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Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Being thankful - a craft project
Saw this on Pinterest and thought Id give it a try...everyday I ask my son what he is thankful for and then write it down on a leaf. I clip the leaf to a string over my dining room table so we can talk about them each night at dinner. It's a good way to start dialogue about our blessings and what each one of us is thankful for. I had all of the materials on hand so it didn't cost anything! And THAT I can be thankful for.
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Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Candy Corn Rice Krispy Treats
It seemed like it might work! A perfect way to incorporate candy corn 'into' the rice Krispy.
I sprayed my Pyrex pan with Pam, then laid out a whole bag of brachs candy corn and a handful of halloween sprinkles I had on hand. I followed the original rice Krispy recipe, and then poured it on top of the candies. I covered the mixture with a sheet of wax paper and pressed it all down into the pan so the candy would really get in there.
I let them cool and viola! Delish.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Ice Cubes in The Bath Tub
I adapted this from the Hooligans blog: http://happyhooligans.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/ice-play-on-a-hot-fall-day/
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Sunday nights are like Saturdays for me and my sons. We don't have to do anything on Mondays so bathtime can be a little longer and bedtime can be a little later. Last week, while browsing Pinterest (again!) I came across this great ice cube activity here: http://happyhooligans.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/ice-play-on-a-hot-fall-day/
I wasn't sure when i was going to be able to use them, but I made up the ice cubes in advance. So you just make the ice cubes as you normally would, adding a drop or two of food color to each one. Once frozen, put them in a plastic bowl and let your kids drop the ice cubes in the bath and watch them melt. My son even ran them along the sides of the tub and the colors melted down in colorful drips.
It was a simple, clean, fun thing to enhance bath time.
I would definitely do it again. The cost was zero and it kept my kid busy for about 10-15 minute. Definitely worth it and definitely making cents! I even feel safe doing this for my 5 month old too, ice and food color is safe for him to put in his mouth. He is just getting sturdy enough to sit up in his bath seat and grab things in front of him. Maybe I will try it on a hot day in the water table too like the example. Pinterest sail!
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Sunday nights are like Saturdays for me and my sons. We don't have to do anything on Mondays so bathtime can be a little longer and bedtime can be a little later. Last week, while browsing Pinterest (again!) I came across this great ice cube activity here: http://happyhooligans.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/ice-play-on-a-hot-fall-day/
I wasn't sure when i was going to be able to use them, but I made up the ice cubes in advance. So you just make the ice cubes as you normally would, adding a drop or two of food color to each one. Once frozen, put them in a plastic bowl and let your kids drop the ice cubes in the bath and watch them melt. My son even ran them along the sides of the tub and the colors melted down in colorful drips.
It was a simple, clean, fun thing to enhance bath time.
I would definitely do it again. The cost was zero and it kept my kid busy for about 10-15 minute. Definitely worth it and definitely making cents! I even feel safe doing this for my 5 month old too, ice and food color is safe for him to put in his mouth. He is just getting sturdy enough to sit up in his bath seat and grab things in front of him. Maybe I will try it on a hot day in the water table too like the example. Pinterest sail!
Window screens up cycled to a jewelry stand
I was at my friends house this weekend and noticed three redwood framed window screens out back. She had brought them home from her cabin thinking about repurposing them but wasn't sure into what. As soon as I saw the hinges and the metal screen, I knew - jewelry holder.
Let me give you some backstory. My friend has an insane amount of jewelry. Costume, real, all kinds. It's in bowls, trays, boxes, hanging organizers, buns, all over the place. A lifelong collection desperate for organization.
Once the idea was born into my head, I had to establish my rules. 1. Spend no money, and 2. maximize the usage of space.
I dug in her junk drawer and found eye hooks and cup hooks. My husband always has boxes of nails and screws lying around from construction jobs. I still had a 5lb spool of utility wire from when I made place card holders got my wedding. Perfect, everything I should need!
So I set to work. I had to swap the hinges around to get the two front sides to match up. This piece can easily be put on her dresser and it will stand alone. I knew the third screen would be for a wall mount to maximize the amount of hanging necklaces. I used the same screws and holes for the hinge swap. After counting my supplies, I drew out a rough sketch of where I was going to mount all of the hooks and wire. I fired up my drill and set to work. I drilled starter holes for all of my nails and hooks, taking care not to split the wood. The redwood smelled just like the forest when I drilled into it.
