of Dairy Goodness According to Shannon

Milk... yogurt... cheese... sour cream... whipping cream... Should we drink it? Should we eat it?  Should we buy organic brands? Should it be pasteurized?  Should it have additives?  Does it matter what the cow ate? Should we just get a family cow?

I go to great lengths to purchase dairy products for our family. It all began with much research a few years ago. What has followed ever since is monthly trips into Amish country to fill our freezer with raw milk from grass-fed jersey cows.  As I load up the car, all six kids included along with large coolers, and make the trek I sometimes have to remind myself why I do what I do.  What was the thought process that led to this conclusion?  I don't buy all my dairy products raw, so why some and why not others?

The technical part (which should have a bibliography ☺)...

Well, through reading various books on the subject of milk and dairy products, I have decided that milk is indeed good for you and is best just as it comes from the cow. For the sake of the budget, however, there are some dairy products I buy from the store. I base my decision on a number of key factors to include: what type of cow the milk is coming from, the diet of the cow, whether or not the product was ever pasteurized, whether or not live bacterias were added back into the milk, whether or not the product still contains live bacteria, whether or not the cow was treated with additional hormones, whether or not the milk was homogenized, and the cleanliness of the milking process.

That seems like a whole lot to think about and it often boggles my brain and makes me want to cry "uncle!".  I thought I would take a moment and share my thought process by which I decide which dairy products to buy. First of all, here is my take on each of these factors:

Type of cow: I read an article about the different types of dairy cows (http://www.westonaprice.org/thumbs-up-reviews/devil-in-the-milk), A1 and A2 cows.  It appears some degree of milk intolerance can be due to the type of protein (casein) that particular breed of cow produces! America has primarily the cows that produce the guilty protein (holsteins, for example).

The Cows Diet: Cows eat many different diets ranging from green grass to old bakery products. Also, whether or not a cow produces milk, is not entirely an indication of its health.  Byproducts of beer production, when fed to dairy cows, greatly increase the cows milk production.  Great, right? Those same cows may have their highest production the day they fall over dead! Those cows that eat green grass produce noticeably better milk.

Pasteurization: Although pasteurization came to rescue of a sad milk scene and saved the lives of many, it kills both good and bad bacteria leaving milk open to contamination.  The need for pasteurization can be greatly reduced by taking proper care of the cows and the milking environment.

Added Live Bacteria:  Yogurt is yogurt because live bacteria has been added to milk and encouraged to multiply and culture the milk leaving a yummy, thick food we can eat with a spoon.  It also generally has a longer refrigerator life than pasteurized milk. Milk in the form in which God gave it to us is rich in good bacteria which helps our bodies to digest it.

Additional Hormones: I am simply not a fan of adding hormones to my body either directly or through the food I eat.  Hormones work in such a careful balance that I don't think they should be tampered with.  Additionally, hormones given to cows are meant to result in unusually high growth or production which leads to unhealthy cows.

Homogenization: Homogenization breaks apart the fat globule in milk so that the cream no long rises to the top.  The globule is primarily triglycerides bounded by a membrane.  There is controversy as to wether the exploded globule is digested well or not. I have read that our body has a hard time recognizing the exploded globule for what it is (or should be).  I would rather trust that God had a good plan when he bounded the triglycerides with a membrane.

Cleanliness:  As I was saying in regards to pasteurization, cleanliness is absolutely necessary!  Pasteurization arrived on the scene of overcrowded cities experiencing massive, rapid population growth and all the cleanliness concerns that would include. Raw milk, when not bombarded with large quantities of unhealthy bacteria can hold its own.  The good bacteria in milk is capable of keeping the bad bacteria count down when it is handled in a cleanly manner.

Now for the fun, helpful part!!!

I will go from what I consider to be the most advantageous product down to the least. Here goes!

Best!
Raw, grass-fed dairy from clean, well tended, old-fashioned, A2 cows (I like to call them the "cute cows"... think "Dolly" in Anne of Green Gables)! This would include milk, cream, butter, yogurt, sour cream, cheese, etc. This, along with raw goat milk, is the only thing I would recommend to someone who suffers from milk allergies.  This would be the best possible way to get the wonderful goodness of milk and enjoy it too! If you think the milking area or process is not clean then don't buy milk there!  Cleanliness is an absolute must!

