Pinterest Projects: DIY Candy Container

Oh Pinterest, what would I do without you and your crafty ideas? Every time my mom sees something semi-creative in my house she says, "Oh that's so cute! Did you see it on Pinterest?" :) I'm not sure why she bothers to ask that anymore. I pretty much have zero creativity when it comes to crafts, but if I see something simple I can duplicate it. So, if you're ever at my house and you see something creative and handmade . . . Yes, I got the idea from Pinterest!

Well, I intended to make this crafty little thing for Christmas . . . That didn't happen. Then, I meant to make it before Brynna was born so I could have it ready for Valentine's day. That didn't happen either, even though I had all the supplies. So, last weekend I buckled down and made this adorable candy container!

You can find the directions for this little project over here. I only made a couple changes:

1) I used chalkboard paint - that way I can change what it says depending on the occasion. (I thought the "Merry 'Kiss-mas'" idea was adorable, but then I could only use it for Christmas)

2) I used my hot glue gun to glue everything together instead of E6000 adhesive - worked great for me!

Anyway, let me know if you've made this little craft, or how it turns out if you make it now! I have a feeling it'll be a hit with my boys. Who doesn't love chocolate in a fun container?

Toddler/Kid Art

Remember when I made this piece of crayon art? It was so fun and easy to do, but I bought the canvas in a 3-pack, so I've had 2 pieces sitting around staring me in the face for a long time now. I knew what I wanted to do with them, but hadn't gotten around to doing it . . . Partly because I was a little intimidated and nervous. It involves painting. With kids. Enough said.

I wanted to tape the boys' names on the canvas, then have them finger-paint all over it. Once it dried, I could remove the tape and their names would show up white against the colored finger-painting! Such a cute idea. And, I saw a recipe for homemade finger=paints on Pinterest which made the idea even more appealing.

I had the idea in my head that I would make four colors, and the boys would each get to use 2 colors: red/yellow or green/blue. Well, it didn't work quite as planned because Aiden's basically ended up orange, and Asher's is kind of teal-ish. Both cute, but I mistakenly thought there would be some separation of colors. Silly me. :) As my husband said, it just makes it look more like kids did it - which was the point, right? Right.

So when Dusty was at work this week I stripped the boys down to their diapers (actually Asher was naked because we're working on potty training hard core . . . more on that later) and let them have at it. Needless to say, it was a mess; but it was also really fun for all of us. Another great part was that even when some of the paint (inevitably) got on the table, it wiped up really easily. And the boys were plopped straight into the bathtub when they were done! Asher and Aiden (and Mommy!) were pretty excited to show Daddy what they did that day, and now we have some more fun art to put in their room or play area!

Supplies
canvas
tape
finger paints
1. Tape onto the canvas the word or name you'd like to use. Make sure to press out any bubbles and stick it on tight.
2. Finger paint all over canvas.
3. Allow to dry completely and delicately peel off tape.
4. Ta-da!
*You could also outline the letters with black marker before peeling them off, but I chose not to.

Homemade Finger Paints (original can be found here)
3 Tbls. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. cornstarch
2 c. cold water
food coloring of your choice
1. Place all ingredients except food coloring in a saucepan and warm over med.-low heat until mixture thickens. Whisk while you're doing this to avoid lumps. (Mine took 5-7 minutes.)
2. Allow to cool and color as desired. (I ended up using about 20 drops for each color, but next time I might use even more to make the colors more vibrant.)

Pausing for a pic - Aiden is all over that canvas!

Look at that concentration!

Total mess!

Me: "Okay, that's enough-time for baths!"

Aiden's finished product

Asher's finished product

How I Broke the News of Baby #3 to My Hubby

Baby #3 was semi-planned, but came a lot more quickly than we were expecting. So one Saturday morning we were all on the main floor of the house picking/cleaning up and waiting for my sister and brother-in-law who were coming later that afternoon.

I snuck a pregnancy test in while Dusty was doing dishes, and . . . Remember this DIY gift I gave him for Valentine's Day?

