List #16: Things I want to start making myself

There are more hiding in the cupboards too.

After writing the list of things we make that many people just buy, I started thinking of a lot of things that I'd like to start making myself.

1. Beans from dried. We rarely plan meals much in advance & don't usually want to wait as long as it takes to cook beans from their dry form. We have tons in the house right know though, so we really should get on this.
2. Almond milk. Now that I'm lactose-intolerant again, I can't face going back to soy milk as my default cereal accompaniment & hot drink additive. I've tried almond & rice milk recently, but they aren't as prevalent & they're pretty expensive. I think it's time to try making some almond milk myself. That way I could possibly make it more creamy than the skim-milk-like stuff that comes in the tetrapaks.
3. Play structures for Sprout. I hate the look of the plastic slides & climbing thingies (think Step 2 or Tykes), so lately I've been thinking about designing & building my own out of wood. I think it'd be great to build a little picnic table too.
4. Undies. It's so hard to find underwear that fit well & aren't hideous. Last time I found a style I loved they were discontinued within months. I think I'll have to try to copy them myself.
5. A shower curtain. I've been meaning to do this for years, but always found one in a store that was pretty good, so I haven't tackled it yet. 
6. Paintings. I used to paint a lot in high school & when I was in art school. Then I just kinda... stopped. I've done five paintings since then, all for my nieces & nephew. I have a few ideas bouncing around in the back of my mind, things for Sprout's room.
7. Cosmetics. I'd like to try my hand at making lip balm & maybe some moisturizer. I hate how much Latin & chemistry you need to learn just to understand what it is actually in the bottle of goop you're smearing on your face. 

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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.