Runner-Up...
Raw, grass-fed dairy from any cow.  This could result in more difficult digestion if your digestive system is at all weak or suffers from milk or casein allergies but still a much better option for most consumers. Again, if you think the milking area or process is not clean then don't buy milk there!  Cleanliness is an absolute must!

Second Runner-Up...
Raw, dairy from any cow.  You would now be losing the grass-fed factor which produces the most  beautiful milk.  Additionally, you would be getting milk from modern breeds which may lead to some intolerance but you are still getting milk that is whole and in it's natural state. One last time, if you think the milking area or process is not clean then don't buy milk there!  Cleanliness is an absolute must, even more so as the cows are getting less pasture time and poorer nutrition!

Third Runner-Up... 
Un-homogenized, pasteurized milk.  Your milk is now pasteurized so production cleanliness is not such a big issue nor will you be as likely to know that detail.  You can still have your fat globules intact and easier to digest.

Happy Budget Concessions...
There are a few areas where dairy can give a bit and still be decent so your budget can be happy.

• Yogurt - Because yogurt is a cultured product, it is still decent even if it is previously pasteurized.  Just look for the brand that contains a statement that the yogurt contains live and active cultures.  If it doesn't contain that statement, don't buy that brand!
• Cheese - Cheese, like yogurt, is a cultured product so some good bacteria has been reintroduced to the previously pasteurized milk.
• Whipping Cream - this has not been homogenized and is pretty much skimmed off the top and pasteurized.  Not ideal, but yummy and far better for you than cool whip!
• Butter - Butter is the fat portion of the milk and therefore not as affected to issues with milk proteins.  I do try to buy organic butter as hormones often hang out with fats!  I buy it in the store all the time although I wish I could stretch my budget to afford the golden butter from grass-fed cows!  

Don't be Sold by the Organic Label...

A quick word on organic... Just because something is labeled organic does not necessarily mean it is better.  They can feed organic dairy cows anything organic (organic donuts).  Also, organic is becoming such a buzz word for marketing, that companies are finding ways to cut corners.  I recently noticed that the organic yogurt I have been buying at the store now has additives!  I don't want additives in my yogurt!  I don't like the taste and would much rather buy the non-organic yogurt with just milk and live bacteria!

An Added Note on Additives...

Keep an eye on the politics of the dairy world.  The Dairy Industry is petitioning the FDA to allow them to put additives, namely aspartame (which is linked to seizures and other health problems), in a number of dairy products without having to disclose that on the label! If the bill passes, there would be so many dairy products I would not want to buy at the store! The most any good dairy product should need to have on it's ingredients list would be milk and enzymes or live bacteria (cultured). 

That said, I think we are going to get a family cow before too long!  ☺

Please remember this is my personal opinion on this topic and you should do your own research so you can make your own educated decision about your dairy consumption!  

Two Perspectives

The wind is singing through the tree tops as they sway gently back and forth. The sky is gray, but unlike the usual weather which accompanies a winter’s gray sky, the air is warm and damp; warm and damp like a blanket enveloping the morning scene. A leaf dances down as if it is following a winding brook. Strings of ivy flutter along the tree trunks. A small flock of chickens wander the leafy ground searching for food while a bundle of children runs and plays in the warm air. The scene is quiet and calm, peaceful and serene.

A mother sits in the open door watching the curtains wisp back and forth in the breeze. Her babe is snuggled close and sweetly sleeping as she breaths in deep and lets the beauty of the moment wash over her. She delights to breathe in fresh winter air tinged with a hint of pine and let the realities of the morning wash away in the peaceful calm.

This is the moment I am in! Oh how I love it!

Not an hour ago I was wondering if I would be able to gracefully get through today. A load of laundry is filling everything that can act as a drying rack on the porch. Why? A little water wheel toy broke this morning and somehow the rags which were used to clean the turpentine smelling mess managed to make their way in the cloth diaper load so they could share their scent. Hopefully they will loose the odor in the fresh outdoor air!

About four loads of laundry are lined up and ready to be washed including a peed bed whose mattress is covered in baking soda and needs to be made up before nap time.

School is not done quite yet... history to be read, pages to be corrected...

The mother sitting in the chair is tired after a restless night with the babe and hoping she can ward off the impending nap she needs long enough to get things taken care of yet still have a chance of it before the babe needs to eat again. 