Well, I made use of it to tell him I was pregnant:

I hastily scribbled it on there and waited until he noticed. I think his exact response was, "NUH-UH! Are you serious?!" He was elated and disbelieving at the same time - neither of us expected it. I definitely had fun breaking the news to him, but it took some patience because I wanted to blurt it out instead of waiting for him to notice I had written something different on the frame. Luckily, I didn't have to wait too long. ;)

How have you broken baby news to your partner?

Pinterest Projects: Budget Savvy

The idea of making products for the home has become really appealing to me lately. I'm not sure if it's because I know I'm saving money, or if it's because I feel as though I've accomplished something, or maybe it's something else entirely.

Whatever the reason, I've tried a number of "home products" recently, and this is one I feel is worth sharing. Fabric softener can be pretty spendy, so when I saw this recipe for making it at home I thought I'd give it a go. The first time I made it, I was a little bummed that I couldn't really smell the fabric softener, so the next time I made it I bumped up the "smelly" ingredient by 1 1/2, and it seemed to make a difference. Next time, I might even add some essential oil to it to enhance it even more . . . We'll see.

Anyway, this fabric softener works well, and is considerably less expensive than buying the nice ones from the store. All you need are three easy ingredients:

Homemade Fabric Softener (original can be found here)
6 c. hot water
3 c. white vinegar
3 c. Suave conditioner (I used Ocean Breeze, but use your favorite scent)
1. Mix all ingredients together until conditioner is dissolved.
2. Shake before each use, and use as you would any other fabric softener.

 I use an old fabric softener container to store it in, and my Downy ball in the 

wash - same as I always have.

Pinterest Projects: Pamper Yourself

Do you ever have one of those mornings (or days) when you just need a little pampering? Happens to me on a fairly regular basis. A long, hot shower goes a long way to relaxing me, but usually Saturdays are the only day of the week that I can enjoy a shower because Dusty's home and I don't have to worry about the kids, and we're not in a rush to get out the door to church.

If you're having one of those mornings, I urge you to try this homemade sugar scrub. It's definitely up to scratch with the fancy ones you buy in the store for $15-$20, and odds are you probably have all the ingredients on hand. Can't get much better than that, right? You can find the original recipe here, as well as some other homemade beauty products (I haven't tried any of the others yet). She uses organic olive oil and raw honey, which you can certainly use, but I don't stock those on my shelves, so I used what I had.

This would also make a fantastic gift for a new mom, a friend, a teacher - anyone you'd like to make feel special and pampered. And, the great thing is that if you know the person, you might know what smells she likes and you can tailor it specifically for her! Personalization is key.

Body Scrub
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/8 c. honey
1/4-1/2 tsp. desired scent: vanilla extract, lemon juice, essential oil, ground coffee, cinnamon, clove, etc. (I also think if you used coconut extract and lime juice it would smell like the Coconut and Lime Breeze from Bath and Body Works - $14!) *I used vanilla because I love anything vanilla, but I might add some cinnamon to it, too . . .
Mix all ingredients together and store in a jar. Use it whenever you feel the need for a little (inexpensive) pampering.

I'd recommend storing it in a shallower container than the one I chose unless you have super long, skinny, alien-like fingers, or just keep something handy to scoop it out when you want to use it . . . It'll be hard for me to dig it out with my fingers once it gets toward the bottom!

If you make this, I'd love to know what you think!

Pinterest Projects: For Someone Special

When Valentine's Day rolls around, I usually try to think of something meaningful/special/handmade to give my husband. It's out of the ordinary, and makes the day feel a little different than other holidays when we exchange gifts.

This year (of course this was a few months ago now), I saw this project on Pinterest and was convinced I could do it . . . and I could! Why? Because it's ridiculously easy. The original can be found here.

