Etsy & PennRustics

In a previous post, I shared how my husband had built a bedroom dresser for one of our children's bedroom.  He is an extraordinarily-gifted person with many special talents.  One of which is woodworking.  

Catching the woodworking bug back in middle school shop class, my husband has been honing his skills ever since!  When I couldn't find the furniture I wanted in the stores or online, I turned to him to get creative.  Most furniture stores do not even sell solid wood furniture - it's mostly particle board and pretty veneers - with the solid wood price tag.  After making furniture on the side for friends and family, he decided to advertise online and has found a following of people who (like me) want furniture made from solid wood.  He keeps getting customers because he believes that solid wood furniture shouldn't be so expensive.  

So, I will shamelessly plug his etsy shop, Penn Rustics, and encourage anyone who reads this to not be afraid to try and make things yourself!  If you come up with a good design and make things the right way, don't be surprised if friends and family start lining up as customers!  When that time comes, Etsy is a great place to start selling your one-of-a-kind creations!

Please feel free to check out my husband's woodshop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/PennRustics!  

         

EKTORP Sofa, Blekinge white

We bought the Ektorp Sofa, Loveseat and Ottoman when we bought our house 7 years ago.  I can't tell you how many compliments we've received from guests stating how nice and comfortable they are!  Many people will ask, why buy white?  Has no one ever heard of bleach?  We like them because with four children, you can just chuck them into the washer and have sparkling white slip-covered furniture in no time flat!  We have been able to bleach out orange vomit, brown explosive diaper leftovers and black icing from a hockey party our oldest son had last summer.  On top of this, IKEA offers a 10 year warranty on this product brand - you can't go wrong!  We bought our furniture when they were having a special gift card promotion.  We used the gift cards to buy extra slipcovers which we haven't even had to use yet.  

Extorp Sofa
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S19875765/

IKEA warranty info:
http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/img/customer_service/EKTORP_warranty.pdf

Charleston Upholstered Convertible Rocker by Pottery Barn

We are about to welcome our 4th child into our family.  As you can imagine, we are running out of space in our home due to all of the clothing and toys our children have accumulated!  We had passed our antique rocking chair onto another family member who was about to have their 1st child.  In deciding what kind of rocking chair to buy, this one made the most practical sense.  This is a convertible rocker that allows you to convert into a traditional armchair when rocking is no longer necessary.  There are a lot of rocker and swivel chairs out there that seem very cheap and not worth the price tag.  This chair is very well made, extremely comfortable, and just the right size.  My only wish is that it came with a slip cover.  We bought this chair when there were double rewards through Pottery Barn - so now I have reward money to spend on bedding or other goodies our children need.  

http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/chareleston-convetible-rocker-warehouse-sale/?pkey=e%7Crocker%7C22%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C16&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-

The Pioneer Woman Cooks - Recipes From An Accidental Country Girl by Ree Drummond

As our family continues to expand, the need for making easy, nutritious, delicious meals has become extremely important.  I love to watch the food network personalities create amazing dishes and look forward to the day when I have more time and money to invest in my epicurean aspirations!  Until that time, I am always on the lookout for ways to make my meal making easier!  

Ree Drummond uses simple every day ingredients to make fantastic family friendly meals.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made her Pizza Dough recipe for family night Fridays and her famous pancakes for something warm and special on cold, winter mornings!  Along with easy to read recipes, she provides step by step picture shots of the entire process, so it is virtually impossible to mess up! 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/my_cookbook/

Basic Pizza Dough Recipe - http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/02/my-favorite-pizza/

Edna Mae's Sour Cream Pancakes - http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/01/edna-maes-sour-cream-pancakes/

Bumpkin Bibs

With four children ages 5 through newborn, we have gone through our share of bibs!  My husband and I both agree, Bumpkin Bibs ROCK!  You should see what our children look like after eating spaghetti!  These bibs take a beating and keep on working hard!  

Awesome product features:

·         Made of Bumpkins easy wipe waterproof fabric

·         Stain and odor resistant

·         Adjustable Velcro closure

·         Features catch-all pocket

·         Machine washable, hang dry (flip pocket)

·         Sized to fit 6 months - 24 months

·         Lead free, PVC free, BPA free, Phthalates free, and Vinyl free

·         Many other cute styles available!

http://www.bumkins.com/superbib.html

IKEA KURA Reversible Bunk Bed

When all of our boys wanted to share a bedroom, we realized that we would need to get pretty creative with our furniture arranging.  We weren't keen on having our oldest and middle son that far off the floor, so a regular size bunk bed was out of the question!  We found this bunk bed through IKEA.  Along with this bed, we bought two twin mattresses and the overhead bed tent.  Our boys love it.  They "camp out" every night and we have peace of mind knowing our middle son doesn't have far to go if he ventures too close to the edge of the mattress.  Once our boys want to separate to their own room, our youngest will enjoy the top bunk and have a cool play/reading area below.  For the price, you can't beat it!  We love IKEA!

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10123996

Fisher Price My Little Snugabunny Cradle 'n Swing

When we had our first child, we had been given a baby swing that required batteries.  By our third child, we had worn that poor little motor out!  As most parents can relate, we were also keen on buying a swing that had a plug (we were tired of making frantic runs to the nearest Wal-Mart at 3 am to buy batteries!).  Best features:  3 swing positions, adjustable speeds and music choices, folds for easy storage, cute design and soft fabrics.  Worst feature:  This swing does take up space.  Do you really want to put your baby in a small, unstable swing that could tip?  I would rather the swing spread out and be secure.  We bought our swing through Amazon for a great deal - wouldn't spend over $100 for this.  

http://www.fisher-price.com/en_Us/products/56778

**Update**
After four children - the motor on this swing died.  No problem.  Contacted Fisher-Price and they sent a new one - free of charge!  What a blessing!  I love Fisher-Price products - but I also appreciate them taking care of repeat customers like me!   With a family of four children - I know that I can count on Fisher-Price products!