The nails along the top of the double are meant for bracelets, while the weed can support posts on cards an clip ons. French hooks can easily slip in the holes while chunky necklaces find themselves on the side nails. The small picture hanger hooks are great for the smaller more delicate necklaces.
I was very happy with how this turned out and also with the fact that it was totally free! Making so much cents!
I wish I could tell you that this could house her entire collection, but she's got way too much. It is going to make one gorgeous display though. Once she gets it all up I'll post pictures.
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Let me give you some backstory. My friend has an insane amount of jewelry. Costume, real, all kinds. It's in bowls, trays, boxes, hanging organizers, buns, all over the place. A lifelong collection desperate for organization.
Once the idea was born into my head, I had to establish my rules. 1. Spend no money, and 2. maximize the usage of space.
I dug in her junk drawer and found eye hooks and cup hooks. My husband always has boxes of nails and screws lying around from construction jobs. I still had a 5lb spool of utility wire from when I made place card holders got my wedding. Perfect, everything I should need!
So I set to work. I had to swap the hinges around to get the two front sides to match up. This piece can easily be put on her dresser and it will stand alone. I knew the third screen would be for a wall mount to maximize the amount of hanging necklaces. I used the same screws and holes for the hinge swap. After counting my supplies, I drew out a rough sketch of where I was going to mount all of the hooks and wire. I fired up my drill and set to work. I drilled starter holes for all of my nails and hooks, taking care not to split the wood. The redwood smelled just like the forest when I drilled into it.
The nails along the top of the double are meant for bracelets, while the weed can support posts on cards an clip ons. French hooks can easily slip in the holes while chunky necklaces find themselves on the side nails. The small picture hanger hooks are great for the smaller more delicate necklaces.
I was very happy with how this turned out and also with the fact that it was totally free! Making so much cents!
I wish I could tell you that this could house her entire collection, but she's got way too much. It is going to make one gorgeous display though. Once she gets it all up I'll post pictures.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Baby in a Bike Trailer
When i decided to start a blog I knew i wanted to write about things that people wanted to try but were afraid to. I am totally ok with being a guinea pig, so why not document it for the world to read? In this case the guinea pig just happens to be is my youngest son...tomato tomato. ;)
So my eldest got a bicycle for his birthday last month. Actually, it was the bike that Grandpa bought for his first Christmas, when he was a wee 4 months old. That Christmas take also included a red rider bb gun and a radio flyer wagon too! Grandpa was excited! A couple years later the bike was still brand new at grandpas house so he put a big bow on it and my son went crazy for it! He is in l.o.v.e with his new bike and wants to ride all over.
Tonight before dinner I asked him I he wanted to ride up to the grocery store with me to get some chili for chili dogs. He was so excited he ran to the garage to strap on his helmet before I even put my shoes on.
But wait, what was I going to do with little brother? I had already established he was too young to go on the bike seat behind me. His little chins hold up his big old head but not that good.
Then it hit me, what if I strap the car seat into the bike trailer! (how many of u are cringing right now?). Genius! So in goes the baby to the carrier and out to the garage we go. My husband doesn't even want a part in my latest hair brained scheme so he hooked up the trailer to my bike and went inside.
Well, I figure it's just as safe as if he were just sitting in the trailer because if you're going to get squished by a car you're going to get squished. No car seat, safety strap, aluminum frame bike trailer (that I bought 6 years ago off a bum on the Iron Horse Trail for $40) is going to prevent that.
A bungee cord, two dog leashes and a couple of adjustments later and there you have it ladies and gentlemen...a sweet bike ride for a 5 month old.
Moms and dads, get a secure fit and have fun. This baby fell asleep so fast it was like he was riding on a lullaby.
Totally making cents.
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So my eldest got a bicycle for his birthday last month. Actually, it was the bike that Grandpa bought for his first Christmas, when he was a wee 4 months old. That Christmas take also included a red rider bb gun and a radio flyer wagon too! Grandpa was excited! A couple years later the bike was still brand new at grandpas house so he put a big bow on it and my son went crazy for it! He is in l.o.v.e with his new bike and wants to ride all over.
