List #15: Things we make ourselves rather than buying

Oli's latest batch of  ginger ale:
a little fizzy & spicy without overdoing it.

This list was Oli's idea. We are diehard DIYers in some ways, making quite a few things ourselves that I think most people just buy from the store. Sometimes we do it to save money, sometimes it's to make things to our own specs (less sugary pop, better fitted clothing, etc) & a lot of the time it's because we just enjoy making things.

1. Baked goods like cookies, brownies & muffins
2. Pizza (once in a while)
3. Fries: why buy them precut? Are people afraid of knives?
4. Root beer & ginger ale
5. Beer (though Oli's brewery doesn't produce anywhere near as much as we drink)
6. Curtains
7. Pillow covers
8. Hats, gloves, mittens, scarves
9. Pants, shorts & skirts
10. Shirts & dresses
11. Blankets (sewn & crocheted)
12. Cloth baby wipes & diaper inserts
13. Baby gates: these are a lot easier & cheaper than you'd think. The one I built on our deck is damn sturdy, too.
14. Salad dressing: I've never figured out why people buy 'Italian' dressing. It's oil & vinegar plus spices, people!
15. Toys: I made a set of doll clothes for my nieces & a puppet for Sprout at Christmas
16. Gift bags & cards
17. A ring sling & wrap carrier 
18. Shampoo & conditioner (baking soda + water, apple cider vinegar + water)
19. Deodorant
20. Vegetables: growing our own food last year was awesome & I can't wait to do it again. Though truth be told, my input didn't go much past constructing the garden beds & shovelling soil into them.



The stockings are all handmade too,
by my sis, my grandma & me.

21. Gifts--I really like giving people things I've made myself, like this apron for Sprout's best friend.
22. Decorations like my triangle bunting

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Why Monday lists? Reading the lovely Chloe's blog, Tea Swamp Park, I found an idea I had to 'steal': a list of all her Halloween costumes, with quite a few photos. She got the idea from Hula Seventy's List Project. I've decided to do the weekly lists for a year that Hula Seventy is doing.