Supplies
1 piece of scrapbook paper (cut into 8x11 if it's not that size already)
8x10 frame
dry erase marker
things to decorate the frame with if you'd like
1. Print the words "I love you because . . ." on the piece of scrapbook paper, horizontally. Use whatever fonts seem to fit the decor of your house or the style of the person you're making it for.
2. Insert the printed paper into the frame.
3. Decorate the frame if you so choose.
4. Use the dry erase marker to write why you love your special someone.

How easy was that?!

This message was inspired by his willingness to dance with the boys and I
at his sister's wedding reception. So sweet - not many guys do that!

You can write messages daily, or as often as you like. I specifically told my husband that I wouldn't promise to write on it every day because I knew I'd end up disappointing both of us if I said that. You can give this to a parent if you still live at home, or your child if he/she knows how to read, or your significant other. It's a nice, simple way to let them know they're loved and appreciated. And, as I said before, it's so easy!

Pinterest Projects: Family Friendly

I absolutely love the idea of this project. It's so simple, and instills such a good prayer habit at a young age. Praying for others is so important, and this is a wonderful way to start teaching that to little ones.

It's called a Prayer Pail, or Prayer Bucket. The idea is that you label it with stick-on letters, and then you write the names of all your family, friends, or anyone you want to pray for on a popsicle stick. All the sticks go in the pail, and then at mealtime, you draw one out and say a prayer for that person.

Asher loves being able to pick out a stick, and he rarely forgets to do it. We say the table prayer before supper (since this is the meal we can eat as a family), and then he picks out one stick. I just think it's a really neat idea, and so easy for someone like me who's not very crafty. :)

Supplies
Pail
Stick-on letters (can be found in many varieties at lots of stores - Michaels, Target, Walmart, etc.)
Large popsicle sticks
Permanent Marker
Center the words "Prayer Pail" or "Prayer Bucket" if yours has a design like ours did; otherwise you can put them anywhere. Stick on the letters. Use the permanent marker to write one name on each stick, and you're done!

I'm not sure if ours can technically be called a pail since it doesn't have a handle, but I love it and it holds meaning for our family. When Dusty's grandma passed away, we were given a plant after her funeral, but after transplanting the plant I wasn't sure what to do with the pot. Turning it into our Prayer Pail seemed like a great idea to me - I'm so very glad this project came along because it makes such good use out of something special.

Since ours already had decoration on it, I didn't add anything else to it. But, you can certainly use scrapbook paper, stickers, or anything else to decorate your pail and make it personalized.

Pinterest Projects: Kid Decor

I know I've mentioned Pinterest a few times already, but I want to start a new little segment devoted to some projects I've done that I found there.

Admittedly, I have very little creativity, but I do okay if I just have to imitate something. This first project, Kid Decor, was so fun and easy, and I could definitely see myself doing it again! It takes minimal effort, and the result is so colorful and unique.

Supplies
1 piece of canvas (I used an 8x10)
super glue
crayons (enough to cover the length of the top)
hair dryer

The finished product

Here's what ya do:
Super glue the crayons across the top of your canvas in whatever order you choose (I just did good ol' ROY G BIV). Once you've done that, allow it to dry and un-stick your fingers from each other if you're anything like me and got super glue all over them. After it's dry, either go someplace where crayon wax would be easy to clean up, or lay down some old newspapers. Turn your hair dryer on high, and point it at a slightly downward angle at the crayons. Soon, the wax will start dripping down the canvas. Move the blow dryer across the crayons until they've all melted/dripped down your canvas. Let dry, and marvel at your work of art!
I did this project months ago and didn't think I'd post about it, so I didn't take pictures of the process. Luckily, it's not too difficult to explain!

All the crayons I used - it looks blurry because they've already been melted.

Things I love about this project:
1) It would be great to do with your kids, minus the super glue - I think even Asher (2 1/2) would have fun doing the hair-dryer part.
2) It's so very customizable! If you want to make one for your kids' rooms, you can pick out crayons that match their decor (ours is in our play area, so I wanted to use all the colors).
3) I didn't even get my crayons glued on completely straight and it still looks good.

If you've done one of these, or end up trying it, I'd love to know!