Green Smoothies and a Sneak Peak

Around the second week of January I became really motivated to finally do something about our gross basement. If you are new to the blog, I've been complaining about this basement practically forever. 

I first shared a few pictures of the problem areas (basement laundry and bonus room) back in April 2012 in a post titled the UFO that lives in my basement. I then mentioned the "pit of despair" again when I added the laundry room update to my 30 by Thirty list.

Although it looks bad, all it really needed was a fresh coat of paint and a little organization. But the project stalled out when a trip to the hardware store for an additional gallon of paint turned out not to be an exact color match (a fact we didn't realize until after we finished cutting in the edges). I was so frustrated, I sort of gave up on it for a while.

Until I noticed a thick layer of visible dust accumulating on my painters tape.

That lit a fire under my hiney and I suddenly found the determination to tackle the project again. And I am getting oh so close! Just a few more touches and I'll finally be ready to share my budget laundry room makeover. Here's a sneak peak at what we've been up to.

And because I felt the need to share something useful in this post. Here is a great recipe I found for a green smoothie. You seriously can not taste the spinach! Even my vegetable resistant toddler will drink this delicious smoothie. Trust me. It's good.

Green Smoothie Recipe (two small servings)
1 cup tightly packed fresh spinach
1 banana, peeled
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1/2 cup frozen mango
1 cup water

Blend together. Serve immediately.

I wish I could remember where I found this recipe. I came across it while clicking through some new blogs a while back. I jotted the recipe on the back of an old envelope laying around but forgot to note the source. I think I even left a comment saying I was going to try the recipe. If this was you, please tell me so I can give you credit!

This is ME - Potty Training Days

My friend Amy, over at While Wearing Heels, has challenged her readers to make a deliberate effort to get out from behind the camera and include themselves in photographs. Whether it is because we are always the one taking the pictures, or maybe a bit self conscious, it is easy for mother especially, to become seemingly absent in the photographs of our children's youth.

Amy's challenge is to use the self-timer, a remote, or even an outstretched arm to take photos of our selves with our children. Don't wait for your husband or anyone else to capture those moments, find a way to include at least a part of ourselves in photographs.

This month's theme was everyday moments. Our biggest everyday moment this month was potty training and watching Franklin and Friends. Prior to January, we hardly ever watched television during the day. However, our daughter loves watching Franklin and Friends, and the promise of tv time turned out to be a mighty powerful potty training incentive - much more effective for us than M&Ms or stickers. During the first week or so, every potty success was rewarded by a short mini-segment of her favorite show (approx. 10 mins long) played from a DVR recording.

In one of the episodes Franklin makes shadow puppets with his friends at school. After watching this episode numerous times, my daughter asked if we could make shadow puppets. Of course I said "YES!"

Here is a long-arm snapshot of us playing with our shadow puppets. It barely meets the photo challenge requirements (only my hand and foot are visible) but I love this photo so much I had to share.

I love this pic because it is so true to life and representative of our potty training days:

• clean laundry in a pile on the couch - potty training easily doubles you laundry need.
• both of us wearing sweat pants - inevitably I would get peed on at some point during the day, so I might as well wear sweats.
• the cat is curiously yet cautiously observing from a safe distance.
• we our playing together re-enacting an activity from her favorite show - did I mention that we only had three episodes (six mini segments) recorded on the DVR? I think we could both recite the dialogue from memory when the week was done.

( And for the record, potty training was a success  :)


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Three Tip Thursday - Kitchen

Okay guys, I'm going to try something new here. Every so often I'm going to share a collection of simple tricks that my family utilizes in our home and in our lives. I love the ah-ha moment of stumbling upon a new technique that simplifies life. Like the day I saw a friend instruct her toddler to hold the juice box by the "wings" - I was thrilled.

Anyways, I thought I'd periodically share on the blog a few of the tricks we use around our home. Many of these tips are things we've stumbled upon ourselves, while others we've picked up from observing others. These are things we actually do and hopefully you'll find them helpful as well.

1. Hate fresh baked cookies that stick together and crumble apart? Store them vertically instead of in layers! (It took me years to think of this, but now all my cookies stay fresh and in tact.)

2. Most store bought eggs are fresh well beyond the date printed on the carton. Test your past date eggs in a cup of water. Fresh eggs will sink. Bad eggs will float. ("Standing" eggs are still okay.) I checked half a dozen eggs eight days after expiration and only one had gone bad.

3. Peeling Vegetables. To preserve the longevity of my garbage disposal, I try to keep the majority of my vegetable peels from going down the disposal. I used to use four or five paper towels to wipe the produce peels out of the sink. Then one day I realized the plastic grocer bag (the one you used to purchase your veggies) works even better. Just put your hand inside the bag and swipe up the peels.