Isn’t it interesting to see the two perspectives! There is always so much to be done yet sometimes there is a total calmness around the corner! I am so thankful for the beauty that God has created and the many, many ways he displays it. I would never have thought this gray day was so lovely if I hadn’t gone to the porch to hang out the smelly load of laundry. If I had not gone out, we would still be working on school and rushing to get lunch ready thinking that there was no extra time. Thankfully we were able to seize the moment and enjoy the beauty of the warm gray day with outdoor play and a porch-picnic lunch. I just know school will get done and somehow the laundry sounds fun and industrious as it spins around in the washing machine rather than like a burden I can’t bear. My breaths were deep this morning in an effort to calm my overwhelmed mind and now they are deep enjoying calm and peace. Ahhhh.... Thank you Lord!!!

Mama/Baby Items for the Minimalist Mama

I do not like to have many odd items hanging around my house.  Perhaps it is because I do not like to pack them up and tote them to the other side of the country or perhaps I can't, in my own mind, warrant "baby items" that far outsize the baby and are only useful for a short period of time.  Whatever the case, I have a obsession with finding fun, creative, and cheap ways to accommodate the needs of these newborn baby days.

One item that I have never quite come to terms with is a nursing pillow.  I have tried a couple different brands, those with the best reviews, and have not liked any of them!  Yes, they serve a very good purpose and they do it well in some respects but they are very large, awkward to handle, add to my sense of nursing claustrophobia and take up lots of space when they are not in use.  Despite my lack of success in the past, I have found myself on the hunt yet again as my shoulders ache and my back prepares to adopt a permanent arch.  What to do!

My little guy seems to benefit greatly from eating in a slightly upright position as he loves to take a little air with his milk.  This makes a typical flat nursing pillow a bad option for me as he would be mostly laying down.  I have thought that a pillow in the shape of a "V" would be great to give my back a break while also providing a dip in the middle to keep him inclined.  For days now I have been dreaming up the perfect pillow during feeding times.  I know this sounds funny, but my inspiration came to my sleepy brain as I pulled my feather pillow onto my sleepy lap to help me snuggle my sleepy guy in the middle of the night.  I poked and prodded the pillow into great form and the three of us had a cozy sleepy time together.  The following day I added a few things to my feather pillow and now I have a great nursing pillow... at least one that works great for me!!!  I like to call it the No-Sew Convertible Nursing Pillow. My kids like to call it Angel Wings.

Anyhow, here is how you can make one from items you already have!  I know this sounds simplistic but I really like it!

1. Take a feather pillow and put it in a pillow case of your choosing... here you have great opportunity to express your personal style!  
2. Now cinch the middle of the pillow with your hand while shaking the feathers to either end of the pillow.
3. Take a ribbon, hair band, scarf or any other similar item and tie the middle of the pillow as tightly as you can.  You can use a broad ribbon if you want a larger base in the "V".

Ta-da!  You are done!  If you are wondering, here are some of the perks of the Angel Wings No-Sew Convertible Nursing Pillow:

1. It is super easy to make!
2. It is super cheap!
3. It is very easy to mold to the shape you need and can be re-molded to a new shape as needed!
4. When you need to store it, simply toss it back on your guest bed or back into the pillow sham!
5. You can change your style as easy as changing a pillow case!
6. You can use it for front holds and football holds!
7. You can pull it to the side and snuggle your baby on its back against you so they can look at you while you talk with your other children.  They are close, safe, comfy and happy!
8. It can turn on the center in almost any direction!
9. You can adjust it as needed to create a great incline for nursing baby!
10. It is lightweight and very easy to carry using the handy dandy ribbon handle in the middle.

The other item I have been thinking about is a nursing cover.  Although I have not perfected this one (that would, of course, be my version of perfect as everyone is different) I have stumbled across another great inexpensive idea that was hanging in my closet!  I was wanting a cover that would be lightweight, and provide lots of coverage along with easy access to the baby.  I was thinking of making a cover that went all the way around sort of like a poncho.  My plan was to disassemble a skirt I no longer wear, put some elastic in the back of the neck and some boning in the front.  Well, my job was cut in half as I realized I had just the thing hanging in my closet!  It was a lightweight cotton jersey knee-length skirt from Old Navy long ago.  I just toss it over my head and, ta-da, I have a nursing cover!  Eventually, I may add some boning to the neck (or what used to be the waist band) but I am enjoying it just as it is for now!