Furniture Friday: Ice Cream Sandwich Storage Bench

How about this fantastic custom made ice cream sandwich storage bench?!  My cousin's 11 year old son asked for an ice cream sandwich bench.  My cousin's talented wife, Sarah, whipped this up for him.

So, cute!

 

Whatever Wednesday: Valentine Pillows easy enough for an 8 year old or two

Last year and the year before, I took my daughter out of public school to educate her at home for a bit.  Her good friend also home schooled that year.  So, once a week we got together to do a project or a lab from science.

This project took two mornings, about 3 1/2 hours total, because of teaching and instructing and really trying to let them do all the work.  We worked on their sewing skills, both hand and machine sewing.  When they were finished, they both had a cute, one-of-a-kind Valentine Heart Pillow.

Using fusible interfacing, the girls cut out the the heart shapes and then ironed them on.  This just makes the fabric thicker but more importantly it keeps the fabric in place so that it is sooo much easier to sew!

Then ironed the interfacing onto the front of their pillow.

Interfacing ironed on, ready for the fabric. 

Fabric ready to be ironed to the interfacing.

 She wanted buttons on hers, so that was a good sewing lesson, in and of itself!

 Sewing up the perimeter of the pillow. 

 Stuffing the pillow.  Then they learned how to hand sew it closed.

Finished!

 

 

Make a Mix Monday: 12 Oatmeal Packet Recipes

Let's talk homemade oatmeal packet recipes.  There are some fantastic ones all over the internet.

Here are 12 of my favorites:


1. Over at Amy Love Her Life is probably the easiest recipe.  Just two ingredients!  And it is yummy!  I just didn't like the amount of sugar.  But my daughter loved it!!




2. Rachel from Creative Homemaking has 5 different recipes, each easy.  I love, love, LOVE that she has a peaches and cream recipe - my favorite! 

 

3. If you're looking for a super creamy version this one has the option of coffee creamer (or powdered milk).  Check it out at Mrs. Happy Homemaker.  

 

4.  My favorite is probably Brittany's recipe from A Healthy Slice of Life.  I really like hers because she breaks down how to make your own oatmeal.  Not that the others didn't! But her pictures, and ideas for more nutricious options and ingredients won me over!  Plus she was one of the only ones who used regular oats instead of quick.  Her one drawback was that her recipes didn't have powdered milk - and you know, I'm trying to use it so I don't need to spend as often for regular milk at the grocery store.  

 

5. Does anyone remember Raisin and Spice Oatmeal?    Whether you have or you haven't, you have got to try this recipe at Danette's Recipes! It is certainly a little more work than our first two recipes but so much bang for your buck - and for your tastebuds!  Yummy!

6. Bargain Briana has five great recipes for small oatmeal packets as well!  She doesn't put in too much sugar, uses powdered milk and even has a cocoa oatmeal recipe!  

 

7.  Another bunch of easy, quick recipes are over at MOMables.  Theirs are easy to make, use powdered milk and remind you that you can control the amount of sugar.

 

8. For a delicious, but more detailed recipe, check out Barefeet In the Kitchen

.  There's lots of great ingredients and the option to add flaxseed or wheat germ.  Among other things, flaxseed adds fiber and omega3 fatty acids.  While wheat germ gives you fiber and protien.  Both wonderful additions to your diet!

     

9. Have you ever heard of the awesome idea to add oil extracts to your oatmeal?  Well, at Heart, Hands, Home they had the idea to put maple flavoring into their recipe.  If you'd like another taste, how about some vanilla in the mix?   

10. Jillee  is another favorite of mine!  She shares the "why" as to why store bought turns out creamier and thicker than most homemade recipes.  And her instructions are flawless.  

11. For the most bang for your buck The website Deals to Meals has easy recipes - single, bulk and with the added  bonus of a granola bar recipe and a link to homemade granola.


12. If you're looking for some very out-of-the-ordinary delicous recipes, try these from The Vegan Lunch Box.  You certainly can't find blueberry/orange or coconut/pineapple in a Quaker Oats version of instant oatmeal!  

 

Furniture Friday: Fireplace Built-in for DVDs

My friend, Cammy had a problem.  Her living room focal point, the gas fireplace with a spot for her t.v., was often disheveled.  When they got opportunities to watch a movie together it would take ages to find one because the movies were haphazardly placed anywhere they'd fit on top of the mantle.  She is a wonderful mother to five boisterous kids, has a great husband who is in the military, and has a natural desire to let tidiness in her home bring peace to the whole clan.

While I was visiting one day, she mentioned how the state of her DVDs were a little frustrating.  I suggested building two shelf-towers on either side of the fireplace for storage.

We didn't get step-by-step pictures because we were trying to finish it really quickly (in just one day and still be able to take our children swimming).

You can get an idea of how to make one here and here.  But this is basically what we did:

1. Measured our available space and divided it so that the shelves would be symmetrical to one another on each side of the fireplace.
2. Measured the DVDs so that we made each shelf the correct height.
3. She didn't own a table saw, nor did I lug mine over to her house, so we used a circular saw to make our cuts.  This made pretty rough cuts and not all of them were straight, but with a good dose of caulk and some paint, it worked out just fine.
4. Nail-gunned the pieces together.
5. Caulked like crazy!
6. Painted.
7. Then put into place next to the fireplace.
8. Another bit of caulk to make it look seamless and like it was built by the spec home construction team.
9. Touch up paint.
10. Done!

Did I mention that I LOVE built-ins?!  Love 'em!

Whatever Wednesday: Everything in it's place...even the little things.

Does anyone else have a ton of store mini cards that hang on your key ring?  They are great and save money, but they certainly weren't saving me time!  Nearly every time I stood in line, I stood searching for the right little rectangle.     

With that quote in mind, I decided that the little things were included in "everything" and made a quick, easy change: by separating the cards from my key chain I find them much more easily and my keys by themselves can fit into my pocket.   

Furniture Friday: Just a table and some chairs

A few days before I was suppose to move, a friend from church asked if I could help her refinish her kitchen table and chairs.  This table was beautiful, but it had years of wear and tear and needed a refresher.   So, knowing that it wouldn't take too long (ha!), I headed over and we started working.  (I thought we could do it in about three hours, but it took about five or six because I didn't count on the humid weather extending dry time - so it was two mornings worth of work.)

We used Glisser Sanding Deglosser to make the previous finish tacky so the burgandy color she chose would stick.  We taped off the top of the table, because, look, it still looked great!  And  painted the legs to match the chairs. 

Because I was in such a hurry to finish and get back to packing, this is the only snap shot that we got.  But it turned out nicely didn't it?  And now it matches the curtains and valences she had made for her kitchen windows and sliding door. 

Whatever Wednesday: Webbing, Burlap, and Felt Valentine Garland

Remember the green chair that I tried to use red webbing on? Well, I couldn't let that webbing go to waste! So, today I made a Valentine garland using the webbing and some materials from my sewing cupboard and from Micheal's. It cost me $4.

The webbing and some burlap hearts from Micheal's.

I gathered my materials. 

Laid out the different design options.

Decided I wanted it all to be a cloth of some kind instead of the red paper hearts that I had on hand.

Sewed it together with some red jute string.

And hung it up.  Quick and easy.