Chalk Board Picture Frame

What a day! My child is playing pee wee basketball, the FIRST team sport ever for him, and he scored 4 baskets in his game today! WAY TO GO! The most important thing is that the kids have fun but it's icing on the cake for the big boy to actually score. Boy was he excited! I was excited for him.

On that note I did a small craft a few weeks ago that I used for fun after the game! It's a chalkboard picture frame, plain and simple.

What I used

-5X7 IKEA picture frame in white

-chalkboard paint in black

-sponge stick for paint application

All I did was pull the picture frame apart and paint the glass with chalkboard paint using a sponge stick. I made simple strokes vertically and horizontally to cover the glass. I applied two coats and let it dry overnight. When I put the frame back together I put the mat on top! Easy as that and you can use it for all kinds of things. I like it for encouraging words. Have fun and have a great Sunday. Next time I chat I'll tell you about the rest of what happened today. We're making some small changes around here that I'm excited about! I'm not usually very good with change but this one I am. Yes it has to do with "room" (the word space gets overused in my opinion and drives me bonkers therefore ROOM) in our room! : )

Peppermint Soaps

Hey you crafties! I'm sorry I've been a MIA on the crafting and decorating lately. With Christmas behind us, just been trying to get some rest and relaxation when I'm not at work or running kiddos somewhere. Here is one little gift idea. I'm also working on updating my blog. I've been researching and think it's time to move to Word press and get my own domain. I'm excited but nervous a a little hesitant to jump in feet first. I'm enjoying this hobby of blogging but there is so much to learn about it. 

On to a simple gift idea. I found this in a Martha Stewart Christmas magazine. I enjoy making gifts for people and here was my first attempt at making soaps. It was fun idea but I think it was a FAIL job so I'll be adding it to Craft Fail too. :) I had really good intentions is all I'll say. 

What you'll need:

1 bag of white glycerin

1 bag of clear glycerin

red food coloring

peppermint essential oils

cellophane

Don't forget to add Peppermint. I don't think I used enough for the soaps but it sure did make the kitchen smell GOOD!

I used two bags of glycerin soap, one clear that I dyed with red food coloring and one white. I followed the directions in the magazine instructions. I used a glass Pyrex meatloaf pan and carefully heated the glycerin using glass bowls in the microwave and layered it. It took a long time to make the candy cane soaps. You can only nukiwave the glycerin for 30 seconds at a time to avoid ruining your microwave. You have to let it cool for 20 mins after pouring it in the pan so you have to reheat the glycerin again b/c it hardens.  I scored each layer with a fork like the directions said but the layers didn't quite stick together so the gift was botched. I had a little left over glycerin and so I mixed both colors of glycerin and it turned pink. I used a small muffin pan to make small soaps. I stacked them and used cellophane and ribbon to wrap them. They would make a nice Valentine gift for anyone if you can get the layers to stay together! Next time I will make a solid bar in a mold or something. Layering wasn't exactly easy. It took a really loooooong time! Let me know how it goes if you ever attempt this one.  

Love A Full And ORGANIZED Fridge

Don't you just LOVE a full fridge?!?! I know I do and especially when it is actually ORGANIZED! We made a big purchase a few months ago and got this big, bad mammer jammer of a fridge. I'm kidding but it is nice to have. I wasn't sold on upgrading but the hubs kinda talked me into it. Here is the fridge. You see, I really liked the old one. I was worried about getting stainless steel and going bonkers of little finger prints and such (which does drive me a little nutty but what can you do?). It's sorta hard letting go of things I purchased by myself too. The fridge below it was one that I picked out and bought when I bought my first house before we got married. The old fridge was great and worked well for me when I was single and worked great for us too, but we decided to start grocery shopping in bulk to save money for a family of four.

 

 

See the new fridge is much larger than the old, which I seriously didn't realize before. I'm not exactly sure of the size but it does the job.

 

Today I shopped at BJs and saved "bookoo" dollars, thanks to my mom-in-law for teaching me how to shop. I cannot give her enough credit! Do you have a Bjs near you? I just love it. I got my coupon booklet in the mail and first thing this am I matched the manufacturers coupons to the store ones for extra savings. Not everything is a great deal but you just have to shop and compare. I still go to two other grocery stores too to get everything but I made out pretty well at the one today! Sometimes I feel so silly that I never did this before. It has really forced me to be more aware of my spending. Live and learn, huh!

 

It guess it's kinda personal to see into one's refrigerator but I'm stoked that it's actually cleaned out and organized. It's goofy the things that make me smile. Now if I can just learn to be a better COOK! :-)

 

ORGANIZATION at it's best! AHHHH!

 

I picked up this little plastic bin at the dollar store for a buck to corral all the little leftovers so we can locate quick and easily.

You can't tell but I saved a lot on groceries today! I would have saved even more but had to buy milk and a few items that I didn't have a coupon for. It's such a great feeling to be fully stocked.  :-) Have a great rest of the weekend and hope you do well getting groceries!

I really do think there should be an extra day added to the weekend just so we can get more of this stuff done without it cutting into our leisure time! Ta-Ta-For-Now!

  

Bogged With Blogging? No Just Been Busy Trying NOT To Be!!

I am wiped out! I try not to write unless I am cheerful and energetic but I am just plain pooped. My son had a small procedure this morning and got tubes in his ears. It was a simple surgery but it wore mama out. 