Tonight before dinner I asked him I he wanted to ride up to the grocery store with me to get some chili for chili dogs. He was so excited he ran to the garage to strap on his helmet before I even put my shoes on.
But wait, what was I going to do with little brother? I had already established he was too young to go on the bike seat behind me. His little chins hold up his big old head but not that good.
Then it hit me, what if I strap the car seat into the bike trailer! (how many of u are cringing right now?). Genius! So in goes the baby to the carrier and out to the garage we go. My husband doesn't even want a part in my latest hair brained scheme so he hooked up the trailer to my bike and went inside.
Well, I figure it's just as safe as if he were just sitting in the trailer because if you're going to get squished by a car you're going to get squished. No car seat, safety strap, aluminum frame bike trailer (that I bought 6 years ago off a bum on the Iron Horse Trail for $40) is going to prevent that.
A bungee cord, two dog leashes and a couple of adjustments later and there you have it ladies and gentlemen...a sweet bike ride for a 5 month old.
Moms and dads, get a secure fit and have fun. This baby fell asleep so fast it was like he was riding on a lullaby.
Totally making cents.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Baby Bottle Holder/Bottle Prop
Warning, this post is not for the by the book mommies!
For the second day we have had to stay home because my little one is sick. But we still had to drop the big one off at preschool. On our way out, the baby is fussing. I know he wants a bottle, and we're pressed for time. Brushing teeth, putting on socks and shoes, putting the baby in his carseat...seemingly all at once.
Then the baby alarm goes off. I know there's no way I'm going to make it all the way back home without a total meltdown.
I whip up a bottle, but we need to get in the car! I look over and see those plastic toy chain links. Hmmmm....then the idea strikes.
I link them around the bottle and clip one on the top of the cars seat carrier handle. Perfect! My baby is almost 6 months old and can almost hold up the bottle on his own. This just helps keep it in place. In fact someone told me she saw something like it for sale on etsy. So I googled baby bottle holders and this is the best one I could find...but too pricey for me: Personalized Bottle Holder
My oldest son told me I was the smartest Mommy and he loved my idea! Total cost $0! That makes cents to me. Will I use it all the time? No, but in a pinch situations I will definitely do it again.
(Warning: this is probably considered a 'bottle prop' which can cause choking and drowning. Do this at your own risk!)
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For the second day we have had to stay home because my little one is sick. But we still had to drop the big one off at preschool. On our way out, the baby is fussing. I know he wants a bottle, and we're pressed for time. Brushing teeth, putting on socks and shoes, putting the baby in his carseat...seemingly all at once.
Then the baby alarm goes off. I know there's no way I'm going to make it all the way back home without a total meltdown.
I whip up a bottle, but we need to get in the car! I look over and see those plastic toy chain links. Hmmmm....then the idea strikes.
I link them around the bottle and clip one on the top of the cars seat carrier handle. Perfect! My baby is almost 6 months old and can almost hold up the bottle on his own. This just helps keep it in place. In fact someone told me she saw something like it for sale on etsy. So I googled baby bottle holders and this is the best one I could find...but too pricey for me: Personalized Bottle Holder
My oldest son told me I was the smartest Mommy and he loved my idea! Total cost $0! That makes cents to me. Will I use it all the time? No, but in a pinch situations I will definitely do it again.
(Warning: this is probably considered a 'bottle prop' which can cause choking and drowning. Do this at your own risk!)
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Shaving Cream Paint
My youngest was sick today so we had to stay home. They come with me to work so when one cant go, none go. So while he was napping and my big one watched Scooby Doo for the millionth time, I had some Mommy time searching Pinterest.
Now, I had seen shaving cream paint before, but I never had the time to implement it. Plus, I always saw it used in the bath tub, and at my house bath time is down to business time. Not to mention it just looked messy.
Then I came across this blog via Pinterest: Happy Hooligans . She did shaving cream paint too, but put a twist on it, using it on the sliding glass door. I loved the idea of doing it outdoors and being able to hose it down afterwards.
So we set to work. I had all of the ingredients on hand. Food coloring, shaving cream, paint brushes, craft sticks and a muffin tin. I scooted my son up on the stool and we got to it.