Let me know if you enjoyed this post :)

Diaper Wreath Tutorial

Ahh, don't you just love baby showers? No matter how baby showers I attend, they never get old. I mean really, who doesn't like looking at all the cute new baby items? And talk about a changing industry! I couldn't believe how many new things have been invented in the two and a half years since my "baby" was born.

Anyways, my typical go-to baby shower gift has always been a no-roll diaper cake. I like giving diaper cakes because they are fun and festive, yet practical. My no-roll variety is especially easy to assemble. I've written about them before, but in case you missed it, my no-roll diaper cake tutorial can be found by clicking HERE.

However, this time around I felt like doing something different. So in addition to my registry gift, I assembled this sweet baby blue diaper wreath for the mother to be. Here's how I made it.

Supplies:
1/8 yard lightweight fabric
small package of diapers
wreath form
tulle/ribbon


Step 1: Decide wether or not you want to display the colored waistband portion of the diaper. A white wreath like mine requires diapers to be face down.

Step 2: Begin wrapping the diapers around the wreath form. This will be easier if you can make your diapers narrower, by refolding or squishing together. Tie tulle or ribbon around each diaper to secure in place. I found it easiest to work from both sides at the same time.

Step 3: For the sash, I used a white Paint Sharpie to write Welcome Baby on a strip of lightweight fabric. Using pipe cleaner instead of floral wire, I was aiming for a bendable wire wreath banner similar to THIS one from Uncommon Designs.  However, a number of mishaps led to this wrap around variant, which I still like, even if it wasn't my initial plan.

Sharing this post at THESE creative link parties.

Hiding the Parker Brothers

We have a bit of a gaming problem in this house. Not the kind that leaves you broke. Or the kind that leaves you glossy eyed and carpel tunneled. Our gaming problem involves colorful plastic pieces and little wooden letter tiles.

That's right, we are board game people! We love a good game with family or friends and as such, we've acquired quite an expansive collection. A good two thirds of our tv cabinet is now occupied by the Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley and the like.

As much as I enjoy a good game of Pictionary or Boggle, they're all packaged in brightly colored boxes. When all the games are stacked together within the glass doored cabinet, the resulting color chaos is a bit jarring - too much eye clutter!

Rather than relocate our game collection elsewhere (and fill the cabinet with other highly visible objects) I decided the best option was to cover the glass insets. I thought about scrapbook paper, but didn't want a seam. I considered fabric, but was concerned about both cloth wrinkles and adhesive choices.

Ultimately, I decided to use plain old semi-transparent contact paper for this project. Conveniently, I  already had some on hand. I was super meticulous about eliminating air bubbles and although it took four layers of contact paper (or was it five?) I was very happy with the final result. There is just enough visibility to give it some interest, without the visual distraction it previously was.

Sharing this post at some of the creative link parties listed HERE.

Projects of 2013: A To-Do List for the Year

Brainstorming and planning, in my opinion, is far more entertaining than actually completing those tedious, mulitple-coats-of-paint type projects. I actually enjoy researching various DIY methods and techniques. But when it comes time to implement said skills? I tend to stall out.

Remember the UFO that lives in my basement mentioned HERE? Well, despite significant progress, it still isn't completely finished. The bonus room has been cleared out and the laundry room is now a deep navy color with white trim and cabinets. Most of the tough stuff is finished, but there are still a few lingering things that need to be done.

(p.s. I have even greater respect than ever for those of you who frequently refurbish wood furniture and cabinets. The process to make the cabinetry white was a giant pain in the rear. Y'all who paint every wooden object in your home are awesome. That stuff is tedious!)

However, there is one thing that I do love. LISTS. Specifically, crossing something off of a list. Hence the reason I wrote my 30 by Thirty goals. (Which, I should probably write an update up)

Acknowledging that written lists are a powerful motivator for me, here is my to-do list of projects I hope to tackle in 2013.

1. Replace cushions and recover the craigslist rocker in our daughter's bedroom.
2. DIY ruffle throw pillow for her rocker.
3. Make a hanging reading lamp for reading nook. I have a vision....
4. Find or make some acceptable curtains for daughter's room. See our make shift solution for getting our daughter to nap in a sunny room? This photo was taken ages ago, yet we still have those bed sheets draped from the curtains (except we did finally get the sense to move them underneath the curtains - thank you safety pins).

5. Complete the finishing touches on our laundry room transformation.
6. Make laundry room wall art/ sign.
7. Denim quilt. This project has been on my to do list for a very long time.... See the layout photo below? This photo is date marked 12/2/2010.The squares are all cut and ready to go. I just haven't done it yet (I'm intimidated!)

8. Complete 2012 Shutterfly photo book.
9. Playroom toy storage solution
10. Tackle the remaining items on 30 by Thirty list.

What are your projects for the new year?