So thinking about blogging, I realize I haven't done a tutorial type of post in a while but I am taking a little time to relax. Sure! That is what I keep telling myself anyhow. I seriously do not know how to relax. GRR! It's sad that I have to force myself to sit still and do NOTHING but I am just not wired that way. My mind continues to churn and come up with ideas for all kinds of things. It won't stop pondering and wondering! I really need to learn to relax with no guilt. I'm working on it! Any suggestions?

Oh I have been doing more bloggy behind the scenes stuff lately too. I'm dying to learn how to do things to my blog to make it more fun for YOU to read. If you haven't already found me, I am on Facebook and Twitter. Feel free to follow me there if you want. I am still trying to figure things out and am playing around with Twitter somewhat. Please hang tight if you will, bare with me. I have lots to share with you this year. I'll be doing more crafty projects but I want to show you some of our rooms and how they have evolved. 

I'm hitting the hay but just wanted to say a quick "hey"! Hope you have a great weekend. TTYL (talk to you later)!

Kindle Fire Giveaway!

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Hooked On No Holes!

WHAAZUP? What have you been up to? How was YOUR weekend? Mine was busy between pee wee basketball and grocery shopping. I think we should get an extra day off each week just to do our grocery shopping and play catch up. Ha! 

So please tell me how you get a five year old to quit saying the word "bomb" in public! Goodness gracious it sure is embarrassing when we are in a store and my child shouts out that something is the BOMB DIGGITY. He says it in the worst possible scenarios and then asks me over and over why he shouldn't say the word BOMB. GRRRR!

Onto my reason for writing... 

How do you feel about your walls? Yes I am asking how your treat your walls in your house. I ask this because I am a little obsessive about our walls. Well maybe not obsessive but I try to take good care of them. It probably sounds really dumb but I have done lots of painting in the two houses we've owned. I take pride in the border removal and paint jobs and take my dear sweet time hanging things on the walls to have little regret hanging things. One thing I found in October were these awesome hangers. For Christmas I used one on the mirror over our mantel to hang a wreath. Have you used these kinds of hooks before? I am sure I'm late in testing these little suckers out but they are AWESOME. What a great invention! I especially like these plastic hooks that look like brushed pewter. Classy.       

As much as I worry about not marking up the walls and trying to keep them clean, check out what the kids got for Christmas! It is awesome. I was a little apprehensive at first but it is super cool. The Hot Wheels Wall Tracks uses the 3M Command Strips and it really doesn't touch the walls like you would think. You use the strips to hang the brackets and it' so easy! The tracks sit on the brackets but they don't touch the walls. It's great racing fun! I wanted to share because I just LOVE these command strips and they have gotten me over worrying about the walls as much. I am soooo hooked!

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2012 Goals

Do you normally make New Years Resolutions? I don't because I make 'em and break 'em and just don't like to put myself through the ongoing failure of being able to keep 'em. It's okay though. I put enough pressure on myself and am productive. Speaking of pressure, holy moly! Have you ever had a headache where it affected your vision?? Yikes. 

A scary moment was last week on my last day of holiday break after I took the kiddos to daycare and was going to have a "me" day, I had one of those headaches. I was driving along when I realized I was squinting because I couldn't see well. At first I thought I was looking at a crack in my windshield. Then I began seeing waves in my vision. I literally thought I was losing my eyesight and was going to pass out. Luckily I was able to make it home but the waves continued. My husband had to come home from work and drive me to urgent care where two hours later the excruciating headache set in. Man was it awful. I get migraines but never have I ever lost my vision with one. Now I can say I have. It was like there was a part of the picture that was missing and nothing to focus on with the vision thing. How awful. I feel for anyone who gets those regularly. I hope I don't ever get another one. Talk about rough! 

Enough tangents and on to my point.

I have been thinking of what I want to accomplish this year. I have to be realistic since we have two young children and limited free time but I did come up with a list and here it is. Sharing with you helps me hold myself accountable so thank you for that!

• Get organized in as many ways as possible - my car, the master closet, bathroom cabinets, the fridge, coupons, mail, papers in general...
• Finish things I have started. That is my biggest struggle. I am all over the place with things and I need more structure in the way I do craft projects and decorating to follow through and finish.
• Refresh a few things around the house by moving decor around and rearranging what we have.
• Come up with a solution to dress up some bare windows. 
• Continue to address the space above the cabinets in the kitchen.
• Attempt to brighten up the house some with more color.
• Storage. Storage. Storage.

Storage Bin

Overflowing Paperwork. Ugghhh!

I think that is enough to keep me busy in 2012. What are YOU planning on doing? Do you have any goals or resolutions for the new year?

Good Will Is Hopping

I bet the next month would be a great time to shop your local Good Will store for inexpensive finds... man oh man is Good Will hopping right now! I had bunches of errands to run yesterday, including a drop off at Good Will, and I have never seen that place so busy with drop offs. I knew it would be busy but wowser was it jammed! They had a GINORMOUS trailer at the drive thru with the normal number of workers tripled. Guess I'm not the only one who is purging as we bring in the new year!

 

Are you currently purging anything or do you have plans to? Clothes? Toys? Any particular room to clean out and refresh? Well I have plans to do all of the above and then some but first things first. I have got to tackle the Christmas decorations. This year I am taking my time to do it though. Trying to de-stress, and take a load off more so I'll let you know how it goes. I am going to try and be slower about it but hopefully won't get a letter from the home owners association over it! Can't wait too late. I normally try to get it all done in one day and there is just no way anymore. I am turning a new leaf with this new year and trying to RELAX more!

Hope everyone had a happy 1st! We were able to spend a the day visiting with family and friends! Talk about relaxing! Doesn't get much better than that!