MommaSurcee

Alternate way to make wool or cotton felted style balls:

Everyone loves all those colorful felted balls and all the fun crafts you can make with them. I needed to make some faux Billy Buttons for a baby shower and did not have time to order online.

I already had most of needed supplies which included wool roving but I did not have enough to make the balls with traditional method. I also wanted to spare my hands all that exposure to water and soap- I wash my hands enough as it is having two kids and my skin feels like the desert and is cracking!🌵😣

So I decided to use the spun cotton method to make the balls- I have to say it is quite simple, easy, fast and not too messy.

Here is what you need:

Wool roving or cotton balls (yes, cotton balls)

Styrofoam balls of desired size (I used the smallest size available)

Elmer’s school glue

Water

Paint brush

Floral wire

Floral tape

I used an old plate that I did not care about ruining and a small plastic cup to mix the glue and water in. I did not use a formula for the glue/water mixture- simply water down the glue so it’s not pasty.

Separate your roving into thin strips- thinner the better- this will help when wrapping the balls. Take your paint brush and brush some glue mix onto ball (you don’t need to cover the whole ball). I should note that I put the ball on the floral wire first then tried to wrap- that’s a no go folks! Just hold the dern ball with your fingers- I promise it won’t be that messy or sticky.

Take a strip of roving and place end where you just put some glue. Hold that spot and start wrapping the roving around ball as tight as you can- every so often you can add some glue mix but it’s not necessary. Keep layering the strips until you are satisfied.

Next you are going to completely cover the ball with glue mix. I did two different methods-

1. Just cover the whole thing with glue mix, saturating the ball and with your brush patting down the fibers. Stick floral wire in one end and let dry Or…

2. Pick a spot to be the top of your ball. Start putting the glue mix on there and then brush down to opposite end. You will see in one pic there is a “tail” of roving on the bottom…this is on purpose and is result that is desired with this method. Stick floral wire into ball right at the “tail.” Let dry

You will need to let dry overnight- if in a rush, use your hairdryer!

I then hot glued the ball at base to floral wire of those that did not have “tail.”

Take floral tape and starting at base, wrap around hot glue spot and then down wire. When wrapping the ones with a “tail,” start at base and cover tail and then go down wire- you see, I was experimenting on which method was best in securing ball to wire so it doesn’t pop off. I actually like the hot glue method best but both work.

If using cotton balls you can paint after they dry.

Fall rainy day dinner

There are so many good things that come with fall…but one you may not necessarily think of is that you can eat really yummy food that is budget friendly. Soups and sandwiches are a staple for this kind of weather and you can get very creative without breaking the bank.

I am currently still recovering from my tonsillectomy and, while I have been able to tolerate heavier foods, I still can only eat soft foods. While having my mom here to help, I didn’t mind her cooking a meal I would only be able to enjoy thru sense of smell. Now that she is gone, I prefer not to spend time in the kitchen for only others to enjoy….call me selfish but that’s how I feel😆

In comes soups for the family and warm, cheesy sandwiches. I absolutely love Budgetbytes.com and source a lot of recipes from the site. Tonight I used her artichoke spinach grilled cheese recipe and warmed some Butternut soup I had purchased from Publix. The bread was an “everything” Italian bread from Walmart for $1 - satisfied my yearning for an everything bagel.

It’s day 7 after my tonsillectomy and has been by far the worst for pain…but that was expected. I am very thankful to have received the news that my growth was benign and I will receive a more thorough report on what was wrong with my tonsils at my follow up appointment in a few weeks. I will say though that I have learned that you should always follow your gut feeling when it comes to your health and well being. I was previously told I was “cured” by the first ENT doctor that looked at my tonsils and was never asked to follow up. The problem was that he didn’t really find the reason that my tonsils were enlarged- I just so happened to have an infection at the same time and with that diagnosis, he wiped his hands clean of my case- never caring to follow up after treatment of infection.

After a few weeks I decided that wasn’t good enough for me…my tonsils were still huge and I deserved to know why and if there could be a more serious problem. I did my own research and found the best ENT Dr in my area- made my appointment and they made the decision to remove the tonsils saying there could be a possibility of a more serious issue.

Now, lucky for me that was not the case. But, if I hadn’t decided to get a second opinion and ease my mind, I would not know the outcome- what if I did have a malignant growth? It would have been missed the first go around-

“Well I Declare!”

Meet Blanch Devereaux - my recovery buddy!

My sister sent her to help aid in my recovery after my tonsillectomy.  She is at my bedside and will be my narrator for the next week or so.  

Food Prep- Adult Tonsillectomy

So I’ve been a little MIA again- a little busy with family mini vaca, starting school, and now prepping for a Tonsillectomy at the grand age of 34.

I’ve never had tonsil problems- like ever- rarely do I have a sore throat- just the occasional soreness with the common cold.  But, for some reason unknown (hence the tonsillectomy), my tonsils have been enlarged since this past February.  One side is larger than the other- no symptoms, they are just plain huge. Enough for the Dr to look inside and have a reaction like “Wow”.

Nothing has touched these bad boys- not two different antibiotics or steroids.  They have remained unchanged for 8 months.  

Now comes the surgery prep- trust me, no one has tried to sugar coat this surgery and the resulting, inevitable pain that will ensue.  I have read many other blogs and had family and friends share about how to prepare, what to eat, what not to eat, and general tips on how to survive the two weeks following surgery.

I plan on documenting as much as possible- hoping my experience will help others just as much as other blogs I have read have helped me.  

The pic above is the start of my food prep- yes, that’s baby food (for me), jello (for me---well, and my kids:) and lots o’ soup.  My mother-in-law was kind enough to bring me chicken noodle soup in the shape of loved characters but my kids laid claim within 5 minutes.  

I will have more to prep than just my own food- I’m a mom for crying out loud!  I need to prep for my kids’ lunch, my family dinners, my wonderful mom who will be my caregiver, my husband’s lunch and well, everything- I mean, I usually take care of everything that goes on between the four walls of my house and I will be completely unable for at least a few days.  

I even considered making homemade broth, soups, pureed food, etc and then I smacked myself on the head and got a dose of reality- no thank you- easy peasy is the name of the game- yes to boxed mac n’ cheese and Chef Boyardee for the kids, packaged mashed potatoes and boxed broth for me! Bring it on artificial colors and flavors!  As much as this girl would love to “home make” everything as I usually do and try to avoid certain types of food, I realized it’s just going to be easier and less stress for me to buy everything ready to go.