I filled each tin with the shaving cream and let him put drops of food color in. After making sure we had a red, a yellow, a green and a blue, I let him go crazy with his own color concoctions. I used craft sticks to mix the colors in. in. Then we went outside my son had a blast painting the slider. I even got in on the action. It kept him busy for at least 40 minutes. When he started getting distracted and wanted to paint other things I decided it was clean up time. I filled a bowl with warm water and gave him a sponge to clean the glass with. Wouldn't you know playing with the water was just as fun as playing with shaving cream!
When everything was pretty well wiped off I squirted it off with the hose and viola, a nice clean window.
But we still had 'paint' left over. So I decided that tonight we paint the bath! He was so excited!
At this point all the colors were mixed together in a shade of purple-gray.
In the bath he went and I let him paint every wall. My husband at one point asked, "isn't that going to stain the grout?". Well, I hadn't thought about that! Honestly if I had we wouldn't have done it at all.
So he painted away until his fingers and toes were pruney. The walls looked like they were straight out of a horror film. But he had so much fun. It was a trip when he asked me what he could paint. As if at some point he was going to cross a clean/dirty line and Mommy would get upset. Not this time, I let him paint ever inch of the tub and walls.
Clean up was simple. After a couple times of changing the tub water and rinsing the walls off you couldn't tell. Except of course, it stained the grout. I'm not too worried, tilex will bleach it right out. I just scrubbed my tub with comet yesterday, so I'm guessing that if your tub is funky it might stain the soap scum. But the extra cleaning is worth every minute of seeing my son have a blast.
Will I do this craft again? Absolutely. They have food coloring at Grocery Outlet for $.99 and shave cream at Dollar Tree for $1. I'm guessing you can get at least 3 uses out of a full stock. Definitely making cents to me!! This was a Pinterest sail.
Next thing running around my brain? Repurposing a sink to make a backyard utility/gardening area. Hmmmmm....
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Now, I had seen shaving cream paint before, but I never had the time to implement it. Plus, I always saw it used in the bath tub, and at my house bath time is down to business time. Not to mention it just looked messy.
Then I came across this blog via Pinterest: Happy Hooligans . She did shaving cream paint too, but put a twist on it, using it on the sliding glass door. I loved the idea of doing it outdoors and being able to hose it down afterwards.
So we set to work. I had all of the ingredients on hand. Food coloring, shaving cream, paint brushes, craft sticks and a muffin tin. I scooted my son up on the stool and we got to it.
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| This is FUN! |
When everything was pretty well wiped off I squirted it off with the hose and viola, a nice clean window.
But we still had 'paint' left over. So I decided that tonight we paint the bath! He was so excited!
At this point all the colors were mixed together in a shade of purple-gray.
In the bath he went and I let him paint every wall. My husband at one point asked, "isn't that going to stain the grout?". Well, I hadn't thought about that! Honestly if I had we wouldn't have done it at all.
So he painted away until his fingers and toes were pruney. The walls looked like they were straight out of a horror film. But he had so much fun. It was a trip when he asked me what he could paint. As if at some point he was going to cross a clean/dirty line and Mommy would get upset. Not this time, I let him paint ever inch of the tub and walls.
Clean up was simple. After a couple times of changing the tub water and rinsing the walls off you couldn't tell. Except of course, it stained the grout. I'm not too worried, tilex will bleach it right out. I just scrubbed my tub with comet yesterday, so I'm guessing that if your tub is funky it might stain the soap scum. But the extra cleaning is worth every minute of seeing my son have a blast.
Will I do this craft again? Absolutely. They have food coloring at Grocery Outlet for $.99 and shave cream at Dollar Tree for $1. I'm guessing you can get at least 3 uses out of a full stock. Definitely making cents to me!! This was a Pinterest sail.
Next thing running around my brain? Repurposing a sink to make a backyard utility/gardening area. Hmmmmm....
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| Adding the food coloring |
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| As many as you like! |
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| This one is green |
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| Filling the muffin cups with shaving cream. I let him do the second one but it was better when Mom did it. |
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| The finished colors |
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| Painting the window |
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| I can see you! |
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| Jumping to paint the top of the window |
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| Wiping down the window |
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| Cleaning Up |
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